A Sample Pet Grooming Business Plan Template

Are you about starting a pet grooming business? If YES, here is a complete sample pet grooming
business plan template & feasibility report you can use for FREE.

Okay, so we have considered all the requirements for starting a pet grooming business. We also took it
further by analyzing and drafting a sample pet grooming marketing plan template backed up by
actionable guerrilla marketing ideas for pet grooming businesses. So let’s proceed to the business
planning section.

Table of Content [show]

Why Start a Pet Grooming Business?

Starting a pets grooming business is not only a relatively easy business to start up, it can also be quite
profitable especially if you have lain out strategies that make you stand out from your competitors in the
industry. The demand for other services for pets asides the regular basic services have grown as owners
now also want their pets to live long, stay healthy as well as happier.

However, before starting this kind of business, it would be best for if you have some sort of experience
as well as a general passion for pets. Also, no matter how easy a business looks, writing a business plan
is very essential especially if you do not have all the necessary funds at hand and intends to source for
funds externally.

While the business plan for a pet grooming business might not need to be too technical, it needs to be
comprehensive and show certain aspects that would make an investor comfortable enough to invest in
the business. While writing a business plan might look intimidating, it should be as there are loads of
free templates online to aid you in writing yours. Below is one of such, a sample pets grooming business
plan;

A Sample Pet Grooming Business Plan Template

1. Industry Overview

According to franchise help, half of all the households in America which amounts to about 80 million
own at least a pet – cat, dog, fish, bird, horse or lizard. This therefore means that there are over 300
million pets that needs to be cared for which has made the pets grooming business to leap in demand.

As at 2015, 65% of US households owned at least a pet and with a thriving pets industry, which provides
toys, food, daycare, beds, trainings, cages, medical services, grooming and lots more, owners of these
pets are being kept happy. It has been found that even though most of the pets might not care about
such services, the owners do, which translates to 60% of those in high-income households.

The American Pet Products Association (APPA) in 2016 stated that the revenue expected from the pets
industry will amount to $62.75 billion, which will be an increase of 4% from 2015. Over the last two
decades, revenue has been growing steadily for this industry and has been at 5.4% since 2014.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the pets industry has seen a job growth of 11% from
2014 which is expected to continue till 2024. The largest segment where pet owners spent were on food
with pets grooming being 5th on the list and expected to bring in revenue of $5.73 billion in 2016 as
compared to the $5.41 billion in 2015.

The reason for this growth in the services for pets business is due to the fact that most pet owners are
seeing their pets as part of the family and some are beginning to treat their pets as human, which is why
more people are getting quality foods as well as expensive medical treatments and accessories for their
pets.

Also, the growth for pets’ specialized care in the industry is due to baby boomers, ages 55 to 64, who
after their children have left home are replacing them with pets. A study has shown that baby boomers
between these ages are the ones spending more on their pets.
However, the baby boomers are not the only ones that have developed a strong bond for their pets as
millenials, those born between 1985 to 2010, started seeing pets as humans more than animals. These
age groups spend their disposable income on pets and even spoil them as well.

The pets industry survived the economic downturn including the great recession, and so it is a strong
industry that will continue to boom. The reason for this could be due to the HABRI study, which linked
an improved savings in healthcare to the fact that those who owned pets fared better health wise.

2. Executive Summary

Petsky Groomer Salon is a business based in Nevada – California and established to cater to pet owners
by offering grooming services to their pets. These grooming services also includes other pets services
such as pets product retail, pets boutique, aroma and general healthcare, dietary supplements for pets,
pets Self-service wash tubs, pets gourmet food, and consultation services.

Our aim is to set a standard amongst other pet grooming businesses and be amongst the top three pet
grooming services here in Nevada – California, and to achieve this we have put forth strategies in place
that we ensure that we attain these goals.

First off, we have a solid policy in place regarding the whole direction our business intends to take. We
would keep reviewing and tweaking these policies as time goes by so as to remain adaptive and
proactive to changes that might likely occur in the pets industry regionally and nationally.

