Playbooks

The long version, with the numbers worked out.

Tools Templates Playbooks Scripts Articles

The Groomer’s Edge

The free tools show you the numbers. The Edge shows you what to do about them.

Unlock every Edge item →

A → Z · 48 playbooks

All

Free

Edge

Add-On Revenue System

Build the essentials into one package, then rotate seasonal add-ons so nothing reads as an upsell.

Solves“Add-ons feel like I’m squeezing people, so I never offer them.”

WorthThe add-on nobody offers is revenue already sitting in an appointment you’re already doing.

See what’s inside · Subscribe →

Adding a Cat Service Line

The pilot structure and separation model for a dog salon taking on cats.

Solves“I want the cat work but I can’t risk the dog book paying my rent.”

WorthCat appointments price higher per hour than small-dog work in most markets. The pilot is how you capture that without betting the business.

See what’s inside · Subscribe →

Adding Retail to Your Salon

Turning a dead shelf into stocked, priced margin.

Solves“I know retail should work but I don’t know what to even put on the shelf.”

WorthRetail margin lands on appointments you were already booking — it costs shelf space, not chair time.

See what’s inside · Subscribe →

AI SEO Guide for Groomers

Your clients are asking AI to find a groomer. What that changes.

Solves“People are asking ChatGPT for a groomer and I have no idea if I come up.”

WorthSearch is shifting to answers instead of links. Being absent from the answer is a channel closing quietly.

See what’s inside · Subscribe →

Anxious Cat Specialist System

How to build, price and market the niche most salons actively avoid.

Solves“Everyone sends me their worst cats and I’m not charging for it.”

WorthBeing the person who takes the cats nobody else will is a referral moat — if it’s priced as a specialty instead of absorbed as a favour.

See what’s inside · Subscribe →

Body Protection System

Ergonomics, recovery, and the plan for the day you get hurt.

Solves“My back and hands are telling me I get about five more years of this.”

WorthYour body is the one piece of equipment you can’t replace, and time off the table is revenue that never comes back.

See what’s inside · Subscribe →

Canadian Listing & Business Playbook

Getting found in Canada, plus the surrounding business basics.

Solves“I’m in Canada and most grooming business advice assumes I’m not.”

WorthA claimed, complete listing is the cheapest lead source a Canadian salon has, and the rules around it differ from the US.

See what’s inside · Subscribe →

EdgeFinancial Model

Cat-Only Salon P&L Playbook

The full cat-service financial model, phase by phase — space, budget, pricing, reserves.

Solves“I’m adding a cat service line and don’t know the space, the budget, or the pricing math.”

WorthThe playbook walks the same reserve and margin modeling a consultant would charge for — and it’s the difference between a cat line that pays and one that quietly drains the salon.

See what’s inside · Subscribe →

Cat-Only Shop Launch Playbook

Demand validation, licensing, systems and the first ninety days.

Solves“I want my own cats-only place and don’t know what it really takes to open one.”

WorthOpening under-capitalised is the most common way a good cat-only shop closes in year one.

See what’s inside · Subscribe →

Certification Investment Playbook

Cost, timeline and payoff for choosing between NCGI’s CFMG and IPG’s cat track, plus the scripts to put the credential to work.

Solves“I can’t tell whether a cat certification will pay for itself or just cost me study time and fees.”

WorthCertification costs real money and months of evenings. Knowing the payback math before you enroll is cheaper than finding out after.

See what’s inside · Subscribe →

EdgeFinancial Model

Channel Math Playbook

Cost-per-booking tracking for where your next thirty cat clients actually come from.

Solves“I have no idea which of my marketing is working.”

WorthMarketing spend without cost-per-booking is guessing. This is the tracking that tells you which channel to cut.

See what’s inside · Subscribe →

Client Retention System

Why satisfied clients stop rebooking, and the system that fixes it.

Solves“They loved the groom, said so, and I never saw them again.”

WorthRebooking an existing client costs nothing. Replacing one costs marketing, a first visit, and a cat who doesn’t know you.

See what’s inside · Subscribe →

Client Termination Playbook

When a client has crossed the line, how to end it cleanly, and how to keep the next one off your calendar.

Solves“I have a client I dread every six weeks and no idea how to let her go without a scene.”

WorthOne bad client costs you the slot, the stress, and sometimes a good client’s appointment. Ending it cleanly takes one script.

See what’s inside · Subscribe →

Difficult Cat Pricing System

Intake rubric, surcharge tiers, and the booking confirmation that makes them stick.

Solves“The hard cats take double the time and pay the same as the easy ones.”

WorthOne flat rate across every temperament means the easy cats subsidise the hard ones and you absorb the difference.

See what’s inside · Subscribe →

Employee Retention System

A skill-milestone pay ladder, the ceiling conversation, and the first 48 hours after notice.

Solves“I finally trained a good cat groomer and now I’m terrified of losing her.”

WorthReplacing a trained cat groomer from scratch runs well into five figures. A pay ladder costs a fraction of that.

