Dog grooming isn’t exactly a new concept. But Scenthound found a way to put a new spin on this existing niche. If you want to find out how the company has carved out its own spot in the growing pet industry, read on for this week’s Small Business Spotlight.
What the Business Does
Provides a full array of dog grooming services.
Founder and CEO Tim Vogel told Small Business Trends, “Scenthound is a dog care franchise that provides grooming services on a membership plan. Specializing in wellness and preventative care, we provide an inclusive grooming plan suitable for all breeds of dogs that takes care of their Skin, Coat, Ears, Nails, and Teeth (SCENT), with additional add-ons for a basic haircut and blow-dry as well.”
Business Niche
Focusing on wellness.
Vogel explains, “While most groomers focus on hair styles and aesthetics, we groom from a wellness perspective. We provide a simple, one-length haircut for dog breeds that need it, and the rest of our grooming services are centered around keeping your pup healthy and avoiding health concerns later down the line.”
How the Business Got Started
As a mobile business.
Vogel says, “I started my business as a mobile pet grooming business, and took a few twists and turns before perfecting the brand and launching Scenthound. I discovered that there was a problem with the grooming industry because it failed to reach dog breeds that do not require haircuts. And now that we have developed a service that is inclusive to all dogs, we are a pioneering concept in the industry.”
Biggest Win
Bringing in an important team member.
Vogel adds, “We recently hired a Director of Operations, who has completely taken me out of day-to-day operations for Scenthound. Finding the right person to take over certain aspects of the business is always a big win because it helps strengthen our team and allows me to prioritize certain parts of my job.”
Biggest Risk
Taking a unique approach to grooming.
Vogel says, “We started off as a grooming business that provided, like most others, different styles based on breed and preference. I decided to take a risk and implement only one type of haircut for all dogs, in order to focus less on the styling and more on the health aspect of dog grooming. We knew it would be risky because dog owners prefer certain cuts. But we ended up only losing 5% of our clientele. And it opened up the opportunity for us to become a pioneer in the grooming space by specializing in preventative care instead of haircuts.”
Lesson Learned
Rely on input from experts.
Vogel explains, “Something that I wish I would have done earlier is hire a business coach much sooner in my career to show me where my blind spots were.”
How They’d Spend an Extra $100,000
Hiring.
Vogel says, “When you are an entrepreneur, you have to wear a lot of hats. As you grow out of that startup stage, you can start to bring on people to take on roles so that you can prioritize your time differently. If I had that extra $100,000 I would definitely invest in a new employee and let them take over one of my hats.”
Company Mascot
The founder’s dog.
Vogel says, “Lucy, my dog, is our company muse. We are obviously all dog lovers at Scenthound. So we try to bring her into the office as much as possible – especially on discovery days where people are getting to know what our brand is all about. We are in the business of unconditional love and Lucy perfectly exemplifies that.”
Favorite Quote
“We have two lives, and the second begins when we realize we only have one.” ? Confucius
Vogel adds, “This quote is where most of our value system comes from. t’s important to be aware of the gifts that we have and never take this life for granted. Life is precious and we’ve only got one chance – let’s make it significant.”
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Image: Scenthound, Tim Vogel