The animal care and service industries are in the midst of a boom, with the Bureau of Labor Statistics anticipating faster than average industry growth in the coming years.
If you’ve ever had dreams of opening your own dog grooming business, now might be the right time!
To find out how you can open a home-based dog grooming business, make sure to keep reading and learn what you can expect.
Create a Business Plan
It takes a ton of forethought to open a business, and you have a few important early decisions to make.
For starters, how will your home-based grooming service operate? Will the customers bring their dogs to you or will you drive to them and use your home as a headquarters?
You’ll also need to consider ways in which you can differentiate yourself from other grooming businesses. Find an angle that makes your business unique and latch onto it.
Finally, construct a thorough business plan. Some key details to include are:
- Your business’ purpose and objectives
- A viable timeline
- Plans for funding
- Your clientele
- A description of the current market
Your business plan is your holy grail. It can help you secure funding, find investors, and keep your business on track throughout the turbulent first few years.
Get Your Paperwork in Order
If you thought a business plan was a ton of work, you haven’t seen anything yet.
You’re going to need plenty of additional paperwork to get your business operational. You’ll need:
- A business registration
- Tax information
- A business license
- Business insurance
- Permits (both local and state)
- A business bank account
Don’t forget, you’ll also need to show your clients that you know what you’re doing. If you haven’t done so, it’s not a bad idea to enroll in a grooming course so you can become certified. Some states even require home-based groomers to have certification.
Find Grooming Equipment
Whether you’re operating in your physical home or a grooming vehicle, you’ll need to spend quite a bit of money to get things up and running.
If you’ve already worked as a groomer, you may already have some of these materials, like scissors, combs, grooming clippers for professional groomers, or shampoo. As long as they’re in working order, you can save a ton of cash this way.
However, you’ll still need to purchase a nail grinder, shampoos, gloves, hoses, and a grooming table at the very least.
Make sure to account for these expenses in your business plan. It’s all too easy to get into debt opening a business.
Advertise Your Dog Grooming Business
With your equipment in order, it’s time to start spreading the great news! Advertising is a bit of a catch-22 these days.
Anyone can create a business website along with some social media pages. But that doesn’t guarantee people will see your business.
For some extra help, go to the experts. Reach out to local SEO services and inquire about how they can help your business reach the front page of Google.
With the right advertising strategy, you should have plenty of customers in no time!
Work from Home and Make a Great Living
There you have it, all the info you need to make your dream of starting a home-based dog grooming business a reality. Now it’s time to let your business go to the dogs!…in a good way, that is.
For more great tips on starting your own business, make sure to check back with our blog.
