Happy Friday DGs!

Fall is here. I better see all the Halloween pup costumes shared in our private Facebook community.

We planned to dress up our intern Daisy as “Daisy Duke” from the Dukes of Hazard but she outgrew her costume in a matter of weeks….

We may have missed the mark here cause she looks like a scarecrow or maybe she had a long day tillin’ the land. 🚜🌾

Back to the drawing board.

Anyways, we have good stuff to share!

If you missed our pricing workshop with Chris from Ruff Life Mobile Grooming, you’re probably kicking yourself right about now.

Unless Zoom kicked you out - that’s on us!

No worries—we’ve got you covered with a quick rundown of all the juicy details he shared, including his stance on “pricing what you’re worth” to allow you to do more in your business.

Let me catch you up…

We had a ton of groomers sign up for this workshop—so many that we ended up crashing Zoom (🤯 who knew groomers were so into pricing?!). Anyway, it was one of the most jam-packed sessions yet, and Chris did not disappoint.

Many of you all asked…….soooo the recording, slides and a summary guide are live! (read to the end to get the goods!)

Here’s the scoop on what you may have missed…

1. Why Pricing is the Foundation of Everything

Chris kicked things off by talking about the importance of pricing from day one. We’re talking about knowing your worth and not being afraid to charge what you deserve. He stressed that if you’re priced too low, you’ll be overwhelmed and underpaid—no thanks!

His mantra?

“If you charge more, you’re able to do more.”

More profits. More capacity. More ability to scale without losing your sanity.

2. Simplify That Pricing, Baby

Chris broke it down for us: your pricing structure should be as simple as possible. Don’t overcomplicate it by trying to price based on breeds. Instead, do what he does—use a weight and coat-length-based system. He’s got categories for short, long, curly, and double-coated dogs, which makes quoting super easy.

3. Time to Raise Your Prices? Here’s When You Should.

If you’re booked out for weeks, it’s time for a price hike. Chris shared his supply and demand model, which basically boils down to this: when demand is higher than supply, raise your prices. It’s that simple.

Oh, and don’t freak out about losing a few clients when you do this. Chris said that every time he raises prices, about 10% of clients leave—but they’re quickly replaced by new, higher-paying clients. So, you’re working less, but still making the same (or more) money. Genius, right?

4. Plan Price Raises Like a Pro

Chris is all about locking in his regular clients at current rates before a price increase. He keeps things super transparent, communicating price changes well in advance. For new clients, though? They’ll pay the higher price right away. No surprises!

And here’s his secret move: he checks his groomers’ schedules like a hawk. If they’re fully booked for weeks, it’s time for a price bump.

5. Handling Price Pushback Like a Boss

Chris gets it—some clients might not love a price hike. But here’s the thing: value > cost. The clients who truly appreciate the value you bring won’t mind the price tag. And if they do? Let them go. There will always be clients willing to pay for quality.

His advice? Be confident, communicate the value of your service, and don’t be afraid to walk away from clients who don’t see it.

6. Extras, Extras, Read All About ‘Em!

Let’s talk about boosting your revenue with extras and surcharges. Chris has mastered this:

• He adds a $15 service charge to cover rising costs (like gas, supplies, etc.). His groomers don’t get commission on this. It goes straight to the business to free things up!

• First-time client discounts help get new clients in the door (so you can wow them).

• Out-of-area and last-minute bookings? He charges extra for those too. Because, hello, convenience comes at a price!

Final Thoughts: Are You Undervaluing Yourself?

After hearing Chris talk, one thing is crystal clear: most of us are undercharging for the value we bring.

Just reading this newsletter will hopefully force you to look in the mirror and think about your pricing, your business and what you could possibly do better in the new year.

If you really want to go deep on this topic and take your pricing game to the next level, we’re giving you exclusive access to everything from the workshop!

• Pricing Workshop Recording

• Pricing Workshop Presentation Slides

• Pricing Workshop Guide and Q&A

Hope you enjoy all the stories and examples dropped on us. 💥 Make sure to implement some of these strategies, and watch your business thrive.

Keep calm and groom on,

Alex

✋The Groomer’s Toolkit

📚 Read - Walmart is expanding their pet offering which includes opening five more pet services centers over the next month. Yes this includes grooming! Curious to see how this affects the competition for hiring groomers. Read more about the press release here.

📺 Watch - Yeah so about this pricing workshop… The team worked hard to get the recoding live. If you missed it make sure you watch it here on The Daily Groomer YouTube page. (I recommend watching it on .75 speed because Chris talks fast and drops so many great tips! 😂😂)

🎧 Listen - This week we had privilege of speaking with Alicia Divito, owner of Tidy Tails to Go where she shared her journey from Hawaii to running a thriving mobile business in Connecticut. See how grooming helps her focus on self-care and mindfulness around managing anxiety in the latest episode of The Daily Groomer Podcast.

That’s all folks! Keep calm and groom on 🐶🤘