See what’s inside · Subscribe →

Equipment Investment Playbook

Cost-per-groom math for every tool, the sharpen-versus-replace rule, and a monthly reserve.

Solves“I only find out a tool was worth replacing after it has cost me a groom.”

WorthGear bought on instinct and replaced on failure is the quiet leak that never shows up as a line item until the P&L does.

See what’s inside · Subscribe →

Exit-Ready Playbook

The owner-dependency audit, a real SDE number, buyer-clean books, and a three-year runway.

Solves“I have no idea what this business is even worth, or whether it would survive without me.”

WorthA documented, low-dependency shop can sell for a real multiple of cash flow. The undocumented version is worth roughly what you can personally produce in a year.

See what’s inside · Subscribe →

First Hire System

The capacity math that says it’s time, plus an interview script that works.

Solves“I’m turning work away but I can’t tell if I can afford help.”

WorthA first hire made too early eats the cushion that would have carried you to a hire made on time.

See what’s inside · Subscribe →

First-Time Client Conversion System

Intake qualification, quote framing and pre-groom communication.

Solves“First-timers come once, say it was lovely, and never rebook.”

WorthA first visit that converts is worth every visit after it. One that doesn’t cost you the acquisition twice.

See what’s inside · Subscribe →

First-Time Client Kit

Everything for the first appointment with a new cat and a nervous owner.

Solves“A new client’s first visit is where I lose them or keep them and I wing it.”

WorthThe first visit sets whether there is a second. It is the highest-leverage hour in the business.

See what’s inside · Subscribe →

Gift Card Program Playbook

The marketing calendar, the accounting habit, and the script that turns a gift card into a repeat client.

Solves“My software already sells gift cards and I have never once marketed them.”

WorthShops that actively sell gift cards see them land in the 6–15% of revenue range. Most cat-only shops are sitting at 1–2% by default.

See what’s inside · Subscribe →

Insurance Playbook

Line by line: general liability, animal bailee, professional — and what to skip.

Solves“I have insurance. I have no idea what it actually covers.”

WorthThe gap between the policy you bought and the policy you needed only ever surfaces on the worst day.

See what’s inside · Subscribe →

KPI Dashboard System

The five weekly numbers that predict business health, with cat-specific target ranges instead of borrowed dog-volume benchmarks.

Solves“My calendar is full and I still can’t tell if the business is actually working.”

WorthA full calendar measures demand, not health. This is the ten-minute weekly check that catches a slipping business before the P&L does.

See what’s inside · Subscribe →

Listing Photo System

Shot by shot, what each photo has to prove — without a photographer.

Solves“My listing photos look like everyone else’s and nobody clicks mine.”

WorthPhotos are the whole first impression on a directory listing, and they cost nothing but an afternoon to redo properly.

See what’s inside · Subscribe →

Matted-Cat Refusal Playbook

A weighted assessment framework, the scripts, and the vet handoff.

Solves“I take cats I shouldn’t because saying no feels like losing the client.”

WorthA refusal handled well keeps the client and avoids the injury. Handled badly it costs you both.

See what’s inside · Subscribe →

Membership Program Playbook

The tier, the pitch, and the cap that stops it quietly discounting your best clients.

Solves“My slow months are brutal and my good clients already book anyway.”

WorthAn uncapped membership discounts the people who’d have paid full price. The cap is the part that makes it work.

See what’s inside · Subscribe →

Menu Packaging System

The full service taxonomy, so clients book the right thing the first time.

Solves“Clients book the wrong service and I find out when the cat’s on the table.”

WorthA mis-booked appointment costs you the time gap plus the awkward conversation. The menu is where that gets prevented.

See what’s inside · Subscribe →

EdgeFinancial Model

Mobile Grooming Economics Playbook

Vehicle cost, route density and break-even for a cat-only mobile operation.

Solves“Everyone says go mobile and skip the rent. Nobody shows the math.”

WorthRoute density, not demand, decides whether a van works — and the van is a five-figure commitment either way.

See what’s inside · Subscribe →

Multi-Cat Household System

Discount structure, scheduling and the sequencing that keeps a three-cat house calm.

Solves“Three cats in one house takes me all afternoon and I charge like it’s three appointments.”

WorthMulti-cat homes are your densest revenue per trip. Sequencing them wrong turns that into your longest, worst day.

See what’s inside · Subscribe →

No-Show Playbook

Policy templates, deposit mechanics, scripts, and the math behind them.

Solves“A 10am no-show blows a hole in the day and I eat it every time.”

WorthAn empty chair is unrecoverable revenue. A deposit policy is the only thing that converts some of it back.

See what’s inside · Subscribe →

Online Booking System

Moving off texts into something that handles intake, deposits and confirmations.

Solves“I’m running my whole book out of my text messages.”

WorthEvery booking handled by hand is unpaid admin time, and the ones that fall through the cracks were real appointments.

See what’s inside · Subscribe →

Price Increase Playbook

Client segmentation, the exact messages, and handling the objections.

