Mobile Grooming vs Salon Grooming vs In Home Grooming
Being a pet groomer is a fun and certainly rewarding experience. Lucky for us groomers, it can also be very profitable. Don’t let that fool you though.. the profits all come from experience and very, very tough work! People love to say “That’s awesome you get to work with puppies all day!” or “Oh man, I should’ve gotten into dog grooming!” but a lot of people don’t understand how physically and emotionally demanding it can be. Once you have decided you are ready to take on the responsibility of pet grooming you have to choose where you will work! I have worked in several venues throughout the years and finally have found my favorite. So if you are interested in pet grooming and ready to care for these beloved family members (and yes, play with puppies sometimes) then take a look as I have laid out the three different environments to groom in, and hopefully help you choose which one is right for you!
1. Home Grooming
Home grooming was a great way for me to start out on my own. It is what I did right when I decided to be my own boss and before buying my first mobile grooming van. In-home grooming is the option with the least amount of overhead, it means that you go to clients and groom inside of their homes! Not having a large overhead can be very beneficial and means that the money you make all goes into your pockets or maintenance supplies which tends to be very little. The supplies are really all you need to purchase as you will be grooming inside the client’s home using their water, bathtub, etc. With that being said, you will have to carry everything. Dryer, vacuum, groomer box full of shears, blades, clippers, shampoos, and everything you would need for the grooming process, which tends to get pretty heavy! Having a buddy to go with you can be very beneficial but isn’t necessary.
Although grooming in all environments is fun, this was my personal least favorite, and can be frustrating to carry everything back and forth all day, especially if those clients have stairs. It definitely gave me a good workout though! It also includes cleaning up after the groom. It is in someone’s house so you would have to make sure that you leave the place spick and span without any hair, which can be hard to do! Leaning over and bending over bathtubs and smaller tables that aren’t electric can also hurt your back and body over time.
This is also a great way to groom pets that have severe anxiety or possible health issues so they can stay in the comfort of their own home and keep stress to a minimum, as well as create close relationships with those pets and clients. With the pros and cons of home grooming, this was certainly a good option for me to get me off on my own two feet.
PROS:
- Very little Overhead
- Make your own schedule
- You are your own boss
- One on one time spent with pets
- Helpful for pets with anxiety and health issues
CONS:
- Carry around supplies
- Less dogs or cats in one day
- Extreme cleaning up after the groom
- Hard on the body
2. Salon Grooming
This was something that I did enjoy very much! There was an opportunity to work with more dogs and cats per day and in my first few salons, I worked amongst other wonderful groomers. I could groom up to 12 pets a day! It was an environment where you are working with people which can be fun and rewarding to learn from each other and have lunch with co-workers and create a family with people that can relate to you and what you do. This could be very busy and less time one on one if you’re working with a corporation and they schedule you a ton of dogs, however, it can also be relaxing as you get to take breaks and not always feel rushed, and sometimes even have a bather to help! All of your supplies were in one spot and never moved. You have a station that you can call your own and your supplies are there when you need them. If you are just learning how to groom, I suggest learning at a Mom and Pop shop, as corporations tend to lack proper skills in this area.
I particularly liked shops owned by individuals rather than a corporation for many reasons. It was less intense as far as expectations were concerned and more of a family environment that I still love to this day, even after years of moving on and owning my own salon. Salon grooming is going to be the best environment for our social butterfly groomers.
PROS:
- Work with like minded people
- More dogs in one day
- Supplies are at your station
- Easier to take breaks
- Always learning new things
CONS:
- Commission based pay
- Most amount of overhead if you own the salon
- Lots of overstimulation for our introverted groomers
3. MOBILE
Personally mobile is my favorite! Which makes sense that that is where I am today. With mobile the scheduling is different because you have to allow for driving time and know how long on average it takes you to groom those pets. I set my own schedule and eat lunch while I work and that is something that is your choice, some days I have time to stop for coffee and lunch which is something I wouldn’t be able to do if I worked in a salon! I take my driving as a break from work, so I don’t schedule “lunch breaks” for myself very often, but that is all personal preference. This is not for the weak at heart. There can be a lot of struggles with the van. Maintenance can be a HUGE pain (and never-ending) but if you keep up on it then it is well worth it! Don’t forget about those Summer and Winter months as well.. If you’re in a cold state or a state that snows you have to have a winterization process so your pipes and water don’t freeze, and these Summers in Arizona get HOT so us groomers out here usually end earlier in the day as our AC units have a hard time keeping up when it gets to those high temps.
This option is better if you like to work alone, and have one-on-one bonding time with your pets and clients. It is my environment and I choose when and where I will be, what I do while I’m grooming, and who I schedule. Building relationships with them is great and to get to know the client and their furbaby on a deeper level which gains trust and meaningful relationships. I am so grateful for the one-on-one relationships I have with my clients and pets because of mobile grooming, and is definitely the main reason for me loving mobile so much. To have them trust me with their pets and grow a bond with them both is something I will always cherish.. I don’t know where I would be without them and their support!
PROS:
- Make your own schedule
- Higher income with less overhead
- One-on-one time with pets
- Closer relationships with clients
CONS:
- Maintenance on van and supplies
- Traffic and gas
- Summer / Winter in certain states can be very tough
- No bathroom