In this episode of the Dog Grooming Business Help & Support Podcast, Bill is joined by Alison Clark, owner of Doggy Styles, to talk about her journey from a career in IT to building a successful and growing pet grooming business.

What started as a way to find something for herself while balancing work and family life has grown into something much bigger. Alison shares how she discovered dog grooming, made the difficult decision to leave her secure IT career, and gradually built a business around the life she wanted.

When Alison joined the Pet Groomer Business Programme in November 2022, she was working from a small home-based salon, charging around £38–£40 for a Cockapoo and wondering whether she was really running a proper business.

Fast forward a few years, and things look very different. She's now charging a minimum of £70 for a Cockapoo, has moved into larger commercial premises, taken on and trained an apprentice who has become a valued member of staff, introduced cat grooming and expanded into training other groomers.

Bill and Alison discuss the challenges that have come with that growth, including overcoming pricing fears, managing the costs of a bigger salon, learning to delegate, and preparing for the possibility of VAT registration.

They also explore the mindset shifts that have helped Alison move forward, why the fear of putting prices up doesn't always disappear, and how having the right support and community can make difficult decisions feel more manageable.

With her annual turnover growing from £38,000 in 2022 to approaching £90,000, Alison's story is a reminder that you don't need to have everything figured out from the beginning. Sometimes, building the business you really want is about being brave enough to take the next step.

Whether you're just starting out, working from home, or thinking about expanding your grooming business, this episode offers an honest look at the opportunities, challenges and rewards of business growth.

A quick note: We apologise for the occasional audio issues in this episode. We hope they don't take away from what is a really useful conversation, and thank you for listening!

As always, I'd like to thank the podcast sponsor, Lopay, the low-cost payment platform that helps you keep more of the money you earn.

You can find out more and sign up for Lopay here:

https://merchant.lopay.app/ref/PETPASSION2500

Listeners of this podcast get £2500 of fee-free transactions.

And if you'd like support building a stronger, more profitable grooming business, visit:

https://petpassiontoprofit.com/

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave us a review and share it with someone who's considering taking the leap into self-employment. 🐾

A quick note: We apologise for the occasional audio issues in this episode. We hope they don't take away from what is a really useful conversation, and thank you for listening!

Thinking about starting your own dog grooming business, but worried it's too risky?

In this episode, Bill explores a question he recently received from a groomer who had been made redundant and was considering opening her own salon.

At 45, with grooming qualifications and a potential premises already in mind, she wanted to know whether she was mad to take the leap into self-employment.

But is having a job really as secure as we think? And is starting your own business necessarily the bigger risk?

Drawing on his own experience of leaving the police and becoming self-employed, Bill challenges the way we think about security, risk and the decisions that shape our working lives.

In this episode, Bill covers:

• Why employment isn't always as secure as it appears
• The difference between taking a calculated risk and simply gambling
• How to work out whether a grooming business could realistically replace your salary
• Why turnover and profit are two very different things
• The dangers of falling in love with the perfect premises before checking the numbers
• How starting smaller can help reduce financial risk
• The freedom and control that self-employment can offer
• Why the risk of doing nothing deserves just as much consideration

Bill also shares a simple example of how four dogs a day at £60 per groom could generate over £44,000 in annual turnover, and why that doesn't necessarily mean you're earning the equivalent of a £35,000 salary.

The message isn't to ignore the risks or rush into opening a salon. It's to understand the numbers, explore your options and make decisions based on facts rather than fear.

Because being self-employed doesn't guarantee success, but being employed doesn't guarantee security either.

If you're considering starting a grooming business, expanding into premises or making another big business decision, this episode will help you look at the risks from a different perspective.

As always, I'd like to thank the podcast sponsor, Lopay, the low-cost payment platform that helps you keep more of the money you earn.

You can find out more and sign up for Lopay here:

https://merchant.lopay.app/ref/PETPASSION2500

Listeners of this podcast get £2500 of fee-free transactions.

And if you'd like support building a stronger, more profitable grooming business, visit:

https://petpassiontoprofit.com/

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave us a review and share it with someone who's considering taking the leap into self-employment. 🐾

In this episode of the Dog Grooming Business Help & Support Podcast, Bill is joined by Kirsty Thorner from specialist pet business insurance brokers Brooks Braithwaite to tackle a subject that every groomer needs to understand: business insurance.

Insurance is something many of us take out and then forget about, assuming we're covered if something goes wrong. But as Bill and Kirsty discuss, the details of your policy can make all the difference when it comes to making a claim.

