common statement I often hear in the grooming industry is, “I have been grooming for 20(+) years.” But what is the takeaway from that? Does that mean you know everything there is to know? Are you up to date on the newest and latest? Or does it mean you have been doing this so long that you don’t want to change? Is that 20 years of learning or one year repeated 20 times?
The point being, no matter how long we have been doing our given profession, things change. The real question is, are we changing with it or are we stuck in our old ways?
I always say it is a good day when I learn something new. But where do we go to learn? Are we attending trade shows, going to lectures, taking certifications courses and reading articles? If so, are those only within our industry, or are we looking at what other industries are doing and learning from them?
It is really easy to rely on the same people teaching the same thing over and over, but that is not growth. You may feel like it reinforces your thought process, but in reality, the best learning is when you are challenged to think differently or try something new. To be truly progressive, you need to be in a constant state of change.
When I started in business as a veterinarian, advertising was frowned upon. Only the aggressive businesspeople would take out a phonebook ad. Today, only a small percentage of us even remember phone books. I thought I was doing well when I started mastering Myspace, only to have it quickly replaced with Facebook. Before I could learn that well, we had LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, Telegram and TikTok taking over.
Years ago, I was serving on a committee with one of the big veterinary product lines that was trying to get into social media, and they came out with a five-year social media plan. They couldn’t understand when we told them that nothing in their plan would likely even exist in five years.
Marketing happens to be one of the fastest-growing areas, but understanding logistics and efficiency (i.e., planning and optimization of procedures) is another important aspect of business. Instead of just focusing on saving a few dollars on shampoo and conditioner like we have in the past, we could explore different application techniques to reduce waste and save money.
For example, rather than having multiple groomers work 8-5, try opening early and staying open later to accommodate your clients who work during the day. You could adjust the schedule so that different groomers come in at 7 a.m., 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.. Your fixed cost wouldn’t change, but your income will.
What about your computer system? Is it up to date with new trends? Does it just handle appointments and payments, or does it do things like tracking the time each groom takes? Most salons guess on the time it takes to complete a groom, which often means each groomer could take on more pets if they knew exactly how long each one truly takes. That is how the big companies make the profit they do.
For example, Boeing has a slow conveyor that moves the plane along for production, and they know exactly how long every step of the process takes (approximately three months from start to finish). They have shifts 24 hours a day and even have engineers and teams to ensure parts and tools are at the correct locations at the exact times they are needed. Start to finish, that conveyor NEVER stops, and if it does, it costs the business millions of dollars.
While building a plane isn’t exactly the same as grooming a dog, the point is that having the proper routine in place is critical to our efficiency. And our computer system can play a significant role in that by tracking each step. What are the things that mess up your daily schedule or slow you down? Can they be changed or eliminated? Is there a better computer program to help you? Could AI play a part?
How about your technique? What if you could significantly reduce your groom time on de-shedding big dogs like Great Pyrenees by dropping all the hair in the tub and eliminating your clean-up? How many extra dogs could you do? How much could you increase your income?
What if we increased the quality of the grooming experience? Clients are looking for value, not necessarily price. Offering a better experience will allow you to charge more and attract better clients. But what does that look like? Good customer service; well-dressed staff (you are judged on your weakest link); a facility that is clean, smells good, attractive and well-kept (paint, floors, tables, etc.); grooming products that are for the health of the pet, not just for cleaning and, of course, a great groom. Clients’ expectations are different today than they were 20 years ago.
Running a grooming business is not easy. Being able to keep up with the constant changes in marketing, business and grooming trends is even harder. But just like the old dog in the pack, if you want to survive, you have to keep up with the rest. Continuing to grow in what we do is actually what keeps us young, so keep teaching this old dog new tricks!
Dr. Cliff Faver graduated with a BS in Biology/BA in Chemistry before getting a Veterinary degree in 1987. He is the past owner of Animal Health Services in Cave Creek, Arizona and now the US distributor for Iv San Bernard products, teaches the ISB Pet Aesthetician Certification program, and speaks internationally on hair and skin. His passion is to merge groomers and veterinarians to aid in helping and healing pets. He is also a member of AVMA, AAHA, AZVMA, Board member with Burbank Kennel Club, and has served on Novartis Lead Committee, Hill’s International Global Veterinary Board, and a Veterinary Management Group.