Dog Groomer seeking more money, clients or maybe just more control?
Welcome to
The Dog Grooming Business Academy
(Formerly The Grooming Goddess Academy)
Dog Grooming Specific Business Education, Support & Community for those seeking the tools to build or realign their businesses without adding to their overwhelm.
(Hosting our signature online course "The Dog Groomers Business Engine" covering all aspects of running a successful dog grooming business from Pricing to Marketing to Boundaries and more.
The Dog Grooming Business Academy is designed to support dog groomers at every stage..
whether you're building your business for the first time, or you're an experienced groomer who wants to realign, regain control, and start getting more out of what you've already built.
We host a mixture of pre-recorded content and also new live webinars and guest speakers every month.
At the heart of the Academy is our signature framework: The Dog Groomers' Business Engine.
This pre-recorded course takes dog grooming business owners through every component of their business, step by step, helping them build or realign each part in a way that actually works for them.
Not a cookie-cutter "we all must do exactly the same things" approach, but a framework that helps each groomer get clear on what they want, and use solid business strategy and education to build their own dog grooming business — by design!
With over a 96% renewal rate for monthly members (under no minimum obligation); The Academy is THE place to gain no fluff business education, advice and strategies to help your Dog Grooming Business thrive from Karen & other educators; All who still work IN the industry!
Because sometimes only groomers really understand groomers.
Sound Good?e
This is NOT :
⚫️ Generic "Pet Business" Education. (I'm sorry - Dog walkers etc, this isn't for you). We believe specific steps and strategies are more likely to produce results than generic business advice that applies to anyone working with dogs. This is very dog grooming specific.
⚫️ A Cult - Log in when you want. Study what you want. Join any live calls or wait until they're published - we're not chasing. We're not mithering or asking you to share progress unless you want to.
⚫️ One to one coaching. The membership is priced to be accessible to all groomers, no matter what the size of their business, as we believe, the more dog groomers who take their business seriously, the sooner our industry will rise and get the respect it (& the groomers within it) deserve.
Therefore, it is not the hand holding you would get from one to one coaching.
The tools are there - "The Dog Groomers Business Engine' course, webinars, guest masterclasses.. all for dog groomers.
All to change your business and skills. We leave it up to you to pick them up.
Support is available in our private community or our monthly Q&A coaching calls if you need it
Want deeper support with one to one coaching? ↖️
Building A Dog Grooming Business is Easy Right??
That's what I always thought.
Complete your training, set up a salon, buy your equipment, construct a Facebook page, print a few leaflets and "ta-da" you'll be a dog groomer!
And maybe... a decade ago, that was possibly enough.
But in 2026 it simply isn't.
Those traditional tactics are not enough to grow a new dog grooming business and certainly not enough to sustain an existing one, not with the industry bigger than ever and competition growing faster than ever before.
And, not if you want customers who respect you.. the ability to charge prices that sustain you.. the freedom to place boundaries that protect your love of grooming.
How many groomers sometimes think:
“I thought I’d be earning more by now...”
“Would I even manage without my partner or parents’ support?”
“My customers walk all over me! ”
“Part of me wonders if I made the right choice to be a groomer..? But I can’t tell my family that, not after all the time & money I invested to get here.”
"I don't know if I even enjoy grooming anymore?!"
Feel familiar?
---
So, you put on a smile. You talk about full books and happy clients. Or maybe if you're new, you keep telling yourself things will pick up?
But behind that smile… you know the numbers still don’t add up.
You know this doesn’t feel like the business you dreamed of.
And you’re right — it’s not meant to feel like this.
What You Really Want...
(I know because I remember wanting it too)
You don’t just want to “get by.” You want GOOD money?
The kind that builds savings, a pension, independence… options?
The kind that fuels your self-respect, instead of draining it.
You don't just want to launch a business, you want to build something that will last!
Anyone can attract clients...! Lower your prices and boundaries and watch them come!
(Maybe you did and now you feel trapped?)
You want a business that will fulfil you, provide you with the lifestyle you dreamed of when you chose to be a groomer...
