How To Grow Your Pet Grooming Business in 7 Steps

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Opening and effectively running any business can be difficult — especially a pet grooming business. And because pet grooming is such a niche industry, you have to set yourself apart from your competitors.

In this blog, we’ll dive into how you can grow your pet grooming business in seven simple steps, so you can start seeing success in no time.

Step #1: Understand Your Market

Before you optimize your pet business, you need to understand what your competitors are doing and how the pet grooming market is performing. Here are a few things you can do to conduct a proper market analysis:

Visit competitors’ stores and websites.
Take notes of positive and negative outcomes of your competitors' business strategies.
Ask your target customers what they like about other pet grooming businesses.
See what other pet groomers are charging for their products and services.

This is a step that business owners often forget. It’s always important to understand what’s going on in your market. As a pet groomer, you’ll be sure to find success and boost efficiency by gaining extra insights about your competitors.

Step #2: Develop a Strong Online Presence

E-commerce isn’t something that you can pass over anymore. Virtually every successful business has an e-commerce site of some sort — they understand the importance of reaching their target audience both online and offline.

As a pet groomer, your product is mostly a service. However, you can still have a small website that sells things like shampoos and treats. You can also set up online scheduling so that the process is automated.

Don’t stop at e-commerce, though. There are tons of ways you can create an online presence. Here are just a few examples:

Create a social media page.
Write blogs to rank better on search engines.
Launch ads to get your pet grooming business in front of more people.

Your e-commerce website doesn’t have to be difficult to create or manage. Once you get your store online, you’re sure to find success for your pet grooming business.

Step #3: Offer Exceptional Customer Service

The cliche phrase, “the customer is always right,” isn’t too far from the truth. Of course, you need to look out for your business — but offering impressive customer service and making your customers feel heard is important, too.

When you offer solid service as a pet grooming business, you’re showing how much you care for both your customers and their pets. That’s what keeps them coming back!

Train your employees in customer service best practices so they have it at the forefront of their minds. You can also implement a customer feedback system so that your business can continually improve.

Whenever you make a business decision, think about how it will affect the customer. Make changes that drive more people into your pet grooming business, rather than pushing them away.

Try to get to know your loyal customers on a personal level. Write down notes about their pets so that they feel welcomed into your store. This will encourage these customers to come back more often, spread the word about your pet grooming business, and suggest changes that will make other customers happier.

Step #4: Expand Your Pet Services

When it comes to setting yourself apart from your competitors, expanding your services beyond pet grooming is a great idea. This shows your customers that you want to put forth more effort to bring them back to your store.

One way you can expand your business and gain more revenue is to offer different pet grooming packages. Often, businesses offer good, better, or best options that their customers can choose from. You might be surprised how many pet owners will choose the “best” option for their furry friend.

Another way you can expand your business is by offering related services. If you have the space and proper licensure, you can offer pet sitting, walking, or boarding options. If you do this, make sure you have a system set up to automatically schedule these services in addition to your pet grooming services.

Step #5: Invest in Professional Development

One mistake that business owners often make is that they don’t continue their education. In the pet grooming industry, trends, best practices, and business tactics are constantly changing. By continuing your education, you can stay on top of these changes.

Another positive to continuing your education is that you have more merit and credentials. This means your customers can trust you more, you can give better care, and you can often charge more which, in turn, boosts your revenue.

The best way to look for opportunities to continue your education is by searching online. Simply search “continuing education courses for pet grooming business owners.” You’re sure to find the classes you need. If all else fails, ask your peers within the pet grooming industry for recommendations.

Make sure to keep your eye out for pet grooming conferences and workshops where you can get certifications and accreditations to boost your business’ credibility.

Continuing your education shows your current customers how much you care about your pet grooming business, and new customers will be drawn to your pet grooming store in no time.

Step #6: Optimize Your Operations

Optimizing your business operations lets you focus on what you care about most: taking care of animals. When it makes sense, you want to automate as much as you can.

Look for a point of sale (POS) system that automates your day-to-day operations. This includes inventory management, automated bookings, customer loyalty program management, and e-commerce website integration.

Don’t invest in a POS system that isn’t going to work for you. Generic POS systems won’t cut it for a niche industry like pet grooming. Find a software solution that works for you — not the other way around.

The right POS system can make or break your pet grooming business. Choose a POS system that offers the functionality you need to run your small pet grooming business.

Step #7: Leverage Marketing and Promotions

Marketing and promotions are some of the best things that you can do to keep customers loyal and draw new customers in. Customers are drawn to businesses they’re familiar with. Here are some ways you can keep your customers flowing into your pet grooming business:

Launch targeted advertising campaigns.
Offer seasonal promotions and discounts.
Engage with local community events and pet shows.

The best thing about marketing and promoting your pet business is that you get to be as unique as you want. Always look out for different events you can be a part of or think of social media ideas you can implement to get your pet grooming business in front of as many target customers as possible.

Related Read: 7 Marketing Ideas for Pet Stores

How eTailPet Can Help Grow Your Pet Grooming Business

eTail Pet is an all-in-one POS system that has everything that you need to make your pet grooming business thrive. The eTailPet team is made up of people who are experts in the pet space. They understand the headwinds and tailwinds of the industry, and are constantly making improvements so that pet grooming businesses like yours can be successful.

From inventory management and appointment scheduling to customer loyalty and e-commerce website integrations — eTailPet has it all. These functionalities streamline your pet grooming business and let you focus on your customers and their pets.

eTailPet also has customer relationship management (CRM) functionality so that you can stay connected with your customers. You can create and manage customer profiles by tracking their preferences and previous services. You can also market to your customers via text and email to ensure they come back the next time their pet needs to be groomed.

In addition to e-commerce integration, eTailPet provides a way for you to manage your online reviews and social media engagement which helps you attract and retain customers.

The eTailPet software is easy to use, too. Its detailed reporting functionality makes it easy to make informed decisions and understand your customers’ buying behavior. You can also track your financial performance, customer trends, and service popularity.

Start Seeing Growth for Your Pet Grooming Business Today

Now, you’re ready to start seeing growth for your pet grooming business! Remember to always keep these seven steps in mind as your business strategy evolves:

Understand your market.
Develop a strong online presence.
Offer exceptional customer service.
Expand your pet services.
Invest in professional development.
Optimize your operations.
Leverage marketing and promotions.

And don’t forget — eTailPet is the perfect software to take advantage of for growth and success. eTailPet is made for pet grooming businesses just like yours. Schedule a demo today and partner with eTailPet for all of your pet grooming business needs.