I'm from Columbus, Ohio and am thinking about starting my own grooming business so I'm doing all the research I can do and trying to get a feel for the pros and cons. Are there any groomers out there who can give me some tips? Is there a strong market for it? How's the income look? I would also want to go to school for it. Any suggestions? Thanks so much!

Hi there...

My g/f just finished up the Petsmart grooming academy...i will see if i can poke and prod her into getting on here and helping you out a bit!

at the beginning there is very little income. esp if you are going to school. a good school will cost thousands, and only give you your own supplies. but even then there are so amy things that you will get, ie: clippers, blades, clipper oil, snap on combs, scissors (curved, straight, thinning shears), brushes, combs, and sooo many other things. i dont know many groomers who think it is a good idea for someone who is not a groomer to start their own salon. there are so many things to know that only experiance will help you with, like what dogs to do which not to do, how long the whole groom takes, and, most of all, dealing with problem dogs/customers. plus, most people who start grooming soon realize it is not all its cracked up to be. sure you get to work with dogs. but you also get to work with constant barking, pooping, peeing, whining, hair, and anal glands. not many reailze how dirty this job is, and quickly get out of it. you may learn that you this is not the right thing for you, and that isnt a good lesson to learn while you own a business.

as far as the above post with petsmart, dont bother. if you really want to know how to groom, these are not the places to go. sometimes you get lucky and find one with a good instructor, but most of the time it will be someone who has no idea of what they are doing. plus petsmart makes you sign a contract that you will stay for 3 years, petco is 1. however, you can make a lot of money at these places if you already know how to groom correctly, b/c it is such a rarity at these places.

my advice-find a salon hiring for a bather/brusher that is willing to train, get your feet wet, either go to school, or find a groomer who wants to train.

Originally Posted by Sparky78

I'm from Columbus, Ohio and am thinking about starting my own grooming business so I'm doing all the research I can do and trying to get a feel for the pros and cons. Are there any groomers out there who can give me some tips? Is there a strong market for it? How's the income look? I would also want to go to school for it. Any suggestions? Thanks so much!

Oh well good for you! I am a former dog groomer and I can tell you some things that might help you make up your mind. Just so you know Grooming will never go out of business because with the breeding of all these poodles mixes and long haired dogs you will have a lot of business with your education and once you establish yourself as a reputable groomer and gain experience

Pros: you get to make a lot of new friends and get to know your regular customers and dogs, You get great tips, you have contact with animals that you adore and you make them feel better and you make the owners happy. It's a fun profession if you enjoy pampering, expelling anal glands, cleaning ears, clipping nails, brushing out mats etc. You get to educate people on better health practices and tips to keep their dogs comfortable in winter and summer. so on and so forth

Cons: sometimes you have to deal with squirmy anxious dogs, frightened dogs who lash out, No matter what you will get bitten in this profession. You need to be insured against accidents to yourself and dogs, you will get hair in places you didn't know you had, you will get hair splinters in your arms, fingers clothes etc and they DON'T feel good. Supplies are very expensive and have to be replaced frequently. you have to deal with clients who want a specific look and you may do exactly what you think they wanted time after time.. but they are still unhappy ( make notes of what they want changed next time) or take the dog back and fix it on the spot if they wish.

all in all it is a very stressful job that a person weak of heart and will and energy should no pursue. You work long hours. your bending, lifting, cutting. your back can hurt your feet can hurt. Its a tough job. So all the power to you! pursue your dream but I would also suggest going into the grooming salons in your area and talking to the manager and the workers, owners about what it is like to be a groomer, bather, owner, manager, what it is like to work there and deal with dogs and customers. what they do and do not like. the injuries they have sustained, mistakes they made. and so on.

Good Luck!

pro- you get to work with dogs all day, con- you will be at risk of a dog bitting/attacking you.

Pro; you get to work with dogs all day.

Con; you have to work with dogs all day.

OK, seriously, grooming can be a rewarding and lucrative business. There are plenty of groomers who build their business into a $1,000,000 a year success. No, they aren't doing all the work themselves. They have employees; a receptionist, bather/preppers, and several groomers, all working for them.

The down side? Well, first of all you have to remember that for every dog you groom you have two clients; the dog and his owner. Some people are impossible to please, some are rude, and a few are downright scam artists.

You also have to keep in mind that most dogs didn't have a bath and haircut on their mind when they got up in the morning, and some of them will really let you know it.

You'll get peed on and pooped on. You'll get anal gland secretions on you. You'll get drooled on, and maybe even vomited on. You'll get hair splinters in places you really don't want hair splinters. You'll get scratched a lot, and eventually you'll be bitten.

You have to have a lot of upper body strength, a strong back, and a strong stomach. There are days when the only part of you that doesn't hurt is your hair. Joint and back injuries are common. Bites, even minor ones, must be taken seriously. A bite wound infection can put you out of work for weeks, can result in the loss of a hand (we're most often bitten on the hand), or even the loss of your life.

The first time you cut a dog, you'll be devastated. It happens to all of us eventually. You have to know how to forgive yourself, deal with the situation appropriately, and move on. If you groom long enough, a dog will die on you. That's devastating, too.

You'll hear things like "My vet said you clipper burned my dog" or "My vet said you gave my dog an ear infection." Most of the time the vet didn't say anything of the sort, but once in a while he did, and you'll find yourself taking the blame for something, even if you know you didn't cause it.

I don't mean to sound like it's all bad, because most days it's not. However, people think that working with dogs all day is a piece of cake, and it's not. It's hard, physical work, even though it's also very rewarding. Over the years I've had the opportunity to teach several people how to groom. A few of them decided it's not really their cup of tea, after they find out just how hard it is.

that's good if you are trying to get what you want..

that's a great idea.. good luck..

Originally Posted by Sparky78

I'm from Columbus, Ohio and am thinking about starting my own grooming business so I'm doing all the research I can do and trying to get a feel for the pros and cons. Are there any groomers out there who can give me some tips? Is there a strong market for it? How's the income look? I would also want to go to school for it. Any suggestions? Thanks so much!

congratulation.....congratulation.....congratulati on.....
really your idea is great.

Best of Luck in your decision. My Fiance is a Groomer... she has been grooming for about 12yrs... She loves her job and is great at it, but she has only gotten to that level with hard work, training and patience. I can Tell you that its a great job and we are looking into opening our own salon. But it is not easy. School and proper training is a must. Her benefit is that she has been in the business so long, she knows all the ins and outs of how to run this buisness. Knowledge is as necessary as money to get started, time and patience are the keys to success and dont get in over your head!