As more individuals concentrate on caring for their dogs, the demand for dog grooming has increased in recent years. People are becoming more aware of the advantages of caring for their dog, but it is also critical to maintain a good degree of hygiene. There is a lot involved in dog grooming, from clipping coats to cleaning and even trimming claws, but if you are thinking about starting a dog grooming business, it can help to know how much a dog groomer earns.

Dog grooming is a difficult job with many hurdles, but it is a rewarding career choice for people who appreciate working with animals. Because many groomers are self-employed, the average compensation for dog groomers varies greatly. Other groomers work at pet stores, kennels, veterinary clinics, and animal shelters.

How Much Does a Dog Grooming Business Earn?

Dog grooming is a multi-step process that begins with a thorough brushing and ends with trimming utilizing instruments like as electric clippers, grooming shears, brushes, and combs. The groomer also bathes the dog, cleans its ears, and trims its nails, frequently finishing with a blow dry and style. Groomers also interact with the general public, make appointments, and maintain records. A diligent dog groomer keeps an eye out for skin infections or other potential medical issues in the dog.

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According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), dog groomers are classified as animal care and service employees, with a median hourly wage of $13.81 (or $28,730 per year) as of 2021. The median income indicates that half of the persons in the occupation earned more, while the other half earned less. Earnings might vary greatly depending on numerous factors, including company, experience, and geographic region, as with other employment.

According to the employment website ZipRecruiter, as of June 2022, self-employed dog groomer wages varied from $14,500 to $141,000, with a national average of $59,286 ( $29 per hour). Expenses vary greatly, but an at-home business involves a little investment in grooming supplies and a grooming table, in addition to standard business expenses like advertising, insurance, and bookkeeping. Although the income of a mobile dog groomer may be higher, you must consider additional expenses, particularly transportation fees.

Dog grooming is a lucrative business; employed dog groomers can make between £13,000 and £23,000 per year. Those who are self-employed or own their own dog grooming business can make significantly more – up to £100,000 (many salons). This is because they can charge whatever they want depending on market prices for taking care of pets and grooming them for their owners.

This is all dependant on whether they choose to work for a company or create their own dog grooming service. If you’re wondering how much dog groomers make, the average hourly wage is roughly £11 or around £20,000. This is the pay you can anticipate if you work for a corporation, but if you decide to start your own business, you may earn anything between £20,000 and £35,000 running a single one-man band salon.

To get started?

Many dog groomers acquire their trade by attending a grooming school, particularly one that is state-licensed. Programs vary in length, with some lasting only one month and others lasting up to four or five months. Other groomers either learn on the job or finish a six- to ten-week apprenticeship with an experienced groomer. Another option for training is the national chain Petco, which offers an 800-hour, 20-week curriculum that leads to certification.

The requirements for a dog grooming business license differ by state. You will need state and federal tax identification numbers at the very least. The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) explains how, as well as other resources for registering and opening your business. Some states need groomers to be licensed, while others require simply the grooming facility or mobile grooming truck to be licensed.

The National Dog Groomers Association of America, Inc. offers a variety of courses and other educational opportunities, including breed-specific instruction. Participants who fulfill the rigorous criteria of the association and pass the Master Groomer Exam are certified.

Although certification is not normally required by the state, there are advantages to being certified. You will get recognition as a trained professional, as well as increasing job responsibility, confidence, and personal fulfillment. You’ll also increase your employment and earning prospects.

A dog grooming qualification is required to become a dog groomer. Initial basic grooming classes can be completed in a matter of weeks, but continued learning and training will be required to further strengthen your skills. Following completion of a beginner’s course, additional instruction can take various forms, including one-on-one training with experienced groomers, grooming exhibitions and workshops, and online seminars.

• A business plan
• Plan how you will operate
• Give your business a brand identity
• Take out insurance and licenses
• Purchase tools and supplies
• Undertake training and obtain certifications
• Determine pricing
• Promote your business

Becoming a dog groomer may be highly gratifying, especially if you enjoy working with animals and are a dog lover. Once you have received the necessary qualifications, you can choose to establish your own business or work for a company that provides dog grooming. In any case, you have the opportunity to earn decent money while doing something you enjoy.

How Can I Promote my Dog Grooming Business?

Aside from the opportunity to deal with adorable, furry “clients,” there are numerous more reasons to pursue a profession as a pet groomer. Being able to use your creative muscles, meet new people, and engage with regulars on a daily basis are just a few of them. Another reason you might want to become a groomer is that the pet grooming industry has a promising future.

According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment in the animal care and service worker specialty is predicted to grow by 22% between 2016 and 2026, which is substantially faster than the national average.

Business ownership is one of the job opportunities offered to both existing and future groomers, as well as non-groomers. If you’re wondering if you can make money as a grooming shop owner, think again. Pet owners in the United States spent a total of $72.56 billion on their pets in 2018, including $6.11 billion on other services such as grooming.

The American Pet Products Association (APPA) expects that pet owners in the United States will spend $75.38 billion on their pets in 2019, with an estimated $6.31 billion spent on other services such as pet grooming.

Whether you want to start a grooming business or you already have one, it’s always a good idea to think about how you might enhance your revenue.