They explore the different types of insurance grooming businesses should consider, including public liability, employers' liability, professional indemnity, and the often-overlooked care, custody and control of animals cover.

Kirsty also explains why it's important to review your policy as your business grows, how to avoid being underinsured, what to do when a customer makes a claim, and why keeping accurate records and photographs can help protect your business.

Bill shares his own experience of claiming on business interruption insurance during COVID, highlighting just how complicated a claim can become when you don't fully understand your cover.

Kirsty also introduces a free, no-obligation insurance policy audit available to the Pet Passion To Profit community, helping groomers identify potential gaps in their existing cover.

Whether you work from home, run a salon, or operate a mobile grooming business, this episode is a reminder that having insurance isn't enough. You need to understand exactly what you're covered for.

Find out more about Brooks Braithwaite at www.brooksbraithwaite.com.

Complete your insurance audit here and quote the code PetPassionAudit

Disclaimer: This episode provides general information only and does not constitute legal, financial or individual insurance advice. Always check your own policy documents and speak to your insurer or broker about your specific circumstances.

A quick note: We apologise for the occasional audio issues in this episode. We hope they don't take away from what is a really useful conversation, and thank you for listening!

Do your accounts keep getting pushed to the bottom of the to-do list?

You sit down intending to sort them, then suddenly making a coffee, answering messages or even picking up dog poo seems much more appealing.

If that sounds familiar, this episode is for you.

Bill looks at why so many groomers feel overwhelmed by the financial side of running their business and why “do the accounts” is actually a much bigger and less helpful task than it sounds.

The longer receipts, invoices and bank statements are ignored, the more intimidating they become. But getting on top of your numbers doesn’t mean becoming an accountant or spending hours buried in spreadsheets.

It starts with looking.

In this episode, Bill covers:

• Why financial admin becomes more overwhelming the longer you avoid it

• How to break “do the accounts” into small, specific actions

• A simple five-minute money habit you can build into your working day

• The three things to Check, Capture and Act on

• Why understanding your numbers matters when making decisions about pricing and costs

• How small improvements can add up to meaningful changes over a month or year

• When it may be time to bring in professional bookkeeping or accounting support

The five-minute habit isn’t about completing all your bookkeeping every day. It’s about regularly checking in with your finances so you don’t lose sight of what’s happening in your business.

Just as you look after your scissors, clippers and other equipment, your numbers need regular attention too.

You don’t need to become an accountant. You just need to understand enough about your finances to run your business with your eyes open.

So instead of adding “sort finances” to another to-do list, choose one small action today. Give it five minutes, complete it, and stop.

Little and often is far less painful than panic once a year.

As always, I'd like to thank the podcast sponsor, Lopay, the low-cost payment platform that helps you keep more of the money you earn.

You can find out more and sign up for Lopay here:

https://merchant.lopay.app/ref/PETPASSION2500

Listeners of this podcast get £2500 of fee-free transactions.

And if you’d like support building a stronger, more profitable grooming business, visit:

https://petpassiontoprofit.com/

If you know another groomer who keeps putting off their accounts, share this episode with them. Five minutes might be all they need to get started. 🐾

A gap in your grooming diary doesn’t always mean you need another dog.

In this episode, Bill looks at a trap many groomers fall into: seeing an empty appointment and immediately thinking it needs to be filled.

But a full diary and a profitable diary are not the same thing.

You can be booked solid, working long hours and physically exhausted, yet still reach the end of the month wondering where all the money has gone.

So instead of simply chasing gaps, Bill explains why it can be far more useful to look at the diary you already have and ask whether it is actually working for you.

In this episode, Bill covers:

• Why being busy doesn’t necessarily mean your business is successful

• How underpriced or unsuitable appointments can affect your whole working day

• Why grooming more dogs isn’t always the answer to earning more

• The importance of looking at pricing, time, physical demand and client fit together

• How useful additional services can increase income without simply adding more dogs

• Why an empty space in the diary can sometimes be valuable breathing room

• A simple exercise to help you review an ordinary working day and identify where things could improve

The goal isn’t to build the fullest diary possible. It’s to build a grooming business that earns what it needs to earn without taking everything out of you.

So next time you spot a gap, don’t automatically rush to fill it.

Follow the money, not the gaps.

We’ve also created a short Lightning Lesson to help you carry out a simple one-day diary review. You can view that here.

Take our FREE Business health check here.

