grooming business

Question
Can you tell me the best way to go about opening my own grooming business?  I have worked as a groomer for approx 3 1/2 years but through some bad luck lost all my tools, etc.  How did you do it?

Answer
The best way is to apprentice in a shop, learning all the ropes, and then eventually strike out on your own.

I started out grooming at home, specializing in schnauzers, and eventually became an instructor in a grooming school. One of my favorite students started up her own shop, and asked me to come and work for her, and I worked for her part-time for a couple years until my family required me to be back at home on a more regular basis. I returned to grooming at home full-time. All of my new clients were referrals from others.

I had specialized grooming books that discussed the more popular breeds, and I would go to the local dog shows and watch the judging of the breeds I needed to learn more about and to study their grooming, and I would question the best breeders to learn what I needed to know about each breed. Ultimately I specialized in terriers, hand-scissoring, and stripping.