PetGroomer.com Magazine - Spring 2021

eGroomer Journal January / March 2014

AprilPetGroomer.com / June 2021 Vol. Publications 11, Ed. 2

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M A G A Z I N E

The Asian Poodle Groom by Jodi Murphy Page 14

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INSIDE THE SPRING 2021 ISSUE Calendar of Events

13

The Asian Poodle

14

Floor Plans That Rock! - New Drastic Sound Reduction

32

The Importance of Having Pet Groomer / Mobile Groomer Insurance

41

GroomFIT: Shake it Off

47

How to Value a Groomer’s Client List

53

Train Your Clients

69

How Many Dogs Should You Groom a Day

77

Beyond the Typical Frustrations of Being Employers

81

Rubberizing Clipper Bodies Using Flex-Seal

88

Our PetGroomer.com Sponsor Buying Guide

90

Blade & Snap-on Reference Chart

95

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INDUSTRY CALENDAR

MAY 2021 WORLD DOG EXPO May 22-23, 2021 Secaucus, New Jersey See www.worldexpo.dog

AUGUST 2021 ALL AMERICAN GROOMING SHOW August 12—15, 2021 Schaumburg, Illinois See www.aagroom.com

SEPTEMBER 2021

JUNE 2021 PETQUEST June 17 - 20, 2021 Wilmington, Ohio See www.pqgroom.com ATLANTA PET FAIR June 24-27, 2021 Atlanta, Georgia See www.atlantapetfair.org

JULY 2021 NORTHWEST GROOMING SHOW July 8-11, 2021 Tacoma, Washington See www.nwgroom.com

April / March 2021 PetGroomer.com Publications

GROOM EXPO September 9 - 12, 2021 Hershey, Pennsylvania See www.groomexpo.com

OCTOBER 2021 NEW ENGLAND GROOMING SHOW October 7– 10, 2021 Sturbridge, Massachusets See www.newenglandgrooms.com INTERGROOM October 21- 24, 2021 Secaucus, New Jersey See www.intergroom.com

GROOM EXPO WEST July 22-25, 2021 Pasadena, California See www.groomexpowest.com Send your grooming industry event info to: contact@petgroomer.com eGroomer Journal www.egroomer.com Subscribe Free PetGroomer.com Magazine www.petgroomermagazine.com Subscribe Free

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The Asian Poodle Groom by Jodi Murphy

Asian Fusion styling has really taken off over the past several years. These trendy styles began in Asia, particularly in Japan, Thailand and Korea. There are countless styles and variations, all of them adorable. The fashion of their execution is to portray doll-like features, or stuffed animal appearance. Adornments exaggerate the doll-like appearance, especially apparel, ribbons, bows and more. Bodies of curly-coated breeds bodies get clipped tight usually with #2 snap-on combs. Leg styles are similar but there may be differences. This coat type may be scissored and sculpted giving 14 controlled execution. Legs Copyright Find A Groomer All rights reservedappearance Subscribe www.egroomer.com more may© 2013 be scissored forInc. a bell-bottom or more columnPetGroomer.com Magazine www.petgroomermagazine.com Subscribe Free

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like. Curly-coated heads can be scissored into the bubble-head with round or oval muzzles which are very popular. Drop-coated breeds like the Yorkie and Maltese get shaved very close on the body using 5F or 7F blades, creating beautiful long “bell bottoms” of leg hair. Drop coats have more limitations yet there are various body and head styles. Koreans sometimes scissor a diaper on the rears. There are no rules, an especially nice feature of Asian Fusion styling. There are guidelines to follow but groomers can add twists pleasing to their eyes. Every dog is different in coat type, density and textures. Modifications bring out the best results with what you have at hand.

Grooming Body and Legs

Start by clipping the body coat with a #2 snap-on comb. Begin at the base of the neck and clip the entire body. Clip the thigh muscle and rear angulation to the bend of leg. Clip the inside of the thigh in the same fashion as the outer thigh. Leave the front upper arm hair to scissor with the front leg a bit later.

Clip the front and sides of the neck from the base of the ear and under the jaw line and throat down over the breastbone continuing between the front legs.

Clip the tail at the same length as the body. Tighten the tail’s underside to look Journal Copyright © 2011 Find A Groomer Inc. All rights reserved 15 nice eGroomer and tidy when the dog’s tail is erect.

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When grooming a Poodle, either clip the feet or leave them full depending on client preference. Here I clipped the feet to the first knuckle. After clipping bevel the bottom of the bell-bottom by combing the coat straight down and scissor with your shear at an angle. Scissor the hock at a 45-degree angle creating a flared appearance and more leg style.

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Scissor the front of the rear leg in a straight line from the flank down to the knee. Then, round the knee to the base of the bevel. Shape the leg giving it the bell-bottom appearance by blending from where you left off with the snap on comb work. Leave a nice flare at the lower leg to show off a nice bevel.

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Scissor the front of the rear leg in a straight line from the flank down to the knee. Then, round the knee to the base of the bevel. Shape the leg giving it the bell-bottom appearance by blending from where you left off with the snap on comb work. Leave a nice flare at the lower leg to show off a nice bevel.

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Shave ears short or leave long to your preference, or client’s. Shave with a 7F on the outside of the ear and a 10 blade on the inside. The clipped line should be just above where the ear folds. Blend the coat above the line into the topknot.

Scissor ear edges tight.

Clip the cheeks one-finger width behind the outside corner of the eye using a 5F blade. Clip the cheek to the ear opening meeting the snap-on comb work under the jaw line.

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Comb all the coat down over the top of the head and scissor in a visor.

Continue to scissor the top of the head to the occiput creating a bubble appearance. I do not give a distinct separation from the topknot to the ear. I prefer it to be a subtle transition.

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Comb all the coat down over the top of the head and scissor in a visor.

Continue to scissor the top of the head to the occiput creating a bubble appearance. I do not give a distinct separation from the topknot to the ear. I prefer it to be a subtle transition.

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(top) Comb all of the muzzle coat up and out. Use hard curves to create an oval-shaped muzzle. The muzzle should be the same width as the coat left at the outside corner of the eye. The top of the muzzle should be showing ½ of the eyes. (bottom) Use your index finger and thumb and place them around the dog’s muzzle. Use a 40 blade and carefully clip the coat off the upper and lower lip directly under the nose. Be sure to hold the dog’s muzzle closed to prevent its tongue coming out. Scissor the coat around the nose so that nothing is eGroomer Journal 25 falling on the nose. Copyright © 2011 Find A Groomer Inc. All rights reserved PetGroomer.com Magazine www.petgroomermagazine.com Subscribe Free

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Time to scissor the back of the neck connecting the topknot and the topline. The collar line should be free from long hair as this is where clothing will sit. Scissor the back of the head in a bubble shape down to the middle of the neck. Blend the sides of the neck into the bubble head.

Now you can accessorize and show off this cute trim!

This is your time to be creative and add your little twists to this Asian Poodle trim. Good luck! ◄

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FLOOR PLANS THAT ROCK! NEW DRASTIC SOUND REDUCTION In the last 60 years manufacturers have There are several problematic elements made major improvements in grooming common to all stationary pet grooming equipment, tools and operations. They negasupplies making our FLOOR PLAN OBJECTIVES tively affect productiviwork easier, more proty, client satisfaction, 1. Sound reduction for health ductive and reliable. people and pet safety 2. Comfort and visual appeal What continues to and the ability of 3. Safety for people and pets work against many groomers to optimize 4.

Clean and sanitary groomers is their buildclient referrals. They 5. Space efficient ing design. Structural, are so pervasive every 6. Energy efficient space and materials square foot of floor 7. Optimized natural lighting planning can reduce space, and sometimes 8. Groomer friendly groomer stress, burnevery cubic foot of air 9. Cost efficient out and improve menspace, is subject to detal clarity, focus, wellgeneration. They are: 10. Employee friendly being and safety. Effec• Noise tive design also saves money.

• Dirt, dander and haircoat Experienced members of the grooming • Excessive heat and humidity industry may have never experienced • Fleeing or off-leash pets our solutions for design and working en• Pet Distraction vironment problems common to thouC.A.P. is an abbreviation for three direcsands of stationary grooming businesses. Don’t come to quick conclusions. We tives whose mission is to address and resolve these design floor plan probbase our designs on over 60 years of hands-on grooming industry experience.

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lems. We developed these decades ago, and they are often copied and written about by others. They are:

your operational costs. C.A.P. directives make an incredible difference in your floor plan design and operation.

CONTAIN

CONTAIN

ABATE

Containment is the prime directive. How well we master containment in our floor plan design ideas affects our ability to successfully implement the two remaining C.A.P. directives, abate, and prevent.

