I loved reading how this  brave woman, took the leap into a second career to become a Pet Stylist, and 13 years later, has no regrets.
~LINDA HEALY

 Just goes to show:

“If opportunity doesn’t knock, build a door.”

Milton Berle

ARTICLE BY MARY OQUENDO

In 2001, right after my daughter was accepted to Yale ($$$$), I decided to leave my corporate job and put a deposit on a mobile grooming van. Six months later I was in business for myself. It wasn’t easy, but preparation was key.

The first step I took was to contact my local SCORE office. (www.score.org) SCORE or Service Corps Of Retired Executives is a free service that offers mentoring, as well as resources for the budding entrepreneur. After that, my local chamber of commerce offered a series on starting a business. Much of that original advice is as valuable now as it was then.

Was I ready to go out on  my own?

Even before I made it into the SCORE office for my appointment, I was given homework. My assignment was to do a SWOT analysis. SWOT stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats.

This is an easy exercise. Take a piece of paper and divide it into four sections. Each square is labeled with strength, weakness, opportunity, and threats respectively.

Strengths

What are you good at? Do you have an area of expertise that would attract clients? This may include specialty trims, hand stripping, cats, or handling special needs pet. Not sure what your strong suits are? Ask your current clients what they love about you. My marketing strategy capitalizes on my grooming strengths.

Read More: https://www.groomertogroomer.com/going-out-on-your-own/