Dog Grooming Trainers UK, information on dog grooming training schools and dog grooming courses

 

Tips and Information On Starting A Dog Grooming Business

Whilst you are considering enrolling onto a dog grooming training course to train as a Professional Dog Groomer (Dog Stylist) there are a number of other options and plans for your future that you should take into consideration.

….. there are lots of questions that you will need to address in the next few weeks, and there’s no time like the present to begin to consider them!

Plan For Your Future Career

Your plans for the future will certainly influence the type of dog grooming course that you choose to undertake and your choice of dog grooming course that you attend. Prior to, or during, your dog grooming training course you may wish to investigate suitable premises, licensing, suppliers, business insurance, advertising, etc - and you will have experienced people around you in the dog grooming school to answer many of the questions that are likely to crop up as your business planning progresses.

There is certainly a growing demand for dog grooming services (ie. Increasing numbers of dogs owned that require grooming, increased spend on pets and pet supplies, etc.). If you have a love of dogs and an affinity with them, then thinking about setting up a business as a professional dog groomer may prove to be a good move for your future. The first step in dog grooming business set up will be to find a suitable dog grooming training course. A professional dog grooming business does not just deal with a ‘wash and brush up’ service, it provides bespoke grooming and correct styling for the coat of each individual breed of dog. Additionally, it will provide nail trimming, cleaning ears, a general health check up, and good advice for the owner’s on-going maintenance of their pet’s coat.

If your interest in dog grooming training is with a view to starting your own home based business or dog grooming salon, here are a few items that you may wish to take into consideration:

  1. Are there other dog grooming businesses near to your chosen location – and what level of services are they offering?
  1. There are numerous suppliers of pet grooming equipment, shop around to find the best equipment at the most advantageous prices. Take advice from other groomers (or your training provider), who have some knowledge of both the equipment requirements and the suppliers before making any purchases. Your dog grooming training provider will be able to provide product and supplier information and may have special pricing arrangements in place with some grooming equipment suppliers.
  1. When you are running a professional Dog Stylist business, you should be able to give your clients sound advice on the most appropriate style for their dog and how they should care for it’s grooming between visits to your salon. This will build up a closer relationship between you and your customer and should have them returning to you as a regular customer for their future grooming requirements.
  1. Display your qualification Certificate or Diploma in your business premises. You will have successfully completed an intensive training course in order to receive your qualification – let your clients be assured of your capabilities as a professional dog grooming stylist.
  1. Keep yourself at the forefront of your market. There is a constantly increasing range of breeds (cross-breeds, designer dogs) that will be presented for grooming over the years, along with changing and improved styles of cuts for many existing breeds. Regularly make time to attend refresher courses and grooming events to stay abreast of the evolving styles that are available.
  1. Grooming equipment is constantly being redesigned, often with improved facilities. A great deal of knowledge can be gained by attending dog grooming exhibitions, competitions and seminars. Upgrade your salon equipment regularly and, equally as important, make sure that you advise your clients of the benefits to them of any new items of equipment that you invest in. If you reassure them that they are receiving the most up-to-date service from your business, then they will be less inclined to seek alternative grooming for their pets.
  1. Give your customers the professional service they expect and deserve. Manage your appointment diary wisely, to allow you to give each dog the time and attention needed for a quality style. Bear in mind that every dog that leaves your salon is a reflection of the quality of your service - a poor (rushed) result will reflect badly on your abilities.
  1. Many new dog grooming businesses are started as a home-based business until a regular customer base is built up. This reduces your overheads until your profits are enough to cover separate business premises.

With the right approach, your business will grow steadily. Take a long-term view and don’t expect instant results from the morning that you open for business! If you give the best possible results consistently, then your reputation, and your business, will grow. Word of mouth is a great advantage – and your customers will be pleased to talk positively about your grooming salon when they have had good experiences.

When you have outlined your plans and have a clear idea of how your new dog grooming business will be structured, turn your attention to where your customers will come from. The best training, the best equipment and the highest investment in the world is useless to you unless you generate custom, sales and, ultimately, profits. Its time to give serious though about how you will promote your new venture to generate the initial bookings - marketing.

In the beginning your main objective will be to attract new customers into your dog grooming salon and then to encourage existing customers to stay with you and become regular customers. Marketing can become complex and expensive for larger businesses, but need not be so for your own dog grooming business launch. In simple terms, its activities include advertising (paid for communications in broadcast and non-broadcast media), PR / publicity (the creation of goodwill and non-paid for media space), exhibitions, marketing communications (i.e. leaflets, brochures, flyers, etc.), direct marketing and the Internet. Marketing is a very broad term, but in the initial stage of developing your business you only need to work out how to present your service, how to disseminate that information and who your target customers are. We have put together some detailed marketing information for you to consider, and that you may wish to take ideas from, to help with launching your new grooming business to your potential customers (see our Promoting Your Dog Grooming Salon page).