We are serious about having a solid business structure and so we sourced for and hired competent and
experienced employees who understand the business and its industry and who are attuned to our
company’s vision and will take us from where we are to where we intend to be.

We would provide a conducive environment for our employees to work in and we are prepared to pay
them very well as their welfare packages are one of the best across the industry for similar start-ups of
our size. We also intend to train them so as not to only enhance their skills but to increase their
productivity for Petsky Groomers Salon as well.
We offer an excellent customer care as our customer care executives are all trained on how well to treat
and attend to customers. We are currently offering the best customer care as can be found in Pets
grooming businesses here in Nevada.

We have great marketing strategies that will ensure that we penetrate the market and get a huge share
of our target market. Our strategies which are in tune with our corporate goals will be carried out both
physically and online on all our social media platforms and via our website as well.

Finally, our Chief Executive Officer and owner, Ms. Jackie Collins has the knowledge, passion and 10
years of expertise in the industry that is needed to bring this business to its desired level. Ms. Collins has
worked in several pet stores and even a veterinary and we are confident of her ability to ensure the
business attains its goals and objectives.

3. Our Products and Services

Petsky Groomers Salon is one that is being established not only to make profit but so that clients who
care about their pets and want to give them properly groomed can have a place to go to.

Asides our grooming service, we also intend to offer other services and sell some products so as to boost
our revenue base and conveniently sustain our business here in Nevada – California. Additionally,
offering more services will attract more customers to our business, thereby allowing us more share of
the market.

We intend to offer only services that are in line with grooming and caring for pets and to do so within
the permissible laws of the united states of America. Some of the products and services we intend to
offer at Petsky Groomers Salon are;

Pet grooming services

Pet products retail

Pets boutique

Aroma and general healthcare

Dietary supplements for pets

Pets Self-service wash tubs

Pets gourmet food

Consultation services

4. Our Mission and Vision Statement

To set a standard and be amongst the first three preferred go-to pet salons in the whole of California.

In order to achieve our vision, we have put in place strategies that will ensure that we stand out from
our competitors in the market, here in Nevada and in the whole of California as well.

Our Business Structure

To be able to attain our desired goals and objectives, we would need to ensure that we get our business
structure right, which is why we have hired only competent employees with the necessary experience to
help us set the right foundation from the beginning on which the business would be run.

Our employees do not only have the right expertise in handling the business, they are also committed to
our vision of becoming the top three dog grooming business in the whole of California. This is as our
management team is ensuring that we source for and hire only the best staff for Petsky Groomers Salon.

Our staffs have excellent customer service as we have already set a standard for having the best
customer care in the pets industry here in California. Asides from having the best employees working at
Petsky Groomers Salon, we also on our part have ensured that the environment is conducive enough
and that the pay is right and competitive as regards similar start-up such as ours in the pets industry.

Below is the business structure we therefore intend to build at Petsky Groomers Salon;

Chief Executive Officer

Admin and Human Resource Manager

Grooming Supervisor

Marketing Team
Accountants/Cashiers

Customer Service Executives

Purchasing Manager

Security Guard

Cleaner

5. Job Roles and Responsibilities

Chief Executive Officer

Creates policies that will affect the strategic direction of the company

Ensures that all polices are correctly interpreted and implemented by all the employees

Engages in investment strategy on behalf of the firm to ensure that it is sustained

Admin and Human Resource Manager

In charge of sourcing for and recruiting competent employees based on the company’s business
structure

Drafts and implements policies that would affect the employee in the workplace

Ensures that all the administrative functions in the salon as well as the paperwork are handled
effectively

In charge of ensuring that employees are trained to enhance their skills and increase productivity for the
firm

Grooming Supervisor

In charge of monitoring and coordinating all grooming activities on pets

Reviews old techniques and comes up with better grooming techniques for pets

Marketing Team

Researches new markets on behalf of Petsky Groomers Salon, for possible penetration
Drafts and implements effective marketing strategies on behalf of Petsky Groomers Salon

