Corporate vs Mom n pop Grooming salon? ..
- Thread starter mrj
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- dog grooming
@mrj I went from Corp to a small business franchise. I did get a pay decrease (I was the salon manager in the Corp) but I was able to get free doggie daycare for my dog on the days I worked and it evened out. The reason I left was the ability to JUST GROOM. I never have to worry about being forced to up sale anyone or having to meet “goals” and getting threatened by higher ups. I have so much freedom to groom how I want and use what I want. I’d take a pay decrease over better mental health any day.
@mrj The biggest positive difference between corporate vs a smaller shop is not having the company constantly breathing down your neck. No more having to sell stupid overpriced add-on packages and then having your numbers posted on the wall every week.
I also love the fact that I don’t have to mess with phones and I can just focus on my work. I get to throw on a podcast and groom and the only time anyone bothers me is when I have a client coming or going. Bonus: I get to keep my cellphone with me and I can even occasionally look at it without being scolded because I’m a whole adult. Not being treated like a kindergartner is pretty nice.
I get to use whatever products I want and I personally find trying different things to be a really fun part of the job.
I have way more control over my schedule. Corporate really pushes everyone to do more dogs while also wanting to maintain control over appointment times. They wanted me doing 7-8 dogs a day which was impossible for me with their stupid scheduling system (having 3-4 dogs come in at once in the morning and then again in the afternoon). Funny enough, now I am actually able to do that many dogs each day because I control my own appointment times. On the same note, if I have a dog coming in that I know requires a lot of time due to extra brushing or scissoring, I can block off as much time as I need. As a result, my skills have improved A LOT.
I guess if I had to list any cons it would be that I no longer have paid time off. However I make considerably more now than I did when I worked at corporate so I’m able to set aside enough money to give myself at least two weeks paid vacation every year
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I also miss those really nice automatic tables but they’re insanely expensive and when they break fixing them costs a lot too so I definitely get why small shops just don’t bother.
I also love the fact that I don’t have to mess with phones and I can just focus on my work. I get to throw on a podcast and groom and the only time anyone bothers me is when I have a client coming or going. Bonus: I get to keep my cellphone with me and I can even occasionally look at it without being scolded because I’m a whole adult. Not being treated like a kindergartner is pretty nice.
I get to use whatever products I want and I personally find trying different things to be a really fun part of the job.
I have way more control over my schedule. Corporate really pushes everyone to do more dogs while also wanting to maintain control over appointment times. They wanted me doing 7-8 dogs a day which was impossible for me with their stupid scheduling system (having 3-4 dogs come in at once in the morning and then again in the afternoon). Funny enough, now I am actually able to do that many dogs each day because I control my own appointment times. On the same note, if I have a dog coming in that I know requires a lot of time due to extra brushing or scissoring, I can block off as much time as I need. As a result, my skills have improved A LOT.
I guess if I had to list any cons it would be that I no longer have paid time off. However I make considerably more now than I did when I worked at corporate so I’m able to set aside enough money to give myself at least two weeks paid vacation every year
. I also miss those really nice automatic tables but they’re insanely expensive and when they break fixing them costs a lot too so I definitely get why small shops just don’t bother.
imagebeastmarkbeast
New member
@mrj There are a lot of pros and cons of both small shops and corporate. For corporate you generally know exactly what you're getting into but small shops vary widely and you can end up in a much worse place than you ever would at corporate. One very positive thing about corporate is that it is the most regulated and watched that dog grooming gets. With mom n pop you're getting a full wild card on policies, procedures, standards, benefits, abuse of dogs or employees, supplies, and pretty much everything else.
Having said that, when I made the switch from corporate to private I was terrified but I literally couldn't have made a better decision. I have tripled my income and skill and I only do a couple more dogs a day (with the help of bathers). My schedule is set. I never answer phones and we have specific hours set aside for walk-in services. When I got severe carpal tunnel in both hands they did everything they could to help me and then helped me get on workers comp for the surgeries. It's still a demanding and hard job but I would never look back to corporate grooming.
