Blog · 5 min read · September 29, 2026
How to Get Dog Grooming Clients When You're Just Starting Out
A new grooming business starts with nothing that Google or a customer can see. No reviews, no rankings, no referrals. The good news is that most groomers in your town have done very little, so basic work done well gets you noticed fast. Here is the order.
- Groomers only
- 7 grooming businesses, 198 pages built
- $297/month, cancel anytime
- 24 → 77 calls in a month, one client
Key takeaways
- Claim and finish your Google profile in week one. It is free and it is where clients look.
- Get the first ten reviews from real clients, asked at pickup. Never from friends who were not customers.
- A small site with a page per service beats a pretty one-page site.
- Tell the vets, the daycares and the pet stores. They get asked for a groomer every week.
Week one: claim your Google profile
Before a website, before a logo, before business cards. Search your business name on Google and claim the profile. Set the main category to grooming. List your services by name. Set your hours. If you are mobile, hide the address and set your service areas. Add photos of dogs you have groomed, with the owner's OK. This is an afternoon, and it is where your first clients will find you. What to check on it.
Earn the first ten reviews honestly
A profile with no reviews looks like a business that might not exist. Ten changes that. Get them from real clients, asked at pickup, the same sentence every time: “If you are happy with how she looks, a quick Google review really helps a new business. I will text you the link.” Then text the link.
Do not do this
Do not ask friends or family who were never customers. Do not offer anything for a review. Both break Google's rules, and a removed batch can take real reviews with it. A new profile is watched closely.
A small site with a page per service
You do not need a big website. You need the right pages. One for each service you offer, with what it involves, who it suits, and a price range. One for each town you serve, if you are mobile. A phone number that is one tap. Real photos of your work, even if there are only six so far. That beats a beautiful one-page site every time, because it gives Google something to match. What a grooming site needs.
Tell the businesses that get asked for a groomer
Vets, daycares, boarding kennels, pet stores and trainers all get asked “do you know a good groomer?” every week. Go in person. Bring cards. Offer to groom the vet's own dog. Ask what their clients need that nobody nearby does well. This works from day one and costs nothing.
A first-groom offer that does not cheapen you
A small welcome discount is fine. A half-price groom is not. It fills your book with people who leave when the price goes up. Better: a free nail trim or a free teeth brush with the first full groom. It costs you ten minutes and it does not teach anyone that you are cheap.
Rebook every single client
A grooming client who comes back every six weeks is worth many visits. The first one is the hardest to get. So do not let them leave without the next one booked. “Same time in six weeks?” at every pickup. A new groomer who rebooks everyone has a full book by month four with far fewer new clients than one who does not.
Ask for the referral
Every happy client knows other dog owners. A card at pickup, one reward, both sides. “Bring a friend, you both get a free nail trim.” More referral ideas.
What to skip
- Buying leads. They are sold to several groomers at once. You race on price with people who got the same call.
- Adding keywords to your business name on Google. Against the rules, and new profiles get suspended for it.
- A blog schedule. Nobody is searching for your posts yet. Write service pages instead.
- Spending on ads before the profile and site are done. Ads send people to look at you. Give them something to find.
When to spend money
Once the profile is finished and you have a few reviews, a small social ad in your town with a real photo of your work gets the first strangers in the door while the search work catches up. When Facebook and Instagram ads work. And once you are too busy grooming to build service and town pages in the evenings, that is when a service like ours pays for itself. Not before.
FAQ
Common questions
How do new dog groomers get their first clients?
Claim and finish the Google profile, ask every early client for a review at pickup, build a small site with a page per service, and tell the vets, daycares and pet stores in person. Then rebook everyone. Most of this is free.
How long does it take to build a dog grooming client base?
Most groomers who rebook everyone and ask for reviews from day one have a steady book within a few months. The profile shows results in weeks. Website pages take a few months to rank. Referrals build on top of both.
Should a new groomer offer discounts to get clients?
A small welcome offer is fine. A deep discount fills your book with people who leave when the price goes up. A free add-on with the first full groom, like a nail trim, works better and does not teach anyone you are cheap.
Can I get grooming clients without a website?
You can get the first ones from your Google profile alone. You cannot show up in the list of websites, or in towns beyond the map's reach, without pages. Start with the profile. Add the site as soon as you can.
