On the Move

We all know the many benefits of mobile grooming for consumers and their pets. First, it eliminates customers’ trips to the salon, making it incredibly convenient, especially for those dog owners who are busy or who work full time. It is also the perfect option for pets that get nervous or sick during car trips, don’t get along well with other dogs, or are elderly or ill. Also, mobile grooming provides clients with personal, one-on-one styling services right in their own driveway.

But how does mobile grooming benefit the stylist? First and foremost, there is a financial benefit. Groomers can charge more for services when they are mobile since clients are willing to pay more for personalized attention and convenience. Another advantage to mobile grooming is the lower cost of marketing and advertising. The van itself can be used as a billboard, cutting down on dollars spent getting a groomer’s business into the public eye.

Lastly, a mobile unit can be just as convenient for the stylist as it is for the client. A mobile groomer can work when he or she wants, where they want and how much they want. They can also specialize in a specific breed or choose to work with only small breeds if they want, provided business is booming. In addition, a mobile business can be part- or full-time work, and a groomer can schedule appointments at times and locations that work for them.


Getting Started
A major concern that many groomers have when they decide to go mobile–whether they are new to the field or have experience at a brick-and-mortar shop–is whether they will be able to pay off their overhead and still earn an income. Mobile vans are expensive and the thought of taking on thousands of dollars in debt can be scary. This is where a business plan comes into play.

First, it is vital that groomers make some basic decisions. These include determining how many days a week they want to work and how many appointments the want to book each day. After figuring out what to charge for these appointments (figure an average of between $60 and $90 per client), a groomer can estimate how much cash they will be bringing in per month. Then, they should subtract fuel, insurance costs and loan payments to estimate actual profits.

Consultants can help groomers figure these things out. For instance, Granger, Ind.-based Wag’n Tails not only sells mobile grooming vans, the company also provides its customers with materials and guidance to help build a successful business. John Stockman, the company’s national sales manager, says that decades of experience have helped the company develop a business model for customers.

“We have a tried-and-true business plan, which is the framework, and then we get down into the details,” says Stockman. “We cover efficient scheduling and routing, setting up a territory, pricing, marketing, sales and even telephone scripts. Before they get the van, we send clients the business plan. It is in a binder format and is a step-by-step guide about what to do. And once our clients have the van, we don’t just throw them to the wolves. We are available to consult with them whenever they have a question.”

Larry Kahan, president of Odyssey Mobile Grooming Conversions, a manufacturer of custom-built mobile grooming vans, says his company operates under a similar philosophy. “Before a groomer purchases a van from us, we make sure they know how to run a business,” he says.

Nothing, of course, beats experience. Curtis Hanvey, Jr., founder and engineer of Hanvey Specialty Engineering, a mobile van manufacturer, recommends that groomers work in a shop for six months to a year before they go into mobile. “Working somewhere else before starting a mobile business will allow a new stylist to feel comfortable with their grooming and with dealing with customers before they get into mobile,” says Hanvey. The company also offers clients an orientation when they receive their vans. During this orientation, clients new to mobile grooming are given information on topics like routing and scheduling. 

Groomers should also be prepared to do some research on their own. When starting his company, Steve Ogden, owner of a high-end mobile grooming business in Los Angeles called Spa Dog, checked out all the local competition. “I looked at what pet stores were doing, at what other mobile groomers were doing and what spas were offering for people,” he says. “Then I combined this information to create a luxury mobile pet spa.”

In addition, Ogden did price studies. He called other mobile stylists, as well as brick-and-mortar locations, to see what they were charging. “I also called the van production companies for additional information,” he adds. “It’s been six years since I started, but I still have two huge binders full of all of the information I collected.”

Before hitting the road, groomers will also have to obtain the necessary legal permits from the state and/or local governments. All that may be required for a mobile grooming unit is a business license, but be sure to check with local and state authorities. Groomers could be fined if they are caught without the proper paperwork. Because Ogden cares about doing things right and offering the best possible service, he made a point to get a license from the state, one from the city and one from local animal control. These are all proudly displayed in his van.


Buying a Van
When shopping for a van, groomers need to keep in mind that every manufacturer does things a bit differently. Groomers looking to purchase a vehicle should shop around to see which company best suits their needs as well as the service and maintenance contracts.

“I really shopped around for vans,” says Ogden. “My vehicle is completely decked out.” Built on a Ford E-350, the unit has a propane water heater, a hydrotherapy bathing system with a recirculating water center and an advanced air circulation system with thermostat control. The unit has a stainless steal tub that is easily sanitized and uses only filtered soft water. There are two dryers, one is a forced-air dryer and the other is a vari-speed. There are steps in and out of the truck and the styling table has a hydraulic lift so that older dogs don’t have any trouble.

“The unit is totally self-sufficient,” continues Ogden. “I use a generator so it doesn’t have to be plugged in, and that allows me to go anywhere. If a client takes their dog to work with them, I can go right to their office.”

In terms of vehicle financing, both Kahan and Hanvey recommend looking into money matters early in the buying process. “With the way the bank industry has been recently, we make sure this is something a groomer can do financially before they waste a whole lot of time,” says Hanvey. “The reality of it is that right now interest rates are around eight percent and down payments are roughly between $5,000 and $10,000. People also need a pretty good credit rating. And most of the banks that are lending right now also want to see two years work experience.”

