Pet Grooming & Boarding

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Executive Summary

Happy Paws Grooming and Boarding is a pet grooming and boarding business serving dog and cat owners in our city and the nearby suburbs. We bathe, trim and groom pets, and we offer day care and overnight boarding in a clean, safe space. Pet owners treat their animals like family, and they worry when they leave them. Many groomers are booked for weeks, and some boarding places are noisy, crowded or hard to reach. We will win customers by being gentle, careful, clean and communicative, and by sending photos so owners know their pets are happy. Here is what our numbers show. We expect sales of about $107,400 in Year 1, growing to about $429,600 by Year 5 as we add groomers and boarding attendants and more regular customers. We expect losses of about $53,700 in Year 1 and $34,200 in Year 2 while we build our customer base, then a profit from Year 3 (about $17,200), growing to about $65,100 by Year 5. We need $127,500 in total. That covers $51,200 in startup costs (grooming and bathing equipment, kennels, a small build-out, opening supplies, permits, insurance and a sign) and a cash cushion of about three months of bills. I am putting in $14,000 of my own money, and I am asking for $113,500. The startup costs include a small build-out and a lease deposit for a storefront. I am Anthony Walker, the owner. These numbers are estimates based on the assumptions listed at the end of this plan, not promises.

Company Description

Happy Paws Grooming and Boarding will be a limited liability company (LLC) in Nevada, owned by Anthony Walker. We will work from a small storefront with a grooming room, a bathing area and a boarding room. What we believe. Treat every pet like our own, keep things clean and calm and keep owners informed. What we offer:
- Bathing, haircuts and nail trims for dogs and cats. - Full-service grooming for all coat types. - Day care and overnight boarding. - Add-ons: teeth brushing, de-shedding and flea treatments. - Regular grooming plans. Licenses and insurance. Pet businesses are regulated locally. Many cities and counties require a business license, zoning approval and a permit for boarding or kennels, and some states require inspections. Our county requires a kennel permit for overnight boarding, and the location must be zoned commercial. We require proof of vaccinations (such as rabies) for every pet, assess each pet's temperament, carry care, custody and control and general liability insurance and have an emergency plan with a nearby veterinarian. Where things stand today. I have worked as a groomer for four years, I own clippers and scissors, and I have looked at three small storefronts.

Problem & Opportunity

Pet owners near us want a groomer and boarding place they can trust. 1. Long waits. Many groomers are booked for weeks. 2. Stressed pets. Loud, crowded or rushed places upset animals. 3. Little communication. Owners rarely know how their pet is doing. 4. Hard to find boarding. Many places fill up quickly around holidays. How we know people want this. Fifteen regular clients follow me from my current salon, and a veterinarian said she would refer boarding clients.

Products & Services

What we sell. 1. Grooming appointments. A bath, trim and nail care. Our plan assumes an average of about $58 per appointment in Year 1, rising to about $66 by Year 5. Supplies and direct costs run about $14 per appointment. We expect about 1,200 appointments in Year 1 (about 24 a week), growing to about 4,283 a year by Year 5. 2. Boarding. Overnight stays and day care. Our plan assumes an average of about $42 per night in Year 1, rising to about $46. Food, laundry and supplies cost about $12 per night. We expect about 900 nights in Year 1, growing to about 3,194. Our prices. Small dog grooming from $45. Medium from $65. Large from $85. Overnight boarding $42. How it works for the customer:
1. An easy booking by phone or online, and a first-visit form with vaccine records. 2. A gentle welcome and a quick temperament check. 3. Careful grooming or a comfortable stay, with updates and photos. 4. A clean pet, a report card and a reminder for the next appointment. Gross margin, explained. "Gross margin" is the share of each sale left after paying for materials and direct job costs. Our plan shows about 74% in Year 1. That money pays the owner and crew, vehicle costs, insurance and other bills.

Market Analysis

Who will hire us:
- Dog and cat owners who want regular grooming. - Busy owners who need day care or boarding. - Owners of new puppies and senior pets who need extra care. - Rescue groups and shelters that need low-cost grooming. Where we will work. A storefront in a convenient location on the east side, near two neighborhoods and a dog park, with easy parking. Season. Grooming is steady all year, with extra demand in spring (shedding) and before holidays. Boarding peaks around holidays and school breaks. Our plan is careful on purpose. About 24 grooming appointments a week in Year 1 is a pace the owner and one groomer can handle well.

Competitive Landscape

Other choices customers have:
1. Other groomers and boarding places. Posh Pets (a made-up name) charges about $70 for a medium dog; known for good grooming, but booked three weeks out. 2. Large pet store chains with grooming. Convenient, but busy and less personal. 3. Mobile groomers. Convenient, but costly, and do not offer boarding. How we will win customers: gentle handling, a clean and calm space, regular updates and photos and reliable scheduling.

Marketing & Sales Strategy

How people will find us. - A free Google business listing with photos, and a simple website with online booking. - Asking every happy customer for a review and a referral. - Social media photos of freshly groomed pets, with owners' permission. - Relationships with veterinarians, trainers, shelters and pet stores. - Referral rewards and a regular grooming plan. Marketing budget. About $5,000 a year. The exterior sign, logo and website are paid for from startup costs.

