Hi everyone, I'm Kate the owner of a one-to-one dog grooming salon based in Birmingham. I'm a fully qualified, insured and first aid trained dog groomer with a real passion for helping dogs look and feel their best. Building my own grooming business has been the most exciting journey, with plenty of lessons challenges and achievements along the way.

Through my own experience, I understand that becoming a dog groomer and running a successful business involves so much more than grooming skills alone. There's pricing, marketing, customer service, finances, tax, time management and all the behind the scenes tasks that can sometimes feel overwhelming. I believe that some dog grooming businesses fail in their first year due to be unprepared for what the role fully entails. When I qualified and prepared for my first customer, after a sleepless night in my own salon I felt like I did when I first passed my driving test. I had the certificate, I had demonstrated I could drive the car, but it wasn't until I was in the driving seat, on my own that I started to learn to drive, it felt the same becoming a dog groomer. I knew I could groom a dog, I had the qualifications to prove it however as my journey begun, so did the real learning.

Speaking with fellow groomers and researching the industry I found that what I needed in those early days, weeks and months didn't actually exist and that's why I created this guide.

A practical, knowledge sharing, informative guide to give helpful advice and ideas that can make the journey easier for other groomers, whether you're just starting out, already running a salon or looking for ways to grow your business, I know this will help.

My aim is to help other groomers feel more confident, organised and empowered to build a business that works for them, rather than feeling like I did, stressed, unsure and overwhelmed.

I wish this had been available when I qualified, that's for sure. Thank you for being here and supporting my little corner of the grooming world, that feels so huge at times. I truly hope this guide gives you the confidence, inspiration and practical tools to take your own grooming journey to the next level