Noise, dirt, dander, haircoat, excess heat, humidity and fleeing pets can be contained with smart design.

PREVENT When we don’t incorporate these directives into the design of a grooming business, productivity is lost. Owners running businesses alone, or staff, are left doing more mundane tasks to contain, abate and prevent grooming operational problems. Groomers groom less and endure environmental stress. The result is loss of income. For example, groomers raise their voices over excessive noise every workday. Loose hair, dirt and dander travels throughout grooming businesses requiring more cleaning tasks.

Air conditioning works harder and energy costs rise. C.A.P. directives lead to solutions and create happier groomers with less burnout.

Don’t let your grooming environment wear out people and pets because its design doesn’t contain, abate and prevent noise, excessive heat, humidity, fleeing pets, dirt, dander and haircoat.

Traditional grooming design does little to contain these problems. We’re going in the opposite direction. Contain is our prime directive. It is best achieved by wall placement and materials, and gates and doors.

ABATE Once large containment measures such as walls, doors and gates are in place, your floor plan should look to abate the targeted problematic elements previously mentioned. Environmental factors such as noise, heat and humidity are prime conditions for abatement.

Most grooming businesses are excessively noisy. Some groomers wear ear plugs. Disregard barking and you still

Let groomers groom as much as possible.34That’s what they do Copyright best. Lower © 2013 Find A Groomer Inc. All rights reserved PetGroomer.com Magazine www.petgroomermagazine.com Subscribe Free

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have very noisy environments from equipment. It only gets worse when you have two or more groomers and other staff.

Noisy environments tire the body and mind of both people and pets. Noise is the leading stress factor in every grooming business. We telephone pet groomers on a daily basis and most have to raise their voices. Some even yell when equipment is running in the background and dogs are barking. Carpeting helps to absorb sound, but it never belongs in a grooming business.

Noise bounces on hard surfaces in grooming environments. Drop ceilings with acoustic boards and walls treated with acoustic dampening treatments offer a way to abate noise. It may cost extra but the relief is worth it. You can learn more about acoustic treatments by searching the Web. Our solutions include acoustic sound absorption materials, heat exhaust fans and strategic placement of A/C vents, walls and contained rooms for staff.

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of noise. Yes, 100%. You cannot even hear a jack hammer through the Silent Room walls with minimal materials invetment. Want proof?

AcoustiBlok® Go to YouTube and search their registered trademarked name. Prepare to be blown away.

Line the walls of a room with this liner material that comes in convenient rolls.

Search for compatible materials too. If you are framing new walls you can apply it to the framing below the sheet rock. Boom! Invisible sound deafening that blocks jack hammer noise, and for groomers, your loud machinery or barking.

We have also prescribed this solution to pet boutiques add grooming departments. No one wants to shop retail listening to loud dryers and barking dogs.

1. Noise Abatement Room

Some groomers put HV dryers inside noise abatement rooms lined with materials like this, the only noise you have to address is nozzle air. However, if you line the walls of the bathing department you can eliminate nozzle noise everywhere else but the cordoned off bathing room.

2. Silent Room

Now you have an extraordinary groom-

Two advanced abatement features for midsize and large businesses are:

SilenteGroomer Rooms literally blockCopyright up to© 100% Journal 2011 Find A Groomer Inc. All rights reserved PetGroomer.com Magazine www.petgroomermagazine.com Subscribe Free

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ing environment. You enter it during the busiest period of the day with several pets being groomed and only hear the soft hum of clippers and soft music. No vacuums of any kind, HV nozzle or box dryer noise.

PREVENT Can we expect building design to help us prevent undesirable events involving pets and people? We know containment helps to prevent fleeing pets from making successful escapes. But what about accidents or health conditions that cannot be predicted? Prevention is the best solution.

Who prevents? Groomers do. Place their workstations strategically giving them natural line of sight access to accommodated pets not actively being groomed.

We make copies of our floor plans and mark them up with a Line of Sight Safety Analyses.

To get started, state your floor plan objectives. We’ve provided you with our list and it is suitable for all grooming departments or stationary locations. Next, get ready to draw your design. You may want to use floor plan software, but paper, pencil and ruler is adequate for most groomers with a little knowledge of maintain scale..

Every time you draw a wall, place a workstation or tub, or indicate any other design feature, stop and ask yourself, “Is my floor plan working for me? Am I optimizing the use of C.A.P. directives?” Keep adjusting to meet all objectives ▲

Amazing Benefits of Counter Drying Every Stationary Grooming Business Benefits from a Separate Bathing Department .As grooming business owners we served over 400,000 pets and their owners.

Some say quantity means no quality. We hand-dried over 400,000 pets, every pet we ever groomed. They were never left alone in a cage to dry. How is that worthy of negative grooming-related colloquialisms? It isn’t of course (Continued on page 38)

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Thousands of groomers have never worked in a grooming business furnished with drying counters. Instead pets are dried on grooming tables, in tubs or cage-dried. We know from decades of hands-on experience that handdrying on drying counters was the best experience for us.

There’s nothing wrong with drying pets on tables, or in cages or tubs. However, we know counter drying outperforms other methods with advantages in addition to hand-drying. It may cost more to hand dry every pet but we were never known for charging high prices. Counter drying cut the cost of the luxury of handdrying because it is faster and easier for most pet bathers. Taking care of our bathers was an important business goal and many stayed with us as employees for eight or more years.

Drying counters defined the perimeter of our bathing department supporting our Contain-Abate-Prevent (C.A.P.) objectives. Here are the key benefits of drying counters:

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onto the dog spreads around and past the dog and bounces back off the wall.

The coat facing the wall is simultaneously drying at a slower pace.

We found the bounce effect so pronounced we kept spray bottles of water handy for stretch-drying pets. By the time groomers finish the front side with stretch drying, some areas of the back side may be curled and almost dry.

Quick sprays of water wetting the curled spots solved the problems. This minor problem is testimony to how fast counter drying works.

Containment and Abatement Success.

Counter drying within a bathing department enables the building design to noticeably contain and abate noise, moving air, heat and humidity. The walls prevent these problems from spreading throughout the grooming environment where it is not desired or useful for any reason.

Table Drying Consequences. Drying on a grooming table is counterproductive to C.A.P. goals to contain, abate and prevent. In fact, drying on grooming tables in open areas is one the worst environmental quality practices for professional grooming environments. It’s not wrong for pets.

Faster drying times. Assume you have a dog on a drying counter along a wall of your bathing department. Face the counter and wall. The pet is between you and the wall, and positioned parallel lengthwise with the wall. Some of the heated or room temperature blown 38 Copyrightair © 2013 Find A Groomer Inc. All rights reserved PetGroomer.com Magazine www.petgroomermagazine.com Subscribe Free

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When you dry in the open on a grooming table there is no containment.

Blown air, heat and humidity travel across the pet and across the room.

Groomers working on any adjacent tables may receive blasts of air and noise.

Groomers trying to “stay in zone” concentrating on the art of finish grooming get plenty distracted. Why do stylists have to overlook and have their zone challenged by noisy equipment including dryers, nozzles and vacuums? Resolving these issues creates natural productivity, and less stress.

Blown air sends big and little hairs out into the open adding to cleaning duties in all departments. Some groomers flip the drying nozzle around, up, down, here, there, left and right and heat and humidity are being shot everywhere.

Dirt, dust and dander already at rest on objects, furniture and fixtures become airborne again and sail throughout the business. If you have a retail area, you are forever dusting. Dryer and nozzle noise fans out 360 degrees too.

Overall, C.A.P. directives fail when drying on tables in traditionally designed shops.

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calmer pets. It’s easier to dry a pet that feels protected. The groomer stands on one side of the dog and the opposite side is a wall. Some pets love to rest against it.

The wall reduces visual pet distraction.

It prevents looped pets from moving sideways. Fortunately the pet retains forward vision, the most important direction if they are to feel comfortable and less restrained. Counter drying done properly by pet bathers supports pet satisfaction with the grooming experience.

Pets on open grooming tables receive 360 degrees of distraction. Information comes at them from all sides. They can more readily struggle away from groomers even when looped to a grooming arm. Pet positioning becomes more of a task when compared to counter drying.

Missing counter walls are like third arms helping groomers to keep pets positioned comfortably.

