outfit a pet grooming business planners by petgroomer.com

Outfit a Pet Grooming Business Planners by PetGroomer.com

Copyright 2013 Find A Groomer Inc. All rights reserved [email protected]

PetGroomer.com’s

Outfit a Pet Grooming Business

USER GUIDE & PLANNING TIPS Suitable to Plan or Expand All Types of Grooming Businesses

Home-Based, Mobile, In-Home Housecall, Shop, Salon, Spa and Departments

For Use With the

PetGroomer.com Resources Buyer’s Guide

www.petgroomerforums.com/chat/content.php

Use the provided site search engine to look up these types of vendors…

Grooming Suppliers Schools

Mobile Grooming Home Study

Software Consultants

Publishers Grooming Apparel

Associations Insurance & Legal

Service Providers Distributors

Boutique Retail Trade Shows & Seminars

Manufacturers of Tools, Equipment & Supplies

http://www.petgroomer.com/

http://www.petgroomerforums.com/chat/content.php



Table of Contents

1. Selecting a Planner

1.1. PDF & EXCEL® Versions

1.2. Select a Planner

1.3. Do I Buy Everything on My Planner?

2. Basic Business Location Tips

2.1. Considerations Before You Lease

2.2. Location, Location, Location

2.3. Commercial Leases & Building Improvements

2.4. Mobile Grooming Planner Tips

3. Basic Design Tips

3.1. Non Mobile Operations

4. Basic Tools, Equipment and Supplies Tips

4.1. Air Quality & Surface Disinfectant Equipment

4.2. Apparel for Groomers

4.3. Bathing Products and Systems

4.4. Bows, Ribbon & Bandanas

4.5. Caging

4.6. Clippers & Blades

4.7. Cologne

4.8. Deshedding

4.9. Dental Products

4.10. Dryers

4.11. Flea Treatments

4.12. Loops, Leads & Pet Positioning Equipment

4.13. Scissors & Shears

4.14. Snap-on Clipper Combs

4.15. Software for Groomers

4.16. Tables

4.17. Tubs

4.18. Workstations

5. Educational Investments

5.1. Pet Grooming Industry Calendar of Events

5.2. Pet Grooming Books & Videos

5.3. Pet Grooming Schools

5.4. Pet Grooming Home Study



Chapter 1 - Selecting a Planner Grooming Business in a Box® professionals developed four Outfit a Pet Grooming Business Planners for you. They can be

used by career seekers and long-time groomers. Find the one(s) suitable for your needs. Fill them out to track 1) project

costs, 2) brand names and model numbers, 3) vendors and 4) quantities. Once you are in business there is even one to

track your restocking needs for supplies, tools and equipment and more. Career seekers can include grooming education

costs along with business start-up costs! Finish your data entry and you have summary and detail costs and a convenient

shopping list describing who, what, where and how many for every purchase. You're organized! Well done!

PDF and Excel® Versions of Planner Please Read this Section Carefully

PDF Versions

If you are not computer savvy with "spreadsheets" the PDF versions are for you. You can download free copies to your

computer. Then, load our Planners in the free Adobe Reader program installed on your computer. Once loaded and

displayed on your computer monitor in Adobe Reader, print them on plain paper using your computer printer. Next, fill

them out manually organizing all of the purchases you plan to make. We suggest using pencil, not ink, to allow for

corrections and changes. If you don’t have Adobe Reader on your computer you may be prompted to install it. You can

get a free download of the program immediately at www.adobe.com/reader. Download from PetGroomer.com here.

MS Excel® Versions

Excel versions are not available for download, but are available on the FREE PetGroomerCD.™

Excel versions are for users with computers with Microsoft Excel installed, or compatible such as OpenOffice.org, and a

computer printer. One of the advantages of Excel versions is that much of the math is done for you. Simply enter price

and quantity of items you plan to buy and the spreadsheet does the rest of the math. Click an Excel version title on the

PetGroomerCD™. Your computer should automatically start Excel or your compatible program and load the file. If not,

save the Excel files provided to your computer. Start your Excel or compatible program, and then manually load the

Excel versions. Using Excel files is not for spreadsheet absolute beginners. However, you do only need data entry

experience. You do not have to create any formulas. You simply enter numbers and words. Therefore, it only takes a few

minutes for someone with spreadsheet experience to show you how to enter data in the spreadsheet “cells.”

Available Planners

All versions of the Outfit a Pet Grooming Business Planners can be used for startups, or expanding businesses. Two

versions can be used by any grooming business new or long established to manage regular reordering of supplies and

retail inventory. Additional user instructions and reminders are noted on each Planner. The versions are:

Mobile Business - New or Expanding (PDF & Excel)

Home-Based or Commercial Location - New or Expanding (PDF & Excel)

Daily Shopping List - Restocking Supplies, Tools & Equipment (PDF & Excel)

Retail Inventory - Restocking Boutique, Pet Products & Food (PDF & Excel)

http://www.groomingbusinessinabox.com/

http://www.adobe.com/reader

http://www.petgroomerforums.com/chat/content.php?354-Download-Free-Planners-Shopping-Lists-to-Fill-in

http://www.petgroomercd.com/




Once you have printed your PDF version Planner(s), or you have your Planner(s) loaded and ready to use on your

computer, it’s time to start filling them in with projected purchases.

Use the resources of the PetGroomer.com Resources Buyer's Guide to fill-out your planner. We have hundreds of

vendors listed here where you can locate products, services and grooming education and prices, and enter the

description and costs onto your Planners. It’s that easy. You should find the PetGroomer.com Classified Ads very helpful

too. It’s the most popular online buy and sell marketplace devoted to grooming only. Look in the Suppliers Section for

the name of companies that stock thousands of products online and in print mail order catalogs. There are also more

than a dozen other sections with ads specific to the products or services you may be shopping for with your Planner. If

you plan to buy used, there are sections for used mobile vehicles and used products and equipment of all kinds.

Don’t forget the GroomerTALK℠ Message Board is also a great source for additional information. Register and ask

questions.

Do I Buy Everything on My Planner?

No, you don't need to buy everything on the Mobile Planner to start a mobile business. Nor do you buy everything on

the other Planners. Some large commercial locations may buy most of the items listed.

The positive aspect of having so many line items available is that it reduces the likelihood you will overlook some

materials or services. On the other hand, we don't make any guarantees we thought of everything possibly needed. For

that reason you can edit the "Other" labeled fields and insert materials or services you need.

There are many variables to knowing what you need to purchase. First of all, you may already own some furniture,

equipment, tools and other things which you then don't need to list. For commercial locations the building you rent or

purchase for your business will have a significant impact on what you need to "outfit it."

Some buildings are simply better equipped than others. For mobile groomers the purchase of a new van usually means

that it came somewhat to very equipped already, whereas when you buy an older used model, you may need new

equipment. Indeed, everyone's Planner will be different from others.

So where does that leave you? You may still be wondering, yes but what do I need? For a commercial location,

department or home-based business we suggest you start by determining the space you would like to have as your

business. For a home-based business it is usually a converted garage or outbuilding.

We suggest you take a tape measure and accurately measure the available space and note doors and windows, existing

electrical outlets and water pipes. If there are wall partitions note them and with all of this information draw a floor

plan. It's doesn't have to be high tech, but to scale is important. Do the same for a commercial location you have

selected. If you haven't decided upon a location as yet, but you need to get a rough idea of the costs to "outfit" your

business, create a desired floor plan and use that as a model.

With your floor plan handy as a visual tool start completing your Planner. Make several copies of your floor plan and as

you list purchases of furniture, equipment and other items on your planner, note them on a working copy of your floor

plan. You might find you are buying too much and running out of room, or the opposite.


http://www.petgroomerads.com/

http://www.petgroomerforums.com/chat/forum.php



Notice the Mobile Planner allows for a home office. Some mobile grooming business owners don't realize they should

consider setting up a home office with a desk, computer and file cabinets. In some cases the business can actually pay

rent for the space properly allocated for the business, and that rent is tax-deductible for the business. You must consult

a tax professional to see if you are eligible. There are strict guidelines to qualify.

Overall our guidance in equipping a new business is to acquire what you need to operate in order to start generating

"cash flow" business income. If you plan on having other groomers or bathers in the future, you probably want to rent

space for expansion within reason, but you don't have to fully-equip the future employees' workstations now. It makes

sense to have the electrical outlets ready. If you are planning to have 2 stainless steel tubs but you are a new or young

business, you could have the plumbing readied when you startup, but there is no need to buy the 2nd tub until you have

established demand requiring 2 tubs.

We suggest that you go ahead and create a Planner with your dream business listing everything you want to make it

real. Then, check back in with reality and highlight those purchases that could wait a year or two while you grow the

business and they become required to meet actual demand for services and/or retail.

Preserving cash is important for new business. When you start a business you should have enough cash on hand (and

more) until you reach your projected breakeven point (Pet Grooming Business Plan Helper & Sampler, a Grooming

Business in a Box® product actually computes your breakeven point for you). For example, and this is very general and

simplified in nature, if you groom 5 pets a day, the income from the first 3 pays your operating expenses and the other 2

is the profit of the day which often becomes the personal income for the owner, thereby 3 is the breakeven point when

we don't consider the owner's personal income from the business. You can perhaps see how important it is then to

preserve cash, and one of doing that is to not buy more than you need when you startup. Again, 1 grooming table could

be fine until you really need the second one.

Of course some of you are still asking how many of this or that do I need? For example, how many dryers do I need for

my business? There are multiple types, how many of each do I buy, or can one do? You will find more assistance with

these decisions in Chapter 4. We also encourage you to bring your planning questions to the GroomerTALK Message

Board. We have wonderful members that have already answered such questions. Use the search engine first. If you

cannot find an answer, please signup and post your questions. You are likely to get many opinions, “some north, and

some south” but the point is you got great input. Always consider the opinions of successful groomers that have

traveled the path before you. It can save you time and money.




Chapter 2 - Basic Business Location Tips

Here are some general tips for the many decisions you are going to have to make when filling out your Planners. Be sure

to search the PetGroomer.com Resources Buyer’s Guide and ask for help on the GroomerTALK℠ Message Board.

Considerations Before You Lease

PetGroomer.com is regularly asked for a "cyber-hand" in determining if a commercial space is appropriate for housing a

pet grooming business. All too often new businesspersons lease a building and discover down the road that the building

design and facilities are not sufficient to meet the growing demand for pet care services. Typically, these owners must

shell out a great deal for "leasehold improvements" not always the responsibility of the landlord. Electricians, plumbers,

carpenters and other contractors can be a lot more expensive than the services of a groomer, and their quotes for

upgrades easily jump to $10,000, $25,000 and sometimes much more. With a little more knowledge and the helpful

assistance of persons with building contractor experience, you can escape the worst pitfalls.

Pet grooming requires significant amounts of water and utilities. Let's take a closer look at the utility demands of a pet

grooming business.

Electricity

Every department of a pet grooming salon needs electricity. The bathing department can demand the most for the

larger salon running several blow dryers. The growing popularity of a Hydrosurge®-like bathing unit increases the

demand though the dryers are the significant source of demand. Examine the load requirements specified by the blow

dryers you intend to purchase. Look down the road now. Will you be acquiring more units in the future? Add up the

electrical load requirements and write it down. Also note the number of electrical outlets and the need for non-standard

plugs, such as 220V.

