Claire’s Dog Grooming of Broughton

27/04/2025

Unfortunately the new reality of grooming …

Pricing Your Grooms: Maths That’ll Make You Cry – BIG rant, no apology…

Alright, let’s rip the plaster off. Here’s the brutal truth: Every time you price a groom, the Government, your landlord, and your business all get fed BEFORE you do.

Every £1 you charge? Only about 33p actually ends up in your sad little pocket.

👑 1/3 goes straight to the Government (big shoutout to Rachael Thieves for doing absolutely nothing to earn it) to fund uninvited guests, potholes and broken NHS websites in VAT, NI and Tax. 🧼 1/3 gets inhaled by your business in exploding business costs - rent, council tax, water, electric, insurance, sharpening, maintenance to building, maintenance of equipment, new scissors, replacement blades - you get it. 💸 1/3 That’s all you have to actually live on. Your food, heat, therapy (an occasional bottle of wine or Netflix …who can afford both these days?) and your emotional support pizza - you know, life.

So when you undercharge because “it’s just a little trim”, “it’s a only tiny dog” or you do nails for free “because it will benefit the dog” - you're basically paying Karen for the privilege of shaving her yeti. Stop being the nice gal. You can’t pour from an empty cup - or groom from an empty wallet.

When you’re charging £60 for a two-hour full-groom, Karen honestly thinks you’re earning £30 an hour. You’re NOT!! You’re actually earning more like £10 an hour... and that’s before you even consider working extra time because Karen “forgot” to mention her Cavapoochondoodle was matted to the bone.

FACE IT - IF YOU’RE NOT PRICING PROPERLY, YOU'RE JUST AN UNPAID INTERN WITH CLIPPERS, A BLASTER AND SCISSORS. MORAL OF THE STORY? IF YOU’RE NOT PRICING RIGHT, YOU’RE BASICALLY PAYING TO WORK.

Exposure, “experience” and a pat on the head won’t ever pay the rising bills, neither will goodwill fix your broken shoulders, RSI and hernia damage. Stop doing charity work for free. You're a luxury service, not a discount bargain basement.

👉 So Fix your prices, save your soul and get the Hourly Rate Calculator at www.centrestagedog.co.uk.

If you’re not charging like your spine depends on it, you’ll be broke, bitter, and one tangle away from setting up an Etsy store for revenge voodoo dolls.

23/04/2025

Hello,

I wanted to share an update, in case you missed my announcement on Facebook last month. Starting in May, I’ll be embarking on a new job role within the care industry.

After 24 incredible years of grooming, I’ll be transitioning the dog grooming business to part-time.

I will now be offering appointments only on my rest days—Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. (Rotating Mondays)

This change is essential for me, and I understand that I won’t be able to accommodate all of my current dog clients. For those I can’t continue working with, alternative arrangements will need to be made.

This Friday will mark my final weekend (Friday-Monday) of dog grooming as I take this next step.

It’s incredibly tough to say goodbye to so many of you who have supported me over the years.

To ease the transition, I’ve compiled a list of alternative groomers, which I’m happy to share upon request.

Thank you for your understanding and continued support during this period of change.

Warm regards,
Claire

28/03/2025

**Dear Clients,**

Starting this JUNE, I will be making significant changes to my dog grooming service.
Appointments will be limited to just a few days per week.

Due to rising operational costs and personal circumstances, I’ve decided to scale back the dog grooming service as I transition into a new career.

I understand these changes will impact many of you, as my availability will be reduced and prices will increase. As a result, you may need to explore alternative grooming arrangements.

To those who can adjust to my new schedule and pricing, I sincerely thank you for your continued support and understanding.
For those who need to seek other options, I deeply appreciate your understanding and will assist you where possible with any information to help you find the best alternative.

With the ever-increasing cost of living and health considerations, this lifestyle change has become essential for me.

Over the next few months, I will be speaking with all of you individually to ensure you are fully informed about these upcoming changes.

Thank you for your kindness and understanding as I navigate this new chapter.