A business that grows steadily with clients who respect you, runs with systems and boundaries and a good financial base.
You want customers that respect you!
Listen to you! Brush their dogs! One's that understand their role & appreciate you for yours?
You want to stop feeling trapped and wondering how to press the reset button?
If you're nodding your head to any of the above...
It’s time for a new chapter...
"I wish these useful tips, ideas, templates & community forum were available in one place when I started 24 years ago! Whether a new or established groomer there is plenty of content for all that can help you on your way or refresh those ideas or thoughts. It's great that the lessons can be watched in any order and in your own time. With new content being added regularly, I can't wait for the next instalments."
Jocelyn - Happy Hounds of Didcot
So... who runs the Academy??
Hi, I'm Karen,
Like many others I chose to become a dog groomer because I loved being with dogs. Their energy, their love, their company, plus the thought of self employment and the promise of independence & control that implied..(hmm).
So aged 28, in 2009, I left my career in the Aviation Industry and trained to become a groomer.
I went through the same rites of passage that many new groomers still experience today - the dodgy grooms, the price chasing flaky clients, the crippling imposter syndrome..
But slowly I grew a fully booked dog grooming business and expanded with regards to staff and premises in a matter of 3 years (whilst welcoming my first child along the way).
Then the inevitable happened. I burned out!!!
Within a few years, I had grown my business to a stage where I simply could no longer cope with it's demands. From the grooming to the cleaning to the admin to marketing.. it was all too much, especially as a new mum with family commitments to juggle.
My passion for my business and grooming was dwindling fast! The tasks to get it back on track seemed overwhelming and I wasn't sure where to start. Customers frustrated me and I began to look for the exit!!
------
The Comeback..
So, I enrolled onto a "Mathematics & Its Learning" degree with the Open University with a view to leaving grooming & becoming a teacher. However, the unexpected happened! My studies didn't help me find a path out of grooming. They helped see reasons to stay!
I learned about pricing structures and business finance (& how to teach them!), I swapped pure math modules for business ones and gradually educated myself in ways to improve my grooming business.
The combination of my degree education & my past experience in our industry meant I now ran my dog grooming business with full clarity and control. I had the financial knowledge to draw a healthy salary from my grooming business, (without the need to constantly sell add-ons), I upheld boundaries and policies with my clients with warmth and professionalism and most importantly I regained my love of grooming.
The Dog Grooming Business Academy (formerly the Grooming Goddess Academy) is an embodiment of the changes I made and "The Dog Groomers' Business Engine" course (only available in the Academy) is the vehicle I created and now use to educate and support other female groomers to gain the success and balance I created for myself.
Since then, I have trained to be a coach under the International Coaching Federation, studied more courses in marketing and branding, delivered seminars at industry events such as MasterGroom, The Pet Pro Expo & The Great British Grooming Show, taught students at grooming colleges about the business of dog grooming and welcomed over 200 women inside the doors of The Dog Grooming Business Academy membership during our first year of trading alone.
My seasonal podcast "The Dog Groomers' 2026 Reset" was highly acclaimed by Colin Taylor and the Academy has featured in Total Grooming Magazine several times with a front cover in June 2025 & again in April 2026.
Karen x
What does membership include?
Let me introduce the main player inside the membership…
The Dog Groomers' Business Engine.
This is our signature transformation. Over six modules, we take you from overwhelmed, overworked, and questioning everything, to calm, confident, and fully in control of your grooming business.
Whether you're on the edge of burnout or right at the start of your dog grooming journey, this is the system that helps you build a business you genuinely love. One that supports your life, your energy, and your financial independence.
Here's what makes this different from other business education out there: We're not obsessed with one metric such as Pricing or Social Media; we look at your business as a whole!
Every element of your business is linked to and dependent on another. Want to charge more? Great — but it's not just about your pricing. You need the mindset so higher prices feel right to you, and you need the marketing so they make sense to your customers. Nothing sits in a vacuum. Every move you make depends on the moves before it and the ones that follow.
That's what we understand inside The Dog Grooming Business Academy and it's what this course simplifies for you, step by step.
