Startup Costs
One-time costs to launch the salon. Complete this file early — it drives the funding requirement and initial financial plan.
Equipment
List compiled by Kendra and Jeremy. Each line below is sourced to a specific real-world product for future reference — click through to check current price/availability before ordering.
| Item | Qty | Unit Cost | Estimated Cost | Actual Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rabies pole / restraint pole | 1 | $150 | $150 | Standard snare/restraint poles run 200. Midwest Tongs | |
| Muzzle set (assorted dog & cat sizes) | 1 | $40 | $40 | Exact price not published; estimated from comparable 12-piece assorted sets — verify at checkout. Downtown Pet Supply 12-pack | |
| Groomer’s Helper restraint arm (“Groomer Helper”) | 4 | $159.95 | $639.80 | Groomer’s Helper Starter Set. Groomer’s Helper official site | |
| Leads (grooming slip leads) | ~15 | $5 | $75 | Bulk nylon leads run ~$5/lead. Canis Gear bulk leashes | |
| Nooses (grooming loop replacements) | 2 × 4-pack | $27.50 | $55 | 18” nylon loops sell in 4-packs. PetEdge/Top Performance loops | |
| Kennel / cage dryer | 1 | $400 | $400 | Mid-range single-cage dryer. Groomer’s Choice cage dryers | |
| Finishing dryer | 2 | $882 | $1,764 | XPower B-16 Finishing Stand Dryer. Waggz | |
| Drying table (electric lift, non-hydraulic) | 1 | $879 | $879 | Flying Pig FP4000A Super-Low Electric Lift Table. Flying Pig Grooming · Amazon listing | |
| Kennels (6–8 unit modular stainless bank) | 1 | $3,275 | $3,275 | Price varies 3,275 by configuration. K9 Kennel Store | |
| Grooming table (hydraulic) | 4 | $799.99 | $3,199.96 | Paw Brothers Hydraulic Z-Style 48”. Cherrybrook · Ryan’s Pet Supplies | |
| Bath tub | 2 | $1,600 | $3,200 | Standard stainless bathing tub, price scales 1,808 (58”) by size — $1,600 assumes ~48”. Groomer’s Best |
Equipment Subtotal: $13,677.76
Facility
Assumes monthly rent of $2,500 (placeholder until a space is selected).
| Item | Estimated Cost | Actual Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Security deposit (first + last month rent) | $5,000 | 2 × $2,500/mo assumed rent | |
| Leasehold improvements (plumbing, flooring, lighting) | $10,000 | Placeholder estimate — refine once a space is selected | |
| Signage (exterior + interior) | $800 | Basic flat-panel storefront signs run 1,000. HomeGuide business sign costs | |
| Cleaning supplies (mops, brooms, mop bucket, wet floor signs, etc.) | $300 | Commercial mop/bucket/sign kits bundle around this range. WebstaurantStore mop kits | |
| Trash cans (1 large + small at each station) | $90 | One 32-gal can (~15–20 ea). Lowe’s 32-gallon trash cans | |
| Washer/dryer set | $850 | Budget top-load sets start around $850. Best Buy washer/dryer sets | |
| Front desk | $800 | Mid-range reception counters run 1,300. Ivars Display front counters | |
| Station drawers (storage units, ~4 stations) | $600 | Stainless 3-tier drawer units run 200 each; assumes 4 units. Stainless steel storage drawers |
Facility Subtotal: $18,440
Technology
Website design is covered by the Marketing bundle below (single provider doing logo + website + social) — the line here is just ongoing hosting/domain.
| Item | Monthly Cost | Setup/Annual Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Booking / scheduling software | $79/mo | $0 | MoeGo Salon Basic plan (grooming-specific: scheduling, client/pet records, reminders). MoeGo pricing |
| Point-of-sale system (card reader + software) | $0/mo | $59 hardware | Square Free plan (2.6%+$0.15 per transaction) + Square contactless/chip reader. Square pricing |
| Business phone line (service) | $19.95/mo | — | Ooma Office Essentials, single line. Ooma Office pricing |
| Business desk phone (hardware) | — | $120 | Budget desk IP phones run 300. tech.co VoIP desk phone guide |
| Office printer (all-in-one) | — | $300 | Budget business laser AIO printers run 350. Best business printers 2026 |
| Front desk computer | — | $800 | Business desktop + monitor bundle runs 900. Best business desktop PCs 2026 |
| Website hosting (domain + hosting) | $23/mo | — | Squarespace Basic plan; domain included free in year 1. Squarespace pricing |
| Google Workspace / email (5 accounts) | $35/mo | $420/yr | Business Starter, 8.40/user/mo if paid monthly). Google Workspace pricing |
Technology Subtotal (first year, all-in): 1,279 one-time hardware + $1,883.40 in recurring services (12 mo. of software/phone/hosting/Workspace)
Opening Supplies Inventory
Quantities below assume opening stock of 3 gallons for high-use consumables (shampoo/conditioner) so there’s a backup on hand before a reorder is needed, rather than a single bottle.
