“Clean Up” with a Self-Serve Pet Wash

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Would you want to spice up your earnings with out grooming extra pets? Effectively, that’s a no brainer—who wouldn’t??

Providing self-serve bathing may very well be the right addition to what you are promoting if you happen to’re seeking to enhance your backside line with out including a number of further give you the results you want and your workers.

I just lately spoke with house owners and groomers at a number of institutions that supply DIY pet washing. They supplied a number of perception that may enable you to decide if including self-serve is a viable possibility for you. Their experiences, and the insurance policies they put in place, might enable you to keep away from issues and errors if it is a path you determine to take.

Mary Jo Vaskorlis determined so as to add a self-serve pet wash when she was searching for a solution to carry extra clients (and earnings) into her salon:

“My mother was a groomer for over 40 years, so grooming was in my blood,” says Mary Jo. “A buddy and I opened a grooming salon in my storage. The time got here that we wanted to discover a completely different location. As a result of there have been many grooming salons in our space, we knew that we needed to supply one thing that nobody else had.

“We drove to Virginia and talked to a groomer who supplied self-service and to take a look at their setup. We discovered a location for our new salon, then opened with two stainless-steel tubs that we bought at Groom Expo that 12 months.

“We greet every self-serve buyer and assist them get their canine safely and securely within the tub. We give them a water-proof apron, clear the pet’s ears, and placed on the facial as we clarify how all the pieces works. Our motto is, ‘No matter mess you make, we clear it up!’ And imagine me, we get some large messes.

“Self-serve shoppers use the identical high-quality bathing merchandise as our salon does, and so they have entry to brushes and combs, however not scissors or clippers. We provide nail trims as an add-on service. Typically, after making an attempt self-serve a number of occasions, individuals determine it’s not really easy to do and we achieve them as full-service grooming shoppers.

“We’ve met so many fantastic households by way of this service,” Mary Jo continues. “Sadly, when the pandemic hit, we couldn’t have clients within the constructing. COVID modified quite a bit for us.”

In a daring transfer, Kim Novak opened her self-serve pet wash throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. She simply celebrated her first 12 months in enterprise by being awarded “2022 Greatest New Enterprise in Placentia, California.” Kim shares her expertise and recommendation:

“I had zero expertise going into this apart from my love of canines. I opened my self-serve pet wash with cash from my financial savings, but it surely has supported itself from day one,” says Kim.

“We’re a storefront, so even the self-wash is full-serve to a degree. We greet the purchasers, stroll them by way of the directions, clarify every product, set the water temperature, and hand them an apron. 

“I solely have one pet peeve about self-wash and that’s the buyer who desires to remain all day and use the bathtub for over an hour (which is our most). Serving to them alongside limits loitering and permits extra shoppers to make use of one in all our 5 tubs. That brings in additional income for me because the proprietor. 

“After I opened, I anticipated to supply self-wash solely, however quickly realized that having a groomer would create extra earnings. The shoppers who use our self-wash shortly achieve a brand new respect for the groomers of the world and for a way exhausting they work.

“We’re presently open 5 days every week,” continues Kim. “I’m really including a second crew in July and shall be open seven days every week. I’m doing this to broaden income choices with out opening one other location. Operating one location to capability appears smarter to me than making an attempt to open one other.”

Daybreak Kinney has had expertise with a couple of self-serve pet wash operation. She just lately helped a salon proprietor arrange and function the DIY pet wash division of her enterprise:

“We noticed a necessity for this service in our space,” Daybreak shares. “Pet dad and mom with massive canines need to have the ability to bathe them with out the additional chore of getting to clean down their toilet afterward. There have been no different salons within the space providing self-serve, and we noticed this void as a possible for additional earnings.

“The salon is principally divided down the center from entrance to again. The shopper enters the foyer, and on the reception desk, canines both test in for grooming providers on the proper facet or self-serve on the left. At check-in, self-serve shoppers are supplied with slip leads so their very own leash doesn’t get soaked, two massive towels, and pre-packaged specialty shampoo and conditioner concentrates in single-use containers with a lid (like the sort used for single-serve condiments and salad dressing). Purchasers might carry their very own shampoos, however there is no such thing as a low cost in the event that they do. Earlier than we went to pre-packaging shampoos in little containers and limiting towels, there was a number of product waste and pointless laundry.

