Are you highly productive at your grooming table? Are you whizzing though 6-8 pets with ease – or more? Are you able to work smoothly? Are you able to work without interruptions? Are you confident with your trimming skills? Do you have a constant working method you apply to most of your grooming jobs – every time?

In our business – time transfers to money and/or time to spend perusing other actives besides grooming pets. Ideally, most small to medium sized pets should take 45-60 minutes to complete – from start to finish – bath, dry and finish trim. If you are not hitting these numbers, you probably are not ‘in the grooming groove.’

If you are not hitting these targets, it’s time to analyze the problem areas. Over 50% of the time, the time wasted is in the bathing and drying process. On a simple trim, like a one length all-over style that you do every 6 weeks, the breakdown looks something like this:

Pre bath prep: 5 minutes or less (overall observation, trim nails, clean ears)
Bath: 5-10 minutes (double shampoo plus skin conditioning treatment)
Towel Dry: 1-3 minutes
High Velocity Dry: 5-10 minutes
Finish Trim: 20-30 minutes

Grab that timer. Watch that clock – a BIG clock that is easy to see at ALL times. Time yourself. Identify areas where you could improve your productivity. No one can improve anything unless they know a starting point.

Make a game out of it. Use the provided time line as a basic guide. This guide will help you set up your time targets in each area. Break it down. Time yourself. With each procedure – try to consistently improve your best time while maintaining safety and quality. Build in a sense of urgency in what you do with every pet.

Don’t stop. Try as hard as you can to minimize interruptions. Interruptions are energy busters. Sometimes it’s difficult to get back into the flow of things. There is no better feeling than getting into the ‘grooming groove.’ Your days will fly by effortlessly.

Groomers and stylists that in the grooming groove, get great satisfaction out of their work days. Even the simplest trims look great. Groomers and pets are injury free. Clients are thrilled with the work. Happy clients translate into repeat customers. Repeat appointments equal a full grooming book for upcoming months and a successful salon, regardless of its size.

Happy Trimming!

Melissa

I’m just like most of you. My first business was a mobile van. I was extremely successful. Within less than a year I needed a second van. I needed someone to run that unit. I didn’t want it complicated. I just needed help. I figured the easiest route to go was to find the person who could groom and send him or her out in a second rig. I didn’t need to file all that mumbo-jumbo with the government. Heck, this person was going to run solo — it was the perfect situation for an independent contractor. After all, everybody else was doing it!

Fast forward three years. I now had four rigs. I had hired an accountant. My accountant suggested I hire a CPA to do my taxes. Throughout the years I knew in my heart I was running close to the wire with my independent contractors. My father had been harping on me. My accountant was concerned. My new CPA really set me straight using a very effective tactic — fear.

If you work with independent contractors within your grooming organization, do you really know the current tax laws? The IRS is very strict with its rulings concerning employees vs. independent contractors. Being naïve is no excuse. If you are ever caught, it will be the IRS that makes the ruling on whether you actually have an employee or an independent contractor.

There are a number of different ways to get caught. It might be an audit of your business or one of your workers files an unemployment claim, a disgruntled worker simply turns you in are a few of the common ways, but there are many more.

I know, I know. You can’t afford to hire employees. All those taxes you have to take out of the employee’s paycheck and all the taxes that you need to pay into the government both state and federal plus Social Security and Medicare for each employee. Whew – it’s a paperwork and budget nightmare.

But trust me, if you have your workers misclassified, you can’t afford not to have them as employees, if that’s what they truly are. The IRS has no qualms about coming in, slapping you with heavy fines and penalties equal to the amount of all the back taxes owed PLUS all the interest on those back taxes. The IRS may turn you in to your state government as well. In one single sweep, your business and your livelihood can be destroyed.

Shortly after I switched from independent contractors to employees I started hearing real life horror stories from within our own industry. One of my personal idols virtually lost everything due to incorrectly filing with the IRS. They lost their business, their home, their personal relationship – everything. They confirmed the fear that placed into me by my CPA years before. The IRS will – and can – destroy your life if you do not play by their rules. The stories that were shared much later only reaffirmed I had made the right decision years before.

