10 Things Unsuccessful Mobile Groomers Do:

Now don’t get fussy, the 10 things SUCCESSFUL mobile groomers do will be coming soon! Let’s face it; the mobile grooming industry needs a new image. There are reasons why movies and television shows make groomers look like Neanderthals or idiots. Don’t take offense–the industry is changing. In fact, GT is leading the way in putting educated, literate, and professional people into the mobile grooming business.

There are some common denominators that the most unsuccessful mobile groomers seem so have—at least in our observations. Here are a few:

1. They assume “bigger is better.”
As far as grooming trailers go, there is relatively no difference in price for a small or a large shell. In general, small and large grooming trailers have the same features. The “con” in the industry is that converters know that ignorant grooming trailer shoppers assume that “larger trailers should cost more.” Therefore, they price their conversions in relation to the size of the shell instead of the quality of the conversion.

The truth is that smaller is better (it is common sense to most people). Smaller trailers are cheaper to pull because of gas, cheaper to maintain, easier to manage temperature (most GT Grooming Trailers don’t need generators even in the hottest climates), easier to drive, etc. etc. etc. For some reason, many mobile groomers act in complete defiance of common sense by thinking bigger is better while every other industry has been able to grasp the concept with relative ease. Again… GT is leading the way.

2. Fall for the “recirculating” argument.
For those of you who have common sense, “recirculators” are sump pumps that grooming equipment companies sell to groomers for around $500! These companies call sump pumps “bathers” and what they encourage groomers to do is stick the sump pump in the bottom of the tub and let the dirty water dump back on top of the pet that is supposedly being washed. The sales pitch for the “bathers” is that is saves water.

The fact that a $100 sump pump is being resold for $500 should be warning enough to groomers, but this industry is so in shambles that groomers actually fall for it. The kind of groomer who purchases a sump pump (with a cute sticker on it) is also the kind of groomer who is at a disadvantage as far as being successful. Not only were they ripped off, grooming customers don’t want their animals bathed in such a manner. Customers often are disgusted with the “recirculating” concept and choose to use a mobile groomer who uses clean water.

GT is leading the way once again. Instead of appealing to groomer ignorance, we appeal to their intelligence. GT Grooming Trailers have enough water to last an entire day with great water pressure–no need for a sump pump.

3. Purchase a mobile salon that requires your truck to idle its engine.
Yes, it is the truth. I’m not making this up! Some grooming vans are built to operate only if you have the engine idle while you work. The engine provides the power for your air conditioner and sometimes other equipment. In other words, some groomers actually pay around $90,000 for a van (mostly converted with plywood) that requires you to waste gas 8 hour per day–not to mention the damage to your van’s engine. And to top it off, one company even sells their design as “green.”

Again, GT is leading the way. GT Grooming Trailers don’t need to have your engine idle. We can install a generator, but most GT groomers are savvy enough to understand how generators are usually a waste of money. Because GT’s are designed to run more efficiently than any other salon, a simple plug-in design works well to keep groomers comfortable in almost any climate.

4. Fail to put the basics on their website.
Sounds simple because it is. I cannot tell you how many mobile pet groomers don’t put their phone numbers, city, or state on their websites. Not only do customers think they are incompetent, but search engines are not able to rank their websites. In other words, the websites are worthless.

5. Don’t charge enough and complain about gas prices.
Some mobile groomers charge less than shops. Mobiles need to learn that their service is worth money and they need to charge more than shops.

Gas increases actually help this industry. When you crunch the numbers, the typical customer uses only $1 of your gas (assuming you are in a smart salon and have a smart schedule). Even if gas doubles, you are only spending $2 per customer. Just raise your prices $5 and pocket the rest.

6. Look like slobs.
It is sad that this is even an issue. When groomers look like trash, customers think the groomer’s service, salon, and industry is trash.

7. Use their mobile to store supplies.
After interviewing countless mobile groomers and learning how they manage their mobile grooming vans/trailers, it is obvious that many groomers don’t know how to organize. Your mobile salon is not a warehouse. Groomers don’t need to store 10 gallons of “backup” shampoo in their trailer. They don’t need “a week’s” worth of towels in their trailer. Overstock should not be stored in the trailer; it should be stored in your home. Think of every other industry in the world–for some reason mobile groomers are in defiance of what every other business has learned.

8. Assume they need a generator.
This was touched on earlier, but generators are often a waste of money. A properly built trailer (like GT) usually does not need a generator. The maintenance and fuel costs alone on a quality generator could cost up to $4,000 per year.

9. Purchase a franchise.
Or as I like to call them… franchlies! Franchises exist to make other people rich. Your profits are given to the franchisor, you cannot make any decisions yourself, you wear the company uniform, you purchase their supplies, you can have your territory repossessed, and on and on.

10. Engage in “pack mentality.”
Look, we talk to a lot of mobile groomers. There are two kinds; businesspeople and hobbyists. Businesspeople are the ones who can read, operate a calculator, and have common sense. They easily understand most of these points. Hobbyists are the ones who probably don’t understand the points or if they read them, are probably pretty offended right now. Those are the ones who purchase low-quality salons, are “social site” groupies, and wear trade show wristbands until they fall off from rot and mildew. Don’t be a hobbyist!

Now, go blaze a trail of your own! Use common sense, understand that there are a lot of cons in this industry, and be careful. The lack of education and trusting hearts of groomers is why so many shysters are in this industry. Buyers beware, think before you purchase an item, and read everything you can. Oh and one more tip, STOP MAKING YOUR LOGOS LOOK LIKE EVERYONE ELSES! I cannot tell you how many “dogs in bathtubs” I’ve seen over the last 9 years! BE ORIGINAL or you will just blend in with the average.

Patrick