Location,
Location, Location
You've probably
heard the familiar saying that relates the potential success
of a commercial business to its "location." In fact,
location is so important that advisers will often repeat it
time and again, "Location, location, location." Pet
grooming is no different than any other trade affected by its
location, so here are some guidelines to help you choose
yours.
Accessibility: How accessible are the
locations you are considering? Pet grooming businesses can
benefit from being on main roads traveled daily by commuters
and others running daytime errands. Though some businesses
don't favor pet owners leaving pets all day, typically on
their way to work and then returning after work, it is allowed
by nearly all large to very large pet grooming businesses. In
fact, some owners discover that by offering extended stays
they pickup hundreds of pet owners that cannot such a service
elsewhere. If you do, be sure to provide extended stay pets
with fresh water frequently, and occasional stretch periods
for their comfort. Commuting pet owners appreciate businesses
located near freeway on/off ramps or expressway turnoffs, as
well as on major streets connected to freeways and
expressways. Besides being on commuter routes you can benefit
from being reasonably near major shopping centers, medical
complexes, and entertainment complexes where the community
frequently congregates.
(As a side note
remember that commuters often desire easy drop-off too, so
always have your returning client filecards pulled and waiting
on your front counter for the current day's appointments. Most
commuters favor taking some time to chat with you when they
return, after the work day is over.)
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Signs: In April 1997, we
assisted a grooming business to relocate 2 miles from its
present location on a major roadway to a larger space also on
another major roadway favored by working commuters. The new
building had a road sign near the sidewalk clearly visible to
cars passing by, and backlit at night for 24 hour use. In
exactly one year the business got over 1,800 new customers,
and of them about 1,300 said the road sign was their reason
for stopping by, and the balance were referrals. Do you know
that 1,300 new clients, who come in an average of only 6 times
a year at $30, calculates to $234,000 worth of business the
first derived from the road sign? Wow! Without location,
location, location and a great sign this never would have been
possible.
Parking:
Your location needs good parking. You should have no less than
two dedicated parking spaces, and more is preferable. Easy,
free parking and easy road access will always boost your
potential business compared to the obstacles of offering only
paid public parking, metered street parking and distant
parking lots. We don't mean that you cannot operate under such
conditions; they are simply not consumer friendly and atypical
of busy grooming business on the grow.
Shopping
Centers: Shopping
centers can be excellent locations for grooming businesses,
but be aware that you may share in the number one problem that
owners face in them, pet stains. You cannot control all of
your pet owner clients nor their dogs out of your control and
inevitably some of them are going to urinate or defecate
outside. Male dogs frequently life the old leg and stain
areas, often belonging to another tenant. They won't like it,
and all you can do is clean, clean and clean. However, our
president's business was in a strip center and because of this
problem of this she moved the business from mid center to the
end unit. Not only was the end unit on the public sidewalk,
and therefore had street parking, but also there was a 8 foot
by 3 foot area of landscaping which she covered in gravel and
turned it into a potty walk for her clients. All the other
tenants were quite pleased. Be aware that not all shopping
centers allow pet grooming businesses. Oh yes, don't forget
that barking dogs can disturb neighboring tenants, so you may
need to add some soundproofing to walls, or better yet,
consider the next idea, a "stand alone" location.
Stand
Alone Building: The
best location is a private building with a parking private lot
on a busy, convenient street. If you are starting a new
business and have the budget, it is the way to go. You are
almost certain to have room to build a custom potty walk, and
you know your clients are guaranteed easy parking. These are
major marketing factors to advertise in your brochure,
telephone directory pages, and literally all advertising for
that matter. Better yet the stand alone building ends your
having to worry about sound problems caused by dog barking
traveling through shared walls.
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