Written by Jessica Clark
www.myclarkplace.com
*Note: This was written and posted on Groomies prior to Hershey 2023, BUT still good info for any 1st-Time Show Goers!*
I get so many excited messages from groomers who are about to attend their first grooming expos. The questions vary, but there are a few that really come up a lot:
What sort of deals should I expect at the show?
What booths should I go to first?
Will there be sharpening at the show?
What should I buy?
What classes should I take?
While some of my answers are opinion-based, I always give my reasoning as objectively as possible. In other words, my opinion on what brands are best will be followed by fact-based reasoning. I urge you to form your own opinions as well, and consider this just a guideline for how to choose products and services on your own.
Show Deals & What Booths To Go To First (my method to the madness)
Most of the vendors know what they are going to run deals and specials on far before the show begins. They create flyers, they run contests, they do social-media challenges for prizes, and everyone is trying to create the most show-stopping deal which usually is achievable through product bundling. The only downside to show deals is the buyer’s remorse you feel after purchasing something that you see for $100+ less at another booth 15 minutes later. For this reason, planning is key. You want every purchase to be deliberate. Fight impulsivity! To create a plan:
First make a list of items on your wish list for your salon. This should always be the first step because if you do the steps out of order, you may want to add items based on what vendors will be at the show. Trust me, go after the items you know you need first.
Once you have a list of items, look online and price what the going rates are for these items so you can establish a realistic budget.
Now, look up the floor plan for the expo to see what vendors will be where. If there are vendors you don’t know much about, now is a good time to research the brands or ask online. You can see if they have websites with show flyers or upcoming deals, etc. Ask on social media who has used these retailers or service providers. Most everyone has brand ambassadors and loyal customers who will jump in and say something. There are also always the folks who have had negative experiences, so listen to what everyone has to say. I am confident if someone asked about me, I would have lots of shining reviews, but there would be a few naysayers as well. It is to be expected, and it haunts me, but it happens.
Once you have researched the vendors you want to check out make a checklist of those booths. Your first expo will be a lot to take in. You will see gorgeous competition dogs, grooming gods and goddesses roaming around talking and taking pictures with people, crowds, vendors with huge gorgeous displays, shiny brand new grooming tools, freebies (always get the samples and booth freebies!), flyers (take any flyer handed to you!), demos happening at booths, oh and you have to remember to make it to your classes between shopping ventures. So yes, make a list of the booths you want to make it to!
Now, the hardest part for me is discipline. Even if you KNOW you see the deal for you, make a full loop to make sure before you buy anything. This will help you avoid that remorse of missing a great deal elsewhere. Make it to those booths you wanted to stop by, and don’t overlook the booths you may not be familiar with. Cross reference your initial list of items needed for your salon/groom station, and write down which booths have the best deals on the items you need. (Having show flyers ahead of time can make this a speedier process, but still make a loop!)
Remember, when we as vendors prepare for these shows, we are buying enough inventory to meet the demands of the expo based on previous years’ sales and attendees. With that in mind, hot deals can sometimes sell fast. Also, keep in mind, there are amazing vendors for this upcoming Hershey Expo that stock mostly handmade/homemade inventory. Jessica of Vanity Fur prepares most of her items at home from her living room, and I picture my dear friend, Amanda of Celtic K9, has lived by her sewing machine preparing inventory day and night for this. These are 2 amazing vendors I expect to sell out at the show! And it definitely isn’t for lack of inventory; it is just good, creative stuff!
Once you find the best deals on your listed items, verify they are quality (see what to buy below), and make your final shopping loop to get your items! In many cases, you will have money left over in your budget, so now you can go back and buy the extra items you learned you want from your initial loop around the vendor booths!
Sharpening
Sharpening at the shows can be a mixed bag. There will be some folks who show up and primarily they are just there to sharpen. Others are retailers who will sharpen after hours to try having orders done before the show ends. (That is right. Team No-Sleep.) There are other sharpeners at the shows retailing who collect all of the sharpening at the show and mail it back when it is completed. GSH (Groomer Supply House) is at nearly every show and expo these days. I am a part of this group, so I am admittedly biased, but I can say I trust each sharpener that makes up this team. Everything is done right, and if you are unpleased for whatever reason, each sharpener will do what it takes to make sure you are pleased. Unfortunately at Hershey, the GSH booth will only be offering retail, not sharpening. At the upcoming Fun In The Sun Show in Florida, however, GSH will offer sharpening through Lance Hayner, owner of Sharpies Sharpening based near Disney in Florida. So if you are going from show to show, and sharpening will be needed soon, bring it to Fun in The Sun!
Obviously you can choose whatever sharpener you want, but always ask for their contact information in case anything doesn’t cut right or has an issue. Also, ask them what their policy is on reworking or fixing items that may not be to your liking. It never hurts to take a picture of your tools before sharpening as a safeguard for yourself. You better believe anything I am receiving in my shop, I take a before picture as well. Having pictures of your tools before using a new sharpener just in case anything goes wrong is totally acceptable. Also, I recommend if anything goes wrong to have the courtesy to reach out to the sharpener about resolving the issues before blasting them on social media. I groomed over a decade, and I understand the rage I have felt after having my tools jacked up, but have some grace. Remember, these sharpeners’ businesses are feeding their families, and mistakes happen. Give them a chance to fix it before you wreck their business.