Clippers and clipper boosters require electricity in the trimming department. Examine the load requirements of the

equipment you require at present, and then project the same for future trimming workstations you may add as your

business grows. Write the electrical load requirements on paper and note the number of outlets you require too. How

much electricity is required for your water heater, central heating and air conditioning? This varies greatly by your

equipment, but certainly air conditioning creates a strong demand. Even in the cool days of Spring and Fall, the heat of

the bathing department can require balancing with periods of air conditioning. Hopefully, your water heater and heating

will use a more efficient fuel such as natural gas. Don't overlook the electrical demand from lighting. Fluorescent lighting

is often best balanced with spotlighting on each trimming station. Although many pet groomers don't add the spotlights,

their faces light up when they try a workstation with additional spotlights in the four corners of the overall workstation

area. You can eliminate shadows and really see your work better, but yes, you are increasing electrical demand.

Clipper vacuum systems, shop vacuums, a kitchen area including coffee and a microwave and other small equipment

add even more demand. If you install a computer, you will need a dedicated line to protect the equipment. Where

would a pet grooming business be without electricity? In fact, some of our clients originally moved into older buildings

that had adequate electricity but as they grew, it quickly became insufficient.





Sometimes upgrading an electrical panel can exceed $10,000 and we have done some for nearly $17,500. Write down

your requirements on paper including outlets and the electrical demand of all the equipment. This exercise is best done

on a photocopy of your floor plan. Consult with an electrical contractor. Ask them to inspect sites you may lease. It's well

worth paying them a consultation fee if they ask for one compared to facing either a major electrical upgrade, or having

to move to a new site. Even many of today's newer buildings do not have adequate supplies for a moderate size salon

with 3-4 trimming stations and a 4-6 station bathing department.

Air Conditioning

The bathing department creates a lot of heat that must be balanced by air conditioning. Comfort for your staff and the

pets is crucial for a successful business. As you likely now, the normal body temperature of pets is higher than humans,

and with some of those significant coats, they easily suffer from even warm, not hot, environments. You want to return

a cool and happy pet to the client, and your staff is likely to work far more reasonably in a moderate temperature. Most

buildings were never designed to handle the heat of a bathing department running 2 or more dryers. In fact, you must

ensure that there are vents to bring cool air into the designated bathing area. Air conditioning upgrades are common for

the growing business. However, you will find some important hints below to reduce air conditioning demand. These

hints are especially helpful when you are first building out a salon and have more flexibility in laying out the floor plan. A

word of caution. Consult an air conditioning company and ask them for an opinion just as you did the electrician. Filters

are very important where there is air intake. We have seen air conditioning systems harmed by the daily intake of small

pet hairs accumulating inside the machinery. Make sure you use filters, and you clean or replace them very regularly.

Here are some tips to reduce air conditioning demand. Air conditioning is essential to the comfort and safety of people

and pets. It is also very expensive to operate air conditioning most of the work day. Bathing departments are the major

source of heat in any pet grooming business. Blow dryers with elements warm up a room in no time flat. What can you

do? Here are two great suggestions.

First, ask your air conditioning contractor if there is a way to draw excess out of the building through a vent with a

"whisper" fan. The fan draws air from the room outside to the roof or exterior wall where appropriate. You do not want

the fan to draw the cool area delivered by the air conditioning, so usually the exhaust effort and air conditioning are

separated by some feet. The "whisper" fans are very quiet, and hence the name.

Second, "containerize" the bathing department to prevent most of the heat from escaping from the room into other

areas. To do this, your bathing department should be comprised of 3 walls in a "U" shape (squared-off horseshoe). The

walls should be floor to ceiling. Therefore, heat can only escape the bathing department from the front opening. Now it

is going to get very hot in this area, so you must plan on venting out some of the heat with the exterior draw of a fan,

and having adequate delivery of cool air by the air-conditioning. As a result you can dramatically reduce your air

conditioner load.

Water and Plumbing

Pet grooming uses a lot of water, including hot water. Today the Hydrosurge®-like devices are cutting back on water

demand. Standard water heaters are rarely adequate for a growing pet grooming salon. We recommend upgrading the

water heater in almost all new pet grooming businesses. Today there are new systems that heat water very quickly,

almost on demand.



Recently we installed one at a very large pet grooming salon, and the price came in around $2,800, but it's a first class

commercial system that should last many years, and the salon should never be short of hot water at all times. If you are

not going to upgrade a standard size water heater, look to water saving systems using a bathing system with

recirculation.

No doubt about it, you are going to need plumbing work to install at least one tub. Many small salons have 2 tubs. We

have seen some salons with a separate small tub away from the others dedicated to cat bathing, a good idea. Before you

commit to the location of your bathing department, you must determine the present location of all plumbing and

consider water pipe extensions you will need leading to your tubs. It can get expensive very quickly, especially if digging

into concrete floors is involved. We again suggest the assistance of a contractor or plumber to examine the commercial

space before you lease it.

Some of our clients have an interest in the self-service dog wash format. Most likely your plumbing improvements will

cost more those for a typical pet grooming salon or shop. Typically, the self-service area for pet owners is separate of

your grooming department's bathing area. Therefore, you not only need to outfit a bathing department, but lead pipes

from what is likely the same main water source to the self-service area. We have seen this successfully done within

building codes leading the water pipes along the inner wall to the self-service area. The pipes add a sort of "industrial

design" look which can highlight a "high-tech" look and work fine, but consult your contractor to ensure you meet all

building codes.

In the material below you will find some additional hints for ideas to keep your pipes from clogging with pet hair, a

constant problem if you do not take preventative measures seriously. In fact, we know of one "horror story" where a

home-based pet groomer was held liable by the local city for pet hair clogging the neighborhood sewer system, to the

tune of tens of thousands of dollars required to excavate the neighborhood street pipes. Ouch!.

Natural Gas and Other Fuels

Heating water or heating air is best done with an efficient system using natural gas and similar fuels. You can lower your

electric bill considerably in this way.

Sound

If you share any walls with neighboring businesses, you can count on sound problems with barking dogs. You will

appreciate a building with more solid walls. You can reduce sound levels with sound absorption ceiling tiles. If your

commercial space is within a "strip center" try to lease an end unit. You may then only share as little as one wall with a

neighbor business, and of course, make sure you are on the ground floor. Advanced information about “silent rooms”

and “noise containment” is now available in Floor Plan Concepts for Pet Groomers, a CD-ROM and User Guide by

Grooming Business in a Box®.

Carpeting

Carpeting has no place in a pet grooming salon. You will be forever vacuuming pet hair relentless hugging onto it, and it

will absorb odors and quickly be stained by pet wastes. It's too bad though because carpeting absorbs sound whereas

hard surface floors won't. However, smooth linoleum floors and properly sealed smooth concrete floors are easily kept

hygienically clean.



Wet areas are common in pet grooming salons, especially in the bathing area and where a pet relieves itself perhaps

before you have a chance to notice or provide it with a potty-walk. Safety requires your constant attention to

immediately wiping up all spills. Keep in mind that working on hard floors can stress your body. Wear proper shoes for

standing, and stand on fatigue mats at all workstations. Carpeting also attracts fleas.

Perhaps now you can better understand how some people lease a building with inadequate supplies of electricity,

water, air conditioning and other utilities. Though your business is small in the beginning, it may be appropriate for you

to secure a space with a long lease when it is affordable, within your budget and the building's condition and facilities

support the extended growth of your business. Moving a business is expensive. Notifying a thousand or more clients is

expensive, and the down time can be costly.

Finally, don't overlook parking for your clients. At least 2-3 spaces should be available to your clients on a dedicated

basis. Access in and out from the roadway should be easy. Remember, many pets will immediately attempt to relieve

themselves on your property to and from their owner's car. Pet urine stains concrete and most wall treatments, and if

you have neighbor businesses this can really irk them as much as dog noise problems. Ideally, you should install an

outdoor potty-walk area and maintain it regularly, even several times a day when busy. You will be very glad you did and

your customers will view it as a sign of a "professional."

Signage

A well-designed building sign on a busy street is an important part of your marketing plan. In fact, you can expect

hundreds or more new customers if the design and location is right, just from your building sign.

Our favorite monument style sign was a TRAFFIC STOPPER! Fluorescent bulbs mounted between 2 Lexan panels backlit

signs on both sides of the monument style framework, and thereby allowed traffic coming in opposite directions to see

the same sign message. "Lonnie" a mixed breed fluffy pet photo was processed into "half-tone" photograph printed on

clear acetate and pasted onto both white Lexan panels. The fluorescent light filtering through the half-tone is most

dramatic photo-realistic effect, and many customers driving by a night say it looks like Lonnie is going to jump off the

sign. The new owner collected new customer source information and discovered that in her first year at the new

location the sign attracted over 1,000 first-time customers driving by. If those customers became clients and came in

about 6 times a year, this new sign created new revenue of over $200,000 annually (in 2010 dollars).

The lettering on the sign was kept to available stock from the sign maker to maintain the budget for the sign. Cost of the

sign? Each panel was $600.00 (there's another one on the opposite side shown). Based on our experience we prefer

"light box" style road signs versus hand-painted signs with flood lighting. We also prefer photo-realism as mentioned

above. If your location does not have a light box style sign you can expect to easily spend another $2,000 or more for

one, including installation, electrical and permits. In our opinion it is almost always worth it, and your landlord may

share the cost with you as it is a leasehold improvement for their property.

Compared to the next most popular method of marketing, advertising in yellow pages telephone books or online, road

signs almost always attract the most business if done well. Some signs can be so ineffective that they generate little

business. A recent Workshop attendee, Ed Carlson who you participates on this site's BBS, conducted an interesting

study of new customer sources. Ed discovered that new clients developed from road signs tend to be more loyal clients



compared to new clients developed from yellow pages advertising. Could it be that clients developed from the yellow

pages "shop around more?" Could be. Excellent deduction Ed!

Your sign should have your company logo prominently displayed on it. The net worth of your business is greatly

increased by a well-known and copyrighted or registered service mark. Use your logo on all promotions, including your

building sign.

Location, Location, Location

You've probably heard the familiar saying that relates the potential success of a commercial business to its "location." In

fact, location is so important that advisers will often repeat it time and again, "Location, location, location." Pet

grooming is no different than any other trade affected by its location. Here are guidelines to help you choose yours.

Accessibility: How accessible are the locations you are considering? Pet grooming businesses can benefit from being on

main roads traveled daily by commuters and others running daytime errands. Though some businesses don't favor pet

owners leaving pets all day, typically on their way to work and then returning after work, it is allowed by nearly all large

to very large pet grooming businesses. In fact, some owners discover that by offering extended stays they pickup

hundreds of pet owners that cannot such a service elsewhere. If you do, be sure to provide extended stay pets with

fresh water frequently, and occasional stretch periods for their comfort. Commuting pet owners appreciate businesses

located near freeway on/off ramps or expressway turnoffs, as well as on major streets connected to freeways and

expressways. Besides being on commuter routes you can benefit from being reasonably near major shopping centers,

medical complexes, and entertainment complexes where the community frequently congregates.