And if this episode has made you wonder how healthy the rest of your grooming business is, take our free Pet Groomer Business Health Check:

https://petpassiontoprofithq.com/business-health-check

As always, I'd like to thank the podcast sponsor, Lopay, the low-cost payment platform that helps you keep more of the money you earn.

You can find out more and sign up for Lopay here:

https://merchant.lopay.app/ref/PETPASSION2500

Listeners of this podcast get £2500 of fee-free transactions.

And if you’d like support building a stronger, more profitable grooming business, visit:

https://petpassiontoprofit.com/

If you found this episode useful, subscribe to the podcast and share it with another groomer who might need to stop chasing gaps and start looking at what their diary is really earning. 🐾

In this episode of the Pet Grooming Business Podcast, Bill talks about the important difference between having customers and building real client relationships.

Many groomers experience customers turning up late, cancelling last minute, ignoring messages, pushing boundaries or disappearing to another salon. But rather than simply blaming the customer, Bill asks an uncomfortable but powerful question: have you accidentally taught people not to take your business seriously?

This episode explores how the client journey starts long before the dog walks through the salon door. Bill explains why onboarding matters, how to create a better experience between enquiry and first appointment, and how simple touchpoints such as welcome messages, intake forms, reminders, meet and greets, preparation emails and clear expectations can help new customers feel informed, reassured and excited to come to you.

As always, we'd like to thank the podcast sponsor, Lopay, the low-cost payment platform that helps you keep more of the money you earn.

You can find out more and sign up for Lopay here:

https://merchant.lopay.app/ref/PETPASSION2500

Listeners of this podcast get £2500 of fee-free transactions.

Bill also talks about the importance of boundaries, why friendly and professional can absolutely go together, and how clearer systems help attract the right clients while gently filtering out the wrong ones.

If you want to stop constantly chasing new customers and start building a grooming business filled with clients who trust you, respect your boundaries, rebook and recommend you, this episode will help you look at your customer journey in a completely different way.

For this very special 200th episode of the Pet Grooming Business Podcast, Bill is joined by friend, Certified Money Coach and cognitive hypnotherapist Fanny Snaith.

Reaching 200 episodes is a huge milestone, and Bill reflects on where the podcast began, the impact it has had on groomers around the world, and why conversations like this continue to matter so much.

In this episode, Bill and Fanny explore the relationship groomers have with money, why so many business owners struggle to say how much they actually want to earn, and how “never enoughness” can quietly affect the way we think, spend, price and grow.

They discuss negative bias, money mindset, pricing assumptions, judging what clients can afford, the importance of mirroring success, and why managing your money is not just about spreadsheets and numbers. Fanny also shares more about her My Money Makeover programme and how it helps people take practical action with their finances while also changing the beliefs and behaviours sitting underneath.

This milestone episode is a reminder that money is not just about what comes into your business. It is about confidence, clarity, self-worth, the decisions you make, and the future you are willing to build.

Thank you for listening, supporting and being part of the journey to 200 episodes.

As always, we'd like to thank the podcast sponsor, Lopay, the low-cost payment platform that helps you keep more of the money you earn.

You can find out more and sign up for Lopay here:

https://merchant.lopay.app/ref/PETPASSION2500

Listeners of this podcast get £2500 of fee-free transactions.

In this episode of the Pet Grooming Business Podcast, Bill talks about something that is often overlooked in business but can make a huge difference to long-term success: celebrating your wins.

These wins are not always the big milestones, like hitting six figures or winning awards. Sometimes they are the everyday moments where you do something your old self would not have done, such as putting your prices up, launching something new, asking for support, backing yourself, or taking action even when it feels uncomfortable.

Bill shares real examples from inside the Pet Groomer Business Programme, including groomers exploring mentoring, breaking through financial targets, launching new training, increasing prices without apologising, achieving their biggest month yet, and using their business as an anchor through difficult times.

This episode is a reminder that confidence does not always come before action. Often, confidence is built because you take action first. Small wins, repeated over time, can create huge shifts in your business, your mindset and the way you see what is possible.

If you have been waiting for a big breakthrough, this episode will encourage you to look at the small wins already happening and recognise them as signs of real progress.

As always, we'd like to thank the podcast sponsor, Lopay, the low-cost payment platform that helps you keep more of the money you earn.

You can find out more and sign up for Lopay here:

https://merchant.lopay.app/ref/PETPASSION2500

Listeners of this podcast get £2500 of fee-free transactions.