Pet Exchange Garden

By Daryl Conner
June 30, 2017
Everyone makes mistakes.  Some are insignificant, for instance, putting a bow on a canine when the owner is someone who prefers bandanas.  Some are much larger, and can affect our livelihood.

Here are 10 common mistakes groomers typically make, and why you ought to avoid them.

1. Making poor choices of foods and beverages, (or not eating/drinking at all) during the busy work day. grooming is a job with mental, emotional, and physical challenges. We simply cannot be at our best running on soda and potato chips. It takes a little time to plan, purchase and prepare healthy food to fuel our bodies, but if we don’t, we risk blood sugar fluctuations that make us feel grouchy and exhausted in the short term, and health problems in the long term.

There are active on–line groomer groups with folks who embrace healthy eating choices such as whole 30, Paleo, and more. having the support of other groomers who choose to eat best can be wildly encouraging. feeling better once you make good choices can keep you going.

2. wearing shoes that don’t correctly support you. This may seem silly, but if our feet are not correctly supported, biomechanics work against us. We exert a remarkable amount of pressure on our feet merely by standing. add in walking, twisting, lifting, and dealing with dogs that in some cases don’t want to be handled, all while navigating slippery floors, and you can have a recipe for disaster. If our feet are not in good shoes they cannot support our bodies, and other muscles and joints should work harder to compensate. Besides, sore feet make us feel exhausted and grumpy. who needs that?
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3. An often–asked question on grooming sites is this: “How do you avoid burning out?” The answer is simple. Don’t work too numerous hours. Groomers are well-known for working too numerous days a week, and too numerous hours a day. numerous of us don’t take vacations. A schedule that does not offer time for rest, relaxation, and a break from the stresses of work is one that will put any groomer on the fast track for burn out. Why do groomers work so numerous hours? Often, it’s because they are undercharging for their services, which leads us to mistake number 4.

4. Not charging enough for your skills. It is imperative that groomers know what their cost of being in company is so they can charge adequately for their services and make a profit at the end of the day. This implies taking a good, hard look whatsoever your expenses (rent/mortgage, supplies, energy costs, waste disposal, insurance, etc.) and coming up with a plan to charge enough for each pet you groom so that you don’t have to work a 60–hour week just to keep your doors open. good pet groomers have a distinct skill set that is in demand. Don’t undersell yourself.

5. avoiding annual price increases. Your cost of doing company goes up every year. Your prices need to go up, too. If you put this off for a few years you will have to have a larger increase, and that can scare customers off. It is better to raise rates a small amount each year. numerous groomers choose to do this during the summer months, avoiding rate hikes during the holiday or winter season seasons.

6. Not having proper insurance coverage. accidents happen. Fires, floods, natural disasters. customers could slip and fall on your pathway; a canine could chew through its leash and escape. One uninsured accident can destroy all the hard work you have done to create a company if you don’t have sufficient insurance. speak with someone who knows our industry and purchase a policy that covers the sorts of accidents that are particular to groomers. The average small grooming shop can have outstanding insurance coverage for the approximate cost of grooming around 8–10 Springer Spaniels a year. When you look at it like that, doesn’t it seem silly not to be correctly insured?

7. Take care of the future. So numerous groomers fail to invest in a retirement plan. Historically, Americans under–save for retirement, and from taking a look at my fellow groomers it seems numerous of us are guilty of doing just that. If you are self–employed, it’s a easy matter to set up an IRA and have a set amount car drafted from your account each month. viewing your nest egg grow and knowing that someday you really will be able to afford to retire is an fantastic comfort.

8. invest back in your business. It can be easy to let things slide, but ideally we ought to all be keeping up the appearance of your business. work areas can become shabby and shopworn over time, it pays to keep things in good repair as well as looking (and smelling!) pleasant. We ought to also be investing in advertising if we still have spaces to fill on our calendars.

9. speaking of investing, do you have all the time saving tools available? ClipperVac© systems, bathing systems, high velocity dryers, ergonomically appropriate bath tubs and tables all are investments that wilnull