adding mobile to my business...

[petgroomer82]

Ok so I am not going to rush out and buy a mobile right away but I would like to add mobile service to my salon/diy/doggie bakery business....You maybe asking me why...well I have been open for about 3months and have about 100 clients/customers, ideally I would run the mobile 2-3 days per week and then groom in my shop the rest of the week...I am already here 7 days a week, so burn out isnt really an issue, actually this might actually help with that. Am I crazy? Not about working this many days, cause I need to keep myself this busy or I tend to get myself into trouble...but about adding mobile. I figure that by going mobile I can increase the area I cover...I would most likely end up offering mobile service to the city next to the town I live in, I say this because I live in a pretty rural area with lots of farmers and oay dogs and the people in the city dont travel this direction and there are a few mobiles there already that are so busy they dont advertise just to try to cut down on the volume of calls they get. So am I too ambitious? Or do you think it will be a great add on service to my growing business?

[petgroomer82]

I guess I must be nuts

No one has posted comments about this, so I must be nuts. I was just wondering if anyone thought it would be a good service to add or if I was thinking about expanding too soon...Anyway, I hope someone has a comment. Thanks

Stephen: It really depends upon your goals. If it is simply to increase your income it may be easier to operate and manage by offering pickup and delivery. I have many clients who pickup 10 or more pets at stops each day. Pickup 8am return 3pm all in the same neighborhood, all transported at one in a cargo van they built out inside using Vari Kennels. They hire a driver or family member to do the run. Most of these clients book year round appts too, they contact mobile parks and gated communities, and everyone meets them at the entrance at the set time. Fee is about $10 over the grooming fee, and gas use is quite reasaonble since it is one trip there and back once in the morning, once in the afternoon. Some lease a cargo van for about $300 a month, and the $10 fees easily pay that and the employee, gas and insurance...you can vary the fee by your costs. Most don't treat the fee as a profit center, they want the grooming income, but the fee covers all costs. Most don't offer the service weekends, but could, they use the service midweek. I also have some clients that were mobile and opened salon, and they kept both and again find that the mobile clients who couldn't drive or get about easily are the ones that stayed with the mobile service, so it could work sure. Just look at the return on investment, pickup and delivery is far less to get into unless you get a starter van, and of course, you've got to keep a mobile employee where as with pickup delivery you have more in shop employees which you may already have.

[K_9cruiser]

good information but I need more mobile input too

I am new to this site, and though I am a long time groomer, I have recently moved to a very rural community also, and have thought about going mobile to service the small communties in the area also. The idea of a pick up and delivery is one to really think about. I would really appreciate talking one to one with a mobile goomer(s) or a general post that would answer some question about power for unit, operating costs, house to house verus one site in a communttiy that I travel to, water storage, and waste water disposal, etc. I need to have some imput from someone who is mobile grooming to small communites if possible. Anyone out there who can help????? I would really appreciate talking to you.