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What’s the Hardest Part of Running a Business?

06-27

In my experience, the hardest part of running a business is STAFF!

Hands down the most challenging part of running a business is staffing it. Managing staff. Keeping staff. Paying staff. Keeping them accountable. Keeping them productive. Keeping them happy.

And the real biggie – training them.

So let’s tackle the training challenge first. It’s far easier to hire basic labor than filling a position that requires skill. At our kennel, the Whiskers Resort and Pet Spa, we have an endless supply of dog enthusiasts that want to work in the kennel. With multiple colleges within our community, the labor force is easy to come by. After all, everybody wants to play with puppies!

But what about those jobs that require skilled labor? People like receptionists, bathers, managers, and trainers.

One of the largest reasons I started the Paragon School of Pet Grooming was because I could not find qualified groomers to operate my fleet of mobile grooming vans. They just weren’t available. I still shudder when I think about it. There were times that I would have a van down for 6 to 12 months at a time before I could find somebody that could do the job. Not a very efficient way to run a business.

Working every day in a mobile grooming salon does not lend itself well to a training environment. It can work if you just have to add polish to a skilled professional. But to take them from scratch? Nope. It doesn’t work. You just can’t afford the time it takes to train a new groomer – especially if you rely on YOUR productivity to pay the bills. Starting a person from scratch to become a competent groomer in a mobile just does not work!

To get a groomer that can work independently – with safety and quality – will take months, not weeks, to train. After all, this is not a skill that you can quickly show somebody how to do. Grooming is not a simple task. It requires significant training.

I’ve heard some businesses offer two-week training programs for new hires. Then they turn them loose to groom “professionally.” Some circles might consider this enough, but for quality and safety, you need more.

Did you know the average person needs to see or hear something 3 to 7 times before it actually sinks in? And that’s for an average learner. Sure, star performers might pick it up after the first or second try – but those people are few and far between. Most of us fall in the average category. We have to see or do the same task repeatedly before we do it correctly.

I’ve been in the pet care industry for over 30 years – primarily in the grooming aspect of the industry. Finding qualified groomers remains the number one problem in our field.

Finding talented grooming help was close to impossible was when I first stepped up to the grooming table in 1979 – and it remains the same problem today. I have chosen to focus on this critical problem. I own multiple companies in the pet industry. On the educational side, my companies aid in training and personal development for those stepping into the field for the first time as well as for aspiring pet groomers and stylists.

It has always been extremely easy to enter the field of pet grooming. There are very few regulations of any sort. Anybody can start bathing and cutting hair off a dog or cat, and call themselves a professional pet groomer. Those of us that have spent years perfecting our craft know it takes time and dedication to become confident and competent in all breed grooming. It takes years of practice and study.

Some of the ways that I have found to become a real professional include:

Studying the AKC Complete Dog Book or your national all breed book
Reading books produced by breed and/or industry specialists
Attending workshops and clinics hosted by industry leaders
Attending a grooming school – many have multiple programs from which to choose
Taking an online course from a reputable institution
Attending continued education training at qualified grooming schools
Watching videos produced by leading pet professionals

Even graduates coming out of quality grooming schools are not truly proficient. If they have graduated with above average GPA’s, they have given themselves a great foundation. It is the starting point of their career – but they are far from being a polished professional. They still need guidance. They still need coaching. They still need mentoring. They still need to study. And most of all – they need to practice A LOT!

So let’s get back to that hiring challenge. If you’re faced with having to hire a groomer, know what to look for. One thing I recommend is Attitude. Attitude. Attitude. I always look for somebody who’s got a positive, upbeat attitude. Someone who is receptive to new information. They need to be moldable. Adaptable. And they cannot be afraid of hard work. I hire on potential, not necessarily experience.

Once you have someone with a great attitude, helping them be best they can be is fun – and it can be very gratifying. Use the resources available to help them self-direct their own learning. It will take time, dedication, and patience before you see your new hire flourish but you can lighten your training load by taking advantage of many educational resources currently available. You might learn a thing or two yourself.

It amazes me that our industry has not advanced more in this area. Sure, there are more grooming schools than ever was before. Yes, there are certification organizations out there – but they’re still voluntary. Licensing, in some states is starting to catch on. However, we’re still a long way from having even a basic comprehensive licensing program in place for pet groomers and salon owners. The road before us is wide open with possibilities.

Will you help us blaze the trail?

Happy trimming!

Melissa

What are the biggest training issues you see every day? Jump on the Learn2GroomDogs.com Facebook page and tell us about it.

What Type of Grooming Do You Do?

My educational team recently visited a local grooming salon. When they came back, they shared a comment made by the staff of the salon.

