A booking is not completed revenue
Cancellations, no-shows, late handoffs, behavior or coat condition can consume diary time without producing the modeled ticket.
At the assumed 10 completed appointments per trading day and $115.00 realized net yield, this Ohio wage-reference scenario produces $3,250.75 mature monthly EBIT. EBIT break-even is approximately 8.662 completed appointments per trading day. Opening funding is $155,482.63 under the stated ramp and reserve assumptions. These calculations use the fully paid roster; price, activity, premises and other commercial inputs remain planning assumptions.
Planning answer updated . Source periods appear below.
Fixed-site dog grooming salon with three paid groomers and dedicated bathing and client-handoff coverage
State benchmarks: May / July 2025 · Page prepared September 9, 2026
Resolve the proposed grooming use before paying for alterations. Columbus says commercial zoning clearance precedes establishing or changing a use and can be coordinated with building plan review. Confirm the selected parcel, plumbing, animal flow and improvement scope before treating a fitted unit as ready for this salon. The city route supplies a process to apply; it does not quote this opening’s total cost. Columbus commercial zoning clearance · Read the retained Ohio sources and scope.
The mature reference month has a surplus. 10 assumed completed appointments per trading day produce $3,250.75 EBIT and $4,184.08 cash after the modeled maintenance investment. Both include paid work and exclude financing, income taxes and owner distributions. The $155,482.63 opening-funding scenario is separate; a reserve cannot remove an ongoing operating loss.
Resolve the proposed grooming use before paying for alterations. Columbus says commercial zoning clearance precedes establishing or changing a use and can be coordinated with building plan review. Confirm the selected parcel, plumbing, animal flow and improvement scope before treating a fitted unit as ready for this salon. The city route supplies a process to apply; it does not quote this opening’s total cost. Columbus commercial zoning clearance · Read the retained Ohio sources and scope.
The May 2025 Ohio Animal Caretakers median is $14.57 per hour. Applied to the page’s full paid roster, state occupation benchmarks produce $13,203.92 monthly payroll, $2,202.16 lower than the same national-wage roster ($15,406.08), including the assumed 18% employer allowance. BLS state May 2025, SOC 39-2021, H_MEDIAN, row 25387. Use this comparison to obtain role-specific hiring terms and employer charges; it does not price rent or demonstrate customer demand.
With the same realized yield, costs and paid roster, 208 completed grooming appointments in a modeled month produce $12.35 EBIT; 207 leave −$88.85 EBIT. The first figure averages approximately 8.667 per operating day. Schedule whole completions within each day’s resource limits. The separate mature cash-after-maintenance boundary is 199 completed grooming appointments per month, before financing and income taxes; it does not establish launch payback.
Rounded break-even values elsewhere on this page are estimates. The conditional whole-unit tests here use the full unrounded inputs. EBITDA excludes depreciation and maintenance investment; EBIT includes depreciation; cash after maintenance deducts maintenance investment and is not owner income.
The three groomers supply 576 paid hours over 24 trading days, with 432 assumed productive hours; the separate bather and handoff role adds 192 paid support hours. The authored 30% bath-and-brush, 50% standard and 20% long-groom mix uses 1.45 groomer-hours per completion. Ten appointments use 14.5 productive groomer-hours a day. Twelve use 17.4 of 18; a thirteenth needs 18.85. This checks groomer time only. Time bathing, drying, safe holding, table occupancy, cleanup, dog-condition checks, pickup and expected rework against support and equipment before accepting the 12-appointment ceiling.
| Change from reference | Monthly EBIT | Held-constant scope |
|---|---|---|
| 20% fewer paid activity units | −$1,606.85 | Assumed activity falls; yield and the paid roster remain unchanged. |
| 25% higher full occupancy cost | $2,375.75 | Complete occupancy changes; refundable opening deposits also change in the full calculator. |
| 10% higher wage rates | $1,930.36 | Every paid role changes together; hours and the employer allowance remain unchanged. |
20% fewer paid activity units gives the lowest EBIT among these three tests: −$1,606.85. These differently sized tests are sensitivities, not a probability range or an exhaustive risk ranking. A result reverses when realized contribution no longer covers the stated paid costs; validate the selling unit and every binding resource before accepting extra volume.
