Written By Emily Ure

Opening your grooming salon is an exciting journey, but where do you start? Creating a professional space that balances functionality, style, and profitability requires careful planning. This comprehensive guide will help you identify the essentials, share professional insights, and set you on the path to success.

Step 1: Invest in the Basics

Every grooming salon needs a core set of equipment to provide efficient, safe, and high-quality services. These items are not just tools—they’re investments in your business.

Tubs

When selecting a grooming tub, consider functionality, durability, and accessibility. Stainless steel tubs are a favorite in the industry because they resist rust and are easy to clean. Look for features like:

• Efficient Size: If you are planning on grooming breeds of all sizes, it makes sense to invest in a tub large enough to accommodate the largest dogs, but also a tub that can adapt for smaller dogs. For instance, a tub with a drop-in tray can be used to elevate a little dog in the tub, reducing strain on your back! Just remove the tray when it’s time to do the big guys!

• Built-in ramps or stairs for large or senior dogs. Any time a dog can self-load means a safer experience for them and less strain on you, the groomer. Some tubs raise up and down but be aware that this can cause additional plumbing issues, as moving parts can mean leaky pipe joints. It would be better to plan for one large all-purpose tub that can accommodate every dog and one that doesn’t require any power or additional site accommodation.

• Easy clean surfaces save time and effort, allowing groomers to focus more on their clients. Non-porous, smooth materials prevent grime buildup and make disinfecting faster. Stainless steel is the ultimate in easy-clean.

Tables

Your grooming table is the centerpiece of every session. Hydraulic and electric lift tables allow you to adjust heights, improving comfort for both groomers and pets. Here’s what to prioritize: (Again, consider the size of your client dogs.)

• The highs and lows: Check the maximum and minimum height when you you’re looking at how a table adjusts. Measure yourself at about your waist or bellybutton. Typically, you won’t need a tabletop to raise any higher than this. Similarly, the low-end adjustment is the height for the comfort of the dogs loading onto the table. Especially for big dogs, or senior pets, they need to be able to comfortably and safely load onto the table, then be safely raised up. If you groom senior pets of larger breeds that can’t be lifted, select a table that lowers below 12” so that the dog can easily step up onto the tabletop.

• Stability: Again, considering the size of your clients, select a tabletop size that can accommodate the larger dogs’ length and weight.

Other items to consider:

• Surface texture: Non-slip surfaces are essential for pet safety. 

• Ease of cleaning: Look for materials that are water-resistant and disinfectant safe. 

Industry Insight: Electric lift tables might be more expensive initially, but they save significant time and effort, especially for busy salons handling large dogs.

Dryers

Drying is one of the most time-consuming steps in the dog grooming process. A high-quality dryer can drastically improve efficiency. Consider these factors:

• Variable speed and heat controls to cater to different coat types. If you can only afford to get one dryer to start, shop for something that can do it all. A variable speed switch on your high velocity dryer ensures that you can blow the sensitive areas like faces and ears as well as efficiently blow out dense heavy coats. If a dryer simply has an ON / OFF mode, you cannot adjust the airspeed to accommodate different coat types or sensitive areas.

• Noise levels: Mounting the dryer on the wall can move the noisy motor away from both of your ears. And hearing protection is a simple way to reduce stress for you both too.

 Pro-Tip: An inexpensive way to protect dogs’ hearing is to add a Happy Hoodie to their routine. Their ears will be protected, and the fabric will absorb moisture. Without the stressful air in their ears, they will behave better too, so even MORE time and energy saved!

• If you can only get one: Try a model built to last, that’s also very versatile, like the Groomer Essentials Force Dryer, praised for its adaptability and reliability.

• Stand-Dryer Hack: If you can’t initially afford a stand dryer, (they are easily the costliest dryer) use your human hair dryer from home added to the Groomer Essentials Hose Holder. This will give you the heat you need to stretch-dry curls and properly prep your curly coats with minimal investment. Hose holders are praised for their ability to hold any dryer and act as a “third hand” in busy shops!

• If you want to invest: The K9 Dryers by Electric Cleaner Company are a wonderful long-term investment for your salon. With proper maintenance, they will easily last your entire career. The K9 II 2-Speed Model is easily the most popular model. It is reliable and absolutely worth the price especially if you do lots of large dogs or double coated blowouts. A variable speed K9 III model will become a workhorse for you, doing everything the 2-Speed model will do, with the added feature of being able to turn the variable speed way down, and remove the concentrator nozzle, you’ll be able to dry the smallest most sensitive pets, as well.