(As a side note remember that commuters often desire easy drop-off too, so always have your returning client filecards

pulled and waiting on your front counter for the current day's appointments. Most commuters favor taking some time

to chat with you when they return, after the work day is over.)

Building Sign

Road visibility is extremely important if you expect your building sign to generate new business. Check how many cars a

day travel by within range of view of you sign. That is a form of advertising without spending more money other than

rental expenses.

Parking

Your location needs good parking. You should have no less than two dedicated parking spaces, and more is preferable.

Easy, free parking and easy road access will always boost your potential business compared to the obstacles of offering

only paid public parking, metered street parking and distant parking lots. We don't mean that you cannot operate under

such conditions; they are simply not consumer friendly and atypical of busy grooming business on the grow.

Shopping Centers

Shopping centers can be excellent locations for grooming businesses, but be aware that you may share in the number

one problem that owners face in them, pet stains. You cannot control all of your pet owner clients nor their dogs out of

your control and inevitably some of them are going to urinate or defecate outside. Male dogs frequently life the old leg



and stain areas, often belonging to another tenant. They won't like it, and all you can do is clean, clean and clean.

However, our president's business was in a strip center and because of this problem of this she moved the business from

mid center to the end unit. Not only was the end unit on the public sidewalk, and therefore had street parking, but also

there was a 8 foot by 3 foot area of landscaping which she covered in gravel and turned it into a potty walk for her

clients. All the other tenants were quite pleased. Be aware that not all shopping centers allow pet grooming businesses.

Oh yes, don't forget that barking dogs can disturb neighboring tenants, so you may need to add some soundproofing to

walls, or better yet, consider the next idea, a "stand alone" location.

Stand Alone Building

The best location is a private building with a parking private lot on a busy, convenient street. If you are starting a new

business and have the budget, it is the way to go. You are almost certain to have room to build a custom potty walk, and

you know your clients are guaranteed easy parking. These are major marketing factors to advertise in your brochure,

telephone directory pages, and literally all advertising for that matter. Better yet the stand alone building ends your

having to worry about sound problems caused by dog barking traveling through shared walls.

Commercial Leases & Building Improvements

Quite often the largest startup or remodeling expenses are these "leasehold improvements" or ("residential

improvements" for home-based). The more you DIY or with family and friend assistance the more you save. However,

even if you do complete DIY, chart your out-of-pocket costs here in the Building Improvements & Repairs section.

Warning: It is EXTREMELY important that you provide the actual costs for these expenses to your accountant with

receipts as backup. Most or all of the costs in this category are NOT "operating expenses." Groomers make that mistake

often! There are serious tax consequences if you simply deduct these costs from your business income without

"amortization or depreciation schedules."

These costs should be deducted over a period of years stipulated by the current tax code when the purchases were

made. Don't get stung during an audit for making that serious mistake. It's a common but costly mistake when you do

your own taxes and don't indicate depreciation and amortization schedules for specific types of business costs. Consult a

tax professional for proper handling of building improvement and repair costs.

Don't assume that landlords will pay for all or most or even half the building improvements you want. Every rental or

lease contract is open to negotiations, even if they hand you a lease or rental contract. You can ask for changes to any

contract stipulating the deal you strike with the landlord. Perhaps you agree to put new floors in and in return the

landlord will upgrade to a bigger water heater and extra electrical. Great! Put it in writing in the contract!

Do your best to get the landlord to make as many building improvements as possible, but every situation is different.

Sometimes they will even do all of them, but raise the rent. Well that might be OK if you are short on cash to pay

contractors. These negotiations happen all the time in the real world. Commercial rental contracts always involve

negotiations unlike contracts to rent apartments. In fact, big companies like Starbucks often provide their own lease

contract to landlords and then the landlords stipulate changes!

Get savvy about how the commercial rental world works; every lease, every rental, is open to negotiations. You may go

back and forth; it simply depends upon how motivated the landlord is to rent or lease their space, or wait for another



tenant. Our best advice is to take the rental or lease contract you are supplied by a landlord to your business attorney

and say, "What's wrong with the contract? What isn't in my best interests? What changes do you suggest?" That's smart,

and that's the way professionals operate.

Mobile Grooming Planner Tips

Your biggest decision in the beginning is to decide if you are going to groom using a trailer which requires a towing

vehicle, or a self-propelled mobile van, truck or similar which requires no towing vehicle. We have a wonderful “thread”

in the MobileGroomerTALK Forum on our GroomerTALK Message titled “The Official Trailer Versus Van Thread.” It’s

been there awhile and many mobile groomers have posted their opinions. Be sure to check out that thread!

Use the Mobile Grooming Planner to chart your vehicle purchase, whether new or used. The largest database of used

mobile vehicles online is at the PetGroomer.com Classified Ads.

Learn about mobile grooming, it’s quite different than operating a commercial or home location. Dina Perry of Wag’n

Tails offers a seminar in mobile grooming. Jodi Murphy DVDs and Books offers a 2 DVD version of her mobile seminar,

and mobile grooming book. There is Go Mobile and Succeed for those looking for another book. If you buy new most

conversion companies offer some training. We may have more at times too. Check the MobileGroomerTALK℠ forum

and ask questions. We have many mobile members.

When you buy new many tool and equipment purchases can be included in the vehicle purchase. Sometimes owners of

used vehicles include some used tools and equipment.

Use this planner for all purchases required not included in the sale of new or used mobile vehicles. Even though you are

mobile there is still applicable information for tools, supplies and equipment purchases in the following chapters.

http://www.petgroomerads.com/

http://www.wagntails.com/

http://www.wagntails.com/

http://www.jodimurphy.net/

http://www.petgroomerads.com/books.htm




Chapter 3 - Basic Design Tips

Non Mobile Operations

Many members of the GroomerTALK Community have posted pictures of their businesses on the GroomerTALK Message

Board. Some post pictures on their Facebook and business web sites too. It’s great to see what others are doing.

Floor Plans

Floor plans for groomers are rare. There is a very basic one in the book From Problems to Profits for small to medium

grooming shops, possibly a home-based business. It is accompanied with safety information that pertains to the layout

too. It is a simple floor plan more than adequate for small shops and garage conversions in residential home businesses.

The good news is that Grooming Business in a Box released advanced floor plans on CD-ROM in 2012 along with a user

design guide. Until the Floor Plan series is published the consultants will provide complimentary reviews of your floor

plan. See www.groomingbusinessinabox.com for more details.

When you develop a floor plan, don't forget safety. In fact, safety is everything to a large degree in a grooming business.

If you are a one person business you must be able to see the entirety of your environment at all times from your

workstation. Pets that get into trouble, such as cage dryers, must be in full view. So often caging is placed where no one

can monitor pets, and that's a tremendous risk, and absolutely inexcusable for cage driers. Consider where you will be in

your workday, such as the tub, table and front reception counter areas. From those locations can you keep an eye on

ALL pets? If so, your floor plan is working to your benefit.

Client Reception Area

You should have at least 2 chairs or a sofa bench for your customers to sit on, and a small table with reading material.

You will need at least one retail display unit and a "front counter" where you greet clients and store the appointment

book, phone, filecards, brochures etc. Plants add a nice and natural touch too, and a bottled water dispenser is a

pleasant courtesy. Besides water cups for people, have a supply of paper bowls for pet owners to give their pet a drink if

they choose too, and hopefully on their departure and not on their check-in unless the pet needs it. We suggest you post

a bulletin board or kiosk to display pet care information for clients, such as announcements and brochures. Will you post

a sign with prices?

Cleanliness is important. Your outside entry and client reception areas are the first thing pet owners see, and the rule of

thumb is the typical consumer makes a judgment about your business within 60 seconds of seeing your business. The

client reception area typically endures the most urination or defecation by pets. Male dogs can and do lift legs on retail

displays, counters and furniture. You must keep that in mind and consider the surfaces. Of course pet waste is an

accident waiting to happen. People may slip and fall from stepping into waste. Have a clean-up system available at all

times in the Client Reception area, and never tolerate any employees that don't immediately clean up pet waste they

discover thinking it's not "their turn."

http://www.petgroomerforums.com/






Safety of people is everyone's responsibility all of the time. Whoever sees a need such as cleaning pet waste must see it

is done immediately even if that means they report it to management or another employee for assistance. Customers

will notice the attention paid to keeping them safe in a pleasant environment.

Never carpet your reception area. You may laugh but some people don't know that. You will be forever vacuuming

carpet and it will retain odors forever after a short time in use. If you find a space for your business and it has carpet you

must inform the landlord of your need to replace it and factor that into your decision before you sign on the dotted line.

Check for more assistance on the GroomerTALK Message Board.

Colors and Surfaces

It may seem as if you are always cleaning an environment where pets are. Well, you are. Therefore you need to ensure

that the surfaces hold up well to repeat cleaning. If you are laying linoleum, get high traffic capable linoleum or you may

have to replace it within 2 to 4 years. Male dogs lift legs to soil counters and even retail displays. You may need to

protect surfaces from staining and wear as best possible. Consider all the surfaces in your pet business from walls,

countertops, tables, cages to furniture and fixtures.

Colors affect the mood of your business. You may want to study color psychology, even for animal care environments.

There are studies of the effects of colors on animals. Whatever is soothing is best to help mitigate separation anxiety

from their owners. Your color palette should help communicate cleanliness. Whether they say anything or you notice,

customers are using their five senses judging the sights, smells and sounds of your business. You want to imply clean,

sanitary and fresh. Colors are drastically affected by the type of lighting in your business, see Lighting below!

Separate Cattery Accommodations and Grooming

If you are going to groom cats you also need to accommodate them differently than dogs. Not only will they be happier,

but it will help make grooming them a bit easier for you. We strongly encourage you to build a small separate cattery

style environment. It can be as small as 6 feet by 6 feet but 6 feet by 10 feet is the best size for a small cattery.

You will lodge and groom cats in the Cattery. Be sure to have a door and close it. Keep the sounds of dogs minimized at

all times. We suggest putting in a window or two enabling the groomer to see outside as necessary. Use heavy glass to

minimize sound leaking into the cattery. You can even add soundproofing materials on or inside walls.

You will need to install plumbing and a small tub. You want the cattery to be totally self-sufficient with no reason for

dogs to be around cats in your care.

The extra effort is well worth it and you should promote the benefits of the cattery to your clients.

Lighting

Lighting requirements vary depending upon existing fixtures and sources of natural light, and the latter is the most

desired but never seems to be adequate in most businesses. Grooming environments require adequate lighting without

casting shadows. Traditional fluorescent fixtures may be adequate but you may want to add spot lights to grooming

workstations.




Place the lights along the four corners of the workstation area and pointed toward the table center. In this way you get

complete light saturation.

Without adequate lighting you may not see your work clearly, and you can miss those perfect touches. Most groomers

prefer buildings with several windows allowing lots of natural light to fill the environment in addition to building lighting.

Replace cool or warm fluorescent bulbs with "all-spectrum" or "daylight" fluorescent bulbs. Cool and warm fluorescent

actually discolor coat colors, even your interior design. Make sure you view color swatches for paint and materials under

the type of lighting in your business. Change those bulbs to all spectrum or daylight bulbs if color accuracy is important

to you. In a recent check of bulbs at a Lowe’s Center we noticed there are now 5 types of fluorescent bulbs and the

differences are significant! Find the light you like and then test all color swatches to that type of light. Well done!

