When it comes to pricing their services, many mobile groomers initially suffer from a “goldilocks syndrome.” Some groomers price their services too low, while others price their services too high. It is the smart groomer that will price their services just right. There are 3 steps to determining your hourly rate, and it all starts with knowing your cost of living and your cost of doing business, and how many hours you will work, so get out your pencils and start sharpening those points.
Step One: You Will Need To Determine Your “Normal” Living Expenses
I’ve seen a few cases, where a groomer just starting out, forgot completely to include a salary for themselves when they determined their prices. This is great news for the customer, but bad for the groomer. You need to pay yourself a living wage. Below are just a few of the many expenses people include in their analysis. There are many more, and each groomer’s circumstance will be different. *WARNING: It is tempting to uses prices gleaned from other groomers. This is a bad practice. You should be aware of what your competitors are charging, but you need to determine a price that suits your needs, and not theirs. Also, we all would like to live like kings and queens, but in determining your needs, you need to be realistic, or you risk pricing yourself out of the market.
Step Two: You Will Need To Determine Your Mobile Grooming Business Expenses
Step Three: Estimate The Number of Hours You Will Work
What is a Break Even Point? Simplified Explanation
A break even point is where your personal living expenses added to your mobile grooming business expenses exactly equal the amount of income that you are earning every month. Ideally, you would want to earn more than the sum of your expenses, but realistically, you may have to economize in the beginning of a new business. Good money management dictates that any surplus income should be saved until you have sufficient cash on hand to safely weather those months where business “is slow” and falls below your break even point.
Size, Weight and Type of Coat All Matter When Estimating Grooming Time
The amount of time that you need to groom the different breeds will vary tremendously based on their size, weight and type of coat. For instance, you will need to know the difference between a “wash n’ wear” dog, versus a wire coat, versus a “snow dog” that has a double or triple coat. Also, the larger the animal the more time and effort it will take to bathe and groom. Make sure you take all 3 factors in to consideration.
Most Owners Will Want You To Quote Them A Fixed Price
Most owners, once they’ve given you a description of the size, weight and breed of their dog or cat will expect you to quote them a fixed price for a standard groom. Also, be aware that a first time groom may take up to 50% longer than a dog or cat that gets groomed on a regular schedule.
Where You’ve Miscalculated A Price, Raise Pricing Slowly
When you’ve miscalculated a price through no fault of the owner, it is best to increase your charges gradually and keep a good-paying customer, than lose the customer and have to continually find a new one.
Know Your Competitors Price, Try Not To Compete On Price
One of the fastest ways to bankruptcy is learn your competitors prices and use those as your own, or try to undercut your competitor without first doing a Break Even Analysis. You should be aware of what people in your area are charging for grooming, but you should set your own prices, based on your own needs.
Having said that – try (if you can) to not compete on price, as that is destructive, instead offer your customer great service, a perfect groom, higher quality organic shampoos and conditioners, etc. A pretty bow, or a fresh scent on the pet all do wonders. And make friends with your clients. That is probably the best way to keep them coming back.
Conclusion:
As a mobile groomer, you will probably need to do a fair amount of pricing and negotiating with customers. First determine an hourly rate for yourself and your business, and it will give you a baseline, from which you can determine your prices and know in advance, if you are making money or losing money on a groom.