In summary, what are the advantages of drying pets on grooming tables? Absolutely none. It’s not wrong. It’s simply without advantages. Counter drying done correctly successfully allows pets to dry faster with hands-on attention, contain noise, heat and humidity and loose dirt, dander and haircoat. What

Prevention Improves with Counter Drying. A dog securely looped to a fixed position on a walled drying counter has moreeGroomer security, and securityCopyright makes forFind A Groomer Inc. All rights reserved Journal © 2011 PetGroomer.com Magazine www.petgroomermagazine.com Subscribe Free

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more can a professional ask for? Well, how about a lot of extra storage space without taking up more floor space?

Here are some additional tips.

Construction. Drying counters may be mounted on walls leaving open space below them. There’s no problem with that design. However the empty space below the counter could be used for significant storage, and additional counter support. Construct storage cabinets and secure them to the walls of the bathing department as indicated on your floor plan.

Build countertops secured to top of the storage cabinets and the result is a very stable drying counter solution with plenty of storage. Some of our floor plans incorporate more than 100 cubic foot of storage under drying counters. What does that mean? You need less square footage and that lowers rent.

Countertops. They should extend about six inches forward from the front face of the cabinets. This air space is also leg space for pet bathers sitting on stools while they dry pets. It also allows some room for dryer stand bases and rollers.

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can catch on them. Instead use hardware that is flush with the surface of the cabinets. Raise the cabinets on feet creating some air space between the bottom of the cabinets and the floor. Bathing departments are wet areas and you don’t want water seeping under cabinets with solid bottoms resting on floors. Seeping water can rot wood and harbor sanitation problems.

Pet Positioning Safety. Secure very strong eyelets into the studs of the counter wall. Strong but comfortable grooming loops should be able to attach to the eyelets. Never allow pets of different families to commingle on drying counters. Space pets on your drying counters so they cannot touch one another. Then attach their grooming loops maintaining the separation. The pets are now safe at all times from touching or harming one another.

Pets should never be left unattended on grooming tables, and the same is true for drying counters. Grooming loops attached to a counter wall should never be relied upon when a bather needs to temporarily step away. Instead, bathers use temporary holding cages the same as groomers. ▲

Don’t use cabinet hardware that sticks out from the face of the cabinets, such as handles and knobs. Bathers could bruise their knees on them, and cords 40 Copyright © 2013 Find A Groomer Inc. All rights reserved PetGroomer.com Magazine www.petgroomermagazine.com Subscribe Free

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The Importance of Having Pet Groomer/Mobile Groomer Insurance In many ways, a pet groomer or mobile groomer’s business is like many other small, independent businesses. But there’s one huge difference that can mean everything for the survival of your business should something go wrong and that’s the pets. In order to protect them and yourself, you need to make sure you have the right coverage for any scenario.

Standard commercial liability insurance covers accidents, fire and human injuries, but even though you’re in the pet business, that type of coverage ignores liability related to the death or injury of the pets themselves. You want to make sure you and your employees are covered against claims brought against your business for the rendering or failure to render your professional services in the course of your operation - for example, coverage that pays for the direct loss of an animal that a client leaves in your care. That’s why you need specialized pet groomer insurance to cover what you need, not just what a typical business would need.

pletely on your own and require the kind of coverage to address that fact. Yet most insurance policies, including some types of pet service insurance policies, don’t address the key needs of your specific business.

Being mobile and traveling to your work location adds complexity to your insurance situation that’s beyond standard insurers. For instance, did you know that the very advantage of mobility, which is the main definer of your business, is precisely what also puts you in financial risk? You need to make sure you have comprehensive business coverage, as well as specific coverage for your van or trailer, including insuring your van or trailer conversion and the loss of use of your specific mobile unit.

Let’s say you’re traveling to an engagement.

You get on the highway and someone changes lanes recklessly and causes the driver in front of you to swerve. They lose control, you don’t have time to stop, and there’s a collision with plenty of damage. Thankfully no one is hurt, but your van is out of commission until it can be fixed, plus some of your grooming equipment has suffered and must be replaced. With spe-

Not only do brick and mortar pet businesses need specialized coverage but mobile groomers do as well. Mobile groomers are a different breed eGroomer and have different needs.Copyright You’re©comJournal 2011 Find A Groomer Inc. All rights reserved PetGroomer.com Magazine www.petgroomermagazine.com Subscribe Free

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cialty mobile groomer insurance, you’d be covered.

Think about what would happen if you were to lose the ability to work until repairs could be made to your vehicle. The sad truth is, most businesses like yours would not be covered under traditional business insurance. As crazy as it seems, there is some business insurance that only applies if the loss occurs at an insured premises, not while on the road. But what about getting there and back? Road mobility is the whole basis of your business, but think about how much of your time you’re on your own, not covered, and rolling along with every mile, every turn, every intersection a risk to your livelihood.

Having the right insurance can help take away a lot of those worries by giving you peace of mind and saving you from any unforeseen circumstance. Pet grooming and mobile grooming insurance can range in a variety of different costs based on what you and your business needs. It is important to talk to a specialized agent and make sure you are covered in all the right places so you don’t end up paying for it later. ◄

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April / June 2021

SHAKE IT OFF GroomFit by Vera Needham We’ve all enjoyed the satisfied purr of happy cats, but why do they purr? According to Dr. Gary Weitzman, author of “How to Speak Cat,” purrs are at a frequency of 25-100Hz which corresponds with healing frequencies in humans.

Petting a cat is a form of stress relief.

Some studies show cat ownership can cut the risk of stroke or heart disease by as much one-third.

ic pet therapy. Robotic cats mimic real purring, complete with vibration. Studies showed it helped to decrease stress and agitation for Alzheimer’s and Dementia sufferers in long-term care facilities.

Researchers found bones respond to 25 -50Hz of vibration. Whole-body vibration plates treated astronauts returning from space where they would lose bone density from absence of gravity. Whole-body

The healing aspect cat purrs is in roboteGroomer Journal

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vibration plates proved helpful in the bone density rebuilding process. Scientists surmised cat purr vibrations similarly maintained healthier bones and tissues.

The human lymphatic system is a network of tissue and organs that helps eliminate toxins, as well as carrying infection-fighting white blood cells throughout human bodies. The heart as part of the human circulatory system pushes blood through the body, but the lymphatic system doesn’t have a pump.

The good news is this. The jiggle factor can stimulate the lymphatic system to remove toxins. Shaking increases circulation, dexterity, joint stability, core strength, as well as facilitating fascial release, and even stimulates the central nervous system.

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When muscles quiver they generate heat from friction, similar to the heat of rubbing hands together. Researchers measured significant increase in blood flow in a fidgeting leg. This is a really important concept if you find your feet are swelling at the end of a long day at the grooming table. Extended standing or sitting can decrease blood circulation, causing fluid to build up in the feet, legs, and ankles. When muscles are inactive it is difficult to pump body fluids back up toward the heart. The retention of water and blood can cause swelling in the legs. Try taking a quick time-out during your busy day to give your leg a shake to increase circulation to that area.

Shaking is not a new concept. Its link to healing methodology has been around for centuries. In the 19th Century, there were Native American shakers. In China there is a 2,000-year-old healing tradition which activates the shaking response known as Waidangong. This tradition spread to Southeast Asia and Japan. Yet it largely disappeared until recently. Oprah introduced the topic with her self-help guru Gabrielle Bernstein.

She uses a Kundalini yoga technique

Have you ever wondered why we shiver when we are cold? The human body needs to keep a core temperature of 98.6°F to prevent hypothermia. When you are chilly, tiny sensors in your skin send messages to your brain telling you to warm up. Your brain then sends mes48 Copyright © 2013 Find A Groomer Inc. All rights reserved sages to nerves telling you to shiver.

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which involves shaking hands overhead for three minutes. Shaking is easy. It is fun and you can shake virtually in any position.

Most people have no idea how stressful a day in the pet parlor can be. Washing and grooming a cat is quite the opposite of their stress relieving purrs.

Our bodies automatically clench when we overwork; it can even overwhelm our bodies. If you have ever experienced a tension headache after an especially difficult workday, you are aware of the physical effects of stress on your body.

Beyond headaches, stress can reduce immunity. Your body goes into hyperalert or flight mode. Exposure to a virus or an infection involves more risk. Depleted resources compromise your ability to fight them.

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concern.

One theory says stress weakens immune response from lowered white blood cells. The stress hormone, cortisol, reduces the number of lymphocytes, a type of white blood cell that helps the body fight sickness. Stress tightens our muscles. The next time you feel that type of tension, take a minute to shake it out.

You can shake while sitting or standing at your grooming station. As little as a minute of shaking can be enough to relax muscles and increase circulation.

Shake one arm for 30 seconds and then one leg. If seated, shake the same arm and leg at the simultaneously, then shake the opposite arm and leg. If you have a fitness tracker you look at how much shaking increases your heart rate.