Warm regards,

Claire 🐾

12/03/2025

Please be aware before hanging fur out for the birds, 100% of blue t**s nests have been found with flea treatment pesticides in them and that’s just shocking 😳…

The chemicals used in standard flea treatments are polluting waterways and having a drastic effect on wildlife like killing songbird chicks🪺.

"Research at the University of Sussex has found that pesticides used in regular flea treatments are in 98% of English rivers, often at levels far higher than those deemed safe.

Some of this is from treated dogs swimming, but much goes down the drain from households, (eg from shampooing dogs, washing bedding, stroking and washing hands) and then enters rivers, according to Dave Goulson, professor of biology at Sussex, who co-authored the study and supervised the research.

Recent research also found that 100% of blue tit🐦 and great tit nests🪹 are contaminated with pesticides💦 from pet flea treatment, as the birds collect fur from dogs and cats to insulate their nests. The study, funded by the charity Songbird Survival, found that nestling mortality is associated with higher levels of the pesticides.

[...] If spot-on products are considered the only appropriate form of treatment, you should brush your pet indoors or in a sheltered area where you can gather the hair afterwards and dispose of it in a sealed bag.

'What we don’t want is the hair blowing away and birds collecting it up as nesting material. I think a lot of us have probably thought that was kind of quite a nice thing for birds to do but clearly it really isn’t if the hair is contaminated with chemicals,' said Millineaux.

It is also important to take care of packaging material, particularly from spot-on products. 'I’ve heard horror stories of people washing out the little containers, which obviously do contaminate water,' added Millineaux.

'What we want to be doing is not washing them out but disposing them of them in something like a seal bag and following any manufacturers guidelines.'

Washing is discouraged for several days after treatments, owing to the risk of product getting into waterways. " - Guardian

09/01/2025

⚠️ Closing for the rest of the week ⚠️

Unfortunately this continued freezing weather has finally frozen up the ground water feed.
I have decided to re-assess on Monday and will rearrange appointments as best as I can.
Sorry for any inconvenience caused and thank you for your understanding at this frustrating time.
🐾 Claire 🐾

25/12/2024

Merry Christmas to you all, and many thanks for all my lovely tips and gifts 🥰🎄 🐾

10/06/2024

So sad to have to say the beautiful Eve gained her wings 🌈 🪽
Such a soppy gentle girl, you will be very much missed you gorgeous floof ball xx
Thoughts to your family at this difficult time xx

22/04/2024

This is so hard,
Yesterday my own boy Marley gained his wings and went over rainbow bridge 🌈

It’s just so raw and sad i cannot express the hurt, emptiness and pain it has brought to the house.

He made so many friends (2 legs and 4) with all of you, and we went through so many good times and bad.

We are all just a little lost right now and I will do my very best to keep things together but as the saying goes,
You never know how much someone means to you until they are gone 💔

Rest in Peace my sweet boy xx Thank you for being there x

Hug your dogs, kiss them and treasure every moment x

25/03/2024

‼️Impawtant Notice ‼️

Due to family commitments, all appointments are subject to change for the foreseeable future.

While I will strive to maintain pre-booked appointments, please understand that current personal circumstances may necessitate adjustments.

Your patience and understanding is greatly appreciated at this time.

Claire 🐾

06/03/2024

“The salon will remain closed for the remainder of the week as I’m heading out for some shopping at Crufts.” 🛍️🐶
Have a good week to all those competing 🐾

04/03/2024

📸 Doggie Photo Shoot 📸

We are offering an opportunity for you to have a paw-fessional photo shoot of your dogs with Sarah at my place 🙋🏽‍♀️

Shoots will last approximately 15/20min depending on shoot type.
🐾 Individual pup
🐾 Family of pups
🐾 Owner and pup/s

Day and price to be confirmed but approximately £25/40 (depending on specifics of the shoots)

You will receive 5 professional edited digital images for you to treasure.

To guage interested please comment on this post …. 🐾

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100094000890708

01/03/2024