People loving animals might consider opening a grooming salon.
Operating a grooming salon is a rewarding business opportunity for those looking to combine a love of animals with a desire to become self-employed. Grooming salons tend to weather even the worst of economic downturns, since people need their pets to be maintained on a regular basis. Dealing with the occasional difficult dog is offset by working with pets and owners that genuinely appreciate the care and attention their pet receives. With the right location and positive word-of-mouth, a new grooming salon can quickly become successful.
Instructions
1. Take classes to learn groom dogs. Pet grooming is a hands-on skill best learned from professionals. Many major cities have schools for grooming instruction. If a school is not located near you, contact local pet groomers and offer to pay for instruction in grooming. By working in a grooming shop, not only will you get the experience needed to become a groomer but you will also get a personal view as to what grooming entails.
2. Scout out locations for your grooming salon. Ideally, the salon should be located in a metropolitan area, since the customer base is strong in cities. On the other hand, if a rural location has no other grooming salons, it is possible to lock in all the clients in a remote location. If you decide to operate in a less metropolitan area, keep in mind that some clients will have to travel a distance to reach your salon and will not want to make two trips. This means they will want to drop their pet off and have it groomed while they wait, putting a time constraint on you. Charging extra for "in and out" service allows you to make extra money for the added benefit provided to customers.
3. Sign a lease if the salon will operate in a building you do not own. Make sure the landlord knows you are running a grooming salon, as some landlords will want to charge a deposit for having multiple animals on the premises. Contact an insurance agent and have insurance taken out on the business, including coverage for any accidents that might occur.
4. Obtain a business license from the local city business office, if the salon is located in an area requiring business licenses. In some rural areas, this is not a necessity. In addition to obtaining a business license, contact the state comptroller's office and obtain a tax number, if you do not already have one. Grooming services in some states, such as Texas, charge sales tax, so you must collect it.
5. Purchase and install a hot water heater and a grooming bathtub, which is a stainless steel tub with hooks and clamps to keep dogs inside the tub when being bathed. If you are not mechanically minded, hire a handyman to install the heater and the tub. Purchase shampoo dispensers, a supply of towels, as well as some cages to keep the dogs in before and after being groomed. You will also need to have some forced air dryers on hand for dogs needing their coats to be blown dry prior to grooming.
6. Print a list of grooming prices and display the list where customers can see it. Also list any additional charges that might come up, such as an extra fee for heavily matted dogs or overly aggressive dogs.
7. Print a customer sign-in sheet that has all of the customer's contact information, including the name of the veterinarian the customer uses. On the customer sign-in sheet, have a waiver for the customer to sign indicating that should an emergency occur, such as the dog having a seizure, the customer agrees to pay the veterinarian bill. The waiver should also indicate the customer is aware that accidents may occur and that, although you will exercise due care, the unforeseen might occur and the customer agrees not to hold you liable.
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