Home Poll 8 (rev)

[Stephen]

Polls in this forum are solely for owners of a home based business. That does not mean grooming in the home of a pet owner, but in YOUR home property. At this time only PetGroomer.com posts polls.

[renee antar]

Dog This Way Pet Spa

Starting my home based pet grooming Buisiness. Need suggestions.

[dtrush]

I just started. Word of mouth is the best thing to get new clients. Tell your customers if they know a dog in need of a haircut to refer them to you. My former employer offered an incentive program for a referral $5 off next groom (only do if you can afford to cut that $5). Next pricing you need to make a living but don't want to go crazy with it. I suggest go over everything from what bills would be to if something needs to be repaired what would the minimum be. Maybe get an accountant, if that is affordable but find a way to track income and expenses in an organized way. Make sure you have a nice space organized and as stress free as possible (The dogs shouldn't be able to get into anything, if you have kids they shouldn't be running around in there, no shouting around the house, no hazards) Lastly, be proud and confident. That goes a long way. Talk to your clients make them and their dog feel at home. I started a few months back and have been doing great. I love my clients, they are your advertisement! Good luck, it may seem scary and a little stressful at first but in a few months you'll fall into a rhythm.

[woofus]

I can't imagine opening at 6am....ug.

[Admin]

I hear you, but you know, groomers looking to build their business, it was for us a key aspect, but actually it was 6:30 for us.

Almost every day there was a LINE at the door at that hour. We had already laid out the client filecards ready to go as people that come in at that hour are on their way to work. But then there are those 50 plus that get up early too and are retired or semi retired, and they were there too.

We also had a pot of coffee ready, they loved it.

This is how my parents filled the appointment book midweek to a great degree. By 8 am 30 or more pets were on site. NO GROOMERS, but the Bathing Dept Supervisor was there and at least 1 or 2 bathers.

The stylists, full charge groomers, showed up 8 to 9 am, and what was ready for them? Pets already bathed and hand fluff dried. They enjoyed coming in at that hour, part of the title I guess.

Bathers were gone by 3pm even when we had 70 pets UNLESS there was a swing shift, and yes, swing shift was usually booked but usually only 1 groomer. Good time to train as well. We had no problem filling swing shift. It allowed pet owners to come after work bring in their pets mid week and get to bed by 9:30pm and not have to come in on the weekend.

EACH TO THEIR OWN, this is what the clientele told us they wanted.

Most commuters there at 6 30 am either picked up their pets by noon on lunch hour, or another family member picked by pets by noon, so very very few dogs there more than 5 hours.

My parents typically divided up responsibility, one came in early to open and the other perhaps closed the day shift so that one came in at 9 with the stylists.

It worked out like great like a smooth running engine purring.

Sometimes receptionists opened at that early hour too.

OK, just going down memory lane here.

But seriously, if you have a small staff and your business has room to grow, you get the message out that working commuters are accommodated during the week and WOW, stick with it and get them used to it, and WOW, you can hit boom town and have hundreds of regular clients your first year solely based on providing the hours they want. As you grow get a bather receptionist to open and you the owner don't have to open that early yourself, but you got a booming business. This has been done 100 times over by my our readers and consult groomers.

For those with a serious interest let me add a few words.

Some of the best locations are not in downtown but the 4 lane roads in suburban bedroom communities. To the right and left are lots and lots of single family homes, but you know those developments feed into 4 lane roads often, and those lead to expressways or freeways, so we are not talking about the latter. Shopping centers with an anchor like a big grocery store, gas stations, strip centers follow this same logic. OK so now think about. We were on one of these 4 lane inner suburban streets about 1 mile from a major expressway, and 2 miles from the freeway. Today about 30,000 cars a day pass the building where our business was and in those days when we were in operation, perhaps 15,000. The morning commute today sees about 8,000 cars go by before 9 am. Odds are at least 50% are pet owners easily, but if we had opened at 9am, we could not have served any of them. No wonder Saturdays are easy to fill because most pet owners of working couples cannot come in during the week. So you can by opening early enough for those 8,000 cars, we were booked almost every day of the year, and eventually we operated 362 days of the year. With only a yellow pages ad at the time, and a road sign, easy parking on a major commuter 4 lane road. Forget expensive advertising, the location, hours, parking was all it took, and of course, great grooming and other client services that earn thousands of referrals. So those of you, and I know many read this board that call me and email me who want to spurt their growth, this is the formula that works even today in many areas. Study the traffic flow in your area and accommodate working commuters. You will see endorsements at Grooming Business in a Box where some create boom town business not putting quality last, that terrible nonsense argument in most cases, but by operating the hours of the majority of the clientele can logically deliver and pickup their pets. We never planned to have a major business, it happened, but if we had opened at 9 am or later, it would have never happened. It's a simple formula, but yes, it is generally for places with 2 or 3 minimum on the staff. Measure your traffic!!! If you have not got a location yet, study the working commuters and traffic flow by hours 6 am to 7 am, 7 am to 8 am.

I lived some time in Southern CA and as you know, freeways can be bumper to bumper by 5 am. How many closed businesses did I go by at 6 am. Fair amount, but there were booming dry cleaners (often needed by working commuters) open at that hour besides the coffee stands. There was a great groomer open at that hour and she was in one of the 50's buildings where you used to drive up for milk and eggs...remember those anyone? People drove up under covered parking at 6 am or 7 am and dropped off pets in one of these old convenience stores....and later it expanded into a major major pet care center and she sold out and retired well to do. All from one idea, easy in and out for commuters during the work week....well, we have lots of stories around this office. If you want a well staffed booming business, this is how it can be done in many areas.

[Red.rum]

I got you all beat! I pick up one customer's dog at her work at 5:30 am, to bring to my home salon, once a month. I hate waking up that early but she tips well and is incredible loyal!

[123Linda]

I found by opening at 8 instead of 9 I got more business and just went home earlier.

[Moses]

I do pickups between 7 & 8:30. I also petsit for a few families at their own home. 9 works for the most part. Majority of my clients are retired or stay at home moms. This allows both of our mornings to run smoothly. No rushing around usually.

[Personaltouch]

I will usually get the day going at 8:00am; on occasion earlier. I work around the dog and clients' needs. I've groomed dogs at 3:00am!

[Moses]

3 am? No way in Hades

[redzone1286]

I will usually get the day going at 8:00am; on occasion earlier. Posted my phen375 results after using it for 90 days, I work around the dog and clients' needs. I've groomed dogs at 3:00am!

This is how my parents filled the appointment book midweek to a great degree. By 8 am 30 or more pets were on site. NO GROOMERS, but the Bathing Dept Supervisor was there and at least 1 or 2 bathers.

[Brit]

Some people do input like that one wave in at 8 am and out by 11 to noon. Then an afternoon wave come in after lunch and all out by 5 or 6.