Did you know that 46% of Brits have a side hustle? You may be wondering why, but when we tell you that the average side hustle can bring on average £22,900 of additional income, we are sure you will understand the reason!
The UK has 13 million low-income households and many more that struggle daily due to the rising cost of living. Enter the side hustle.
Many people are finding creative ways to increase their cash, from Etsy stores to services such as pet grooming. As the founders of Savvy Pet Spa, we greatly advocate using pet grooming to earn more. Carry on reading to find out why.
How Can You Start Pet Grooming?
The best side hustles are those you already have a passion for. With the average person already working 36.4 hours away, you can stand to work between 50 to 60 hours when taking on another form of income. However, it doesn’t feel like work if you are doing something you love. Don’t you think?
Pet grooming could be your perfect side hustle if you have a passion for pooches or care for cats. Not only does it mean getting to spend your spare time with animals, but you are also going to get to learn a skill which could lead to a full-time career. 39% of people start side hustling to turn their hobby into an income.
You will be glad to hear that pet grooming is an easy career to get into, making it the perfect side hustle! You can start pet grooming by following these steps:
- Complete a pet grooming course for your animal of choice. For example, City and Guilds offer a Dog Grooming course which is the basic certification for assistants that can be achieved in a short space of time. If you plan on being in charge, there are many other courses you can take, ranging from a few weeks to a few months.
- Build a client base. The best way to start a side hustle is by offering your support to friends and family. You can also advertise like a normal business would as long as you plan on doing everything correctly and passing the right tax.
- Invest in the tools and equipment that you will require. If you have a family member or friend who already grooms, perhaps you could borrow their items when not used. If not, you can acquire all items cheaply if you shop around and get good deals.
- Find a place to run your service. You could use an outhouse or shed if fit for purpose at home or take your grooming business on the road with a mobile grooming salon.
As simple as that, you are now set up for an abundant side hustle!
Who Business Considerations Do I Need To Allow For?
You do need to ensure that your side hustle is above board as it’s not worth risking getting in trouble with HMRC if you are not managing properly.
You therefore also need to consider the following:
- Tax needs to be considered, either as a sole trader or a limited company. For both options, you will need to undertake a UK self-assessment tax return to ensure you are paying the right amount of tax, national insurance, and student finance if applicable.
- You may also need to obtain some form of insurance depending on where you are working from.
- If you want your side hustle to make as much revenue as possible, it should be treated as a professional small business. This can be an overwhelming prospect, so many people choose not to do this correctly.
Luckily for you, Savvy Pet Spa manages everything in one place. Having a tool that helps you run things smoothly gives you more chances to turn that side hustle into a full-time career.
What Skills Do Pet Groomers Need?
As with any career or business, you can only maximise your potential if you are suited to the job.
Skill-wise, pet groomers, of course, need to hold some form of professional qualification. Aside from that, you also need to be brilliant with animals (and humans), have a mind for business, and have other pet-based skills, such as training tough animals. You can learn more about why interpersonal skills are so important by clicking here.
Most of these can be leant, but can you learn creativity, or is it based on an existing talent? We think it’s a blend of both. The best side hustles grow from an existing passion or skill, but you can hone your skills with lots of practice. If you want to turn your hustle into your full-time job, doing it on the side is a great way to gain exposure whilst still earning a wage.
How Much Can Pet Groomers Earn?
Another reason that pet grooming is a great side hustle is that you can earn great money doing it. Once you have paid to set up your business, there are also relatively few outgoings to pay for which makes for an excellent cash flow.
The average UK salary for a dog groomer is £22,425 per year. This works out to £11.50 per hour. You can, however, earn more if you decide to specialise in certain niches or offer additional services. That is a full-time salary, but considering how this would work part-time, it still offers a nice addition to your monthly pay packet.
Starting your pet grooming business as a side hustle also means when you turn your hobby into a full-time job, you can earn more. The more experience you have, the more you can charge, as your skills will be worth more.
What Benefits of Pet Grooming As a Side Hustle?
Flexible Hours
Most pet grooming appointments tend to happen outside the normal working week as people are not around to drop off their pets at other times. This works out perfectly for people wanting to side hustle. Evenings and weekends are the time you would have spare, and also, when people are looking for appointments, it couldn’t work out better!
You also don’t commit to having to work every day, if you don’t want to, as recurring bookings are often every few weeks. This means you can choose what extra hours in your week you can commit to side hustling and still leave yourself essential rest periods.
Extra Money
After-tax and outgoings, you can profit from side-hustle pet grooming. People always need their animals groomed as a form of wellbeing and care. As a career that will always be in high demand, you also have longevity assured.
Way To Build Clients
Side-hustling is also a great way to transition from one career to another. You can build-up a list of dedicated clients without the risk of starting a job and not earning the money you need to survive. We have some brilliant advice in this blog if you want to learn more tips like this – How To Diversify Your Small Business.
How Can Savvy Pet Spa Help With The Process?
After reading this blog, we recommend you check out the FREE Savvy Pet Spa trial if you are ready to pick up the shaver and batch-by-dog shampoo.
This software helps even novice side hustlers turn their hobby into a nice earner. Including features such as a CRM system, billing support, calendar management, and automated messaging, it means you can still give everything to your day job and have a thriving side hustle ticking along nicely at the same time.
The key to a successful side hustle is having a professional look which gives the illusion of you being a full-time trader.Find out more tips on how to write a successful business plan here
Let’s turn your side hustle into a lucrative business!
