Business Goals and Milestones
90-Day Goals (Launch Phase)
The starting point for this business is getting to self-sustaining: open the salon with Kendra, book enough dogs to cover the salon’s own costs, and work out how everything runs day to day. As soon as that footing is solid, move as fast as we responsibly can toward bringing in a second groomer — see 6-Month Goals below.
| Goal | Target Date | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Legal entity formed (LLC or similar) | Not Started | ||
| Business bank account opened | Not Started | ||
| Location identified / lease signed | Not Started | ||
| Equipment purchased and installed | Not Started | ||
| All policies written and finalized | Not Started | See 04-Policies/ | |
| Kendra’s standards documented | Not Started | See 06-Staffing-and-Training/ | |
| Pricing finalized | Not Started | See 02-Pricing/ | |
| Booking system selected and set up | Not Started | ||
| First 10 clients booked | Not Started | ||
| Social media accounts created | Not Started |
Financial Targets — Day 60 / Day 90
Assumes $10,000/month in salon operating expenses (see ongoing-expenses).
| Milestone | Target | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average dogs/day (by Day 60) | 8 dogs/day | Not Started | Based on 22 working days/month |
| Average sale per dog | $65+ | Not Started | |
| Monthly revenue at target volume | ~$11,440/mo | Not Started | 8 dogs/day × 22 days × $65 |
| Monthly expenses (assumed) | $10,000/mo | Not Started | See ongoing-expenses |
| 90-day goal: salon self-sustaining | Covering all monthly bills | Not Started | Steady client flow covers the $10k/month expense base |
6-Month Goals (Second Groomer Ramp)
With the salon self-sustaining, the next push is bringing on a second groomer without blowing the budget — Kendra needs to time the hire so there’s enough booked volume to keep them busy, not hire ahead of demand. Same $65+ average sale per dog is maintained; the growth is in volume.
Trigger for the hire: a consistently non-empty waitlist (see scheduling-procedures → Waitlist Management), not a calendar date. Once the waitlist’s projected revenue (expected price × expected frequency, summed across waitlisted dogs) comfortably covers a second groomer’s cost, the hire is justified. Kendra then hand-picks which waitlisted dogs seed the new groomer’s book — easy, reliable clients first, to build the new hire’s confidence and protect the “Kendra experience” standard.
| Goal | Target | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average dogs/day | 12 dogs/day | Not Started | Same 22 working days/month cadence |
| Average sale per dog (maintained) | $65+ | Not Started | |
| Second groomer hired | Not Started | Timed to available volume — cost-effective transition, see executive-chef-model | |
| Monthly cash flow (by end of Month 6) | +$3,000/mo | Not Started |
1-Year Goals
By the end of year one, Kendra should have fully stepped into the executive chef role rather than working every chair herself, with the team scaled to match volume.
| Goal | Target | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average dogs/day | 18 dogs/day | Not Started | |
| Monthly revenue | ~$25,740/mo | Not Started | 18 dogs/day × 22 days × $65 |
| Monthly cash flow | +$10,000/mo | Not Started | |
| Break-even reached | Reached | Not Started | Passed during the 90-day phase |
| Active client roster (unique dogs) | Not Started | ||
| Staff groomers certified to standard | 3 full-time groomers | Not Started | Plus Kendra as executive chef, see executive-chef-model |
| Kendra’s role | Executive chef | Not Started | Standards, training, QC, approvals — see executive-chef-model |
| Next hire in progress | 4th groomer (“filling the fourth table”) | Not Started | See Scale phase in executive-chef-model |
| Google / Yelp reviews (count) | Not Started | ||
| Average review rating | 4.8+ stars | Not Started | |
| Referral program launched | Not Started | ||
| Loyalty program active | Not Started |
Year 2 Goals (Filling the Fourth Table)
Once the Year 1 numbers are hit, the next push is making sure the fourth grooming station is booked as consistently as the other three — bringing the team to a full 4 groomers (plus Kendra as executive chef) rather than 3 groomers with the 4th chair sitting idle.
| Goal | Target | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average groomers (fourth table filled) | 4 groomers | Not Started | Plus Kendra as executive chef, see executive-chef-model |
| Monthly cash flow | $32,000/mo | Not Started |
Breaking the Four-Groomer Ceiling (Hours & Days Expansion)
With 4 stations full, the salon hits a hard ceiling — there’s no fifth chair to add. Up to this point everyone (Kendra included) has worked the same 5-day week at the same hours, so the only lever left is expanding when the salon is open, not how many groomers work at once.
The catch: Kendra can’t personally be present for every shift once the salon expands beyond a single 5-day schedule. That means the salon needs an assistant store manager first — someone Kendra trusts to hold her brand standards and cover the shifts she isn’t there for, before hours expansion is safe to attempt.
| Goal | Target | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Assistant store manager hired | Not Started | Second-in-command; maintains Kendra’s standards and covers shifts she can’t work | |
| Salon expanded to 7 days/week | +8 operating days/month | Not Started | Prerequisite: assistant store manager in place |
| Monthly cash flow | $50,000/mo | Not Started |
Kendra’s Groomer Training Program
A second, complementary growth lever: Kendra runs her own paid training program, modeled on the program she went through herself. Beyond the direct revenue, it doubles as a recruiting pipeline — the best trainees can be hired straight into the salon already trained “the Kendra way,” and it builds further on Kendra’s existing reputation in the community for recommending good groomers. Students she doesn’t hire (her “overflow”) are easily placed with her peers in the industry.
| Detail | Value | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Program length | 200 hours | Not Started | |
| Program cost | $8,000/student | Not Started | ~$40/hour; includes all equipment the student needs |
| Model | Based on Kendra’s own training program | Not Started | |
| Students in first year (from launch) | 8 students | Not Started |
Key Open Decisions
[Track decisions that need to be made before moving forward. Remove items once resolved.]
| Decision | Options Being Considered | Decision Needed By | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Launch days/hours of operation | See hours-of-operation-proposal — our proposal vs. Kendra’s, pending her input | Open | |
| Business legal structure | LLC / Sole proprietorship / S-Corp | Open | |
| Physical location | [areas being considered] | Open | |
| Booking software | [options being evaluated] | Open | |
| Point-of-sale system | Open | ||
| Business name | Open | ||
| First hire timeline | Open | ||
| Mobile grooming van (now vs. later) | Open | ||
| Assistant store manager — promote from within vs. external hire | Open | ||
| Training program launch timing (relative to 7-day expansion) | Open | ||
| Real average client rebooking frequency (once booking history exists) | Currently modeled as 4/6/8-week range, no real data yet | After ~90 days of bookings | Open — see waitlist-sizing-analysis |
Decision Log
[Record decisions made and rationale. Helps future conversations understand why we chose what we chose.]
| Date | Decision | Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| 2026-07-03 | Pricing philosophy: premium/curated, scarcity-driven | A genuinely full book (not manufactured) signals demand and supports charging more per slot rather than chasing volume at lower prices. Kendra fills her book with clients who want regular grooms and are easy to work with, then routes overflow demand to a waitlist (see scheduling-procedures) rather than discounting to fill chairs. Requires real capacity discipline — the scarcity has to be true, not staged, or one bad rushed groom undermines the pricing power. |