# Well, I have decided to go for it!!



## jenn78 (Oct 27, 2009)

I am starting my own grooming business!! This has been with help of my brothers Mother in Law!! She has 2 shih tzus and well she has seen pictures of the cuts I have given Babydoll now and offered to help with buying me clippers and things I need to get started! All I need now is a force dryer, one of the portable ones, can't afford to buy a new one just yet, have to finish my Christmas shopping first! 
I have already got 5 clients!! Combined they have 7 dogs!! I plan to run some ads and put out some fliers after the first of the year.

I am very excited about it and hope it turns out to be a good investment! 

So if anyone is in the central Florida area or you have family and friends in the area feel free to contact me! Or if you have a dryer you don't use and want to sell reasonably let me know!!


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## Katkoota (Feb 18, 2006)

Sounds exciting  wish you all the best in your new grooming biz 

Snowy & Crystal bark that they would very much love to be your first puppy-customers, but they live way too far away from Florida. They woof their good luck wishes, puppy kisses and tail wags for you instead  

hugs
Kat

ps. love your siggie :wub:


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## princessre (Dec 23, 2008)

Very very exciting! Congratulations, and wish you all the best in your new venture! I'm sure it will be a great success!


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## Maglily (Feb 3, 2009)

Good for you! Congratulations, you must be so excited! I'm sure you'll do well. You'll have to keep us posted.


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## spookiesmom (Mar 28, 2010)

I'm near Clearwater. Where are you? I also have a poodle, so that would be 2 if you are close.


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## Sandcastles (Jul 7, 2010)

Very very exciting! Congratulations! You'll do great, because, after all, you're doing this because you love fluffs . . .


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## missiek (Jan 2, 2010)

How exciting!!! Congratulations!!! I am sure you will do well, as it seems you have plenty of talent, and plenty of clients!!  I hope you can find the dryer you need....all I have is a human one


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## mary-anderson (Jan 12, 2010)

How exciting for you!!!Wish you the best in your new venture.


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## donnad (Aug 22, 2006)

Congratulations and good luck to you!


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## ched999uk (Dec 2, 2010)

Good luck. I dont know what the US is like but in the UK a website is a must!! A few tips, if you dont know how to build a web site try and get recommendations. Register with Google Local/Business - FREE and it gets your phone number on Google!!! Creating a website is the easy bit, getting it to the top of Google for searches such as 'grooming in Florida' (replace Florida with something more appropriate) is the difficult bit. So if you are getting someone to create a site for you you should ask how they are going to get you to the top of Google for phrases relevant to your business. Unfortunately there is one golden rule with websites and that is time. Although I can create a 5 page website within a couple of hours and if you typed in the www.MyDomainName.com it would appear to get a good position on Google would take at least 6 months so dont delay.

Get your fliers printed with your web site name, contact details and even when you reply to potential customers include your contact details on all emails. 

I wish you the best of luck, it will be hard work but stick at it and you will do well. I hope you have got someone to support you and bounce ideas off? 

On your webiste/fliers try to put across points you would look for in a new groomer and be nice and friendly and confident. We have only had our fluff 3 weeks and actually choose the most expensive groomer in our area!!! The reason? Welll when I sent an email to about 5 local groomers they replied within 24hrs, they answered my questions, they suggested calling in to see them and the grooming area, but best of all they said if we popped in they would give us some grooming tips. We did pop in and the groomer was brilliant, she showed us how to trim paws, fringe, wash face, clean teeth, and showed us how to hold her. We must have been there about an hour but she didn't charge anything!!!!!
Sorry if this is a long post but we have run our own business for 5 years and have learnt a lot!!! Our business is not grooming but many customer service businesses have very similar criteria for success.
Feel free to PM me if you want any more info.

Good Luck.


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## bellaratamaltese (May 24, 2006)

Good luck!!!


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## jenn78 (Oct 27, 2009)

Thanks everyone!!




spookiesmom said:


> I'm near Clearwater. Where are you? I also have a poodle, so that would be 2 if you are close.


Unfortunately I am not near Clearwater, well not withing distance for a groomer  I would have loved to groom your dogs!!




Thanks for the website suggestion, but for now I am working more word of mouth. I am not well versed in all breeds and still have alot to learn.


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## Starsmom (Jan 31, 2009)

For your equipment look at eBay - I once saw an entire professional grooming kit listed for $300 - the owner was going into a different profession and no longer had a need for it.

Check in your area about licenses for this sort of business. I'm sure at the very least you will need to apply for a business license, and then there are zoning issues to check out if you intend to do business out of your home. And any HOA restrictions you may have...don't want you to get arrested, or fined big time for an illegal business! :blink:

Best of Luck to you! :thumbsup:


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## jenn78 (Oct 27, 2009)

Thanks!! Hubby told me yesterday to go ahead and order my dryer and Merry Christmas, lol! So I am good to go!! I have 3 dogs to do today. 
An Miniature American Eskimo and 2 Shih Tzus!




Starsmom said:


> For your equipment look at eBay - I once saw an entire professional grooming kit listed for $300 - the owner was going into a different profession and no longer had a need for it.
> 
> Check in your area about licenses for this sort of business. I'm sure at the very least you will need to apply for a business license, and then there are zoning issues to check out if you intend to do business out of your home. And any HOA restrictions you may have...don't want you to get arrested, or fined big time for an illegal business! :blink:
> 
> Best of Luck to you! :thumbsup:


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## Dogwriter (Jul 3, 2010)

Jenn that is so exciting! i wish you the best of luck. We own 2 businesses (which are both subdivided so that's 4, lol). It's fun, it's work, and it's a place where you'll still be learning years from now. You go, girl!


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## revakb2 (Sep 8, 2006)

jenn78 said:


> I am starting my own grooming business!! This has been with help of my brothers Mother in Law!! She has 2 shih tzus and well she has seen pictures of the cuts I have given Babydoll now and offered to help with buying me clippers and things I need to get started! All I need now is a force dryer, one of the portable ones, can't afford to buy a new one just yet, have to finish my Christmas shopping first!
> I have already got 5 clients!! Combined they have 7 dogs!! I plan to run some ads and put out some fliers after the first of the year.
> 
> I am very excited about it and hope it turns out to be a good investment!
> ...



Where are you in Central Florida? I live in Pinellas County. Are you anywhere 
nearby?


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## spookiesmom (Mar 28, 2010)

Reva, I asked her too, she said she wasn't close to Clearwater.


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## Snowbody (Jan 3, 2009)

Jenn - that's so exciting.:chili::chili: Best of luck. I run my own business and could never go back to working for someone. My groomer ended up going to grooming school. Don't know how necessary it is but she does all types of dogs.


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## jenn78 (Oct 27, 2009)

revakb2 said:


> Where are you in Central Florida? I live in Pinellas County. Are you anywhere
> nearby?



No, I am in Marion County, sorry it took me so long to respond, have been busy then couldn't find this thread! It wouldn't come up in my subscriptions, idk why, but glad I found it now lol.

Since posting this, I have gotten all my equipment I needed and right now I am trying to figure out when I can take some grooming classes or go to school or do an apprenticeship somewhere....we shall see.


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## Maltbabe (Oct 10, 2010)

*ahhhh*

Just saw this post but, you are far from me. I have 5 Malts.


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