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.)

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.