Sunday, April 25, 2004
The First Idea, Part I (An Idea Is Born)
I went to visit my family on the East Coast the week before Easter. Being unemployed has definite advantages, among which is incredible freedom to do things like take off for a week and a half without having to ask permission from anyone! OK - I lie. I lie like a big spotted dog. I had to make sure that my family would be willing to put up with me for 10 days, and I had to ask Jan, my pet sitter, if she could visit my house twice a day during the time I was going to be away. But once the details of where I was going to sleep and who was going to feed my critters had been arranged, I was free to go. And go I did.
I was only able to see one of my friends from Delaware. I had lunch with Elaine, and told her that I'd been trying to think of a job that was up my alley. I'd considered dog training, but that's really people training, and that wasn't at all what I was interested in doing. Elaine said that April and Matt, two mutual friends of ours, were then in dog grooming school. Seems that April is going to be buying a dog grooming salon and Matt's going to groom for her. Elaine has been a dog groomer for many years, and plans on helping April out as well. What intrigued me was that Elaine has been a housecall groomer and a mobile groomer as well as a salon groomer.
For the rest of the day, I was unable to get the thought of grooming dogs out of my head. Anyone who knows me knows that I'm not a girly-girl, not overly fond of prissiness or froufrou in any shape or form. But I am a dog person, and always have been. I wanted a job where, instead of working with tightassed banker types I could work with wagging tails and wet noses. I thought that housecall grooming would be an ideal place to start, as I would be able to begin with a minimal investment of money, past the cost of attending a grooming school to learn the ropes. I considered it quite appealing that I'd be able to carry my equipment in my little car, without having to invest in a van (which can cost upwards of $50,000), or rent a salon of my own.
I began running down the list of people I knew that might be able to help me get started. I've got quite a few friends in the local retail pet supply business. I've got my petsitter Jan, who knows what it's like to go to peoples' houses to do business. I know a dog trainer. I know someone who knows someone who owns a grooming salon, and that owner might be willing to train me to groom. I've got a friend in Canada who operates a thriving grooming business in part of her home. I've got Resources, by golly! I'm Connected. This could really work! I'm thrilled. Dog grooming is the first thing I've considered that makes me go "Oooohh!!" rather than "Bleh" when I ponder the thought of doing it for a living.
I was only able to see one of my friends from Delaware. I had lunch with Elaine, and told her that I'd been trying to think of a job that was up my alley. I'd considered dog training, but that's really people training, and that wasn't at all what I was interested in doing. Elaine said that April and Matt, two mutual friends of ours, were then in dog grooming school. Seems that April is going to be buying a dog grooming salon and Matt's going to groom for her. Elaine has been a dog groomer for many years, and plans on helping April out as well. What intrigued me was that Elaine has been a housecall groomer and a mobile groomer as well as a salon groomer.
For the rest of the day, I was unable to get the thought of grooming dogs out of my head. Anyone who knows me knows that I'm not a girly-girl, not overly fond of prissiness or froufrou in any shape or form. But I am a dog person, and always have been. I wanted a job where, instead of working with tightassed banker types I could work with wagging tails and wet noses. I thought that housecall grooming would be an ideal place to start, as I would be able to begin with a minimal investment of money, past the cost of attending a grooming school to learn the ropes. I considered it quite appealing that I'd be able to carry my equipment in my little car, without having to invest in a van (which can cost upwards of $50,000), or rent a salon of my own.
I began running down the list of people I knew that might be able to help me get started. I've got quite a few friends in the local retail pet supply business. I've got my petsitter Jan, who knows what it's like to go to peoples' houses to do business. I know a dog trainer. I know someone who knows someone who owns a grooming salon, and that owner might be willing to train me to groom. I've got a friend in Canada who operates a thriving grooming business in part of her home. I've got Resources, by golly! I'm Connected. This could really work! I'm thrilled. Dog grooming is the first thing I've considered that makes me go "Oooohh!!" rather than "Bleh" when I ponder the thought of doing it for a living.