Once a groomer qualifies for financing, Odyssey works with them to build a custom-built unit that will meet all of their needs. “Groomers have different styles,” says Kahan. “Some are trained where they need a lot of space and a lot of water, and some are trained so they need little space and conserve their water. We will sit down with each groomer and discuss which van will best suit their needs.”

Recently, Kahan has seen a shift toward hybrid systems. “A hybrid that runs off of an inverter and a small generator is the most economical,” he says. “The vehicle runs on electric, and when it needs a little more power, it starts the generator. This means that the generator will last ten times longer between servicing.”

Wag’n Tails has seen this shift as well. “We have been moving from strictly electrical generator-based units to battery inverter/generator hybrids,” says Stockman. “So while a groomer is using the low-amperage equipment, which is basically three-fourths of the groom time, they are running strictly on batteries. And when the high-amperage equipment needs to run, like the air conditioning or high-velocity dryer, the generator can be fired up. The benefits are that the generator life lasts a lot longer, the maintenance costs go down and the fuel usage goes down.”

In addition to the van, a groomer should purchase tools. Many groomers have already adopted favorites while in school or while working in a salon. “A groomer will learn to like a certain clipper or a certain type of shear,” explains Stockman. “Scissors, clippers and brushes are very personal. Therefore, these types of tools don’t come with the van, and the groomer will have to purchase them on their own.”

It may not be a bad idea to get backups of everything. “If you’re at somebody’s house and you run out of something, you can’t just run out for more-or for a new tool,” Ogden says.


Mobile Expansion
Going mobile can also be a great option for groomers who already own a brick-and-mortar salon. “The whole concept of mobile grooming is that it is a premium at-home service,” says Stockman. “Convenience is what drives the mobile grooming customer, so the clientele tends to be more affluent, more upscale. Basically, the mobile customer and the shop customer are two different people; they don’t overlap very much. Adding a mobile unit to a shop allows the groomer to reach an entirely different clientele.”

Stockman explains that the mobile grooming clientele will pay a premium price for convenience. “Mobile prices tend to be around 50 percent higher than what you would find in a typical shop,” he says. “The key component to that is you really only need about 120 to 180 pets to fully book a van, where in a shop you may need thousands. So mobile groomers take fewer pets and make more money.”

But many observers say that the worst worst thing a mobile groomer can do is go out and compete with shop prices, Hanley says that prices should be at least $10 to $20 more than a shop, adding that mobile grooming is more of a client-based business, rather than a you-call-we-groom business. “A mobile groomer who is doing the latter is not doing as well because they are trying to compete with shops,” he says. “Remember that mobile groomers offer an exclusive service. The client doesn’t have to deal with dropping the dog off and picking it up-or with the mess in their cars.”


Marketing
With a new mobile grooming business, a stylist must not only be educated and schooled in dog grooming, he or she must present themselves as an expert in the field. This means making sure the business name and phone number is artfully painted on the sides of the vehicle. A stylish uniform is always a plus and business cards are a must-have.

“New groomers have to have graphics on their vans,” says Hanvey. “This is their form of advertising. Mobile vans are driving billboards, and the groomer can manage where their van goes. If you advertise in the Yellow Pages, calls will come in from all over the county, which is not what you want. From our experienced groomers, we’ve heard that the best way to advertise is to drive around the neighborhoods in which you want to work.”

Adds Kahan: “From what I hear, most mobile groomers don’t have to market themselves too hard. If they’ve done it correctly, after the first year most of them find themselves turning away business.”

Ogden has only had to rely on word-of-mouth marketing, though an article in The New York Times six years ago didn’t hurt. His first clients contacted him because he was offering something different. “I wanted to be a brand; I wanted to be something unique,” he says. His luxury concept attracted celebrity clients and reporters alike. And best of all, “I didn’t have to spend money advertising,” he says.


The Future of Mobile Grooming
Though the country is experiencing economic turmoil, Stockman says his clients haven’t really been affected by the downturn. “I just spent three days at a show in New Jersey and spoke to every one of our mobile groomers that was there,” he says. “They basically said ‘What recession?’”

Hanvey has also heard success stories. “One of our clients decided that she didn’t want to be a housewife anymore and took a job at a grooming shop doing bathing and prepping. Six months later she’s in a truck, and during her first full year in business she made $96,000. Tell me how good of a business this is when you can do that!”

Ogden says there has been some decline, but for his business this just means clients are waiting an extra week or two between grooms. “I haven’t lost any clients because of the economy,” he says. “They may have slowed down their grooming cycle, but they are not going to go to a big-box chain store after they’ve experienced mobile. The key is that if you’re providing the best service-service that they can’t get anywhere else-they will stay with you.”

Kahan has similar advice. “If you price yourself as a low-cost, discount mobile groomer and charge shop prices, when a recession hits, your customers will go away pretty fast. If you price yourself as a premium high-end service and go after a more affluent clientele, there are a lot of things in that household that are going to stop before that dog stops being groomed.

“People are not going to start washing their dogs themselves and pet owners are getting multiple dogs. People are going to take care of their pets, no matter what. If they have to, they’ll give up something else, like going to the movies, but they won’t stop taking care of their pets.”

The conclusion about mobile grooming is that, for many, it is a fantastic business. “We know groomers who are charging top-dollar, handpicking their customers, grooming up to six or seven dogs a day, and charging up to $125 a dog. These successful groomers have gotten into a comfort zone, and they decide when they want to work, how they want to work and how much they want to make.”