As a career seeker the future may seem simple, you’re going to be an employed or self-employed pet groomer. Is there more? There is and it makes sense. You can even reduce the demands of grooming and preserve your physical well-being by grooming less and managing a staff. You may not want to become an employer. You have to master grooming first and that means your plate is full now. In a few years it makes sense to consider being an employer. We will take a closer look at why we say this later.

Many groomers with careers up to 50 years have gone before you, just as our company founder Madeline Ogle has done. We would like to introduce you to some concepts for advancement once you become a self-confident, professional pet groomer.
 

Certification

You can achieve certification from a recognized association at any time in your career. If you don’t in the first 2 to 5 years of your career, don’t give up. If you feel driven to achieve it, just do it. Certification testing and workshops along with competition grooming are offered by several grooming associations. See below.

Competition Grooming

Don’t be a spectator. Experience the thrill of competition. PetGroomer.com maintains a calendar of events where you can find competitions in your region. Get to know more about competitions sanctioned by associations such as:

• National Dog Groomers Association of America (NDGAA)
• International Society of Canine Cosmetologists (ISCC)
• International Pet Groomers (IPG)

You can easily locate their contact information in the PetGroomer.com Resources Directory – Associations section.

Some pet grooming schools also host seminars, workshops and competitions to assist you. Most of these events are posted on the PetGroomer.com Calendar when we know of them. Occasionally you can find tutors to assist you with grooming competition preparations and refinement of your schools. Refer to the PetGroomer.com Classified Ads - Consultants section.

The GroomerTALK™ Message Board maintains a forum for competition messages. Quite a few competitors are members of the board. Who better to help you?

Groom Team USA is the premier competition team for the U.S. Investigate the latest news at their website.

Click the Next bone now to discover several future opportunities for self-employed groomers.

Self-Employment Advancement

One of the benefits of self-employment is the flexibility you have above and beyond grooming pets. If you “master” the art of managing a grooming business as well as “mastering” the art of grooming new doors of possibilities open. You have to realize that the physical demands of pet grooming can be wearing as the years pass.

Even a small staff with just one pet bather assisting you relieves you of years of wear of tear while boosting income at the same time. Without assistance you can still alleviate wear and tear with preventative practices such as wearing sturdy support shoes and standing on anti-fatigue mats. Learn and practice proper lifting. Use equipment like electric tables which raise and lower by motors doing the work, and not your lifting or pumping hydraulic jacks. Nutrition that supports joint health and stamina makes sense too.

Here are some additional opportunities for owners expanding their businesses on the next page.