Inside the Dog Groomer's Business Engine, you'll learn how to:
- Manage your finances and pricing with confidence (Karen walks you through the maths step by step — don't stress!)
- Attract the right clients and earn their loyalty and professional respect
- Set boundaries that protect your home life and your love of grooming
- Get customers to actually listen to you about brushing and schedules
- Enforce your policies with confidence — not just wish you would
- Feel in control again and stop chasing your tail
And the best part? It's entirely self-paced.
No one is checking what you've watched or how quickly you're moving. Log in when you want, watch what you want, in any order you want. Study quietly in the background, or pop into the community when you need support. You do you.
We're not asking about your turnover or your prices. We respect that you'll make the changes you want to make, in your own time, around your life.
In a matter of weeks, your dog grooming business could look and feel so different. You just have to be willing to start.
Monthly Members — one module per month - £35p/m (upgrade to Annual at any time)
Month 1 — (Available immediately upon joining) Pricing: The Maths Understand your finances and pricing properly — no more "add a fiver" strategies or asking Facebook groups. Karen studied Mathematics and Pricing at degree level and delivers this in a way that makes real sense for our industry.
Month 2 — Pricing: The Strategies How to approach price increases with clients, navigate tax, and more.
Month 3 — Branding Build a cohesive online and in-person presence that showcases your professionalism and positions you as the only groomer for your ideal clients.
Month 4 — Social Media Want to be an influencer? Wrong membership. Want to use social media as a marketing tool that embeds respect in existing clients and attracts new ones? We've got you. No dancing required.
Month 5 — Wider Marketing Websites, Google listings, SEO, local networking, and more.
Month 6 — The Customer Journey Systems, customer service, retention strategies, and everything in between.
Annual Members — instant access to all six modules from day one.
Our main course: The Dog Groomers' Business Engine, is drip fed one module per month to "Monthly Pay-As-You-Go" members or released in full to Annual Members.
Our other member benefits include:
- The Inner Work & Mindset Area -
Running a grooming business as a woman comes with its own unique pressures — from clients who don't take you seriously, to juggling the salon with family life.
This area of the Academy is where we address that honestly.
Expect actionable tips to find balance, protect your energy and remember exactly why you started
Monthly members - 1-2 lessons each month
Annual Members - Full Instant Access
- The Vet Clinic with Sophie Bell -
Elevate your professional knowledge with monthly masterclasses from Vet & Dog Groomer Dr Sophie Bell. Think dental care, ear plucking, senior dogs and more — so you can have informed, confident conversations with your clients.
Monthly members - 1-2 lessons each month
Annual Members - Full Instant Access
- Monthly Zoom Coaching Calls -
Optional monthly calls where you can ask Karen anything — from course content to real business challenges you're facing. Can't make it live? Email your question ahead of time and it'll be answered on the call.
All recordings are available inside the membership.
Available to ALL members from Day 1
- The Template Library -
Ready-to-use wording for policies, client info packs, T&C's wording, Onboarding paperwork, social media captions and website pages. Just edit and go — no starting from scratch.
Monthly members - 2-4 templates each month
Annual Members - Full Instant Access
- Lauren's Lab -
Drop the stress of social media. Each month, Lauren — a dog groomer herself — shares easy, digestible tips and Canva templates you can simply edit and post. Plus monthly masterclasses to make navigating social media & Canva less stressful! No design skills needed. All past content available upon joining in Lauren's Library area of the Academy.
Full Instant Access to ALL members
- Private Community -
A judgement-free space to ask anything — business, life, even styling. No anonymous critics, no Facebook drama. Just hundreds of fellow groomers who get it.
Full Instant Access to ALL members
- The Masterclass Vault -
A growing library of masterclasses that sit outside the main "Business Engine" course — covering topics like puppy packages, senior dogs, clipper maintenance and more.
