Increasing your income is always desirable, and as you progress in your dog grooming career, raises are inevitable. So what are some ways that you can boost your dog grooming salary?
Getting your dog groomer certification will certainly set you apart and help you earn more. Just as well, broadening your range of services is a great way to earn extra money. Read on for the 4 best ways to boost your salary as a dog groomer and get ready to grow your career!
1. Pricing and packaging your services
When first starting out as a professional dog groomer, it’s totally normal to feel nervous about pricing your services. You need to charge enough to make a living, but you walk a fine line in that you don’t want to overcharge and turn off clients completely!
In order to package your services in the best way possible, you need to define exactly what you bring to the table as a dog groomer – maybe you’re an expert shampooer, or your strengths lie in cutting a dog’s hair. Your skills as a groomer will dictate the services you offer to your clients, so take some time and really think them through.
You can also get creative here! Package your brushing and bathing services together in a “bath package” for example, and you can charge accordingly. Consider the size and breed of each dog when creating your packages, as well. You wouldn’t charge the same fee to bathe a small dog as you would a large dog.
2. Add-ons
Once you’ve priced and packaged your services, it’s time to consider adding on some extras. Now, these don’t need to only be things like dog hair coloring or nail art, although you can certainly offer these fun add-ons (as long as they’re safe for your pups!).
Let your clients know that if you find fleas on their pet before grooming, you can give the dog a flea bath at an extra charge. Offering this type of add-on service is extremely convenient for your dog grooming client. They are bringing their dog to you to be cared for, and not only are you able to use your expertise to determine if the dog needs an extra service, you can actually perform the service on the spot!
This demonstrates your range of grooming skills, boosts your salary, and will likely bring you new clients who are looking for specialized services – or simply the convenience of having them available during an appointment.
Pro tip: Try and offer services that are unique to your dog grooming salon. Some pet owners love the idea of accessorizing their furry friends, so you could offer gems, temporary pet tattoos, or even feather extensions! You’ll never know what add-ons will appeal to pet owners until you start offering them, so take chances and be creative!
3. Get certified!
If you’re serious about boosting your dog grooming salary, you’ll need to be one step ahead of your competition. While dog grooming is a generally unregulated industry, that doesn’t mean that you should ever discount the value of a grooming certification! A dog grooming course will teach you skills, knowledge, and gives you a huge dose of confidence. You’ll be able to show your clients just how qualified you are to care for their dogs.
One major benefit of obtaining your certification in dog grooming is the fact that you’ll learn how to start your own grooming business. When it comes to boosting your salary as a dog groomer, this is key – even if it takes a few years for you to gain contacts and experience to open your own business, this will significantly add to your income.
4. Create your own products
Depending on your skillset and your knowledge of pet grooming products, you could offer a line of products in your dog grooming salon. Perhaps you have a flair for DIY and can sew cloth dog toys. Or maybe you’re talented at baking perfect dog biscuits. If you have skills in other areas, you should definitely consider monetizing them.
Clients will love the fact that you can offer a variety of services and products, and you never know – a hobby like sewing could turn into a side gig with the potential to raise your salary even more!
Boost your dog grooming salary even further with these helpful tips for marketing your services!
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Attending a grooming school is NOT certification. Certification is achieved through specialized events and continuing education offered at groom expos etc.
Comparing a school diploma to a CMG is like a high GED to a PHD.
Hi P reed,
Thank you kindly for taking the time to leave such a thoughtful comment. Accredited dog grooming courses, provided by recognized, reputable institutions, are carefully crafted in such a way that not only meets an educational requirement that allows for proper certification and designation upon graduation – but also meets the industry standard in the professional world of dog grooming.
It’s important to remember that dog grooming is an unregulated industry, and as such, formal training, licensing, and/or certifications of any kind are not mandatory for one to work professionally in this field. That said, many groomers want to acquire the proper knowledge needed to enhance their skill-set and career, as well as have some sort of reputable qualification they can have on their resume and show clients and/or prospective employers. So long as the grooming course in question teaches the proper critical theory and proper practices, is led by legitimate industry experts, and provides ample hands-on training for the student, the knowledge acquired from such a program will be remarkably beneficial. In fact, it could be the best stepping stone one could get into the industry!
That said, of course, practice is always what makes perfect – and continued education is key. This is why, even once a student takes and graduates from a grooming certification course, it’s strongly recommended that they still further their skill-set through shadowing, apprenticeships, attending grooming expos, taking additional and/or specialized classes, etc. As we all know, grooming is one of those industries where you can never know too much… And that’s what makes it so wonderful and exciting! 🙂
Thanks again for commenting! x
All the best,
The QC Team