Next validation action: Test the accepted dog and coat mix through bath, dry, groom, holding and pickup; record paid completions, rebooking, refunds and recovery time before increasing the diary. Observed wage and population records keep their source periods; the rent, selling yield, opening allowances, employer load and sales ramp remain disclosed assumptions unless a separately scoped observation says otherwise. Inspect this page’s exact sources and limits · Read the shared business format.
Published research and calculations support business planning and education. They are not personalized financial, investment, tax or legal advice, and they do not guarantee costs, revenue, profit or financing. Estimates depend on the stated format, location, source periods and assumptions. Check the requirements and commitments that apply to your circumstances.
This evidence adds business-specific employer-sector data, county reference points, occupational wage context and selected official rules to the published planning scenario. The 2023 County Business Patterns extract reports 844 employer establishments and 6,358 employees in NAICS 812910 for Ohio. Nationally, the same file reports 25,551 employer establishments and 175,116 employees.
| County | Research use | Employer establishments | Employees | Employment / payroll flag |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Franklin County | Large-market stratum | 94 | 1,109 | G / G |
| Lucas County | Mid-sized-market stratum | 32 | 226 | H / G |
| Allen County | Smaller-market stratum | 7 | 33 | H / H |
CBP and Economic Census cover the broader pet-care industry. County strata organize evidence collection and are not demand rankings or automatic state weights. G and H are retained Census disclosure/noise flags; the Allen County cell is especially small. The 2022 Economic Census reports 813 establishments and $294,361,000 of employer receipts in the same broad industry, an arithmetic $362,068 per establishment. That mean is not a median salon result or a startup forecast.
| Geography | 25th percentile | Median | 75th percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ohio | $13.70 | $14.57 | $17.46 |
| United States · cross-industry | $14.34 | $17.00 | $19.26 |
| United States · adjacent NAICS 812900 | $14.16 | $16.92 | $18.56 |
Animal Caretakers includes groomers and workers in kennels, shelters, pet stores and other settings. It is not a skilled-groomer hiring quote, commission plan or NAICS 812910 wage. The May 2025 BLS query returned no exact NAICS 812910 industry row. NAICS 812900 is the closest published national aggregation found, but it is broader and is not a pet-grooming-specific wage series.
| Decision input | Captured finding | Applied to the published calculation? |
|---|---|---|
| Ohio wage floor | Ohio's 2026 non-tipped minimum is $11.00 per hour for employers with gross receipts of at least $405,000; the poster identifies the federal $7.25 floor for smaller employers subject to coverage. | Context only; the published calculation uses the May 2025 OEWS state median. |
| Workers' compensation | Ohio law reaches a private business regularly employing one or more people and generally requires state-fund premiums unless the employer qualifies to self-insure. | Not applied; the salon needs an Ohio BWC classification and quote. |
| Columbus commercial zoning | Columbus requires commercial zoning clearance before establishing or changing a use and often coordinates it with building review. | Not applied; a parcel-specific use decision, improvement scope and fees remain missing. |
| Toledo grooming use category | Toledo's code distinguishes pet sales, grooming and daytime care without overnight boarding; city guidance requires site zoning and possible occupancy review. | Not applied; verify later amendments and the exact parcel. |
The collection contains 2 potentially useful or partial direct pages across 2 of the three selected strata and 0 standardized same-dog quotes. Selected-strata evidence is sparse and inconsistent; useful menus outside Franklin, Lucas and Allen counties cannot substitute for the approved frame. Starting prices, broad ranges and chain pages do not establish a realized state ticket.
