Five Steps to Add a Grooming Practice to Your Doggie Daycare

First and foremost, congratulations. If you're reading this blog post, you're already the owner or manage of a dog daycare facility, and that's pretty darn cool! Well done! Now, it appears, you're looking for ways to increase your bottom line and boost your profits. You're in luck! Adding a grooming business to your existing dog daycare can be a great way to expand your offerings and increase revenue. Not only does it provide added convenience for customers, but it also opens up a new stream of income for your business.

However, before you jump head first into adding a grooming business to your dog daycare or boarding kennel, it's important to consider all the steps involved in starting a grooming business to ensure a successful and profitable addition. In this blog post, we'll outline the five key steps to help you get started.

1. Assess the Market and Determine Your Niche

Before you begin any planning or investing in equipment, it's important to assess the market and determine your niche. Research the competition and their services, as well as customer needs and wants. If there are already a handful of groomers in your area, maybe it's not the best idea to add a grooming business to your daycare. The last thing you want to do is investment in equipment but never get any clients to use it on. This will help you understand the demand for grooming services in your area, and determine if there is a gap in the market that you can fill. You should also think about what makes your dog daycare unique and consider how you can differentiate your grooming services to stand out from competitors.

2. Plan Your Space and Equipment Needs

Once you have a clear understanding of the market and your niche, you need to plan your space and equipment needs. Business investments are one of the necessary evils of starting a business. If your daycare is not set up for grooming, you will need to consider how to make changes to the layout or purchase additional equipment. This might include installing a sink, grooming table, and storage for supplies. You should also consider the cost of purchasing or leasing equipment, as well as any necessary renovations to accommodate the new business. Ideally, you'll have a spare corner at your daycare that isn't getting much use. With a small investment in a grooming table, as well as a bathing station, you should be able to start providing grooming services within a short amount of time.

3. Hire Experienced Staff

To ensure a successful grooming business, it's crucial to hire experienced and skilled staff. You should consider the costs involved in training and certifying your staff, as well as hiring employees with a passion for animal care and grooming. You can also consider partnering with local grooming schools or certification programs to help provide your staff with the necessary training. Ideally, you'll be able to find a "hired gun" groomer that is already certified and just looking for a facility. You could either hire them on as staff, or rent your a part of your space to them for their grooming business. How you decide to do it is up to you, but there are numerous ways to make it mutually beneficial for both parties.

4. Develop Your Business Plan and Marketing Strategy

Once you have your space and staff in place, it's time to develop your business plan and marketing strategy. Your plan should include financial projections, pricing for services, and a marketing plan to help promote your new grooming business. You should also consider developing a menu of services, along with clear descriptions and pricing information. This will help customers understand the full range of services you offer and make it easier for them to choose what they need. You'll also want to figure out how you start advertising your service to your current clients. If you're using something like DoggieDashboard to manage your business, you could send out an email to your entire database, letting them know that you're now offering grooming services for their pets.

5. Implement Customer Service and Satisfaction Practices

Finally, it's important to focus on customer service and satisfaction. Customer satisfaction is one of the most important things for small businesses, since you most likely intend to get repeat services. Unhappy customers will not be coming back anytime soon. This includes ensuring a clean, welcoming, and safe environment for both dogs and customers. You should also consider implementing customer feedback systems, such as surveys, to help you understand what your customers are looking for in a grooming service. This feedback can then be used to make changes to your offerings, pricing, or service quality to improve customer satisfaction and increase repeat business.

As you can see, adding a grooming business to your existing dog daycare can be a great way to expand your offerings and increase revenue. With a decent investment in equipment and the hiring of new staff, you should be able to start offering grooming services within a short amount of time. Don't forget about licensing though. By following these five key steps above, you can increase the chances of a successful and profitable addition to your dog daycare business.

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