dog spa business plan

Grooming business and floor plans, wage systems and forms for pet groomers

Business Plans for Pet Salons, Shops and Spas

Salons, shops and spas, as we use the terms here, are in “commercial locations.” They do not qualify as a home-based business, and of course they are not mobile operations although some may also operate a mobile divsion or provide pickup and delivery.

Salons, shops and spa typically have 1 or more employees. Now that is perhaps the most common delineation between home and mobile groomers and owners of salons and shops. There are some home and mobile operations with employees, but the percentage of employers is dramatically higher among salon and shop owners. If you don’t want employees, you are not as likely to have a salon or shop, but there are exceptions for small one person shops usually in 200 to 300 square foot “nooks.”

Most commercial salons and shops are in a leased space. Some pet groomers acquire the funds enabling them to buy their business building which can be a terrific financial move when done correctly and eliminate the rent expense. Some commercial salons and shops are leased from a large kennel or pet store operation equipped with grooming departments.

The cash demand required to open a grooming business is typically the greatest for commercial salons and shops. Keep in mind that even the largest pet grooming salon was once a small one. Most groomers have to borrow money through a business plan and bank loan to open a salon or shop. Today the shoestring startup cost is typically $25,000 for a commercial center, and more often $50,000 to $100,000 especially in more expensive states. The greatest cost factor is “leasehold improvements.” The new location is certain to need some plumbing, electrical, flooring enhancement, carpentry and signage work to prepare for a grooming operation. These “leasehold improvements” typically require half of the money borrowed. PetGroomer.com staff have written over 300 business plans in the last few years, so we speak from substantial experience. In some towns groomers are able to find small standalone buildings, perhaps as little as 200 square feet and get started for much less.

It is always a bit of joy when the new business owner has family and friends that are legally able to do some of the leasehold improvements at a reduced cost. Sometimes the landlords will absorb a portion of the improvements, or reduce the rent to acknowledge the investment in their property. Here is our number one rule. NEVER sign a rent or lease contract no matter how much pressure you are under unless you have clearly, absolutely have a guarantee of cash investment required as stated by your business plan, especially if it is coming from a bank or investor. If you sign a lease or rent contract and don’t get your financing, you are stuck paying the rent your contracted for and that is only one caution.

As part of making the decision to become the owner of a salon, shop or spa you need to know what the business can reasonably expect to earn. Well, how much do you want to earn? Except for the tiniest shops of 200 to 300 square feet, the saying, “The sky is the limit” may apply. Mobile and home groomers usually face a daily limit of the number of pets they serve without adding another mobile unit, or expanding their home operation. You can build a salon or shop to do 10, 20, 50 or more grooming appointments a day. We have clients in all those ranges. We started out as a small shop of about 400 square feet with no clientele. In a few years we were open 7 days-a-week operation grooming around 75 pets a day including “swing-shift” grooming services (a second shift of groomers 5 pm to 9 pm). The most significant restriction to your growth is the composition of the “market area.” Are there enough people and pets in your area to provide you with the number of pets you want to groom?  You determine the characteristics of your market area when creating a business plan.

Please realize that there is no “right or wrong” or rules that say you have to grow a large grooming business. It’s your choice. It should be tied to your financial expectations and financial projections. If you want to earn a personal income (your income or “your paycheck” from the business after operating expenses) of $50,000 or more a year (prior taxes) you are going to have to grow a moderate to large salon. We have consultation clients that enjoy $100,000 to $250,000 annual personal incomes (prior taxes) from very large salons earning business income of $500,000 to $1,100,000 a year (what they ring up on the cash register). These figures are grooming services only and could be higher if you factor in additional sources of revenue such as retail goods.

Between 1990 and 2005 nearly every business plan we wrote for new grooming salons and shops included a specialty retail department (retail not generally found in corporate pet stores or event Mom and Pop pet stores) and sometimes a bakery, and about 20% of the time they also offered self-service pet wash tubs in addition to full-service grooming. Having multiple sources of revenue is very important to ensure that your business income is adequate to pay for leased space, bank loans and interest and other operating expenses. What this means is that YOU MUST LEARN HOW TO PROJECT INCOME AND OPERATING EXPENSES BEFORE YOU OPEN A GROOMING BUSINESS, OR BUY AN EXISTING ONE. The most professional financial software for groomers is included in Grooming Business in a Box® releases, such as Pet Grooming Business Plan Helper.

If you are looking for your business to provide for retirement, you probably need to build the largest business possible with a clientele that comes in often, and site it in a commercial location with a good, long lease. Make sure you have a very professional sign, and that your operation is conducive to selling, meaning that the buyer knows they can come in and take over and run the business in the same way as you. The more “systematized” you are, with a well-documented business history, the more likely you can encourage a higher appraised value, and more buyer confidence.

A good example of the starting basis of your “system” is the book, From Problems to Profits: The Madson Management System for Pet Grooming Businesses . Much like a business plan it address objectives, client relations, personnel, finance, marketing for several years in advance. Have you written down your personal and business objectives yet? Do you have a business plan? If not, there are resources to assist you. We are reminded of the saying, “If we fail to plan, we plan to fail.” You must discover and record your clear objectives in order to properly choose between a home, van or commercial business, and not endure the limitations of lifestyle preferences or money limitations where they exist.

If you are going to seek bank or investor funds for a new business or expansion, you can be a business plan will be required. It’s no small task but perhaps the most important task to protect your investment in your business.

Chart generated by Pet Grooming Business Plan Helper & Sampler, a Grooming Business in a Box® product. Copyright 2007 Find A Groomer Inc. All rights reserved

Business plan financials require you to project your business sales income for 3 to 5 years in advance from the day you open for business (see graph above). Then you project the operating expenses and deduct them from your projected sales income thereby giving you an estimate of what net operating income you can expect to earn from your business (see graph below). Going into business in the dark without knowing what you can expect to earn in sales and personal income is an unacceptable risks to banks or investors, and for good reason.

How much do you need to invest? That’s another question that must be answered with financial planning, and details as to how every penny will be spent or held in reserve. Some salons and shops are simple to build out while others plan to be large and add a retail pet products department and perhaps other revenue services.

The graph below shows the start-up funding required for a well-equipped salon in a commercial building requiring little renovation. The groomer starts small but plans to grow to employ several groomers. It also has a modest retail department. The owner projects requirements as $46,000 in “start-up assets” and $4,000 for start-up expenses. Every business owner learns basic financial terms and you definitely need to know the difference between an “asset” and “expense.” In accounting and tax reporting your assets and expenses are handled quite differently. Suffice to say that assets for a salon is major equipment like high-end grooming tables, tubs and dryers. In this example there is also inventory and furniture. If you use the services of plumbers, electricians and other contractors they might be considered leasehold asset improvements. You must get asset vs. expense determinations from a reliable certified public accountant to avoid problems with tax agencies. Certainly the start-up expenses are easier to understand. They have a short lifetime and include grooming supplies, small tools and equipment, advertising, stationery, licenses, fees to name just a few.

Refer to the chart above again. We know that the groomer needed $50,000 to cover the purchases of assets and expenses, and some of that asset amount may be cash reserved because you run a new a business at a loss for several months until the clientele and demand increases. The chart tells us that the groomer plans to seek a loan (light yellow) of $32,000 and her investment of her own money (light blue) will be $18,000.

Remember if you need a loan or investor they are going to want to know exactly how much of an investment you need and how much you are personally putting up of your own money. Don’t proceed without knowing the numbers, and have them well-documented. You are certain to be asked for that documentation. If you don’t have it you will be perceived as being naive about the conduct required to start-up a business. It’s okay to be naive now, but start learning more today.

There’s another very common question someone is likely to ask you. Again, don’t venture into business seeking loans or investors without knowing your projected “breakeven point.” Below you will find the breakeven table for the groomer opening a salon business above. These figures were easily generated using Pet Grooming Business Plan Helper and Sampler .

Break-even Analysis (Pet Care Services Only)

Monthly Units of Services to Break-even: 130 Monthly Gross Sales of Services to Break-even $4,222

Assumptions

Estimated Monthly Fixed Cost: $4,222 Estimated Per Unit Variable Cost: $0.00 Year 1 Sales of Services: $45,380 Year 1 Units of Services: 1,394 Average Per Unit of Services Revenue: $32.55

Do you understand the table information? It is okay not to understand, but it is not too hard to figure it out once you know your projected average service fee for grooming services you expect in your business, and what your fixed costs are. Fixed costs can include interest payments on your loans to start-up the business, supplies, rent and utilities, etc. In the example above the new business owner knows her business requires $4,222 a month to meet its fixed costs of operation. Because she knew her average grooming fee would be $32.55 it was easy to divide that number into the fixed costs of $4,222. The result is 130; the groomer must sell 130 grooming services a month to meet the required bills, and that doesn’t include any personal income for her (unless she included a small base salary in the $4,222 amount). You will impress others if you can share your break-even point, and think about this question. Isn’t it easy to count the number of pets you groom or serve as you work through a month? Sure. Knowing that you must achieve 130 units to meet break-even is an easy way to track your progress at any time during the month. You will be better prepared should you not meet your goal, or to celebrate when you exceed your goal and start boosting your profit.

There’s no simpler way to write a professional grooming salon or shop business plan suitable to present to banks than with Pet Grooming Business Plan Helper and Sampler . In fact, one of the sample plans is a complete one-person to staffed grooming business achieved by one of our clients. No one else has ever released similar information and tools customized to the needs of pet groomers.

Talk with Other Grooming Business Owners

We suggest you come to the GroomerTALK Message Board and search the term “salon grooming” and “business plans.” Read previous discussions of salon and shop grooming related topics. You are also most welcome to register on the Message Board and start some discussions, ask for help and make friends with salon groomers and others. Better yet, how about sharing your experiences with grooming in order to help others. That’s what PetGroomer.com is about, opening up lines of communication between groomers that is still so sorely missing from our industry.

Salons & Shops as Part of a Retirement Plan

Unlike most people in the grooming industry we have substantial experience in selling medium to large grooming businesses whose selling price can make a substantial difference in the retirement of their owners. Salon and shop owners need to realize that unless they pay into self-employed “pension plans” or similar investments they will look to the sale of their grooming business to contribute to a more comfortable retirement (or career change). It’s take years of planning before they sell to make the best returns.

If you plan to retire someday, you will want to do so comfortably. Pet grooming business owners can create a business that provides them with such a retirement. The stereotypical image of the average pet grooming business owner is unfortunately not adorned with the vision of selling a business that provides them with such a retirement. Today, more pet grooming business owners are at least participating in some of the few retirement programs offered by leading trade associations, or those of their individual choice.

The size of your client base is directly proportional to the value of your business. So, the more your business is worth, the more you will receive for your retirement. Use management information to build the net worth of your business. The leading source of information to grow the net worth of a pet grooming business today is From Problems to Profits. However, don’t overlook other business management publications and higher education sources, and professional working relationships with a bookkeeper, business attorney, accountant and financial planner. Every home, mobile or commercial salon needs management and professional advisors. Be sure to check out the resources at your local SBA or SBDC.

What you plan NOW affects you many years from now. Just saying to yourself you will think about it later is not wise. Strategize your career in pet grooming with a map of sorts. Create a business plan. You will surely make less mistakes in the years ahead. Today’s industry has far more resources to assist you than ever before, but you must take the time to learn and strategize. Be realistic and grow in stages. You will find new inspiration each time you achieve a goal, and then you go after the next one. Be more than a pet groomer, be a business person that grooms, and you will have a more profitable and satisfying career in pet grooming whether you operate in the home, in a van or a commercial location.

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Editor-in-Chief

Member of the pet grooming industry since 1961, Webmaster of PetGroomer.com and creator of Grooming Business in a Box.

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How to Build a Dog Grooming Business Plan

by MoeGo on Mar 21, 2023 1:01:28 PM

Thinking of starting a pet grooming business? You're definitely barking up the right tree, but getting started can be a real paw-stopper. Lucky for you, we've dug up all the essential elements of a pet grooming business plan and put them together in this blog post. Sit, stay, and read on!

Types of Business Plans

There are two types of business plans:

• a business plan that includes market research and in-depth analysis that you can use to secure a loan to fund your pet grooming business, and;
• a practical business plan that functions as a checklist to help you, the new owner, take the right steps toward opening your first business.

In this blog, we’re focusing on the second type of business plan to give you the practical tools and information you need to build a successful grooming business.

What to Include in Your Pet Grooming Business Plan

Your dog grooming business plan should include the following elements. Don't worry, we’ll get to all of them below!

• Business Model
• Supplies & Equipment

Your Customer Focus

• Marketing & Advertising
• Financial Funding

Pricing Strategy

👋 New to grooming? Kickstart your business and apply for the MoeGo Care Program ! 

Choosing the Right Business Model

There are three types of dog grooming businesses: at-home, mobile, and brick-and mortar.

• At-home dog grooming services generally take place in the groomer's residence, providing a personal touch and comfortable environment for pets.
• Mobile dog grooming services , on the other hand, bring the grooming services to the client's doorstep. This convenience saves time and energy, eliminating the need for pet owners to transport their furry friends to a grooming salon.
• Brick-and-mortar dog grooming shops , also known as grooming salons, are traditional storefronts that provide a range of pet grooming services. These businesses often have a team of experienced groomers and advanced grooming equipment to cater to various pet grooming needs.

Each type of dog grooming business provides unique advantages that cater to different pet owners' preferences and schedules. At the end of the day, the "best" business model boils down to your preference, needs, and lifestyle as the owner.

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Business Model Pros & Cons

At-home business

• Pros: Eliminates commute time and overhead costs. 
• Cons: May be challenging to maintain work-life balance and attract customers without a physical storefront. 

Brick-and-mortar store

• Pros: Physical presence can attract passing customers and offer extra services. 
• Cons: Traditional business costs involved such as commercial rent and utilities. 

Mobile grooming

• Pros: Convenient for customers and pets while being safer during the pandemic. 
• Cons: Overhead costs for gas and vehicle maintenance, and local laws and parking regulations can get tedious. 

🐶 Check out our in-depth look at each grooming  business model: Salon vs. Mobile vs. At-Home

Grooming Supplies & Equipment 

The exact supplies you need will depend on your business model. That said, here's a checklist of some essential items you will need to include in your business plan:

• Dog Grooming Clippers : Essential tools for groomers in order to maintain a consistent, efficient, and quick grooming process.
• Clipper Blades : A range of removable clipper blades are necessary to address different coat types.
• Clipper Oil : Helps maintain clipper blade function.
• Coat Stripping Tool (like the Coat King): Necessary for longer-coated canines to remove undercoat.
• Scissors : Groomers require a variety of straight, curved, and thinning scissors to style and shape hair.
• Slicker Brushes : Use these brushes to brush out and untangle matted fur.
• Combs : Necessary for detangling and grooming hair.
• Sterilizer : A basic need for cleansing metallic grooming equipment.
• Shampoo : Need a variety of shampoos that cater to different skin concerns and coat types.
• Finishing Spray : Helps provide a long-lasting scent customers will love.
• Professional Dryer : A reliable tool that dries dog's fur quickly.
• Grooming Table : Can choose between hydraulic or non-hydraulic models to accommodate budget and needs.
• Tub / Sink : Necessary for bathing dogs before grooming.
• Bath Equipment : Mitts, sponges, combs, and towels are essential for bathing dogs.
• Nail Clippers : Vital for preventing claw infections and clipping nails.
• Leashes / Leads : Necessary for safely controlling each dog.
• Grooming Shoes : To protect your feet from hair slivers and keep them dry.
• Accessories: Bows, bandanas, etc. to keep your furry customers looking their best.
• Cleaning supplies : To keep your grooming space tidy and grime-free.
• Vacuum : To clean up excess hair after blow drying and clipping.

The cost of each item on this list can vary widely. If you're just starting out, look into mid-range or affordable options so that you can figure out what your preferences are for certain tools. As your business grows, look into upgrading to tools that include the features most important to you.

Your customer focus will help you answer the two critical questions when it comes to your target market: "Who do you want to buy your grooming services?" and "Who is your ideal customer?" By identifying your target audience, you can tailor your marketing efforts to attract them effectively.

This might include understanding their dog's breed, size, and personality to offer grooming services that meet their unique needs. It could also include targeting specific neighborhoods to reach high-earning pet parents.

If you're just starting out, you may not know who your ideal customer is yet - and that's okay! This can change over time as you build your customer base and launch various marketing efforts.

Tips to Build Your Customer Base

• Leave your business card at local vets, coffee shops, doggy daycares, and community boards.
• Offer referral discounts for existing customers
• Encourage all customers to leave reviews on Google, etc.
• Use social media to promote your business (Instagram, Tiktok, Facebook groups, etc.)
• Ask customers if they'd like to rebook before they leave, or offer a small discount for rebooking before they leave.
• Partner with local animal shelters to give free nail trims or discounts to newly adopted dogs.
• Give discounts to veterans and emergency responders

Also, remember that retaining clients is just as important as getting them through the door the first time. Create a pawsome customer experience by handing out new customer welcome bags, for example.

You could also consider offering loyalty programs that provide customers  with special discounts or perks if they return for repeat business. Providing a personalized experience can help build stronger relationships and positive word-of-mouth referrals for your business within your pet-loving community.

Marketing & Advertising 

As a dog groomer, marketing and advertising can help you attract new clients and is an important part of your business plan. Social media, online advertisements, and your business website are all ways to help your business stand out from the competition. Here, we'd like to focus on two of the most important ones: your website and Google. 

Your Website

Your business website is like a digital business card. You can use it to feature your services and pricing, offer discounts, and as a landing page for paid ads (if you want to invest in them). A few common website builder platforms include Wix, Squarespace, and Wordpress.

Pet grooming website best practices:

• Clearly define your services and the city where you provide them
• Include before and after pictures of dogs you have groomed 
• Showcase customer testimonials
• Have a contact page with your business address (if applicable), phone number and email address
• Feature an “About Us” page so visitors can learn more about you
• Feature offers or discounts, if you offer them (such as a veteran's or first-time customer discounts) 
• Make sure the website is easy to read on mobile devices, because most people search from their phones (Many website builders can do this for you)

The cheapest way to build a website as a dog groomer is to do it yourself. However, this can take a lot of time - something most new business owners don't have a lot of. That said, hiring someone to build it for you can be expensive, not to mention maintenance or changes to the website you may want to make. 

If you want to avoid the cost of a website altogether, consider using a grooming software like MoeGo that includes a website landing page in its online booking portal. This can help you show up when people search for your business on Google.

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Your Google Listing

Google listings (Google Business Profiles) are a great way to help customers find your business online. Plus, they're free! A Google listing will allow customers to find you through Google searches and Google Maps, so it’s an important (but often overlooked) part of your new business plan.

