The ROI Of Education For Pet Groomers

The ROI of Education for Pet Groomers

From college degrees to master groomer certifications, there is a lot of education options for pet groomers. But many people pay for education because they feel they should, not because it will actually help them make more money.

I’m going to share my thoughts on the ROI of different education options and help you figure out what is best for your business.

What is ROI?

ROI stands for “return on investment,” which is the amount of money you earn back relative to the cost of the investment. In more simple terms, ROI asks “how do you get your money back?”

If you invest $100 in something and it earns you $1,000 that might be a good ROI.

If you invest $100 and only get $105 back, that is not as good of an ROI.

ROI is a great measuring tool to help you decide whether an investment is worth it or not, but it depends on what your individual goals are.

I find that many groomers pay for education simply because they feel they should, not because it will help them make more money. If you’re considering getting more education, ROI can be a great tool to help you determine what options might be worthwhile for your business.

What kinds of education is there for pet groomers?

There are many different types of education, each with its own ROI. You need to know your own goals to figure out which type of education might have the best ROI for you.

College degree

Many people get a college degree. College can be a great option for many people, but do you need a business degree to run a grooming salon?

Each situation is unique, but most salon owners do not have a college business degree.

Why is this the case? The grooming industry is unique and many courses don’t apply well to the industry. For example, if you run a mobile grooming business, taking a class on retail probably won’t be helpful.

If you’re going to spend tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars on a degree, you’re going to want to get a ton of benefit out of it. You should make a lot more money than you would without one. Since most business courses don’t apply well to the grooming industry, chances are it is not going to help you make a ton of money. So, it has a high cost and low ROI

Grooming school

Another option is attending classes at a grooming school. Many grooming schools have online classes now, like Paragon and the National Cat Groomers Association.

In college, I paid $4,000–5,000 for a grooming class, which led to me starting my grooming business and making about $100,000. This is a great ROI. Since the initial investment in a class is lower than a four-year degree, the return was better.

Of course, this is just my experience. Everyone’s situation is different and results vary.

Apprenticeship

Apprenticeships generally don’t pay way but they are a great way to gain grooming experience. You do not have to invest any cash, but you do invest your labor hours. While you work, you also gain a ton of useful skills that you might learn in an expensive class.

You can also learn what you like to do or don’t like to do. I worked a 6-month apprenticeship at a salon that only worked with a few specific breeds. The experience taught me that I didn’t like to do pattern breed cuts or hand scissoring. Someone else might have learned that breed cuts were their passion!

Since work experience like this is free, apprenticeships and other work experiences can have a great ROI. But of course, each situation is unique so results may vary based on your goals and personal journey.

Trade shows

Seminars at trade shows are a great place to learn new skills. But many people prioritize going to breed seminars over business classes.

But in reality, most groomers don’t spend much time doing these specific breed cuts. Breed cuts might be a passion or a hobby of yours, but they aren’t relevant to your shop or brand and won’t help you make more money. This is a bad ROI.

Master Groomer Certification

This might be an unpopular opinion but it is very rare for someone to make a lot of money from getting their groomer certification. The one exception is if your brand is truly based around it.

The reason it won’t help you make money is that most clients don’t know what the certification means. Clients need to understand why it matters to them and what value it adds to your services.

Savvy Groomer courses

Shameless plug alert! The Savvy Groomer courses are a great option if you want to invest in growing your business. Of course, I am biased, but let’s look at the ROI.

For example, my Price Increase Class costs $600. That seems like a lot, but the course is all about learning how to make more money. Say you increase the price for all your dogs by $20, and you groom just 25 dogs per week. You’ll make $25,000 more in the first year! That is an amazing ROI!

By comparison, if you spend $600 on a breed class, that probably won’t earn you that much money.

The Price Increase Class is open on our website for self-study.

Key takeaways

Whatever you choose to do for your education is ultimately up to you. If you’re interested in taking a class or getting certifications, that’s great! You can choose to do something simply because you enjoy it — you don’t have to evaluate the ROI of everything.

But if you’re doing something because you feel like you’re supposed to then I encourage you to question what education can actually produce for you. Are you going to make money back on the investment? Does it make sense for your specific situation and business goals?