5 things every pet groomer should consider this spring

Spring is here! And for pet groomers, that can mean more bookings, more shedding, more muddy paws and a whole lot more fur flying around the salon.

As pet owners get their dogs and cats ready for the warmer months, it’s also a good opportunity for grooming businesses to give themselves a little spring clean.

From your equipment and workplace safety to the way your business is insured, here are five things worth checking this spring.

1. Is your equipment ready for the spring rush?

Clippers, dryers, grooming tables, hydrobaths and other equipment are at the heart of a grooming business. And when appointments start stacking up, equipment failure can quickly become more than an inconvenience.

Before your busiest periods arrive, take some time to check your equipment, organise servicing where needed and review what it would cost to repair or replace your essential tools.

It’s also worth checking whether the value of your equipment has changed since you last reviewed your business insurance. Business.gov.au recommends reviewing insurance when a business buys or sells equipment or when other aspects of the business change.

Spring check: If one of your most important pieces of equipment stopped working tomorrow, how quickly could you get back to business?

2. More bookings can mean more opportunities for things to go wrong

A busy salon is a good problem to have – until wet floors, leads, excited animals, customers coming and going and a packed appointment schedule all collide.

Something as simple as a customer slipping in your salon or accidental damage to someone else’s property could potentially become a costly problem.

That’s where Public Liability insurance becomes particularly important. Public Liability can help protect a business where its negligence results in someone being injured or their property being damaged.

Spring is a good reminder to look around your salon with fresh eyes. Are walkways clear? Are wet areas managed properly? Are staff following the same safety procedures?

Sometimes the smallest changes can help prevent the biggest headaches.

3. Have you changed anything in your business?

Think back to last spring. Is your grooming business exactly the same today?

Maybe you’ve hired another groomer. Perhaps you’ve invested in new equipment, started offering additional services, moved premises or increased the number of pets you see each week.

Your business can evolve surprisingly quickly, but your insurance doesn’t automatically know that.

Australian Government business guidance recommends reviewing insurance whenever significant aspects of a business change, including employee numbers, premises, equipment, services or business practices.

Spring check: Compare your business today with the business you originally insured. If they look noticeably different, your cover may deserve another look too.

4. Don’t forget about the humans behind the grooming table

Grooming is physical work. There’s lifting, bending, standing, handling animals and working with electrical equipment and sharp grooming tools – often repeatedly throughout the day.

If you employ staff, workplace safety and workers compensation should be part of your risk planning. Australian businesses are required to manage workplace health and safety risks, while workers compensation requirements vary between states and territories.

Spring is a great time to revisit staff procedures, equipment handling and workplace risks – particularly if you’re bringing in new or casual staff to handle increased demand.

After all, protecting a grooming business isn’t only about protecting the pets. It’s about protecting the people caring for them, too.

5. Give your insurance its own spring clean

Insurance is often something businesses organise, file away and don’t think about again until renewal, or until something goes wrong.

But as your grooming business changes, the risks you face can change with it.

Depending on the business, relevant protection could include cover for business equipment and property, public liability, business interruption, theft and workers compensation.

The important question isn’t simply:

“Do I have business insurance?”

It’s:

“Does my insurance still reflect the grooming business I run today?”

Give your grooming business a spring clean, too

Your customers trust you with some very important members of their family.

While you’re helping their pets look their best this spring, take a few minutes to make sure the business behind the grooming table is protected too.

Petcover Business Insurance offers insurance solutions designed with pet professionals in mind.

From protecting your equipment and premises to helping manage some of the unexpected risks that come with running a pet business, the right cover can help you focus on what you do best – caring for pets and growing your business.

Is your grooming business ready for spring?

Speak with the Petcover Business Insurance team for a free business insurance review and see whether your current cover still fits your business.