Update on my grooming venture!

[JRT_Rattie_Mom]

Hi all!

I just wanted to post an update for those that helped me when I'd asked for advise last December, about getting a dog grooming job, once I finished grooming school, to get more experience.

Things didn't fall in place for a "job" so I stayed one last tax season (at my job at a CPA office) while my hubby remodeled our garage into my salon so I could groom from home. I "officially" opened on May 2nd, and have done 18 dogs so far! Only a few have been friend/family, so people are finding me from the advertising I've been doing! I put up my website at: http://bubbles-n-bows.com during tax season and have been doing a lot of online advertising, and got listed in the google local maps.

I was hoping for a "niche" by having a small "quiet" salon for dogs that are afraid of being around other dogs, or just don't like the noise and busy atmosphere in most shops. It seems to be working.. I'm getting a lot of people looking for just that!

I posted pictures of my salon if anyone would like to see it:
http://s289.photobucket.com/albums/ll229/bubblesnbows/Salon/?albumview=slideshow

And, here are pictures of some of the dogs I've done so far (only took pictures of those that actually had a clip/cut) and would love any feedback from more experienced groomers!
http://photobucket.com/bubblesnbows?albumview=slideshow

So far all of my customers have been very happy... so even if I'm not the most "experienced" groomer... as long as my customers are happy... I'm loving learning more on my own, and just getting my experience that way!

I'm signed up for a doggie massage class in June, and have a new tearless "blueberry facial" that each dog gets (at no extra charge) and even looking forward to offering painted nails & hair coloring eventually! :lol-sign:

 

[Renee750il]

AWESOME, Karen!

I was thinking about you again the other day

How is Lucy doing? Charging right ahead, I'll bet.

Oh, you'll laugh . . . I have added a Terrier to my Monster collection . . . Tallulah, a little blue brindle APBT - my "sport" dog, lol.

 

[Backward_Cinderella]

That is SOOO cool, congrats! I wish I had the ability to set up my own salon... Kudos to you for going for it!!! It looks great!

 

[JRT_Rattie_Mom]

Thanks Renee!!

That's great you are a Terrier Mom now too! Do you have a picture of Tallulah?

Lucy is doing GREAT... yes... there is no stopping that girl! Did you see the pictures I posted earlier of Lucy "exercising" the ducks in the pond?

Let me see if I can find the link in case you didn't see them. Here it is: http://www.chazhound.com/forums/showthread.php?t=77301 I do have to say... if Lucy could actually "see" those ducks would NOT be too safe!

Looking forward to having more time to play here on the board again... have missed it!

 

[JRT_Rattie_Mom]

Thanks! I'm still pinching myself... I can't believe that things have fallen in place like they have! I had another dog today last minute that the wife found me online. I figured it was going to take me a lot of local advertising & word of mouth before I'd get much business, but have been happy with the 5 or 6 a week I've been getting to start. I know once our weather gets better (we've had such a horrible rainy spring!) I will get a lot more business from the dog park gang too.

That is SOOO cool, congrats! I wish I had the ability to set up my own salon... Kudos to you for going for it!!! It looks great!

 

[Renee750il]

A couple of threads with Tallulah pics. It's been awhile since I've lived with a Terrier. I'd forgotten how much . . . errr . . . FUN . . .that's it . . . FUN they are

http://www.chazhound.com/forums/showthread.php?t=75594
http://www.chazhound.com/forums/showthread.php?t=75025

 

[Backward_Cinderella]

I have a craig's list add up about grooming. I get a lot of business from it, but I'd rather be working in a shop. Its just that nobody is hiring groomers down here, and the ones that are say I'm too young and therefore a liability to them (I'm eighteen, a lot of shops ask 21). The shop I did work at went under... BUT I already have a job lined up in Illinois where I'm moving in a couple of weeks.
I'm glad your shop is doing so well already! I hope it continues to be great!

 

[JRT_Rattie_Mom]

A couple of threads with Tallulah pics. It's been awhile since I've lived with a Terrier. I'd forgotten how much . . . errr . . . FUN . . .that's it . . . FUN they are

http://www.chazhound.com/forums/showthread.php?t=75594
http://www.chazhound.com/forums/showthread.php?t=75025

Tallulah is such a doll! Yes, Terriers are such "terriorist" and not all that fun to live with sometimes! My sister-in-law just moved back to Oregon from Tennessee about 2 weeks ago and is staying with us (along with 2 Mountain Rat Terriers 35 lbs. each.. and an old little Chi guy) until she finds a place to live. Life here with my 2 Terriers plus her 2 Terriers -- is about on my last nerve! :lol-sign: Much different having "foster" Terriers where you can just show them the ropes and expect them to follow the rules... than an "owner" with her own dogs... that let them do as they please = MAD Karen! I think she won't be here much longer... even if she has to move to a "pet friendly" hotel, and lower her expectations of a place to live so she can find one!!

 

[JRT_Rattie_Mom]

I have a craig's list add up about grooming. I get a lot of business from it, but I'd rather be working in a shop. Its just that nobody is hiring groomers down here, and the ones that are say I'm too young and therefore a liability to them (I'm eighteen, a lot of shops ask 21). The shop I did work at went under... BUT I already have a job lined up in Illinois where I'm moving in a couple of weeks.
I'm glad your shop is doing so well already! I hope it continues to be great!

I've been debating about putting an ad on Craigslist. I will probably at least "try it" and see how it goes. There can be some very weird "pet" people there sometimes... so wasn't sure how the results would be! :lol-sign: Glad to hear that you've had good luck with doing it. That's great that you already have a job lined up with you get to Illinois! The "jobs" for groomers in shops here are very hard to come by. The ones that are available in private shops usually want several years experience and/or they will come right out and say "Must be able to do 8 dogs per day with a 3 hours turn-around!) When I went to grooming school one of the "regular" groomers in the shop there (she had gone to school there 8 years before) had worked for several of the small grooming shops that were advertising, and warned me not to bother with them. I started thinking about the whole thing.. and wondered "why" I would even want to work in someone else's shop at say 50% commission.. and have 8 dogs "required" when I could just do 4 dogs at 100% commission from home.. and work stress free for me... and much more relaxing for the dogs... for the same money!

Maybe someday doing mobile grooming would be an option for you, even if you can't open a shop? Seems like the mobile groomers do really well.. but not sure how it's going these days with the gas prices the way the are! :yikes:

 

[Backward_Cinderella]

I'm sure eventually I could open a shop. Its just that right now we're preparing to move out of my parents house and we'll be renting, and then add college classes and whatnot on top of it... I'm pretty much loaded as it is.
I think its pretty cool, by the way, that you're willing to go pick up senior's dogs.

 

[JRT_Rattie_Mom]

I'm sure eventually I could open a shop. Its just that right now we're preparing to move out of my parents house and we'll be renting, and then add college classes and whatnot on top of it... I'm pretty much loaded as it is.
I think its pretty cool, by the way, that you're willing to go pick up senior's dogs.

I thought it would be a great service, because I'm only a few miles from a huge senior community. At first my insurance agent wasn't sure about me transporting animals, but he said as long as it was only "once in a while" it would be okay. I think there is probably another type of policy needed for that doing it all the time, plus doing dog boarding etc.