Most Frequently Asked Questions & Answers
Q.
Were will I get practice dogs?
A. Your dogs,
your friends dogs, etc. You can also put flyers up and put ads
in newspapers, little buy, sell and swap type papers. In the
classified section state something like “Groomer in training needs
different dogs to perfect skills”. You might even charge $5 or $10 for
the soap, electricity and the ad itself.
Q.
If I were to enroll in your pet grooming course, upon competition you
are given a certificate. Is this certificate good or may I say honored
in Colorado?
A. Yes, nation
wide.
Q.
Does your course include tips, etc on teeth brushing?
A. No, that is now considered a medical issue, best left to a vet.
Q.
How much of the course is dedicated to cat grooming?
A. One chapter and section of videotape.
Q.
Do you suggest students practice on different breeds for free or a
reduced fee?
A. That is up to the students.
Q.
Do fees vary much from state to state, city to city or are they
standard enough that you could give me an idea of what I would charge?
A. I give you information on how to analyze what to charge. It
is against the law to charge the same prices all over.... it's called
price fixing.
Q.
Do you provide information on additional services I could offer
like dips, treating rashes, etc?
A. Yes, I do.
Q.
Are there other services that I should consider offering beyond the
actual grooming process?
A. You may consider pick up & delivery of the animals, or
mobile grooming, or Pet sitting.
Q.
Is there a time limit to finish the course?
A. No. Since the time
to finish the course varies. The course shouldn't take you
more than 300 hours. The soonest I have had students complete the
course is six weeks. Some in Six months, the average is twelve to
sixteen weeks. Some people are more comfortable taking it slowly.
Q.
Are you licensed by the state for your
school?
A.
The state of South Dakota does not license trade schools of any
kind. I am licensed through the state as a business.
Q.
What if I can't find certain breeds to groom?
This is usually not a
problem. But in some cases a person my have a hard time finding a
certain breed. In that case they substitute a mixed breed for that
test.
Q.
Will I have enough training to work for
someone else or to open my own business?
A. Yes. But remember when you work for some one
else you are building clientele. The problem there is that you are
building clientele them, when you should be building clientele for
yourself. If you leave the shop the clients will most likely keep
going back to that shop. So it really is a go nowhere situation.
Unless you have little ambition, then I guess that would be the easy
way.
Q.
What kind of licenses and permits are required to open a grooming
business?
A. Only a
business license may be required in most cases! It depends on the area
you are working out of...... Out of the city limits, usually requires
no business permits, or anything of that nature. I am not aware of any
state requiring a special permit for groomers. If you are going to
groom out of your home you must find out from the planning dept. (in
most cases) if you can groom in your particular neighborhood. Usually
there are no, or little fees for these permits.
Q.
Upon completion of your course, what is listed on the Certificate of
Completion (i.e. name of school, type of groomer, etc.)?
A. Be It Known, The
Undersigned Has Successfully Completed Grooming Basics and Beyond
Therefore Achieving, A Higher Level Of Learning And Acquiring Advanced
Skills In All Breed Pet Grooming And Is Hereby Awarded This
Certificate Which Attests To Their Achievement. School name, Students
name, and Date.
Q.
Is a certificate of graduation sufficient enough to work at a pet
shop, animal clinic or open your own business. I live in the State of
Florida. Do you know if a certificate of completion from a
correspondence course is adequate for opening a business in this
state?
A. Yes, to all
the above. For any state I would suggest you check with your county
planners office
since laws and guide lines can and do
change.
Q.
I have been told from other grooming schools that you must be a master
groomer in order to open up your own business. Is this true and does
your course teach master grooming techniques & state anything on the
certificate of completion about being a master groomer.
A. No, although becoming
a Master Groomer is a plus it is not required in any state that I am
aware of. My course
teaches grooming for as a career.
Q.
According to your course outline, your school is a private training
institution under the Private Post-Secondary Education of South
Dakota. How is it approved for university credit at Summit University
of Louisiana which is a totally different state? Please explain.
A.
SD does not regulate
Private Post-Secondary for career training.
The Summit University Of Louisiana is a distance learning school.
Q.
Since you are not physically with a student while grooming, how are
you able to grade a student if you can not see what he/she is doing?
A. Throughout the course I require
before and after pictures and detailed written explanations!
Q.
I believe you can
make money at this. But you have not mentioned the cost of equipment.
If you work out of your, home it would cost a great deal to set it. If
you work for a business; you will need at least $500 in equipment to
start.
A. Going into any business is not
cheap. But grooming is one of the most inexpensive businesses you can
start. Sure you can work for someone else for the minimum expense for
the equipment. You also will make at least 50% less in income. You can
start a small grooming setup out of your home for as little as
$1,000.00. Then add things you need. I think the total setup for me
was about $3,500.00.
I started out my laundry room, and spent about $800.00. That
was in 1987 I bought
crates at yard sales, and made my own table. Then I added a couple
hundred more into it. Four months later I rented a place in town, used
my credit card to the maximum, $2,500.00. I was able to do a lot with
that. I bought a use tub for $25.00. Made my own curtains, put tile
down myself, my husband did the plumping, and made my sign, etc. This
also included the cost of business cards, and advertising.
Q.
How does your course differ from traditional grooming schools?
A. My course is different from a
traditional grooming school in a few ways. One being you do not have
to finish in a given amount of time, you learn at your own pace, and
when you are comfortable with it you can go on to the next lesson.
You have lifetime support with my program.
Q.
Is there a waiting period after I finish the course before I can start
my own business?
A. No, After
completing the course you would be able to start your own business
right away.
Q.
Do you have to
have a high school diploma to take your course, and is your course
hard to follow?
A. No, you do not
need a high school diploma for this course. It is a good course, I
have put years of thought into creating something this simple to
understand and to also be so thorough.
Q.
How many hours will I need to put into this course before I can get a
certificate?
A. A total of up to 300 hours on the average. This
includes the amount of time you will watch the video over again, your
reading, your written tests, and your hand on grooming tests.
Q.
Do you have to groom cats to receive the certificate?
A. No!
Q.
Do have to do hands on grooming to receive a certificate of
completion?
A. Yes,
absolutely!
Q.
If I enroll in your grooming program on the installment plan do you
send the course after the three months of payments or do you send it
out after the first check clears?
A. I send the complete course out as soon as the
check clears. If you are going to mail an enroll application in I
suggest a money order for your first installment...that way there's no
waiting time!
Q.
What breeds do the videos cover?
A. Airedale, American Eskimo, Chinese Shar-pei,
Cocker Spaniel(s), Golden Lab, Pomeranian, Poodle(s), Rottweiler,
Schipperke, Schnauzer, Scottish Terrier , Shetland Sheepdog, Shih Tzu,
Siberian Husky, Tibetan, Lhasa Apso, West Highland Terrier, Wire Fox
Terrier, Yorkshire Terrier, Maltese, Samoyed, and many mixed breeds.
The manual covers all breeds! After taking this course you should be
able to any breed.
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