3 minute read
Common Misconceptions Concerning Mobile Pet Grooming
By John Stockman
In this article, I hope to dispel some of
the common myths we hear from time
to time. At Wag’n Tails, we understand how some may have conflicting ideas about what it takes to be a successful mobile pet groomer, and it’s understandable until you look closer at the facts. Mobile grooming is driven by many important factors; the most significant of those is the client’s need for conven
ience. These clients can mow their own lawn, but they don’t. They can maintain their own pools, clean their own houses, drop off pick up their own dry clean- 12
Why? Because they have a busy schedule and that makes their time much
more valuable than their money. Their pets will be taken care of because they’re members of the family!
Mobile groomers give their clients a very precious gift…the gift of time!
Now, on to the misconceptions about mobile grooming.
You spend all day driving from appointment to appointment. You can waste a ton of time driving around if you fail to plan. Remember the old adage; if you fail to plan, plan to fail. Routing your van isn’t hard to do, it just takes some planning to group your appointments in clusters. That way, you cover one small area of clients that are in close proximity to one another. It simply comes down to routing and scheduling your van in the most efficient manner possible. Routing and scheduling efficiently can be done man
ually, or you can use one of the low cost computerized systems like Navigroom.
People won’t pay the higher price.
Another one that is easy to understand because some stationary salon clients won’t pay the premium mobile groomers charge for their services, but there are plenty of clients that will.
It is not uncommon for a new mobile
groomer to be full in 6-9 months and in
many cases, much less than that. Mobile grooming clients understand that prices are higher for this premium, at-home service. They see it when they have their pool cleaned and their lawns manicured.
You have to do 12 dogs a day to
make any money.
This one is surprising to us because it’s hard to see where the math comes
from. The whole concept is to groom fewer pets for more money. The busi-
ness model calls for only 6 dogs per day, 5 days per week. You only need 150-180 pets to fully book a mobile
You would have to groom 10-12 dogs in a salon to make the same money as you would grooming 6 pets in a mobile!
An average mobile grooming operation covers the entire monthly expenses in one week, leaving the next 3 weeks of the month for profit.
A mobile grooming salon is too expensive to buy.
Expensive is a relative term and the price for a mobile salon must be weighed against the revenue it generates. A mobile salon generates excellent income that puts you in an elite
class of groomers. Groomers that are business entrepreneurs make great income. Plus, they set their own schedule, control their own lives and they have time for family and friends. You can’t do big dogs in a mobile grooming salon.
Another one we find perplexing. Wag’n Tails mobiles have full-size stainless
steel tubs with electric lift tables and an
integrated bridge to walk the big dogs into the tub. St. Bernard? No problem!
Great Dane? Yep! Husky? Mastiff? Yes, and yes!
These are the misconceptions we hear about most often. What are the ones
you have? Call us and we’ll discuss it.
Even more often, and by a long shot, what we hear from our clients is: I wish
I had gone mobile sooner!
John Stockman is the National Sales
Manager at Wag’n Tails Mobile Conver
0304 or john@wagntails.com
sions and can be contacted at 800-513-
