You SHOULD be suspicious if a grooming van or trailer conversion company will not advertise how much head clearance you will have. Information like that is most important for your grooming enjoyment. If a company does not advertise how much interior space there is, ask them to give it to you. In some cases, the answer may keep you from asking any further questions.

From what I’ve seen from my research, your trailers are the best in construction and durability. I’m sure you are going to do well in your new business. If there are any other students in the school that are looking for trailers, I will certainly give them your information. Please stay in touch and thank you again for your kindness.

Sincerely,
Matthew
Hurricane, Utah

Wow, GT has really gotten the grooming conversion dinosaurs worried! In your window-shopping, you may have noticed lots of negativity towards new companies such as GT. You may have been advised by those sites to be on guard because new companies are basically clueless. Well, we are proud to shake things up! Read the rest of this entry »

The new mobile dog grooming forum, mobilegroomingtalk.com, has written a review of the standard GT mobile pet grooming trailer. The forum has had a considerable amount of exposure to the mobile grooming industry and its opinions are valuable to many of us.

What is the GT Philosophy? Well, the revolution has begun. Here are some analogies to show what GT Grooming Trailers is really about. Read the rest of this entry »

We would like to thank all you for the warm welcome into the industry. We have been open, technically, for about two weeks now and we have been overwhelmed with phone calls and emails welcoming us. Read the rest of this entry »

The growing popularity of recirculating bathing systems is something to be skeptical about. I understand that the idea is to shorten the bathing time, mix the shampoo for you, and “massage” the dog.Here are my thought: The actual bathing of the dog is quite possibly the quickest portion of the grooming process. Read the rest of this entry »

Choosing your Mobile grooming equipment is something every grooming entrepreneur will need to do. How do you do that? We suggest a couple of things. First, check around with other groomers. Check out what they are using and ask what their opinions are and you will have a good start. Don’t be cheap and get the cheapest equipment - there’s a lot of garbage out there! If interested in a certain product, see if the manufacturer has any distributors. If they don’t, then you would probably be safer not using it. If a distributor wants nothing to do with the product, then there’s probably a good reason. A very good distributor is called PetEdge. Contact them and ask for a catalog. They will be happy to send you one and everything you need can be provided by them. If we have had any experience with a piece of equipment, we’ll let you know what we think - just go to our main site (link on right menu) and email us a quick question. By using PetEdge for all of your equipment needs, you can have a one-stop-shop! Your monthly purchasing will be a breeze.

Customers have been asking about the importance of attending grooming schools. First of all, we wholeheartedly believe that learning the art is important. However, there are groomers who are pretty darn good who have not been to a school. A Billionaire role model of mine never even went to college; much less business school. So obviously, the aptitude of the individual is paramount. Keep in mind, the school will teach you what you need to know to be a good groomer. If you have been grooming and are proficient at it, it may only serve as a refresher. If you have no experience with it at all, it’s probably a smart move.

Your business success will depend on what you put into it. Don’t dismiss school to save money, it will more than pay for itself.

Quick tours of the mobile grooming forums indicate that there are some questions about tables. What the mobile groomer needs is a table that is solid, dependable, and affordable. Van or trailer vibration puts the grooming table through more abuse than the shop so a solid table is very important. Stay away from brands that other groomers talk negatively about on the forums - tables aren’t cheap! You should also choose a brand that actually offers some customer service. You’d be surprised at how companies can BLAME YOU when their products fall apart. Also, don’t break the bank on a table. We are partial to the EDEMCO brand for hydraulic tables. I personally toured their factory in Colorado Springs and was very impressed. Not only did I appreciate the tour, I’ve been a customer for several years. We have been using their tables in trailers for six years with no problems and will be using them for all of our future table needs.

Clipper Vac is the real deal even though half the nation’s groomers don’t use vac-systems of any kind. The truth is that grooming technology has really come a long way lately and the luxury of a vac-system is catching on. There are several “copy-cat” vac-systems on the market so buyers beware! Mobile groomers in vans or trailers need to be careful on which brand they choose as well as the established shop. A huge advantage of the Clipper Vac brand over the lesser-known brands is its shape. Especially in a van or trailer where space is at a premium, the square shape of the Clipper Vac can be installed in a much more efficient manner. You would think that other brands never even consulted an engineer because of their cylindrical shapes! There are several more advantages of using the Clipper Vac brand, too many to go into in this short blog. Check out Clipper Vac’s site for more details.

Sprinters are becoming popular to convert into grooming vans for many reasons but are pricey to get into. The GT Grooming Trailer interior is only about 5.6 inches thinner than a Sprinter and about 7% smaller in square footage. Putting only the best products into a tighter package is a new philosophy in the mobile grooming industry and GT is leading the way.

A prevalent problem that mobile groomers have in their vans or trailers is the “lack of storage space.” I would refine the problem as to being a lack of “accessible storage.” Most conversion companies don’t really address the problem and the groomer is forced to pull out the dreaded bungee cords and start strapping in storage bins that belong more in a preschool than your van or trailer. Read the rest of this entry »

One of the most prevalent issues to deal with as a mobile groomer has to do with the grey water (also accepted as “gray” water). Many mobile groomers get away with letting it drain right onto the street. This is ideal if the local authorities are okay with it because the groomer isn’t forced to drain it later. Read the rest of this entry »

Raising your grooming price can be a difficult task for the mobile dog groomer. Most mobile companies raise their prices a couple of dollars each year to keep up with inflation. However, some customers always seem to feel picked on. Instead of raising your price this year, use a trick from the retail world and offer an “add-on” service. Offer to brush the dog’s teeth for only an additional $5 and you will be amazed at how many people take you up on it. Cheap, disposable toothbrushes and paste can be purchased from petedge and cost only about a dime each. Each brushing only takes about a minute and you have added hundreds of dollars to you profit each month - without raising prices!