You may want spot lighting on retail displays. Also, be sure to consider your exterior lighting requirements. Your

grounds, even if just a potty walk, should be lit. If you have outdoor seating for clients or employees, again have

adequate lighting.

Lighting is frequently discussed on the GroomerTALK Message Board. Be sure to review the helpful messages posted

there on this topic. Also, consider lighting issues for mobile units. It’s very important. The topic has been discussed on

the message board as well.




Chapter 4 - Basic Tools, Equipment and Supplies Tips

Groomers can talk for hours about their tools, equipment and supplies. Why not? It’s fun! There are literally thousands

of messages on this subject on the GroomerTALK Message Board and GroomWise℠ Blogs. We encourage you to

research both. Talk with others when making decisions. Here are some basics to get you started and convenient links to

related sections in both the PetGroomer.com Buyer’s Guide and Classified Ads. Easy!

Here are some highlight tips we can offer you. No it’s not everything we know at all but it’s a good start for you. Be sure

to look at the convenient links with leads to company names and web sites for product and services you must chart in

your planner. Remember, there are many more categories of product and services at www.petgroomershop.com.

Air Quality & Surface Disinfectant Equipment

PetGroomer.com Links: PetGroomer.com Resources Buyers Guide Listings Related Classified Ads

Modern equipment is helping to make grooming environments more sterile and pleasant. You can eliminate or cover-up

odors with chemical solutions. However, new air and surface equipment goes further easily making your environment

safer and more appealing with advanced technology. Be sure to check out the links above to see what we mean.

Apparel for Groomers


Here are some tips for choosing the right groomer wear for you.

Style

Many groomers complain that groomer wear lacks style, or styles have an outdated look. However, the selection

available today is larger than ever and we’ve seen big improvements since 2009 with the entry of more competition in

the groomer apparel market.

Pockets

You may find it convenient to have pockets but there are issues that can arise. When hand carrying a pet you may find

that pet's rear legs work their way into pockets; be careful. When cutting nails or brushing or cutting hair the loose

pieces often find their way into pockets. Most definitely you are going to have to make the effort to clean pockets daily.

Pockets may catch on many things like knobs and cage door locks. Pockets should be well-stitched with quality thread.

Loose vs. snug fit, the choice is yours. You may enjoy the looser fit of a gown or top with extra room, whereas others

prefer a snug fit. It's entirely a personal preference. The looser fit may work better for those who prefer more breathing

room between the garments they wear and the body. If you "run warm" you probably want a little extra breathing room

in your groomer wear. Loose gowns can catch on many things too.

Plus Sizes

Fortunately more of the manufacturers are addressing this need today.


http://www.groomwise.com/

http://www.petgroomershop.com/

http://www.petgroomershop.com/showthread.php?3-Air-amp-Surface-Disinfectant-Product-Manufacturers

http://www.petgroomerads.com/grooming_products_and_equipment.htm


http://www.petgroomerads.com/apparel.htm



Durability

Grooming is very physical work and that means extra wear and tear on your garments. You may even wash your

grooming wear daily adding to the burden of wear and tear. When you purchase grooming wear you may find bargains,

but how long will the apparel last. Look for features that increase durability. Low cost models may not last long. You

need durable fabrics and threading and careful sewing for a long lasting garment. If there are zippers check out the

quality of them. Ask friends. Read the GroomerTALK Message Board too. Members have reported apparel that lasted

only a few washings. You are going to spend a lot more replacing low cost apparel compared to buying durable quality.

Buy quality fabric, buttons, zippers and zippers! Examine the quality of the sewing. Grooming is tough on apparel, but

even tougher on bargain apparel.

Stain Resistance

As a groomer you use shampoos, conditioners, color, oils, polish and powders and more. Many of these will cause fabric

stains. Consider stain resistance when shopping for groomer wear.

Shop and Test

Don't buy too many of the same style until you know what you prefer. If you buy 3 aprons now and discover you prefer a

scrub, you've overspent your budget for groomer wear. If you are new to groomer wear test the different styles and

qualities until you know what you prefer.

Work shoes

Most grooming businesses have concrete, linoleum or tile floors. In other, words they have hard surfaces to stand on.

Your shoes should compensate for standing a great deal on hard surfaces. Think of your grooming shoes as "work shoes"

as opposed to your regular shoes. Avoid open-toed shoes entirely. In fact, we recommend employers to prohibit them

for employees. Stand dryer rollers, large dog paws, and hydraulic table pumps pose hazards to your feet on a daily basis.

Finally, consider traction. Every grooming business has wet areas and puddles of urine can be anywhere if you allow

dogs to run loose and they pose a serious slipping hazard.

Grooming Masks

Grooming masks have come a long way. They help to keep you from breathing in dirt, dander and even microbes.

Today’s masks are using state-of-the-art materials. The GroomerTALK Message Board has a forum dedicated to

grooming apparel. We’re getting larger numbers of grooming apparel reviews, be sure to check it out.

Bathing Products & Systems


Here are some tips for choosing the right bathing products for you. Do you know how many different shampoos and

conditioners there are? Wow! There are so many. Newbies to our industry should expect confusion. The best way to

learn about them is to study product labeling.




http://www.petgroomerads.com/shampoo.htm



Take time to learn the differences between synthetic chemicals versus all natural ingredients, and how to calculate

dilution rates. Refer to our freelance writer blogs at GroomWise.com for assistance in this specialty knowledge. It’s fair

to say that many groomers don’t know a lot about ingredients but not so with many online groomers studying our

resources and adding their knowledge to our materials!

It’s common for groomers to share their experiences with various bathing products and when available, request samples

from manufacturers and distributors. In fact, groomers can be "like kids in a candy shop" when offered test samples.

Although there are complete lines of shampoo and conditioning products of one trade name, the large majority of

groomers do use line primarily, but they also stock specialty products for specific uses. "Spa" lines have become quite

popular since 2007 and some groomers report boosts in profits by selling add-on spa services and products to their

clients. Investigate this growing market especially suited to your upscale clients.

Our GroomerTALK Message Board is packed with discussions of shampoos and conditioners. We suggest you research

the board for these discussions or start a new one as needed. We talk bathing products year round. That being said let

us add a tip now. You may not experience the same performance of a bathing product as another groomer even on

similar coats and conditions.

One of the keys to this disparity is the condition of the water in your area. Some products lather and rinse better than

others depending upon hard versus soft water. Yet, some products contain water conditioners to offset this problem.

What does all of this mean? You're probably going to have to experiment with several products until you customize your

selection of shampoos and conditioners solely based on your judgment of the results you experience firsthand.

Look at your Planner. Notice we mention bathing brushes and mitts. Bathing brushes can be used during the bath to

gently loosen shed while the pet is in the tub as well as during drying. It works especially well on some short-coated

breeds that you won't be stretch drying. There are mitts that provide similar benefits.

Unlike shampoo which is a supply, bathing systems are equipment. They belong in the Grooming Equipment section of

your planner. There are shampoo dispensers such as pumps you can secure onto bottles to distribute shampoo, and

some groomers simply use small bottles of shampoo squeezed directly onto pets and use no machinery.

Gloves should be provided to employees bathing pets. Some people find their skin becomes dry bathing dogs regularly.

Pharmacies or hospital supply companies also sell "liquid gloves" which is similar to a protective hand cream durable to

water, but of course not to the degree of protection offered by latex or plastic gloves.

Most groomers use cotton towels for drying, but have you tried water magnets? Their action is similar to chamois cloths

for drying wet cars. If you are not using a HV dryer to blow off excess moisture consider water magnets which can

absorb more water than a similarly sized cotton towel. The less moisture the faster the pet's coat will dry.

Remember, GroomerTALK Message Board has a forum dedicated to grooming apparel for you to read past messages,

and to post replies or new messages with any questions you may have. Many members have posted helpful information.

Talking “suds” and conditioners is a popular pastime on the board.

http://www.groomwise.com/





Bows, Ribbon & Bandanas


Learning how to attach a bow properly is important. If you don't know how you may find that seconds after you place

bows, the dog shakes and they go flying. On the hand you can do them so tightly it’s uncomfortable for pets. You can

even harm their skin in extreme cases. Bandanas are easier to learn but there is still at least one caution. If the bandana

is too loose the pet can catch it on things, even their paws.

Melissa Verplank, CMG, published a special issue of Whiskers on bow making and its one of the best. We've seen at least

1 DVD on bow making that was disappointing since it only covered one style, and there are so many. We suggest you

check on the Whiskers issue, it's great and nicely illustrated.

If you are making your own products, don't forget to make sure the ribbon and other materials are COLORFAST! You

don't want to discolor coats! Always ask beforehand if pet owners desire bows or bandanas. Some people don't; they

are simply not that festive. We suggest you make notes of their preferences in your client records for future reference.

Remember, GroomerTALK Message Board has a forum dedicated to “Grooming Supplies TALK” with discussions of bows,

bandanas and ribbon for you to read.

Caging


Caging may be one of the more cost intensive investments you make in your home-based or commercial location

business. That being said the range of investment is rather broad. It's the materials that make the difference in costs. A

small one person business may have as few as 4 to 8 cages or one large bank of cages with the same amount of units,

while a large pet care business may have 30 to 40 units in multiple banks.

Stainless Steel

Does anything last longer than stainless steel? Not really. Although there are tremendously durable laminates available,

stainless steel seems eternal. The initial cost is high but you may never replace them throughout your career.

The stainless steel caging bank we purchased in 1962 is still ready to serve us for many more decades. It was pricey to us

then, but we never had to replace our stainless steel units even after 25 years of daily use. In the long run dollar for

dollar it's your best investment is likely to be stainless steel. They are easy to clean and add a professional image to your

business. If there is a drawback it's the metal floor. It gets cool in air conditioned environments and pets have to lie

metal floors. Wait, there's an easy fix. Add raised crate floors. They lift pets off cage floors while also preventing them

from sitting in pools of urine. No one wants to re-bathe soiled pets, groomers are busy enough. Crate floors are essential

in all cages.

Of course, not all stainless steel is the same. Check for the quality of materials including the gauge. Inexpensive stainless

steel can scratch easily and check the inner construction quality of the overall caging unit.


http://www.petgroomerads.com/bows.htm

http://www.melissaverplank.com/






Laminate

Today's laminate cages are an excellent buy and they will last many years. They are warm and comfortable and crate

floors are available. Check to see if the manufacturer ships them ready-to-assemble and you may enjoy a substantial

discount. A 2 person team will find assembly easy. Keep in mind that all laminates are NOT the same and the quality

varies significantly at times. There are Fiberglas and similar material cages as opposed to laminates. You may find the

laminate cages more durable, sturdy and long lasting. We recommend raised crate floor inserts.

Wire

The most economical choice may be wire cages. We suggest you don't allow pets to make contact by placing wire crating

next to one another. Laminates and stainless steel systems don't allow this with solid walls on the sides and sometimes

the rear walls. Wire caging is simply not as sturdy either. We've also learned that most pets are more comfortable with

only a front view outward with less distraction around them on the sides and rear. It has a more calming effect but not

universally so by any means. We recommend raised crate floor inserts.