| Category | Qty | Estimated Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shampoo (professional concentrate, 1 gal ea) | 3 | $150 | 47–$90/gal. Lillian Ruff Ultra Concentrated Shampoo |
| Conditioner (professional concentrate, 1 gal ea) | 3 | $360 | 100–$150. PetEdge Top Performance Fresh Pet |
| Ear cleaning solution (1 gal) | 1 | $50 | Bark2Basics Ear Cleaner, 1 gal. Groomer’s Choice |
| Styptic powder | 3 | $40 | ~$12.74/unit at 3-unit bulk pricing. eBay listing |
| Grooming wipes (400-ct pack) | 2 | $26 | $12.99/pack of 400 (4×100ct). Pet N Pet |
| Finishing sprays (+ spray bottles/accessories) | 1 | $100 | Finishing spray concentrate runs ~$36/gal, plus bottles/accessories. Best Shot UltraMAX Pro |
| Towels (commercial, grooming-grade) | 1 | $200 | Bulk salon/grooming towels sold by the dozen. Towel Supercenter grooming towels |
| Cone of Shame (assorted recovery cone sizes) | ~5 | $90 | Individual recovery cones run 32 each; assumes ~5 assorted sizes. Petco recovery collars |
| Bandanas and bows (60-pc assorted pack) | 1 | $75 | 60 assorted, 4+ designs, mixed sizes. Bandanas Unlimited |
| Sanitation supplies (disinfectant + gloves) | 1 | $86 | Top Performance 256 disinfectant, 1 gal, 10.09. Walmart disinfectant · DASH Medical gloves |
| Laundry detergent | 1 | $37 | Arm & Hammer 18 lb. HE powder detergent. WebstaurantStore |
Supplies Subtotal: $1,214
Legal and Administrative
| Item | Estimated Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Business entity formation (LLC) | $100 | NH Certificate of Formation filing fee (100/yr. NH Secretary of State |
| Business license and permits | 200 | No state-level general business license or state groomer license in NH. No state sales tax in NH, so no sales tax permit needed. A NH kennel license (RSA 466/437) is only required if boarding dogs overnight — not needed for day grooming only. Some towns require a local business registration (200/yr) — check with the town clerk once a location is picked. |
| General liability insurance (first year) | 800 | Fixed-location groomers average ~768/yr); varies by state/revenue. MoneyGeek dog grooming insurance cost |
| Bailee’s insurance / animal bailee coverage (for animals in care) | 700 | Standard GL excludes “care, custody, and control” — this add-on covers injury/loss/escape of a pet in your care. Insureon groomer insurance cost |
| Accountant / bookkeeping setup | 450 | One-time setup (chart of accounts, bank connections) vs. ongoing monthly bookkeeping (separate, not a startup cost). QuickBooks bookkeeper cost guide |
| Bank account setup | $0 | Free business checking widely available (no minimum balance, no monthly fee). NerdWallet free business checking |
Legal Subtotal: 2,250
Marketing (Launch)
Plan is to have one provider handle logo, website, and social media setup together rather than piecing it out.
| Item | Estimated Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Logo, branding, website & social media setup (single provider) | 4,000 | Two data points: (1) 99designs Silver Brand Identity pack (899) = 2,000–$4,000 for a comparable basic logo+website+social bundle. 99designs Brand Identity pricing · 99designs Website pricing · Branding cost guide |
| Business cards (500) | $50 | Standard cards start at 50 covers 500 with a paper/finish upgrade. Vistaprint business cards |
| Initial social media content (photography, launch posts) | $300 | Small-package branding/product photo session. Photography pricing guide |
| Grand opening promotion | $750 | Simple grand opening (decor, light refreshments, in-store promo) runs 1,000. Fora Financial grand opening guide |
Marketing Subtotal: 5,100
Total Startup Cost Summary
| Category | Low Estimate | High Estimate |
|---|---|---|
| Equipment | $13,677.76 | $13,677.76 |
| Facility | $18,440 | $18,440 |
| Technology (year 1) | $3,162.40 | $3,162.40 |
| Opening Supplies | $1,214 | $1,214 |
| Legal and Administrative | $1,100 | $2,250 |
| Marketing (launch) | $2,900 | $5,100 |
| Working Capital (3 months expenses) | $24,083.34 | $24,245.85 |
| TOTAL | $64,577.50 | $68,090.01 |
Working Capital Basis (monthly operating budget)
Jeremy draws no fixed wage (owner). Kendra is salaried. Additional future staff are paid commission, so they don’t add fixed monthly overhead.
| Monthly Item | Low | High | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent | $2,500 | $2,500 | Per assumption above |
| Utilities (electric, water, gas) | $300 | $300 | ~$2.10/sq ft benchmark for a ~1,200–1,500 sq ft commercial space with wash stations. Cost Analysts commercial utility benchmarks |
| Technology (software/phone/hosting/Workspace) | $156.95 | $156.95 | From Technology section recurring total (excludes one-time hardware) |
| Insurance (GL + bailee, amortized monthly) | $70.83 | $125 | 800/yr GL + 700/yr bailee, ÷12 |
| Kendra’s salary | $5,000 | $5,000 | Salaried, per Jeremy |
| Monthly total | $8,027.78 | $8,081.95 | |
| × 3 months | $24,083.34 | $24,245.85 |
Funding Sources
Fully self-funded — reduced to a single line per Jeremy.
| Source | Amount | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Personal savings | 68,090.01 | Committed | Matches TOTAL startup cost above |
| Total Funding | 68,090.01 |