What makes your pet grooming business stand out with your competitors? Is it your location? Is it your relationship with vets and dog walkers? Do you have a special method to dog or cat grooming? Or is it how your store is designed?
However you have chosen to stand out, here are three ways you can help your pet grooming business grow while trimming down the effort it takes.
1. Build Partnerships In Your Community
Statistics indicate that over 80% of consumers look for a referral from friends or family when considering a purchase. The same referral concept applies to businesses.
We encourage you to develop real, reciprocal relationships with the veterinarians, pet clinics and dog walkers in your community. Therefore, when their clients ask if they have any suggestions where to get their pet groomed, your business will be top of mind!
Business Pro Tip:
Don’t just drop off a business card to potential partners. Take them for coffee nearby, or offer to carry their brochures in your salon so you can build a genuine, relationship that both your business and theirs, can benefit from.
2. Get A Facebook Page And A Website
Building partnerships in your community will help raise the number of word-of-mouth referrals your business receives. However, what about the customers who don’t use the same vets or dog walkers you’ve formed a partnership with – how will they find out about your business?
Virtual “window shopping” on Facebook and websites.
Make sure that your pet grooming business has a simple, up-to-date website that includes your contact information and a list of your services. You don’t have to spend a lot of money to have a good website, but you do have to have a good website.
Potential customers need to have a place online where they can access your business’s contact, location and service information. By providing this, you as the business owner can limit the number of phone calls you take from customers, asking where your business is located and how much your cat grooming hairstyle costs.
In addition to a business for your website, your business should also have a Facebook Page. This allows you to share news, photos, and updates about your business with your community.
This allows pet groomers to stay in people’s news feeds, reminding them of the terrific services you offer.
Business Pro Tip:
As you build your businesses’ Facebook Page, invite all of your friends to “like” the page. Even if they don’t have pets! Why? Because it’s likely that they know someone with a pet.
Keep in people’s Facebook feeds, remind them of your booming business and you will be top of mind when they hear a friend is looking for a pet groomer!
3. Software That Can Manage Your Business
While you’re working hard to foster business relationships in your community and updating your website and Facebook page, make sure your pet groomer software works harder for you.
A pet grooming software should allow clients to book online, send receipts and improve efficiency so you can focus on providing great service to your furry clients.
Business Pro Tip:
Your business’s software should also allow you to send reminders to clients when they haven’t visited for awhile or recommend when to book their next appointment. Let your software work for you. Not the other way around!
The tail end of it, is that it doesn’t matter if you’re a cat groomer, dog groomer or stylist to pet stars. Ensuring your business has strong relationships in your community, has an up-to-date presence online, and has chosen a user-friendly software, is key to growing your business while trimming down the time it takes to do so.
Now that’s something to bark at!