Solves“I know I’m underpriced. I don’t know how to actually do the raise.”

WorthPrices that haven’t moved in years are a pay cut taken quietly. This is the sequence for undoing it.

See what’s inside · Subscribe →

Referral Program Playbook

Four scripts for four client personalities, the thank-you math, and a tracking system that needs no special software.

Solves“My clients say nice things all the time and it never turns into an actual referral.”

WorthReferred clients convert better and stick around longer than any other channel — most cat-only shops are leaving that trust untapped by never actually asking.

See what’s inside · Subscribe →

Rescue Partnership Playbook

Both one-pager versions, the scripts, and the cap that keeps it sustainable.

Solves“I do rescue work because I care and it’s eating my margin.”

WorthRescue relationships are a real referral channel or a slow drain. The cap is what decides which.

See what’s inside · Subscribe →

Retail Revenue System

Cat-safe product vetting, a narrow SKU list, and keystone pricing.

Solves“I have a retail shelf that just sits there collecting dust.”

WorthDead retail is shelf space and cash you already paid for. A narrow, vetted list is what turns it back into margin.

See what’s inside · Subscribe →

Salon Emergency Playbook

Animal bailee coverage, decision trees for the five likeliest incidents, and the protocols.

Solves“If something went really wrong mid-groom I’d be improvising.”

WorthThe five minutes after an incident decide the liability. Improvising is how a bad day becomes a claim.

See what’s inside · Subscribe →

Senior Cat System

The intake flag, the time buffer, the pricing, and the vet-handoff line for senior cat appointments.

Solves“I’m booking my senior cats into the same slot as everyone else and something’s eventually going to go wrong.”

WorthMore than half of cat-owning households now have a senior cat. Get the scheduling and pricing wrong and you’re either absorbing the extra time for free or losing the appointment.

See what’s inside · Subscribe →

Social Media Strategy

What to post, how often, and what actually books appointments.

Solves“I post before-and-afters into the void.”

WorthSocial is free reach or wasted evenings. The difference is whether posts route to a booking.

See what’s inside · Subscribe →

Social Media Strategy (Extended)

The long version: calendar, formats and the full content system.

Solves“I need an actual plan, not ‘post more’.”

WorthA calendar turns social from a recurring guilt into a channel with a cost per booking you can read.

See what’s inside · Subscribe →

Software Decision Playbook

MoeGo vs. Gingr: full cost math, feature audit, and the switch plan.

Solves“I’ve been meaning to pick booking software for a year and keep stalling.”

WorthPicking wrong means migrating twice. The all-in monthly cost is rarely the number on the pricing page.

See what’s inside · Subscribe →

Solo Groomer Anti-Isolation System

Treating professional isolation as a business risk rather than a mood, in five phases.

Solves“It’s just me and the cats all day and I’m starting to lose the thread.”

WorthIsolation is what ends solo careers early. Career length is the biggest number in this business and almost nobody plans for it.

See what’s inside · Subscribe →

Tipping Playbook

The tip-screen wording, the checkout settings, the tip-pooling basics, and the script for the client who asks what’s normal.

Solves“My clients don’t know whether to tip me, and I don’t know how to bring it up without sounding pushy.”

WorthTip income most cat-only shops are already leaving on the table by never mentioning it — a low-effort fix once you know what to say and where to say it.

See what’s inside · Subscribe →

Top 10 Mistakes Groomers Make

The ten that cost the most, and what to do instead.

Solves“I’d rather learn these from someone else’s salon than my own.”

WorthMost of these are cheap to avoid in advance and expensive to discover in year three.

See what’s inside · Subscribe →

Waitlist System

A prioritization policy built for uneven cat-grooming appointment lengths, the offer-and-expiry scripts, and how it plugs into your no-show policy instead of bypassing it.

Solves“I say “I’m booked” three times a week and never write any of those names down.”

WorthA waitlist you actually work recovers cancellations you were already losing for free — no new marketing, no new clients needed.

See what’s inside · Subscribe →

Waterless Service System

Screening, pricing and scripts for waterless as a real service, not a fallback.

Solves“I offer waterless when a bath won’t work and I never know what to charge.”

WorthAn unpriced fallback is free work. Written as a screened, named service it bills like one.

See what’s inside · Subscribe →

Wellness Repricing System

Naming and pricing the health check you already run on every cat.

Solves“I check skin, ears, teeth and nails on every cat and charge for none of it.”

WorthYou are already doing this work. The only question is whether it appears on the invoice.

See what’s inside · Subscribe →

What Nobody Tells You About Owning a Shop

The honest version of running the place, after hours.

Solves“Everyone sells the dream of owning a shop. Nobody mentions the rest.”

WorthKnowing what the job actually is before you sign a lease is worth more than any encouragement.

See what’s inside · Subscribe →

What to Pay Groomers

Payroll structures for a salon taking on staff.

Solves“I don’t know what to offer and I don’t want to find out by getting it wrong.”

WorthPay structure drives who applies, who stays, and your margin on every groom they do.

See what’s inside · Subscribe →