Yes, dog grooming is potentially very profitable, but you will need a solid business plan, a flair for the work, proper education, and safety certification if you want to start building a solid clientele. That said, successful grooming salons for dogs report earning up to 75k to even 100k in profits per year.
If you plan carefully, your profit margin can even be high as 68%. When you are planning your own business, we would highly recommend a little reconnaissance. Bring your own dog’s and borrow dogs from your friends to check out all of the local businesses that are doing the best in your area.
This will give you a good baseline to target model that you can customize for when you have you own dog grooming business!
For the remainder of this article, we’re going to answer important questions, such as what kind of equipment and qualifications that you need to get started, insurance considers that you need to know about, and more! Read on to find out the answers to these questions and more – it’s all waiting for you in the sections to follow.
Table of Contents
- How much can you make owning a dog grooming business?
- How do I start a successful dog grooming business?
- Do you need a License to run a dog grooming business from home?
- How many dogs can you groom in a day?
- Is dog grooming hard?
- How do dog groomers get clients?
- How big is the dog grooming industry?
- What insurance does a dog groomer need?
- What qualifications do I need to be a dog groomer?
- What equipment do you need to start a dog grooming business?
How much can you make owning a dog grooming business?
While it will depend on location, experience, and how many employees you have, some of the more successful groomers report making up to 75k and even 100k in yearly profits.
Your best bet for success is to make sure that you have safety certificates, professional training, and that you also diversify your offerings – with many grooming salons also selling grooming products and even offering extras such as walking, training, and boarding!
How do I start a successful dog grooming business?
You’ll want to create a solid business plan if you want to succeed. This is going to require licensing your business, finding a prime location, and you’ll want to have safety certification from the AKC as well as paperwork to show that you have been formally educated in professional dog grooming.
Beyond this, the biggest part is going to be top-notch performance and aggressive advertising. List yourself on Google business so that people can find you and leave feedback.
Answer that feedback regularly, even the negative bits, and always keep it professional – even a negative review can get you a new client if you handle it right. Take advantage of social media by marketing your services in Facebook dog groups that allow it and consider Twitter and Instagram accounts.
Grooming tips and how-to videos can be used to drum up business too! So, get creative, register your business, and let your potential clients know that you are out there. Hard work, well done, will take care of the rest!
Do you need a License to run a dog grooming business from home?
Yes, you will need to license your business locally in order to run a dog grooming business from home. You will also want to get insurance, with professional liability insurance being vital in case you need to defend yourself legally. This can also help pay for settlements, should a judge find in the plaintiff’s favor.
How many dogs can you groom in a day?
Most likely, you are only going to be grooming 5 to 6 dogs a day. Grooming is long process, with drying and brushing out plus trimming matted fur taking the longest part of the process.
Some days you might be able to groom up to 8 dogs, but only if they are all short-haired breeds on the small side and of good temperament. Always round-down on your expected workload and then any extra dogs that you get done that day will make you feel more accomplished and keep your morale high!
Is dog grooming hard?
Dog grooming is hard work. Consider an average grooming session with no extras. First, you wash the dog, with shampoo and conditioners, and after that you take them to the drying station. You have to get their fur 100% dry before you crouch down and begin the painstaking brushing to smooth out the hair and get out the tangles.
After that, you’ll need to slowly trim their coats as-needed and then comes trimming the nails – which most dogs don’t really care for. It’s not easy, but if you love dogs and don’t mind working hard, it can still be quite rewarding and financial lucrative from a career perspective.
How do dog groomers get clients?
There are lots of ways to build up local clientele, but one of the easiest is going to be social media. Join local dog groups that specifically state in their terms that they allow advertisement. This allows you to advertise your service with friendly promotions such as discounts for 2 friends that bring their dogs at the same time.
You can also market yourself with training videos, such as tips on home grooming to keep their dog looking good between professional groomings, or showcase the latest styles in dog haircuts and trims and attract attention this way. Get creative – social media is free and it can make all of the difference in the world!
How big is the dog grooming industry?
The dog grooming industry is significant, to say the least. In just 2019, it was reported to be worth 10.37 billion dollars, with projected growth of up to 14.46 billion in 2025!
Just consider that close to 70% of Americans have pets and they are going to want the best in treats, toys, and grooming – and you can provide all 3 if your business model allows. It’s a growing market and as long as people love their pets, he opportunities won’t be going away any time in the foreseeable future.
What insurance does a dog groomer need?
You are going to need general liability insurance to protect yourself in the case that a dog accidentally is harmed while trimming their nails, cutting out matted fur, or in other unpredictable ways.
This will help to protect you by assisting in obtaining legal representation and can sometime even help pay a settlement if you lose a lawsuit. If you will be picking up dogs or providing mobile services, then you are also going to need liability insurance as well.
What qualifications do I need to be a dog groomer?
There are no ‘set paths’ to becoming a groomer and technically all you need a good attitude and a flair for styling and getting along with dogs. That said, you won’t get far if you don’t invest in yourself – get AKC safety certification and some formal training to start with.
These little papers on the wall can make all of the difference when someone brings their dog and is considering whether to trust you or not with their beloved pet.
What equipment do you need to start a dog grooming business?
You’ll need a lot of gear to get started, with clippers, brushes, shears, and scissors being only a minor part of your collection. You’ll also need products, a drying station, bath tubs, and grooming tables.
Don’t forget you’ll sometimes have to restrain dogs as well, and there is safety-rated equipment you’re going to need for that. For a professional business with an external location, expect somewhere in the neighborhood of 50k to get started if you are looking to build a professional grade dog salon.
My name is Ken and I’m one of the staff writers at Petloverguy.com. I’ve cared for pets most of my life starting with hamsters, turtles, and snakes. Then moving up to parakeets, guinea pigs, and even ducks.
I currently live with two yorkies and a chihuahua mix.
