In February 2020, I took step one towards my dream by opening Central Bark as a desk renter in two totally different salons in our village. Little did I do know, this was the start of an unbelievable journey. Not lengthy after, one of many salon homeowners approached me with the chance to take over the lease and buy the enterprise. I had at all times dreamed of proudly owning my very own high-street salon, so I seized the prospect, invested all my financial savings, and formally opened my very own salon in March 2021. I provide a variety of providers, together with mud baths, de-shedding, Emmi-Pet enamel cleansing, pet periods, and my speciality—handstripping. If I may handstrip all day, each day, I might be in my aspect! A few of my purchasers journey from outdoors the realm for this specialised service.
My journey into the world of canine grooming started after I was simply 13 years outdated – I’m now approaching 30! My mom opened her own residence salon, and I shortly turned concerned with bathing and drying canines. By the point I used to be 15, I used to be a fully-fledged groomer. I additionally competed in handstripping lessons at grooming exhibits, profitable the Finest Handler 2015 achievement award after a restraint-free grooming session on the English Groomers Group Problem.
Since my final function in Whole Grooming, rather a lot has modified. I made the daring determination to relocate the salon to a bigger and higher house inside the village. This transfer got here after an almost year-long battle with my earlier landlord, who had breached the lease. After months of relentless effort and a good turnaround to get the brand new salon prepared, all of the exhausting work paid off. In September 2024, I proudly opened the doorways to my dream salon.
The brand new salon boasts extra space, new gear—together with my hydrobath, which I actually couldn’t stay with out now—and includes a separate bathing and drying room. Our reception and ready space has been expanded and now features a retail house stuffed with pure canine treats. Our new location gives handy parking and, in contrast to our earlier house that was flooded with direct daylight, we now not want to shut through the hottest components of the 12 months. Because of the brand new premises, enterprise is booming, and I’m busier than ever! I’m now trying to rent an apprentice to assist me handle the rising demand.
I’m extremely grateful to the loyal purchasers who’ve supported me since day one. With out their belief, my dream wouldn’t have been potential. Nearly all of my purchasers adhere to a daily grooming cycle, coming in each 4-8 weeks, with just a few choosing 3 to 4-week bath-tidy and full grooming rotations. In truth, 95% of my purchasers block-book for the whole 12 months—the final two working weeks for December 2025 had been totally booked by January!
Because the final time I used to be featured, I returned to the competitors circuit in April 2024 after a nine-year break and entered the South East Grooming Present with Rhubarb, a Border Terrier within the “Open Handstrip Terrier” class—my first time competing within the open group. I had an incredible expertise, ending in third place and profitable the “Finest Approach” award, certainly one of 4 particular awards introduced that morning. This reignited my ardour for grooming competitions, and I sit up for coming into extra exhibits sooner or later.
Moreover, I used to be honoured to be nominated for Wiltshire’s Finest Pet Grooming Enterprise 2023 on the England Enterprise Awards. The
competitors was fierce and was the biggest class of the night, and to my astonishment, I gained! I used to be overwhelmed with gratitude for each single consumer who voted and supported me, as this recognition wouldn’t have been potential with out them.
My mission has at all times been to offer a wholesome, optimistic grooming expertise in an expert, stress-free atmosphere. I deal with each canine as in the event that they had been my very own, with the identical love and respect. The bond I develop with the canines I groom is what actually drives me. No process is simply too huge or small, and I’m particularly obsessed with working with canines who’ve behavioural challenges. There’s nothing extra rewarding than gaining the belief of a canine that was as soon as petrified of grooming. I at all times guarantee I by no means push a canine past their limits, specializing in constructing belief via time, endurance, and loads of high-reward treats. The tip result’s a contented, well-groomed pet, and figuring out I’ve helped them get there may be probably the most fulfilling a part of my job. Central Bark has actually develop into my dream come true, and I’m excited for the longer term.
My prime recommendation to all groomers is to prioritise your well-being and psychological well being by sustaining a wholesome work-life stability. With out it, you’ll shortly really feel overworked and threat burnout. Canine grooming is bodily demanding, so hearken to your physique, put money into high-quality gear, and ensure to take breaks. Gas your physique with correct meals relatively than counting on snacks and vitality drinks—your physique will thanks in the long term.
It’s additionally essential to determine stable insurance policies, comparable to clear cancellation and no-show pointers, and stick with them. Good customer support is essential—homeowners need to really feel assured and comfy leaving their canines with you. Nonetheless, don’t enable prospects to be impolite or make the most of you. Keep in mind, it’s your corporation, and you’ve got the best to implement your guidelines.
Most significantly, be sure you are charging what you might be price. Do you totally perceive your corporation’s each day or hourly prices? Don’t undercut your self—don’t give attention to what others are charging, as every groomer has totally different overheads and each day targets to fulfill. Know your numbers and stick with them. Canine grooming is a talented, demanding job, and also you should be compensated to your exhausting work. When you’re uncertain of your pricing or enterprise prices, converse to an accountant or enterprise coach. There’s loads of help on the market. I extremely suggest Invoice Betts’ Pet Ardour to Revenue Enterprise Help group—his podcasts are particularly insightful! Trying again, I want I had found Invoice and his program on the very begin of my Central Bark journey. Whereas I knew find out how to groom, I didn’t totally perceive find out how to run a enterprise to its fullest potential. Now, I’ve extra confidence in myself and my enterprise, and my enterprise is flourishing.
And for these of you who might have heard of Chet the Cockapoo and his viral hate mail on TikTok and Fb—sure, I’m the dreaded canine groomer! When you haven’t heard of him but, make sure to try our Fb web page for snigger!