Keep in mind that you need accommodations for small to large, even very large, dogs and cats. Some of the caging banks

have adjustable partitions for large dogs. Cats do best in a separate area away from dogs, even a small 6 foot by 6 foot

partitioned area is better than no separation.

Caging manufacturers sometimes booths at larger trade shows. We encourage you to attend and perform close

inspections and comparisons if you are going to wisely invest in quality caging systems.

GroomerTALK Message Board has a forum dedicated to equipment and tools for you to read past messages and to post

replies or new messages with any questions you may have. Many members have posted helpful information.

Clippers & Blades


Clippers and blades are necessary tools for every groomer, but often the least understood when it comes to proper use,

care and maintenance.

For example, most groomers know how short or long a specific blade leaves a coat by eye, but not in fractions of inches.

They know how to change blades but the majority may not know how to perform regular required maintenance instead

using clippers until they breakdown. Most don’t know the risks of using coolant sprays too. PetGroomer.com gives you

links to such information in the Sharpening & Repairs section of GroomerTALK Message Board and Buyer’s Guide.

Another example, few groomers know the correct angle to hold blades at while grooming pets. You don’t always hold

blades parallel to the bodies of pets. Every blade size has a different angle at which to hold the tool while grooming.

What amazing knowledge. We suggest books such as Notes From the Grooming Table which have this knowledge, and

we feature many more books, DVD's & streaming media at PetGroomer.com and here in this Buyer's Guide.

Take time to study the proper handling and use of your clippers and blades while grooming, and maintenance

requirements between groomings. Done correctly you won't send them out for repairs as often. Also if you do send

them out for repairs, and everyone does that sometime, you must have backup clippers as well as blades!







Repairpersons have told us time and again that the reasons for most repairs is not normal wear and tear, but a lack of

proper maintenance and use, including the use of inappropriate maintenance products that can actually harm some

clippers or blades. We all know that car engines take different weights of oil, and in that same vein, not all clipper and

blade maintenance products are universally suited to all clippers and blades.

Are you considering sharpening your own blades to save money? Sharpening is an art like grooming. Most groomers not

professionally trained with plenty of experience in sharpening actually ruin their blades or significantly reduce their

useful life. You will find that advice mentioned often by groomers on the GroomerTALK Message Board.

Today’s clippers are corded and cordless. Most experienced groomers have at least one of each. You must have backup

units! There are significant differences in their power to cut though significantly matted coats. Smaller cordless trimmers

are perfect for detail work and small areas.

The Laube iVAC has even married the clipper with clipper vacuum system features. There’s plenty for you to learn about

clippers and blades and the various uses of each. In fact other groomer tools are being adapted to clipper vacuum

systems as well. Be sure to check out the clipper vacuum manufacturer section of the PetGroomer.com Buyer’s Guide

for more information.

GroomerTALK Message Board has forums dedicated to tools and equipment and sharpening. You can read past

messages and post replies or post new messages with any questions you may have. Many members have posted helpful

information. Like bathing products, groomers love to talk about their tools!

Cologne


Always ask beforehand if pet owners desire cologne. Some people don't; they are simply not that festive or they could

suffer from allergies. Some people with allergies have more problems with synthetic scents than they do all natural

scents. We suggest you make notes of their preferences in your client records for future reference.

Offer a selection, not just one choice. Pet owners may wish to buy a bottle so keep a supply of retail on hand for the

scents you offer as part of a groom.

Keep in mind that many shampoos have long lasting scents today. Adding cologne on top of a shampoo scent may create

a strange combination. If you really enjoy the scent of your shampoo you may want to promote colognes less. Test

combinations of your colognes with your shampoo scents.

Today some manufacturers allow you to mix and create your own custom scent! We have such manufacturers here in

the PetGroomer.com Buyer's Guide.

Also, GroomerTALK Message Board has a Grooming Supplies forum to discuss colognes. Read past message and post our

questions. Many members have posted helpful information.



http://www.petgroomerads.com/bows.htm




Deshedding


Today every grooming business should have a sales program for deshedding services. Shedding brings many pet owners

to professional groomers, and many of these pets can be purebreds or mixed breeds that normally wouldn't be styled

similar to a typical full-service grooming on a Poodle or Bichon Frise. Yet, bathing and undercoat removal alone is not a

complete answer to shedding problems.

Coat reduction through "carding" is a common deshedding treatment. Carding is simply the use of a #40 blade held in

the groomer's hand, instead of being attached to a clipper. Furminator® took the #40 blade and put it on a handle, and

then created an effective national market for the tool. However it is still carding which has been around for many

decades.

There are other deshedding tool manufacturers too. Some of them have tools that can attach to clipper vacuum systems

to clean up the shed as you groom. If pet owners want their pets shaved (coat removal) simply to reduce shedding,

inform them of alternatives. Done right, carding as a deshedding treatment can replace coat removals by greatly

reducing coat and yet leaving enough coat for an attractive appearance not normally associated with shaving.

Remember to advise them that deshedding doesn't eliminate all shedding, but the reduction in shed can be significant.

Listen for pet owners to mention shed reduction when you ask why and how they want their pets groomed. That's your

green light to sell your deshedding program. You probably already know the breeds and mixed breeds that seem to shed

constantly. Shed reduction has become a very popular add-on service and is showing its "legs" too. That means pet

owners request deshedding again and again and never again just ordering bath-only services. Once a pet owner sees

how much shed reduction can be accomplished while the pet retains some coat, they are likely to become hooked on

the add-on service. It's a joy for them to sweep and vacuum less shed from their homes and cars; they will think about

that often especially when they have been frustrated for years with the problem. In the end, you enjoy ongoing boosts

to your business revenue and more client loyalty.

We suggest you sell your deshedding treatment in 15 minute allotments with a minimum of 15 minutes. Average size

pets usually require 30 minutes unless they were groomed recently. Add the deshedding fee onto the bathing fee. When

your customers first see the results advise them they can maintain the coat condition if the pet is given a deshedding

treatment every 6 to 8 weeks. You may find yourself getting more standing appointment clients as a result.

GroomerTALK Message Board has forums discussing deshedding and tools. Read past messages and post new messages

with any questions you may have. Many members have posted helpful information.

Dental Products


Research pet teeth care and practices in your area. You should understand the difference between scaling and brushing

teeth. Professional practices are commonly legislated at state levels. What is proper and legal for one groomer may not

be the same for another groomer working in another state. There are definitely states where scaling pet teeth is not





http://www.petgroomerads.com/retail.htm



legal for groomers to administer. Discuss it with your local veterinarian. Overall the odds are on your side that you won't

have a problem with teeth brushing.

If you do offer teeth brushing, conduct a pre-inspection before you begin. Don’t take risks. If you see moderate to

serious teeth decay, loose teeth, foul odors, gum problems and the like, refer them to their veterinarian. Loosening

tooth decay can have serious side effects and aggravating problem gums can make them worse.

You'll earn the respect of the veterinarians, and perhaps earn their referrals like we did from dozens of vets year round.

Advertising could have never brought us the number of new customers we got by veterinarian referrals, thousands in

fact. Likewise, we referred thousands of pet owners to vets, and they in return to us so not providing the service was

also a benefit. The choice is yours and there is no right or wrong unless you discover there are legal determinations

active in your area regarding teeth brushing.

There are oral treatments without scaling that groomers may administer. Consider Plaqclnz for example. They are listed

in the PetGroomer.com Resources Buyer’s Guide.

In summary, teeth brushing services are not to be taken lightly. It's not about the few extra dollars but about delivering

appropriate professional services backed by training, safety and legally.

GroomerTALK Message Board has had many past discussions on the pros and cons of both scaling and teeth brushing

services. You can read those past messages, and post replies or new messages with any questions you may have. Many

members have posted helpful information.

Dryers


Unless you are mobile you are likely to own at least 2 and usually more dryers. Mobile groomers should always carry a

spare dryer. Study the differences between cage, stand, hand and force dryers. Each has different factors for noise,

power consumption, forced air power and heat or heat-free application. There are some groomers that can use one

dryer universally but productivity usually increases with having 2 or more types of dryers available for each unique pet

drying objective.

Heat and Heat-free

You don't need a lot of heat to dry coats. Friction created by adequate blowing force speeds drying. Without heating

elements “heat-free” dryers may use less energy. You should see reductions in the need for room air conditioning as

well. Pets have higher blood temperatures and less heat means more comfort for them too.

Perhaps the only cautions with all dryers are noise factors and the overt strength of force or high velocity dryers. Some

pets may not react well to either condition. Remain alert to pet reactions and go slowly with them. High velocity “HV”

dryers may be mounted, or rest in floor boxes with one or more hose attachments such that 2 Pet Bathers can use the

same machinery.

There are “stand dryers” by virtue of their being mounted on wheeled stands. The groomer does not have to hold a hose

as with HV dryers. With both hands freed the groomer can use one hand to position pets while drying and using a brush






in the other hand. These models have been around for decades. In fact when we entered the industry in the 1960’s

stand dryers were essentially the only option.

Cage Dryers

Unfortunately cage dryers misused by groomers are the leading of cause of pet deaths in grooming businesses. In fact

the press has spread fear to millions of pet owners about cage dryer deaths; you may even be questioned by new

customers as to your use of them. Though you may use heat-free cage drying or inexpensive box fans, you haven't

eliminated all of the need for caution. Some pets get distressed simply by having air blowing on them in a close

environment versus being dried on a table or counter. In almost every tragic circumstance of pet deaths in cage dryers it

was the lack of constant observation that was the fault. Many groomers place their cages such that they cannot groom

or bathe pets and at the same time see every pet cage monitoring its comfort and safety. That's a design issue that can

be corrected. Our Outfit a Grooming Business will cover this topic in more depth. If you are going to use cage dryers only

do so under constant supervision.

If you are new to grooming you may not know that some grooming businesses actually advertise "no cage drying" to

allay public fears. In fact, the founder of PetGroomer.com never owned a cage dryer in one of the world's largest

grooming businesses of all time, and instead every pet was dried by hand. Ironic that a very large business criticized by a

few as being too large to provide the best care (incorrectly termed “quantity before quality) actually provided more

hands-on time with groomers than the typical grooming business even today. What? Did you get that?

Many large businesses provides hands-on drying for all pets yet some misinformed groomers say by virtue of having a

large business the owner is putting quantity before quality. You will hear that and it is more proof that some groomers

just don’t know what they don’t know. It’s prejudice.

Cage dryers indeed do allow a one person grooming business to groom 1 or 2 extra dogs per work day versus having to

hand dry every pet. That's why they are popular. So then why do so many one person businesses criticize larger

businesses that actually provide more hands-on? Don't accept all that hear about operations as irrevocable truth when it

is based on criticism of other members in the industry. Ask yourself what is the real motivation. Cage drying is an issue

that to a degree stirs controversy, so opinions will vary. Too bad most critics don't get their facts straight though. Enough

said. Cage drying is fine, but it doesn’t eliminate the need for constant supervision.

Noise

Stress increases for both pets and people in noisy environments. In grooming environments most of the noise originates

from barking dogs or dryers. We call grooming businesses every day as part of managing PetGroomer.com and what do

we hear in the background, dryers and dogs. The person on the other side of the line is often raising their voice to

compensate; that's stress. There are ways to design your business to reduce noise problems common to bathing/drying

areas. More information is available in the design section of Outfit a Pet Grooming Business, and Pet Grooming Floor

Plan Concepts CD-ROM at www.groomingbusinessinabox.com.

