Rio Rancho residents Christina Esterly and her husband, Richard, were looking for an investment opportunity in 2022 when they came across a franchise called Furry Land Mobile Grooming. While the mobile grooming franchise appeared to be a decent investment, they weren’t prepared for the additional costs associated with operating such a business.
“We were shell-shocked. It ended up being more of an investment than we originally thought,” said Christina, who has three golden retrievers and officially opened the business in 2023.
Despite the initial costs, Christina realized it was a viable business. The U.S. pet grooming market has been valued around $2 billion, with projections to grow significantly, according to analysts Arizton Advisory & Intelligence. The market research and advisory company projects the industry potentially reaching $3 billion and more than $4 billion by 2032.
Few groomers also offer mobile services in the Albuquerque-Santa Fe area. Brick-and-mortar stores often have wait lists of two to four months. Pet grooming is a specialized trade in a state that has no grooming schools or licensure requirements. Many groomers, who can earn more than $90,000 if working full-time, learn the skill as apprentices or on the job at big box stores, such as PetCo or PetSmart.
“The Loan Fund gave us a fighting chance to be more successful.”
The Esterlys, owners of Furry Land Mobile Pet Grooming of New Mexico, have 10 groomers who earn commission and tips. Most of the groomers are part-time.
“Grooming is more than just aesthetics. Regular grooming can prolong a dog’s life,” Christina said, adding that groomers can find moles, tumors, spots and more on a pet, if kept on a regular schedule.
The service is offered 12 hours per day, seven days a week, and includes de-shedding, bath/brush, hair trimming, teeth brushing, nail trims, nail polish, ear cleaning, and blueberry facials. Services are also available for cats.
Christina, who also owns and manages an executive office space after spending 19 years in sales training at Hewlett Packard, said mobile grooming is also easier on pets because groomers go to the owner’s home where the pet is comfortable and doesn’t interact with another animal.
Demand has grown considerably over the past year and the couple has recently obtained an additional loan from The Loan Fund to acquire another mobile unit, making the total number of grooming vans to 5.
Christina offers this advice to small business owners on success: “Get a mentor. You don’t know what you don’t know.”
She also said finding the right partners, such as The Loan Fund, also makes a difference. “The Loan Fund gave us a fighting chance to be more successful.”