Thinking about opening a pet grooming business? Find out what you should know before you start and why buying a franchise may be your best option.
Pet Care Industry at a Glance
According to a National Pet Owners survey, 70% of U.S. households (or roughly 90.5 million families) currently own at least one pet, which is up 12% from 1988, when the first survey was conducted. Total pet industry expenditures in the U.S. totaled $123.6 billion in 2022, up 19% from 2020. While pet food and vet services make up the bulk of the market, the pet grooming industry is projected to reach $5.49 billion in value by 2025, according to Allied Market Research. Some pet owners even say they are likely to spend more on their animals’ care than their own.
While it’s clear that the pet care industry is a lucrative and sustainable segment, a pet grooming business could be a viable investment option for pet-loving entrepreneurs to merge their passions and skills. Even so, it is important to choose your investment wisely. Independent ventures and franchise partnerships each have their benefits, so it’s all a matter of identifying the right opportunity to suit your goals.
The Benefits of Joining a Franchise
Becoming a business owner or starting a business in an industry you may have limited or no previous experience with is a massive undertaking, and a grooming business can feel like a dream come true if successful. For many entrepreneurs, there are more benefits to partnering with a franchise as opposed to starting a dog grooming business from scratch. Franchise systems have the benefit of a proven business model and track record while independent ventures typically face more challenges, especially when starting out. A franchise with a positive reputation and strong marketing tactics will help you generate interest in your new business from day one. With an independent startup, the initial few months may be slow, eating away at your capital while you work to build a client base.
One of the reasons customers love franchises is consistency – they know they will get the same quality product or service regardless of which outpost they engage with. Consistency allows franchisors to develop a cohesive service across the system, something that is highly beneficial for both new and established franchisees.
Another reason is efficiency. Franchisors invest a lot of time and money into establishing the most efficient, easy to duplicate, and profitable methods of operation for all franchisees to implement, from developing relationships with suppliers to streamlining training techniques to integrating cutting edge technologies and marketing tactics. Franchisees should be able to trust that their franchisors are doing everything in their power to help them succeed.
Make the Right Investment
The cost to start a pet grooming business will vary depending on a number of factors including the size and location of your operation. This covers all the grooming supplies, business licensing, branding, and marketing materials, and storefront space or mobile grooming units. If you need to hire staff, you’ll also have to budget for their wages, as well as ongoing costs for employee training, utilities, and products that will need regular replenishing.
Luckily, the franchise business model is designed to get you up and running quickly and successfully. The nature of a dog grooming franchise—especially a mobile grooming franchise—also means that it’s unlikely to be significantly affected by regional or geographic locations, making it well suited for scalability or multi-unit ownership anywhere pet owners and their four-legged companions can be found.
Franchisees often have an easier time securing financing than independent business owners, as the backing of a proven brand name is more appealing to lenders than an unproven startup. Not all franchises offer in-house funding, but with a total initial investment of $147,980, Aussie Pet Mobile can provide up to $32,000 in-house financing to qualified candidates to help make an already reasonable investment even more affordable.
Get Started with Aussie Pet Mobile
As the country’s preeminent mobile pet grooming franchise, Aussie Pet Mobile has made its name by offering more than the competition, both to franchise owners and the pet parents we serve. To learn more about why we are the best option if you are seriously considering starting your own grooming business, inquire now.