Small Business advice- Mobile Pet Grooming

Hi there,

I have gone down the route exploring a mobile pet grooming franchise. Bottom line is that I think it's a business that holds water these days without any big players dominating the space. After passing on the franchise option, I am contemplating outfitting a couple of trucks and jumping in headfirst to build a brand locally. Goal would be to scale it up once I have a good grasp of it. I have no experience in this industry, but plan to dig in and sort it out (no offense to current groomers- I know this is a bit naive). I have an 18 year, executive marketing operations background in the entertainment and hospitality industries with a solid service education that will help me get started putting the pieces together.

If you have gone into this space, or you are well versed in small biz in general, what are some things that I might not be thinking of, that I should be prepared for. Give me the tough stuff!

Some questions bouncing around in my head as I get started....

- Is an LLC or an S-Corp better for this biz type? (understand this may come down to personal situation)

- I'd imagine staffing groomers in this space is very difficult. Any lessons learned on finding and keeping solid groomers?

- Van outfitting - resources/lessons learned

- Payroll, accounting and online booking appt booking solutions?

- Best 1st steps to think about when getting started

- As an owner who plans to manage the biz, not necessarily groom, is it wise to still take a grooming course just to get closer to the business, also give myself the ability to fill in during call outs etc.

Thanks in advance!