Also, please don’t throw away anything you believe a sharpener has ruined. A lot of folks have a bad experience and never want to reach out to the sharpener again so they throw out their “ruined” tools. I have convinced groomers to give me a chance to fix their ruined stuff before, and I am able to get it back to cutting great. I am totally here to help, but I will always recommend reaching out to the initial sharpener so you can save money and have it fixed by them.
What Should I Buy?
I think it is easier to say what you should not buy. Do not buy junk. You want to buy tools that will last you in the long run! For dryers, electric tables and tubs, clippers, etc, you want to be completely sure you can get repair parts as needed for these items. You would be surprised at the clippers I have seen folks get and blade drives/levers are almost impossible to find. Or when groomers spend $1000+ on a grooming table, and then they are unable to get parts on it to do repairs. That means they have to buy a whole new table or rig something up. Another common money pit I see is when groomers choose to save money buying a cheaper dryer. You will never find motor brushes for those dryers. Even some of the bigger brands will tell you they never have motor brushes or motors in stock. I can tell you, spend the extra money to get the dryer with available maintenance and repair parts. You will save money in the long run. While I do not want to bash any brands, the brands that I do trust are Aeolus, K9, Sullivans, Double K, and Metrovac. If you are on the market for a dryer, ask first where you can get motor brushes for the dryer you are interested in. Ask who services the dryers. If you cannot tell, I am so tired of seeing my dog grooming friends bring me dryers that I cannot get any parts for. I hate seeing people get ripped off, and that is a total rip!
Also, always ask what the warranty plans are, and make sure you are using the tools as they are designed to be used. Warranty stipulations will vary and sometimes it can be tricky to navigate as a consumer. A limited warranty may deny claims made for items showing evidence of misuse. Be sure to understand what is covered by your warranty. I know Wahl offers a 5-year warranty on clippers, and that is pretty iron-clad. Andis, Aeolus, and Heiniger have 1-year warranties. Also note, a manufacturer warranty means even if you buy your item from me or another vendor, you can still utilize the warranty through the manufacturer.
If you are looking at shears, 440C and VG-10 are the best metals for shears. You are likely to find this quality with Groomer Supply House, AGS, Zolitta, Kenchii, Geib, and Utsumi to list a few of my favorites. I also strongly recommend sticking to standard metal finish. Even with the top brands, I see the lowest quality and worst manufacturing on the colorful, “blingy” shears.
There are shears manufacturers who see sharpeners encouraging groomers to look for 440C or better metals, so they simply stamp 440C on them. Another common thing you see is Japanese Steel stamped on everything. There are so many quality shears meeting various price points! Look for the known brands. Find sales representatives who know what they are talking about when they talk shears with you. I know at the Groomer Supply House booths, you will often see the sharpeners and the competition groomers & ambassadors at the booth. This allows you to hear about the shear quality and details perhaps only the sharpener would pay close attention to, AND you get to hear the groomers telling you what is awesome about each shear as far as use and what coats it does the best on. Another big perk is the Groomer Supply House booth usually has some sort of maintenance class as well just to teach you more about your tools and how to best care for them. Even if you think you know all there is to know, tune in from time to time to these maintenance classes. Much like grooming, these practices evolve as the tools evolve.
If you are planning to shop products such as shampoos, conditioners, colognes, etc, be sure to ask if there are Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) available. Many groomers are beginning to carry these in their salons for products. It is especially important to know how to quickly respond to any product-related incidents when we have people’s beloved pets in our care. While MSDS are not mandatory in salons, they are an additional way to safeguard your facility by being well-prepared.
Classes
I recommend trying to take as many classes as possible. I strongly believe the best way to combat burnout is continued education. That said, pick things that are going to be important to you. Pick classes that will match the clientele that you want to attract. The only exception to this is I recommend everyone take a difficult dog class. These classes help you take extra considerations and be more mindful of the dogs you groom in general as well as teaching you how to handle those that can be extremely challenging and reactive. One of my favorite groomers that I mentor is taking hand-stripping this year at Hershey. I am so excited for her because she owns a giant schnauzer, aspires to compete in the future, and wants to offer hand-stripping services here in Mississippi.
Pick what you are passionate about, and I will never judge you about what classes you take or don’t take. I am here to cheer you on as you pursue your passion.
I hope everyone attending the upcoming expos has fun, learns bunches, and gets to travel home with suitcases of cool stuff! I wish I could be there, but I have a local livestock show I am sharpening for. I cannot let my local 4H kids down by not showing up to cheer them on. That said, please visit the Groomer Supply House, Celtic K9, All For Groomers, and Vanity Fur booths! Get pictures, and tag me so I can feel like I am there too!