Here are some steps for setting up your Google listing:

• Visit the Google Business website and sign in with your Google account
• Enter your business name and address (you may need to verify ownership of the location)
• Add a profile photo, logo, and other relevant information about your business
• Include additional images of your grooming services or dogs you’ve groomed
• Set up your hours and contact information
• Monitor your reviews and respond to them appropriately
• Include a link to your website (if you have one)
• Add any additional categories or services you offer 

Having a Google listing also allows customers to leave reviews and feedback, which can help establish your credibility in the pet grooming industry.

Google Ads can be used to target potential customers who are looking for pet grooming services in their area, as well as those searching for specific services such as dog washing, nail trimming, and styling. Here are some tips for setting up Google Ads and maximizing your budget:

• Research keywords related to your services to ensure you reach the right audience
• Create targeted campaigns for each service you offer
• Set a daily budget so that you don’t overspend
• Monitor and adjust bids for keywords regularly to get the most out of your budget
• Check reports regularly to make sure you’re getting the most out of your campaigns
• Try different ad types such as display or video ads to target a wider audience
• Link ads back to relevant pages on your website for better conversion rates

To fund a pet grooming business, you can use personal savings, credit cards, bank loans, or angel investors. Most pet grooming businesses rely on personal savings and bank loans for funding. But, to get a bank loan, you must submit a convincing business plan that ensures loan repayment with interest. The loan officer will assess your business plan and financial projections to see if your business can thrive.

Just like any business, pet groomers need to have a strong brand to stand out from competitors - especially at the beginning. Here are a few things you'll want to have in place as part of your business plan to create a strong and memorable brand:

• Your mission and values
• Appealing brand colors and logo
• A memorable business name
• Services and products offered

Setting the right prices for your dog grooming business is crucial for success, so include it in your business planning. Not only does it play a role in gaining and retaining customers, but it also affects your profitability. 

Creating a pricing menu that outlines each service's cost and how those prices vary based on the dog's weight is usually the best approach. Weight-based pricing is more effective because it eliminates confusion between owners about what size category their pet falls under.

It’s important not to undervalue your services to attract new business. Charging what's fair for your valuable grooming services is best for long-term success, opposed to setting the precedent that your services are worth less than competitors.

Here are a few tips for creating a pricing strategy that works:

• Different dog breeds and sizes make pricing grooming services complicated.
• Pricing should be weight-based instead of by standard size categories.
• Beware of undervaluing services while accounting for competition.
• Charging what's fair for valuable grooming services extends the understanding of their true worth to customers.

If you like this post, check out our tips for starting a dog grooming business ! 😍

How Profitable Can a Dog Grooming Business Be?

While dog grooming has the potential to be a very profitable venture, there are multiple factors that may impact your success. These factors include:

• Customer base: The speed at which you can grow your customer base will impact your profitability, as a larger customer base may lead to more revenue.
• Pricing strategy: What you charge for your services can affect how much revenue you generate. Pricing too high may drive potential customers away, while pricing too low may lead to lower profits.
• Startup and operational costs: The costs associated with starting and running your dog grooming business may impact your profitability. Larger costs may require more revenue to offset them.
• Competition: The level of competition in your local market will impact your profitability, as more competition may lead to fewer customers.
• Cost of rent: Depending on your location, the cost of rent may be a significant expense that affects your bottom line.
• Employee wages: As your business grows, you may need to hire employees to keep up with demand, which will impact your profitability.

The Growing Pet Industry

Despite these potential challenges, the pet industry is experiencing remarkable growth. In 2020, an estimated $99 billion was spent on pets. In 2022, 2 out of 3 U.S. households had a pet and  $124 billion was spent on them - roughly the net worth of Bill Gates. In other words, the pet industry is growing and so is the need for pet care professionals, including groomers. 

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How to Write a Dog Grooming Business Plan

So you are thinking about launching a dog grooming business; it’s not a bad idea because there are many dogs in every city and town that require trimming, cutting and a host of other grooming services on a routine basis to keep their health up. Your next step in planning is to learn how to write a dog grooming business plan , and do it accurately.

Although not all owners do it, every dog should be groomed at least twice a year. With the rapid growth of the pet industry, this guarantees dog groomers a steady stream of clientele.

When people think of pet groomers, they think of doggy haircuts and facial cleaning, but there is actually much more to it than that. Many of the services that dog groomers offer are needed by all canines, not just long-haired breeds, including:

• Nail Trimming
• Ear Cleaning
• Flea and Tick Treatments
• Teeth Brushing

Dog grooming is the type of undertaking that pretty much guarantees there will be a large amount of potential customers close by to wherever you want to set up shop. A word of caution to the wise though, even though it may seem like a simple business to start, there is a lot more that goes into starting a dog grooming business than meets the eye.

If you’re just beginning to think about starting a dog grooming business and you’d like a little more information, check out our column How to Start a Dog Grooming Business . You’ll find lots of information about what to expect when starting your business and what you can do to ensure it is a success. We're currently expanding our Business section, so be sure to check back with Top Dog Tips  for the most up to date dog business information, dog product reviews and dog supplies news.

RELATED: How to groom a dog at home?

If you don't believe that you will need a business plan for your dog grooming business, you are mistaken! Creating a business plan will ensure that you understand what will be required of you in starting the business, becoming licensed and certified, and it will give you a plan to follow to put your business on the track to success for the future.

Your dog grooming business plan is essentially your business's first impression to investors, business partners, and the bank. Just telling someone about your plans and hoping for the best is not going to cut it. You need a concrete plan with researched evidence that proves your business has a good chance of success. That's what will be included in your business plan.

Even if you're planning to fund the business yourself and you aren't going to have a business partner, you still need to create a business plan. This plan will include your goals for the future of your business, and you will be able to use it as a guide to get your business where you want it to be in 12 months, 3 years, 5 years, or even more.

Access the Need for Dog Grooming

The first thing that needs to be done before even thinking about how to write a dog grooming business plan is to access the need for a business of that type in your area. When assessing the need, you have to look at such things whether the area is already saturated with that type of business or if the area has the proper income level to support that type of enterprise.

You'll also want to see just how many dog owners live in your area. Grooming services may be something that people are willing to travel a small distance for, especially if there are no dog groomers in the towns around you. If you live in a rural area, you can get information on the number of dogs licensed in your town, or surrounding towns, by checking with the local animal control office or at the town office.

RELATED: How to Become a Dog Groomer?

If you live in a more urban area it should be even easier to find out how many dogs are in your neighborhood. Take a walk down the street, visit a local dog park, or swing by a doggy daycare in your area. If there are a lot of dogs around you, chances are a dog grooming business would do very well in that area.

If there is another groomer in your area, don't count yourself out just yet. Is there enough of a need that two groomers could both run successful businesses in your area? Would you be able to offer different services or something unique that would help your grooming business stand out and gain attention from dog owners? You may still be able to make it work, it might just take a little more planning.

Your business plan needs to clearly state that you've researched the need for a grooming business in your area. Investors want to see that your business has a good chance of success. They aren't going to waste their money on a business that looks like a failure right out of the gate.

State Your Pet Grooming Business Goals

The fist part of your business plan will be where you state your short and long term business goals. You can tie in the need for your business here. Where do you see your business in 6 months, 1 year, 5 years, and what is your ultimate goal? This section should be short and to the point. Investors aren't looking for specifics in this section, just a broad view of what you would like for your grooming business.

If there is a large need in your area perhaps you see your business expanding quickly. If you're in a more rural area, maybe you don't want to expand your business at all and you just want to gain enough loyal customers to turn a decent profit. Whatever your goals are, make sure to state them clearly so investors will be able to see exactly what you want for your company's future.

Listing out these goals will help give you a perspective on the business startup and also give you some concrete goals to focus on for the future. These goals will show the bank or your investors exactly where you plan to take this business , and they will be looking for details in other parts of your business plan about how you will get there.

In this section you should also include whether or not you will have a business partner(s) and what type of entity your business will be. Will it be a sole proprietorship, a single member LLC, or an S-Corp?

RELATED: Do You Tip Dog Groomers?

Most of the time, dog grooming businesses start out as a sole proprietorship for the first year or two. Then once you have all the paperwork, bills, and tax requirements under control you can start looking into filing for an LLC to separate your personal assets from your business.

If you have decided to start your business with a partner, you need to decide now if you will run it as a limited liability company (LLC), a corporation, or a partnership. You need to discuss all of this with your business partner and be sure to make all major business decisions together.

Dog Grooming Business Scope

The next step is to define the scope of the business. You need to plan such things as what breeds you will groom and how the dogs will get to your grooming salon; will you offer a pick-up service or will the customers come to you? Are you planning on offering a mobile grooming service or having a commercial location?

Mobile dog grooming businesses can be very enticing to pet owners that don't have the time or the means to get their dog to regular grooming appointments. Commercial locations work well too, but you need to make sure that the location you choose will be convenient for customers to get to and that it is located in a high traffic area where lots of dog owners will see it.

Another piece to add when talking about the scope of your business is what services you will offer. If you want to stand out you may want to offer some specialty doggy spa services, or something similar, so your clients know you are different than other local groomers.

You want your business to stand out, but you don't want to offer so many services that your scope is too large.  This can be confusing to dog owners who are just looking for a standard grooming for their furry friend. Select a handful of services that you are good at performing and grow from there.

RELATED: How to Start a Dog Walking Business

Decide how big you want your business to be in the beginning. Will you hire employees or do all the grooming yourself? Doing everything yourself will save you money, but it will also limit the amount of dogs you can take. Remember, more clients doesn't necessarily mean more money.

The larger the scope of your business, the more it will cost to run. Extra supplies and employee salaries will get quite expensive. Also, the larger your business, the more space you will need. More space leads to higher rent and utilities. Make sure to weigh the costs against what extra money you will be making if you start your business on a larger scale. It may be more beneficial to start small and grow over time.

Competition and Pricing

These two aspects of a business plan go hand-in-hand. You need to establish who your competition is, what services they provide, and what their prices are. You can easily do this by performing a quick internet search, making some anonymous phone calls, or stopping in to your competitors establishments and asking a few simple questions.

You already know what services you will offer, now it is time to set prices. You need to price your self competitively with similar businesses in your area or you may not have any business at all. If your prices are too high it will drive customers away.

When thinking about prices figure out how much the supplies for the service will cost you, and make sure that you are paid for your time as well. You may not want to price your services too high, but you still need to pay your bills as well. It's a fine line in the beginning, but as your business expands and your reputation grows with it, you will able to start increasing your prices to make a greater profit.

Advertising and Marketing

Now you need to plan for the advertising and marketing that you'll do to promote your business. Don't be intimidated. You won't need to take out billboards in Times Square. Your marketing plan can be as simple as handing out business cards and brochures. You just need to come up with a plan that will work in your area.

RELATED: How to Start a Pet Business with Dogs

Advertising can get expensive. Radio slots and television advertisements are great, but they also cost a lot of money. Try to keep things simple in the beginning. Maybe you could start by posting flyers at your local dog park, pet store, or other location where dog owners frequent. You could spend an afternoon handing out business cards in these locations as well.

If you're going to offer a specialized service, like mobile grooming, think about your target market before you advertise. Dog owners that would be interested in mobile grooming are probably do not have the means or are unable to take the time to bring their pet to the groomer. Try advertising at senior centers where many residents may not be able to drive or in the business district of your city where lots of busy businessmen and women are likely to be. Thinking outside the box while advertising will be more beneficial in the long run and will probably save you money too.

Here's where things get tricky. You need to plan for your future expenses. Nothing has to be set in stone, just a ballpark figure of how much startup capital you'll need and what you'll be spending it on. You will likely need quite a bit of startup capital for your business, even if you're running it out of your home.

Some of the expenses you'll need to plan for are:

• The facility itself including rent and utilities
• The cost of renovating the space, if required
• Equipment (bathing tubs, dryers, grooming tables, etc…)
• Grooming supplies (shampoo, brushes, clippers , etc…)

Those are your major expenses. These will vary, of course, depending on your particular business. If you'll be running your business out of your home, your expenses may be a little less, and if you need to buy and convert a van into a mobile grooming parlor, they may be a little more.

When figuring your finances, don't forget to include your advertising costs as well as your office expenses. You will need a computer, business telephone, and other office equipment. Don't forget about the desk, chair, and other furniture you may need for your human clients.

When planning your finances and creating your initial budget, leave no stone unturned. Think about every aspect of your business and all the day to day duties you will be performing. Make sure to list as much as possible, so your budget will be as close to accurate as you can get it.

RELATED: How to Write a Dog Training Business Plan

When writing your dog grooming business plan, it is best to over estimate in this case. You don't want to underestimate and then have your business fail quickly because it was underfunded. Do your research and be as accurate as possible, but make sure to leave yourself a little bit of wiggle room. There are bound to be expenses that you didn't plan for when starting your dog grooming business.

Legal Responsibilities

This is the last section of your dog grooming business plan, but it is also the most important. Making sure that your legal responsibilities are taken care of needs to be a top priority. If you don't take the proper legal precautions, it could mean big trouble for yourself, your employees, your investors, and your clients. Not to mention it would quickly ruin your reputation as a groomer .

Your legal responsibilities will vary depending on where you live. Different states and cities have their own rules and regulations for business owners, so make sure you abide by the ones that govern you and your business.

Be sure that your dog grooming business plan addresses:

• Your licensing and certification responsibilities
• Liability waivers for your clients
• Any specific laws in your region
• Client contracts

Again, and I can't say this enough, your business plan is not set in stone . You don't need to stick to your plan 100%, in fact, I don't believe there are many business owners that have. This is your guideline to make sure that you've thought your plan through fully and you know where your business is headed. Once you begin to research and write your dog grooming business plan, you will realize that there is a lot more to it than you thought.

The more serious you are with your business planning, the more serious you will look to the bank and potential investors. A solid business plan will be the foundation of your success, so it should not be taken lightly.

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Pet Grooming Business Plan Template

Written by Dave Lavinsky

Pet Grooming Business Plan

You’ve come to the right place to create your Pet Grooming business plan.

We have helped over 1,000 entrepreneurs and business owners create business plans and many have used them to start or grow their Pet Grooming businesses.

Below is a template to help you create each section of your Pet Grooming business plan.

Executive Summary

Business overview.

Tangles Pet Grooming is a startup pet grooming company located in Raleigh, North Carolina. The company is founded by Sandy Cooper, who has experience in pet grooming. Now, with the expertise of knowledge and business acumen, she has determined she can confidently start and effectively grow a successful pet grooming company. Sandy believes her experience of strategic growth, marketing skills, financial capabilities, and wide and deep knowledge of pet grooming practices will provide everything needed for long-term growth and profitability.

Tangles Pet Grooming will provide a comprehensive array of services and products for a variety of clients. Tangles Pet Grooming will be the most loving and caring grooming center, providing services and products to each client while supporting the strategic goals of the company. Tangles Pet Grooming will be the ultimate choice in Raleigh for clients to ensure that every need of the customer is fully and completely met.

Product Offering

The following are the services that Tangles Pet Grooming will provide:

• Dog and cat grooming
• Dog and cat bathing
• Dog and cat nail trimming
• Dog and cat dental care
• Dog and cat muscle massage
• Dog and cat nutritional balance check
• Dog and cat mini-break treatments
• Dog and cat wellness and play accessories
• Online reservations for all appointments
• Discounts for return and regular customers

Customer Focus

Tangles Pet Grooming will target all dog and cat owners within the Raleigh region. They will also target veterinarian offices. They will target natural health stores and retail pet stores. They will also target pet training companies.

Management Team

Tangles Pet Grooming will be owned and operated by Sandy Cooper. She recruited her former administrative assistant, Kerrie Thompson, to be her grooming center manager and over the administrative office and operations.

Sandy Cooper is a graduate of the North Carolina Pet Grooming Academy, where she earned certification in natural wellness for dogs and cats. She has a depth of experience in pet grooming due to the ten years she served as the head groomer for a dog and cat pet salon in Raleigh. Her customers appreciated the care and concern she demonstrated, as well as the helpful suggestions she gave for healthful eating and healthful patterns of living for the cats and dogs.

Kerrie Thompson was an administrative assistant in the dog and cat grooming salon where Sandy Cooper was employed. Kerrie served the owner of the business, as well as assisting ten groomers in their daily activities, supplies and special requests. She earned the deep respect and appreciation of all the groomers in the company. Her new role will be as the grooming center manager, also in charge of the administrative office and operations.

Success Factors

Tangles Pet Grooming will be able to achieve success by offering the following competitive advantages:

• Friendly, knowledgeable, and highly-qualified team of Tangles Pet Grooming
• Comprehensive menu of services and products for dog and cat owners
• Specialized cat and dog muscle massages for health and wellness
• Customized cat and dog natural wellness assessments
• Dog and cat health and wellness play toys and accessories
• Tangles Pet Grooming offers the best pricing in town. Their pricing structure is the most cost effective compared to the competition.

Financial Highlights

Tangles Pet Grooming is seeking $200,000 in debt financing to launch its pet grooming company. The funding will be dedicated toward securing the grooming center space and purchasing office equipment and supplies. Funding will also be dedicated toward three months of overhead costs to include payroll of the staff, rent, and marketing costs for the print ads and marketing costs. The breakout of the funding is below:

• Grooming center space build-out: $20,000
• Office equipment, supplies, and materials: $10,000
• Three months of overhead expenses (payroll, rent, utilities): $150,000
• Marketing costs: $10,000
• Working capital: $10,000

The following graph outlines the financial projections for Tangles Pet Grooming .

Company Overview

Who is tangles pet grooming.

Tangles Pet Grooming is a newly established, full-service dog and cat grooming company in Raleigh, North Carolina. Tangles Pet Grooming will be the most reliable, cost-effective, and naturally-healthful pet choice for animal owners and lovers in Raleigh and the surrounding communities. Tangles Pet Grooming will provide a comprehensive menu of grooming services for any dog and cat owner to utilize. Their full-service approach includes a comprehensive menu of services geared toward healthful pet living.

  Sandy Cooper will be able to manage the staff and personnel at Tangles Pet Grooming. The team of professionals are highly qualified and experienced in dog and cat grooming, as well as natural health for pets and massage services. Tangles Pet Grooming works to improve the lives of the pets as staff members remove dirt and daily grime from dogs and cats. Grooming includes trimming and beautifying the coats of each animal, as well. Tangles Pet Grooming will enhance the lives of pets, as well as increase their natural health and wellness. Tangles Pet Grooming will offer the best customer service, as well.

Tangles Pet Grooming History

Tangles Pet Grooming is owned and operated by Sandy Cooper, a former pet groomer who has a degree from North Carolina Pet Grooming Academy. She has worked for a large pet grooming company for over ten years and managed a large portfolio of dogs and cats who came to her station exclusively for grooming, muscle massage, dental care and other treatments. She has gained the trust and confidence of her clients who now number in the hundreds, with many of them already committed to follow her as she opens her new Tangles Pet Grooming company.