Many dryer manufacturers have booths at trade shows. We encourage you to attend and perform close inspections and

comparisons if you are going to wisely invest in quality caging systems. GroomerTALK Message Board has had many past





discussions on the pros and cons of dryer types. You can read those past messages, and post replies or new messages

with any questions you may have. Many members have posted helpful information.

Flea Treatments


Pet owners look to groomers for flea and tick solutions; it's either you or a veterinarian they are most likely to consult.

Fleas encourage pet owners who may not have even used professional services of a groomer to do so. A professional

groomer is expected to have studied fleas, their treatment and the side effects they can cause.

Consider what you are going to do with flea-ridden pets entering your business. You need to contain the problem before

you increase your exposure to an infestation. If you cannot immediately bathe and treat a pet, which is the best

solution, you need to isolate the pet and treat as soon as possible. Treat the caging where the pet was kept, and of

course before you return the pet to it after grooming.

Flea problems are opportunity to increase your specialty retail sales. Following your flea treatment as part of grooming

(and hopefully the pet owner has simultaneously treated their property) you can sell an flea and tick products for use

after grooming.\

You must know your resale products studying promotional literature that comes with the product. Not all products can

be sold by groomers. Some can only be sold by veterinarians. Some treatments specify no application for “x” hours after

a pet has been bathed. Yes, lots to learn here. You must study your flea products.

Most pet owners want you to tell them how and when to apply what you sell. If you have front counter people handling

intake and outtake, you must train them as well. Don't let yourself or your staff handling client relations appear lacking

in knowledge of the products you sell. Since flea and tick problems vary by regional conditions you will of course need to

understand the cycles of these pets in your area. Consider putting flea and tick articles in any newsletters you offer to

clients.

There are misunderstandings about the application of flea treatments after grooming. While some say you must wait 24

or 48 hours, you may find that caution is not absolute. For a manufacturer it is a good idea because pet owners rarely

thoroughly dry their pets when washing them at home. On the other hand if you are thoroughly drying pets the pet

could be ready for application.

It's best to discuss your policy with your company's veterinarian, something every grooming business should have by the

way. Use the vet as your consultant and gain confidence from having someone on your side that approves of flea and

tick applications following grooming.

GroomerTALK Message Board has had many past discussions on the pros and cons of flea treatments. You can read

those past messages, and post replies or new messages with any questions you may have. Many members have posted

helpful information.


http://www.petgroomerads.com/shampoo.htm




Loops, Leads & Pet Positioning Equipment


Some groomers keep a short loop on every pet while in their caging so that it makes it easier to remove them should

they become protective and not want to be removed. Often the loops carry a tag with the lodging number on it so that it

may be returned to the correct place. Have plenty of spare leads around. Some pet owners do not bring leads.

Break-away hardware for loops is a great idea for grooming table arms. While a pet shouldn't go over or jump off a

table, it can happen and you don't want the pet to hang, even for a second. The break-away ensures that pets won't

hang. Never leave a pet unattended for even a moment on your grooming table or counters.

Pet positioning systems like Groomers Helper are becoming ever more popular. Their benefits are many. Used properly

they can drastically reduce bites, and better ensure the safety of pets. Consider how tiresome it is to groom pets that

simply won't stand still. You can alleviate most of that tendency safely with proper use of a pet positioning system. You

may not use it for every pet. Many groomers report they would never groom without these once they get used to using

them; they can make that much of a difference.

GroomerTALK Message Board has had many past discussions on pet positioning equipment. You can read those past

messages, and post replies or new messages with any questions you may have. Many members have posted helpful

information.

Scissors & Shears


We believe you would agree that high quality scissors cost $100 and up should perform better. What are the advantages

to groomers? In our experience as groomers and rubbing shoulders with hundreds of highly skilled groomers we know

there is another reason justifying these fine scissors and shears. It’s productivity. Your time is money.

Based on our 50 years of field experience we know it is possible to reduce the finish grooming time of one pet by 5

minutes to 10 minutes using high quality scissors and shears.

You can argue the styling will end up looking the same, but whenever we can reduce wear and tear on our bodies in

grooming, and save time, we leap for the advantages. In several tests we ran we found that when using average scissors

or shears, it would take perhaps 500 to 1,000 "snips" of the tools to complete a grooming. When using the best quality

shears there was a 30% reduction in the number of snips. Fewer snips results in less grooming time, and of course it also

speaks highly of the skill level of the groomer.

Therefore it took less time to scissor finish, and that boosts productivity. Groomers we interviewed as said it was joy to

use the best quality because in general, the tool was working with them, and not against, easing the wear and tear on

their joints and muscles. On the flip side, some groomers noted they used average quality shears because if they

dropped them and they became unusable, well their heart didn't sink as much!








Just as groomers form special relationships with their clippers, the same is true of scissors and shears. There’s a special

feel to the scissors and shears you prefer. Career seekers may not know that dropping a pair of scissors and shears can

make your heart skip a beat. Dropping scissors and shears, especially on hard surfaces and on their points, can have very

adverse effects. They may need to be serviced and some say they are never the same. Take the best care of these tools

to avoid dropping them!

GroomerTALK Message Board has had many past discussions on scissors and shears. You can read those past messages,

and post replies or new messages with any questions you may have. Many members have posted helpful information.

Snap-on Clipper Combs


What is the most important requirement to produce a fine grooming using snap-on clipper combs? It's the prep work

before the actual finish styling. For most coats such as Poodles, Cockapoo's and similar coats it's the removal of

undercoat and a perfect “stretch dry” fluff of the coat.

Snap-on clipper combs leave coats at an exact size. What if the coat was not stretch dried property and the fluff uneven?

What if all of the undercoat was not removed evenly? The latter will simply snag the snap-on, and the former will leave a

coat which will grow out uneven. In fact, just before you apply the clipper with snap-on you want to fluff the coat with a

finish comb or similar. It's not a little important. It's everything if you are going to use snap-on clipper combs for

maximum benefit.

When first released the use of snap-on combs was actually controversial, especially with hand scissor only groomers.

Today they are widely accepted as an important tool for commercial groomers.

Snap-on combs continue to evolve. Stainless steel models are now available in additional to plastic.

GroomerTALK Message Board has had many past discussions of various snap-on comb models. You can read those past

messages, and post replies or new messages with any questions you may have. Many members have posted helpful

information.

Software for Groomers


The advantages of grooming software are many. A growing number of new grooming business start with a computerized

system from day one. Many of them come from other industries that wouldn't be without information at their

fingertips. When you visit grooming businesses without software you can tell the difference. If I ask how many clients

they have, the computerized business can give me an exact number, and those without a computer guess. What's your

average service fee I may ask, again the same disparity. Groomer software is not just about organizing large amounts of

client information and the daily operations, but information for the groomer-manager-owner necessary for decision-

making with greater confidence.






http://www.petgroomerads.com/software.htm



At minimum today's grooming businesses could benefit from appointment software if they forgo complete operations

software. It's so much easier to manage appointments and you can easily take the information with you, or even dial-in

to your computer from an Internet connection anywhere to find important information. Computerized businesses also

tend to sell better and for more. Once again, most of the people buying grooming businesses today are computer-

friendly people, and many are shocked to see today's groomers that are still holding out on computerizing their

operations and appointment management.

Today most software publishers offer a free trial period. In fact, they usually allow you to download the trial now! Why

not give them all a try before you make your decision?

Be aware that some companies identify their software as "groomer software" and it's nothing more than an

appointment manager. That's important! There is a big difference between full-featured groomer software and

appointment management software. To varying degrees groomer software also manages sales and service record

keeping, inventory and retail sales, client profiles, pet picture profiles, mailing list management and reporting. Shop

wisely and determine if the products you review are essentially appointment management or full-featured.

If you plan to process credit cards, interface with programs such as Quickbooks, process credit and ATM cards and have

a point-of-sale system for your retail, you need to ensure the software you are buying supports your requirements. Do

your homework, and discuss your needs with the vendors. You may need additional hardware too. Wireless credit card

processing is possible today for mobile and commercial location groomers too.

If you are a mobile groomer looking for mobile versions of popular groomer software, there are not many to choose

from today, but we predict more are coming as demand increases.

Don't forget to backup your computer often and store the backup in a safe place. We occasionally make a full backup

and place the discs in our fire safe. A small office fire resistant is affordable and a blessing should something happen to

your business or computer. Your records are vital, don't rely on having no copies made and stored somewhere safe. So

many times we have heard about computer crashes on the GroomerTALK Message Board and the groomers say, "Next

time I will make back-ups of my computer." Please learn from them.

GroomerTALK Message Board has an entire forum dedicated to software for groomers as well as merchant credit card

processing. You can read those past messages, and post replies or new messages with any questions you may have.

Many members have posted helpful information.

Tables


Generally you are going to choose a table from stationary, hydraulic and electric. Yes, that's also the order of their cost

too, from lowest to highest. Is it worth spending more than the bargain prices for stationary tables? We think so.

Hydraulic and electric tables raise and lower. When you consider how many heavy and/or large dogs you groom,

wouldn't it also be easier to have pets step onto tables and then raise the table. The same thing is true when you are

done grooming them. It really is easier on your back. You still have 2 choices. With a hydraulic model you are going to






pump the table with your leg. The electric table is effortless; there is usually a foot pedal that operates an electric

switch.

When selecting a table that raises and lowers get the specifics. How far down does the table lower? Some now go down

to a few inches above the floor while others are several more inches higher. If you are planning on having pets walk on

and off your table, the lower the better. Make sure the table top is durable. You are going to be cleaning it very often,

hopefully between each grooming. Will it endure such frequent cleaning? You want pets to have firm grip on the cover,

nothing slick. Is the cover glued and otherwise secured well? Peeling tops are unsightly and a chore to replace.

Safety is an important issue. Most stationary tables are high risk for stability. Normally they are considerably lighter than

hydraulic and electric tables, and that means it's easy to tip them over.

Now imagine you have a dog on a stationary table equipped with a groomers arm and loop. You make the serious

mistake of leaving a pet alone on the table and it jumps off the stationary table and there is no emergency release on

the loop. What happens? If the dog is small it hangs itself, but if the dog is large it can take the table with it, completely

tipping it over!

Tragedies have happened when these tables tipped over and landed on top of pets including smashed bodies and heads

(sorry but these are true stories). We've even seen groomers sit on stationary tables chatting with others, jump off and

the table tips over. By the way people sitting on tables is an all around bad idea, especially pedestal style tables.

Yikes, be careful with stationary tables! They cost much less than hydraulic and electric, but require you to address their

risks. Generally hydraulic and electric tables have heavy or very heavy bases which prevent them tipping over easily.

Never become complacent and think a table cannot be tipped over with enough effort. Large dogs kicking off a tabletop

can or secured to a grooming arm can tip tables over.

Be careful with cords for electric tables. If you are designing your business "from scratch" your electrician can put

electrical plugs put in the floor at each groomer station and that way cords stay under the table, neat!

