Growing your business and employing staff

When you are looking at your business and planning out your future, do you see yourself working in your own home? Working mobile or even having your own salon?  With any of these options, how many people do you see yourself working with or more importantly, how many people do you see working for you?

If you’re looking through this, then you’re probably already in the industry and thinking of getting bigger, or are starting as you mean to go on and thinking about how to make as much profit as quickly as possible. Here are some questions you should consider and then the next steps you might want to take.

What do I want my employees for?

Do I need someone for washing and drying dogs? Do I want my employees to deal with data protection and clients? Do I want another stylist to split the profit with but to increase the number of customers? Do I just want to be the manager and guide a successful business without having to groom?

Knowing exactly the role you want your employee or employees for, helps you to narrow your search. Keeping everyone in the business up-skilled also really helps to provide continued success. If you find someone you like, what training would benefit both them and importantly, your business? Have a look at our courses and workshops, to see what options you have.

What skills do I want my employees to have?

This next question is really important and helps consider your options. As the industry grows and becomes more regulated, what skills and qualifications do you want your employees to have? Are you willing to do any training yourself or would you prefer someone that you know has been trained to a high standard and someone you can give responsibility to? Do you want your employee to have a qualification? At Groomarts Academy, we have a register of qualified professionals that we can guide you towards, ensuring that you have people that have gone through a system that comes out with high standards. If you are looking for someone who can come in and learn their craft, we also offer a link with trainees and apprentices. This way, we provide their theory and some help with practical skills but you provide their practical experience. This is a very cost effective method, as it is government subsidised so it allows you to split the cost of wages with the government under apprenticeship schemes.

What else is important?

Who do you want working for you? Are you after somebody who is quiet and works hard or someone with more personality that can do customer-facing work? Whatever choices you make, you need to consider that you may well be spending more time with this person than you spend with some of your friends and family. This person needs to be someone you can trust and work well with. It is so important to be able to separate personal feelings with business and understand that you need to have a good working relationship rather than purely a good personal relationship.