| Item | Quantity | Unit price | Subtotal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Professional X electric grooming table | 4 | $1,199 | $4,796 |
| Electric lift fiberglass tub | 2 | $2,999 | $5,998 |
| Aeolian Pro forced-air dryer | 4 | $299 | $1,196 |
| Wall finishing dryer | 1 | $999 | $999 |
| Rolling cage bank | 1 | $5,050 | $5,050 |
| Named equipment subtotal | $18,039 |
This is a sourced subtotal for the named equipment only. It excludes freight, tax, installation, plumbing, electrical work, hot water, drainage, ventilation, waterproof finishes, laundry, hand tools, POS hardware, deposits, permits, insurance, opening inventory, marketing and working capital. It is not the cost to open a salon.
This separate case uses four paid groomers with 7 productive service hours per groomer per open day, 26 open days per month, 90% booked utilization and a 94% completion rate. Its inputs do not replace the site's published three-groomer-plus-bather reference.
| Service | Mix | Net price before sales tax | Groomer hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bath and brush | 35% | $55.00 | 1.25 |
| Standard full groom | 55% | $90.00 | 2 |
| Premium or doodle full groom | 10% | $135.00 | 2.75 |
The weighted case produces a $86.75 realized appointment-revenue input, 13.07 completed appointments per open day, 339.8 per month and $29,478 monthly service revenue before sales tax.
The published reference remains Three groomers plus dedicated bathing, cleaning and client-handoff coverage, a $115.00 realized ticket, 10 completed appointments per trading day and 24 trading days per month. The table below displays the calculation passed to this renderer. The Ohio column uses the May 2025 state Animal Caretaker median; the comparison holds the site's authored commercial assumptions constant and uses the national wage observation.
| Measure | Ohio wage result | National-wage comparison | State minus national |
|---|---|---|---|
| Loaded payroll per month | $13,204 | $15,406 | -$2,202 |
| Mature monthly EBIT | $3,251 | $1,049 | $2,202 |
| EBIT break-even appointments per trading day | 8.66 | 9.57 | -0.91 |
| Reference funding scenario | $155,483 | $169,418 | -$13,935 |
The published calculation also uses an authored 18% employer-cost allowance rather than a line-by-line Ohio payroll build. This calculation isolates the effect of the state wage benchmark; the other inputs remain published planning assumptions to verify for a specific location.
Methodology: State Research Methodology v1 · SHA-256 070630227e550d1c97452d0b1e5cb807e85119cea7227775336507657e6097dd.
County Business Patterns: 2023, United States file. Observation period: 2023. Retrieved 2026-09-09. NAICS 812910, LFO '-'.
County Business Patterns: 2023, state file. Observation period: 2023. Retrieved 2026-09-09. NAICS 812910, LFO '-', FIPSTATE 06, 48 and 39.
County Business Patterns: 2023, county file. Observation period: 2023. Retrieved 2026-09-09. NAICS 812910 selected county rows; establishment, employment, payroll and disclosure/noise fields retained.
2022 Economic Census basic file. Observation period: 2022. Retrieved 2026-09-09. NAICS 812910, all establishments, United States and states 06, 48 and 39.
Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Observation period: May 2025. Retrieved 2026-09-09. Cross-industry state tables, occupation 39-2021 Animal Caretakers; exact NAICS 812910 industry row was unavailable.
OEWS industry and occupation query. Observation period: May 2025. Retrieved 2026-09-09. National occupation 39-2021 in NAICS 812900; the exact NAICS 812910 query returned no row.
Grooming salon equipment and packages. Observation period: Live listed prices on September 9, 2026. Retrieved 2026-09-09.
2026 minimum wage poster. Observation period: Effective January 1, 2026. Retrieved 2026-09-09.
Ohio Revised Code Section 4123.01. Observation period: Current code. Retrieved 2026-09-09.
Ohio Revised Code Section 4123.35. Observation period: Current code. Retrieved 2026-09-09.
Commercial zoning clearance. Observation period: Current guidance. Retrieved 2026-09-09.