“There are three devoted extra-large self-serve tubs, every in its personal chain hyperlink fence enclosure full with a gate. Every space is about 5 ft extensive by six ft lengthy. Each self-serve bay has a rolling cart that’s stocked with ear powder, ear cleaner, cotton rounds for cleansing ears, toenail clippers, brushes, combs, rubber bathtub curry comb, and mixing bottles for the concentrates supplied. Every enclosure is totally tiled with rubber pool deck tiles for optimum safety from slips. Simply outdoors the gates is a rubber-tiled walkway that results in the drying room simply to the rear of the tubs. 

“The drying room is enclosed and has a latchable display screen door to assist comprise the hair, noise, water, and escapees throughout drying,” continues Daybreak. “There are 5 heavy-duty hookups mounted into the studs at ground degree with grooming loops. We shouldn’t have tables in there for security causes. An proprietor strolling away from a desk may result in attainable tragedy. Low stools are supplied for the pet dad and mom to sit down upon. Disposable ear plugs can be found and are included within the drying-room pricing. Your complete ground is roofed in the identical rubber pool tiles. 

“Purchasers pre-pay for bathing and any add-on providers on the reception desk after they test in. Pre-pay happened after a number of people wished to ‘put their canine within the automotive’ solely to hop in and drive off with out cost. Pre-pay additionally eliminates any misunderstandings about pricing or shoppers making an attempt to barter pricing after their canine has already been washed,” she explains.

Daybreak says their add-on providers are prominently displayed on an indication at check-in. Which embody:

  • Disposable doggy toothbrush and toothpaste (for shoppers to make use of) 
  • Anal gland expression by a groomer
  • Ear plucking and cleansing by a groomer
  • Nail clipping by a groomer:
    “Many individuals have a look at the nail clippers supplied on the cart after which ask ‘Can’t you try this?’ Sure we are able to—for $10 additional,” Kim provides.
  • Use of the HV dryers within the drying room:

“We priced [the HV dryers] as an add-on as a result of our Labrador Retriever house owners normally wash, then towel off their canine, and go. The Nice Pyrenees house owners wish to dry the canines fairly nicely, and this makes use of additional electrical energy, and cleanup of the hair within the drying room takes worker time. This prevents the Lab house owners from making an attempt to work you for a reduction as a result of they aren’t utilizing the dryers,” Daybreak advises.

Daybreak says that one of many issues she likes most about self-serve is assembly extra of the pet neighborhood that she might not in any other case meet as a result of they’ve low-maintenance canines. She additionally likes the boosted revenues, particularly from the add-on providers. 

What she likes the least is individuals interrupting groomers free of charge recommendation or free assist with holding their canine throughout the bathtub as soon as they notice that their canine doesn’t simply stand there for your complete course of.

“Folks completely respect groomers extra after they’ve skilled self-serve,” Daybreak says. “They don’t have any clue until they’ve bathed in our sneakers.”

Daybreak’s closing piece of recommendation is that this, with reference to defending your self: “It’s actually vital to have prominently-displayed signage in your salon. It may possibly shield what you are promoting from potential authorized motion. Additionally, we all the time have cameras skilled on the self-serve space.”

As well as, everybody I spoke to agrees on the necessity to have sufficient insurance coverage protection. It doesn’t matter what enterprise you might be in, as we speak’s society is so litigious that insurance coverage protection is a should. The hot button is to speak with an insurance coverage agent who’s educated about and specializes within the pet trade to search out out what is accessible and mandatory to your distinctive state of affairs.

Can self-serve pet washing be a worthwhile addition to what you are promoting? Completely! A well-thought-out design and enterprise mannequin may add considerably to your salon’s earnings. With self-serve, you may actually “clear up!” ✂️

Kathy Hosler

Kathy Hosler opened her store in 1971 when she was simply nineteen years previous. She has constructed a terrific enterprise and remains to be actively grooming as we speak. Kathy can be a function author for Groomer To Groomer and Pet Boarding & Daycare Magazines, and has been nominated twice for the Barkleigh Honors Journalist of the 12 months Award in addition to a Cardinal Crystal Achievement Award for Grooming Journalist.





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