Most grooming tables can be equipped with a grooming arm on which you can hang a loop. However, we suggest you

also consider a pet positioning system such as the Groomer's Helper which attaches to tabletops. They may be far more

effective than a loop alone, but every groomer has their preference.

GroomerTALK Message Board has had many past discussions of various tables. You can read those past messages, and

post replies or new messages with any questions you may have. Many members have posted helpful information.

Tubs


By now you probably understand the differences between using porcelain tubs and today's modern grooming tubs.

Stainless steel tubs cost more but they may last much longer and include ramps to lessen the need for to lift pets in and

out of conventional porcelain tubs. If you are buying stainless steel invest in the best quality you can afford and make

sure the seams are well-manufactured, and that the gauge of the steel is adequate. Just remember that all stainless

steel is not the same, and that’s a bit of an understatement.






You can still use porcelain tubs but you will have to build a strong framework to raise it up securely. For very large dogs

some groomer install a one piece residential shower tub insert, without doors, made of Fiberglas or other composite

materials. Are there more concerns? Yes there are.

Over the years we have seen expensive problems related to tubs. What goes down the drain besides water and

solutions? Hair. You know what can happen when hair is not trapped. Well, we have a short story as an example. One

groomer didn't trap hair and after a couple years the waste water backed up in all the businesses in the commercial strip

center. City workers dug up the pipes in the street and they discovered a plethora of dog hair. The groomer had violated

a lease actually and the landlord was billed by the city for tens of thousands. Well, guess what? In our town a home

groomer did the same to her neighborhood and she was billed for tens of thousands in repairs by the city forcing her to

close her business. All this over dog hair that can be trapped and removed!

Most manufacturers of grooming tubs today sell traps, don't overlook them! If your grooming tub supplier doesn't have

traps, or you are using porcelain tubs, ask your plumber to develop a trap system!

Sometimes local government has codes for tubs in commercial location. The most popular code is backflow protection,

and your tubs may be inspected by the fire department for compliance, as well as washers and dryers.

Your tub should have hooks for a restraint system. They may simply hold a loop or today's Groomer's Helper. It's a good

idea to loop some dogs while they are in tubs, especially those bent on getting out ASAP. Remember, even with a loop

it's a mistake to leave a pet alone in the tub as well as on a grooming table or counter. When planning your business in a

commercial location or home, place your tubs as close as possible to water outlets already available in the building.

Adding or moving pipes even a few feet can be costly indeed. Check your commercial lease for requirements too.

Tubs are a really wet area, and water equals potential problems. Most pre-made grooming tubs have splash guards on

sides and rear which help a great deal. Not so with porcelain tubs unless you design them as part of your supporting

construction. Plain drywall with paint will suffer and age quickly from having pets shake water onto them several times a

day. Some groomers tile the bathing area which is costly, and some use glass blocks. The benefit is in the hard glossy

surfaces that handle frequent water sprays well and are cleaned easily.

Mold and mildew celebrates in this environment too. Look for mold and mildew prevention products which can be

added to paint and other materials. Don't let your bathing area become home to mold and mildew. It looks terrible for

pet owners toured through the facility and if you rent the space you are going to have to repair the area. If you are

selling your business it's a major detriment.

The height of your tub is important. If your tub is too low your lower back may suffer from repeated bending. If the tub

is too high you cannot easily reach down to its floor. High tubs are also inappropriate for small dogs and cats.

We like to have 2 tubs available in commercial locations. The 2nd tub is dedicated to very small pets like puppies or cats.

These tubs can be purchased from home builder stores and stand on legs. If you build a separate cattery for lodging and

grooming cats separated entirely from dogs, these small tubs are perfect taking up little square footage and their cost is

very reasonable.



GroomerTALK Message Board has had many past discussions of various tubs from homemade to top-of-the-line stainless

steel wonders. You can read those past messages, and post replies or new messages with any questions you may have.

Many members have posted helpful information.

Workstations


Generally workstations are countertops with drawers you can hang on the wall at every grooming station. They may

include mirrors and racks to hang tools. They give your business a sharp modern look. You can also equip your

workstations with mobile storage toolboxes on wheels.






Chapter 5 – Educational Investments

If you are a career seeker, or an experienced groomer planning continuing education, you can chart the costs on our

Planners. Locate the “Grooming Education” section of the Planners. You will see the following categories:

Books, DVDs & Streaming Video

Charts & Posters

Home Study

School Tuition & Fees

Seminars, Workshops

Other

Career seekers face most or all of these costs when starting their careers. Experienced groomers may invest in

continuing education and likewise face these costs. When opening a business some of these costs may arise as well for

the owner and possibly employees.

Here’s a hint. Use the “Other” category to track travel, mileage, meals and accommodations related to education. Be

sure to keep all receipts when you start spending. Your tax accountant may be able to create tax deductions from some

or all of these expenses. It’s even more likely if the expenses relate to starting, maintaining or expanding your business.

If you are a career seeker be sure to read the 100 page PetGroomer.com Pet Grooming Career Start Report included on

the PetGroomerCD™, free from PetGroomer.com. In fact you may have gotten this report from the same CD-ROM. For

your convenience you can use the links below to locate sources for the educational investments listed above. I

Pet Grooming Industry Calendar of Events (Continuing Education)

PetGroomer.com Links: PetGroomer.com Calendar See also Event Forums on Message Board

The number of grooming industry events with educational workshops and seminars is at an all time high. Use the links

above to locate them.

Pet Grooming Books & Videos

PetGroomer.com Links: PetGroomer.com Books & Video Listings Related Classified Ads

Every groomer needs a great professional library of grooming books and videos. Not all books and videos are the same

as Home Study Programs, yet most home study programs include books and videos. See Home Study Programs below.

Pet Grooming Schools

PetGroomer.com Links: PetGroomer.com School Listings Related Classified Ads

Learn how to choose a school that meets your career objectives. Be sure to read the 100 page Career Start Report by

PetGroomer.com on the PetGroomerCD™. Use the links above to locate on-site schools.


http://www.petgroomer.com/calendar.htm

http://www.petgroomerforums.com/chat/forumdisplay.php?54-Grooming-amp-Pet-Industry-Events

http://www.petgroomer.com/books.htm


http://www.petgroomer.com/pet_grooming_schools.htm

http://www.petgroomerads.com/pet_grooming_schools.htm



Pet Grooming Home Study Programs

PetGroomer.com Links: PetGroomer.com Home Study Listings Related Classified Ads

If you choose not to attend an on-site school then home study is your initial route. Learn about the differences between

home study and attending a school by reading the 100 page Career Start Report on the PetGroomerCD™. Use the links

above to locate home study programs.

http://www.petgroomer.com/pet_grooming_home_study.htm

http://www.petgroomerads.com/home_study.htm

Sponsors Only Buyer’s Guide 2013

◊ DIAMOND LEVEL SPONSORS ◊

PetEdge Supplies Since August 2000

PetSmart Employment Since December 1998

PETCO Employment Since March 1999

Double K Industries Since April 2003

All About Dog Grooming Home Study Since July 2000

Wag’n Tails Mobile Conversions Since September 1998

Metro Air Force® Dryers

Since June 2004

Groomers Choice Pet Products Since March 1999

Golden Paws Schools & Consultation Since January 2000

Barkleigh Productions Since March 2003

Hitch-on Mobile Pet Salons Since October 2007

Florida Institute of Animal Arts Since April 1999

Paragon School of Pet Grooming &

Distance Learning Program Since June 2004

Learn2GroomDogs.com

MelissaVerplank.com Since June 2004

Quadruped Pet Care Since January 2012

Golden Paws Distance Learning Since January 2000

Oster Professional Products Since May 2012

Pet Silk Since May 2012

Manufacturers / Suppliers

Mobile / Services / Software / Employment

On-site Schools of Pet Grooming

Home Study, DVDs, Books, Streaming Media

MANUFACTURERS / SUPPLIERS

APPAREL & MASKS

♦ PetEdge Top Performance

♦ Groomer’s Choice EZ Care Wear

Jodi Murphy Grooming Apparel

BATHING SYSTEMS

♦ PetEdge Master Equip. ProBather

♦ Groomer’s Choice BathMaster

♦ Oster Professional Products

BOW, POLISH, COLOGNE

♦ PetEdge

♦ Groomers Choice

♦ Double K Industries

♦ Quadruped Pet Care

Soft Claws Nail Caps® / SmartPractice

Bardel Bows

Showseason & Naturals

Flying Comet Enterprises

Elchar Dog Bows

BRUSH, COMB, DESHED

♦ PetEdge Master Grooming Tools

Kim Laube & Co.

MDC Romani Clipper Vac®

WAHL Clipper Corporation

CAGES & ACCESSORIES

♦ PetEdge ProSelect Cages

♦ Groomer’s Choice DuraDog Cages

Snyder Mfg. Co.

Clark Cages

Groomers Best Inc.

Forever Stainless Steel

CLIPPER VACUUM

♦ Metro Air Force® Dryers

Kim Laube & Co.



CLIPPERS, BLADE, COMB




Kim Laube & Co.



DRYERS & ACCESSORIES

♦ PetEdge Master Equipment Dryers


♦ Metro Air Force® Dryers


Kim Laube & Co.

Snyder Mfg. Co.



B-Air Dryers

LOOPS & POSITIONING

Air Muzzle® / SmartPractice


Groomers Helper®

PET ORAL HYGIENE

♦ PetEdge Top Performance ProDental

PlaqClnz Oral Hygiene / Smartpractice

SUPPLIERS

CATALOG & ONLINE

♦ PetEdge

♦ Groomers Choice Pet Products

Ryan’s Pet Supplies

Shampoo Lady Grooming Supplies

ExcelaGroomer Pet Grooming Supplies

SCISSORS & SHEARS


♦ Groomers Choice Monk Lite Shears


Kim Laube & Co.

SHAMPOO & SPA

♦ PetEdge


♦ Groomer’s Choice Pet Products

♦ Quadruped Pet Care

♦ Pet Silk

Kim Laube & Co.

Soft Claws Nail Caps® / SmartPractice


Showseason Products

Naturals Products

Best Shot® Pet Products

Espree® Products

Canine Spa Therapies

TABLES & ACCESSORIES

♦ PetEdge Master Equipment Tables

♦ Groomer’s Choice DuraDog Tables

Groomers Best Inc.


TUBS & ACCESSORIES

♦ PetEdge Master Equipment Tubs

Kim Laube & Co.

Groomers Best Inc.