So here’s the scoop. The laws are complex, subjective, and inconsistently applied, but knowing the rules can keep you and your workers safe. So here they are, in a nutshell:

Under United States common law, a worker is an employee if the person for whom he or she works has the right to direct and control the way he or she works, both as to the final result and as to the details of when, where, how, and in which sequence the work is to be done. It is the IRS’ view that the employer need not actually exercise control. It is sufficient that it has the right to do so.

Here’s a list of 20 questions the IRS uses to determine if a worker is an independent contractor or an employee. A ‘yes’ answer to any of the questions except #16 may indicate your worker is truly an employee. Take a look. Be honest with yourself — you can’t afford not to. (and yes did raise my grooming prices!)

IRS 20 Questions: Independent Contractor OR Employee
1. Is the worker required to comply with instructions about when, where and how the work is done?
2. Is the worker provided training that would enable him/her to perform a job in a particular method or manner?
3. Are the services provided by the worker an integral part of the business’ operations?
4. Must the services be rendered personally?
5. Does the business hire, supervise, or pay assistants to help the worker on the job?
6. Is there a continuing relationship between the worker and the person for whom the services are performed?
7. Does the recipient of the services set the work schedule?
8. Is the worker required to devote his/her full time to the person he/she performs services for?
9. Is the work performed at the place of business of the company or at specific places set by the company?
10. Does the recipient of the services direct the sequence in which the work must be done?
11. Are regular oral or written reports required to be submitted by the worker?
12. Is the method of payment hourly, weekly, monthly (as opposed to commission or by the job?)
13. Are business and/or traveling expenses reimbursed?
14. Does the company furnish tools and materials used by the worker?
15. Has the worker failed to invest in equipment or facilities used to provide the services?
16. Does the arrangement put the person in a position or realizing either a profit or loss on the work?
17. Does the worker perform services exclusively for the company rather than working for a number of companies at the same time?
18. Does the worker in fact make his/her services regularly available to the general public?
19. Is the worker subject to dismissal for reasons other than non-performance of the contract specifications?
20. Can the worker terminate his/her relationship without incurring a liability for failure to complete the job?

By Teresa Dreese, CMG

Having lived with a Soft Coated Wheaten for ten years made me confident that I can de-mat a dog. Leaving him in the longer show coat for competition meant that he would mat up almost instantly. I couldn’t cheat and cut the tangle out because scissors would leave a hole in the coat. I had to learn how to brush the matted fur without ruining the coat. Just like any other grooming technique, practice and patience are your keys to success. A little “elbow grease” will help too because nothing will make the mats just magically fall out.

You must ask yourself some questions before you de-mat such as:
• Will the dog tolerate being de-matted?
• Will the client pay for the de-matting?
• Is it safe to de-mat the coat?

As with people, some dogs have ZERO pain tolerance. Sometimes, you are better off taking the dog short and starting over. However, a dog that tolerates brushing is a good candidate for de-matting.

Make sure you ask the owner about de-matting options before you spend the extra time and effort. You’ll want to make sure the client agrees to the extra charges you SHOULD charge before you get started. Removing mats and tangles from a coat takes time. Some clients don’t mind paying extra to have Fluffy retain the look of a well groomed Bichon, while others can’t afford it and would prefer to have their pet shaved down.

Is it safe to de-mat the dog? If the dog is pelted or parts of the dog, such as the ears or tail are pelted, it would be better (and safer) to shave it. The general rule of thumb is, if water can penetrate the matted fur, you can probably save the coat. A clean coat will always brush out safer than a dirty coat. Bathe the pet first, letting the shampoo, conditioner, and high velocity dryer work their magic before you begin to brush out stubborn tangles. The more you can do prior to applying ‘elbow grease’ the less you will risk brush burning or cutting the dog – not to mention the repetitive injury you may develop by brushing out a dog for an hour or more.

