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What is important is to understand that successful business owners have taken the time to learn not only the art of grooming, but also the art of managing a grooming business in accordance with federal, state and local law and the general principles of successful small business management. Managing a grooming business is far more than getting licenses, permits and paying taxes and bills. Far more!

The successful grooming business owner has two sides, an artistic side and a business side, and both require education. There's the key word, "education." Generally, almost anyone can hang out a shingle tomorrow in the U.S. advertising they are a "groomer" (see Licensing & Certification Main Menu) with a few permits and face little trouble until trouble comes looking for them. If the profession of grooming was "vocationally licensed" or "certified" it is more likely that part of the training programs prior to certification or licensing would provide some education on the "business of grooming." But today, that just isn't so! Therefore, it's a fact that we are part of an industry of tens of thousands of business owners without any formal grooming business education regarding management and business law compliance training. Based on our experience, people entering the industry with a background of staff or management positions in the corporate world do far better of making a quick success of a grooming business because they understand the need to learn management and the art of grooming. They have the best success in using commission, salary and hourly wages.

As management consultants we are often called upon only after "fire breaks out," and from our experience we conclude that a lack of small business management education is the source of most problems. Not only that, motivation is another major concern. Surveys of pet grooming business owners in the 1990's discovered that over 90% of them said they would NEVER go to a one day grooming business management seminar of any kind. Not even one day? So a grooming business owner may work 10, 20 or 30 years, or up to 10,950 days, and never devote one to learn successful small business management? Is it then any wonder that many owners complain they are "burned out" on grooming, finding groomer employees and "stuck" paying commission wages with no other knowledge of viable alternatives? Without business training what can you expect but problems? So there is good news here. If you are willing to learn the art and management of grooming, you don't have to join the leagues of owners that haven't made that commitment and suffer aggravation or stalemate gaining a worthy income for their hard work grooming beloved pets.

Remember, we said that commission versus salary wages was a touchy, and often very emotional subject. How many times we have heard, "Commission is the only way to pay groomers, or it's impossible this and that!," or "Salaries only save the owner money and lower my wages!" Yet, when we interview these people asking them to show some proof or explanation, we usually get nothing, except their frustration and upset. We understand. We're not getting down on these owners!

We know our industry is still coming together to unity on balancing the importance of the art and business of grooming. Participants at our Becoming the Business Person That Grooms Workshop have stood up and proclaimed "Every pet grooming business owner in the world should have this training! My eyes are open now! Things are going to change in my business. I've lost so much money and now I know how bring teamwork to my business, and humane pet care standards to every position." We have changed the lives of employers and employees into better joint financial prosperity and boosted employee morale. It's not perfect, but then again the grooming industry has been entrenched without required business education for literally hundreds of years. Our work and that of others lecturing on this topic at grooming trade shows and conferences are taking a sledgehammer to the old ways. Through the cracks we are getting more and more veteran groomers to consider modern advancements in managing grooming business at least as much as we consider and buy technologically improved grooming equipments and supplies. It's no wonder that new career seekers armed with management training skip most of the problems of veteran groomers and establish business quickly with far fewer problems.

Paying by commission is the "old fashioned" standard of art of pet grooming today, going back 30 to 40 years. At that time it wasn't common but getting started. In fact it only became popular when more salons opened and people didn't go as much to kennels or vets for grooming.

If you want to use the method it is not a problem with us. However, it creates problems indeed. For those that desire the system we have made some improvements to it as part of The Madson Management System increasing its profitability and ensuring quality.

Anyone who abruptly cuts off being exposed to alternatives must have some sort of fear, losing employees, losing money, etc. That's OK. But that doesn't mean there isn't something to be learned or that alternatives to commission based wages are not possible and even thriving in some areas. In fact, most grooming business owners that are against salaries still pay their bathers by the hour, and not commission, so they are not all commission houses. Confused? It is confusing to outsiders.

Why change from commissions to salaries? In our opinion commissions benefit neither the employer nor the employee. And if that is true, we're talking about the entirety of the industry as pet grooming is an industry of hard working labor. Every grooming is mostly labor, and to a lesser extent overhead.

On the next page we will give you one of the best simple explanations of the origin of commission wages, and a brief look at their detriment for most owners and employees. It certainly is not a decision made only on dollars and cents.