Marketing is an important part of any business. In large companies, there are departments and whole divisions dedicated to marketing. Their job is to find new customers, and to service and keep existing customers.
It may sound overwhelming to somebody just starting out in a mobile grooming business, but from experience, we can honestly say that when done properly it can be accomplished easily, and inexpensively as well.
Level One: Basic Marketing
Basic marketing tools are those items which we would deem essential to the health of your business.
People are going to ask: “How do I contact you?” And you need to be able to hand them a business card with your contact information. Business cards work well because 1.) they contain the essential contact information and 2.) they are easy to store. People may put them in a wallet or up on a bulletin board but, in general they’re kept in a convenient place, should the need for your services arise.
We’ve used Vistaprint.com for our business cards and all our marketing needs. They are inexpensive and have dozens of designs to chose from.
It is essential to have a dedicated business number with an answering machine. You will be working during the day and generally answering calls at night or on a lunch break. If you hand out your personal number, you may find yourself annoyed that people will contact at all odd hours of the day and night You may find that texting will work for you when scheduling a grooming appointment. But by relying solely on texting, you will miss out on a few minutes to interact with your client. We found that those few minutes on the phone developed a deeper and better relationship with our customers.
Community bulletin boards are one of the treasures of the modern world. If you look, you will find them everywhere in retailers, in supermarkets, parks, community centers, and they are FREE!
Tear-Away Flyers Are Ideal
Keep It Fresh-Looking!
One of the secrets to successful marketing on bulletin boards is to change the flyer every 3 to 4 weeks to keep it fresh-looking. Change the colors in the flyer, add or subtract text, in short, make it look brand new!
Level Two: Basic Marketing
You will run into potential customers almost everywhere you go. You need to have a short speech or “pitch” detailing your services as a mobile groomer. Marketers call this an “elevator speech” as it should be able to be stated completely in the length of an average elevator ride. When done correctly an elevator speech should be a seamless part of any conversation. Many times it starts with a compliment to the person’s dog, or a question about the breed. Show your care and compassion. The best conversations lead to you exchanging your business card – you know – for potential’s client’s future reference.
Door hangers with your contact information and list of services work well when you are already out on a job. Generally, you will be parked in an area where the neighbors have dogs and cats that could use your services. Many will not be home at time and a door hanger is the safest, easiest way to promote your business. *NOTE: Never leave promotional material in someone’s mailbox.
*The U.S. Code for crimes and criminal procedure prohibits the placement of unstamped flyers in any mailbox. Title 18, section 1725 states that any person who knowingly deposits “mail-able matter” without postage in an established letter box shall be subject to a fine.
Dog Parks are a natural place to gather new business. Your customer base is concentrated into a couple of acres, where you generally find owners agreeable and willing to talk about their animals.
However, you do need to be aware of your town’s ordinances when setting up at a dog park.
Beware the Posted Areas
Level One: Advanced Marketing
Mobile groomers are among the most visible professions on the road today, thanks to their creative and colorful truck signs.
While this is an added cost to a new business, there are a number of reasons to spend the money and put the time and effort into creating a unique and highly-visible brand for your company.
The subject of truck signs is large and I’ve dedicated an entire article to this subject. You can read my post from December 13th, 2021 here.
Many towns and cities today offer free rabies clinics and in an effort to stamp out this dreaded disease. We found that it is an ideal place to set up and talk to people coming in to vaccinate their pets.
Check with your town or neighboring town or city to see if they sponsor a free rabies clinic.
Another good place to set up a demo is at local flea-markets and farmer’s markets.
You may want to put up stand-alone signage, or simply chose to sit outside your truck and give passing people a “tour” of your vehicle. Many potential customers have never seen inside a mobile grooming truck, and you always get the curious, especially children.
Early in your mobile grooming career you should establish a territory in which to do business. You will find the further that you have to drive to a job, the less money you will make. So generally 10 to 15 minutes drive from your home base, should be enough to fill your business with customers.
That having been said, you will inevitably get calls from people who are outside that territory. Many will have heard of you either through friends or through the Internet.
Don’t simply turn these people away, if you can help it. Generally, you can make friends with mobile groomers in neighboring territories. Put these new contacts in touch with those groomers that handle that area. Build yourself a groomer-to-groomer network. It will pay off in the long-run and you may even develop a new and lasting friendship, as well.
Level Two: Advanced Marketing
Here are a few advanced techniques that you may want to use after you’ve been in business a while.
Professional marketers use the term “bird dog” for any incentive provided to an existing customer to recommend your services to a friend or family member.
Some groomers will offer a 10% discount off a grooming price to the person doing the recommending, if and when that recommendation turns into a job.
I have seen groomers who will offer a free grooming session to the person or persons making multiple recommendations.
Local businesses will sometimes run promotions that you will be able to participate in. Our local bank allowed us to set up a display on their front door, that both advertised our services and offered their customers a chance to win a free pet grooming.
Churches, synagogues, lodges and other charitable organizations often raffle baskets of pet products to raise money for their organization. Many times, you will be able to offer your services as part of the promotion.
A business website is an expense that can mount up to several thousand dollars if you are using a professional web developer.
And it can be a time-consuming project if you choose the do-it-yourself route, like WIX or GoDaddy.
It is always great for potential customers to look up your company on the Internet and it can give your business a more professional and polished edge, but the reality is that, in the beginning, it is not absolutely necessary.