We asked 150 pet groomers for their top advice on starting a dog grooming business. From pricing to hiring, get expert tips for opening your first pet grooming business.
Combining your passion for animals with entrepreneurship to open a pet grooming business can be incredibly rewarding. Getting started with a grooming business can also be daunting, so we’ve created a step-by-step guide to help you launch your dog grooming business.
Before opening a pet grooming business, check with your local government about what might be required to operate. No state currently requires a dog grooming license to operate a pet salon, but some municipalities require a pet care facility license that ensures you follow appropriate health and safety standards (similar to a restaurant food sanitation license). Many local governments will require you to apply for a permit to operate a business to ensure that it falls in line with local zoning standards.
Once you find out what dog grooming licensing requirements there are for your local area, you’ll need to think about the structural side of opening a pet grooming business.
How will you deliver your dog grooming business? Will you have a physical storefront? Will you offer mobile grooming? Do you plan to groom pets in your own home? Keep in mind that this may change as you learn what is allowed in your area, so stay flexible as your dog grooming business plan comes together.
Decide how you’ll structure your business. If you’re operating the business solo, you can form a Limited Liability Corporation (LLC) or an S-Corp. A Partnership is more complicated, so make sure to get a business lawyer involved. Make an appointment with a tax advisor or certified tax accountant, or consult your local economic development office. Cities and counties often have an employee who can help businesses navigate the paperwork, so it’s a great place to start for free advice. Another resource is SCORE, a nonprofit that provides low- and no-cost consultation services. And don’t forget your local Better Business Bureau.
Name your dog grooming business. If you’ve been dreaming about opening this pet grooming business, you probably already have a name in mind. If you’re still trying to decide, go with something memorable that is easy to say and spell. Don’t be afraid to lean into a good pun like MoeGo community members The Ruff Life Mobile Pet Grooming Salon & Spa and Pawsitive Transfurmation.
If you are opening a grooming salon or mobile pet grooming business, you likely have a good bit of pet grooming experience on your résumé. Certification programs can increase your marketability and give pet owners peace of mind in hiring you. The National Dog Groomers Association of America (NDGAA) has information about their certification process, and many area community colleges offer hands-on programs.
What kind of dogs do you want to see on a daily basis? Is there a minimum service charge you need to see in order to make the appointment worth booking?
In a major metro area, you can often be very specific about the types of dog grooming clients you’d like. A business named “Doodle Dandies” could have a grooming roster full of doodles and their siblings if it’s located in the right area. If your market location has a reputation for a large population of a certain sporting dog, it can’t hurt to specialize in cuts common in that industry.
An ideal client type goes beyond breeds or sizes. You can target your business toward clients who prefer a subscription model, or who keep their dog trimmed up on a tight schedule as opposed to one or two “catch-up” grooms a year. Once you know who it is you most want to serve, you can begin to turn down clients that aren’t your ideal.
Even if you’re just starting out, you need to charge enough to cover your costs, pay yourself (and any employees) well, and start saving for upgrades to your dog grooming business. A tax professional will recommend you set aside 25-35% of your income, so be sure to factor that in.
Do some research about local pet grooming rates in your area, and don’t shy away from charging extra for extra work. If you spend more than a normal amount of time dematting, or find that you are dealing with fleas or behavior issues… everything that is extra should cost extra.
Charge for no-shows, last-minute cancellations, and late fees. Set these prices and write out these policies in the beginning. Have clients sign that they’ve received them so that everyone knows the expectations that you have of them and their pets — and the expectations that they can have of you.
Raise your rates before you need to. If you find yourself working full days all week long, or start turning clients away, know that it’s a sign that you are running a fantastic pet grooming business — and it’s time to increase your rates so that you can invest in your business even more.
Not every client is going to be a perfect fit. As a business owner, you can say no to new clients. You are not obligated to come in last-minute on your day off. You may be building a business, but you are also entitled to a life. Say “no” when you need to — the right clients will understand.
And remember that any time spent working on your business is work! If you spend four hours actively grooming, and another four on paperwork, you’ve still worked an eight-hour day. Schedule in bathroom and lunch breaks for yourself or you’ll never take them, and days off where you don’t spend time on anything work-related. Taking short breaks when you need them will help head-off burnout from the start.
Visit other pet-related businesses and let them know you’re here! Veterinarians, trainers, pet supply stores, dog walkers, dog sitters… word of mouth goes a long way in pet care. Have your business cards on hand, or a flyer with a QR code that points right to your booking site. Drop these off at local coffee shops, hang near dog parks (follow local ordinances!), and hand them out to family and friends to share.
Once you have a client list, stay in touch! With integrated marketing features like email newsletters and text reminders to help clients book abandoned appointments, MoeGo makes it easy to stay top-of-mind with customers.