Since incorporation, Tangles Pet Grooming has achieved the following milestones:

• Registered Tangles Pet Grooming , LLC to transact business in the state of North Carolina.
• Has a contract in place for a 10,000 square foot grooming center at one of the largest area malls
• Reached out to numerous contacts to include Tangles Pet Grooming for their animals
• Began recruiting a staff of associate groomers and office personnel to work at Tangles Pet Grooming

Tangles Pet Grooming Services

The following will be the services Tangles Pet Grooming will provide:

Industry Analysis

The pet grooming industry is expected to grow over the next five years to over $13 billion. The growth will be driven by the increased attention the U.S. population now gives to their pets, including cats and dogs. The growth will also be driven by the recognition of pet owners that their own animals require adequate natural health therapies as much as their human family does. The pet grooming industry also will grow driven by the increased interest in sustaining the iconic breeds of historical importance, including exotic breed dogs and cats.

Costs will likely be reduced by an increase in product availability, in particular from global alliances with large food manufacturers. Costs will also be reduced as consumers recognize the need for natural wellness in their animals, which will help defray serious health issues in their pets. Costs will also be reduced due to the increased use of technology to take over the day-to-day tasks of clerical and back office duties, which will free staff to work on front-of-house customer service and other tasks.

Customer Analysis

Demographic profile of target market.

Tangles Pet Grooming will target all dog and cat owners within the Raleigh region. They will also target veterinarian offices. They will target natural health stores and retail pet stores. They will also target pet training services.

Customer Segmentation

Tangles Pet Grooming will primarily target the following customer profiles:

• Dog and cat owners
• Veterinarian offices and owners
• Natural health and retail pet stores
• Pet training services

Competitive Analysis

Direct and indirect competitors.

Tangles Pet Grooming will face competition from other companies with similar business profiles. A description of each competitor company is below.

Paws Pet Grooming Salon

The owner of Paws Pet Grooming Salon, Jason LeBron, has dedicated his salon to the following services: baths, haircuts, nail trimming, and dental care. The salon has been in business since 2019, when during the pandemic, Jason LeBron maintained the care for the pets in his regional area by driving to each customer’s home. The premier destination for pets has garnered a steady following of customers; however, the pricing is in the “luxury” category and most of the general population can find similar services in a lower price range.

Specialized spa treatments are offered for dogs and other animals who do well with bathing and grooming treatments and, in addition, specialized services are provided for various exotic cats and dogs. Ultra large dogs are also treated at the Paws Pet Grooming Salon, using oversized tubs and grooming areas.

Raining Cats n’ Dogs

Due to the weather conditions in Raleigh, North Carolina and the surrounding areas, the owner of Raining Cats n’ Dogs determined that the location was perfect for a cat and dog grooming business focused on dogs that are particularly in need of grooming, including hunting dogs, canine service dogs, feral ranch cats, and other working animals.

The Raining Cats n’ Dogs grooming business was opened in 2020 by the owner, Ron Reynolds and his family. The generations of family born and raised in Raleigh have always been fans of outdoor sports and exercise, including their special family animals. Because there was no competition in the Raleigh area, Ron and his family opened the Raining Cats n’ Dogs grooming business, where it became an immediate hit with ranchers, farmers, hunters and others.

Happy Cats! Grooming

Happy Cats! Grooming was started in 1999 by Alice Anderson and her daughter, Nancy Anderson. Alice and Nancy were formerly cat groomers for a national chain pet grooming company and, after winning the appreciation and encouragement from former customers, they opened their own grooming company. The two executives work with a staff of three grooming employees. With the focus on cat grooming, the company has targeted the cats throughout the southern area of the U.S. who are in competition for state and national championships. The company also targeted exotic cats of high value owned by celebrities, high net-worth individuals and others who prefer cats from exotic locales. The cat grooming company has continued to build a steady roster of clients, albeit within a large geographical area that requires the groomers to travel, cover travel expenses, and include time and distance charges on the total bill.

Competitive Advantage

Tangles Pet Grooming will be able to offer the following advantages over their competition:

• Tangles Pet Grooming offers the best pricing in town. Their pricing structure is the most cost effective compared to the competition

Marketing Plan

Brand & value proposition.

Tangles Pet Grooming will offer the unique value proposition to its clientele:

• Highly-qualified team of skilled employees who are able to provide a comprehensive set of products and services for dog and cats of all breeds
• Tangles Pet Grooming offers the widest selection of natural wellness choices for cats and dogs, along with a pricing structure that is the most cost-effective compared to the competition

Promotions Strategy

The promotions strategy for Tangles Pet Grooming is as follows:

Word of Mouth/Referrals

Sandy Cooper has built up an extensive list of contacts over the years by providing exceptional service and expertise to dog and cat clients. The contacts and clients of Sandy Cooper will follow her to her new company and help spread the word of Tangles Pet Grooming .

Professional Associations and Networking

Sandy Cooper will join all regional professional associations, including civic groups and volunteer organizations, in order to introduce Tangles Pet Grooming to the region. She will also join the national trade and networking groups to further introduce Tangles Pet Grooming to new opportunities and alliances with other companies.

Print Advertising

Two weeks prior to the launch of Tangles Pet Grooming, a direct mail piece will be sent to every home in Raleigh, announcing special discounts at the grooming center for the first 60 days of business. Customers will receive special incentives upon opening and coupons for further use of the grooming center.

Website/SEO Marketing

Tangles Pet Grooming will fully utilize their website. The website will be well organized, informative, and list all the services that Tangles Pet Grooming provides. The website will also list their contact information and provide a portal for online reservation for dog and cat services. The website will engage in SEO marketing tactics so that anytime someone types in the Google or Bing search engine “pet grooming company” or “dog/cat groomer near me,” Tangles Pet Grooming will be listed at the top of the search results.

The pricing of Tangles Pet Grooming will be moderate and on par with competitors so customers feel they receive excellent value when purchasing their services.

Operations Plan

The following will be the operations plan for Tangles Pet Grooming . Operation Functions:

• Sandy Cooper will be the owner and president of the company. She will oversee all staff and manage client relations. Sandy has spent the past year recruiting the following staff:
• Kerrie Thompson, who was an administrative assistant in the dog and cat grooming salon where Sandy Cooper was employed. Her new role will be as the grooming center manager, also in charge of the administrative office and operations.
• Hoagie Newsom, a former accountant for a retail pet store, will become the accountant for the new company, providing all client accounting, tax payments, and monthly financial reporting.
• Cindy Stillson will become the part-time Marketing Manager who will provide all marketing for Tangles Pet Grooming and each client it serves.

Milestones:

Tangles Pet Grooming will have the following milestones completed in the next six months.

• 5/1/202X – Finalize contract to lease grooming center space
• 5/15/202X – Finalize staff employment contracts for the Tangles Pet Grooming
• 6/1/202X – Finalize contracts for Tangles Pet Grooming vendors
• 6/15/202X – Begin networking at industry events
• 6/22/202X – Begin moving into Tangles Pet Grooming center
• 7/1/202X – Tangles Pet Grooming opens its doors for business

Financial Plan

Key revenue & costs.

The revenue drivers for Tangles Pet Grooming are the fees they will charge to customers for their services and products.

The cost drivers will be the overhead costs required in order to staff Tangles Pet Grooming . The expenses will be the payroll cost, rent, utilities, office supplies, and marketing materials.

Funding Requirements and Use of Funds

Tangles Pet Grooming is seeking $200,000 in debt financing to launch its dog and cat grooming center. The funding will be dedicated toward securing the grooming center space and purchasing office equipment and supplies. Funding will also be dedicated toward three months of overhead costs to include payroll of the staff, rent, and marketing costs for the print ads and association memberships. The breakout of the funding is below:

Key Assumptions

The following outlines the key assumptions required in order to achieve the revenue and cost numbers in the financials and in order to pay off the startup business loan.

• Number of Customers Per Month: 650
• Average Revenue per Month: $71,000
• Office Lease per Year: $100,000

Financial Projections

Income statement, balance sheet, cash flow statement, pet grooming business plan faqs, what is a pet grooming business plan.

A pet grooming business plan is a plan to start and/or grow your pet grooming business. Among other things, it outlines your business concept, identifies your target customers, presents your marketing plan and details your financial projections. You can easily complete your Pet Grooming business plan using our Pet Grooming Business Plan Template here .

What are the Main Types of Pet Grooming Businesses?

There are a number of different kinds of pet grooming businesses, some examples include: Mobile pet grooming, Home-based pet grooming, and Pet grooming salon.

How Do You Get Funding for Your Pet Grooming Business Plan?

Pet Grooming businesses are often funded through small business loans. Personal savings, credit card financing and angel investors are also popular forms of funding.

What are the Steps To Start a Pet Grooming Business?

Starting a pet grooming business can be an exciting endeavor. Having a clear roadmap of the steps to start a business will help you stay focused on your goals and get started faster. 1. Develop A Pet Grooming Business Plan - The first step in starting a business is to create a detailed pet grooming business plan that outlines all aspects of the venture. This should include potential market size and target customers, the services or products you will offer, pricing strategies and a detailed financial forecast. 2. Choose Your Legal Structure - It's important to select an appropriate legal entity for your pet grooming business. This could be a limited liability company (LLC), corporation, partnership, or sole proprietorship. Each type has its own benefits and drawbacks so it’s important to do research and choose wisely so that your pet grooming business is in compliance with local laws. 3. Register Your Pet Grooming Business - Once you have chosen a legal structure, the next step is to register your pet grooming business with the government or state where you’re operating from. This includes obtaining licenses and permits as required by federal, state, and local laws. 4. Identify Financing Options - It’s likely that you’ll need some capital to start your pet grooming business, so take some time to identify what financing options are available such as bank loans, investor funding, grants, or crowdfunding platforms. 5. Choose a Location - Whether you plan on operating out of a physical location or not, you should always have an idea of where you’ll be based should it become necessary in the future as well as what kind of space would be suitable for your operations. 6. Hire Employees - There are several ways to find qualified employees including job boards like LinkedIn or Indeed as well as hiring agencies if needed – depending on what type of employees you need it might also be more effective to reach out directly through networking events. 7. Acquire Necessary Pet Grooming Equipment & Supplies - In order to start your pet grooming business, you'll need to purchase all of the necessary equipment and supplies to run a successful operation. 8. Market & Promote Your Business - Once you have all the necessary pieces in place, it’s time to start promoting and marketing your pet grooming business. This includes creating a website, utilizing social media platforms like Facebook or Twitter, and having an effective Search Engine Optimization (SEO) strategy. You should also consider traditional marketing techniques such as radio or print advertising.

How to write a business plan for a pet grooming salon?

Creating a business plan for a pet grooming salon is an essential process for any entrepreneur. It serves as a roadmap that outlines the necessary steps to be taken to start or grow the business, the resources required, and the anticipated financial outcomes. It should be crafted with method and confidence.

This guide is designed to provide you with the tools and knowledge necessary for creating a pet grooming salon business plan, covering why it is so important both when starting up and running an established business, what should be included in your plan, how it should be structured, what tools should be used to save time and avoid errors, and other helpful tips.

We have a lot to cover, so let's get to it!

In this guide:

Why write a business plan for a pet grooming salon?

• What information is needed to create a business plan for a pet grooming salon?
• What goes in the financial forecast for a pet grooming salon?
• What goes in the written part of a pet grooming salon business plan?
• What tool can I use to write my pet grooming salon business plan?

Having a clear understanding of why you want to write a business plan for your pet grooming salon will make it simpler for you to grasp the rationale behind its structure and content. So before delving into the plan's actual details, let's take a moment to remind ourselves of the primary reasons why you'd want to create a pet grooming salon business plan.

To have a clear roadmap to grow the business

Small businesses rarely experience a constant and predictable environment. Economic cycles go up and down, while the business landscape is mutating constantly with new regulations, technologies, competitors, and consumer behaviours emerging when we least expect it.

In this dynamic context, it's essential to have a clear roadmap for your pet grooming salon. Otherwise, you are navigating in the dark which is dangerous given that - as a business owner - your capital is at risk.

That's why crafting a well-thought-out business plan is crucial to ensure the long-term success and sustainability of your venture.

To create an effective business plan, you'll need to take a step-by-step approach. First, you'll have to assess your current position (if you're already in business), and then identify where you'd like your pet grooming salon to be in the next three to five years.

Once you have a clear destination for your pet grooming salon, you'll focus on three key areas:

• Resources: you'll determine the human, equipment, and capital resources needed to reach your goals successfully.
• Speed: you'll establish the optimal pace at which your business needs to grow if it is to meet its objectives within the desired timeframe.
• Risks: you'll identify and address potential risks you might encounter along the way.

By going through this process regularly, you'll be able to make informed decisions about resource allocation, paving the way for the long-term success of your business.

Need a convincing business plan?

The Business Plan Shop makes it easy to create a financial forecast to assess the potential profitability of your projects, and write a business plan that’ll wow investors.

To get visibility on future cash flows

If your small pet grooming salon runs out of cash: it's game over. That's why we often say "cash is king", and it's crucial to have a clear view of your pet grooming salon's future cash flows.

So, how can you achieve this? It's simple - you need to have an up-to-date financial forecast.

The good news is that your pet grooming salon business plan already includes a financial forecast (which we'll discuss further in this guide). Your task is to ensure it stays current.

To accomplish this, it's essential to regularly compare your actual financial performance with what was planned in your financial forecast. Based on your business's current trajectory, you can make adjustments to the forecast.

By diligently monitoring your pet grooming salon's financial health, you'll be able to spot potential financial issues, like unexpected cash shortfalls, early on and take corrective actions. Moreover, this practice will enable you to recognize and capitalize on growth opportunities, such as excess cash flow enabling you to expand to new locations.

To secure financing

A detailed business plan becomes a crucial tool when seeking financing from banks or investors for your pet grooming salon.

Investing and lending to small businesses are very risky activities given how fragile they are. Therefore, financiers have to take extra precautions before putting their capital at risk.

At a minimum, financiers will want to ensure that you have a clear roadmap and a solid understanding of your future cash flows (like we just explained above). But they will also want to ensure that your business plan fits the risk/reward profile they seek.

This will off-course vary from bank to bank and investor to investor, but as a rule of thumb. Banks will want to see a conservative financial management style (low risk), and they will use the information in your business plan to assess your borrowing capacity — the level of debt they think your business can comfortably handle — and your ability to repay the loan. This evaluation will determine whether they'll provide credit to your pet grooming salon and the terms of the agreement.

Whereas investors will carefully analyze your business plan to gauge the potential return on their investment. Their focus lies on evidence indicating your pet grooming salon's potential for high growth, profitability, and consistent cash flow generation over time.

Now that you recognize the importance of creating a business plan for your pet grooming salon, let's explore what information is required to create a compelling plan.

Need inspiration for your business plan?

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Information needed to create a business plan for a pet grooming salon

Drafting a pet grooming salon business plan requires research so that you can project sales, investments and cost accurately in your financial forecast, and convince the reader that there is a viable commercial opportunity to be seized.

Below, we'll focus on three critical pieces of information you should gather before starting to write your plan.

Carrying out market research for a pet grooming salon

Carrying out market research before writing a business plan for a pet grooming salon is essential to ensure that the financial projections are accurate and realistic.

Market research helps you gain insight into your target customer base, competitors, pricing strategies and other key factors which can have an impact on the commercial success of your business.

In particular, it is useful in forecasting revenue as it provides valuable data regarding potential customers’ spending habits and preferences.

You may discover that pet owners in your area could be interested in a mobile pet grooming service. Additionally, market research might reveal that pet owners may be looking for pet grooming services that integrate holistic treatments for their pets.

This information can then be used to create more accurate financial projections which will help investors make informed decisions about investing in your pet grooming salon.

Developing the sales and marketing plan for a pet grooming salon

Budgeting sales and marketing expenses is essential before creating a pet grooming salon business plan.

A comprehensive sales and marketing plan should provide an accurate projection of what actions need to be implemented to acquire and retain customers, how many people are needed to carry out these initiatives, and how much needs to be spent on promotions, advertising, and other aspects.

This helps ensure that the right amount of resources is allocated to these activities in order to hit the sales and growth objectives forecasted in your business plan.

The staffing and capital expenditure requirements of a pet grooming salon

Whether you are starting or expanding a pet grooming salon, it is important to have a clear plan for recruitment and capital expenditures (investment in equipment and real estate) in order to ensure the success of the business.

Both the recruitment and investment plans need to be coherent with the timing and level of growth planned in your forecast, and require appropriate funding.

A pet grooming salon might incur the cost of hiring staff such as groomers, receptionists, and cleaning staff. They may also need to purchase equipment such as clippers, shampoo, brushes, and other grooming tools. Additionally, the salon may need to purchase or rent items such as tables, cages, and kennels.

In order to create a realistic financial forecast, you will also need to consider the other operating expenses associated with running the business on a day-to-day basis (insurance, bookkeeping, etc.). 

Once you have all the necessary information to create a business plan for your pet grooming salon, it is time to start creating your financial forecast.

Need a solid financial forecast?

The Business Plan Shop does the maths for you. Simply enter your revenues, costs and investments. Click save and our online tool builds a three-way forecast for you instantly.

What goes into your pet grooming salon's financial forecast?

The financial forecast of your pet grooming salon's business plan will enable you to assess the growth, profitability, funding requirements, and cash generation potential of your business in the coming years.

The four key outputs of a financial forecast for a pet grooming salon are:

• The profit and loss (P&L) statement ,
• The projected balance sheet ,
• The cash flow forecast ,
• And the sources and uses table .

Let's look at each of these in a bit more detail.

The projected P&L statement

The projected P&L statement for a pet grooming salon shows how much revenue and profits your business is expected to generate in the future.

Ideally, your pet grooming salon's P&L statement should show:

• Healthy growth - above inflation level
• Improving or stable profit margins
• Positive net profit

Expectations will vary based on the stage of your business. A startup will be expected to grow faster than an established pet grooming salon. And similarly, an established company should showcase a higher level of profitability than a new venture.

The projected balance sheet of your pet grooming salon

Your pet grooming salon's forecasted balance sheet enables the reader of your plan to assess your financial structure, working capital, and investment policy.

It is composed of three types of elements: assets, liabilities and equity:

• Assets: represent what the business owns and uses to produce cash flows. It includes resources such as cash, equipment, and accounts receivable (money owed by clients).
• Liabilities: represent funds advanced to the business by lenders and other creditors. It includes items such as accounts payable (money owed to suppliers), taxes due and loans.
• Equity: is the combination of what has been invested by the business owners and the cumulative profits and losses generated by the business to date (which are called retained earnings). Equity is a proxy for the value of the owner's stake in the business.

Your pet grooming salon's balance sheet will usually be analyzed in conjunction with the other financial statements included in your forecast.

Two key points of focus will be:

• Your pet grooming salon's liquidity: does your business have sufficient cash and short-term assets to pay what it owes over the next 12 months?
• And its solvency: does your business have the capacity to repay its debt over the medium-term?