It's important to vet the salon you're going to, but if you find the right salon your quality of life can improve dramatically.
Having said that, when I made the switch from corporate to private I was terrified but I literally couldn't have made a better decision. I have tripled my income and skill and I only do a couple more dogs a day (with the help of bathers). My schedule is set. I never answer phones and we have specific hours set aside for walk-in services. When I got severe carpal tunnel in both hands they did everything they could to help me and then helped me get on workers comp for the surgeries. It's still a demanding and hard job but I would never look back to corporate grooming.
It's important to vet the salon you're going to, but if you find the right salon your quality of life can improve dramatically.
brandilynn17
New member
@mrj I'm sure the pay structure is different in all mom and pop shops, but are many of them commission based just like corporate? And if so, is around 50% the norm? I've also been considering the switch. Corporate has some wonderful perks, but we're really feeling the pressure lately. Shorter hours and less staff, but still demanding pre-COVID productivity. And it's just not safe for us or the dogs. I totally get how you're feeling OP.
I really want the time and space to focus on improving my skills and learning new things, like hand stripping. There's not a whole lot of room for that growth in my current Corp salon.
I really want the time and space to focus on improving my skills and learning new things, like hand stripping. There's not a whole lot of room for that growth in my current Corp salon.
@brandilynn17 What I felt during my interview at the mom n pop, was the calmness. It’s literally a spa environment for the dogs and the groomer that was working has 30+ years of experience which was exciting to find out. I’m really hoping that I get this position because I can already feel my passion for grooming become alive again, where at the Corp I work for, The pressure to make more money was overpowering my passion for grooming. I might make a tad less at this new position but It’s a healthier environment. 
figured I’d share my feedback 
figured I’d share my feedback brandilynn17
New member
@mrj That's awesome, congrats! Definitely sounds like a step in the right direction. I'm totally comfortable taking a bit of pay cut for the mental health. I also work a lot on building relationships with the "difficult" dogs who just need some extra TLC, and I think so many would do better in a private shop where they can just relax a bit more. It's definitely something I'm thinking of.
@mrj I went from Corp to private. Took a large paycut initially as I have to build my clients at the private salon, but it'll be less significant once I'm steady. It's taken about a month to have a consistently full schedule, but it's coming along!
Pros- I get to groom how I want and take my time with dogs, I get to use very high quality products, there's no need to rush a dog because I've got 10 more to get through that day, I work for a groomer so I'm not dealing with corporate's harebrained ideas, I see dogs that are both better cared for and in general nicer, my voice matters and I can schedule how I want, my grooming ability is increasing exponentially because I can actually take time to learn and perfect dogs instead of sending out "good enough" to meet Corp productivity demands
Cons- it can be a little too slow some days for my liking, our parking lot is a little small, clients can be more needy or demanding
Pros- I get to groom how I want and take my time with dogs, I get to use very high quality products, there's no need to rush a dog because I've got 10 more to get through that day, I work for a groomer so I'm not dealing with corporate's harebrained ideas, I see dogs that are both better cared for and in general nicer, my voice matters and I can schedule how I want, my grooming ability is increasing exponentially because I can actually take time to learn and perfect dogs instead of sending out "good enough" to meet Corp productivity demands
Cons- it can be a little too slow some days for my liking, our parking lot is a little small, clients can be more needy or demanding
imagebeastmarkbeast
New member
@mrj If you have any financial means to do so, go mobile! It’s the future of grooming and there are companies like HydroDog that give you the support to get you going but allow you to 100% be a business owner. The freedom to do all the amazing things listed above like have your own schedule, try out your own products, be your own boss and adult and the list goes on. However you get the support of a business model that you wouldn’t normally get if you tried to start from scratch on your own.
In short, owning your own business would be my number one, then a mom and pop (if they are quality and fair) and lastly corporate. Hope it helps and best of luck!
In short, owning your own business would be my number one, then a mom and pop (if they are quality and fair) and lastly corporate. Hope it helps and best of luck!
