Since June last year, there’s been an explosion in new businesses being created. According to Companies House, 2020 was the year to beat in terms of start-ups. After all, it saw the creation of over 85,000 extra businesses compared to 2019.

It was also a record year for pet ownership. Nearly half of all families that currently own a pet (11.5 million) welcomed a new furry friend during the lockdown. This is good news for anyone with a dog grooming studio, as those pet owners expect to spend even more on their pets as life returns to normal.

Even before Covid, though, the UK pet industry was a thriving multi-billion pound industry. Every year, dog grooming trainers such as GroomArts Academy train hundreds of dog groomers from all walks of life – from busy professionals looking for a career change to parents looking to return to work after raising children and everything in between. Out of those, 98% end up running their own successful dog grooming studio, making a purpose-built garden room the ideal space.

 

What is dog grooming?

Before exploring what the ideal at-home dog grooming studio might look like, let’s delve into what dog grooming involves.

Dog groomers play an essential role in maintaining the overall health of a dog.  In addition to cleaning and trimming their fur and claws, they also check for other health problems such as swellings, cuts, parasites, and changes in behaviour.

Owners regularly visit a dog grooming studio to trim (ventilate) their dog’s coat, taking away old and damaged hair. For long-haired dogs, this limits the amount of grease in their coat, which can irritate the skin.

A typical professional grooming session involves the dog being brushed, bathed and dried, and trimmed and clipped.

The dog groomer carefully combs through matted hair before bathing the dog. They also clean the dog’s ears to remove earwax and check for signs of infection or parasites. Once the dog is dry, they are trimmed, clipped or shaved. Careful attention is paid to the tips of the ears, around the eyes and bottom of their feet.

It really is the dream home-based business for any dog lover.

Having the right tools

Your typical dog grooming studio is home to a lot of equipment. After all, there are over 30 dog breeds in the UK, and all have their own grooming needs.

For example, a dog with a large undercoat, such as a German Shepherd, needs a slicker brush to carefully un-mat hair. For dogs with more flowing silky coats, such as Maltese, pin brushes work better.

Aside from having a wide range of brushes, you will also need electric dog clippers and an adjustable table to raise the dog so that you can reach all areas.

Every dog grooming studio also has a bathing area with a selection of ph-balanced shampoos and conditioners for all skin and coat types. Oh, and somewhere to either towel-dry or blow-dry is a must. We all know how else a dog likes to dry themselves off, and it can be messy!

For that all-important finish, you will need an otic ear solution, disposable toothbrushes, toothpaste, professional nail clippers, and styptic powder in case you clip a dog’s quick.

Why Set up a Dog Grooming Studio at Home?

 As the perfect self-start business, dog grooming from home is a sensible option, and here’s why:

 

1. Keeping it local

Transforming a purpose-built garden room into a dog grooming studio will immediately appeal to your neighbours. Just like you, they won’t need to travel far. They may only be a minute or two away, making it far more convenient to have their dog groomed.

 

2. No commute

Dog grooming from home means one thing – you won’t need to commute. The longest work journey you’re likely to have is a monthly trip to the wholesalers. If you’ve been used to travelling for work, you’ll be surprised by how much money you save.

 

3. Flexible working

Pampering dogs from your garden room, you get to choose when you work. There’s no having to clock in at 9 am and off at 5 pm unless you want to. You can also work your appointments around other family commitments, making it ideal for busy parents.

 

4. The perfect environment

When dog grooming from home, you get to design your space just how you would like it. With a carefully designed garden room, you can choose where you want the natural light to fall (perfect for nail clipping) and how you wish to use the space.

 

5. Enjoy a better work-life balance

For that half an hour or so between appointments, you can grab a coffee and sit back and relax – there’s no making yourself busy or hiding in the break-room.

 

6. It’s a great money earner.

Dog grooming from home can be a great way to boost your income. Yes, there is an initial investment, but it shouldn’t take long to build a strong client base.

 

7. It’s the SMART option

Your highest cost will be creating your dog grooming studio. However, it needn’t be as expensive as you think.

 

Our SMART garden rooms start from £9,115 for the Key Studio range, which is popular with dog groomers, with finance available. There are no hidden costs. Flooring, UPVC double-glazing, internal and external lighting, durable flooring, and heating are all included in the price.

Most importantly, a SMART garden room is an investment since it is designed to last.

The Key Studio offers the same build quality, strength and rigidity as the rest of our SMART® ranges through the TuSC® construction. This includes a pressure-treated chassis, double-glazed windows and doors and a mono-pitched roof. These elements create a durable, strong and unrivalled dog grooming studio space that won’t require any external maintenance for at least ten years.

New to SMART Garden Offices this year, we have also introduced the Evolve range starting at £9,245. Again, popular with new business ventures, this garden room is ideal for dog grooming from home with its floor-to-ceiling glazed doors and panels.

 

Order Your Brochure Now

 At SMART Garden Offices, we have more garden room designs to choose from than the UK has breeds of dog!

Our seven garden office ranges are available in over 60 sizes and 13 colours. Best of all, being a Suffolk business, we can offer free no-obligation design consultations anywhere in Essex, Norfolk, London and all mainland UK addresses.

We’ll come and visit you at home and help design your perfect dog grooming studio. Together, we’ll carefully consider how many visitors you may have at a time, where you wish your treatment stations to be, what storage you require and where the natural sunlight falls.

If you need a separate bathing area, we’ll also talk you through our partitioning options to make the most of your space.

To start exploring your dog grooming studio options, simply download a copy of our brochure.