In general terms, grooming is the art and practice of cleaning and maintaining parts of the body. It is an interesting field of discussion because it is so broad and diverse. Grooming can refer to animals and can also refer to humans. Generally, grooming is an all-year-round effort but becomes particularly crucial in summer. In summer, temperatures are mostly warm to hot. Plus, outdoor activity tends to spike to those temperatures. All in all, there are risks associated with the body, animal or human, that become of concern in summer. That is where summer grooming comes in; here are some summer grooming business ideas:
Pet Grooming Services
The generally high temperatures are conducive for pest and disease infestations. Couple that with the fact that pets will mostly be spending lots of time outdoors. This exposes them more to dirt, from which they can get in contact with pests or pathogens.
Pet grooming services can come in many forms. Think of it this way; let us consider dogs as an example. Dogs need to be regularly bathed and brushed – that is part of grooming. This also extends to other areas, such as nail and hair care. Typically all these are demanding processes that not everyone might have time for always.
Take brushing, for instance; it has to be done almost on a daily basis. Bathing also has to be equally regular too. Opening up a spot where you charge for these services can be a lucrative business in Zimbabwe. Alternatively, you can consider offering these services using a mobile approach. That can be an ingenious approach as you will get to attend to the pets in question in situ.
Men’s Grooming Services
Hair salons or barber shops can be quite profitable during summer. Personally, I get a haircut and my beard groomed every Saturday. As much as there can be things one can do alone, there is always a need for expert services. Men’s grooming services can be offered in situ, or you can try out the mobile option. The mobile option can entail you setting up a temporary shop at strategic spots.
For example, you can go set up at tertiary learning institutions on weekends. You could even move from neighbourhood to neighbourhood. Of course, you would need to maintain high hygiene standards to avoid pollution. The other mobile approach will be to do house calls; if well cultivated, this can bring in lots of money.
Retail Of Grooming Products And Accessories
This will depend on the niche you choose to focus on – pets or humans.
Pets
When it comes to pets, the most common one is the dog. Cats do come in here as well. There are many products that come in handy for pet grooming. Examples are shampoos, conditioners, dryers, and brushes, amongst others. Those offering pet grooming services would require such products. Even those doing their own pet grooming would need these products. This can also include veterinary products, e.g. preventative or mitigatory stuff.
Men
Another niche is to do retail for men’s grooming products. The core areas to look at are men’s skin and hair. By considering those two areas, you realize there are infinite products you can source and sell. You are looking at skin-care and hair-care products for men in particular. This spans from hair to beard and other areas with hair as well – basically head to toe. The accessories side includes a wide range of items for, e.g. trimming, clipping, or scrubbing the hair. Nowadays, you can even find 8-piece men’s grooming kits with all one will ever need to do men’s grooming.
Those are some of the summer grooming business ideas you can consider. Either you go for the pet side or the men’s side. Interestingly, most of the summer grooming aspects are similar on both sides. Dogs would need to be shaved, and so do men’s beards. On the men’s side, it is relatively easier to start a business in summer grooming. For pets (e.g. dogs), it will depend on your target market. Most people, especially in Zimbabwe, do not really value pet grooming. For example, many dog owners barely ever bathe their dogs, let alone trim their nails or shave them and the like. This means there is potential, but it requires some awareness campaigns to conscientise people.