WORKSTATIONS


MOBILE / SERVICES / SOFTWARE / HOME STUDY

PetGroomer.com Sponsors

See also the

PetGroomer.com

Resources Buyer’s Guide www.petgroomerforums.com

Support GroomTeam USA

www.groomteamusa.com

ADVERTISE HERE

www.petgroomer.com/bannerads.htm

800-556-5131 360-446-5348

[email protected]

ASSOCIATIONS

World Pet Association / SuperZoo

Nat’l Assn. of Prof. Creative Groomers

Nat’l Dog Groomers Assn. of America

International Professional Groomers

Int’l Society of Canine Cosmetologists

National Cat Groomers Institute

CONSULTANTS

♦ Golden Paws School Consultation

1 800 GROOMER℠

Groomadog Consultants

Animal Photography

Grooming Business in a Box®

DISTRIBUTORSHIPS

LICENSING & FRANCHISE

♦ Golden Paws Schools

EMPLOYMENT-JOBS

♦ PetSmart Groomer Employment

♦ PETCO Groomer Employment

Pet-Valu Groomer Employment

Pet Supplies Plus Employment

Hydrodog Mobile Groomer Employment

Kriser’s Groomer Employment

PetSuperMarket Groomer Employment

INSURANCE

Governor Insurance (for all groomers)

MOBILE GROOMING

♦ Wag’n Tails Mobile Conversions

♦ Hitch-on Mobile Pet Salons

Governor Insurance

Amber’s Mobile Pet Salons

Mobile Grooming Book - Jodi Murphy

Hydrodog Mobile Groomer Employment

SHARPENING & REPAIR

♦ Groomers Choice Pet Products

Ryan’s Pet Supplies

Northern Tails Sharpening

Love’s Sharpening

Groomers Best, Inc.

Maser’s Sharpening & Repair

SOFTWARE & FORMS

123Pet Software (DaySmart)

PetLinx Software

ITS Software

Groomers Newsletters “Done For You”


TRADE EVENTS

♦ Barkleigh Productions

Super Styling Sessions

Intergroom Trade Show

SuperZoo

Groom Classic Trade Show

U.S. Pet Pro Classic (see ISCC)

Pawsitive Educational Training

See also “Associations” top left of page

HOME STUDY

BOOKS, DVDs,

STREAMING MEDIA

and WEBINARS

♦ All About Dog Grooming

♦ Learn2GroomDogs.com

♦ Paragon School Distance Learning

♦ Golden Paws Distance Learning

JKL Pet Grooming School

Jodi Murphy Instructional DVDs

Mobile Grooming Book Jodi Murphy

Super Styling Sessions DVDs

Groomadog Academy Home Study

Nat’l Assn. of Prof. Creative Groomers

National Cat Groomer Institute

Pawsitive Educational Training


Call 800-556-5131 or 360-446-5348 A to Z List of Sponsors Except On-Site Schools

All About Dog Grooming www.learntogroom.com Ambers Mobile Pet Salons www.ambersmobilepetsalons.com B-Air Dryers www.b-air.com

Bardel Bows & Finishing Touches www.bardelbows.com

Barkleigh Productions www.barkleigh.com Best Shot® Pet Products www.bestshotpet.com Clark Cages www.clarkcages.com Double K Industries www.doublekindustries.com Elchar Dog Bows www.elcharbows.com Espree Products www.espree.com ExcelaGroom Pet Grooming Supplies www.excelagroomsupplies.com

Flying Comet Enterprises www.flyingcometenterprises.com Forever Stainless Steel www.foreverstainlesssteel.com Golden Paws Consultants & Distance Learning www.goldenpaws.com Governor Insurance www.governorins.com Groom Classic Trade Show www.groomclassic.com Groomadog Academy Home Study www.groomadog.com

Groomers Best, Inc. www.groomersbest.com

Groomers Choice Pet Products www.groomerschoice.com Groomers Helper www.groomershelper.com Grooming Business in a Box® www.groomingbusinessinabox.com Hitch-on Mobile Pet Salons www.mygroomingtrailer.com Hydrodog Mobile Groomer Employment www.hydrodog.com Intergroom Trade Show www.intergroom.com

Int’l Professional Groomers Inc. www.ipgicmg.com Int’l Society of Canine Cosmetologists www.petstylist.com ITS Grooming Software www.jmssys.com JKL Pet Grooming School www.jklgrooming.com Jodi Murphy DVDs, Books, Apparel www.jodimurphy.net Kim Laube & Co. www.kimlaubeco.com Kriser’s Groomer Employment www.krisers.com

Learn2GroomDogs.com www.learn2groomdogs.com Love’s Sharpening www.lovessharpening.com

Maser’s Sharpening & Repairs www.clipperfix.com MDC Romani / Clipper Vac® www.mdcromani.com Metro Air Force® Dryers www.dogdryer.com National Assn. of Prof. Creative Groomers www.thenapcg.com

National Cat Groomers Institute www.nationalcatgroomers.com National Dog Groomers Association www.nationaldoggroomers.com Northern Tails Sharpening www.northerntails.com Oster Professional Products www.osterpro.com Pawsitive Educational Training www.pawsitiveeducationaltraining.com Pet Silk Products www.petsilk.com Pet Supplies Plus Groomer Employment www.petsuppliesplus.com

Pet Valu Employment (Canada) www.petvalu.com PETCO Employment www.petco.com PetEdge Grooming Supplies www.petedge.com PetLinx Software www.petlinx.com PetSmart Employment www.petsmartjobs.com

PetSuperMarket Groomer Employment www.petsupermarket.com PlaqClnz® Oral Hygiene www.plaqclnz.com

Quadruped Pet Care www.quadrupedpetcare.com Ryan’s Pet Supplies www.ryanspet.com Shampoo Lady Grooming Supplies www.shampoolady.com Showseason & Naturals Products www.showseasonproducts.com SmartPractice www.smartpractice.com/vet Snyder Mfg. Co. www.snydermfg.com

Super Styling Sessions DVDs & Seminars www.caninegroomingsecrets.com SuperZoo www.superzoo.org Wag’n Tails Mobile Conversions www.wagntails.com WAHL Clipper Corporation www.wahlanimal.com World Pet Association www.worldpetassociation.org WI Assn. of Professional Pet Stylists www.wisconsinpetstylists.org 1 800 GROOMER℠ www.1800groomer.com

123Pet Software www.123petsoftware.com

SCHOOLS OF PET GROOMING - ON-SITE TRAINING

DIAMOND LEVEL SPONSORS

Golden Paws Schools (several locations listed below in Platinum Level)

Florida Institute of Animal Arts

Paragon Pet Grooming School (Michigan)

PLATINUM PLUS LEVEL SPONSORS

Nash Academy (Kentucky)

PLATINUM LEVEL SPONSORS

Pennsylvania Academy of Pet Grooming Groomadog Academy (SC)

Sensational Stylings Academy of Grooming (IL) Michigan School of K9 Cosmetology

Nanhall Professional School of Grooming (NC) American Grooming Academy (CA)

Texas Allbreed Grooming School Golden Paws School of Dog Styling (TX)

O.C. Academy of Pet Styling (CA) Golden Paws Pet Styling Academy (CA)

Dapper Dawg School of Prof. Grooming (MA) Just Four Paws Academy of Pet Styling (PA)

Golden Paws Pet Styling Academy (KY) Golden Paws Pet Styling Academy (WI)

Golden Paws Pet Styling Academy (IN) Golden Paws Pet Styling Academy (NY)

Golden Paws Pet Styling Academy (PA) Golden Paws Pet Styling Academy (IL)

Reserved Reserved

GOLD PLUS LEVEL 1 SPONSORS

Academy of Dog Grooming Arts (IL) American Academy of Pet Grooming (NY)

New York School of Dog Grooming (NY) South Carolina School of Dog Grooming

Canine Clippers Grooming School (VA) Pets Playground Grooming School (FL)

Cindy’s Canine Companions Grooming Classes (PA) Oregon Pet Grooming Academy

Merryfield School of Pet Grooming (FL)

GOLD PLUS LEVEL 2 SPONSORS

Zoom Zoom Groom Academy of Pet Grooming (Canada) Reserved

National Cat Groomers Institute of America (SC) Reserved

PetGroomerCD™

Outfit a Grooming Business

PetGroomerCD™ includes truly

professional quality planners to

easily list and organize all of

your shopping. Project and tally

the costs for your career plan,

Note sources, quantities and

prices. Let it do the math!

Print convenient shopping lists.

Check-off items as you shop!

So flexible! Whether you're

planning your education or the

build out of a home, mobile or

commercial location business,

these are the perfect planners.

Courtesy of the professionals at

Grooming Business in a Box®.

PetGroomerCD™

Need another free copy?

www.PetGroomerCD.com

On-Site Schools Listed on Next Page Page 3

Call 800-556-5131 or 360-446-5348 A to Z List of Sponsors Except On-Site Schools

Academy of Dog Grooming Arts (IL) www.academyofdoggrooming.com

American Academy of Pet Grooming (NYC) www.aaopg.com

American Grooming Academy (CA) www.americangroomingacademy.com

Canine Clippers Grooming School (VA) www.canine-clippers.com

Cindy’s Canine Companion Grooming Classes (PA) www.cindyscaninecompanions.com

Dapper Dawg School of Prof. Grooming (MA) www.thedapperdawg.com

Florida Institute of Animal Arts www.myfiaa.com

Golden Paws Pet Styling Academy (CA) www.goldenpawsdoggroomingschoolpalmsprings.com

Golden Paws Pet Styling Academy (IL) www.goldenpawschicago.com

Golden Paws Pet Styling Academy (IN) www.goldenpawspetstylingacademyin.com

Golden Paws Pet Styling Academy (KY) www.goldenpawspetstylingacademyky.com

Golden Paws Pet Styling Academy (NY) www.pinkdogparlor.com/school.htm

Golden Paws Pet Styling Academy (PA) www.goldenpawspittsburghpa.com

Golden Paws Pet Styling Academy (WI) www.goldenpawswi.com

Golden Paws Schools www.goldenpaws.com

Golden Paws School of Dog Styling (TX) www.goldenpaws.com

Groomadog Academy (SC) www.groomadog.com

Just Four Paws Academy of Pet Styling (PA) www.justfourpawsacademy.com

Merryfield School of Pet Grooming (FL) www.merryfieldschool.com

Michigan School of K9 Cosmetology www.k9grooming.com

Nanhall Professional School of Grooming (NC) www.nanhall.com

Nash Academy (KY) www.nashacademy.com

National Cat Groomers Institute of America (SC) www.nationalcatgroomers.com

New York School of Dog Grooming (NYC) www.nysdg.com

O.C. Academy of Pet Styling (CA) www.academyofpetstyling.net

Oregon Pet Grooming Academy www.oregonpetgroomingacademy.com

Paragon Pet Grooming School (MI) www.paragonpetschool.com

Pennsylvania Academy of Pet Grooming www.clippervac.com/school/

Pets Playground Grooming School (FL) www.petsplayground.com

Nanhall Professional School of Grooming (NC) www.nanhall.com

Sensational Stylings Academy of Grooming (IL) Call 815-469-2243

South Carolina School of Dog Grooming www.scschoolofdoggrooming.com

Texas Allbreed Grooming School www.tagsperfectjob.com

Zoom Zoom Groom Academy of Grooming (Canada) www.zoomzoomgroom.com

PetGroomerCD™

Outfit Your Grooming Business with Free Planners

PetGroomerCD™ includes professional quality planners. Easily organize

all of your new or existing business shopping. If you are a career

seeker you can project and tally costs too. Note product sources,

quantities and prices. The Excel® versions even do the math! When

done, print convenient shopping lists. Check-off items as you shop!

So flexible! Whether you're planning your education or the build out

of a home, mobile or commercial location business, these planners get

you remarkably organized, and they are free!

Courtesy of the professionals at Grooming Business in a Box®.

PetGroomerCD™

FREE Pay Shipping Handling Only

www.PetGroomerCD.com

outfit a pet grooming business planners by petgroomer.com

Documents