Find the right speed and intensity of shaking for you. Remember, if you shake too hard, you may feel muscles tense up and that is not the sensation you want. Be certain to shake with enough movement that it relaxes your body and warms you up. Shake until

During the current pandemic it is especially important to keep our immune systems at optimal levels. The minor stresses we may encounter day-to-day at grooming parlors may be enough to compromise our immune systems. It’s eGroomer Journal Copyright © 2011 Find A Groomer Inc. All rights reserved the chronic stress that is the greatest PetGroomer.com Magazine www.petgroomermagazine.com Subscribe Free

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April / June 2021

when you hum you can hear your voice vibrate.

Grooming is a rewarding career, but it is easy to get caught up in the stress from overbooking, angry and aggressive pups (or worse, their owners) and lock downs.

Next time stress affects you, try pulling a Taylor Swift and “Shake-it-Off.” Start by shaking one arm for 30 seconds, the other arm 30 seconds and both arms 30 seconds. Then, shake one leg, then the other. Next, try the opposite arm and leg 30 seconds, and same arm and leg 30 seconds. There are no strict guidelines to shaking. Loosen up and have some fun with it. ◄

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Vera Needham is a Medical Exercise Specialist, pilates trainer and has been a dog groomer for over 35 years. Vera invented the Tubee-Fit training tool for groomers. The Tubee has proven to be a wonderful addition to her older adult classes and in long term care facilities.

If you have any Goomfit question or want more information about the Tubee contact Vera at groom50 Copyright © 2013 Find A Groomer Inc. All rights reserved fit@yahoo.com

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How to Value a Groomer’s Client List The biggest obstacle to buying a pet grooming clientele list is the unknown.

How do you know if the clientele will remain your clients should you buy their contact information and service records.

Are the records current? Will the list owner allow you to review and analyze the content of list before purchasing it?

How much is the client list worth?

These are pertinent questions before purchasing a client list. In this article we show you the financially important homework the buyer should do as it applies to pet care operations.

bile groomers, or groomers operating from their homes and not selling their property, limit their sales to client lists only. For the purposes of this article it makes no difference. Our focus here is simply to show you how to do basic and advanced reviews and measures of grooming client lists, to make you a very smart buyer.

Every client list tells a different story.

Their content and value can be overstated, understated or barely stated with almost no detail. Without an appropriately presented client list how will you ever duplicate or exceed the income potential from the client list as its owner did?

You probably won’t. You must do your due diligence to study a client list before

Most groomers selling their businesses include a list of clients along with other assets such as furniture, fixtures, equipment, trade names, business goodwill and possibly vehicles. On occasion moeGroomer Journal Copyright © 2011 Find A Groomer Inc. All rights reserved PetGroomer.com Magazine www.petgroomermagazine.com Subscribe Free

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April / June 2021

making the purchase. You are making a significant investment in an asset that can produce profit or an unseen loss.

Sharpen your skills to evaluate client lists. We’ve done this with hundreds of clientele lists, now you can too.

notes. We suggest you conduct the homework on-site in the presence of the list owner. You should consider signing a confidentiality agreement before reviewing records upon request, but have your attorney review it before signing.

ACCESS TO THE LIST FOR SALE

If there are more than 300 client records you may need to schedule multiple on-site visits. If you are thinking about the hours involved we assure you every moment you spend on this homework prescription will pay off. Don’t regret the hours. You are protecting an investment in your future, and acting with business acumen sometimes lacking the pet grooming industry.

Would you buy a client list sight unseen? You may see the establishment that comes with the purchase of a commercial location, but what about the hundreds or even thousands of details that lie in record-keeping and client records? The heart of a grooming business opportunity are those records. We recommend you act like a miner spending hours mining through the data following our guidelines. A grooming clientele must fit you as the owner/groomer and your vision for the business or you risk your investment and a poor match.

Getting access to the clientele list should not be a problem if you provide reasonable surety to the list owner that the privacy of the content is being kept confidential and subject only to your analysis. You never copy names and contact information into your review 54

If client records are computerized use software reporting features to print records for your review. Never take them off-site. Review them with the owner present. Let them see your review notes.

They may be a great negotiating tool. If you cannot print computer records you will need to review them on the computer monitor. Typically a confidentiality agreement will state what you can and cannot do with records during your prepurchase review.

(Continued on page 55)

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ter since they are usually sorted by last name.

“Every client list tells a different story. Their content and value can be overstated, understated or barely stated with almost no detail.

Without an appropriately presented client list how will you ever duplicate or exceed the income potential from the client list as its owner did? You probably won’t. You must do your due diligence to study a client list before making the purchase. You are making a significant investment in an asset that can produce profit or an unseen loss.”

We strongly suggest you view client records in alphabetical order by last name.

It’s easier to keep track of where you left off. If the list owner uses a manual system with paper filecards, all the beteGroomer Journal

Never photocopy records and never make backups or copies of software records even if offered until you are their owner.

ANALYZING THE CLIENTELE If another’s clientele is to suit your business goals you must profile them to ensure compatibility and adaptability: • • •

Origin profile Grooming services profile Appointment frequency profile

Verbal definitions of a list should be taken with the proverbial grain of salt. List owners often resort to generalities when describing their clienteles. Generalities lead to accidental or intentional misrepresentation. Due diligence is detailoriented work, don’t rush it. You may hear sellers describe their clientele as upscale, mostly retirees, middle class, once-a-year types, short clips mostly, wonderful people, etc. Probably true, but that is not our destination. Listen (Continued on page 56)

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politely. Smart buyers make their own determination working with detail, not generalities. We need proof.

ORIGINS OF THE CLIENTELE As you peruse the record for each and every client you should easily be able to note one indicator of present origin, their zip code. Don’t write down addresses violating the privacy of the list owner. Explain to the list owner you are conducting a marketing profile and only need zip codes. In a rural setting there may only be one or two zip codes involved, but in the suburbs and cities you may discover ten or more. Every businessperson that grooms wants to know where their clients originate. It helps them to know where past advertising has worked and where to consider placing future advertising.

If you are fortunate the list owner may have asked and recorded where each client was originally derived. In our opinion it makes a list more valuable. It also allows you to thank anyone making new referrals once you own list. Knowledge of the present clientele allows us to spend more wisely when marketing new 56

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customers.

At the end of your review period you should have a list of all zip codes involved, and how many clients are presently located in each zip code. Study those zip code regions to get a profile of your clientele. Maybe you are getting commuters passing by on their way to work, or are you just drawing local neighborhoods. Yes, every client list tells a different story you need to know.

GROOMING SERVICES PROFILES

As you review every record note the type of animals groomed, dogs, dogs only, dogs and cats, big dogs, purebred dogs, etc. By the end of your review you can tally and calculate percentages, such as 100% dogs only business or 20% cats and 80% dogs. Your financial projections will be more accurate knowing this profile information.

It is important to examine records for other service-related characteristics: • •

Bath-only services Full-groom services (Continued on page 57)

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How much of the business is complete groom pets versus bath-only? By the way, don’t underestimate the value of bath-only pets. If you don’t know why, we suggest you read materials by Grooming Business in a Box proving that “the gravy in pet grooming financially is bath-only pets, not full-groom pets.” Of course you will groom both, but bath-only services done by well paid, highly-skilled pet bathers, not commissioned or salaried groomers, can boost profit margins by as much as 50% without sacrificing any quality or safety.

You may discover a hidden potential market for more add-on services where the present owner has not offered them.

Type of full-groom demand must be carefully evaluated. It can vary greatly from business to business. Is the demand greatest for short clips, even shavedowns? What about breed specific grooming? Sometimes you will discover the business works with various local breeders explaining why there is a strong demand for breed standard grooming. If so, ask yourself if that characteristic is aligned with your grooming eGroomer Journal

April / June 2021

goals and present skills. You are probably seeing where we are going. Enhance our suggestions with your a list of service-related characteristics.

Make a list of the characteristics you plan to review. Check off characteristics that apply during your examination. Having done this hundreds of times we assure you we made some unexpected discoveries. Some changed the way we wrote our business plans for the present clientele. By the way, did you notice in the last sentence the word, “present.”

The present demand is by far the most important review you will make of a client list for sale. It opens the door to the elusive factor, “What is a list worth?” It is vital to study appointment frequency data.

APPOINTMENT FREQUENCY PROFILE For over 30 years as consultants we have taught the critical nature of the most important factor in pet grooming marketing, appointment frequency. It takes time (and time is money in a service business) to develop even one new customer. Our business grew rapidly (Continued on page 58)

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with little advertising and it did so because we exhaustively managed the appointment frequency of our clientele and today that system is detailed in our book, From Problems t Profits: The Madson Management System. We were not pushy sellers. It was an easy sell actually. We helped our clients to keep their pets looking their best year round.