“We don’t do show grooms, it’s not what our customers want.”

I thought to myself, “Okay, but I don’t do ‘show grooms,’ either.” I never have. Nor do I teach show grooming. Very few of my products showcase show grooming – not the books, the Distance Learning Program, The Salon Mentoring Program, or the on-site programs taught at the Paragon School of Pet Grooming. None of them focus on show grooming. 90% of the videos from Learn2GroomDogs.com showcases every day grooming jobs – from shave downs to highly stylized pet trims.

…But the comment got me thinking. What determines the type of grooming we do? It boils down to one thing: the needs and demands of our clients.

Our clients will either make us strive to new heights or allow us to settle into a less demanding routine. I see this play out clearly between two of my companies.

When I started the Paragon School of Pet Grooming in the early 90’s, the Jenison community was a perfect fit for a school. At the time, I was running a fleet of six mobile vans. We catered to the upper echelon of the community. Our prices were higher than average salon prices for the premium front door service. That clientele appreciated and was willing to pay for this type of service.

The Jenison market was on the outer edge of our service area. Occasionally, we would dip our toes into that market. We quickly learned that the Jenison market valued economy. They wanted short, no-nonsense haircuts. They were amazingly frugal – and they were always on the lookout for a deal!

The Jenison market was a perfect place for a grooming school with discounted grooming prices and basic trims! For 27 years, The Paragon School has been in this location. This community takes excellent care of its pets, but it doesn’t step far outside the realms of fancy haircuts. Short, low maintenance trim styles are what this clientele wants.

The other side of town has a totally different story. When we first started talking about opening a luxury pet resort, I knew exactly where we needed to go: right to the heart of where most of our mobile clientele lived. In 2007, we opened Whiskers Resort and Pet Spa.

Our first groomers at the resort were high-end pet stylists. They were Certified Master Groomers and awarding-wining contest stylists. They set the stage for a high-end thriving grooming department. The trims were more upscale and so was the average price. Upscale grooming comes at an upscale price.

Today, Whiskers has seven grooming stations and business is booming. Rarely do we see a short, low maintenance all-trim come through the doors.

At Whiskers, the team specializes in more complex haircuts. The team does lots of breed profile trimming using pet grooming techniques. They use special products to accentuate the coat type. They hand strip. They hand scissor. They do pet trims. They even do a few show grooms. They see oodles of Doodles and lots of “designer dogs.” Don’t get me wrong, about half of the grooming jobs are still bath and brush dogs. They handle plenty of Labs and Golden Retrievers! Plus, the Whiskers grooming department sees the new, different, and unusual when it comes to breeds. This team must be on their toes. Our stylists need to be up-to-date and highly educated to meet the needs of the clientele. They do a lot of fancy haircuts!

Both businesses cater to a different clientele. They are on different career paths both for the people within the teams as well as the businesses themselves. Both businesses are successful.

Most pet grooming businesses do a bit of a crossover between no frills, low maintenance haircuts and the fuller, fancier trim styles. The personal motivation of the salon owner, local competition, as well as the clientele will ultimately dictate the type of grooming styles leaving each business.

I know many salons that specialize in low maintenance, easy trims combined with bath and brush type pets. Even though they don’t do fancy trims, they are still highly successful.

Other salons cater to a more discerning clientele. They need to have a higher skill set to stay competitive and thrive in that setting. The more knowledgeable and skillful they are, the more likely they can satisfy their clients.

Other stylists cross over into the show world where the understanding and application of structure and movement combined with sculpting the coat is critical to being in the ribbons.

Regardless of where you fall on the scale, if you are a professional pet groomer/stylist, grooming is a career. It’s not a hobby to you. You might be doing low maintenance trims that don’t require a whole lot of advance study – that’s okay! Not everybody has to do fancy trims. Each grooming business will have a signature style.

You might be at a salon where if you’re going to thrive, you need to be able to satisfy a more demanding client. You have clients who are educated and know what their dogs are supposed to look like – or WANT them to look like! Being able to apply pet grooming techniques to enhance a particular breed or an individual dog is just good business.

It’s important to remember that owners have pets for different reasons. Not all owners want a “show dog” look. They simply want a handsome family pet that is clean and well-groomed. Sometimes that means a no-frills type trim – other times, it’s a much fancier haircut.

Whatever YOUR signature style is – do it to the best of your ability with kindness and respect for the pet. It’s our job to assist the owner to care for their pet in a manner suiting the pet and their lifestyle.

Happy trimming!

Melissa

What does your clientele want? Jump on the Learn2GroomDogs.com Facebook page and tell us about it.