While there are numerous prospects in the grooming sector, there is never room for complacency. Pet owners and their furry family members will be forced to relocate, and newcomers will take their place. When puppies and kittens are born, some loving pets will cross the Rainbow Bridge. The local economy may endure ups and downs, and competitors may permanently open or close their doors.

Here are some ideas to help you grow your grooming business.

1. Have a Digital Marketing Plan

If you’re wondering how to obtain dog grooming clients, chances are you don’t have a marketing strategy. Entrepreneurs with a plan understand dog grooming marketing because they have a step-by-step strategy in place that includes their planned marketing actions and explains how and when each activity will take place.

In today’s linked society, digital marketing must be an important aspect of your total advertising plan. Consumers are increasingly undertaking online local searches to find businesses, products, and services that are close to them. People are well aware that they are doing more than “just” browsing for local businesses. As a result of a local search, the majority of mobile users visit or call a local business.

Increased foot traffic and revenue are frequently linked. This implies that you should prioritize optimizing your digital channels for local searches. Examine the pages of your website to ensure that the name of your city or zip code is included in the content. This can help your website reach folks in your neighborhood. Do the same for your blog entries and social media platforms.

Also, don’t be satisfied with simply optimizing your content to answer to queries conducted on a desktop, laptop, or mobile device. With the growing popularity of smart speakers such as Amazon Alexa, you must also guarantee that your material is featured in their results — which would be the response to a naturally flowing query.

2. Respond to Reviews

Optimizing your digital platforms isn’t enough to effectively sell your grooming business online. Prioritize responding to online reviews, whether positive or negative, to get the most out of your internet presence.

While you may enjoy thanking individuals for favorable feedback, you may hate having to reply to negative feedback. Although this is natural, unfavorable evaluations provide you with great opportunity to demonstrate your dispute resolution skills in front of a potentially endless audience. They also allow you to demonstrate how much you cherish the people — and pets — that visit your place, and they may actually add credibility to your organization if handled properly.

Almost 95% of shoppers read internet reviews before purchasing an item, and showing reviews can boost conversions by up to 270%. Use these information to your advantage and respond to customer feedback.

3. Establish a Referral Program

How do you promote your dog grooming business in non-digital, conventional ways? That is a critical question to ask. While any marketing plan should contain a digital component these days, it should also incorporate more traditional types of promotional efforts. Even if you sell grooming supplies online as part of your overall operation, your business isn’t solely an e-commerce store, so more traditional advertising is required.

Despite the fact that many consumers trust online reviews, people still rely on recommendations they receive in person. With this in mind, you may wish to build a referral program that rewards clients who bring other pet owners your way.

The secret to creating a referral program that produces a lot of new foot traffic is to offer substantial benefits to your current clients. You must determine whether to pay a reward for each recommendation or after a client refers several new clients to your shop, in addition to identifying acceptable gifts. If you’re going to do the latter, make the prizes more lucrative than they would be for individual referrals.

Here are some ideas of things you could give as referral incentives:

• Complimentary pet bath
• Free nail trim or ear cleaning
• Complimentary trim or haircut
• Picture of a referrer’s pet in your “Howl of Fame”
• Gift certificate to a retailer with which you have an affiliate relationship
• Access to password-protected content on your website

4. Provide Giveaways

While a referral program can encourage your consumers to send additional business to your grooming salon, you can also “use” your customers to promote your brand in other ways. Make some affordable giveaways with your salon’s name on them for your clients to take home.

Have you ever been to a hotel and observed a pad of paper and a pen by the phone? They were always labeled with the name of the hotel and were free to take home. These luxuries are frequently provided by hotels because they want you to take them with you when you leave.

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In a similar way, you can use giveaways to increase customer loyalty and/or attract new customers. Here are some inexpensive giveaways you may want to make available at the location where you check out your four-legged clients:

• Pet Toys
• Pens
• Pads
• Slip leads
• Bandanas
• Bows or clips
• Refrigerator magnets
• Collapsible water dishes
• T-shirts
• Hats or visors
• Reusable tote bags
• Rolls of poop bags

Giving free water bottles is also a nice idea. If you don’t want to provide reusable water bottles, try having personalized labels printed on recyclable water bottles that you can hand out to thirsty customers instead.

5. Participate in Community and Charitable Events

Participating in community and charitable activities is a low-cost approach for your salon to develop goodwill. In the perspective of local pet owners, goodwill might be a characteristic that distinguishes your grooming shop from competitors. The values of a firm are becoming increasingly important to consumers, and they have the potential to dramatically affect a person’s purchase decisions.

Participating in community and charity activities is an excellent approach to demonstrate what is important to you and your salon. Whether you’re attending an event at another location or hosting one at your store, make sure you have plenty of promotional giveaways on hand for attendees to take home. You might also want to consider holding a contest during the event.

Fill out pre-made slips of paper with people’s names, phone numbers, and email addresses, and place the completed slips in a large fishbowl or box. Tell customers when you’ll choose a random winner and that if their slip is chosen, they must come to your shop to claim their gift. This is a great strategy for attracting customers and adding leads to your contact list.