Monthly members - 1 new masterclass each month
Annual Members - Full Instant Access
- Exclusive discounts -
Members get access to deals with a handpicked selection of industry partners including Shake Your Tail booking software, Lopay card payments, Brooks Braithwaite business insurance, Paws of Comfort pet bereavement counselling, Martina Waterman Shampoo, The Business Finance Academy and Julie Harris Education
Full Instant Access to ALL members
- Nobody looking over your shoulder -
The membership is not private coaching.
The membership is entirely self-paced — no deadlines, no chasing, no awkward questions. Log in when it suits you, engage with the community and calls as much or as little as you like. We're here to support you, not pressure you.
Think of it like Netflix for dog groomers. Watch what you want, when you want to watch it. But I guarantee every single thing you choose to watch or study will empower and guide you to strengthen your dog grooming business.
We offer the tools to make all the changes you want to in your business, but we let you decide when you use them.
Example of Downloadable Membership Certificate
Your questions, answered...
Can I cancel at any time?
Is this Membership Right For Me?
What do I actually get?
How much time will this take?
Our Story so far....
The Dog Grooming Business Academy (then known as The Grooming Goddess Academy) opened its doors in January 2025 with 30 founding members — 24 of whom are still with us today in July 2026!
Since then over 400 women have joined, we've been featured on the front cover of Total Grooming Magazine twice (June 2025 & April 2026), delivered seminars at MasterGroom, Pet Pro Expo, The Great British Grooming Show and Capel Manor College, and built partnerships with some of the best names in the industry.
The team has grown too.
Vet & Dog Groomer Dr Sophie Bell joined as our resident welfare expert, and Lauren Murray came on board to take the stress out of social media for our members — both bringing specialist knowledge that goes far beyond what most business memberships offer.
The feedback from members has been overwhelming. Over 96% of members renew membership. Nobody is locked in. That retention rate is classed as 'outstanding' in the online membership industry.
From groomers who finally feel financially in control, to brand new salon owners who credit the Academy with giving them the strongest possible start — the results speak for themselves.
We've celebrated salon openings, pricing breakthroughs and groomers who finally feel in control of their businesses again.
And we're just getting started.
The Investment
(We are classed as "ongoing education" in the UK & membership fees are therefore tax deductable - put them through your business account!)
Monthly Pay-As-You-Go Membership to THE DOG GROOMING BUSINESS ACADEMY
£35 p/m.
Cancel Anytime.
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Receive The Dog Groomers' Business Engine self study course - 1 module every 30 days.
- "Inner work & Mindset" area. New lessons drip fed each month.
- The Template Library. (wording for policies, info sheets for owners, social media captions, websites and more.) New templates drip fed each month.
- Full Access to Lauren's Lab - Social media lessons & templates.
- Access to monthly content by Vet, Dr Sophie Bell - discussing common welfare issues in the salon!
- Private Community Forum for grooming goddesses only!!
- Invite to our Monthly Zoom Coaching Calls. From guest experts, webinars to our monthly Q&A's! Access to all past recordings is inside the membership.
- Exclusive discounts with an array of industry relevant partners, from "Shake Your Tail" booking software to Julie Harris Education & more..
- No minimum term commitment.
- Full UK based (human) tech support.
- Downloadable Membership Certificate (Available in Month 3 )
Annual Membership to THE DOG GROOMING BUSINESS ACADEMY
£350 annual.
Cancel after Year 1 or renew at the same price.
-
FULL ACCESS to The Dog Groomers' Business Engine self study course.
- FULL ACCESS to the "Inner work & Mindset" area.
- FULL ACCESS to The Template Library. (wording for policies, info sheets for owners, social media captions, websites and more.)
- FULL ACCESS to Lauren's Lab - Social media lessons & templates.
- FULL ACCESS to new monthly content by Vet, Dr Sophie Bell & the existing library of past content- discussing common welfare issues in the salon!
- Private community forum for grooming goddesses only!!
- Invite to our Monthly Zoom Coaching Calls. From guest experts, webinars to our monthly Q&A's! Access to all past recordings is inside the membership.
- Exclusive discounts with an array of industry relevant partners, from "Shake Your Tail" booking software to Julie Harris Education & more..
- Full UK based (human) tech support.
- Downloadable Membership Certificate