Toledo Zoning Code. Observation period: Compilation dated April 26, 2022. Retrieved 2026-09-09.
How to do business in the city. Observation period: Current guidance. Retrieved 2026-09-09.
Grooming menu. Observation period: Live page; partial scope only. Retrieved 2026-09-09.
Amenities and rates. Observation period: No current effective date shown; excluded until confirmed. Retrieved 2026-09-09.
Lima grooming location page. Observation period: Live chain starting-price page; excluded from comparable local sample. Retrieved 2026-09-09.
This completed planning profile combines checked state wage and population sources with a transparent financial scenario. Use its opening-cost, operating-cost and revenue figures as planning inputs, then replace location-sensitive assumptions when evaluating a specific address or service area.
| Evidence family | Published basis | What to confirm locally |
|---|---|---|
| Opening costs | Published planning inputs — replace with local quotes | premises scope, fitout, equipment, installation freight tax, deposits, preopening training, opening inventory, contingency |
| Operating costs | Published planning inputs — replace with local quotes | occupancy, utilities, insurance, materials, payment fees, marketing, software administration, maintenance |
| Paid labor and employer costs | State wage benchmark used — confirm employer costs | paid roster, wages, wage floor overtime, employer taxes, benefits leave, workers compensation, owner role |
| Revenue and collections | Published planning inputs — validate price and demand locally | realized price mix, demand volume, capacity, industry cross check, launch ramp, seasonality, collections |
| Permissions and fees | Confirm for the selected address | activity address jurisdiction, initial fees, recurring fees |
National equipment prices can support the plan where configuration, delivery and taxes match the intended purchase. Confirm rent, selling prices, demand and permissions for the actual location instead of applying a generic state adjustment.
The Census estimate for Ohio is 11,900,510 people. It grew by 39,889 between July 2024 and July 2025 (+0.34%). This statewide movement cannot identify a viable catchment, completed-appointment mix or realized service ticket.
Using the same paid roster, Ohio occupational wages produce $13,204 of monthly loaded payroll. That is −14.29% relative to the identical roster priced with national occupation medians ($15,406). Only wage benchmarks change in this comparison; it does not measure a state’s overall business attractiveness.
BLS wage source · Census population source · Exact fields and workbook rows

Fixed-site dog grooming salon with three paid groomers and dedicated bathing and client-handoff coverage. A leased neighborhood dog grooming salon with a defined bath-and-groom service mix, three paid groomers and separate bathing, cleaning and client-handoff coverage.
Three groomers × 8 paid hours × 75% productive appointment time ÷ 1.45 weighted groomer-hours per completed appointment supports 12 whole appointments per day after conservative rounding. The authored mix is 30% bath-and-brush at 1 groomer-hour, 50% standard full grooms at 1.5 hours and 20% long full grooms at 2 hours. Bathing, drying, safe holding, cleaning, dog behavior, late handoffs and the actual diary can reduce this ceiling.
| Input | Reference assumption |
|---|---|
| completed appointments per trading day | 10 |
| Net selling price per completed appointment | $115.00 |
| Trading days / month | 24 |
| Variable cost share | 12% |
| Occupancy / month | $3,500 |
| Other fixed costs / month | $3,000 |
| Employer cost allowance | 18% above base wages |
6% shampoos, conditioners, blade care, bows and other appointment consumables plus 4% payment processing and 2% variable laundry and rework allowance; employee compensation remains in payroll. Utilities and fixed laundry service $900; insurance $450; marketing $600; scheduling, communications and administration $550; cleaning, waste, pest control and professional costs $500 per month. Maintenance investment is modeled separately at $400 per month.
| Role / SOC | Paid hours / month | Wage benchmark / hour | P25–P75 / hour | Base wages / month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Three groomers, including lead and appointment coordination39-2021 · Animal Caretakers · State observation | 576 | $14.57 | $13.70–$17.46 | $8,392 |
| Bathing, cleaning and client-handoff coverage39-2021 · Animal Caretakers · State observation | 192 | $14.57 | $13.70–$17.46 | $2,797 |
Base wages total $11,190 per month. An authored 18% allowance for employer costs adds $2,014, giving $13,204 of loaded payroll. The allowance is a planning shortcut; it is not a state-specific payroll tax calculation or benefits quote for Ohio.