Conducts direct marketing for the salon

Accountants/Cashiers

In charge of handling cash vouchers and receipts on behalf of the salon

In charge of preparing financial statements on behalf of the salon

Ensures that the books of the salon and that of the bank are reconciled every month

Customer Service Executives

In charge of answering customer’s enquiries and directing them to the right department

Ensures that customers complaints are resolved promptly without denting the image of the salon

Stores and updates accurate customer database on behalf of the salon

Purchasing Manager

In charge of purchasing all the needed equipment and supplies for the pets salon

Sources for reliable vendors and suppliers and negotiates for a fair deal on behalf of the salon

Prepares and reviews contracts of reliable vendors

Security Guard

Ensures that the property of Petsky Groomers Salon and the premises are secured at all times

Ensures that all the properties of customers are secured while at the salon

Carries out any other duties as might be determined by the admin manager

Cleaner

Ensures that the salon is kept clean at all times

Takes care of the convenience for pets and ensures that it is cleaned with the right chemicals

Takes care of the convenience for staff and customers use at all times

Ensures that cleaning supplies are always in stock

Carries out any other duties as might be determined by the admin manager

6. SWOT Analysis

Because we understand how important it is to ensure that our business concept is right, we have
engaged the help of a business consultant who is reputable here in Nevada and understands the
industry thoroughly, to look through our business and determine if we were likely to make it in this
business.

The business consultant made use of the SWOT (Strength, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats)
analysis to determine how likely we were to succeed if we started the pets grooming business here in
Nevada. Below is a result of the analysis conducted on our behalf;

Strengths

We have several factors that can be regarded as a plus for our business. First off, the products we intend
to use for our grooming business are those that have been recommended by veterinaries and we will
make this fact known whenever we are promoting Petsky Grooming Salon.

We also intend to offer a wide variety of service for pets so as to be able to attract diverse customers
into our salon. Our employees are very competent and experienced as regards pets care and this is also
to our advantage, finally, our Chief Executive Officer, Ms Jackie Collins has vast experiences that will be
of great advantage to us in this business.

Weaknesses

As with any other business, we have weaknesses that crop up during the start-up and running of the
business, we do not have the necessary funds to be able to get all that we would need to conveniently
serve our customers. However, we are looking into this as we have sought for funds from our bank.
We also would not be starting off with all the employees that we should and this might severally limit
our competitive edge against our competitors, we are however sure that in 6 months, we would have
made enough money to get more employees for our business.

Opportunities

There are several opportunities that exist in this industry in the sense that more people are beginning to
show care for their pets than before, leading into more booming businesses for pets grooming
businesses. Also, opportunities exist for us to network at fairs and events held for pets in order to build a
database for our pets grooming business.

Threats

Threats are considered as external factors that cannot be readily controlled; however, every business
should be prepared for threats, as we have laid down strategies to ensure that we are proactive in
dealing with our threats. One of the threats that we would likely encounter during the course of running
the business are; other competitors especially those who have long been in the business before us.

Another threat that we are likely to encounter is in pet owners who groom their pets themselves or do it
for their neighbours for a lower fee. As earlier mentioned, we are quite sure that we would be able to
handle any threats that pop up.

7. MARKET ANALYSIS

Market Trends

The pets grooming business is one that is booming as more people are showing more than the average
care for their pets and do not mind paying a very good amount in ensuring that their pets are happy. To
run a standard pets grooming business, it will require that you have the necessary facilities in place and
that you are located in an area that is very convenient for the client to get to.

This is why you should be careful when searching for a location, as searching for a place too far out even
if it looks perfect might not result into growth for your business. Also, the business is one that requires
being in a good network with other pet businesses so as to have loads of referrals from there.
Another trend lies with the employees. It is important that a business with focus employs only those
who are competent and experienced enough to help run the business in order to attain its objectives.
Also, employees hired should be committed to the goals of the business and know how best to ensure
that these image is reflected to customers – either potential or existing. Employees working in the pets’
stores or salons are usually those that love pets and so would handle them the right way.