That’s an attitude, not a hard sell.

Appointment frequency is the key to meet and exceed client goals more quickly. We have proven this fact with thousands of consultation clients. Consider this common scenario. Two groomers separately start new businesses with no customers. One year later one groomer has 125 regular clients, and the other 125 regular clients. Assume they charge identical grooming fees, and both groom the same pets and same grooming services demand. Ironically, the financial records indicate one of groomers sold $25,000 more in grooming service sales while doing the same pets and charging the same prices. How is that possible?

April / June 2021

better managing appointment frequency have their pets groomed more frequently. That’s magic. Madeline Ogle, author of From Problems to Profits did extensive studies of appointment frequency with her clientele creating alternative scheduling options besides “standing appointments” designed to escalate appointment frequency to record levels in the industry. Many have duplicated her success after reading her management book and implementing visionary appointment scheduling options.

When reviewing a client list for sale you have a wondrous opportunity to study the present appointment frequency of the clients you are considering to purchase. Remember you are not only buying a client list that is presently generating say $100,000 a year in sales of grooming services, but their appointment frequency characteristics. You will understand the importance better as we proceed. Here’s the genius at work and you can easily implement it.

For every client record you review note:

The answer is “managing appointment frequency.” The clients of the groomer 58

(Continued on page 59)

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• •

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Last appointment date Number of appointments in the last year

You do not, and should not, note the pet owner names associated with the data.

Assure the list owner you are not doing so.

Once completed get out your sword to cut the number of “clients” you were likely told you were buying from the list owner.

Do you really want to buy clients that have not had their pets groomed in the last year by this business? Of course not. I would take their names and contact information if I buy the list and send them a marketing letter hoping to get them to return. But I would never lose sight of the fact they are not supporting the present financial figures for sales of grooming services. You must draw the line between what clients you want to buy, and those you accept as a project to retrieve and return at your expense. You should spend very little for departed clients. Instead maintain the viewpoint you buy “regulars.” Period.

April / June 2021

you to decide. As consultants we define regulars as those pet owners who have purchased grooming services at least four times in the preceding 12 months.

Reviews of appointment frequency take time, but in our opinion it is the most important aspect of the sale of a client list. Eliminate the clients that have not been in at least four times in the last 12 months. How many did you remove?

Twenty percent? We have experienced 80% or more! Suddenly you realize you are not buying 500 clients spending money with the business in the last year, and instead the figure is 300 clients. The list owner said 500!

Once you pare down the count you are ready to go the next step to further define the appointment frequency.

In the book From Problems to Profits, Maddie assigned every client a client rating of “A,” “B,” “C” or “D” defining their appointment scheduling habits. “A” and “B” clients were members of her genius appointment scheduling program that maximized annual appointments from members. “C” clients chose not to

How do you define “regulars?” It is up to eGroomer Journal

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join, and “D” clients had not returned for over 6 months and could not be reached to verify why. Often “D” pet owners had moved or their pets had passed and they not replaced them yet. She knew the following from studying her records: •

•

•

A Clients: averaged 8 appointments a year B Clients: averaged 8 appointments a year C Clients: averaged 4 appointments a year

By the way if asked how many clients her business had she would never include the count of D clients. Beware, thousands of grooming business owners do, especially when selling their client lists.

Our recommendation is that you only buy clients that presently have their pets groomed at least four times in the last year, and then breakdown those regulars into A/B and C clients, true regulars. Using your review notes you can finalize the count. It may or may not help you to negotiate a lower price for a client list for sale, but we always recommend clarity when buying a clientele. At 60

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least you can start your ownership from a realistic basis and better project your financial prospects with accurate client base and appointment frequency figures.

During your examination of the client records use a notepad. Draw 3 columns on a sheet of paper. The first column is A/B. The second is C, and the third, D. As you review each client record for appointment frequency put a check in the column that best identifies the record.

When done, tally the check marks. In our past example where we pared down a list of 500 clients to 300, you might discover that 200 are A/B types and have their pets groomed 5 to 8 times a year, and the 100 are C types and come in four times a year, but no more. The more A/B clients the more valuable the list.

If your count of regulars being sold to you is much less than you were told, be patient, don’t chastise the list owner.

Obviously you are not being taken with intent. No matter how many are on the list they are generating gross sales reported on the business’ most recent tax (Continued on page 62)

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SAMPLE COMPLETED EVALUATION FORM OF A CLIENTELE “FOR SALE”

A/B Clients

C Clients

D Clients

At Least 5 Grooms/Year

2 to 4 Grooms/Year

1 or Less Grooms/Year

     

            Total 78 These are the “true” clients you are buying with a business, or list only sale.

    Total 104 Worthy of buying but not as valuable as the 5+ grooms/ year pet owners.

   Total 169 Do you really want to pay for these clients? How much will it cost you to lure them back,

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if possible?

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filings. No matter how many clients the dollar potential they generate is expressed on those official filings. I would never buy a list if I cannot review the data of business tax filings to verify the gross business income being reported, and related to the client list.

Now it is time to make sense of the seller’s reported gross business income Truly this is an important step. You spent a great deal of time study the records and only by doing so you can best know if the selling price for the list is high, average or low.

FINANCIAL VERIFICATION The following example is fictional yet representative of our common working with the sale of grooming businesses as consultants.

A list seller claims their business has 4,000 clients generating $150,000 a year in gross revenue from sales of grooming services. Does that sound right to you? Groomers not working the numbers often don’t flinch. Our eyes go wide. “Not again.”

April / June 2021

Look at what is being said by business numbers and learn to work them. If 4,000 regulars spend $150,000 a year on grooming services, that’s $37.50 per grooming service (also the average service fee). It also means their clientele is only spending $37.50 a year on grooming. In other words, every client is having their pet(s) groomed at best once a year. Something is wrong. Sometimes our math states just twice a year. There is probably something wrong with the numbers. Fortunately the review of the client records we recommend can get to the bottom of problem.

You need to know how to do this initial calculation. Divide the seller’s stated number of clients into the current total annual sales of grooming services in dollars (for example $150,000 / 4,000 = $37.50).

Hopefully the seller has presented you with 4,000 records to back their claim.

At the same time the seller should present you with official tax filings backing the $150,000 claim for gross sales of grooming services.

(Continued on page 63)

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I never look at sellers as trying to pull the wool over my eyes, and expect they do indeed have the number of clients they say in their records. I thank the seller for allowing me to review their records. Now I am ready to share my analysis and provide more accurate numbers.

First, I share my definition of a regular client I would buy as having been served four or more times in the past 12 months. I inform them that after reviewing their 4,000 client records I determined that there are approximately 667 “regular” clients. The average regular has their pet groomed 6 times a year spending about $37.50 per groom, or $225 total a year. By multiplying 667 regulars times $225 the result is approximately $150,000 gross sales a year, and that then ties into the tax filings they presented me. Is that cool or what?

My estimation may not be pinpoint precise but it is far more accurate. It doesn’t change the fact that the present clientele, whatever their numbers, generate about $150,000 a year in gross sales of grooming services. Instead of flying through “blue sky” thinking I am eGroomer Journal

April / June 2021

getting 4,000 regulars I have done myself a great favor as a businessperson.

My financial sales projections are going to be far more accurate than working with a number like 4,000 clients. Be prepared. Most client lists need to be pared down as we have shown you. It behooves you to take whatever hours it takes to narrow the client list down to an accurate number of regulars, and to verify your estimated number of regulars with the gross reported sales on tax filings.

Heads up! Sometimes you may experience another anomaly. You may discover a large number of regulars proven by the service records, and find the reported annual sales of gross income is oddly low. Did some of the sales, especially cash sales, not get reported? That lowers the value of a list when value is based on officially reported annual sales on tax filings.

OTHER FACTORS Exercise caution when buying a client (Continued on page 64)

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April / June 2021

list. If you are planning to make significant changes to the business operation will those changes reduce the numbers of regulars remaining under your new ownership? For example, if you are buying a commercial shop with 500 clients and planning to move the business one mile or more away from the present location, studies show you can lose 20% or more of your clientele. Perhaps you are no longer convenient for their commute. Adapting a mobile client base to a commercial shop often results in severe losses of clientele. It might be wiser to maintain some mobile services while still operating a stationary location.

CLIENT LIST VALUE

Write a letter of introduction to the existing clientele you buy. State your vision to maintain their satisfaction. Spruce up the image and facility. We strongly encourage you to include a survey with your letter. Ask them what new services would they like you to offer. If you find a strong commonality among suggestions do a study to see if it is realistic. The clientele will appreciate your concern to maintain their bond with the business you bought.

