10/10/2026
Basically, it's hard out there, and being a small business owner is so hard in 2026. It's always been hard being a small business owner, but in today's day and age, it is so hard.
I've been lucky to have the path that Zen Dog Grooming has had. I'm lucky to have the team that I have. I'm lucky to have the support that I have. I'm lucky to have you guys as our clients.
But it's hard.
This gives you a representation of just a small view of what small businesses have had to face, and what we have had to face directly.
We use iGroom, Chris Christensen, Isle of Dogs, Hyrda. This table shows you iGroom and Hydra and the prices that were in 2024 compared to what they are currently in 2026. As you can see, the prices have gone up significantly.
So, I know some of you have questioned, "Why does it cost so much today to get your dog groomed?"
The reality of it is, if I had kept my prices at what they were when I first opened in 2020—$65 a dog—Zen Dog Grooming would no longer exist.
It's just as simple as that.
Between all the bills and just all the other expenses that come with running a small business, we wouldn't exist.
So, I do appreciate the ones who have stuck around. I do appreciate the ones who are still sticking around.
We're not raising our prices so we can make our pockets deeper. We're raising our prices so we can simply keep our lights on.
I just wanted to give a small shout-out to our clients and to my team.
Times are tough, but thank you for staying with Zen Dog Grooming.
