Calculate Your competition

By Michelle Robinson
July 29, 2015

When I very first went mobile, I instantly got included in a number of social network groups to assist me comprehend the new beast that I was included in.  It assisted me discover a few of the do’s as well as don’ts in the business, however ultimately, I was the one who had to make the decision of what I wished to do.  After all, it was MY Business. I sat down as well as figured out what I needed to pay my expenses as well as set my costs according to the number of dogs I wished to do.  I never called around to see what my “competition” was doing, since it truly didn’t matter.  If they are not working for me as well as assisting me pay my bills, what difference did it make?

Time after time once again I would checked out the concern of a new shop or mobile opening up in town.  The instant concern would always be “should I lower my costs to match theirs?” or “Are they going to take all of my customers?”   All as well often, I have seen great groomers provide deep discount rates eroding their bottom line; driving them to work harder for less money.  That just doesn’t make sense to me.  I comprehended early on, that every client was not MY customer, however that is one more story.

I am a numbers person.  When I started checking out the chilly difficult facts, it just doesn’t make sense why some groomers spend so much time as well as effort trying backstab one more for clients when there isn’t a shortage!  trip with me for a moment while I share a few things with you.

I online in a town of 70,000 people.  I am surrounded by at least 8-9 towns that have a population of at least 30,000 people each.   Let’s look at a smaller town just for wags as well as wiggles!    If you have a town with 30,000, the norm is that about 10% of that population has pets.  That would leave 3,000 people.   Out of the 3,000 let’s state that about 1% own non-grooming pets. 3,000 minus 300 leaves 2,700 dogs as well as cats that requirement to be groomed.  one more 10% will groom their family pets themselves, 2,700 minus 270 equals 2,430 dogs as well as cats that requirement to be groomed.  Let’s state that at least 20% of those family pets go to huge box stores for their grooming needs.  That would leave 1,944 dogs as well as cats that requirement to be groomed.  If 20% of those family pets go to regional shops as well as vet’s offices, that leaves 1,555 dogs as well as cats that requirement to be groomed.  On average, one mobile system can do about 200 dogs a month, perhaps more.  just to throw a monkey wrench in the entire plan, please note that all of your clients may not come from the exact same town!  Isn’t THAT a flea bite?

Remember I told you that I am surrounded by 8-9 other towns that are packed with a population of 30,000+ people!  I likewise share this area with at least 7 other mobiles, 6 huge box stores that offer grooming, vet’s groomers, different shops as well as house groomers, as well as my phone still rings!  When the hounds are snapping at your heels as well as you see a new shop or mobile open it is simple to hit the panic button.  Yes, you have expenses to pay!  Yes, you may not be able to pay for to lose customers.

If you are great to your clients as well as provide them great service, a lot of aren’t likely to jump ship.   Why make a task that is already physically difficult on your body a lot more demanding both physically as well as financially?  We are all in the exact same game – to do what we like as well as make a respectable living at it. Why do you requirement to fight each other for a piece of the hair when there is sufficient for everybody?

Everybody has a different skill level. everybody has that a person breed or service that they just knock out of the box. When I go to grooming competitions I comprehend that the competition is truly about that person trying to provide it the very best that they can.  It must never be about trying to drive one more groomer out of service since they dared to venture into “your territory.”  nine times out of ten, if you weren’t grooming that customer’s pet dog before, you may not have ever gotten their service anyway.

I have been mobile for 4 years now.  There are people that I service who have neighbors with dogs.  They see me every month.  Every month I smile as well as wave as I am leaving my customer’s house.  Every month they scoff as well as scowl at me as they strut bit fluffy by, that now appears like a bald rat.  This past summertime one of the Lemon women (as I affectionately phone call them) approached me as I returned to the truck.  She explained to me that she would be having surgical treatment in a month as well as asked if she might get on my schedule.  When she asked my cost I believed she was going to have a heart attack!  She spurted back, “that was NOT what you quoted me before!”  Ma’am that was 3 years ago!  “Well MY GROOMER only charges me $35.00 as well as she has never gonenull