Technology has revolutionized businesses in the sense that more businesses have the opportunity to
reach out to potential customers and penetrate the target market than they would have done if there
hadn’t been technology. The rise of social media which is one best and inexpensive way at advertising
and gaining publicity for the business whilst ensuring that customers become more aware of existing
products and services has seen the pet grooming business boom in the pets industry.

8. Our Target Market

The target market for those who own pets in America is quite huge as according to a survey by the
American Pet Product Association in 2015, there were more than 300 million pets owned by at least 65%
of Americans. Most of those who owned pets and who had higher incomes and spent more on their pets
were about 60%. This showed that a high number of people are willing to go the extra mile in ensuring
that their pets get the best care.

To however help us accurately determine our target market, we conducted a thorough market survey so
that we could get facts on our clients and determine what they likely expected from us and what
behavior we should expect from them as well.

From our result, it would seem that we are in business to groom the pets of the following groups of
people here in Nevada – California;

Households

Corporate Executives

Business people

Celebrities and important personalities

Sports men and women

Our competitive advantage

Every business established to make profit has to contend with other similar businesses competitively in
order to survive and sustain itself by having strategies that will enable it have an edge over others in the
market.

Our first competitive advantage is the fact that we are offering quality and better services than any
other pets grooming business here in Nevada; this has already given us an edge and has won us more
customers already.

Secondly, we have hired competent and highly professional employees that understand the business
thoroughly and therefore knows what is required. Our employees also undergo constant training that
ensures that they remain productive. Also, we pay our employees better than most pets grooming
salons here in Nevada, and this has put our business in a good light as employees are happy to work
here.

We have the best customer service in the whole state as our customers are often repeat ones due to the
personalized service that they get whenever they come to Petsky Groomers Salon. Due to this, we are
constantly reviewing the customer care skills of our customer care executives so that we would remain
on top.

Finally, our marketing team has top notch strategies that would see the awareness of our business
increase tremendously as well as our bottom line.

9. SALES AND MARKETING STRATEGY

Sources of Income

Petsky Groomers Salon is the leading pets grooming business here in Nevada – California which has
been established with the aim of generating revenue via its different services that will be offered to
clients via their pets. Therefore Petsky Groomers Salon intends to generate income from offering the
following services and products;
Pet grooming services

Pet products retail

Pets boutique

Aroma and general healthcare

Pets Self-service wash tubs

Dietary supplements for pets

Pets gourmet food

Consultation services

10. Sales Forecast

Survey has found out that more American especially those that earned high income was going to cause
an increase in demand for dog grooming services especially as the intention was to cause their pets to
be happier. We have conducted a thorough sales forecast and with our strategic location here in
Nevada, we are likely to generate and exceed our target in the first year of business, which we will then
use in sustaining and growing our business.

The sales forecast we conducted was jointly carried out by a sales consultant and made use of accurate
data so as to be able to correctly predict what we were likely to earn at the end of three years. Below
are therefore the expected sales projections for a three year period conducted on behalf of Petsky
Groomers Salon;

First Fiscal Year-: $150,000

Second Fiscal Year-: $300,000

Third Fiscal Year-: $600.000

N/B: It should be noted that the above sales projection were conducted based on certain factors like
lack of competitors and positive economy. Should a new competitor arrive or the economy changes for
the worse or even better than what it is currently on, it would affect the sales projections and cause the
figures to either increase or decrease.

Marketing Strategy and Sales Strategy

Marketing is a dual sword for any business because it not only generates revenue for the business and
sustains the business; it also inadvertently creates publicity for the business during the course of
advertisement. This is why every business that intends to succeed pays serious attention to its marketing
strategies and ensures that it picks the ones that are most suitable for the business.

Before we draft our marketing strategies, we intend to first conduct a survey on the market so as to
understand our target market better and draft the best strategies that would be able to not only
penetrate the business but also bring in customers as well.