The cash flow forecast

As we've seen earlier in this guide, monitoring future cash flows is the key to success and the only way of ensuring that your pet grooming salon has enough cash to operate.

As you can expect showing future cash flows is the main role of the cash flow forecast in your pet grooming salon business plan.

It is best practice to organise the cash flow statement by nature in order to show the cash impact of the following areas:

• Cash flow generated from operations: the operating cash flow shows how much cash is generated or consumed by the business's commercial activities
• Cash flow from investing activities: the investing cash flow shows how much cash is being invested in capital expenditure (equipment, real estate, etc.) either to maintain the business's equipment or to expand its capabilities
• Cash flow from financing activities: the financing cash flow shows how much cash is raised or distributed to financiers

Looking at the cash flow forecast helps you to make sure that your business has enough cash to keep running, and can help you anticipate potential cash shortfalls.

Your pet grooming salon business plan will normally include both yearly and monthly cash flow forecasts so that the readers can view the impact of seasonality on your business cash position and generation.

The initial financing plan

The initial financing plan - also called a sources and uses table - is an important tool when starting a pet grooming salon.

It shows where the money needed to set up the business will come from (sources) and how it will be allocated (uses).

Having this table helps understand what costs are involved in setting up the pet grooming salon, how the risks are distributed between the shareholders and the lenders, and what will be the starting cash position (which needs to be sufficient to sustain operations until the business breaks even).

Now that the financial forecast of a pet grooming salon business plan is understood, let's focus on what goes into the written part of the plan.

The written part of a pet grooming salon business plan

The written part of the business plan is where you will explain what your business does and how it operates, what your target market is, whom you compete against, and what strategy you will put in place to seize the commercial opportunity you've identified.

Having this context is key for the reader to form a view on whether or not they believe that your plan is achievable and the numbers in your forecast realistic.

The written part of a pet grooming salon business plan is composed of 7 main sections:

• The executive summary
• The presentation of the company
• The products and services
• The market analysis
• The strategy
• The operations
• The financial plan

Let's go through the content of each section in more detail!

1. The executive summary

The executive summary, the first section of your pet grooming salon's business plan, serves as an inviting snapshot of your entire plan, leaving readers eager to know more about your business.

To compose an effective executive summary, start with a concise introduction of your business, covering its name, concept, location, history, and unique aspects. Share insights about the services or products you intend to offer and your target customer base.

Subsequently, provide an overview of your pet grooming salon's addressable market, highlighting current trends and potential growth opportunities.

Then, present a summary of critical financial figures, such as projected revenues, profits, and cash flows.

You should then include a summary of your key financial figures such as projected revenues, profits, and cash flows.

Lastly, address any funding needs in the "ask" section of your executive summary.

2. The presentation of the company

In your pet grooming salon business plan, the second section should focus on the structure and ownership, location, and management team of your company.

In the structure and ownership part, you'll provide an overview of the business's legal structure, details about the owners, and their respective investments and ownership shares. This clarity is crucial, especially if you're seeking financing, as it helps the reader understand which legal entity will receive the funds and who controls the business.

Moving on to the location part, you'll offer an overview of the company's premises and their surroundings. Explain why this particular location is of interest, highlighting factors like catchment area, accessibility, and nearby amenities.

When describing the location of your pet grooming salon, you may want to focus on its potential for success. You could mention the area's population demographics, as well as its history of successful businesses, which could indicate the area's potential for continued success. You might also focus on the potential for growth, such as the area's access to major transportation routes or its proximity to potential customer bases. Additionally, you could emphasize the area's affordability, which could lead to higher profits. Finally, you could emphasize the potential for future investments, such as the opening of new businesses or infrastructure improvements in the area.

Finally, you should introduce your management team. Describe each member's role, background, and experience.

Don't forget to emphasize any past successes achieved by the management team and how long they've been working together. Demonstrating their track record and teamwork will help potential lenders or investors gain confidence in their leadership and ability to execute the business plan.

3. The products and services section

The products and services section of your business plan should include a detailed description of the offerings that your company provides to its customers. 

For example, your pet grooming salon might offer bathing services, haircutting services, and nail trimming services to its customers. Bathing services are important for maintaining your pet's hygiene and can help to reduce discomfort from skin and coat issues. Haircutting services can help keep your pet's fur neat and tidy and also help to prevent matting. Finally, nail trimming is important for both the health and comfort of your pet, as overgrown nails can cause pain and discomfort.

When drafting this section, you should be precise about the categories of products or services you sell, the types of customers you are targeting and how customers can buy them.

4. The market analysis

When outlining your market analysis in the pet grooming salon business plan, it's essential to include comprehensive details about customers' demographics and segmentation, target market, competition, barriers to entry, and relevant regulations.

The primary aim of this section is to give the reader an understanding of the market size and appeal while demonstrating your expertise in the industry.

To begin, delve into the demographics and segmentation subsection, providing an overview of the addressable market for your pet grooming salon, key marketplace trends, and introducing various customer segments and their preferences in terms of purchasing habits and budgets.

Next, shift your focus to the target market subsection, where you can zoom in on the specific customer segments your pet grooming salon targets. Explain how your products and services are tailored to meet the unique needs of these customers.

For example, your target market might include busy pet owners. These customers need a reliable, efficient and convenient solution for taking care of their pets, and are willing to pay for the convenience of having a groomer come to their home. They may also be interested in additional services such as pet sitting, obedience classes, or other pet care products.

In the competition subsection, introduce your main competitors and explain what sets your pet grooming salon apart from them.

Finally, round off your market analysis by providing an overview of the main regulations that apply to your pet grooming salon.

5. The strategy section

When writing the strategy section of a business plan for your pet grooming salon, it is essential to include information about your competitive edge, pricing strategy, sales & marketing plan, milestones, and risks and mitigants.

The competitive edge subsection should explain what sets your company apart from its competitors. This part is especially key if you are writing the business plan of a startup, as you have to make a name for yourself in the marketplace against established players.

The pricing strategy subsection should demonstrate how you intend to remain profitable while still offering competitive prices to your customers.

The sales & marketing plan should outline how you intend to reach out and acquire new customers, as well as retain existing ones with loyalty programs or special offers. 

The milestones subsection should outline what your company has achieved to date, and its main objectives for the years to come - along with dates so that everyone involved has clear expectations of when progress can be expected.

The risks and mitigants subsection should list the main risks that jeopardize the execution of your plan and explain what measures you have taken to minimize these. This is essential in order for investors or lenders to feel secure in investing in your venture.

Your pet grooming salon faces a variety of risks. For example, you may experience a liability risk if one of your customers were to allege that their pet was injured or mistreated while in your care. Additionally, you might face a financial risk if a customer fails to pay for services or you are unable to obtain enough customers to keep the business profitable.

6. The operations section

The operations of your pet grooming salon must be presented in detail in your business plan.

The first thing you should cover in this section is your staffing team, the main roles, and the overall recruitment plan to support the growth expected in your business plan. You should also outline the qualifications and experience necessary to fulfil each role, and how you intend to recruit (using job boards, referrals, or headhunters).

You should then state the operating hours of your pet grooming salon - so that the reader can check the adequacy of your staffing levels - and any plans for varying opening times during peak season. Additionally, the plan should include details on how you will handle customer queries outside of normal operating hours.

The next part of this section should focus on the key assets and IP required to operate your business. If you depend on any licenses or trademarks, physical structures (equipment or property) or lease agreements, these should all go in there.

You may have key assets such as a pet grooming salon, website, or other physical location that could provide the services you are offering. Additionally, the intellectual property associated with your pet grooming salon, such as any logos, trademarks, or copyrighted material, might be an important asset as well.

Finally, you should include a list of suppliers that you plan to work with and a breakdown of their services and main commercial terms (price, payment terms, contract duration, etc.). Investors are always keen to know if there is a particular reason why you have chosen to work with a specific supplier (higher-quality products or past relationships for example).

7. The presentation of the financial plan

The financial plan section is where we will include the financial forecast we talked about earlier in this guide.

Now that you have a clear idea of the content of a pet grooming salon business plan, let's look at some of the tools you can use to create yours.

What tool should I use to write my pet grooming salon's business plan?

In this section, we will be reviewing the two main options for writing a pet grooming salon business plan efficiently:

• Using specialized software,
• Outsourcing the drafting to the business plan writer.

Using an online business plan software for your pet grooming salon's business plan

Using online business planning software is the most efficient and modern way to create a pet grooming salon business plan.

There are several advantages to using specialized software:

• You can easily create your financial forecast by letting the software take care of the financial calculations for you without errors
• You are guided through the writing process by detailed instructions and examples for each part of the plan
• You can access a library of dozens of complete business plan samples and templates for inspiration
• You get a professional business plan, formatted and ready to be sent to your bank or investors
• You can easily track your actual financial performance against your financial forecast
• You can create scenarios to stress test your forecast's main assumptions
• You can easily update your forecast as time goes by to maintain visibility on future cash flows
• You have a friendly support team on standby to assist you when you are stuck

If you're interested in using this type of solution, you can try The Business Plan Shop for free by signing up here .

Hiring a business plan writer to write your pet grooming salon's business plan

Outsourcing your pet grooming salon business plan to a business plan writer can also be a viable option.

Business plan writers are experienced in writing business plans and adept at creating financial forecasts without errors. Furthermore, hiring a consultant can save you time and allow you to focus on the day-to-day operations of your business.

However, hiring business plan writers is expensive as you are paying for the software used by the consultant, plus their time, and their profit margin of course.

From experience, you need to budget at least £1.5k ($2.0k) excluding tax for a complete business plan, more if you need to make changes after the initial version (which happens frequently after the initial meetings with lenders or investors).

You also need to be careful when seeking investment. Investors want their money to be used to grow the business, not spent on consulting fees. Therefore, the amount you spend on business plan writing services (and other consulting services such as legal services) needs to be negligible relative to the amount raised.

The other drawback is that you usually don't own the business plan itself: you just get the output, while the actual document is saved in the consultant's business plan software - which makes it difficult to maintain the document up to date without hiring the consultant on a retainer.

For these reasons, outsourcing the pet grooming salon business plan to a business plan writer should be considered carefully, weighing both the advantages and disadvantages of hiring outside help.

Ultimately, it may be the right decision for some businesses, while others may find it beneficial to write their business plan using online software.

Why not create your pet grooming salon's business plan using Word or Excel?

I must advise against using Microsoft Excel and Word (or their Google, Apple, or open-source equivalents) to write your pet grooming salon business plan. Let me explain why.

Firstly, creating an accurate and error-free financial forecast on Excel (or any spreadsheet) is highly technical and requires a strong grasp of accounting principles and financial modelling skills. It is, therefore, unlikely that anyone will fully trust your numbers unless you have both a degree in finance and accounting and significant financial modelling experience, like us at The Business Plan Shop.

Secondly, relying on spreadsheets is inefficient. While it may have been the only option in the past, technology has advanced significantly, and software can now perform these tasks much faster and with greater accuracy. With the rise of AI, software can even help us detect mistakes in forecasts and analyze the numbers for better decision-making.

And with the rise of AI, software is also becoming smarter at helping us detect mistakes in our forecasts and helping us analyse the numbers to make better decisions.

Moreover, software makes it easier to compare actuals versus forecasts and maintain up-to-date forecasts to keep visibility on future cash flows, as we discussed earlier in this guide. This task is cumbersome when using spreadsheets.

Now, let's talk about the written part of your pet grooming salon business plan. While it may be less error-prone, using software can bring tremendous gains in productivity. Word processors, for example, lack instructions and examples for each part of your business plan. They also won't automatically update your numbers when changes occur in your forecast, and they don't handle formatting for you.

Overall, while Word or Excel may seem viable for some entrepreneurs to create a business plan, it's by far becoming an antiquated way of doing things.

• A business plan has 2 complementary parts: a financial forecast showcasing the expected growth, profits and cash flows of the business; and a written part which provides the context needed to judge if the forecast is realistic and relevant.
• Having an up-to-date business plan is the only way to keep visibility on your pet grooming salon's future cash flows.
• Using business plan software is the modern way of writing and maintaining business plans.

We hope that this practical guide gave you insights on how to write the business plan for your pet grooming salon. Do not hesitate to get in touch with our team if you still have questions.

Also on The Business Plan Shop

• In-depth business plan structure
• Key steps to write a business plan?
• Free business plan template

Know someone who owns or wants to start a pet grooming salon? Share this article with them!

Founder & CEO at The Business Plan Shop Ltd

Guillaume Le Brouster is a seasoned entrepreneur and financier.

Guillaume has been an entrepreneur for more than a decade and has first-hand experience of starting, running, and growing a successful business.

Prior to being a business owner, Guillaume worked in investment banking and private equity, where he spent most of his time creating complex financial forecasts, writing business plans, and analysing financial statements to make financing and investment decisions.

Guillaume holds a Master's Degree in Finance from ESCP Business School and a Bachelor of Science in Business & Management from Paris Dauphine University.

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How to Open a Pet Grooming Business

The most basic service for a pet grooming business is, of course, basic grooming and cleaning services. However, there is a growing market for services such as facials and other pampering services for the animals as well. Some grooming businesses focus on a certain kind of animal, such as only working with dogs, while others offer more diverse services for a more diverse range of animals.

Learn how to start your own Pet Grooming Business and whether it is the right fit for you.

Ready to form your LLC? Check out the Top LLC Formation Services .

Start a pet grooming business by following these 10 steps:

• Plan your Pet Grooming Business
• Form your Pet Grooming Business into a Legal Entity
• Register your Pet Grooming Business for Taxes
• Open a Business Bank Account & Credit Card
• Set up Accounting for your Pet Grooming Business
• Get the Necessary Permits & Licenses for your Pet Grooming Business
• Get Pet Grooming Business Insurance
• Define your Pet Grooming Business Brand
• Create your Pet Grooming Business Website
• Set up your Business Phone System

We have put together this simple guide to starting your pet grooming business. These steps will ensure that your new business is well planned out, registered properly and legally compliant.

Exploring your options? Check out other small business ideas .

STEP 1: Plan your business

A clear plan is essential for success as an entrepreneur. It will help you map out the specifics of your business and discover some unknowns. A few important topics to consider are:

What will you name your business?

• What are the startup and ongoing costs?
• Who is your target market?

How much can you charge customers?

Luckily we have done a lot of this research for you.

Choosing the right name is important and challenging. If you don’t already have a name in mind, visit our How to Name a Business guide or get help brainstorming a name with our Pet Grooming Business Name Generator

If you operate a sole proprietorship , you might want to operate under a business name other than your own name. Visit our DBA guide to learn more.

When registering a business name , we recommend researching your business name by checking:

• Your state's business records
• Federal and state trademark records
• Social media platforms
• Web domain availability .

It's very important to secure your domain name before someone else does.

Want some help naming your pet grooming business?

Business name generator, what are the costs involved in opening a pet grooming business.

The costs of opening a pet grooming business can be particularly low if you are able to operate out of your own home or operate in a mobile fashion (such as visiting pet owners' homes or working with local kennels). Doing so eliminates most of the overhead associated with the business and reduces the start-up costs primarily to obtaining high-quality tools and advertising your services. The costs of the tools you will need (which include clippers, shears, slicker brush, blades, smock, and greyhound comb) can cost up to $1000. Additional grooming supplies (including shampoo, conditioner, nail clippers, safety supplies, hydraulic drier, and a grooming table) can cost a little over $1000. These represent the bare essentials for your business, and if you choose to specialize in certain services (such as the aforementioned pet facials), it will necessitate additional tools and supplies. Aside from this, you must invest in advertising your business; consider a minimum of $1000 for “traditional” advertising (including radio, print, and possibly television) to start with, along with social media and advertisement via your own website which are, aside from your time investment, free.

What are the ongoing expenses for a pet grooming business?

The beauty of a small grooming business is that its ongoing costs are very small. As mentioned above, operating out of your own home, a kennel or pet store, or simply traveling to customers' homes eliminates the need for costly rent and utilities. Your primary ongoing expenses are cleaning supplies and advertising. While the exact charge varies depending on how busy you are, it should take $100 or less each month to obtain a few gallons of shampoo/conditioner (this should cost twenty dollars or less per gallon and, for most pets, be good for about a hundred baths) and to replenish safety supplies and minor equipment. Beyond that, you are paying for ongoing advertisement, and you should probably spend less than five percent of projected annual profits on this; once you are established, much of your traffic will come from referrals, social media engagement, and networking within your community.

Who is the target market?

Arguably, the best clients for a pet grooming business are those who have had their pets for several years. This is because those whose pets are younger (and the owners themselves may also be younger) tend to be overprotective and nervous about leaving their animal in the care of others. Veteran pet owners are more experienced in the process of bringing their pet to the groomer, so they will often have fewer concerns about leaving their pet in your care. 

How does a pet grooming business make money?

At the most basic level, a pet grooming business makes money by charging different charges for its various services. In this way, it is not too dissimilar from a regular salon. So, you would charge customers a fixed amount for a haircut on their pet, and another amount for things like baths, facials, and so on. This means that becoming more proficient at completing these services will translate to more money each month for your business.

A good “average” to keep in mind for a pet haircut is around fifty dollars, though it is wise to consider charging more for particularly large dogs, as those jobs tend to take longer. This price typically includes bathing the animal, clipping its nails, and cleaning its ears, though you may consider charging a lower amount for someone wanting these services separately without the haircut itself. For an average of about ten dollars, you may consider services such as brushing the animal's teeth, de-matting its fur, removing odors, and so on. You should also charge between ten and thirty dollars more to cut without clippers, and if your business involves traveling to the owner's home, it is proper to charge a convenience fee between ten and fifteen dollars more.

How much profit can a pet grooming business make?

Pet grooming is a potentially very profitable business, with some estimates saying that a successful business can bring in anywhere between $75,000 and $100,000 per year. While there are startup ideas with higher potential profits, the very low cost to start this business and the extremely low ongoing expenses mean that the vast majority of that income goes directly to your pocket.

How can you make your business more profitable?

Consider selling other items and services related to pets to make your grooming business more profitable. Some groomers have a sideline job of selling specialty pet tubs to owners who want to wash their pets themselves, for instance, while others make good extra money selling everything from unique animal toys to special animal treats. There is a market for everything from grooming equipment to animal clothing, and the more you can situate your business as a “one-stop-shop” for pet owners, the more potential customers you will have!

Want a more guided approach? Access TRUiC's free Small Business Startup Guide - a step-by-step course for turning your business idea into reality. Get started today!

STEP 2: Form a legal entity

The most common business structure types are the sole proprietorship , partnership , limited liability company (LLC) , and corporation .

Establishing a legal business entity such as an LLC or corporation protects you from being held personally liable if your pet grooming business is sued.

