As the year comes to a close and the winter holidays are on the horizon, savvy groomers know that the coming weeks will be busy ones. Many people are motivated to have their pets groomed this time of year because they will be entertaining company and want their dogs and cats to look and smell their best.
There are steps you can take to make sure your busy season goes as smoothly as possible.
- Inventory your grooming supplies and ensure you have all the shampoo, conditioner, coat sprays, and other consumable products you need. Nothing is worse than running out of a "must-have" product when your grooming calendar is jam-packed.
- Check your clippers and other hand tools. Do you need a new blade drive installed to keep your clippers running perfectly? It's better to tackle that little job now than in the middle of the holiday rush. Does your nail buffing tool need a fresh head put on? Are your dryers maintained and in perfect working order?
- Do your clipper blades or shears need to be sharpened? Now is the time to get that taken care of.
- Order any holiday bows and bananas soon. Supplies often run out.
- Schedule a deeper-than-usual cleaning session, so your workspace will look and smell fabulous and be a pleasant place to spend time because you will be there a lot!
- Make sure your tools are organized in a way that you have everything you need at hand. Having things in order will help you work more efficiently on your busiest days.
- If you use a paper calendar to schedule appointments, order next year's version now so you can preschedule as customers ask.
- If you plan to decorate your space for any of the winter holidays, get your décor out of storage or plan what you want to purchase in advance.
- Are there any special events you want to make sure you don't want to miss, for example, a child's school party or a traditional family outing? Ensure it is clearly marked on your calendar so you don't overbook those dates with grooms.
- Is there some time you'd like to mark off for yourself? Maybe a shopping day, a spa visit, or (ahh!) a massage? Taking a little "me" time in the middle of the madness can be blissful.
You can help make your busy winter holidays less stressful with a little prior planning.