It is for this purpose that we hired the services of a reputable marketing consultant who understands
the industry thoroughly and knows what strategies would best suit us moving forward as a business. The
survey was conducted based on information and data gotten from similar start-ups here in Nevada and
in the whole of California as well.

Our marketing team has also been empowered to draft and review each strategy and ensure that they
are in tune with our overall corporate organizational goals. We have also incorporated the use of
technology into our strategies so as to be able to reach a wide segment of the market.

Below are the marketing strategies we intend to adopt at Petsky Dog Groomers Salon;

Ensure that we place advertisements in local newspapers and magazines as well as on radio and
television stations

Engage in direct marketing

Pass out fliers and handbills in conspicuous and strategic places

Advertise our pets grooming business via our social media platforms on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram

Ensure that we are listed in offline as well as online directories

Throw a pet themed party at our grand opening launch so as to create and generate interest here in
Nevada – California

11. Publicity and Advertising Strategy

Even though Petsky Groomers Salon is a standard pets grooming business that offers the best care to
pets, we would need to still engage in publicity especially if we intend for our business to achieve its
intended goals and objectives and boost its bottom line for future sustainability. We know how good
publicity is for our business and we intend to use it effectively in penetrating the market here in Nevada
– California for the growth of our business.

To this end, we have hired a reputable publicity consultant here in Nevada who is quite skilled and
understands the pets industry well to help us draft effective strategies that we can use in creating the
needed awareness for our pets grooming business here in Nevada – California.

The strategies have combined several factors in ensuring that we use only what would be best for our
business in the long run. Therefore the following strategies below are what we intend to use in
promoting Petsky Groomers Salon to our customers.

Ensuring that we place adverts in relevant media such as newspapers, magazines and on local radio and
television stations.

Attending pet events and fairs and networking with other pets businesses as well as pet owners

Ensure that our fliers are properly distributed in conspicuous target locations

Place attractive and colorful Petsky Groomers Salon flexi banners in conspicuous locations

Leverage on our social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn by throwing
up contests that will get the audience and keep them interested.

Create an interactive and colorful website that is user-friendly

12. Our Pricing Strategy

Determining what prices to set for all the services that would be offered at Petsky Groomers Salon will
depend on a whole lot of factors, such as location, overhead and running expenses. We have checked
what our competitors are offering and coupled with the above named factors have set forth the right
strategy that will allow us arrive at the right prices for our different services, especially as each service or
product sold aren’t the same.

Our intention is to break into the market first and so we would slightly lower our prices for all the
products we intend to sell and services we intend to offer for the first 6 months of operation, so as to
bring in more customers as well as increase awareness for our salon. We have critically looked at the
prices we intend to offer and have seen that even though they would lower our margins a bit, we would
not be running at a loss throughout this period.
Payment Options

Because we offer different services in addition to our core service, we are aware of the fact that our
customers will have different payment preference for the different services and so we have created
several payment platforms to accommodate this fact.

Therefore the payment options that will be made available in our salon are;

Cash payments

Payment via credit card

Payment via Point of Sale (POS) Machine

Payment via check

The above payment platforms are those that would be very convenient for all our various customers
here in Nevada – California, and would be without any hitches.

13. Startup Expenditure (Budget)

In starting and setting up a pets grooming business, we expect to spend the bulk of our capital on leasing
a place, renovation, paying employee salaries as well as paying utility bills; this is because we intend to
run a standard pet grooming salon here in Nevada – California for our clients and their pets.

