How to start a mobile dog grooming business in the UK

1. Get the skills and the paperwork first

Everything in our guide to starting a grooming business applies to mobile groomers too: training, registering with HMRC, and checking whether you need to pay the ICO data protection fee.

2. Choose and fit out the van

• Buy a ready-converted grooming van, or convert one with a specialist fitter
• A bath, a table, a non-slip floor and good ventilation and lighting
• Space to store clean towels and tools separately from dirty ones
• Somewhere secure to keep the van and equipment overnight

3. Plan water, power and waste

Most vans carry a clean water tank and heater, and run power from a generator, a leisure battery system or the customer's supply. Agree upfront if you'll use the customer's water or electricity.

Dirty water usually needs to go into a waste tank and be disposed of properly, not into a street drain, which often runs straight into rivers. Ask your local council or water company what's allowed where you work.

4. Insure the van and the business

• Vehicle insurance that covers business use and the conversion
• Public liability, and care, custody and control cover for the dogs
• Cover for your equipment, including when it's in the van

5. Decide where you'll go

Pick an area you can cover without spending the day driving. Many mobile groomers set a radius from home, charge more for customers further out, and group appointments by area on certain days.

6. Price for the travel

Your prices need to cover fuel, the van and the time between dogs, not just the groom. A simple travel charge by distance, shown before customers book, is fair and avoids awkward conversations.

7. Plan days that work

Leave enough time to drive between customers and to clean up between dogs. Booking software that checks a customer's postcode before they book, and only offers times you can actually get to, saves a lot of rearranging.