Form Your LLC

Read our Guide to Form Your Own LLC

Have a Professional Service Form your LLC for You

Two such reliable services:

You can form an LLC yourself and pay only the minimal state LLC costs or hire one of the Best LLC Services for a small, additional fee.

Recommended: You will need to elect a registered agent for your LLC. LLC formation packages usually include a free year of registered agent services . You can choose to hire a registered agent or act as your own.

STEP 3: Register for taxes

You will need to register for a variety of state and federal taxes before you can open for business.

In order to register for taxes you will need to apply for an EIN. It's really easy and free!

You can acquire your EIN through the IRS website . If you would like to learn more about EINs, read our article, What is an EIN?

There are specific state taxes that might apply to your business. Learn more about state sales tax and franchise taxes in our state sales tax guides.

STEP 4: Open a business bank account & credit card

Using dedicated business banking and credit accounts is essential for personal asset protection.

When your personal and business accounts are mixed, your personal assets (your home, car, and other valuables) are at risk in the event your business is sued. In business law, this is referred to as piercing your corporate veil .

Open a business bank account

Besides being a requirement when applying for business loans, opening a business bank account:

• Separates your personal assets from your company's assets, which is necessary for personal asset protection.
• Makes accounting and tax filing easier.

Recommended: Read our Best Banks for Small Business review to find the best national bank or credit union.

Get a business credit card

Getting a business credit card helps you:

• Separate personal and business expenses by putting your business' expenses all in one place.
• Build your company's credit history , which can be useful to raise money later on.

Recommended: Apply for an easy approval business credit card from BILL and build your business credit quickly.

STEP 5: Set up business accounting

Recording your various expenses and sources of income is critical to understanding the financial performance of your business. Keeping accurate and detailed accounts also greatly simplifies your annual tax filing.

Make LLC accounting easy with our LLC Expenses Cheat Sheet.

STEP 6: Obtain necessary permits and licenses

Failure to acquire necessary permits and licenses can result in hefty fines, or even cause your business to be shut down.

State & Local Business Licensing Requirements

Certain state permits and licenses may be needed to operate a pet grooming business business. Learn more about licensing requirements in your state by visiting SBA’s reference to state licenses and permits .

STEP 7: Get business insurance

Just as with licenses and permits, your business needs insurance in order to operate safely and lawfully. Business Insurance protects your company’s financial wellbeing in the event of a covered loss.

There are several types of insurance policies created for different types of businesses with different risks. If you’re unsure of the types of risks that your business may face, begin with General Liability Insurance . This is the most common coverage that small businesses need, so it’s a great place to start for your business.

Another notable insurance policy that many businesses need is Workers’ Compensation Insurance . If your business will have employees, it’s a good chance that your state will require you to carry Workers' Compensation Coverage.

FInd out what types of insurance your Pet Grooming Business needs and how much it will cost you by reading our guide Business Insurance for Pet Grooming Business.

STEP 8: Define your brand

Your brand is what your company stands for, as well as how your business is perceived by the public. A strong brand will help your business stand out from competitors.

If you aren't feeling confident about designing your small business logo, then check out our Design Guides for Beginners , we'll give you helpful tips and advice for creating the best unique logo for your business.

Recommended : Get a logo using Truic's free logo Generator no email or sign up required, or use a Premium Logo Maker .

If you already have a logo, you can also add it to a QR code with our Free QR Code Generator . Choose from 13 QR code types to create a code for your business cards and publications, or to help spread awareness for your new website.

How to promote & market a pet grooming business

As mentioned above, traditional advertising can work well, including radio ads and print ads. Television ads are also effective, but can sometimes be cost-prohibitive when you are starting out. Printing out business cards is an affordable and easy method of advertising your business, and if you already have a good relationship with local vets, kennels, and pet stores, you may be able to advertise your services there. Consider creating a professional webpage as well as a social media presence, both of which increase customer engagement long after you first establish them.

How to keep customers coming back

In addition to the aforementioned methods of advertisement, consider attracting customers by offering discounts and free services (say, a free haircut with a bath) in order to help establish your quality. Consider a rewards program that continues to offer some of those discounts and freebies to frequent customers and those who refer others to you. Also, consider holding pet-related events to draw community interest; these may include parties where customers can meet each other, enjoy snacks and drinks, and buy discounted products and services; as an added inducement, you can give a portion of the proceeds to local shelters and other animal rescue agencies.

STEP 9: Create your business website

After defining your brand and creating your logo the next step is to create a website for your business .

While creating a website is an essential step, some may fear that it’s out of their reach because they don’t have any website-building experience. While this may have been a reasonable fear back in 2015, web technology has seen huge advancements in the past few years that makes the lives of small business owners much simpler.

Here are the main reasons why you shouldn’t delay building your website:

• All legitimate businesses have websites - full stop. The size or industry of your business does not matter when it comes to getting your business online.
• Social media accounts like Facebook pages or LinkedIn business profiles are not a replacement for a business website that you own.
• Website builder tools like the GoDaddy Website Builder have made creating a basic website extremely simple. You don’t need to hire a web developer or designer to create a website that you can be proud of.

Recommended : Get started today using our recommended website builder or check out our review of the Best Website Builders .

Other popular website builders are: WordPress , WIX , Weebly , Squarespace , and Shopify .

STEP 10: Set up your business phone system

Getting a phone set up for your business is one of the best ways to help keep your personal life and business life separate and private. That’s not the only benefit; it also helps you make your business more automated, gives your business legitimacy, and makes it easier for potential customers to find and contact you.

There are many services available to entrepreneurs who want to set up a business phone system. We’ve reviewed the top companies and rated them based on price, features, and ease of use. Check out our review of the Best Business Phone Systems 2023 to find the best phone service for your small business.

Recommended Business Phone Service: Phone.com

Phone.com is our top choice for small business phone numbers because of all the features it offers for small businesses and it's fair pricing.

Is this Business Right For You?

First and foremost, this is a job for animal lovers. Both cleaning and grooming the animals require that the animals be relatively calm, so someone who is good with pets will have an easier time completing these tasks. On the flip side, this job is also good for those who are good with people, as you must be able to convince pet owners who highly value their pets that you will take care of their beloved animal without hurting it.

Want to know if you are cut out to be an entrepreneur?

Take our Entrepreneurship Quiz to find out!

Entrepreneurship Quiz

What happens during a typical day at a pet grooming business?

The exact nature of your daily activities will vary somewhat depending on where you conduct business. Some groomers work in their own homes, some work in the homes of pet owners, and still others work in places like kennels or coordinate with local pet stores. Regardless of location, daily activities including returning calls and emails, cleaning and grooming animals (including cutting and brushing fur, cleaning animals' ears, clipping their nails, and styling their fur), sanitizing your equipment, and providing detailed follow-up reports to pet owners.

What are some skills and experiences that will help you build a successful pet grooming business?

One immediately useful skill for this business is prior grooming experience. While there are formal training plans available, this experience can also be obtained by working for someone else's grooming business or simply “practicing” by grooming the pets of various friends and family members. It is also helpful to already have a positive relationship with local vets and pet stores so that you can get referrals from their customers.

What is the growth potential for a pet grooming business?

The growth potential for a pet grooming business is relatively steady. Some research estimates that the jobs in this market will grow by over 20 percent through 2018. This is a direct indicator of the market for such a business, so your own business could very well corner this niche market of a community.

Not sure if a pet grooming business is right for you? Try our free Business Idea Generator and find your perfect idea.

TRUiC's YouTube Channel

For fun informative videos about starting a business visit the TRUiC YouTube Channel or subscribe to view later.

Take the Next Step

Find a business mentor.

One of the greatest resources an entrepreneur can have is quality mentorship. As you start planning your business, connect with a free business resource near you to get the help you need.

Having a support network in place to turn to during tough times is a major factor of success for new business owners.

Learn from other business owners

Want to learn more about starting a business from entrepreneurs themselves? Visit Startup Savant’s startup founder series to gain entrepreneurial insights, lessons, and advice from founders themselves.

Resources to Help Women in Business

There are many resources out there specifically for women entrepreneurs. We’ve gathered necessary and useful information to help you succeed both professionally and personally:

If you’re a woman looking for some guidance in entrepreneurship, check out this great new series Women in Business created by the women of our partner Startup Savant.

What are some insider tips for jump starting a pet grooming business?

Obtaining a grooming certification can help establish the legitimacy of your business and bring in more customers. Observing and “shadowing” another groomer is a great way to learn the ins and outs of the business. Consider setting your business apart by offering sales and free samples of “extras” such as dog cologne, toothbrushes, and ear cleaners, which helps promote you as a kind of one-stop-shop for pet grooming and cleaning.

How and when to build a team

Like many businesses, the decision to build a team is contingent on a rise in your business. If you have too many people who need pet haircuts, baths, and so on than you can reasonably tackle, it's time to bring more people in. It is possible for you and others to still use either your home, each others' homes, or pet owners' homes in order to conduct business, which lets you maintain the attractively low overhead while doubling or tripling your business. This also represents an opportunity to cover multiple areas or cities under the same recognizable brand name. With a team that small, though, it is important to work out ahead of time what their pay will be in order to ensure your profits continue to grow.

Useful Links

Industry opportunities.

• National Dog Groomers Association of America
• National Association of Professional Creative Groomers
• Online Pet and Dog Grooming School
• Paid Tools and Resources for Starting a Pet Grooming Business

Real World Examples

• Mobile dog grooming business
• NYC dog grooming business
• Ann Arbor dog grooming business

Further Reading

• Sample Pet Grooming Business Plans
• Advice for starting a dog grooming business
• How to start a mobile dog grooming business
• A magazine catering to dog grooming businesses

Have a Question? Leave a Comment!

Pet Store Business Plan Template

Written by Dave Lavinsky

Pet Store Business Plan

Over the past 20+ years, we have helped over 500 entrepreneurs and business owners create business plans to start and grow their pet stores.

If you’re unfamiliar with creating a pet store business plan, you may think creating one will be a time-consuming and frustrating process. For most entrepreneurs it is, but for you, it won’t be since we’re here to help. We have the experience, resources, and knowledge to help you create a great business plan.

In this article, you will learn some background information on why business planning is important. Then, you will learn how to write a pet store business plan step-by-step so you can create your plan today.

Download our Ultimate Business Plan Template here >

What is a Pet Store Business Plan?

A business plan provides a snapshot of your pet store as it stands today, and lays out your growth plan for the next five years. It explains your business goals and your strategies for reaching them. It also includes market research to support your plans.

Why You Need a Business Plan for a Pet Store

If you’re looking to start a pet store or grow your existing pet store, you need a business plan. A business plan will help you raise funding, if needed, and plan out the growth of your pet store to improve your chances of success. Your pet store business plan is a living document that should be updated annually as your company grows and changes.

Sources of Funding for Pet Stores

With regards to funding, the main sources of funding for a pet store are personal savings, credit cards, bank loans, and angel investors. When it comes to bank loans, banks will want to review your business plan and gain confidence that you will be able to repay your loan and interest. To acquire this confidence, the loan officer will not only want to ensure that your financials are reasonable, but they will also want to see a professional plan. Such a plan will give them the confidence that you can successfully and professionally operate a business. Personal savings and bank loans are the most common funding paths for pet stores.

Finish Your Business Plan Today!

How to write a business plan for a pet store.

If you want to start a pet store or expand your current one, you need a business plan. The guide below details the necessary information for how to write each essential component of your pet store business plan.

Executive Summary

Your executive summary provides an introduction to your business plan, but it is normally the last section you write because it provides a summary of each key section of your plan.

The goal of your executive summary is to quickly engage the reader. Explain to them the kind of pet store you are running and the status. For example, are you a startup, do you have a pet store that you would like to grow, or are you operating a chain of pet stores?

Next, provide an overview of each of the subsequent sections of your plan.

• Give a brief overview of the pet store industry.
• Discuss the type of pet store you are operating.
• Detail your direct competitors. Give an overview of your target customers.
• Provide a snapshot of your marketing strategy. Identify the key members of your team.
• Offer an overview of your financial plan.

Company Overview

In your company overview, you will detail the type of pet store you are operating.

For example, you might specialize in one of the following types of pet stores:

• Live animal pet store: This type of business primarily sells live animals (rather than pet supplies) and may specialize in a certain type of pet such as birds, fish, cats, or dogs.
• Pet supply store: This type of pet store sells supplies, food, and toys for domestic pets including dogs, cats, birds, fish, hamsters, and guinea pigs.
• Specialty animal pet store: This type of pet store specializes in particular types of animal such as reptiles or farm animals and usually carries supplies designed for these specific animals.
• Puppies: This type of pet store specializes in breeding and selling puppies specifically. This type of pet store may also carry a variety of puppy supplies, food, and toys.

In addition to explaining the type of pet store you will operate, the company overview needs to provide background on the business.

Include answers to questions such as:

• When and why did you start the business?
• What milestones have you achieved to date? Milestones could include the number of customers served, the number of pets sold, and reaching $X amount in revenue, etc.
• Your legal business Are you incorporated as an S-Corp? An LLC? A sole proprietorship? Explain your legal structure here.

Industry Analysis

In your industry or market analysis, you need to provide an overview of the pet store industry. While this may seem unnecessary, it serves multiple purposes.

First, researching the pet store industry educates you. It helps you understand the market in which you are operating.

Secondly, market research can improve your marketing strategy, particularly if your analysis identifies market trends.

The third reason is to prove to readers that you are an expert in your industry. By conducting the research and presenting it in your plan, you achieve just that.

The following questions should be answered in the industry analysis section of your pet store business plan:

• How big is the pet store industry (in dollars)?
• Is the market declining or increasing?
• Who are the key competitors in the market?
• Who are the key suppliers in the market?
• What trends are affecting the industry?
• What is the industry’s growth forecast over the next 5 – 10 years?
• What is the relevant market size? That is, how big is the potential target market for your pet store? You can extrapolate such a figure by assessing the size of the market in the entire country and then applying that figure to your local population.

Customer Analysis

The customer analysis section of your pet store business plan must detail the customers you serve and/or expect to serve.

The following are examples of customer segments: individuals, schools, families, and corporations.

As you can imagine, the customer segment(s) you choose will have a great impact on the type of pet store you operate. Clearly, individuals would respond to different marketing promotions than corporations, for example.

Try to break out your target customers in terms of their demographic and psychographic profiles. With regards to demographics, including a discussion of the ages, genders, locations, and income levels of the potential customers you seek to serve.

Psychographic profiles explain the wants and needs of your target customers. The more you can recognize and define these needs, the better you will do in attracting and retaining your customers.

Finish Your Pet Store Business Plan in 1 Day!

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Competitive Analysis

Your competitive analysis should identify the indirect and direct competitors your business faces and then focus on the latter.

Direct competitors are other pet stores.

Indirect competitors are other options that customers have to purchase from that aren’t directly competing with your product or service. This includes other types of pet stores, big-box pet supply chains (such as Petco or PetsMart), or online pet stores. You need to mention such competition as well.

For each such competitor, provide an overview of their business and document their strengths and weaknesses. Unless you once worked at your competitors’ businesses, it will be impossible to know everything about them. But you should be able to find out key things about them such as

• What types of customers do they serve?
• What type of pet store are they?
• What is their pricing (premium, low, etc.)?
• What are they good at?
• What are their weaknesses?

With regards to the last two questions, think about your answers from the customers’ perspective. And don’t be afraid to ask your competitors’ customers what they like most and least about them.

The final part of your competitive analysis section is to document your areas of competitive advantage. For example:

• Will you make it easier for customers to acquire your product or service?
• Will you offer products or services that your competition doesn’t?
• Will you provide better customer service?
• Will you offer better pricing?

Think about ways you will outperform your competition and document them in this section of your plan.  

Marketing Plan

Traditionally, a marketing plan includes the four P’s: Product, Price, Place, and Promotion. For a pet store business plan, your marketing strategy should include the following:

Product : In the product section, you should reiterate the type of pet store that you documented in your company overview. Then, detail the specific products or services you will be offering. For example, will you provide pet food, kennels, toys, or live animals?

Price : Document the prices you will offer and how they compare to your competitors. Essentially in the product and price sub-sections of your plan, you are presenting the products and/or services you offer and their prices.

Place : Place refers to the site of your pet store. Document where your company is situated and mention how the site will impact your success. For example, is your pet store located in a busy retail district, a business district, a standalone storefront, or purely online? Discuss how your site might be the ideal location for your customers.

Promotions : The final part of your pet store marketing plan is where you will document how you will drive potential customers to your location(s). The following are some promotional methods you might consider:

• Advertise in local papers, radio stations and/or magazines
• Reach out to websites
• Distribute flyers
• Engage in email marketing
• Advertise on social media platforms
• Improve the SEO (search engine optimization) on your website for targeted keywords

Operations Plan

While the earlier sections of your business plan explained your goals, your operations plan describes how you will meet them. Your operations plan should have two distinct sections as follows.

Everyday short-term processes include all of the tasks involved in running your pet store, including answering calls, greeting customers, cleaning the store, collecting payments from customers, etc.

Long-term goals are the milestones you hope to achieve. These could include the dates when you expect to acquire your Xth customers,  or when you hope to reach $X in revenue. It could also be when you expect to expand your pet store to a new city.  

Management Team

To demonstrate your pet store’s potential to succeed, a strong management team is essential. Highlight your key players’ backgrounds, emphasizing those skills and experiences that prove their ability to grow a company.

Ideally, you and/or your team members have direct experience in managing pet stores. If so, highlight this experience and expertise. But also highlight any experience that you think will help your business succeed.

If your team is lacking, consider assembling an advisory board. An advisory board would include 2 to 8 individuals who would act as mentors to your business. They would help answer questions and provide strategic guidance. If needed, look for advisory board members with experience in managing a pet store.  

Financial Plan

Your financial plan should include your 5-year financial statement broken out both monthly or quarterly for the first year and then annually. Your financial statements include your income statement, balance sheet, and cash flow statements.

Income Statement

An income statement is more commonly called a Profit and Loss statement or P&L. It shows your revenue and then subtracts your costs to show whether you turned a profit or not.

In developing your income statement, you need to devise assumptions. For example, will you expect to serve an average of 20 customers per day, and will you offer a discount for repeat shoppers? And will sales grow by 2% or 10% per year? As you can imagine, your choice of assumptions will greatly impact the financial forecasts for your business. As much as possible, conduct research to try to root your assumptions in reality.

Balance Sheets

Balance sheets show your assets and liabilities. While balance sheets can include much information, try to simplify them to the key items you need to know about. For instance, if you spend $50,000 on building out your pet store, this will not give you immediate profits. Rather it is an asset that will hopefully help you generate profits for years to come. Likewise, if a lender writes you a check for $50,000, you don’t need to pay it back immediately. Rather, that is a liability you will pay back over time.

Cash Flow Statement

Your cash flow statement will help determine how much money you need to start or grow your business, and ensure you never run out of money. What most entrepreneurs and business owners don’t realize is that you can turn a profit but run out of money and go bankrupt.