So, you’ve answered “yes” to all the questions and you are going to de-mat the dog – now what? Make sure you use products and equipment to their fullest capacity and advantage. Add extra conditioner or de-mat spray to the mat before you dry the dog. The product will make the hair more slippery and easier to blow out. Use the high velocity dryer to break up mats. Attach the cone to the hose and wiggle the nozzle back and forth on the mat. You will be able to see those tangles loosen and break up. Keep your eye on the direction of the blown air and watch for matted areas. Stay focused! When you are ready to fluff the dog’s coat, you should only need minimal brushing to finish the de-matting process.

Once you have removed or loosened as much knotted coat as possible with the bathing and drying process, it’s time to apply the elbow grease. De-tangling a coat should never be a power struggle. The motion of the brush should be soft and light – the “pat/pull method.” For time and efficiency, my favorite brush for the job is a curved back slicker brush however, if you need to save every strand of hair in a show coat, a pin brush can also be used.

Here are some tips to make de-matting easier, for both you and the dog:
• Hold the mat between your thumb and index fingers. With a loose hold on your brush, start the pat/pull motion, developing a faster momentum over the mat. If you feel pain in your fingers, you are putting too much pressure on your brush.
• Double-check your work with a comb.
• Ears and tails: made sure you protect the ears and tails with your fingers so you don’t tear the ear or brush burn the skin.
• If you have a mat that is in a very sensitive area or are having difficulty brushing it out, put your comb between the mat and the skin and made a couple of cuts with thinning shears to break the mat up a little, then finish brushing it out. By doing this you will minimize cutting the coat and leaving a hole in the fur.

“There is a slew of de-matting tools on the market – which ones are the best?”

Yes, there are tons of tools available to assist with the de-matting process. I use them on occasion, but you should always remember that anything with a blade will cut the coat. There is also a safety factor – anything with a blade is a risk for cutting skin, if not used correctly. I prefer a mat rake with small blades used in the same way as a brush, but with a little slower motion so I don’t cut my fingers or the pet. You can loosen the mat up with a de-matting tool then finish it with your brush. Remember to always double check your work with a comb.

For more resources and helpful tips on brushing and de-matting, consider:
Notes From the Grooming Table – pages 48-49 and 60-61, plus the Bathing and Drying sections
Theory of Five – pages 15-19
Learn@GroomDogs.com (on-line streaming video lessons): Type “mats”, “bathing” or “brushing” into the search engine feature of the site to bring up videos that feature this subject.

Teresa Dreese, CMG is a graduate and Instructor at the Paragon School of Pet Grooming, where she currently works as the Director of Admissions.

Successful stylists see opportunities everywhere. Groomers that struggle, see roadblocks. Successful pet stylists focus on potential growth. Stressed groomers see frustration. Successful pet stylists perceive rich rewards in helping people and their pets. Struggling groomers focus on how soon their day is going to be over.

Successful people take responsibility for the results in their careers. They act on increasing their comprehension of the subject matter and mastering technical skills. They focus on what they want — they turn their dreams into goals.  They work hard to make those goals attainable.

Your personal field of focus will determine what you will find in life. Focus on opportunities and that’s what you’ll find.  Focus on obstacles and that’s all you’ll see.  The field of professional pet grooming is so full of opportunities — all you have to do is open your eyes.

At the root of being successful with any skill, is the quest to be curious.  Look, watch, listen, and research your subject matter.  When you are first learning how to groom dogs, your mind is like a sponge.  At the early stages of learning, we all soak up information to apply to the skill.  As time goes on, we get more proficient and we don’t soak up as much knowledge.  As your skills increase, your confidence will soar.  However, that does not mean you have all the answers nor will you have mastered every skill.  Stay curious.

Once you’ve mastered the basics, it’s time to really isolate and dissect individual techniques, breed profiles, products, structure and movement of all breeds, as well as overall efficiency.  The beauty of being a professional pet stylist is that learning never ends.  There are always new skills, new breeds, new products, new tools and techniques to master.

Being curious allows you to investigate areas of your current skill set and improve upon them.  Listed below are my personal favorite inspirations for professional growth:

• Grooming Shows & Lectures
• Private Clinics
• Video Demonstrations
• Dog Shows
• Books and Magazines

Advanced learning can open doors or opportunity you never dreamed could of, but learning takes effort.  Be inquisitive – be curious.  Strive to be all you can be as a professional pet groomer.