Animal Caretakers is a broad occupational benchmark that includes pet groomers as well as workers in kennels, shelters, pet stores and other animal-care settings. It does not establish a groomer hiring quote, skill premium, commission plan or lawful compensation arrangement. All groomer, bathing, cleaning and client-handoff work is paid in the reference roster, including the owner-lead role. Every operating role is paid, including management or supervision. If the owner performs a modeled role, their compensation occupies that role once; no additional owner draw is included in operating profit.
The middle 50% wage interval describes the occupation’s observed wage distribution. It is not a confidence interval for this business’s total payroll. Allocate the aggregate hours across an actual roster and check wage rules, overtime, leave and employer obligations for the chosen location.
| Use of funds | Cash paid |
|---|---|
| Water-resistant fit-out, plumbing, electrical and ventilation allowance | $38,000 |
| Tubs, dryers, grooming tables, clippers and salon equipment | $32,000 |
| Safe holding, laundry, POS, security and furnishings | $10,000 |
| Professional and setup allowance | $5,000 |
| Opening shampoos, consumables and protective supplies | $2,000 |
| Refundable deposit (two months of occupancy) | $7,000 |
| Paid pre-opening training | $1,650 |
| Total payments before opening | $95,650 |
The equipment and premises allowances are the same in all 50 states for this operating format. They are a comparison baseline and must be replaced with local scopes and quotes. Training uses 96 aggregate paid hours at the modeled team’s weighted loaded rate. The refundable deposit is cash tied up, not an operating expense.
The cash schedule tests 60 months, with sales ramping through 40%, 55%, 70%, 82%, 90%, 96%, 100% of the volume assumption. Full payroll and fixed costs begin in month one. The reserve covers the deepest cumulative operating deficit plus the stated buffer. A buffer is retained cash, not spending and not part of project payback twice.
The reference assumes card or cash payment at client pickup within the service day. Deposits, cancellation charges, refunds, chargebacks and delayed commercial accounts need a separate collection policy and cash schedule. Opening consumables are funded upfront; replenishment is represented in variable expenses. Asset purchases are depreciated over 60 months for this scenario. No sale or deposit recovery is assumed at the end.
At the assumed 10 completed appointments per trading day, the reference scenario produces $3,251 of mature monthly EBIT, a 11.8% operating margin. Its continuous EBIT threshold is approximately 8.7 completed appointments per trading day for EBIT break-even. This result depends on unverified selling price, demand and premises inputs.
| Measure | Monthly amount |
|---|---|
| Revenue | $27,600 |
| Variable operating costs | $3,312 |
| Loaded payroll, including management | $13,204 |
| Occupancy assumption | $3,500 |
| Other fixed operating costs | $3,000 |
| EBITDA | $4,584 |
| Depreciation | $1,333 |
| Operating profit (EBIT) | $3,251 |
| Maintenance capital expenditure | $400 |
| Mature project cash flow | $4,184 |
EBIT break-even revenue is $23,906 per month: $21,037 of fixed costs plus depreciation divided by a 88% contribution margin. At $115.00 per completed appointment, that is approximately 8.7 completed appointments per trading day and 72.2% of the stated capacity.
| Measure | Months 1–12 | Mature month |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $285,108 | $27,600 |
| Operating profit (EBIT) | -$1,552 | $3,251 |
| Project cash flow | $9,648 | $4,184 |
Project payback occurs in month 33 in this reference schedule. It measures recovery of actual pre-opening payments from cumulative project cash, with no financing or owner distributions. It does not measure cash paid back to an owner.
Cancellations, no-shows, late handoffs, behavior or coat condition can consume diary time without producing the modeled ticket.