When creating your Income Statement and Balance Sheets be sure to include several of the key costs needed in starting or growing a pet store:

• Cost of equipment and pet store supplies
• Payroll or salaries paid to staff
• Business insurance
• Other start-up expenses (if you’re a new business) like legal expenses, permits, computer software, and equipment

Attach your full financial projections in the appendix of your plan along with any supporting documents that make your plan more compelling. For example, you might include your pet store location lease or photos of the different types of animals that can be found in your store.  

Writing a business plan for your pet store is a worthwhile endeavor. If you follow the template above, by the time you are done, you will truly be an expert. You will understand the pet store industry, your competition, and your customers. You will develop a marketing strategy and will understand what it takes to launch and grow a successful pet store.  

Pet Store Business Plan FAQs

What is the easiest way to complete my pet store business plan.

Growthink's Ultimate Business Plan Template allows you to quickly and easily write your pet store business plan.

How Do You Start a Pet Store Business?

Starting a pet store business is easy with these 14 steps:

• Choose the Name for Your Pet Store Business
• Create Your Pet Store Business Plan
• Choose the Legal Structure for Your Pet Store Business
• Secure Startup Funding for Your Pet Store Business (If Needed)
• Secure a Location for Your Business
• Register Your Pet Store Business with the IRS
• Open a Business Bank Account
• Get a Business Credit Card
• Get the Required Business Licenses and Permits
• Get Business Insurance for Your Pet Store Business
• Buy or Lease the Right Pet Store Business Equipment
• Develop Your Pet Store Business Marketing Materials
• Purchase and Setup the Software Needed to Run Your Pet Store Business
• Open for Business

Learn more about how to start your own pet store business .

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Other Helpful Business Plan Articles & Templates

Dog Daycare Business Plan: The 2022 Getting Started Guide

BUSINESS  |   3/13/20 2:30 AM  |  by Gingr

So, you’ve decided to start a doggy daycare. Maybe you’re a huge “dog person,” or maybe you’ve noticed a need in your community and are ready to fill that space with what will hopefully be a profitable venture.

Regardless of what’s landed you here, there are quite a few steps between choosing to open a dog daycare business and actually welcoming your first furry guest. This guide will provide an overview of everything you need to get started with your dog daycare business plan. After reading it, you’ll hopefully have a good foundation to begin brainstorming for your new venture.

While this guide dives into the basics, there’s still a decent amount of information to dive into. Feel free to navigate to a specific section of this guide if you know what you’re looking for. If not, continue reading to get started.

How to Start a Doggy Daycare: FAQs

How do you start a dog daycare business.

Before you begin accepting reservations and purchasing every dog toy you can get your hands on, there are a ton of business considerations to work through for your dog daycare.

Creating a dog business plan is the first place to start. In your business plan, you’ll define:

• An objective and mission for your business.
• Your cohesive brand and marketing strategy.
• Your competition and how you’ll stand out from the crowd.
• The facilities you’re going to utilize.
• How you’ll remain profitable, addressing costs and revenue.

You’ll need to decide where your business will be located, who you’ll be working with, which services you’ll offer, and which tools and software you need to offer those services. You’ll need to decide all of this— as well as how you’ll fund the venture overall— before actually putting any of these plans into action.

Do I need a license to start my dog daycare?

You will likely need specific licensing to start your dog daycare facility.

For starters, you’ll need to obtain the proper business licenses required of any start-up. While some businesses will need federal licenses (ex: restaurants selling alcohol), your doggy daycare licenses will probably be handled on the state and local levels.

Each state and locality handles this licensing differently, from which types of licenses are required to the requirements needed to fulfill such licenses. For example, some states require different permits and licenses for dog daycares versus dog kennels , with the key difference being dog kennels also house animals overnight. Other states might l have stricter zoning and size requirements for businesses looking after animals.

Because of that, your best bet is to contact your state and local licensing bodies for definite answers. While it might be frustrating digging into your region’s laws, remember these requirements are aimed at keeping the animals in your care as safe and healthy as possible.

How much can you earn owning a dog daycare?

When it comes to the earning potential of a dog daycare, the answer will vary depending on your specific circumstances.

There are a ton of factors that go into how much you can earn owning a dog daycare, including:

• The services you provide (daily dog care, grooming services, overnight care, etc.).
• How you price services.
• How money-savvy you are once operational.
• The need for such a business in your community.

Every aspect is unique to your personal situation, including your initial investment, the pricing of licenses and permits in your area, and even the cost of daily operations.

As you continue reading, you’re going to explore various profit equations. Use those equations to predict the daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly profitability of your dog daycare under certain estimated circumstances.

Profitability of a Dog Daycare Business: Key Considerations

While we’d love to say your dog daycare business can sustain itself on a love for dogs alone , that’s just not the case. To open your dream business and keep it open, you have to stay profitable throughout the process.

As you’ll see, this requires your revenue to outweigh your costs. This means the payments you’re receiving from customers have to (collectively) be more than the cost of providing those services. The costs include rent, staff wages, utilities, and dog-care specifics such as pet-care management software, animal-friendly cleaning products, dog treats and food, and any other costs of operation.

There are a ton of variables to juggle to ensure your dog daycare is profitable. Use the following equations and considerations to help make sense of it all.

The Profit Equation

No surprise here— but keeping the doors open to your doggy daycare requires keeping the business profitable overall. This requires ensuring your incoming revenue is higher than your outgoing costs, which is where the profit equation comes into play.

First, let’s look at a few key terms in this equation:

• Revenue: This refers to the price you’re charging for services multiplied by the number of services you deliver by that price. So, for example, if you charge $25 per day for daycare services, and care for 50 dogs on a given day, your revenue is $1,250 for that day.
• Variable Costs: This refers to the business operation costs that change day-to-day, varying with how busy you are at any given moment. This includes hourly staff wages, providing food to animals (if you do so for free), or cleaning services linked to the number of animals in your care at any moment.
• Fixed Costs: This refers to your operational costs that have little variation. For example, monthly rent and insurance payments are a fixed cost.
• X: The “X” refers to the unknown variable that affects how your revenue or variable costs are changed (multiplied) for the number of dogs in your care. So, how much revenue you’re making with X number of dogs and how high your variable costs are with X number of dogs.

Essentially, to successfully operate a doggy daycare, your profit has to be positive. This is a large overview calculation, and now we’ll break it down into more specific considerations.

Gross Profit

Gross profit refers to the profit your dog daycare business makes after you deduct the costs associated with providing your services. Specifically, this looks at the money you make with one particular transaction compared to the cost of providing that service.

Let’s define a few key terms:

• Revenue: In this equation, revenue refers to the profit brought in per dog cared for. For example, $25 for one dog, one day.
• Cost of Goods/Services Sold: This variable refers to the cost of providing dog daycare services for one dog. This includes hourly wages represented in that dog’s stay, the cost of receiving and processing payments, and any other costs related to managing one sale of your services.

This equation adds specificity to the original profit equation by telling you the profit your daycare makes from each and every dog in your care. Essentially, the equation gives you a variable profit multiplier— a number to multiply by the number of dogs in your care at any given time to calculate that day’s profit.

Net Operating Profit

Net operating profit expands upon the gross profit equation, adding fixed costs to your considerations. Rather than looking at one transaction (ex: one dog cared for on one day of operations), this equation looks at your total revenue and operating costs over a time period.

The goal of this equation is to see how much of your revenue will translate to profit. Because it is an equation looking at finances over time, it’s essential that you keep time units consistent across the board.

• Net Profit: This number is a representation of your gross profit (refer to the previous section) over time. Essentially, the net profit equation looks like this: Net Profit = (Gross Profit Per Dog x Number of Dogs) x Number of Days in Time Period
• Total Fixed Expenses: This represents your fixed costs across a time period. For example, $10,000 per month.

This is similar to the general profit equation from the first section. The key difference is that net operating profit combines the Revenue and Variable Costs sections into one overall Net Profit variable.

Pricing as Branding

While it’s essential that each of these equations results in a positive profit for your dog daycare to stay afloat, there are other important considerations to make when setting your business’s prices.

How you choose to price your services sends a strong message to your customers, and setting these limits too low (or high!) can give a negative first impression.

This pricing tells potential customers where your business lies in the market of doggy daycare services. If your pricing is too low, customers may fear you’re providing sub-par services to provide discount pricing. On the other hand, if your pricing is particularly high, you’ll have to make a strong case for the investment. If your pricing is too complicated , you’re likely to deter customers as well.

Many dog daycare businesses have found success in providing higher-quality service (for example, a lower dog-to-staff ratio) paired with a slightly higher price point. In that case, it’s essential that you support your pricing with a strong branding strategy, great first impressions, and a positive customer experience reputation.

If all of these equations and considerations seem a bit overwhelming, don’t fret— Gingr has put a lot of thought into dog daycare profitability. Check out our Doggy Daycare Profitability Model Spreadsheet to begin your profit analysis.

Elements of a Winning Dog Daycare Business Plan

A serious love for animals and a knowledge of profit equations aren’t enough to build and grow your future dog daycare business— there are a few other elements that are necessary for any successful dog kennel business plan.

With that, let’s explore the essential elements of a successful dog daycare business plan:

Define Your Brand

Dogs are often cherished as family members themselves, so for their human counterparts to feel comfortable leaving them in your care is a huge decision. Branding your dog daycare or kennel effectively is how you show these owners that you’re the right fit for their four-legged friend.

There are two steps to this— defining your brand and communicating that brand.

When defining your brand, consider what makes your dog daycare stand out from the others in your community. What makes you and your staff so passionate about caring for pets? What makes your approach to pet-care superior to others in your field?

For example, maybe your daycare specializes in providing care to senior dogs, centering your branding around a laid-back, relaxed atmosphere. Or, maybe your key selling point is the expertise of your staff, who have advanced experience in puppy etiquette and training. Find your key selling point and brand accordingly.

From there, it’s essential that this brand is consistent across all communications you have with potential and current customers. Your facility itself, your website, your social network profiles, and any advertisements and direct communications you send out should convey this consistent branding.  

Know Your Competition

This is where you get into the nitty-gritty of what makes your doggy daycare better than others in your community. We know that competition is increasing in the dog daycare realm, both in more traditional daycare settings and newer home pet-care camera technology.

Research other local facilities and popular options to ensure you’re offering features that make you stand out from the crowd. Some ways to truly make your mark as the premier dog daycare facility in your community are:

• Set competitive pricing compared to others in your area providing similar services. Don’t make the mistake of setting your pricing significantly higher or lower than your competition, as you’ll stand out for all of the wrong reasons.
• Offer a peek into your operations. Streaming video from inside your facility (ex: in a dog play yard) and sending home a doggy report card reassure owners that your daycare is a safe, fun space for their pets.
• Leverage convenient, customer-oriented software tools. Manage your operations using software made for dog daycare businesses, with convenient online booking and payment, one-click check-in, and easily managed recurring services.

If branding is the key to making customers feel emotionally comfortable sending their dogs to your daycare, standing out from your competition is the key to making them logically comfortable.

Choose the Right Facilities

To successfully open a dog daycare or kennel, you also have to invest in superb facilities. Choosing your space is often a balance of two desires:

• Having enough space (and maybe even built-out facilities) to provide the best care possible to your customers.
• Being within your budget to not diminish the profitability of your business overall.

Because choosing a facility is an investment, you’ll want to really do your research before settling into one location.

Remember that each state and locality will have different statutes and zoning laws playing into your facilities as well. From where in the community you’re allowed to set up shop, to how large your facilities need to be— there’s a decent chance your state and local government have an opinion on what’s acceptable as well. 

Leverage Effective Software

You’ll soon realize that analog methods of managing your business will be ineffective as it expands and grows. Your best bet is to invest in the right dog daycare software from the start , allowing it to scale with the business as it grows.

However, if you’re new to the dog daycare business (or simply looking to improve operations), you may not be familiar with this type of software. Start by evaluating what your customers and staffers are looking for in a software solution. Popular features to look for in a pet-care software solution are:

• Client and pet management features. This includes unlimited client profiles with photos, paperless waivers and other signed agreements, hidden internal staff notes for specific clients, and easy access to vaccination records, to name a few.
• Online booking and customer portal. This should be mobile-friendly, allow for digital signing of waivers and uploading of vet records, have the ability to collect deposits online, and even let customers view photos and videos of their pets. Plus, you should be able to customize the services, features, and forms available through online booking.
• Reservation management features. Look for easy customization of reservation types and viewing of availability, both for your staff and customers. Further, look for simple check-in/check-out procedures that still ensure you have all of the information needed to provide a safe stay.
• Communications features. Your customers will appreciate automatic communications for reservation confirmations and reminders, vaccination reminders, and report cards. Your staff will appreciate it when they don’t have to waste time manually sending these communications.
• Retail features. The ability to use your software as a point-of-sale system and offer add-on services and retail products will increase the profitability of your business.
• Marketing features. Top software can send SMS and email marketing communications quickly and easily. Further, you should be able to easily filter your customers and customize communications to them accordingly.
• Staff management features. Features to manage your staff, such as personalized to-do lists, commission tracking, a time-clock with associated reports, and even specialist scheduling (groomer, trainer) will drastically improve your internal processes.

Choosing the right software from the start will set your business up for success going forward. You’ll cut down on staff costs, lessen the risk of error, and stand out from the crowd with customer-facing features.

At Gingr, we’ve been working to create the best pet-care software platform possible for business owners like yourself. Contact us today for more information on our solutions.

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Animal Day Care Business Plan

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Doggie Pause

Executive summary executive summary is a brief introduction to your business plan. it describes your business, the problem that it solves, your target market, and financial highlights.">.

Doggie Pause is a canine daycare facility catering to professionals who have disposable income and the desire to provide quality care for their pets while they are work. It is a response to a real market need in a high-end high-income market.

1.1 Objectives

• To launch the business and develop sales approaching $25K per month by the end of the first year.
• To break even in the second year, and be profitable by the third year.
• To increase sales by 20% per year in the second and third year while also becoming profitable.

1.2 Mission

We will be the leaders in the market of canine care for the upscale community by providing a positive environment for the animals that we house. Our operations will instill in owners confidence in our ability to care for their pets in appropriate ways. We will control significant market share and increase profit as we grow and expand. We will develop our business conservatively, financing our growth through operational revenue.

1.3 Keys to Success

• The initial location will be in an upscale community on the outskirts of the metropolitan area.
• We will cater to the needs of our canine owners as much as possible.
• We will uphold the statement ‘the customer is always right’ because when it comes to canines, owners know best.
• The business finances will be run in an organized and timely manner.

Company Summary company overview ) is an overview of the most important points about your company—your history, management team, location, mission statement and legal structure.">

Doggie Pause will be established as a Subchapter S corporation owned in equal shares by two founders, Barque Oldeyeller and Rufe Rintintin. We are working with the local legal firm Akita, Shar-Pei, Pug & Kesshond, to establish the legal entity.

2.1 Start-up Summary

The start up for Doggie Pause will be simple and cost efficient. Rent and utilities will be the main expense, which will consist of a large building space and office. There will be many advertising expenses in the beginning that will promote the service, and this expense will lessen as months go on and people become aware of our service. Start-up inventory will be mainly shampoo and grooming supplies, food for the dogs, and other supplies like bedding. Assets will be the kennels and play structures for the dogs, and the bathing facilities.

Loans will be needed to start up the company, and we will also be investing some of our own funds. At this point we’re planning to invest $10,000 each as founders, and to take a small business loan of $42K. The loan will be paid off over three years as shown in the cash flow.

Doggie Pause offers upscale dog owners a place where they can leave their pets while at work, and away for weekend trips or on vacation. It also offers feeding and exercising, as well as washing, grooming and low-level veterinary services. The location will be a large lot on the outskirts of a high-income residential area. Our projections include a heavy rent because of the location requirements. Customers pay by the day, by the hour, or by the month. Our assumption is that the average customer generates about $250 per month. 

Market Analysis Summary how to do a market analysis for your business plan.">

The market for Doggie Pause is all of the dog owners in the metropolitan area and surrounding areas of the city. We believe that this is going to be 2/3 of the population, and we have a goal of gaining a 50% market share. We have a target of a 20% yearly profit increase as the business continues.

4.1 Target Market Segment Strategy

We have chosen our target market because they own canines and have the ability to afford a service such as Doggie Pause. We are aware that our service is an extra in life, not a necessity. We anticipate and expect to cater to the upper-class citizens within our geographical area.

4.2 Service Business Analysis

Our familiarity with this business indicates that the service we offer is not currently available anywhere within the metropolitan area. We think our marketing problem will be more a matter of making dog owners aware of the Doggie Pause, than it will be related to the competition.

4.3 Market Segmentation

Our target market consists of canine owners that have the financial capabilities to care for their dogs in an elaborate manner. Most will be from double income homes with high profile jobs that require an extensive amount of time away from the home. Our target market consists of men and women primarily between the ages of 35 and 65. They live in the upscale suburbs surrounding the metropolitan area. Our market segment customers will lead a lifestyle in which their canines play a large part, and these pets are often seen as “children” by their owners. 

4.4 Competition and Buying Patterns

Our real competition is owners choosing to leave their dogs at home unattended. We recognize that only relatively wealthy people will be interested in spending an average of $250 monthly to provide daycare for their dogs. Still, there should be sufficient market.

Strategy and Implementation Summary

Doggie Pause will focus on the geographical market of upper-class suburbs surrounding the metropolitan area. Our initial site will be in West Linn, a suburb of Portland. Our target market consists mainly of men and women ages 35-65.

5.1 Competitive Edge

Doggie Pause is the first canine daycare facility of its kind. Never before has there been a place where a canine owner could take their dog to be cared for, for the day. The owner feels no guilt in leaving the dog because it is a secure, safe and fun environment.

5.2 Sales Forecast

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Services will expand to include weekends and long-term “vacation” boarding as the need and demand arises.

Management Summary management summary will include information about who's on your team and why they're the right people for the job, as well as your future hiring plans.">

The management team will consist of the two co-founders, Barque Oldeyeller and Rufe Rintintin. We do not anticipate taking on other managers until locations are opened in other metropolitan areas. As we grow we expect to need outside guidance in the areas of accounting and financial advising. 

Financial Plan investor-ready personnel plan .">

We want to finance the start-up of our company mainly through personal investment and a short-term business loan.  We think this is a good risk/return situation and we will provide the necessary personal guarantees to secure the business loan. We will finance growth through the collection of the fees for our services. We understand that without these payments we will not be able to be a profitable business.

7.1 Important Assumptions

Our important financial assumptions are shown below.

7.2 Break-even Analysis

According to our break-even projections, we need more than $12,000 in monthly sales to break even. We think this is a manageable sales amount. Furthermore, a significant portion of our fixed cost is our own salaries, so that reduces risk as well.