Assume there is no real estate (land or structures), vehicles or retail inventory being sold, just the business opportunity. Well-established businesses are likely to have more goodwill value and that strengthens asking prices. In times of economic hardship grooming business opportunities may sell for one or two times the latest annual value for net operating income, and top businesses get about one times annual gross income reported, not “net.”

There are no strict rules when valuing the price of a client list. It is likely the list will be included with the sale of other business assets previously mentioned. First look at the selling price of the business and a list of all assets included in the sale. Then review the most current tax filings for the business. What was the last stated annual gross revenue for the sale of grooming services on official business tax filings? What was the “net operating income” after deducting operating expenses. For sole proprietorships this information is on the IRS form Schedule C.

(Continued on page 66)

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EVALUATION OF CLIENTELE “FOR SALE” - BLANK COPY FOR YOUR USE

A/B Clients

C Clients

D Clients

At Least __ Grooms/Year

__ to __ Grooms/Year

__ or Less Grooms/Year

Total _______

Total _______

Total _______ eGroomer Journal

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Many legal and accounting experts are not grooming industry experts. It is good to get their opinions, and you can get a certified appraisal. Don’t expect them to have been trained to do the client list evaluation stated here, with grooming industry secrets and knowledge.

April / June 2021

Businesses selling for less may have poor records. Realize every seller is different.

You want confidence! Buyers or sellers can apply what we have shared to create more buyer confidence by making client records more accurate and in sync with financial records. ◄

Without analyzed client and operational records can you rely on yourself to duplicate the present business performance?

Not likely. Top-selling businesses have exemplary client and financial records.

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Train Your Clients

By Kathy Sanders NCMG When I get a new client it comes to my

attention that they are accustomed to getting their dogs back quickly. They are confused about delivery and pick up times, and many have complaints about where they have been getting their dogs groomed. There is nothing wrong with quick drop-off and pickup throughout the day except it interferes with the bot-

tom line, THE SHOP’S INCOME! Yes, I said income. For over 25 years I ran a grooming shop. In the beginning we were only able to groom 18 to 20 dogs a day. Once we started bringing the dogs in early and letting them out starting at 1:30 PM, we were able to groom almost twice as many dogs per

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groomer.

Our new routine freed much time. It was not assembly-line fast grooming, quite the contrary. After we changed over we were able to groom 30-35 with the same amount of groomers.

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set of blades and scissors, but it will

save you hundreds of dollars a year in bathers’ pay. It also allows you to take more dogs a day. I have a set of dirty dog blades and scissors and of clean dog blades and scissors. Once my blades are old or scissors been dropped

I think it is important that all shops, no

they are changed over to dirty dog tools.

matter how small, should have a bather.

LOL

You are wasting groomers’ valuable time with bathing and drying when a few dollars will pay for a bather for three to four hours and free up the professionals time to prep and finish

I understand that some groomers would totally disagree with my method, not to mention that many clients would have a fit but they want it now.

grooms. You can pay the bather $40.00

Now that I have explained why we want

dollars and the groomer will bring in ap-

to train our customers, now let’s talk

proximately $160.00 in that four hour

about training the customer.

time period. With our system of grooming, a groomer can groom at least four dogs in that amount of time.

I have never lost a client who wanted his or her dog back immediately by simply telling them that they can drop off at 9

Some like to bathe first, some prep first,

a.m. (my latest drop off time) and pick

but as for the quality of the haircut and

up at 1:30 p.m. (my earliest pick up

being able to groom more dogs, prep-

time). Next I tell them, “If we are done

ping first is the way to go. Getting the

any earlier I will call you.”

excess hair off the dog and getting the mats out result in less time in the tub as well as shorter drying time. Then, the finish time is next to nothing.

For those who say, “No, I want it now!” I simply charge $5.00 more and they either agree to 1:30 p.m. or pay extra.

This is simply one of our shop rules and

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April / June 2021

otherwise we risk slowing down our

them happy by letting them know that

groomers when or if rules are not fol-

business is improving, and in trying to

lowed.

accommodate everyone’s needs you on-

For years I have taught my students at Groomadog Academy to have shop rules in writing. They should have both rules

ly have two early out times a day. They can either book out a couple of days or take a later out time like 3 p.m.

for the reception area, shop rules, and

Two local shops recently closed their

rules for the staff. It is essential to ad-

doors. I am getting some of their cli-

here to these rules even if you are the

ents. I can tell immediately when talk-

only groomer working in your shop. You

ing to the new client that they are not

will never get any faster if you are the

only used to 2 hour turnaround, but they

only groomer and you groom one-on-

are also used to some less than struc-

one, one dog at a time.

tured grooming ideas. I teach a system

I was hired (I own ‘Thrudreamin’ Enterprises Inc. a groomers’ consultant firm) as a consultant to help a small one room groomer improve her speed. I changed her over to taking the dogs in by 9 a.m. and she went up 30% on quantity immediately. Then when she

for grooming dogs that is 1-2-3. My stu-

dents graduate from Groomadog Academy quality-minded as well as productivity-minded. Being consistent in the way you groom and having rules and regulations that everyone has to adhere to shows structure and professionalism.

hired a bather for 2 hours a day it went

My clients love that they can always

up again by 40%. She is now simply do-

count on my timing because it is always

ing clipper, ears, toenails, brush. When

the same. We are able to take walk-ins,

all are prepped, she simply takes down

work-ins and take the time to eat lunch

the body again and scissors or vacs her

and have a structured stress free day.

dogs. It’s as easy as 1-2-3.

We have rules.

It is imperative to motivate yourself to

My groomers can groom 10 dogs a day

talk to your customers. You can make 72

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and feel very comfortable (more on holidays). I train each client that if they want to get an appointment for holidays

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“Priority Customer List.”

Have a 48 hour cancelation notice.

to book them in advance. No surprises

Have a late fee posted.

for my clients, they know the rules.

These are just a few of our rules and we

At first clients may balk but when they

have a better shop for it! ◄

realize that they can count on being a 4, 6 or 8 week customer, they know what time to deliver, what to expect and the quality of work is always consistent because our groomers are not stressed.

Some Things To Train Your Customers Make your rules and stick to them in a very companionate way.

Put your drop off times in the newspaper ads, early outs available.

Kathy Sanders is the founder of one of the East Coast's largest residence dog grooming schools. She also hired a professional production company to

Keep your shop clean so people will fall

produce Groomadog videos for her distance

in love with your professionalism and

learning school Groomadog Academy, a

want to come to your shop.

state licensed correspondence course.

Request that clients make 4, 6 or 8 week appointments. Convince them their dogs need at least the toe nails, ears and baths if nothing else. It is healthy for the clients and the dogs.

Some will not do it but at least you

should try. Tell clients you have reminder calls the day before if they are on the

Kathy is a National Certified Master Groomer and owns Thrudreamin’ Enterprises, Inc., a consultant firm for dog groomers. With over 35 years experience, not only owning several professional dog grooming shops but also owning and operating three dog grooming schools. See www.groomadogacadmey.com.

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WE PROMISE TO EXCEED OUR CUSTOMER’S EXPECTATIONS IN QUALITY www.showseasongrooming.com

678-382-0218

sandy@showseasongrooming.com

The Dog Spa Academy Norwood, New Jersey NASH APPROVED Stacey Herbert, owner, is a: • • • • •

Nash Academy Graduate Professional groomer with over 25 years of experience Show Groomer Certified Grooming Instructor Online Course Instructor for Nash Academy and Dog Spa Academy

www.dogspanorwoodnj.com eGroomer Journal

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How Many Dogs Should You Groom a Day?

by Melissa Verplank of Learn2GroomDogs.com I often say there are shades of gray in pet grooming. How many dogs a day you should groom is one of the BIG gray areas! The number will be different for everybody. Some people feel overwhelmed grooming even three dogs in a full day.

Other people can do 16 while barely breaking a sweat. Here are just a handful of the scenarios affecting the number of dogs in a day.

• Equipment • Salon location • Salon type • Size of salon/mobile setup • Working solo or with assistance • Pet size • Type of grooms - low maintenance, bath and brush, show trim styles • Personal motivation • Your personality • Financial need

• Level of grooming experience • Work space setup eGroomer Journal www.egroomer.com Subscribe Free PetGroomer.com Magazine www.petgroomermagazine.com Subscribe Free

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I'm sure you could add a few more to this list!

Typically, when someone first graduates from grooming school or is new to the industry, productivity is not high on their skill list. Rather, their focus is on thoroughness, quality, and safety.