Large, high-coat or behavior-sensitive dogs can raise the ticket while using more groomer, bath, dry and cleanup time.
Change the assumptions to see how this format responds. The sections above remain the published reference, so you can compare your scenario with the original. Use the browser-local export buttons below to save only the scenario you are working on.
Reference scenario. JavaScript enables editing and exports.
240 completed appointments per month × $115.00 = $27,600 revenue. Loaded payroll: $13,204 per month. Break-even uses 72.2% of capacity.
The download preserves the published scenario and its source references.
Describe the fixed-site dog-only service menu, staff arrangements, controlled intake and holding, bathing, drying, grooming, sanitation, laundry, water, drainage, ventilation, power, waste, noise and operating hours. Ask the relevant agencies and address-level authorities which business, animal-service, land-use, building, fire, plumbing, wastewater, accessibility and other reviews apply.
| Workstream | Official starting points | What to ask |
|---|---|---|
| Business and activity | Which entity, name or activity registrations apply, and which local or specialist office also has responsibility? | |
| Tax | Which registrations and treatment apply to the actual goods or services, location and staffing arrangements? | |
| Employers | Which employer accounts, reporting steps and labor obligations apply to the planned paid roster? |
Take the activity, address, proposed equipment and staffing plan to the relevant office. Record applicability, supporting documents, fees, dependencies and renewal terms from the actual official response.
Agency routes were listed on the IRS Ohio directory when retrieved September 5, 2026. Links identify starting offices; they do not verify a permit, tax treatment, fee or opening time for this business. Open the full Ohio opening checklist →
Confirm permitted use, occupancy, plumbing, hot water, drainage, ventilation, noise, sanitation, accessibility and animal-service requirements for the address. Trace each dog from controlled handoff through bath, dry, groom, safe holding and pickup before signing.
Obtain configuration-specific quotes for tubs, dryers, tables, electrical loads, laundry, storage and installation. Define accepted dogs, behavior and condition screening, vaccination or record policy, emergency escalation and excluded veterinary work.
Time the service mix, match paid groomer and support hours to the appointment book, and test cancellation and pickup rules. Fund payroll and fixed premises costs while a repeat book is built rather than treating the physical station count as demand.
Water, drainage, electrical load, ventilation, noise, sanitation, holding and dog circulation need address-level verification before the lease or installation commitment.
For a selected address or service area, collect an evidence pack covering premises and equipment quotes, paid demand, staffing, collection terms and the responsible authorities. The state wage and population evidence on this page does not supply those location-specific inputs.
State: Ohio, FIPS 39. Cross-industry, ownership 1235. H_MEDIAN supplies an available hourly benchmark; H_PCT25 and H_PCT75 describe the occupational distribution. 39-2021 (Animal Caretakers), state workbook row 25387; 39-2021 (Animal Caretakers), state workbook row 25387. Retrieved September 5, 2026.
The national comparison uses the same paid roster and these national H_MEDIAN observations: 39-2021, national workbook row 742; 39-2021, national workbook row 742. Any national value substituted for a suppressed state value is identified separately. National observations do not become state observations.
SUMLEV 040; STATE 39; POPESTIMATE2025 and POPESTIMATE2024. July 1 estimates; change and percentage change are calculated within the same vintage. Population is context, not a customer forecast.
OEWS covers employee jobs across industries. It is a statistical benchmark, not a hiring quote or legal wage floor. Employer benefits and overtime premiums are outside the wage measure; tips can be included.
An official route to the state government and major agencies. This directory does not confirm the fees, permits or approval times for a particular address or business.
All selling prices, demand, paid hours, employer allowance, premises, startup allowances, cost shares, ramp and cash buffer are authored planning inputs. No commercial quote or researched state total is implied.
The stated operating format and paid roster define the scenario. Wage and population observations keep their geography and period. Replace commercial assumptions only with evidence that matches the scope, then reconcile the same inputs across earnings, cash and the delivery schedule.
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