7.3 Projected Profit and Loss

The projections show how we intend to almost break even in the first year (a loss of less than $1,000), make a small profit in the second year and show profit of 9% on sales in the third year. We are confident that even though we have a loss in the first months after opening, we will be profitable in the future as years go on and business increases.

7.4 Projected Cash Flow

For Doggie Pause to be successful we need a steady growth in clientele. Without customers bringing in their canines we have no cash flow, no profit, and no business. The cash flow depends on a bridge loan in mid-year from the founders, to be repaid at the end of the year.

7.5 Projected Balance Sheet

The projected balance sheet shows stability and a gradual increase of net worth.

7.6 Business Ratios

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Dog Grooming Business Plan Template [Updated 2024]

I. Executive Summary

This Section's Contents

Business Overview

Services offered, customer focus, management team, success factors, financial highlights.

[Company Name] is a licensed dog grooming salon in [Location]. We aim to provide excellent pet care at a very reasonable price. Because dogs are part of each home’s family, they deserve the best treatment available. We maintain a safe and dog-friendly environment that assures our clients that their pets are in good hands whenever they leave them at our salon. We position ourselves to be the leading dog grooming salon in the [Location] area with our vast space, high-quality equipment, premium products, specialized services, and professional pet caretakers.

[Company Name] will focus on providing dog grooming services to moderate to wealthy residents as well as personalized services to other clients. These services will include in-home dog grooming service, day/overnight care, pet grooming, dog training, and specialized services done according to the specific request of the clients.

The founder, [Founder’s Name], will also develop proposals for dog grooming and caring specific to the needs of the clients and their pets. [Founder’s Name] will write newsletters to clients describing the best practices in dog grooming and answering frequently asked client questions.

[Company Name] will primarily serve the residents within a 10 mile radius of our location. The demographics of these customers are as follows:

• 52,827 residents
• Average income of $94,700
• 89% married
• 55% in Mgt./Professional occupations
• 95% of residents are homeowners
• Median age: 39 years

In addition to this relatively wealthy adult demographic for a dog grooming salon, there are five large apartment buildings in the area. The residents of these apartment buildings may also require dog grooming services.

[Company Name]’s most valuable asset is the expertise and experience of its founder, [Founder’s Name]. [First name] has been in the pet care business for the past 15 years.

During this time he witnessed firsthand successes and failures in animal care operations and service quality, while developing deep expertise.

[Company name] will also employ an experienced assistant manager to manage admin operations. This will be an experienced operations manager who will be trained in handling the dog grooming salon most of the time. The desired individual will have an undergraduate business degree or years of office or clinic operations management experience. [Company name] will also employ certified dog trainers, experienced caretakers and an on-call veterinarian in case of medical emergencies.

[Company Name] is uniquely qualified to succeed due to the following reasons:

• [Company Name] will fill a specific market niche in the growing community we are entering. In addition, we have surveyed the local population and received extremely positive feedback saying that they explicitly want to make use of our services when launched.
• Our location is in a high-wealth area where customers are in need of dog grooming services.
• The management team has a track record of success in the dog grooming services business.
• The local area is currently underserved and residents rely on independent dog caretakers.

[Company Name] is seeking a total funding of $92,000 of debt capital to open its dog grooming salon. The capital will be used for funding capital expenditures and location build-out, hiring initial employees, marketing expenses and working capital.

Specifically, these funds will be used as follows:

• Dog grooming salon design/build: $46,000
• Working capital: $46,000 to pay for marketing, salaries, and lease costs until [Company Name] reaches break-even

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Dog Grooming Business Plan Home I. Executive Summary II. Company Overview III. Industry Analysis IV. Customer Analysis V. Competitive Analysis VI. Marketing Plan VII. Operations Plan VIII. Management Team IX. Financial Plan

22 Lucrative Pet Business Ideas Anyone Can Start

Dream of working with animals for a living? You’re in luck, because there are all sorts of pet business ideas out there. Let’s take a look at 22 possible career paths you can pursue right away!

Is Starting a Pet Business Profitable?

First thing’s first: you need to know whether this endeavor will actually be worth your time. After all, if your efforts won’t lead to results (or a livable income), it could still make for a great passion project – but not so much a realistic, full-time job .

The good news is, you can absolutely make a great profit off of starting your very own pet business! The key is how much work you’re willing to put into it.

Like with starting  any  business, it’s important to keep in mind that it’ll take time to make the profit you’re looking for. When first launching your business, you’ll be an unknown name in the industry. This means it’ll be up to you to get it off the ground , promote yourself, gain in-field experience, and attract clientele.

Furthermore, you’ll need to be good at budgeting. There are many overhead costs that come with running your own business, and improper investments could wind up draining more money than you’re making. This is why, to give you the best chances of success, we strongly recommend getting some form of business training  before  you jump straight into opening up shop.

In a nutshell: if you’re someone who lacks motivation and self-discipline, these goals will be difficult to achieve. However, if you know that you’d be willing to do whatever it takes to make your dreams a reality, then starting a pet business is the perfect option for you… and it can definitely become extremely profitable!

22 Pet Business Ideas You Can Pursue

So, what possible career paths are out there for you? Let’s take a look!

1. Pet Grooming

As a professional groomer, you’ll help pets look their absolute best! You’ll be responsible for everything from clipping nails, to giving baths, to doing haircuts, to treating skin conditions, to deshedding and de-matting coats, and SO much more.

Moreover, there are tons of specializations and niches within this particular career path. For instance, you can:

• Work in a grooming salon;
• Own your own salon;
• Start a mobile grooming business;
• Work as a freelance groomer;
• Specialize in grooming for dogs, cats, etc.;
• Specialize in competition grooming;
• Target your grooming services for animals in need (i.e. at shelters);

2. Dog Walking

When lockdowns were in full effect, dog owners had the privilege of being at home with their furry family members on a daily basis. But now that life is returning back to normal, more people are no longer working from home. As such, they need someone to help take their dogs out for walks while they’re gone.

This is where you can come in! As a professional dog walker, you can arrange the best days and times to come pick up your clients’ dogs, provide them with some exercise and socialization, and give them a much-needed potty break. This job can be extremely flexible (if you would prefer to only work certain days and/or between certain times), or you can book as often as you want.

There will always be dog owners who need this service, so the high demand will NEVER be going anywhere!

Pro Tip: Want to gain some experience first and/or build your clientele BEFORE starting an actual dog walking business? There are plenty of apps out there that can get you regular work in this field, such as Rover .

3. pet sitting.

The nice thing about pet sitting services is that they can be as broad or as narrow as you want them to be. For instance, you could offer to watch your clients’ pets at your own home or within theirs. Additionally, you could strictly offer to sit during the day, on weekdays, or on weekends.

On the other hand, if you wanted to make this your full-time career, you could offer to pet sit 7 days a week, at any hour of the day, as well as overnight.

As a rule of thumb, the more options you can offer pet owners, the better your chances will be at getting bookings. But if this is something you’d rather do part-time, or paired with another pet business, the flexibility is also there to fit your sitting services within your preferred schedule.

4. Pet Photography

If you’re good with a camera, perhaps the perfect pet business ideas for you is to take pictures of animals for a living! There are all sorts of reasons why clients seek out pet photographers, such as:

• Holiday-themed photoshoots (i.e. Christmas cards);
• Animal marketing ads;
• Family portraits;
• Photos of shelter animals, to help increase their chances of adoption, etc.;
• End-of-life memories;
• Pet portraits for special occasions (i.e. a birthday present);

5. Handmade Clothing and Accessories

When it comes to pet owners, there’s a market out there for everything – and that includes the demographic who like to dress up their pets! As a maker of homemade animal clothing, you can create anything from casual attire (e.g. shirts, pajamas, etc.) to holiday-specific clothing (e.g. Halloween costumes, Christmas clothes, etc.).

Moreover, you can choose to specialize in clothing for certain breeds and/or sizes, or tailor your services to  any  dog, regardless of size. Plus, if your business were to offer custom orders for clients, this could also be a major selling point!

6. Organic Pet Treats

These days, there are more pet treats out there than you could shake a stick at. But many contain unwanted additives and questionable ingredients. For owners who prefer to feed their pets organic, natural diets, these types of foods are therefore off limits.

This also means that these animal owners are likely on the lookout for a healthy, homemade alternative!

So, if you enjoy baking and working with food, why not use your skills to offer the yummiest, healthiest treats on the market? This blog article offers 7 ideas to get the ball rolling. From there, use your imagination and creativity to whip up the types of treats YOU would want to feed your own pet… and then offer them to the world!

7. Handmade Toys

Some people have a natural knack for DIY projects and handy work. If you fall into this category, then perhaps the perfect pet business idea for you is to handmake toys for a living!

This particular job path also provides ample room to get creative, as the toys you create can be of any size, shape, color, or theme you want them to be. Not to mention, if you make toys for different varieties of pets (i.e. dogs, cats, rabbits, ferrets, hamsters, rats, etc.), you’ll be able to cater to a much larger clientele.

Moreover, you can even take your business one step further by creating handmade toys for exotic pets, too. There are plenty of people with post-bellied pigs, sugar gliders, etc. who may find it trickier to shop for toys for their unique pet. Since the options are more limited, your business could be the very thing they’ve been looking for!

8. Dog Training

You’re probably familiar with the saying, “It’s never to late to teach an old dog new tricks”.

This train of thought can be applied to  all  dogs of  any  age. New dog owners may need some expert help with training their young puppy. Others may have adopted an older dog with behavioral issues that need correcting. Whatever the reason may be, this is a career path with a high demand and many different types of clientele.

If you’re patient, have good communication skills, and possess a way with dogs of all temperaments, starting your very own dog training business could be the most rewarding option out there for you.

Did you know that QC Pet Studies is releasing a self-paced, online Dog Training Course in the coming months? It’s true! Make sure to stay tuned for more details, so you can enroll in this certification course the moment it launches!

9. pet daycare.

This career path is similar to pet sitting, with a few important changes. With pet  sitting , you could be watching one animal at a time, or one client’s pets. When you have your own pet  daycare , you’ll likely be babysitting multiple pets for multiple clients at the same time.

If you excel at multi-tasking, have ideas for how to fill the days and keep all these animals occupied, and would love nothing more than to be surrounded by dogs and/or cats every day, then this is DEFINITELY the pet business idea for you!

Pro Tip: If you don’t have any prior experience watching over a handful of animals at once, perhaps starting as a sitter would be the best choice. That would allow you to dip your toes in the water and hone your skills; preparing you to look after more animals once you progress to opening up your own daycare.

10. Pet Boarding

Kennels can be extremely expensive, especially if owners need to go out of town for an extended length of time. For those on a budget, this can make such an option unaffordable. By starting your own pet boarding business, you can corner this market and attract a LOT of interested clients!

This type of career endeavor would likely require an investment on your part, as you’d more than likely need to own your own facility in order to safely, properly, and legally board the animals. The one tricky thing to keep in mind is that there are zoning laws to consider.

If interested in this pet business idea our recommendation would be to first research your local laws and legislations. If zoning restrictions or bylaws that’ll prevent you from pursuing this career path, it’s better to know that sooner rather than later.

11. Animal Blogger/Writer

Do you love to write? If so, another pet business idea is to start your very own animal blog! You can take this one step further by also lending your writing skills and expert insights to other  businesses’ blogs and publications.

Freelance writing can be an awesome way to make a decent income – especially since you can set your own rates. The more your work is published, the more clients you can secure going forward. On the other hand, if you’d prefer to write strictly for your own blog, this would be a idea best paired with an additional business service.

Not sure how to develop your own blog? This article will teach you everything you need to know to get started!

13. Pet Training for Film and Television

Earlier, we took a look at dog training services for pet owners. However, there’s another similar business you can start for yourself, which specializes in pet training for the media.

Off the top of your head, can you count how many times you’ve seen an animal in a movie , on TV, or in a commercial? Probably not, since it’s a pretty regular thing. Well,  someone  is responsible for training these animals for the big (and small) screen – and that someone could be YOU!

Again, this is the type of advanced job where previous experience would do you a world of good. So, maybe start your career as a professional trainer by working with pet owners, and  then  move higher up the ladder to work with all those furry movie stars.

14. Pet Product Tester

Before animal food, accessories, toys, grooming tools, etc. can be released to the general public, they first need to be tested. After all, how else will these brands know if their products are truly effective?

Your pet business can be geared entirely towards helping these  other  businesses iron out their merchandise before they hit the shelves. For obvious reasons, we encourage you to have your  own  pet if you want to pursue this career path. Just make sure that whatever you’re testing out on your animal doesn’t put them in harm’s way!

15. Open Your Own Pet Store

While there are all sorts of mega chains out there, many animal owners prefer to shop for their pet’s essentials a little more close to home. By that, I mean locally, with store owners they can meet and get to know face-to-face.

It goes without saying that in order to open your own pet store, you’ll need to be willing to invest in this endeavor. After all, you’ll need to secure a location and then stock it up with products. That said, if the demand is high where you live, and you strategically tailor your shop to meet the demographic’s needs, this could be a very fruitful prospect for you!

16. Pet Massage Therapy

Humans aren’t the only ones that need some R&R! Animals, too, can experience bone, muscle, and/or joint issues that could greatly benefit from professional massage therapy. You could even expand on this business by offering additional complementary services, such as hydrotherapy, acupuncture, and homeopathy therapy.

Obviously, this is the sort of career path that requires ample training and education first. If you’re already experienced in massage therapy (as well as any of the added services mentioned above) and have been looking for something new, this pet business idea might just be what you’ve been looking for. Otherwise, if you’re brand-new to the concept, you’ll need to put some time and money into your certification training first.

17. Poop Scooping

I know, it’s not the most luxurious of jobs – but it needs to be done! This is a pet business idea that can easily be paired with a dog walking career. That said, it doesn’t have to be either.

All you’ll need in order to operate a poop scooping business are shovels, gloves, waste containers, a vehicle (so you can transport the waste), and somewhere you’re allowed to legally dispose of the poop.

In terms of demand, you could offer your services to any of the following clientele:

• Pet owners who need their yards cleaned up;
• Dog walking clients;
• Veterinary clinics;
• Kennels/boarding facilities;
• Grooming salons;
• Pet daycares, etc.

18. Travel Agent for Pets

This one might sound a little silly, but hear me out. There are an abundance of reasons why an animal may need to be transported by plane, train, boat, or what-have-you. For instance, they may have been adopted and need to be shipped in from another country. Their owner(s) may be moving or going on vacation, and they’re coming along for the adventure.

This is where a pet travel agent comes in handy. You could help individual clients and organizations alike safely and legally get the animals from Point A to Point B. This could include handling the animal’s documentation, securing the method by which they’ll be traveling, schedule their departure and arrival, aid in making the journey as stress-free as possible, etc.

19. Social Media Manager for Pet Celebrities

Doug the Pug, Pudgy the Chihuahua, Juniper the Fox, Jill the Squirrel… These are just some of the countless animals that have gone viral and gained a mass following on social media. And while the social media accounts for a lot of these animals is run by their owners themselves, some are run by skilled social media professionals.

This is where you and your pet business can come in! If you know how to manage and run a thriving social media channel, your services could come in handy for owners who have a famous pet – but not as much time to spend online every day.

20. Social Media Personality and Pet Expert

Speaking of social media , another pet business idea is to make a big name for  yourself  online! As we discussed earlier, you could run your own blog – but there are tons of other things you can do to build on this, too.

For instance, you could start a YouTube channel and/or TikTok account. You could grow a huge following on Instagram, Twitter, and/or Facebook. You could even attract followers on platforms such as Pinterest, or start a podcast.

With the right strategies, persistence, and unique content, you could become the next big face in terms of popular pet personalities!

21. Pet Food

Earlier, we talked about how you could build a pet business around making homemade treats. But if you wanted to take this one step further, why not branch out and make homemade pet food in general?

There’s no shortage of people out there who prefer to feed their pets all-natural diets, from trusted sources. By keeping your homemade pet food organic, and containing only natural ingredients, you could make quite the name for yourself in this popular corner of the industry!

22. Open Your Own Cat Café

Seriously, is there anything better than enjoying a nice, hot coffee while being surrounded by adorable cats? Cat cafés have become wildly popular over the last decade or so, as many consider them to be the BEST hangout spots. Having been to several myself, I can confirm that this sentiment is 100% true.

Keep in mind that you’ll need to invest in a commercial property for your café’s location, as well as any applicable licenses your local area requires in order for you to run this establishment. However, once you have everything up and running, it won’t take long for your business to take off and start turning a nice profit!

Plus, this particular job path offers an incredible opportunity to make real change in these animals’ lives. Although you  can  work independently, you could also pair up with animal shelters as well. This way, the cats hanging around in your café are adoptable ones; provided with the special opportunity of finding their forever homes when they meet your clients.

Talk about a win-win situation!

What’s The Best Pet Business Idea to Start?

Ultimately, the pet business idea that speaks loudest to YOU will depend on your own passions and goals. Just remember that as we discussed earlier, it’s critical that you get yourself some business training, regardless of which plan you decide to pursue.

At QC Pet Studies, our self-paced, online Dog Grooming Course comes with an entire unit devoted to business training! So, if dog grooming is a career you’d be interested in, you can rest easy knowing that in addition to learning  how  to groom, you’ll also be taught everything you need to know to launch AND run a thriving business.

That said, the knowledge and skills taught in the business unit can be applied to ANY pet business idea you wish to pursue! For example, you’ll discover how to:

• Name your business and get it legally registered;
• Build your business’s brand;
• Develop your official website;
• Build your professional portfolio;
• Attract and retain clients;
• Implement proper marketing strategies;
• Provide exceptional customer service each and every time;
• And SO much more!

So, do you know what sort of pet business YOU want to open? Let us know in the comments below!

Enroll with QC Pet Studies today and launch your very own pet business in as little as 9-12 months!

Recent posts extra.

I have been dreaming about having my own pet business for quite a while, but time and money was always the main obstacle, I love animals and what a better way to have an income doing what you love!! I was convinced that dog day care was my first option, but I was reading your article and I found a few other interesting options!! Plus I need a training class to help my proyecto get off the ground, I know it’s not as simple as “ I love animals” to start and keep a business. Great advices here. Thanks Araceli

Hi Araceli,

Thanks so much for reading our article and for leaving SUCH a terrific comment! Just by reading what you’ve wrote, it’s clear to us how much you love animals. Clearly, a career where you get to work with them every day is what you were BORN to do! <3

We'd love an update down the road, whenever you've decided what you want your future pet business to look like. We wish you nothing but the best in that endeavor, and we're so very excited for you. You've got this!!! x

All the best, The QC Team

Hi, Qc Pet, Your article is really interesting. This is really a detailed article on profitable pet businesses to start.

Thanks for putting this article together.