Operations Plan

How the business runs day to day. Appointments and boarding. The owner and groomers work by appointment, with boarding and day care managed by an attendant. In Year 1 the owner works with one groomer or attendant, and we grow to four by Year 5. Each pet has a record with vaccines, notes and emergency contacts. Equipment. About $30,000 to start: grooming tables; bathing tub and lift; professional dryers and cage dryers; clippers, blades and scissors; kennels, runs and boarding areas; washer and dryer for linens; point-of-sale system and security cameras; water heater and plumbing hookups. We set aside about $3,000 to $4,000 a year for repairs and replacements. Upkeep. Tables, tubs and kennels cleaned and disinfected after each use, blades sharpened and replaced and dryers and equipment serviced regularly. Safety. Safe handling and restraint, no unsupervised pets on tables, safe water temperatures, careful drying, vaccine checks and a plan for emergencies with a nearby veterinarian. Running costs in Year 1: facility lease and utilities about $22,000, supplies and equipment about $8,000, marketing about $5,000. Scheduling and billing. An online booking and invoicing system, with customers paying by card at pickup.

Management & Organization

Who runs the business. Anthony Walker, owner. As owner I will groom, manage boarding, book customers, handle the shop and handle the money side of the business. I plan to pay myself $46,000 a year in salary in Year 1. Crew. Groomers and boarding attendants at about $32,000 a year each (or part-time pay): one in Year 1, two in Year 2, two in Year 3, three in Year 4 and four in Year 5. People who will help us: a bookkeeper or tax preparer, an insurance agent, and a free mentor from SCORE or the Small Business Development Center (SBDC). Elena Thompson serves as a key volunteer advisor.

Milestones Narrative

Our goals and when we plan to reach them. - Before starting: sign the lease, get permits and insurance, buy and install the equipment, and open for appointments. Target start: April 2027. - First year: complete about 1,200 grooming appointments and 900 nights of boarding, for about $107,400 in sales. - Year 2: add a second groomer or attendant, about $176,400 in sales, and a loss of about $34,200. - Years 3 to 5: grow to four groomers and boarding attendants and about $429,600 in sales by Year 5. Growth depends on hiring good people and winning the work, so treat the later years as goals, not promises. What we check every week: appointments, boarding nights, incidents, reviews, supply costs, and cash in the bank.

Funding Request

How much we need and how we will use it. Total needed: $127,500. This number comes from the Funding Need Calculator in this plan. It adds up: - Startup costs of $51,200, listed item by item in the Startup Costs section (about $30,000 for the tables, tub, dryers, clippers, kennels and systems, $10,000 for floors, drains and walls, $1,500 for opening shampoos and supplies, $700 for the business license and boarding permit, $2,500 for the first insurance payment, $700 for business setup and bookkeeping software, $2,500 for the exterior sign, logo and website, and $3,300 for the lease security deposit). - A cash cushion of about $76,300: the deepest cash dip in the early months plus about three months of bills, so slow weeks do not put the business at risk. Lenders call this "cash cushion." - Together that comes to about $127,500 (rounded up to the nearest $500), which is the total we are planning for. Where the money comes from: - My own money: $14,000. - Amount requested: $113,500. Kind of funding we are looking for: an SBA 7(a) loan through a local bank or community lender. How we will pay it back. We expect losses of about $53,700 in Year 1 and $34,200 in Year 2 while we build our customer base, then a profit from Year 3 (about $17,200), growing to about $65,100 by Year 5. With this funding, the business has money in the bank every year of the plan. The loan is planned at 12.75% interest over 10 years, the most the SBA allows for a loan this size, so payments of about $1,678 a month are already included in our cash flow. What we are offering the lender: our equipment and my personal guarantee A smaller first step, if needed. If we cannot raise the full amount right away, we can start smaller and grow into this plan: - Phase 1: start as a mobile groomer or in a home-based setup where local rules allow, with a few tools and a tub, while keeping your current job. Startup can be under $2,500. - Phase 2: once you have more customers than you can handle part-time, lease a small storefront and follow this plan. To plan the smaller start, make a copy of this plan (use Duplicate) and lower the numbers to match. All numbers in this plan are estimates. We will update them as real results come in.

Appendix Notes

Documents to attach before you send this plan:

- Your resume (one page is fine) and any licenses or certificates. - A personal financial statement (a list of what you own and what you owe; lenders usually provide a form). - Business registration papers and your EIN (your business tax number from the IRS, free at irs.gov). - Proof of insurance, or a quote. - Your lease or letter of intent, if you have one. - Quotes for the equipment and build-out. - Your menu or price list. - Photos of your product or past work, if you have them. - Your boarding permit or zoning approval, if required. If you don't have any of this yet, no worries - let's continue. The assumptions behind our numbers (change them in the Financials section to match your own):
- Grooming Appointments: about $58 per appointment in Year 1, rising to $66; about $14 per appointment in direct costs; about 1,200 appointments in Year 1, growing to 4,283. - Boarding (per night): about $42 per night in Year 1, rising to $46; about $12 per night in direct costs; about 900 nights in Year 1, growing to 3,194. - Owner salary: $46,000 a year. Crew: $32,000 a year each, from one in Year 1 to four in Year 5. - Other yearly costs in Year 1: facility lease and utilities about $22,000, supplies and equipment about $8,000, marketing about $5,000. - Tax rate: 21%. - Every dollar amount is an estimate. Replace them with your own quotes and research.

Startup Costs