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When starting a pet grooming business, you’ll need to come up with a plan to beat the competition. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), there are currently over 100,000 pet grooming businesses operating in the United States. All of this competition can make it difficult to claim your share of the market. You can still turn your dreams of running a pet grooming business into a reality, but you should consider the following tips to beat the competition.

#1) Take a Pet Grooming Class

Taking a pet grooming class can lead to a more successful business. Pet groomers, of course, typically aren’t required to complete any formal education or training. Unlike veterinarians, they don’t offer medical services; they only offer hygienic and aesthetic services. Therefore, most states don’t require pet groomers to complete any formal education or training. By taking a pet grooming class at a college or school, though, you can start your pet grooming business off on the right foot.

#2) Go Mobile

Starting a mobile pet grooming business can give you the upper hand on the competition. Mobile pet grooming businesses are those that drive to their clients’ homes to offer grooming services. In comparison, stationary pet grooming businesses are those that operate out of a fixed location, such as a commercial building or even the groomer’s home. Of those two types of pet grooming businesses, clients often prefer the former. They won’t have to retain and drive their pets to your business’s fixed location. If you start a mobile pet grooming business, you can drive to clients’ homes where you can groom their pets.

Some of the benefits of starting a mobile pet grooming business include the following:

• Doesn’t require renting or leasing a building.
• Pets are oftentimes more relaxed.
• Many clients prefer mobile pet grooming businesses over their stationary counterparts.

#3) Forge Relationships With Other Pet Businesses

Don’t understatement the importance of forging strong relationships with other pet businesses in your area. Regardless of where you intend to operate your pet grooming business, there are probably other pet businesses nearby. By forging strong relationships with them, you’ll have an easier time attracting new clients while simultaneously overcoming the competition. You might be able to create a mutually beneficial partnership with a pet supplies store, for instance. You can point clients in the direction of a particular pet supplies store, and that store can point its customers in the direction of your pet grooming business.

#4) Specialize

Another way to beat the competition when starting a pet grooming business is to specialize. You don’t have to offer grooming services for all types of animals. Rather, you can specialize in a particular type of animal. Some pet grooming businesses specialize in dogs, whereas others specialize in cats. Specializing your pet grooming business in a particular type of animal will make it stand out from the competition. If a client has a dog and discovers that your pet grooming business specializes in dogs, he or she may choose it over your business’s competitors. The same principle applies to clients who own a cat for cat-specialty grooming businesses.

#5) Expand Service Offerings

What type of services do you intend to offer at your pet grooming business? You’ll probably want to offer bathing and nail trimming services. They are the two most popular pet grooming services, so they’ll probably account for the majority of your business’s revenue. With that said, you can expand your pet grooming business’s service offerings to attract more clients. Other types of pet grooming services include ear cleaning, coat trimming, toothbrushing and paw care. Expanding your pet grooming business’s service offerings will help you attract more clients. Clients may seek a particular seek, and if it’s not offered by a competitor, they’ll probably choose your pet grooming business.

#6) Create a Welcome Package

Attracting new clients to your pet grooming business is only half the battle; you must also retain them. If a new client isn’t fully satisfied, he or she may choose a competitor’s pet grooming business in the future. To encourage loyalty, you can create a welcome package for new clients. A welcome package is a gift bag (or box) that contains free goodies for new clients. You can include stuff like shampoo bottles, pet treats, a branded collar and other items in a welcome package. New clients will appreciate the gesture, and many of them may stay with your pet grooming business as a result.

#7) Use Email Marketing

You can use email marketing to beat the competition when starting a pet grooming business. When a new client visits your pet grooming business for the first time, ask for his or her email address. After obtaining the client’s email address, you can send him or her emails with which to promote your pet grooming business. If it’s been over a year since a client visited your pet grooming business, for instance, you can send him or her a reminder.