New groomers will improve their speed as they develop skills and confidence.

They need experience. They need coaching. They need guidance to create an effective grooming system. The system allows thoroughness while enhancing the quality of their work and the pace in which they do it. If you're a seasoned pet stylist, you've learned many of the tricks that allow you to be efficient.

You've learned how to quickly assess a pet and easily determine its grooming needs. You are thorough. You work safely, and have a strong base of repeat customers.

Over the years I've seen beginners struggle to get through three dogs. I've seen highly efficient, seasoned stylists get through 16 or more dogs in the single day and still have the time and energy to have a little "me time" that evening.

Where do you fall on the scale? Where would you like to be?

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Being able to work quickly and skillfully can also be impacted by the layout of your work space. Are you set up for maximum efficiency? A bad layout will add unnecessary footsteps to your day and waste your time and energy.

Your equipment, tools, and products will also help or hurt you. Many products will enhance your speed and the quality of your final product. Do you have access to high-quality, time-saving, products and tools? When used correctly, they are well worth the investment and can help you groom more pets efficiently.

If you are a solo stylist either in your own salon or mobile setting, 6 to 8 dogs will likely be your maximum. In addition to grooming pets, independent business owners have a wide range of duties and responsibilities. They are the receptionist, the bookkeeper, the marketer, the janitor, and the record keeper - along with every other task it takes to run a successful business. If you are a mobile stylist, you also have driving and van maintenance added to your list of responsibilities.

Efficiency comes into play when pet grooming establishments start building a team. You cannot build a successful (Continued on page 79)

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business or team with inefficient team members. Inefficient teams will not be able to groom as many pets as their efficient counterparts. Financial need affects dog numbers. To get a decent paycheck, everyone needs to pull their weight. If you are hired onto a team or work with an assistant, you will have quotas to meet. Some quotas are determined by dog numbers. Other businesses use financial sales volume. Both help determine how many dogs are groomed each day.

Typically, once you start working with others, dog volume increases. In most salons, a team of people working together will be expected to do a minimum of eight dogs a day or more. When you're working within a team, everybody has a specialty. Each person can focus on what they do best, whether it's customer service, bathing and drying, or pet trimming and styling. If you have an assistant doing the bathing and drying for you, the number of pets might jump from 6-8 to 12-14. Let's face it - bathing and drying dogs takes time! If a shop has a good bather/prepper, you can easily groom more pets in a day.

The type of trim combined with the sizes of dogs being done will make a huge

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difference in how many pets can be done each day. A #7F All on a six-week regular Shih Tzu is much different from a longer guard comb trim with stylized scissored legs. What happens if you increase the size of the dog? Larger dogs simply take much more time. To me, a Doodle is the equivalent of two or three smaller dogs, depending on the type of haircut it is getting.

For many pet professionals, WHY you groom pets will also influence how many dogs you groom in a day. One of the amazing things about our industry is we all love dogs. There are those who really enjoy taking their time with the grooming process and will groom fewer pets. There are those who will try to help as many pets as they can in a single day. Others enjoy the creativity. Some enjoy the flexibility the career offers while others are motivated by the career opportunities. There are also groomers that simply enjoy earning a living by doing something they love.

How many dogs should you groom each day? There are gray areas so there is no right answer. Whatever your motivation, no matter how many dogs you groom each day, the most important thing should always be the health and safety of the pets entrusted to you. ◄

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Beyond the Typical Frustrations of Being Employers

by Grooming Business in a Box ®

The grooming industry has come a long way in our 61 years as members. In fact only one issue truly prevails as much as it did when we first entered the industry. None is more challenging than fair personnel management and groomer wage systems.

Managing pet groomers is a unique task because they are quite unique.

They chose to be different. While many have been office workers, factory workers, retail salespeople, military and the list goes on, they chose a passionate and artistic profession. There are man-

agement courses for all types of workers pet groomers are not. Is it then any wonder that many grooming business owners find it a challenge?

Operating a successful, and easily managed grooming business, depends upon understanding the unique nature of the job, and the men and women drawn to it. There are no molds, just passion and art and a need to care and express in a creative fashion.

How do we put a price on acquiring that labor and keep it engaged? How (Continued on page 82)

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do we moderate the demand for them having to cope with the drain of constant attention to detail, safety and physical demands? These are some questions management needs to study and resolve into a system of management. Feeling drained from work brings up, “I don’t make enough money for what I am going through.”

We always paid great wages and made good profit with no sacrifices for quality client and pet services. We were far from bring the price leader in our area.

In fact, our target for prices was high median and therein building high repeat business. It worked well, and kept our grooming staff busy year round. Cash flow was always there, and new business came in droves from referrals. In a way referrals was an early form of social media, and exemplary businesses today can still make referrals far more rewarding than modern social media. Add them together for early prosperity.

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We did not offer commission only employment in order to quell our worries of having enough demand and cash flow in order to pay steady salaries to full-time staff without getting into business savings. The point here is not about paying by commission but the solace many employers take in paying by commission.

Management has to be honest and face its uneasiness, and address it. How many other employment issues are dealt in a similar fashion? Is this why management often misclassifies groomers as independent contractors without getting legal clearance to back their claim?

A large percentage of employed groomers are unwittingly misdirected by management, and basically held to just get the job done and keep the customers happy. Systems like The Madson Management System were devised not only for the benefit of management, but to provide a more pleasant working environment for the groomers. Where management is lacking groomers may find (Continued on page 83)

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themselves distracted by the actions of other groomers because there is no coach, and they are carrying management burdens in a creative role. That is really problematic way to operate a service business.

Fairness in the workplace plays an important role. Where management and systems of operation are lax or missing, fairness goes out the window as employees tend to over perform or underperform. You can be sure they know it and feel the angst.

Unfortunately they probably have to put up with it, yet be expected to focus on creativity, safety, demanding owners and figuring out their commission for each pet and their daily take. Is it enough? These are symptoms of a lack of management presence allowing groomers to do what they do best and without distractions.

Get grooming employers together and certainly the conversation will lead to the challenges of finding an adequate supply qualified groomers, keeping qualified groomers and performance issues. Rarely does the conversation turn away from the understandable frustration to seriously seek solutions.

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Based on more than 25 years of providing consultation I compiled 30 great topics for management to focus upon related to staff and wages. Most of these are "great truths" not of opinion but backed by hundreds of studies of financial statements and one-on-one consultations. I strongly suggest employers meet in groups and not gripe, but simply explore solutions and honest reflections of their management. I expect no one to be expert. Remember there is no formal training for managing groomers unlike nearly all of other professions.

Let mistakes lead to wisdoms wellearned.

Here we will share a partial list of topics for management-minded members of the grooming industry, and all relate to personnel management and groomer wage systems. The hot topics!

These are great points of discussion that will lead to new discoveries in groomer management. We know it works, as Madeline Ogle, author of From Problems to Profits—The Madson Management System proved, and hundreds of our consultation clients too.

Once inducted in this process of study our consultation clients often felt as if they were strangers among other (Continued on page 84)

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grooming business owners because they achieved the ability for critical analysis of their systems without being defensive or aggravated. For most, their working life got better and employees extended the average time of employment with them.

At first it may be an uphill climb to let go of the persistent frustrations of being an employer and begin the journey of going "from problems to profits" with a proven management system of your design and experience.

The grooming industry has plenty of strong management opinions rarely backed by written proof.

We firmly say this because as management consultants it was our daily experience. The decades old chronic shortage of skilled grooming employees takes it toll on patience. Dig deeper, there are solutions published by Grooming Business in a Box® and others. Start there and expand with your further solutions.

The vast majority of pet groomers working as independent contractors are misclassified.

Most grooming employers do not check on new guidelines for qualifying independent contractors. We regularly do

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and publish them at the GroomerTALK Community. A growing number of states are issuing new guidelines far stricter than the IRS. In fact in some states it is nearly impossible now to have groomers classified as independent contractors.

Frustration leads employers to misclassify instead of adopting budgets that allow them to operate legally with W-2 grooming employees. The biggest excuse they provide, “Other businesses in town are doing 1099 groomers.” Lots of grooming employers have gotten in trouble, and it happens all the time. Almost every week we get a call from a business owner facing these facts.

Some have to close business because the fines and penalties are so significant. We follow many of these cases.

We found a few adjustments to their operations would have made up the added cost of payroll related costs as W-2 employers. Why risk the business and your livelihood? There are budgetary ways to comply.

You don’t have to reduce wage levels to reduce payroll expense.

