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January 24, 2005

Clean machine | A chat with Gwyneth Freeman, owner of Going to the Dogs in Bangor.

By Dorothy Ogrodowczyk
Founded: January 2004
Employees: One
Startup costs: $50,000
Revenues, 2004: $38,000
Projected revenues, 2005: $52,000
Contact: 949-1173 45 Fern St., Bangor

You're a mobile dog groomer. How do you provide your services?
I use a converted Ford van. It was built in Florida by a company that does conversions. It has a bathtub, grooming table and blow dryer. A person who is 6'3'' can stand up in it. The power comes from an extension cord that plugs into a client's house.

How far do you travel?
I try to keep within 30 miles of Bangor, but I have a niche in Bar Harbor. I go there once a week, and I'm especially busy there in the summer.

Who are your clients?
I have an array of clients. A lot of people don't like to have their dog stuck in a kennel all day just to be groomed. Others are older people who don't drive. Some are people with therapy dogs.

When did you first get the idea for the company?
I've had the idea for about 10 years. I went to school to be a dog groomer, and I saw a need for a mobile dog grooming business in this area. I worked for different kennels for about a year before I started to make sure I liked it, and [to develop] the courage to drop money into the business. It's much easier to get a paycheck than to be responsible for yourself.

How did you finance the launch of your business?
I financed the van through Ford [and] paid out of pocket for the conversion.

What was the biggest challenge going from idea to reality?
Dealing with vehicles in cold climates is a challenge. I have to make sure the van operates at its best in cold weather. Water is a nuisance, and I have to remind myself every day about it freezing, and remember where to dump it.

How do you market your business?
When I first started, I did some advertising in a weekly newspaper and in the Coffee News, [a weekly publication distributed in restaurants], and I had an ad in the phone book. But then I got so busy I pulled my newspaper and Coffee News advertising ˆ— I figured I didn't need it. I still have an ad in the phone book, but the van is its own advertising.

What's your competition like and how do you differ?
This service is faster. It takes about an hour to an hour and a half, instead of all day in a kennel. I charge about $5-$10 more than local kennels, [since] my service is a convenience for both the owner and the pet. My base rate is $40.

What are your plans for growth?
[My husband and I] are talking about buying another van. The hardest part is to find another groomer that I can trust.

Do you have a business plan?
I didn't write a standard business plan because I knew I didn't need to go to a bank for financing. I talked to the Small Business Administration and they helped me come up with some ideas about how to start and run a business. [Those ideas] help me plan my business long-term.

What have you achieved since starting the business?
I thought there was a need for this service, but not having one in this market I didn't know if people would take to it. People love this service, and I enjoy it. You set your own hours. If you own a shop, you have to be there at eight or nine in morning and stay until people pick their dogs up at the end of the day.

I think everyone shoud step away from working for someone else. But I'm my own worst boss. I overwork myself.

Journalist Franklin P. Jones said, "Anybody who doesn't know what soap tastes like never washed a dog." How much soap would you say you've tasted?
I've tasted my fair share of soap. I usually come home soaking wet at the end of the day. But I've never been as wet as the one day when my husband was working with me. He didn't know where the controls were for any of the hoses, and water was spraying everywhere!


New Entrepreneurs profiles young businesses, 6-18 months old. Send your suggestions and contact information to dorothyo@mainebiz.biz.

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