Riches Are In The Niches

Today’s episode is sponsored by the Membership Model Masterclass, a 6 module masterclass where we teach you all about creating and implementing a membership.

I want to start by talking about the different niches that you can go into, and they’re not always mobile or feline-exclusive. You can also do one-on-one, which is one pet start to finish at a time. You can do housecall, which means going into someone’s home to groom their pets. You may also have high-end grooming. By high-end grooming, I mean you have a skillset whether that’s handstripping, scissor cuts, proper poodle patterns, etc.

Mobile Grooming

Let’s talk about the price difference. So when you’re doing mobile, you know that you’re pretty much going to be grooming every pet start to finish. Most mobiles are cage free - they do not have kennel banks. They’re generally not kennel drying.

That client is not getting just a groom, they’re also getting one on one attention, they don’t have to leave their driveway, they’re pet is cage free, so they're going to have to pay me more.

So since I’m mobile, I’m going to be grooming less clients, which means I have less clients, which means I have to charge more.

When I had my grooming salon, I would charge an average Shih Tzu getting a 5F all over $55. Anything more than that would be $65 and even up to $75.

When I went mobile, I started my dog prices at $79. That was for the first hour. Being mobile, I had to charge $20 more at least, realistically. This is because I am going to be grooming less pets.

Housecall

You have to carry everything you want into someone’s home, and use whatever they have in order to groom. That’s incredibly difficult.

The truth is that you have to charge even more sometimes because a van is designed to be clean and just work. So if you are going into someone’s home, you might be using their sink, on their floor, bent over the tub. You might have to clean their entire bathroom because there’s pet hair everywhere. You have to do more work, therefore, you need to charge more.

Not only does the owner not even have to get out of the house, they don’t even have to go out at all, they don’t have to bring their pet to the driveway. A lot of housecall groomers allow the owner to watch. I mean, that’s a nice thing to have if you’re that kind of owner. This is great for your geriatric pets, or those who have car ride issues. This is also great for dogs who may be neurotic and they’ll do better at home.

Feline Exclusivity

This means only grooming cats.

So in my mobile I was charging dogs $79 for the first hour and then $1 a minute after that, based on 15 minute increments, so realistically $80-$102. Now for cats I started at $100 and the most expensive, except for rare cases, was $165.

I had cats who got baths, cats who got comb cuts which is similar to a 5F on a dog, and lion cuts which is where the cat is shaved strategically, kind of like a lion. Now these limited services are great for me, and it’s great for marketing. It’s great for not confusing my clients.

I was also a Certified Feline Master Groomer, so I was able to charge more for my skillset, as well as being mobile. The more niches you have, the more you can charge. Because of this I was able to go from an average ticket of $90 to $125.

One-On-One Grooming

This is a specialized service. This is because some shops have everyone drop off in the morning and then everyone is done by the end of the day. Other shops have appointments cycling through all day. Some places take 2 hours, some take 4 hours.

So with a client that doesn’t want their dog in a “cage”, or a client that doesn’t want their pet for more than an hour to two hours, would appreciate this specialized service.

If you are checking in and out, cleaning and sanitizing, it’ll probably take you about an hour to groom a Shih Tzu getting a 5F.

So in an eight hour shift, at best, you’re going to be able to get eight dogs done. But realistically, you’re going to get done between 5 and 6, because not every dog is going to be cookie-cutter, not every client is going to be picking up right away. There’s always going to be these little bits of overlap.

With that said, you have to charge more. I would even suggest having a deposit of the groom price the very first time they come in. So if you’re charging $79, I would have a deposit of $79. This is because if they don’t show up you still get paid. If they don’t show up you didn’t get paid and you won’t be able to call somebody to come before your next dog comes in.

Now for a regular client, you could have a $20 deposit, whatever you want to make your cancellation policy ultimately.

Cage-Free Grooming

I mean dogs running around like in daycare. I think this works great in theory. I do also think it’s an incredible amount of liability.

If you want to offer cage-free grooming, that is a great way to sell your services. You can market that their pet isn’t in a cage all day. People, for some reason, can put their dog in a crate all day at home, but then when you put a dog in a crate at a grooming salon it’s suddenly torture.

Now what else would those people want to see? They’d probably want to see their dog playing, so you can create marketing for that.

You can definitely charge more for this service because generally those dogs are going to be there all day playing in daycare. By the time they get home they’re going to be exhausted and happy.

The more niched down you get, the more specific of a client you are going to get, and that client will pay more. Realistically, you can add $20-$30 more than your typical groom.

Grooming from Home

If you have a house in a place that you can legally have a grooming salon in your house.

So you have to think about who the client is that wants their pet to go into someone’s home that contains a grooming salon area. So who is this client and why will they pay more? This client will pay more money simply because they feel like your home is more cozy, you’re going to take better care of their animal, perhaps the owner can stay, etc.

That client is more than happy to pay double, if not triple sometimes, to be able to stay there with their pet while they don’t have to worry about hair being all over their house.

If you guys are interested in learning more about the Membership Model Masterclass, be sure to visit me at savvygroomer.com/mm. This is a 6 module masterclass where we teach you how to create and implement your membership model, including knowing your clientele, perfecting your pricing, and handling client reactions.

We also offer a free membership model workshop where you can decide if a membership model is right for you and your business. You can access this by visiting savvygroomer.com/mw. Thank you all so much for listening to this podcast, Riches are in the niches.

Be sure to visit me at SavvyGroomer.com to see my current opportunities to work with me in growing your pet grooming business plus more free resources for you to learn. See you in our free community on Facebook - Savvy Pet Professionals (facebook.com/groups/savvygroomer)! As always, Happy Grooming