Setting up your mobile grooming van can be a bit pricey, depending on what you intend to put in there and whether or not you or a friend is DIY inclined.
That said, expect to spend anywhere from $10k up to $100k obtaining and outfitting your van with the proper washing and drying stations, water tanks, and other mobile grooming gear that you are going to need.
You’ll also want a good GPS system to ensure that you are always taking the fastest routes and if the van is too expensive for now, consider making a mobile grooming trailer. You can buy many prefabricated models for much less than you’d spend on refitting a van and it’s a great way to get started early.
In today’s article, we’ve collected popular questions about mobile groomers and important information that aspiring groomers and customers might want to know. Where do groomers get their water? Do they get tips?
Read on to find out the answers to these questions and more, artfully arranged and answered in the sections below!
Table of Contents
- What do mobile groomers do?
- Is mobile pet grooming profitable?
- What is the average cost for a mobile groomer?
- How do mobile groomers get water?
- How much do mobile dog groomers make UK?
- Do mobile groomers get tips?
- Do I need insurance to be a mobile groomer?
- Do I need any special license to be a mobile groomer?
- How do I get more clients as a mobile groomer?
- How can I improve my mobile grooming business?
What do mobile groomers do?
Mobile grooming bring grooming services directly to their customers. By means of a van that has been specifically reconfigured to provide grooming services, the groomer can visit a client at their home, groom their dog, and go.
It’s a popular convenience and clients are more than willing to pay a little extra for the service, making mobile grooming a popular and profitable service offering.
Is mobile pet grooming profitable?
Yes, mobile grooming can be quite profitable. Let’s say that you have a grooming van and you are able to successfully groom 6 dogs per day, at a sample rate of $70 per dog. That’s $420 a day, but you can make more if you have an addition employee.
Paying them a 50%, if you each groom 6 dogs, then that’s $630 profit for you and $210 for your employee. Not too shabby at all!
What is the average cost for a mobile groomer?
This depends a lot on the dog size and on their temperament, but expect about $75 per average-sized dog for a full-service grooming. With smaller dogs, the most common charge is around $40, as they will take less time, and additional services such as nail trimming and buffing will typically go for an extra $15 to the total.
How do mobile groomers get water?
Mobile groomers will have water storage tanks inside or attached to their van. These tanks are typically quite large and regularly filled-up in the morning, typically providing the groomer with all of the water that they will need for the day.
On rare occasions, a day might be busy enough that a groomer will ask to use a customer’s water hose for a refill, but this is uncommon.
How much do mobile dog groomers make UK?
According to data collected by the National Careers website, mobile dog groomers in the UK will typically earn between £12,000 and £20,000 per year. Typical costs per session run about £20 to £30 per dog and as self-employed groomers can make a little more, as they can charge what they like for their services.
Do mobile groomers get tips?
Yes… much like human-hair stylists, mobile groomers can and do often get tips, with 15% being the standard for decent service while 20 – 25% is the hallmark of excellent service. If you like the work that was done, it’s always nice to show your appreciation with as concrete a ‘thank you’ as a good tip!
Do I need insurance to be a mobile groomer?
Yes, mobile groomers need to have insurance, both for their practice and for their vehicle. General liability insurance for both the business and for grooming van will be required.
This helps to protect the groomer from any litigation, assisting in obtaining the services of a lawyer and sometimes for help with the settle should a case be ruled against you. The automotive insurance helps to protect if there are any accidents while transporting or grooming a dog inside your vehicle as well.
Do I need any special license to be a mobile groomer?
No, there are no special licenses required, nor a specific ‘roadmap’ for becoming a professional groomer. You could start today if you have a business license and the tools, but this would be a very bad idea.
A mobile groomer should have a formal education in dog grooming, as well as safety certification from a widely recognized entity such as the American Kennel club.
This helps to win customer confidence in your services and also ensures that you have been educated well-enough to provide the kind of top-notch service that you want associated with your mobile grooming business.
How do I get more clients as a mobile groomer?
Word of mouth and flyers around the neighborhood are nice, but in this day and age the best exposure that you can get comes from social media and from Google.
Register your business on Google, so that people can look you and customers can leave feedback, and after this you should create a new account on Facebook. From here, you can join local dog groups and advertise your services in the groups which allow it.
Further self-promotion can be done by sharing videos of ‘a day in the life of a mobile groomer’, latest dog styles, or even grooming tips that people can use at home in-between professional groomings. This will get you a lot of attention and can really help to build up clientele in record time!
How can I improve my mobile grooming business?
To really ramp things up with your business, be sure to keep abreast of new shaving styles and showcase them to your customer to generate interest. Continuing education is also a good idea, to keep your skills and certifications up to date.
Make sure to get a GPS system if you don’t have one, to improve time in driving to new locations, and finally, prepare your stations in advance. Cutting clip pads and having a coworker clean a space you’ve just used if they aren’t already busy saves minutes that you could be using on grooming.
Beyond this, build up and maintain your presence on social media and before you know it, you’ll have more clients than you can shake a stick at!
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.
