Picture this: you are scrolling through your favorite social media site and see a post where a groomer claims that she can dry a standard poodle in twenty minutes. There's a picture of said dog, and it has lots of long coat and looks nicely prepared. You know it would take you longer than twenty minutes to achieve that level of dry fluffiness, and you begin to wonder what you are doing wrong.
Groomers are creative artists who work in the fur medium. Like other artists, we can (and arguably should) create a portfolio of our work. A portfolio can be a physical or digital collection representing your work, qualifications, experience, and any accolades or certifications you may have acquired. Assembling a portfolio will help you build your brand, and it can be used to attract new customers or gain new employment. It also can show a remarkable timeline of how your skills have grown and progressed throughout your working time.
When it comes to maximizing the profit of your grooming business during the Holiday Rush, “success” has three “S”es: Scheduling, Services & Staffing. Master these three and you’ll not only enjoy a prosperous 4th quarter, but you’ll kick off the New Year with a solid book of business.
You glance out the window and see that the new customer you scheduled is approaching your door. You suppress a groan because you can tell, even at a distance, that their dog is severely matted. You begin to prepare yourself mentally for the upcoming conversation.
What if something horrible happened to your grooming space? A fire, smoke damage, a flood, heavy storm damage, or a robbery. Imagine trying to explain to your insurance agent every lost or damaged item. It would be overwhelming. How many clipper blades did you actually have? How many sets of expensive shears?
Last week, a regular customer with an adorable Pomeranian arrived for her appointment. "Let me tell you what has been going on with my dog," she said. "She was limping, and it turned out she had Lyme disease. She's been treated and is better now, but I want to be able to find ticks on her. I want her to have a nice short haircut. I don't want her shaved, but much shorter all over." This dog is well-bred, with lovely conformation and a thick, correct coat. In the past, her grooming with us consisted of what I call a "tidy-up."
Recently, a groomer related a story about a customer complaining about her poodle/retriever mix looking "too poodlely" after her last groom. The groomer was frustrated because the pet owner could not describe what she meant. This story or similar scenarios are familiar in our industry. During an era where poodles make up part of many mixed breeds, it is confusing to us that people intentionally purchase a dog that is part poodle but steadfastly demand that their dog not look like a poodle.
It's a maddening conversation and happens far too often. It goes something like this, "Hello, Pet Owner! What did you have in mind for Mr. Fuzzypant's haircut today?" Pet Owner responds, "I want him short. But not too short." Or (a variation on the theme) "As short as you can make him, but not shaved."
Clear communication can make or break the relationship between groomers and customers. As a professional groomer, it pays to learn to read between the lines and ask questions to clarify the pet owners' desires. Developing this ability can be achieved through active listening.
A new photography app on the market is a massive hit with pet groomers. It is called PhotoRoom. You can take it for a test drive for free for a week; after that, it costs around one hundred dollars a year. This app enables groomers to snap a photo of a freshly groomed dog on their table or wherever convenient. The app then removes all the background clutter, including the grooming post and loop, the brush and piles of fur you forgot to remove from the table, your cup of coffee and half-eaten donut from the shelf behind your workstation. From there you can choose from an enormous variety of backdrops.
