For many years I worked at an upscale grooming salon where several groomers shared one space to complete finish work on pets. It was great because we could all chat and visit while we worked, and it was also terrific because it meant that there was more than one pair of eyes looking at every dog before it got off the table, eyes that could see each pet from a different perspective.
Between regular exposure to water, shampoos, and the warm air from dryers, groomers’ hands have a rough time. If you live in a place with a cold season, the problem multiplies as outside temperatures drop. Many groomers experience irritating dermatitis, a medical term for inflamed skin.
Most business owners keep careful records of items and products used in the course of the business, simply because it’s a business expense that can be written off on taxes. There are reasons to take that record keeping much further.
Pet Grooming falls into the category of “service industry,” like human hair stylists and barbers. However, many customers are a little confused when it comes to the topic of tipping.
The best way to keep your blades sharp and ready for use is to clean and oil them regularly and often. They will stay sharp longer if maintained properly and less likely to cause clipper irritation (commonly called clipper burn but it’s caused by dull or dirty blades or poor clipping technique more often than hot blades – or just by supremely sensitive skin on a dog).
When choosing a grooming table, the many options can be a little overwhelming. It can be helpful to narrow down your choices by looking at the basics.
Although cats and dogs may share people’s homes and hearts, their grooming requirements are as different as, well, cats and dogs. Approximately 40 million households have one or more pet cats in residence, making cat grooming a highly sought-after skill.
In the military, they have a saying, “Two is one, one is none.” I scratched my head the first time I heard this, but what it means is that if you have one of an item and it breaks, you have nothing. However, if you have a spare, you are back to having one. What does this have to do with pet grooming? For example, if you are clipping a dog and it kicks the clipper out of your hand, and the clipper hits the floor and is broken, you are out of business unless you have a spare clipper on hand.
There are a lot of things that groomers must be in order to succeed. Artistic, accurate, caring, competent, focused, fast, empathic, easy-going, knowledgeable, strong, multi-tasker, detail oriented, honest, enthusiastic…the list goes on and on. And no one can be all of those things, perfectly. We all have strong points and weak points and work to bolster our good attributes and correct what we see as weaknesses – but should we?
I’ve lost track of how many groomers have told me, “I hate clipping poodle feet.” Trimming poodle feet can be done quickly and safely with the right tools and techniques. With practice, a skilled groomer can clip four beautiful feet in around 5 minutes.
