A Beginners Guide To Starting A Dog Grooming Job
Here's a fun fact for you. According to the Pets and the Pandemic Animal Medicines Australia report there has been a substantial boom in pet ownership since 2019, with an estimated 30.4 million pets nationally. The proportion of pet-owning households has increased significantly from 61% to 69% in just over two years—led by a surge in dog ownership.
It's estimated that around 47% of Australian households now include at least one dog, with dogs continuing to be Australias most popular pet, totalling over 6 million dogs across the nation in 2021. It's no wonder then, that the dog grooming Industry is booming!
With this in mind, if you've always dreamed of becoming a dog groomer, then now is the perfect time to pursue that passion. Read on to learn about the top three decisions you'll need to make when you begin a dog grooming career.
Whether you decide on mobile dog grooming or dog grooming at home, by getting the following three things in place at the beginning and maintaining their consistency, you'll be giving your business the best chance of success.
1. Your Business Name
Choosing your dog grooming business name will be fun. The most important thing to remember, is that it will be extremely difficult to change your name down the track so you need to decide carefully.
Large companies employ specialist people to name their projects and ventures. This is because they know that words lead to visual pictures in the mind of the person that hears or reads them.
Its important to remember that your name will become a household name, even if only for houses in your local area, so it should be pretty simple yet also catch the attention of people that encounter it.
Some things to consider;
Is anyone else using the name?
The name you choose could actually be copyrighted by someone, in which case using it could be breaking the law, therefore careful research needs to be carried out before a final decision is made. Similarly if a name is being used by another dog groomer, then you risk breaking professional courtesy as well as causing confusion for your customers.
To check available business names, you can look on www.asic.gov.au.
Will the name appeal to customers?
Think about using generic positive wording in order to appeal to your customer. Anything that could produce even the most subtle internal negative response will deter potential customer and they may not even think about why.
Does the name describe the business?
Your name should give some information about the service you offer. For instance, the ever-increasing chain of franchise dog groomers called Jim's dog wash is a good example. Read our student stories to get more business name inspiration!
The Slogan
In addition to a name, it's a good idea to create a slogan of some sort. A tag line or slogan has the added effect of staying in someone’s mind long after they read or hear it. Think of it as like a subtitle to your business name.
2. Your Service Definition
Your service definition is almost like a contract that you take out with yourself in order to develop a professional dog grooming business.
Here are some ideas of the type and standard of dog grooming services that you could offer,
- 24 hour maximum ring back and message service.
- Every dog is health checked and all findings are recorded.
- All dogs are groomed to breed standard, unless otherwise required by the owner.
- All dogs are treated with care and afforded 'The Five Freedoms' when in the dog groomers charge.
Your service definition sets down guidelines for both you and your customer. The best way to create this type of document is to brainstorm everything that will be offered inclusive of the standard procedures that will be adopted and then edit to a final draft.
3. Your Business Plan
Your business plan can be as brief or comprehensive as required. If you're applying for funding or monetary back up then your business plan will need to be concise and convincing. A self-employed dog groomer that's also self-funded has less need for an intensive business plan, yet it's a good idea to at least plan finances particularly over the first few months.
The basic need for a business plan is to confirm that your venture is viable and financially achievable. Starting a dog grooming job without first learning how the bills will be paid is a leap of faith not without risk. Your business plan will give you faith that prior research has been carried out therefore, assuming particular goals are met that your business will grow and succeed with minimal risk.