The residential roofing company is currently working in your house in Salt Lake City. Though well trained, the dogs are a bit on edge because of the noises and activity up the roof.
The next project might be the biggest and most significant thing you will do. You’re considering turning your garage as a place for business. You’ve discussed a few ideas, like a bike repair shop or a home spa. You’ve given your dogs special attention recently because of their restlessness. That’s when the plan kicked in. Since you loved pets so much, you thought, why not open a pet grooming business. You started to think about it some more, and questions are now racing through your head. How does one open a pet grooming service? How much will it cost?
The following discussion might help you in finding answers to these questions.
An Overview of the Pet Grooming Industry
In 2017, Americans spent nearly $70 billion on pet needs. That figure is expected to grow every year. Food gets a big chunk of that expenditure with more than $29 billion. Grooming and boarding services are at $6.2 billion.
Choosing this business over a bike repair shop, which netted “just” $4 billion in revenue for 2019, might indeed be a better idea.
Starting the Pet Care Business
There’s going to be that initial cost when you renovate your garage. But the upside of doing it at home is that you won’t be burdened with rental fees for the rest of the life of your business. Here are a few more things you need to consider the pet grooming business.
- Get certified. Sure, you know how to care for your five dogs. But taking care of other’s pets requires greater responsibility. There are no specific state laws about professional licenses. But you do need to get certified to prove that you have completed the necessary training.
- Be ready to spend. Some experts caution first-time pet grooming business owners about the cost of starting the business. The supplies can run to thousands of dollars per item. Tubs, which can accommodate the big boys of dogs, can cost as much as $2,000, if not more. Insurance to protect yourself from possible lawsuits is also added costs. Work out your financials well.
- Be different. You need to make yourself stand out from the, well, pack. Marketing is going to be a crucial component of how your business will be successful. You don’t need to do anything crazy expensive at the beginning. But your overall strategy must be in place. But neither can you expect that customers will walk right in through your door. You can start distributing flyers in your neighborhood and launching social media campaigns to announce your services. You can emphasize a specific service first, say, grooming services for dogs instead of announcing a whole line of services.
- Pricing and competition. Research your area and find out what your competitors are offering, including their price range. Make your pricing competitive. If there are services not provided by the competition, then maybe you can charge your customers for a premium for that. You also need to think ahead and ensure that new customers become returning customers. Offer these pioneer customers discounts and other possible perks.
A business plan will have to be written to ensure that your financials are in place and that your marketing strategy will take you to the next level. But these key steps should help you jump-start your business.
