WATERLOO — Kaitlyn Reyerson is bringing the amenities of a dog grooming spa to the comfort of Cedar Valley homes with her new business, Lovely Pups Mobile Grooming Spa.
“Ideally, it’s going to be a huge deal for these dogs’ comfort,” Reyerson said.
Reyerson lives with her husband, two sons and two dogs in Waterloo where her business on wheels sits parked in her driveway. Her official opening Saturday made it the first mobile pet grooming business in the area.
Working at Petco and now Shaggy Chic Grooming Boutique in Waterloo has given her seven years of experience with dog grooming. Reyerson will continue to work at the grooming boutique along with Lovely Pups.
With an itch for travel as well, she has combined the two passions into the furnished trailer. Reyerson will work from the mobile business, which she foresees providing flexibility and convenience for her customers. She will travel with her equipment to client’s homes, greet the dog and give them a bath, blow dry, haircut and nail trim in the trailer. Clients won’t necessarily need to be home and because of that Reyerson seeks to establish trust with prospective clients.
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“I am going to build a relationship with them (pets),” Reyerson said.
She views the service as similar to the common services of housekeeper or dog walkers, but in order to begin building that trust she will do in home consultations. She also hopes to meet the dog first, which is not typical for most mobile groomers.
Inside the trailer, purple paint covers walls barely wide enough for two people and a tub big enough for a 60-pound dog, a table and a storage cabinet fit neatly inside. In black cursive, “Lovely Pups” is scrawled on the white trailer. Reyerson decided on the name years ago when she first had the idea for the business.
“I just like the word ‘lovely.’ Yea, and I imagined it in my brain in cursive … there’s no like good explanation for that,” Reyerson laughed.
The idea has sat in the back of Reyerson’s mind for years, but it wasn’t until last October it began to take shape. The idea was not feasible for her at first since her youngest son was not yet in school, but now that he will be in kindergarten, Reyerson has the whole day to work.
“I just felt stagnant, like I was doing the same thing — and I’m 30 — so I really felt like I needed to do something,” Reyerson said.
The first step in her plan was to gather funds for her business. Months of reading and researching business, Reyerson created a budget and a plan. She then began reaching out to everyone from family and friends to the Small Business Development Center at the University of Northern Iowa.
“For the most part I just have my big notebook and my planner and lots of notes,” Reyerson said.
Reyerson anticipated purchasing an RV, but then decided on a trailer from Cross Trailers in Indiana. The cost for the entire project fell around $11,000, but now Reyerson has insurance and a trailer equipped with electrical, plumbing, heating and air conditioning.
When she tried to get the vehicle covered, insurance companies didn’t know how to insure a mobile business.
“All of this comes with being a brand new business to the Cedar Valley,” Reyerson said.
Reyerson said her prices are about $15 to $30 more than what you would pay in a shop, “which is a big deal and it becomes sticker shock for people.”
Her prices are based of services at Shaggy Chic, but will vary depending on the type of dog and what services are provided. Reyerson said the convenience of having her pull into your driveway makes the extra cost of driving to a shop about even.
Reyerson anticipates a lot of work in trying to get a client base, especially since it’s a service most people have never heard of.
“People are scared of change,” Reyerson said, “especially with something as sensitive as their pets.”
Despite this, Reyerson is excited to see where this leads in the future.
“I can’t wait to see the rewards … it’s gonna be amazing,” Reyerson said. “I can’t wait.”
To make an appointment, visit her Facebook page at Lovely Pups Mobile Grooming or call 243-8660.