The top 5 tips for managing a pet grooming business include building a relationship with clients, honing your craft, investing in quality equipment, looking for opportunities to offer more services such as healthy treats and toys, and establishing a thriving social media presence.
Animal grooming is a task many pet owners don’t have the time, equipment, or patience to tackle on their own. From trimming nails to thinning out coats or offering special cuts for the hot weather, a groomer quickly becomes an integral part of a pet owner’s contact list.
Build Relationships with Clients and Their Owners
Successful groomers get to know their clients personally and quickly become extended members of their families. Work to gain the trust of the pets you groom and their owners. Try to establish a regular schedule of visits to stabilize your bottom line and ensure the dogs, cats, and critters you care for recognize you as an enjoyable part of their routine. Owners will see you as a pet care partner–be friendly, available, and ready with a few tips and tricks they can use to keep their pet looking dapper longer.
Hone Your Craft
Anyone can use a set of clippers, but not everyone can do it well. Stay up-to-date with the latest styles or trends, and stay grounded in the fundamentals of proper grooming. Your most important skill will be active listening. As part of your relationship with the pets’ owners, you’ll need to decipher and understand what they want for their animals. Work with them to find the right style so that their pet’s personality shines through! Remember, if their pet has never looked better, you didn’t just do your job–you earned their future business.
Invest in Quality Equipment
The right equipment helps you make the most out of your grooming skills and space. Dog room dividers give you a flexible partitioning option to keep your canine customers from wandering, a good dog bathing hose makes bath time easier, and professional-grade dog clippers get the job done. Better equipment lasts longer, making it a smart choice when you need tools you can depend on to manage a busy appointment book.
Look for Opportunities to Offer More
As their groomer, you have a unique look into the lives of your clients and their owners. Be mindful of opportunities to offer special services. This can include home grooming supplies that help keep their four-legged friends looking and smelling better between visits, toys and treats to help deepen the bond between pet and owner, or specialty foods and supplements. Offering reputable products and specialty services give you additional revenue streams that encourage repeat business. It can also help you weather appointment slow-downs during inclement months.
Get Social
Grooming is, by its nature, a local business with a big pool of potential customers. There has never been a more powerful tool for local marketing than social media, which allows you to cultivate a community of customers, supporters, and pet lovers. It enables you to offer specials, encourage them to book their next appointments and position you as a local pet expert.
Equipment for Pet Professionals
At Direct Animal, we design and manufacture the best grooming and care equipment. Whether you’re an independent groomer or own multiple pet care facilities, we have the tools and supplies your business needs. Take your grooming business to the next level with gear from us today.
