Hello. My first time here so I hope you can help. I'm training to become a dog groomer, but at the moment live abroad, hoping to return to the UK shortly. When I return, I am not sure how to get my venture off the ground and would like some advice as to what experienced groomers think to either:
1. shall I groom from home in properly erected timber home in my garden, but not a shed.
2. shall I rent a shop?
3. should I convert a basement into a grooming parlour?
4. should I groom from a room within my home but segregated from the rest of the house?

Thank you for any help.

Hello Hectorbear,

I will try and help you.
I have been a groomer for a long time and i can only give you advice as to what i did.
Really you would not want a room in your house for grooming, having all those dogs walking in and out of your house does leave an awful lot of hair everywhere.
Secondly renting a shop when you first start may not be the best thing as your outgoings will be more than your income to start with.
Your best bet will probaly be in a proper timber building with everthing that you need in there.After you have built up your business and clients you will be able to expand.
It is a lovely business to be in if you love the dogs and the job but in most cases it is better to start small and grow with time than start big and spend more than you earn.
Hope this helps.

Deary

Good advice Deary. I would just add if you plan to work from home, get permission from the council before you start. I know a couple of trained groomers who have been stopped before they got off the ground because they didn't get permission before they begun.

Thank you all for your advice, much appreciated.

Val, you made a point regarding the council which I heard may be a problem in itself. When you say permission, does that mean I have to ask them if it's ok to have this business at home for health and hygiene? and secondly I also heard I would have to check with any neighbours around me if they are ok with perhaps barking dogs etc?

PS Must say, this is a really good site and I have learnt a lot from just reading some of the mails that have been sent.

Thank you.

It would appear that Councils don't like being presented with a fait accompli. They may talk about "change of use" from a residential property to commercial. They may just say as it's residential and you only want to do a few dogs (remember that!) then no name board outside, no other employees and no noise from dogs or problems with vehicles to disturb the neighbours. Whatever is necessary to comply, it's really not worth the grief of chancing your luck, getting set up and excited at the prospect, just to find that they send a planning man to tell you that you can't do it, or as in another case, the lady was told "I can see that you're not doing enough to be termed a business, but if I see an advert in the local newspaper or a card on an advert board, then I'll have to stop you completely!" That's no use to anyone trying to get off the ground!!

Just another thought then I really must get into the bath!! If you work from home most "normal" insurance companies refuse to cover your home, bricks & mortar and contents, because of all the 'strangers' calling. Even though my home is locked and my clients come through a side gate, into my detached parlour, I had to really search for a company who would cover my home, and then there is a clause about burglary, if the thief is a client!! So beware, as with all things, there's much to consider.

Hi

I am not a dog groomer (by profession), but a friend of mine runs a grooming parlour from her home. She has a separate room, which has built in cages they double up as a grooming table/surface on top. She also has a bath/shower unit, and hair dryers etc.

I would have thought if you are trying to set up, it would be ideal not to have too many overheads to start off with, ie like renting somewhere. If you have the facility at home to do this, I would have thought it would be the better option.

As I said, I don't do this as a profession, but if I did I would try and go from home if I had the facility to do so..(I always liked the idea of working from home :D

Natasha

hi
ive been in grooming for years i own a grooming salon and a separate pet shop (about 2 miles from each other) seting up a salon can be a bottomless pit and i wouldn't do it again ( setting up that is!) i love my job i enjoy it. i have someone who works for me who is very good at her job and shes trying to set up in business for herself my advice to her as been to go mobile apart from the obvious (insurance purchase of equipment etc which is essential) the overheads are small, she can gain the experiance, get used to customers ( and build up a custermer base) in her own way , build up confidence, work the hours to suit herself etc then when shes ready she can find a base to work from hope this helps

re. the insurance.....depending on your post code you should find the NFU are very competetive, we use them, and they also do home business cover for very little £ if your home insurance is with them.

if they will insure you for dog grooming let me know

Hi Teters

Thanks for your advice, i must admit the more I look into this, the more complex it becomes...but I've come this far and I'm not giving up. I was wondering what you meant by mobile - do you mean me visiting the client in their home and using their water, electricity etc or would you recommend all equipment in a van?

Thanks,
Hectorbear

Hi Hector,
I'm not a groomer, but I've hung out with quite a few over the years. My latest groomer lives in part of a complex that was originally designed to have separate business operations for Kennels, Vets, Grooming, but were still attached to living quarters. (the vets have moved their family out, but still happily work there)

My groomer tells me that the most difficult thing for her is keeping her house free of dog hair that seems to fly around in the air & cling to her. She has separate entrances for her 'clients' away from her living quarters. But the hair is bad & she even developed allergies a time or two from it. She thinks that the best place to have grooming is in a separate building or if attached ---a walk-through area with a washer & dryer & a shower...to keep her clothes & self clean before she enters her house.

The problem of hair is also a similar complaint that I've heard from women who do hair styling in/next to their homes. It just clings to everything. The worst they say is the small pieces that get imbedded into clothes & inhaled while breathing :rolleyes:

Good luck with however you do this. :)
toodles

I think it will be wise to get approval from council.
Where I live a lady bought a house just down
the road from me and wanted to run a grooming buisness from home.
All the neighbours complained so bitterly that she in the
end had to sell up and move as this was her love.
She personally went and saw every neighbour concerned and
told them that the dogs would not interfere too much with
them, but they were not interested.
Nutkin

hi
i was talking about visiting your clients in there own home lots of clients like this you could bath and groom or offer dry cuts only its up to you.
you could get a van and kit it out but i should imagine this to be quite expensive good luck