We’ve mentioned that opening a dog grooming business can be rewarding, right? And also that it can be really overwhelming, too.
That’s why we’ve created our MoeGo pet grooming software. We’re here to help pet grooming business owners elevate their business with online appointment booking, AI-assisted scheduling, and integrated point-of-sale solutions so that you can spend less time on the details, and more time enjoying the business you’ve created — and all of the adorable, squeaky-clean pets, too.
Need some inspiration as you get started on your new dog grooming business venture? Here are tips from our MoeGo community pet business owners:
Say no to new clients, existing clients, favorite clients, etc, when you want to. Remember that it is okay to say no and that no is a complete sentence.
“Learn to say no. No, you will not tolerate rude clients. No, you don't have to feel like you must groom every hard-to-handle dog. No clients get to negotiate your price.”
While you may be an expert on pets and grooming, make sure you are set up on the business side of your new venture. Getting an accountant and a lawyer were two highly suggested actions you should take before opening your business. The lawyer will help you with your business registration in your state along with zoning laws, lease reviews, policy form reviews, etc. They will also be a valued asset if you ever run into a legal issue. Learn as much about business as you can. There are numerous free classes including SCORE business classes that have helped groomers nationwide.
“Make sure you have a really good accountant and attorney. Contact your area BBB for business leaders to mentor you. They can guide you through the day-to-day business stuff. The grooming side was easy. It was the business side that stumped us.”
First and foremost, make sure you know who your ideal customer is and cater to them. Don’t cater to the 2 or 3 times a year clients who bring their matted dog to you every time. Make sure to take clients and pets who bring you joy. You will encounter demanding clients. Let them leave. For every difficult customer, there will be 5 new customers who want your business.
“Know who your ideal client is (person and dog alike) and stick to servicing just them and your business will be golden.”
Get involved in your community! Build relationships with pet professionals in your area! Whether that be vets, trainers, pet supply stores, dog walkers, other groomers, etc. Word of mouth goes a long way in pet care, and you will grow to get a lot of referrals. When you first open, it may be worthwhile to visit these other pet professionals and introduce yourself and market yourself.
Don’t be afraid to tell people you have a grooming business! You never know who is looking for a groomer!
“Make flyers and business cards and hand them to all the local vets, walk your dog and hand them out, go on a local paper round posting your flyers through people's doors. You can also go to dog cafés and hand them out at places like that.”
While all businesses start off at different sizes depending on their circumstances, a lot of grooming business owners suggest that you don’t hire right away. Take the time to do as much as you can by yourself and then hire when you have hit your limit. But when you do hire, ALWAYS be good to your employees. Get rid of the lazy ones and treat the good ones like gold.
“Do not hire employees out of the gate either. Do as much as you can alone until you really can’t anymore.”
This is a topic we could (and will) talk about forever. If you haven’t already, it’s worth reading our blog about pricing here. But, the theme we saw was to PRICE HIGH. Do not discount. I repeat, do not discount. You will think that when you start your business, you should start low and you increase as you learn what people are comfortable with, but you should do the opposite. But do not be cheap, charge appropriately and price accordingly based on your overhead, your location, the economy, etc.
Also, charge extra for extra work. Dematting, fleas, behavior, etc., everything that is extra should cost extra. Last but not least, charge for no-shows, last-minute cancellations, late fees, etc. Set these prices and communicate at the beginning so everyone knows the expectations you have of them.
“Put your price where it needs to be from day one.”
Create your policies, stand firm in your policies, and have the client sign off on them before they book an appointment. This means everything from pick up/late arrivals, cancellations, no-show policies, fleas, dematting, etc.) This will set the expectations for your customer, and they will be aware of these policies from the first day they become a customer.
“Think of a policy form that your clients sign outlining what your business policies are for appts, no-shows, De-matting perimeters & fees, how you handle injuries and whose paying for, taking pics, anything you want your customers to know about how your business operates and this will save you issues in the future.”
Opening a grooming business will be a huge commitment, so make sure to set boundaries for yourself. This includes scheduling time off and knowing your limits. There will be times when you want to make an exception for that one dog on your day off, but make sure to stick to the boundaries you set from the beginning.
Taking time for yourself will ensure that you don’t get burned out, which is a real thing. Make sure you take those days off and don’t do ANYTHING work-related. Just because you're not grooming a dog doesn't mean you aren't working. Make sure to take care of yourself, stretch, eat lunch, and go to the bathroom! Schedule food breaks, bathroom breaks, and mental health breaks, they are all necessary!
“Boundaries. Boundaries. Boundaries. Set them, and be strict with them from the beginning."