Is Pet Grooming Business a Good Idea in India?

Do you love pets more than anything else and want to start a venture that deals with pets? Then don’t wait for a better time than the present to start a pet grooming business. Today, people no longer keep pets only to get unconditional love and companionship. Gradually, the hobby of having pets is evolving into a style statement. Showcasing your well-groomed pet at social circles is quite the in-thing now.

With the number of pet parents sky-rocketing in recent years in India, we are seeing a parallel increase in professional pet grooming services. This is a by-product of people’s busy lifestyles and hectic schedules. Most people today are not content to just bathe their pets at home. They also take them to professional salons where trained experts care for the pets and inform if they notice potential health issues.

Before diving deep into the venture, you need to know what it takes to start a pet grooming business in India. Pet grooming is not only about bathing pets or trimming their hair. A professional pet groomer will ensure that:

• Your pet remains healthy by monitoring it for cuts, swellings, temperature changes, and skin parasites.
• The groomer will also clip the nails and trim hair.
• The groomer will better your pet’s looks with painting its nails and hairdressing.

You must prepare a sound pet grooming business plan covering every minute detail, including the financial aspects, if you want to succeed in your venture.

Understanding capital investment

Even though the primary qualification to start a pet grooming business is a natural love for pets, capital investment is also vital. Starting this kind of business will entail an investment of at least INR 15 lakhs. Your monthly expenses will be nearly INR 1 lakh, inclusive of rent, utilities like electricity and water, equipment, and salaries to employees. However, once your business picks up, you can expect to earn decent profits.  

Steps involved in starting your pet grooming business

Before making an entry into the pet grooming world, you must gather all related business information from reliable sources.

Decide about the services you will offer

Take time to define your pet grooming concept. Study existing businesses in your area and see how you can make yours different from them. Figure out which grooming business will work best in your locality. Ask yourself these questions:

• Do you want a full-service salon?
• Do your interests lie in a mobile dog grooming business?
• What pets do you want to groom?

Conduct market research

Spend time to research the market to know about the potential customers in your community. Find out about the pets and their breeds, and understand the services and products they need for their pets. Such interactions will help you find out the pain points of your target audience. This will help you find out your business’ uniqueness and provide the best solutions in the market. Remember, this is the most crucial step a business needs to take before starting off.

Master pet grooming skills

Once you have a plan in place, the next step is to undergo training to learn the dos and don’ts of pet grooming. You will need a good understanding of salons, haircuts, hairstyles, different pet breeds, and products. There are different haircuts for different breeds, and people will expect such haircuts for their pets. However, if it gets hard to locate a suitable professional trainer, the next best alternative would be to go online and surf for tools or sites that will help you learn the nuances of pet grooming.

Scout for a suitable location

The location for your pet grooming business can be a make or break factor for you. Preferably, your salon must be at a site with a high density of pet population. The area should ideally not have a pet salon and that there is enough space for parking and walking.

Hire talented manpower

In this business, trained and skilled personnel is a must. The staff you hire should have a natural talent for dealing with different pets. They also need to be someone who the pet owner can trust to take good care of his pets.  

Unleash the power of digital marketing

Being a service industry, apart from referrals and traditional marketing techniques like flyers and banners, you also must resort to digital marketing. Influencers on platforms like Facebook and Instagram can attract customers to your salon with their creative posts. You can also run paid ads and regularly post photos of your business space along with videos and pics of the pets you groom. Request customers to post reviews online about your services. People trust online reviews, and it will help your business get adequate visibility.

Provide the best service

In this business, it is crucial to develop trusting relations with both pets and their owners. Maintain good relations with customers by communicating clearly, sending wishes on special occasions, and understanding their preferences. All this will help in retaining your customers and make them refer your services to people they know.

Grooming Tips for pets

If you plan to start pet grooming service, these grooming tips will serve as a guide:

• Brushing: Brushing is good to remove tangles and dead hair in dogs and cats, or any other pet. For thick coats, be sure to comb all the way to the skin. You need to be gentle and patient. Since too much pressure can irritate the skin and when pulled, the tangles will hurt. You can use a detangler to loosen knots in the hair.
• Bathing: Ensure that the water for bathing pets is warm even during summer. Cold water can make pets hate the bath. Provide a body massage while shampooing and then rinse. All pets need to be dried well to avoid chilling.
• Trimming nails: The nails of pets need trimming so that they don’t get caught and break. You have to be very gentle and ensure that the clipper does not cut into the region where the blood supply ends and cause bleeding. By praising the pet after each nail, you will relax it and prevent resistance.
• Teeth: All animals, from dogs to horses, will enjoy a mouth massage if you are patient and kind to them. Massaging the teeth with appropriate toothpaste will keep their mouths fresh and healthy.
• Ears: Use a cotton ball soaked with a suitable ear cleaner and clean the ears by removing any debris on the folds of skin near the head and reaching the ends of the ear flaps. If the ears are dirty and smell, then advise the owner to take the pet to a veterinarian.

If you are passionate about pets and have a natural affinity with them, you should definitely give the pet grooming business a try. OK Credit, the best safe and secure solution, will help you run your small business smoothly without hassles. The simple, easy-to-use app helps digitise all transactions and records, saving you from paperwork.

Also Read:

1) 25+ Business Ideas for Writing Entrepreneurs
2) Top-20 Low Budget Digital Marketing Business Ideas
3) How to Start Your Own Income Tax Business?
4) OkCredit: All you need to know about OkCredit & how it works.

FAQs

Q. How do I keep a dog still during grooming?

Ans. The ideal way to ensure your dog cooperates willingly is by giving it a treat and praising frequently. You need to slowly increase the time your dog stays still before praising.

Q. Should I bathe a dog before or after grooming?

Ans. It is better to first wash your dog before you groom. First wash, then dry thoroughly before you start clipping. Avoid clipping a dog while it is dirty.

Q. What method do you recommend to groom a dog?

• Use appropriate tools like clippers, combs, and brush
• Be gentle and slow
• Understand your dog’s coat well
• Be as quiet as possible
• Praise and reward often

Q. How do I relax a cat before grooming?

Ans. The best way is to groom different areas of the cat. They love the head, neck and back region, and the tail’s base. Rubbing your cat’s scent on your brush will also help to calm it down.

Q. How frequently should I brush a cat?

Ans. If your cat has too long hair, brush it daily, and if it is short, brush it a few times in a week. Brushing your cat will keep it healthy and satisfied.