Regards, Entrepreneurtipsblog

Hi there, thank you so much for commenting, and our sincere apologies for the delayed reply. We’re thrilled to hear that you found these 22 lucrative pet business ideas (that anyone can start) to be so helpful! Out of curiosity, did any of the business ideas in particular stand out to you? If so, we’d love to hear which ones you found to be the most interesting and/or best ideas! 🙂

Sorry for late reply. I am read your blogs on business pets ideas and I am happy to tell you that your blogs is very informative and help for me my pet business. Thank you sharing a reliable ideas.

Thanks so much for taking the time to read our article and leaving such a kind comment, we really appreciate it! We’re glad to hear that you found this blog post so informative – and that you feel it can be useful for your own business! 🙂

We’d love to know which pet business idea(s) you personally found to be the most interesting and/or lucrative? 🙂 <3

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How to Start a Mobile Pet Grooming Business

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Pet parents always want the best for their furry family members. And what could be better than a day of luxurious grooming and TLC? 

Having the pet salon love come directly to their homes, of course!

These days, more pet parents are turning to mobile grooming services to treat their four-legged family members without having to leave the comfort of their homes. This bodes well for those who are considering the leap to the mobile grooming train (or rather, the mobile grooming van ).

If you want to be your own boss, make your own hours, and spend your life doing what you love—taking care of pets—keep reading. We’ll break down the benefits of pet grooming, how to start a mobile pet grooming business and take advantage of this increasingly popular service.

The Benefits of Mobile Grooming 

Now more than ever, pet parents consider their four-legged companions to be part of the family. Considering the crucial role regular grooming plays in the health and well-being of their fur babies, owners are willing to spend more if it means receiving quality service.

They’re also willing to pay for peace of mind and convenience. 

That’s where mobile pet grooming comes in. 

Over the past five years, the rapidly-growing demand for professional grooming services—and the increased popularity of convenient mobile grooming—has caused the pet grooming industry to grow to more than $9 billion.  

If you’ve ever dreamt of having a career helping animals, consider starting a mobile pet grooming business. 

Mobile grooming salons require significantly less start up costs than brick and mortar salons. But the profitability doesn’t end there. By eliminating the need to pay monthly rent, electrical bills, and water bills, you can save thousands of dollars a month. 

But aren’t vans more prone to breaking down and needing repairs?

Nope—that’s a myth! New vehicles can go years before requiring any real maintenance. Plus, with a mobile grooming salon, you’ll never have to deal with issues surrounding building maintenance like broken furnaces or hot water heaters, leaky roofs, window washing, lawn care, and signage. 

What other benefits can you experience with a mobile grooming salon?

• Being your own boss
• Having flexibility in your work schedule  
• Connecting with clients on a more personal level 

With this in mind, let’s dive into it.

Steps to Starting Your Own Mobile Business

If the benefits of owning a mobile pet grooming business get your tail waggin’, follow the steps below to ensure you have everything you need to start this exciting new journey. 

Have a Passion for Animals and Grooming 

As a pet groomer, it’s critical to be passionate about providing your furry clients with the quality care they deserve. But you should also be prepared for the physical demands of the job. 

Grooming an average-sized dog can take between one to two hours. The process includes bathing and drying, hair cutting, brushing and styling, cleaning ears and eyes, trimming nails, brushing teeth, and if necessary, expressing anal glands. With several clients a day, this means hours on your feet, not to mention the additional stamina you’ll need to keep up with your often energetic clientele. 

And don’t forget about your heftier clients. Large breeds—such as German Shepherds or Sheepdogs—require more time to groom, as well as more strength to maneuver. 

Does this mean a mobile salon will feel cramped? 

Not at all! Wag’n Tails offers mobile grooming vehicles with nearly seven foot ceilings. That’s about the height of three German Shepherds stacked on top of each other! Plus, Wag’n Tails vehicles include full size tubs to comfortably accommodate even the meatiest dogs without compromising on floor space. 

Although pet grooming can be physically demanding, if you’re an animal-lover, the look on the faces of your satisfied clients makes the job more than worthwhile.  

Build a Business Plan

Before you invest in your mobile grooming vehicle, it’s extremely beneficial to build a detailed business plan. Doing this will help you avoid any financial surprises down the road.

Start by looking into what local business licenses or permits you need to operate a mobile grooming salon in your area. To further protect your investment, you should also find out what type of insurance you need. 

Wag’n Tails can help you answer all these questions and provide you with a comprehensive mobile pet grooming business success guide to help ensure your success.

Conduct Research

We know you’re eager to get to the part with sudsy dog bathes and happy puppy kisses, but conducting research is a crucial step in developing your pet grooming business plan. By understanding the potential for clients in your area, as well as your local competition, you can better ensure a successful business. That means puppy kisses for years to come. 

One way to determine your potential for clients is by contacting local vets and pet shops. You can also go door-to-door in your neighborhood or visit dog parks to ask pet parents if they’d be interested in the convenience of a mobile grooming salon. 

A quick Google search can also give you insight into what other grooming options are available in your area. By gathering this information, you’ll be able to determine how to make your business stand out, as well as how to price your services competitively. Check out our blog to discover more information on mobile pet grooming prices. 

Remember: A mobile grooming salon also gives you the advantage of wheels. That means your business doesn’t have to be confined to only your neighborhood. Explore nearby communities to see where your business can have the most success. 

Won’t a mobile pet groomer spend more time driving from dog to dog?

Nope! Mobile pet groomers typically assign certain areas to specific days of the week. By staying within a five to seven mile radius, mobile groomers can guarantee they make the most out of each day.

Understand Your Expenses 

A strong business plan will also include a thorough breakdown of your expenses. Aside from the pet grooming vehicle itself, your typical expenses as a mobile pet groomer will include:

• Grooming supplies, such as clippers, shears, brushes, and shampoos 
• Vehicle and generator fuel 
• Vehicle maintenance, such as oil changes 
• Insurance and permits
• Advertising
• Phone bill costs 

Once you understand your monthly overhead, you can determine how much revenue you need to bring in to cover these costs. But running a truly successful business means bringing in a profit . 

With Wag’n Tails’ Dyna Groom Vehicle, you can expect to pay an estimated $2125 a month in operating expenses. At $75 per average-sized dog (a standard amount for mobile groomers), you’d cover your monthly costs after grooming 28.4 dogs. If you work five days a week, that means breaking even grooming just 1.5 dogs a day! 

Chew on this: By grooming six dogs a day at $75 per dog, you’d be on track to earn $9,900 a month while only working five days a week! Even after your monthly overhead costs, you’d walk away with $93,300 a year. And this figure doesn’t even account for larger dogs, breeds with more difficult coats, or tips! 

The idea that you can’t turn a serious profit as a pet groomer is merely a myth. 

Consider Your Financial Situation 

After crunching the numbers, consider your financial situation. Although starting a mobile grooming business is more affordable than opening a brick and mortar grooming salon, you may still need to take out a loan to help cover the cost of purchasing a pet grooming vehicle while you build your clientele. Leasing a pet grooming vehicle could be another option to consider.

Another option to assist with funding is to go into business with a partner. By splitting the start-up costs, you can save money. However, this also means splitting the profits, so consider what your long term goals are before committing to a business partnership. 

Build Your Brand 

With a lucrative business plan in place, it’s time to move on to the fun part—building your brand! As the boss, you decide how your mobile grooming business will look, feel, and operate. 

To get started, consider the following:

• What do you want to name your business? – You may choose to encourage smiles with a puppy pun, or keep it simple by naming the business after yourself, or a beloved pet. Whatever you choose, the name of your business is how customers will come to know you, so take your time making this important decision. 
• Will you groom dogs, cats, or both? – While dog groomers are more in demand, extending your business to our feline friends can help boost your profits. 
• How will you advertise? – To best market your services, you can create a website, post on social media platforms, or hand out flyers at local dog parks. With Wag’n Tails, you can even turn your vehicle into a mobile billboard by adding graphics. 

Look Into Businesses That Can Help You

Many franchise businesses claim they can help you find success in the mobile pet grooming industry, but their contracts and fees make it clear they’re more concerned about their bottom line. Wouldn’t you rather work with a business that truly supports your endeavor, without costing you a paw and a tail?

Wag’n Tails is the leader in mobile pet grooming equipment solutions, and for good reason. While they offer the advantages you’d expect from a franchise business, they’re not a franchise business. That means no franchise contracts, franchise fees, or royalty fees. 

With over forty years of experience in the pet grooming industry, Wag’n Tails is dedicated to supporting their customers so that pets everywhere can receive exceptional service.  

Along with their fleet of high-quality vehicles, Wag’n Tails also offers: 

• Mobile pet grooming business guide for guaranteed success
• Vehicle training and ride-along programs
• An in-house creative team to help you design your brand
• Financing and leasing support
• An online parts store
• Reliable customer service and support

Get Your Engine Revving!

The demand for mobile pet grooming services is higher than ever before. So get your engine revving and start your journey toward becoming your own boss in the highly profitable—and highly adorable—world of mobile pet grooming. Don’t forget to check out our blog for more information on how to become a pet groomer.

By partnering with Wag’n Tails, you’ll gain access to the best breed of vehicles, invaluable guidance, and a dedicated customer support team—without overpaying or compromising your control. After all, this is your mobile pet grooming business. Contact us today and let Wag’n Tails help you make your career everything you’ve ever dreamed of.

Franchise Help. Pet Care Industry Analysis 2020 – Cost & Trends. https://www.franchisehelp.com/industry-reports/pet-care-industry-analysis-2020-cost-trends/  

The Balance Careers. What Does a Dog Groomer Do? https://www.thebalancecareers.com/dog-groomer-career-profile-125618  

MyPetNeedsThat.com. How Much Does Mobile Dog Grooming Cost? https://www.mypetneedsthat.com/mobile-dog-grooming-cost/

Dimensions.com. German Shepherd. https://www.dimensions.com/element/german-shepherd-dog  

PetGroomer.com Writing a Mobile Grooming Business Plan. https://petgroomer.com/writing-mobile-grooming-business-plan/

Entrepreneur.com. How to Start Pet Grooming Business on Wheels. https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/344914  

PetGroomer.com. Financing. https://petgroomer.com/financing/

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Best 11 Spa Hotels in Moscow for a Relaxing Getaway

Are you in a hurry.

Here is a quick list of Spa Hotels in Moscow, selected based on their rating

If, like me, you appreciate the all-encompassing luxury of spa hotels, then Moscow is a destination you cannot miss. The Russian capital is home to some of the most opulent and impressive spa hotels in the world.

Of course, there are many other reasons to visit Moscow. The city is brimming with history, culture and stunning architecture. But if you’re looking for a relaxing and rejuvenating holiday, then a spa hotel in Moscow is the perfect choice.

Here are just a few of the many amazing spa hotels in Moscow:

The Ritz-Carlton, Moscow – This luxurious hotel features an exquisite spa with a sauna, steam room, pool and many treatment rooms.

The St. Regis Moscow Nikolskaya – This hotel offers guests a spa with hammam, Finnish sauna, aroma showers and more.

The Four Seasons Hotel Moscow – This elegant hotel has a wonderful spa with a Russian banya, Rasul chamber, Jacuzzi and more.

Mandarin Oriental, Moscow – This beautiful hotel features a spa with an indoor pool, Turkish bath, steam room and more.

Moscow Accommodation lists:

• Moscow Luxury hotels
• Moscow Boutique hotels
• Moscow 5 star hotels

Top Spa Hotels in Moscow

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The Ritz-Carlton, Moscow Hotel

Located a few minutes' drive from the huge 19th-century Grand Kremlin Palace, Ritz Carlton Moscow offers 334 quiet rooms. TsUM — Central Universal Department Store is 10 minutes' walk from the venue, while the historic Bolshoi Theatre is 650 metres away.

This pet-friendly accommodation is placed about 30 km from Sheremetyevo International airport and a few minutes' walk from The Ritz-Carlton Spa. The centre of Moscow is 1 km from the hotel. The urban public park "Alexander Garden" is also located near the property.

Vega Izmailovo Hotel

The 4-star Vega Izmailovo Hotel Moscow is set 0.6 km from The Kremlin in Izmailovo and 2.3 km from Izmailovsky Park. Set near Izmaylovo Kremlin Cultural Center, the venue overlooks the street and invites guests to have a drink at a lobby bar.

Located in Izmailovo district, this accommodation is 300 metres from Partizanskaya tube station and close to Serebryano-Vinogradny Pond. This hotel is located in a shopping area of Moscow. Be in Art is just a short drive away.

Best Spa Hotels Near Moscow

Astrus Hotel Moscow

Featuring allergy-free rooms, an indoor swimming pool and a solarium, Astrus Hotel Moscow offers accommodation within 0.9 km from Park Troparevo. Bitsa Park is less than 5 km away.

The venue is set in the mesmerising part of Moscow, a few minutes away from Museum of Traditional Russian Beverages Ochakovo.

Palmira Business Club Hotel

A night club, entertainment activities and tea/coffee making facilities are offered at Palmira Business Club Hotel Moscow, located 6 km from the celebrated Red Square. Situated in Donskoy district, the venue is set km from the huge 19th-century Grand Kremlin Palace.

The hotel is set close to Moscow State Academy of Water Transport and within 900 metres of Verkhnie Kotly underground station. The Moscow Kremlin is also a short drive away.

5 Star Hotels with Spa in Moscow

Izmailovo Gamma Hotel

Located 250 metres from Novaya Art Gallery in Izmailovskiy Kremlin, the 3-star Izmailovo Gamma Hotel Moscow offers multifunctional rooms within a 25-minute walk of Izmailovsky Park. At this venue you can enjoy panoramic views, have breakfast and other meals at the la carte restaurant.

The hotel is situated in Izmailovo district, near Musuem of Bread. The property is set in a historic district of Moscow. Izmaylovo Kremlin Cultural Center is also located near the venue. A short drive will take you to "RZD arena" Stadium.

Hotels in Moscow

Mercure Arbat Moscow

Featuring a sauna and a restaurant, Mercure Arbat Moscow Hotel offers classic accommodation nearly 2.6 km from the historic Bolshoi Theatre. The venue is also located near AV Daily and 600 metres from Tochka-G Museum of Erotic Art.

The hotel is set in Arbat district, within easy reach of Old Arbat. It is a 25-minute walk from the centre of Moscow. The 614-metre tall, 66-metre diameter Tsar Bell is only a short drive away.

Spa Hotels Moscow City Centre

Arbat House Hotel

Arbat House Hotel Moscow, located in Presnensky district, 1.9 km from the huge 1.9th-century Grand Kremlin Palace, features views of the city centre. Set close to Stary Arbat Street, this venue boasts designer rooms along with a shared lounge and a bar available onsite.

Pushkin Square is less than 1.5 km away. Guests can get to Moscow city centre, which is 2 km away. The high quality Arbat House Hotel is placed a few minutes' drive from The Moscow Kremlin.

Boutique Hotel Khovansky

Featuring free self-parking and a hairdresser, Barin Residence Moscow is located in Tverskoy district, 0.8 km from Anatoly Zverev Museum. Monument to Mayakovskiy is only 300 metres away from the venue.

The accommodation is set close to Triumfalnaya Square and within 450 metres of Mayakovskaya underground station. The centre of Moscow is 2 km from the hotel. The tverskaya Tberskaya Square Street is also located near the property. Olympic Stadium is only a short drive away.

Dog Friendly Spa Hotels Moscow

Moscow Marriott Royal Aurora Hotel

The 5-star Moscow Marriott Royal Aurora Hotel is placed in Moscow, not far from the historic Bolshoi Theatre. Located at a reasonable distance from Novy Arbat Street, the venue offers 232 rooms with magnificent views.

The celebrated Red Square is 1.2 km of the accommodation, while the huge 1.9th-century Grand Kremlin Palace is around 1.9 km away. The city centre is also 1 km away. You can easily visit Maly Theatre, situated just outside Moscow Marriott Royal Aurora Hotel.

Standart Hotel Moscow. A Member Of Design Hotels

The 5-star Standart Hotel Moscow provides quick access to the tverskaya Tberskaya Square Street and offers a sauna, a beauty salon and a wellness centre. The 614-metre tall, 66-metre diameter Tsar Bell is 5 minutes' drive from the venue, while The Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts is a 25-minute walk away.

The accommodation is located in the business district of Moscow. The city centre is close by, about 15 minutes' walk away. You can get to the celebrated Red Square in a few minutes by car.

Cheap Spa Hotels in Moscow

Savoy Hotel

Located near the lavish neoclassical repertory theater "Bolshoi Theatre", the 5-star Savoy Hotel Moscow has 24 hour front desk assistance, housekeeping and shoe shine service. The huge 19th-century Grand Kremlin Palace is a 5-minute drive from the venue and a 10-minute drive from the 21.5 - hectare Moscow Zoo.

The accommodation is set in the centre of Moscow in vicinity of Fountain. The city centre is a 10-minute walk away. You can get to the intriguing Saint Basil's Cathedral in a few minutes by car.

Project Pawsitivity

A Sitting For a Cause Blog Featuring All Things Pet-Related

Subway Strays: The Dogs of Moscow’s Metro

Despite the collapse of the Soviet Union, the stray dogs in Moscow have a surprisingly well-documented history which animal behaviorists have been paying close attention to for several decades. During the Soviet period in Russia the packs of wild (or stray) dogs in were regulated. Only the clever canines who learned to stay in isolation were able to survive. Usually, these dogs would remain on the outskirts of the city hunting in wild packs, as the living in the city was dangerous and food scarce.  After the fall of the Soviet Union quality of life in Russia began to slowly improve and with it more street vendors and food collecting in busy neighborhoods. This began to bring some the stray dogs out of the suburbs into the city.

Today, there are nearly 35,000 stray dogs that call Moscow home. Out of these 35,000 stray dogs there are about 500 that have taken to living underground. Out of these dogs, there are a few that have started thinking outside the box and inside the boxcar. They have begun the slow move underground to stay out of the cold (Russian winters reach an average of -5 degrees every day). Many of the Russian commuters embraced the dog’s underground migration by petting them or giving them food.

Though these claims may seem like the made up type of internet misinformation that we have learned to be skeptical of these days, it is actually sourced to a Russian biologist by the name of  Dr. Andrey Poyarkov , a highly regarded scientist in his field of study. As it turns out Poyarkov has been studying these dogs for the last thirty years and told news sources back in 2010 that he suspected a small fraction of these underground dogs had actually learned to use the subway in order to beg for food in bustling urban areas where food is more plentiful.

Andrei Neuronov , an animal behaviorist, says much like you train your dogs at home to respond to verbal commands like “sit” or “stay,” the Moscow metro dogs are using audio cues from the subway stops they have learned. The dogs memorize the names of the stops to navigate the subway systems in order to take them to heavily populated places during the day and get food.  Then, they return to their more secluded corners of the suburbs at night where they are less likely to be bothered by people.  Here is a story ABC did back in 2011, talking about this very thing.

Do you have any information on how to help these dogs?  Please share and comment below.