Start a Pet Grooming Business

Groomers in most cities are booked out weeks; the bottleneck is skilled hands, not customer demand.

1. 1

   Learn the trade hands on

   Apprentice with a working groomer for three to six months or take a certification course through a school aligned with the NDGAA. Grooming is a skill business; the skill is the moat.

2. 2

   Start with a home studio kit

   A tub, a grooming table with an arm, Andis or Wahl clippers, shears, and a high velocity dryer runs $2,000 to $4,000. Prove demand before financing a $50,000 van.

3. 3

   Handle licensing and insurance

   Get a business license, groomer liability insurance, and check your city and state rules on operating an animal care business from home.

4. 4

   Price by size and coat

   For example $60 to $90 for small short-coated dogs and $100 to $150 for doodles and heavy coats. Underpricing doodles is the classic new groomer mistake.

5. 5

   Book your first clients

   Ask vet offices and pet stores to refer you, post before and after photos in neighborhood groups, and offer a first-groom discount to fill the early calendar.

6. 6

   Build the rebooking engine

   Use booking software like MoeGo or Square and rebook every dog for 4 to 8 weeks out before the owner leaves. A full recurring book is the whole business.