Wet shaving is a wonderful tool that can help us keep an animal comfortable while removing matted hair, and can often allow us to save more hair for styling. If you’re unfamiliar with this process, I highly recommend checking out Debi Hilley’s exellent information on her website. One drawback to... Continue reading

I know this is a bit off topic for my blog, but since this directly affects many small business' ability to affordable market their business, I felt I must share. Please read on and inform yourself! For those of you who have Facebook business pages, are you aware of the... Continue reading

Organization is of HUGE importance with house call, so huge that I genuinely can’t emphasise it enough. From keeping track of appointments and client records, to keeping your tools orderly and paired down to what you truly need: there’s a ton of organizing to be done! Organization does not come naturally to me, but my house call business has made me become better at it. So with that knowledge, I’d like to share with you some of my methods of staying organized with tools, clients, and separating work life from personal life. Continue reading

Hey guys, I've been busy working my butt off on a huge 3 part series on running a successful house call grooming business. I wanted to share what I have planned with you, and would love any input you may have! The Business of House Call is a three part... Continue reading

I'm finally allowed to spill the beans! Happy New Year everyone! To kick things off for this rockin year of 2012 I am proud to announce the launch of Pawsitive Educational Training! What if continuing education was available on your schedule? What if some of the top pet industry speakers... Continue reading

Hope the busy season doesn't have you all too pooped just yet! Since its obviously a busy time of year, I haven't been able to write much but I wanted to let you know that in my free time I haven't been idle. I have some very exciting announcements to... Continue reading

This is from a project I'm working on that will be released at a later date, but I thought many could use it now. Special thanks to Chris Sertzel and her salon expense budget worksheet which was the base for mine. You can click on the image to see it... Continue reading

I have been wanting to add skin and coat care treatments to my services for house call and thought I would share what I am planning to do, how I do it, and how it's received by my clients. This will be an on going series and hopefully you'll be... Continue reading

For anyone considering doing house call grooming, how to price for this specialized and personal service can be a concern. In general, most house callers charge around the same as mobile groomers ($15-20 higher than salon price). But how you charge that amount (your pricing structure) can be largely dictated... Continue reading

In a previous blog we covered the Tools of the Trade, but how do you carry those tools? Every house call groomer's solution to this problem is a bit different so I got together with some of the wonderful members of my House Call Groomer's Facebook Group to show you... Continue reading

We’ve all dealt with the anxious, clingy behavior of “nervous Nelly” pet parents, but this is an especially big issue in house call. Learning to manage these anxious owners so that you can do your job, and still give them peace of mind is an art unto itself; one that... Continue reading

I’m sure you are all wondering where on earth I was last week that I didn’t post, well… I competed for the first time last Sunday! Although it’s a little off topic I thought I’d share my first competition experience with all of you. The Humane Animal Welfare Society (HAWS)... Continue reading

Asking the right questions on the phone with a potential client is imperative to determine whether they would be a good addition your client base, and if house call is the right fit for this dog and customer. Some house callers perform an in-person consultation to determine this. For many... Continue reading

This type of service is very unique and knowing how to market it can be very difficult. I am by no means a marketing or advertising expert, but I will share with you what I’ve done that’s worked, and how I approach clients about my services. Explaining House Call to... Continue reading

I wanted to share a brief overview of the benefits of doing house calls. In another blog I will discuss how to market yourself as a house call groomer, and what the benefits are for clients, but today let's focus on us: the groomers. Low start up cost & overhead... Continue reading

House call grooming: now that you know it can be done, here comes the how. The most frequently asked questions on our grooming boards about house call grooming are what tables and dryers we use, and where we bathe a pet. I will cover these questions thoroughly, with lots of... Continue reading

When I tell other groomers that I groom pets in the owner’s home, their first reaction is often a look of amazed bewilderment. The initial stunned silence is followed by the inevitable question, “How do you get the dogs to behave?!” Of course my response, that most of my dogs... Continue reading