• Cage Drying is an option for busy salons that choose to let pets rest in a crate and dry using a blower that attaches to the door of the cage. This can be a useful option for drying drop-coated breeds or senior dogs who can’t stand for a typical drying session. Keep in mind that unless your workflow leaves you with multiple wet dogs in cages, waiting to be dried, you may not need a cage dryer until you ramp up your clients and have multiple groomers. Many groomers prefer to prep each coat as it is cleaned as it makes for a better finish. If you have client dogs that need to cage-dry, the X-Power X-430 Model is a great place to start.

Step 2: Stock Your Retail and Waiting Area

Your waiting area is prime real estate for generating additional revenue. Creating a comfortable, professional setting enhances the client experience while introducing them to products that benefit their pets. If you have “empty real estate” in your reception and waiting area, consider maximizing this space as a chance to sell retail items to pet owners. Think about it this way, you have built in pet-lovers coming in on a monthly basis, they already trust your opinion as a professional, so adding your recommended retail items gives them a chance to spend even more with you each time they visit.

Retail Setup: Unused counters, walls, or shelves can transform into profitable retail displays. Grooming salons that introduce retail earn an average of 10–20% more revenue annually, according to Groomer to Groomer Magazine.

Key Products to Offer:

• Brushes and combs tailored to different coat types. 

• High-quality shampoos, conditioners, and detangling sprays. 

• Seasonal items, like paw balms for winter or flea treatments in spring. 

• Offering other items, be it breed-specific merch, cute pet accessories, or yummy treats gives clients a fun way to spoil their pets. *Keep in mind, offering things they can’t easily find in big-box stores will ensure they come to you for the most special items.

How are you going to display your items for sale? To keep your lobby from looking like a dog-themed yard sale, it’s best to have a plan for what racks or fixtures you’ll use. Love Groomers has a whole section on our website for Retail. Some items will need to be tagged, while some are more turnkey. For example, the Groomer Essentials items come prepackaged and ready-to-hang on a peg hook or rack. Many brands will offer countertop displays or “starter-package” retail displays to help you get started selling their product, be sure to inquire about these when talking to brands you’re interested in.

Tips for Success:

• Offer to educate clients on the benefits of the products you offer. Taking a moment to show them how to properly brush out their dog using a brush you sell WILL NOT turn them into a groomer and cause a loss of business, it will only solidify your expertise in their mind, and when they go home and try to tackle Fluffy themselves, they’ll only appreciate you more!

Creating a Comfortable Waiting Area

A well-designed waiting area can make clients feel welcome and build trust in your business.

• Seating: Be aware that if you provide seating, they will sit! Depending upon your client policies, if customers are only supposed to enter the salon when you call them for pickup, then you don’t want to create a cozy waiting area – that sends mixed-messages. If you do provide seating, don’t be surprised when they come 15 minutes early to “just wait” while you try to wrestle through the rest of Fido’s groom!

• Visual Appeal: Instead, create plenty to look at with your professional branding and signage. Show off your certifications and promote yourself as a professional. Use pictures of well-groomed purebred dogs, if that’s your ideal client or feature a wall of much-loved rescue pets, if that’s your thing! Even if you don’t have professional photos of your own portfolio, you can easily find prints of show dogs that exude the professional image you’re trying to put-forth.

• Display Portfolio: Show before-and-after images or testimonials to highlight your expertise. Collect photos of your cutest finished grooms and use those to decorate your salon. Your human clients will love that their dog is “famous!”

Visualizing Success

An ideal grooming salon layout maximizes space efficiency while prioritizing safety and comfort. Imagine a layout where tubs, tables, and dryers are arranged in a U-shape workflow for easy transitions. On the periphery, well-stocked retail shelves and a cozy waiting area create a seamless experience for clients.

Final Thoughts

Opening a grooming salon is a rewarding challenge that requires attention to detail, smart investments, and a focus on client needs. By prioritizing quality equipment, creating additional revenue streams, and offering a welcoming atmosphere, you’ll set yourself up for success.

For more tips and to find top tier grooming equipment and supplies, visit Love Groomers. If you’d like a professional consultation regarding your salon design, please reach out to me, eure@lovegroomers.com. We can schedule a call. I’d love to help you build the salon of your dreams!