Increasing the Cost of Dog Grooming at Your Salon

As a successful pet business owner, you don’t need to be told that grooming is essential to the health of a dog. You may have started the business because you want to help their owners be responsible for the care of their pets.

But caring for animals is an important business, even when it’s your passion. The cost of grooming is one of your primary concerns, on top of everything else you need to evaluate as a business owner.

But how do you approach dog grooming prices without losing customers? Is there a responsible and ethical way to that? Let’s explore some ways to increase your pricing during such hard times for consumers and business owners.

Why You Might Increase Your Prices

Pet owners spend over 6 billion dollars on grooming and other services on their pet in 2018. This shows that pet grooming is an in-demand service and should be priced accordingly. Though the demand remains strong, the amount of dogs you can get done in a day has changed due to COVID-19 appointment spacing. This should factor into your pricing and customers will learn what it will take to return some form of normalcy.

At the start of your business, you set your prices for what you believed was fair and to make a profit. But now, you might be very successful, serve a healthy clientele, and know the ins and outs of running a business.

Some people are afraid of raising their prices. They fear they may lose customers, and they might head for the competitors.

But if customers appreciate your work and know your value, they will likely continue to see you because they know they’re getting what they paid for. If your prices are set too low, they’re likely to reconsider because the service may less than stellar.

But raising your prices is part of running a successful business. Here are some reasons to consider adjusting your prices.

• The cost of goods has increased and you’re not profiting as much
• Your services are in-demand
• Labor, and perhaps your employees have asked for a raise
• Your overhead cost has increased
• You want to grow your business
• You haven’t raised your prices since your business opened
• You’ve invested in extra education, and you want to offer special services
• Ideally, assess your prices annually to see if a raise is a wise business move.

The Cost of Dog Grooming: How to Increase Your Prices

If you’ve looked over your annual profits and reports and decided that you’re ready to increase your prices, you want to do it in the most professional way possible.

Scoop Out The Competition

To see the dollar amount you should increase, try checking out what the competition has to offer. Chances are, if their prices are significantly higher than yours, based on location, you should probably consider giving yourself a raise.

Take into consideration the location of the groomer, the services they offer, how long they’ve been in business, and so forth before deciding to hike up your prices.

Inform Your Clients

Your clients are your lifeline; the reason you have this business is because of them! You owe them a heads-up before you set new pricing.

Here are a few ways to do that.

Give them ample time to prepare. At their appointment, be sure to mention the price increase and do it creatively if you desire. Never blindside customers with a price hike; no one appreciates it!

As mentioned above, put a creative spin on how you’re raising your prices! Send out a letter, an email, or write about it in a weekly newsletter if you have one.

Ensure that your dog will continue to receive the best care possible and that you might be adding newer services or specializations to offer your clients.

Be as transparent as possible about why you’re increasing your pricing. Perhaps you want to create a better environment for your dogs or introduce a higher-quality product line. Whatever the reason, at your discretion, don’t be afraid to share that information with your clients, because they want to know what they’re paying for and why.

Regardless of how you inform your clients, do it professionally and with class. Most clients will probably understand.

Don’t Do It All At Once

A slow, gradual price increase is what you’re aiming for. Small price increases rather than large ones are likely to favor well with clients and not cause a massive drop in business.

You will need to decide which services to increase and by how much.

Offer New Services or Packages

Have you recently learned a new grooming skill or attained a specialized certification? Start marketing it with your price increase! Bumping up your prices with a little something to offer your clients helps you appear valuable and shows that you care about your work and art, not just bringing in the cash.

Consider combining services into packages. This way, you can charge a little more or add on extra services for clients who want more.

Test Increases First

Maybe you’re not quite ready to leap price changes. However, there is a way to see if your clientele will respond well.

If a client wants an extra service, needs to get in during a busy day, or has a nervous pet who makes extra time and work for you, charge them for it, and see the reaction. Most likely, the client will understand the extra charges. If not, reconsider raising your prices.

Raising Your Rates: You Can Do It!

You put a lot of work and time into taking the very best care of each pet. You deserve a raise!

The cost of dog grooming effects both you and your clients. While you love your clients and don’t want them to resort to the competition, ultimately you’re running a business and you must do what keeps you afloat.

Great customers will understand! Take your time deciding when and how to raise your prices and enjoy the profits of a job well done.