Planning the Perfect Grooming Space
09/14/2011
Opening a new grooming shop can be overwhelming.
From choosing a business name, to filling out ample paperwork for business licenses and more, planning out a grooming space often falls by the wayside.
Having a well-planned space is an important part of any new business and shouldn’t be overlooked.
Four Paws Grooming in North Providence, RI
Recently we visited Four Paws Grooming in North Providence, Rhode Island, where owner Mario DiFante offered some advice on how to plan out the perfect grooming space.
His high-traffic grooming and pet retail shop is split into well-planned spaces that help to ensure that each day’s workload is tackled with precision.
Here are a few suggestions:
1) Plan ahead
Painting and décor are important, but so is space planning. Your shop should be as functional as it is stylish. Make a list of all of the “zones” you’ll need from “Front Desk” to “Retail” to “Bathing,” so that you’ll know what spaces will best suit each need.
Once you have a list of all of the zones you think your business will need, try sketching out a floor plan. You can also use a computer program like Microsoft® Paint to give you a better visual of how the zones will look in your new shop.
Make sure you’ve allotted enough space for everything you’ll need (remember that items like tubs and grooming tables require more space than other products!)
Four Paws' Retail Section
2) Control the details
If you plan on having a staff that will help you out with day-to-day grooming, you might want to think about setting up a system that will keep you in control of important variable costs like shampoo, water and electricity.
Four Paws Grooming has a built-in dryer system that controls the heat and frees up important counter space. It also keeps the noise down, since the dryer system is located in a soundproofed closet.
Mario also installed a water system that controls the temperature and pressure as well as a shampoo dispensing system that delivers each groomer pre-diluted shampoo.
Pre-planning helps you save money and helps keep your shop clean and organized.
Four Paws has built-in dryers and controlled water pressure/temperature
3) Have “a space for everything and everything in its space”
It’s an old adage, but a good one. If you’re designing a new grooming shop, defining each space is important.
Think about incorporating a small office space or a small staff lunch room. What about hanging up shelving to hold bottles of shampoo or grooming tools like shears and clippers?
Four Paws Grooming has gorgeous wooden shear cases that hang on the wall above the grooming tables. These cases suit the décor of the shop, while also keeping counter space clean of clutter. They also help ensure that important grooming tools are easily accessible.
Keep shears and grooming tools organized with special spaces
Remember that no space is too large or too small for space planning.
Regardless of whether or not you want to groom five pets a day or fifty, organization and planning will help to ensure your business runs smoothly, doesn’t waste money and keeps pets and staff members safe and happy.
There are lots of companies out there that are more than happy to help you out with space planning.
Here at PetEdge, we have a team of professional groomers who are always there to help you figure out the best way to plan out your grooming space. Give us a call at 800-638-5754 or email support@PetEdge.com to speak to a PetEdge groomer today!
Want to know more about organizing your grooming shop? Check out this article.
Mario DiFante, groomer/owner
Mario DiFante has been in the pet grooming industry for over 35 years and has had a grooming shop/boutique in North Providence, RI for the same amount of time. He is heavily involved with Pet Fashion Week in NY each year and also teaches pet product design at the Fashion Institute of Technology in NY.
Mario will be giving a lecture at SuperZoo (Going on September 13-15 2011 at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas, NV) entitled "Salons of the Future". If you're attending, be sure to visit.