The statement above is one of the greatest truths ever said on the “business side” of pet grooming. We have proven it true time and again working with busi-

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ness owners. It started with the book From Problems to Profits and continued in Grooming Business in a Box®. The most bloated cost for employers is having ALL pets groomed by pet groomers alone, and not by a professionally staffed bathing departments. It is simple fix and boosts net income about 15% to 30% for most operations.

For further study see the Gravy in Grooming article in the first issue of eGroomer Journal (now PetGroomer.com Magazine) published Summer 2011. You can download a free copy of the issue at www.petgroomermagazine.com.

The statement “quality over quantity” is often misused. One person businesses are equally subject to quality issues as staffed businesses. Management makes or breaks quality, not the number of pets served in a business.

Certainly there are large businesses that may cut corners, but so do some one person businesses. In fact, some large operations hand dry every pet and never leave pets alone in cage dryers.

Some even have attendants managing pets awaiting the return of their owners.

As a result some pets in large opera-

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tions actually enjoy more hands-on services than some of those making allegations solely based on size. Can we just leave the defensive position and say quality is a factor not judged by the size of business but the commitment of management to safety and quality.

Sometimes size really doesn’t matter.

The higher the commission rate the higher the pay. Not. Strange how this may seem so evident but many employed groomers do not know this. We have shown groomers how to determine the average service of businesses where they may work and find that a 50% commission wage exceeds 55% wages at another shop whose average service fees are lower.

Groomers paid by commission have more control. Not, again.

Where did this misinformation come from? I really don’t know but I have heard it for decades from some employed groomers. Perhaps some employers operate that way, but commission is nothing more than a calculation and implies nothing else. The “want to control” attitude of potential job candidates is also a warning sign for employers. These potential employees probably

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worked where there was an absence of regular management and just had to take charge of everything. Will they adapt to your management?

Commission paid groomers still have an equivalent hourly wage that you can calculate.

Yes! Once you learn how to calculate the equivalent hourly figure associated with commission percentages, employers can set fair and accurate hourly wages and salaries.

If an excellent groomer comes to you for a job, you can pay them hourly or salary matching what they would earn locally at a local competitor paying by commission.

Every business owner should set grooming performance standards with ranged time averages, and publish them in writing.

Management needs to communicate the grooming job performance it expects of job candidates and hired employees. Easily there are three levels, entry level full-charge groomers, and then mid-range and advanced level.

In From Problems to Profits the job descriptions and agreements are fill-in style where employers specify job per-

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formance data expected on an individual basis. In this way their pay range is established to measurable performance such as 8 to 10 finish grooms daily on average.

The more productive groomers meeting quality standards should have more generous wage levels. But how can that be managed if job candidates and employees do not know exactly what is expected of them in an easily measured way?

This topic is explained in detail in From Problems to Profits, Grooming Business in a Box® and articles in PetGroomer.com Magazine. In fact we even provide blank fill-in sheets to organize related tasks. Be clear and do not assume employees understand your specifications without reviewing and confirming they understand.

Commission variables can add significant additional costs beyond the cost of labor.

Indeed. There are inefficient ways where pets are assigned to start-to-finish groomers where costs needlessly exceed expectations, and cleaned up, the savings could be passed along to employees. ◄

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$16.00

Convex Thinning Shears $16.00

Clipper Repair ● Veterinarian Equipment ● Beauty Shears We are an Andis & Furzone Regional Distributor and Repair Center Jeff is a Master Sharpener and Certified Pet Groomer with over 35 years experience. He knows how your tools should perform. He won’t sharpen worn out tools which could harm animals. His office will call you if any of your tools look bad. Long-time member of NDGAA, IPG and the BBB. Please call or visit our website for mailing information. http://www.northerntails.com/

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Rubberizing Clipper Bodies Using Flex-Seal Northern Tails Sharpening Flex Seal produces a rubber type coating on your clipper that prevents it from slipping in your wet hands. Now every clipper can have a rubberized body.

► Prepare your clipper by laying it flat on a protected surface with the bottom side up. You will only be spraying the bottom of the clipper.

► Cut small pieces of tape for protection from the spray. Cover the screw holes and the hinge to include the whole front end as shown below. Make sure you cover all areas that you do not want rubberized. These areas include the entire hinge, the front of the clipper and anything on the side of the clipper like a switch or touchpad.

(Continued on page 89)

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(Continued from page 88)

► You are ready to spray. If this is your first time to use FlexSeal, I suggest you practice on another object and not your clipper. Hold the can of FlexSeal about 12 inches from the object and spray in short bursts, back and forth. FlexSeal comes out of the can quickly. Be very careful to prevent runs from excess solution. Refer to the picture above; see the runs?

When it dried it looked OK and was the same color as the clipper. Allow at least 24 hours to dry. Peel the pieces of tape off and you are ready to groom. FlexSeal sticks on clippers well.

FlexSeal has many other uses for repelling water. Now it has a function for the grooming industry. If your clipper doesn’t have a rubberized body and it slides in your hand, rubberize it! The cost is about $12.00 for FlexSeal Clear. ▀

Jeff Andrews is "One of America's Favorite Sharpeners." Along with his years of grooming experience in two of his own shops, he is a "World Class Sharpener" that can sharpen all grooming equipment to better than new condition. Jeff is an author and pioneer of many maintenance and grooming video's and articles. They are for groomers who want to make their equipment last longer and save money on their sharpening costs. These videos and articles are on his website free to download and keep for reference. www.northerntails.com eGroomer Journal www.egroomer.com Subscribe Free PetGroomer.com Magazine www.petgroomermagazine.com Subscribe Free

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Journalthat January / March 95 is not commonly known relates toPetGroomer.com It’s eGroomer commonly known all brands of A-52014 blades fit any brand of A-5 clippers. What blade sizes. MostPublications brands of A-5 blades have similar sizes, but how they perform varies. Manufacturers must use design differences in order to avoid patent and copyright infringement. The most common difference between brands is the blade thickness. Similar manufacturer sizes may cut at different heights. You could be in for a surprise if you change brands of the same size blade only to discover the cut is different! For your convenience Jeff at Northern Tails Sharpening prepared the multiple manufacturer reference charts below for blades and snap-ons. Be sure to check Jeff’s web site at www.northerntails.com for more helpful articles, videos and descriptions of his mail-in services. ♦

Clipper Blade Cutting Heights by Manufacturer BLADE SIZE

BLADE CUT

MASTER GRM.TOOLS

LAUBE

WAHL

KLEAN CUT

OSTER

ANDIS

#

Inches

MM

MM

MM

MM

MM

MM

50

1/125

0.2

0.2

0.5

0.2

0.2

0.2

40

1/100

0.3

0.3

0.6

0.1

0.3

0.3

35

3/50

—

—

—

—

—

0.4

30

1/50

0.5

0.5

0.8

0.2

0.5

0.5

15

3/64

1.2

1.0

1.3

1.0

1.2

1.2

10

1/16

1.6

1.5

1.8

1.5/1.6

1.0

1.5

10W

3/32

2.4

—

—

—

—

—

9

5/64

2.0

2.0

2.0

1.5

1.0/2.0

2.0

8.5

7/64

2.8

2.8

—

—

2.0

2.8

7

1/8

3.2

3.2

4.0

3.2

3.0

3.2

5

1/4

6.4

6.4

6.0

6.3

6.0

6.3

4

3/8

9.5

9.6

8.0

9.5

9.0

9.5

3

1/2

12.7

13.0

10.0

12.0

13.0

12.0

5/8HT

5/8

15.9

16.0

—

—

—

16.0

3/4HT

3/4

—

—

—

—

—

19.0

T-84

3/16

—

—

—

—

—

2.4

Snap-On Comb Sizes & Cut Lengths by Manufacturer COMB SIZE

LAUBE SELF ADJ & X-LARGE

WAHL STAINLESS STEEL

MDC ROMANI

OSTER UNIVERSAL

MILLERS FORGE

#

Inches

MM

MM

MM

MM

1/16

1/16

1/8

1/8

1/4

1/4

1/2

3/4

9/16

1/2 3/4

3/4 0

7/8

5/8

5/8

1

5/8

1/2

1/2

1

5/8

1 1/4

1 1/4 1 1/2

1/2

2

3/8

3

5/16

4

3/16

3/8

3/8

7/16

1/2

3/8

3/8

5/16

5/16

1/4

3/16

5

1/16

1/8

1/16

A

1

3/4

B

1 1/4

C

1 1/2

PetGroomer.com Magazine www.petgroomermagazine.com

D

1 3/4

E

2

eGroomer Journal 1 5/8Subscribe Free S www.egroomer.com

7/8 1

Charts courtesy of Northern Tails Sharpening 479-498-2367 www.northerntails.com

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