I want to go mobile in fl

[goldiphlox]

I have been wanting to go mobile here in fl for a few years now. I really need to get out of my current situation. I owned my own grooming shop in NJ, but I do not want to own a grooming shop here. I like to have the freedom to take off when I want. In NJ if I closed my shop for a day, people would ask, "Did you close down, I stopped by and the shop was closed"....Silly. Also, I don't like how the business is responsible for cam fees and all here. Rent can get pretty hefty. Anyway, I have been thinking long and hard about this for awhile now. With gas prices so high and so much traffic here, I've been debating alot. I used to work for a mobile groomer. i hated it in the winter. But I was happy when the weather was nice. I know theres many pro's and con's.
I live in a non gated community, but you cannot keep a commercial vehicle in your driveway. I was thinking of getting a trailer. I searched for one that would fit in a garage. no luck. I don't want anything too big. Small and efficient is what I am looking for. A trailer that can be towed with the most fuel efficient vehicle. Any suggestions.

[Mobile in AZ]

Mobile with trailer

Hi I am new to this board. But I have been mobile with a trailer since July 1, 2007, in the phx area. Traffic is crazy, people use to pull in front of me, stop all of sudden, make U turns in front of me. All kind of crazy things. And all that is with a fuel effient vehicle. A couple of months ago I changed to f150 ford four dood truck, yes fuel sucks. But people leave me alone. So much nicer. One thing is that parking at the client house is the pits and with the new houses that are being built here stack one on another parking is getting impossible. Other then that going mobile has been one of the best things that I did for my career and sanity.

[ruthie lee riley]

re: parking with your trailer..

I just got a 6 by 12 trailer for grooming and Im really nervous about the parking deal too. What do you do if you get to a clients house and you have no space to park? Do you have a hard time hauling your trailer in the winter? Thanks for any input. Ruthie

[Meesh]

No worries

I wouldn't worry too much about the gas .... even when it pops over $3 a gal it's still a very small percentage of my expenses. I pull in about $8K a month gross and my fuel bill (running a generator and driving a WagnTails van) seldom exceeds $350 a month.

Yeah, I'm with you re winters and I live where winters are relatively mild and short, although man, this APRIL is being quite the chill pill this year!

Research the prices where you plan on moving before you make final decisions. My folks are in the Boynton Beach area and my mother tells me my prices would be considered outrageous. Although when she told me what she pays for her Maltese and Yorkie to be groomed (not mobile though) I was really surprised. I think her groomer is cutting her a huge break, for whatever reason (my Mom lives to dicker). I've been down there recently and the prices for everything else are as high as they are around here, so I don't see why mobile grooming should be cheaper.

I know groomers here who can't keep their vans where they live and they rent storage with electric access and it's worked out for them. Personally, I love having my van right outside my house where I can run out in the middle of the night when I freak out about leaving a switch on or what have you. And it's nice to finish cleaning and walk right into the house. Or to come home, walk the dogs, and then tackle the cleaning. Just the convenience factor. I wasn't a groomer when we bought the house, but my DH was adamant about not buying into a neighborhood with an association. "If I get into the mood to paint my house hot pink I want to be able to paint my house hot pink!"

We're set back on a pipestem and the van can't even be seen from the street, so even though it's allowed, we're not subjecting our neighbors to having to see the commercial vehicle all the time. Not that it matters, the neighborhood is full of electricians' vans, HVAC vans, painters' vans .... if we need virtually any service a quick trot around the neighborhood and we know who to call. And our home values are all pretty high, so it's not exactly hurt anything having commercial vehicles parked in the 'hood. And so far no hot pink or otherwise outrageously painted houses either.

Deciding to be a mobile groomer was the best thing I ever did. Even if you decide you always want to drive a new ride and trade in every time your van gets paid off, you likely won't find a cheaper rent than the monthly on the van and you don't have to spend anything on a build-out when you open (assuming you buy a ready-to-groom rig rather than build your own).

When you are done for the day, you are done. You don't have to cool your heels waiting for that one person to pick up that last dog. If you want a day or a week off you simply schedule around it. No one needs to know that you're not working. If someone asks for an appointment on a day you want to take off and you don't want them to know your business you simply tell them that that day is fully booked or you're not anywhere near their neighborhood that day.

Once you're established you don't even have to spend money on advertising. Your van and word-of-mouth will get you enough business to fill in for when older dogs pass on or if a client moves. I have no openings at all for the next few weeks (I keep a cancelation list for last-minute openings) and after that just a few openings here and there through the end of June. Even July and August are fairly well booked already. I have all my clients on a regular schedule and give them their next two appointments when I leave and I tentatively book them out further than that in my Treo.

Have fun!

[Gracy Rose]

Goldi,

There is a groomer here in Florida that grooms in high affluent areas, her van is lovely and has HUGE full color magnets on it instead of vinyl. If you get a standard size sprinter or ford you wouldn't have to worry about the commercial aspect, just take off the magnets at night:-)

Also, as far as gas, it is such a small part of the profit intake. Also, Inverters are great and alot of companies now have them.

[For Dog Sake]

mobile in fl.

I just went mobile here in florida. I was concerned about the traffic and gas too after the first day I took my van out all concerns vanished. Not 15min. into my ride I got 3 calls . Before I purchased the van I asked all the neighbors on the street if they would mind, everyone thought it was great and wouldn't mind at all. Hope you have neighbors as easy going as I do. All the best!

[goldiphlox]

Goldi,

There is a groomer here in Florida that grooms in high affluent areas, her van is lovely and has HUGE full color magnets on it instead of vinyl. If you get a standard size sprinter or ford you wouldn't have to worry about the commercial aspect, just take off the magnets at night:-)

Also, as far as gas, it is such a small part of the profit intake. Also, Inverters are great and alot of companies now have them.

I thought of doing that. I think as long as there is no advertising on the van, then its ok to be in driveway. I just don't want to have to rent a place to put whatever I choose to get. Fo reasons of cost & convenience

Thanks very much for the tips. Laura

[SpikeyTheYorkie]

Hi I am new to this board. But I have been mobile with a trailer since July 1, 2007, in the phx area. Traffic is crazy, people use to pull in front of me, stop all of sudden, make U turns in front of me. All kind of crazy things. And all that is with a fuel effient vehicle. A couple of months ago I changed to f150 ford four dood truck, yes fuel sucks. But people leave me alone. So much nicer. One thing is that parking at the client house is the pits and with the new houses that are being built here stack one on another parking is getting impossible. Other then that going mobile has been one of the best things that I did for my career and sanity.

July of 2007 hasn't happened yet. Did you mean 2006? I'm curious to know how long before you got busy.

Tammy in Utah

[Mesa 1]

New @ grooming trailers

Hi I am new to this board. But I have been mobile with a trailer since July 1, 2007, in the phx area. Traffic is crazy, people use to pull in front of me, stop all of sudden, make U turns in front of me. All kind of crazy things. And all that is with a fuel effient vehicle. A couple of months ago I changed to f150 ford four dood truck, yes fuel sucks. But people leave me alone. So much nicer. One thing is that parking at the client house is the pits and with the new houses that are being built here stack one on another parking is getting impossible. Other then that going mobile has been one of the best things that I did for my career and sanity.

Hey, I'm in AZ too. I'm looking to buy a grooming trailer. Have no idea where to look for one. Meaning I would like to see before I buy. Would you be able to have any suggestions? Where in Phoenix are you? I live in Mesa and have a business in Chandler. Have some grooming costumers in Scottsdale and Cave Creek.If you could help that would be great. Let me know will chat some more later Thanks