Therefore the key areas where we expect to spend our start-up capital on are;

Total fee for registering Petsky Groomers Salon in the United State of America – $750

Obtaining certifications, licenses and permits as well as accounting software – $1,250

Cost of hiring a business consultant – $1,000

Insurance coverage (general liability, property insurance, workers’ compensation) – $5,000

Marketing promotion expenses (general promotion expenses and grand opening promotion expenses) –
$3,000
Cost of leasing and renovating a facility for the period of one year – $20,000

Operational cost for the first three months (employees’ salaries, payment of utility bills) – $50,000

Start-up expenses and purchases (high-end grooming tables, dryers and tubs, grooming supplies and
treats) – $10,000

Other start-up expenses (stationeries, phones, computers, business cards, signage, tools and
equipment) – $3,500

Cost of launching a website – $500

Cost of throwing a grand opening party – $2,000

Miscellaneous – $4,000

From the above analysis, the total amount of $100,000 would be suitable to run a standard pets
grooming salon here in Nevada – California. The bulk of the start-up capital will be used to lease a
facility, pay employees and purchase the necessary tools and equipment that will make sure we attain
our desired goals and objectives.

Generating Funding / Startup Capital for Petsky Groomers Salon Business

Petsky Groomers Salon is a business owned and operated by Ms. Jackie Collins. She is not only a lover of
pets but a strong business woman who has all it takes to bring the business to its intended goals and
objectives. Ms. Collins has decided not to go for any external partnership for her pets grooming business
and so would seek for loans from these three major sources;

The three major areas that we intend to generate our start-up capital from are;

From personal savings

Source for soft loans from family members and friends

Apply for loan from commercial bank

N.B: We were able to generate the sum of $25,000 from the personal savings of Ms Jackie Collins. The
sum of $15,000 was sourced from close family members and friends. We were able to secure an
approval for the sum of $60,000 from our bank, and all the necessary documents have been signed, and
we have been assured by our banker that the money would soon be credited into our account by the
end of this week.

14. Sustainability and Expansion Strategy

It is vital that any business that intends to make profit and compete against its competitors in the
industry draft sustainability strategies that would ensure that it remains in business for a long time to
come. We have therefore identified the aspects – employing competent employee, offering excellent
and additional services and ensuring that we retain a large number of our loyal clients – which we would
focus our strategies on in order to ensure that we remain in business for a long time.

Employing staffs that are competent and experienced and that is clearly attuned to our vision of
attaining our goals and objectives is a must for us. Our employees will always undergo continuous
trainings that will enhance their skills, increase our productivity and give them an edge over their other
colleagues in the same industry.

All our employees will be trained in the art of offering excellent customer care to clients and ensuring
that the image of the company is positively projected at all times. We also intend to pay our employees
well whilst ensuring that they work in an environment that is conducive for them.

We hope to remain proactive and innovative in the offering of our services, as we would continually look
for new ways to attract more customers while also keeping the existing ones. Continually offering our
clients new services for their pets would not only keep them loyal and make them refer others to us, it
will also increase our popularity and bottom line as well.

Finally, we intend to ensure that we seek for different ways to retain our clients, by offering them
excellent customer car, a special discount for old tie customers at certain times of the month, a referral
program for those that refer us and bring in a client. We know how important our customers are and we
intend to treat them right always. We know that if we adhere to these strategies, we would effectively
sustain and then expand our business successfully.

Check List / Milestone

Business Name Availability Check: Completed

Business Registration: Completed

Opening of Corporate Bank Accounts: Completed

Securing Point of Sales (POS) Machines: Completed

Opening Mobile Money Accounts: Completed

Opening Online Payment Platforms: Completed

Application and Obtaining Tax Payer’s ID: In Progress

Application for business license and permit: Completed

Purchase of Insurance for the Business: Completed

Conducting feasibility studies: Completed

Generating capital from family members: Completed

Applications for Loan from the bank: In Progress

Writing of Business Plan: Completed

Drafting of Employee’s Handbook: Completed

Drafting of Contract Documents and other relevant Legal Documents: In Progress

Design of The Company’s Logo: Completed

Graphic Designs and Printing of Packaging Marketing / Promotional Materials: In Progress

Recruitment of employees: In Progress

Creating Official Website for the Company: In Progress

Creating Awareness for the business both online and around the community: In Progress

Health and Safety and Fire Safety Arrangement (License): Secured

Opening party / launching party planning: In Progress

Establishing business relationship with vendors – wholesale suppliers / merchants: In Progress

Purchase of trucks: Completed