The trees are budding, temperatures are on the rise, and the phone lines in most grooming shops are buzzing with customers looking to get a fresh springtime cut for their pets.
While it might seem overwhelming to take on a big cleaning job during the spring rush, there are some quick and easy projects that you can do to get that spring clean feeling in your shop.
Here are some suggestions from our on-staff groomers and grooming experts:
- Take a day to go through your client list. Figure out who hasn't shown up for a while, and determine if it's time to give them a call or cross them off your list.
- Close your shop for a day to give it a thorough cleaning. Pull everything off the shelves and move heavy equipment away from the walls so you can clean the hair, dust, dirt and dander that you can't get to everyday.
- Look at your shop from the outside to see what needs improving. What could you do to make it a more welcoming place for customers? Add a pee post or some waste pickup bags? Plant some new trees or flowers? Add some mulch or other landscaping accents? Add a new store sign?
- Go through your open bottles of shampoo and conditioner. Figure out which shampoos you need to reorder, and which ones you don't use anymore. You can donate the unwanted shampoos to a local animal shelter.
- Organize a grooming shop yard sale. This is a great way to clear out old equipment and supplies that you no longer need. You can also invite some of your customers to bring their own used pet supplies to sell or trade at the sale. Just check with local officials first to see if you need any special permits or permission.
- Give your equipment a once-over. Check the carbon brushes on your clippers and dryers. Are they worn? Do you have backups ready to go? What about the hardware on your clippers? Are the blade drives still tight enough to cut effectively? Do the screws on your grooming tables need tightening? Do you have a backup dryer or clipper on hand in case your go-to equipment fails?
- Streamline your work routine. Sometimes we fall into work patterns that are based on habit. rather than efficiency. This spring, study your normal work routine as if you're seeing it for the first time. Ask yourselves a series of "why" questions. Why did I choose this layout for the shop? Why are the tables over here? And the tubs over there? A few small changes to your shop layout could make a big difference in your productivity over the course of a year.
YOUR TURN:
Do you have a spring cleaning project planned for your grooming shop? We want to know about it! Post a comment on our blog, leave us a note on our Facebook wall, or email us at blog@petedge.com.
Thanks, good luck, and happy spring :)
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About the Author: PetEdge is a leading supplier of discount dog grooming supplies and wholesale pet products. We have over 17,000 products to choose from online at PetEdge.com, including grooming tubs, tables, shears, shampoos and lots more. Plus we offer $5.99 flat rate shipping on qualified orders of $150 or more every day!
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