Booth Rental

Booth rental is a business arrangement popular in both human salons and dog grooming salons. Under this model, the groomer pays the salon owner a fixed weekly or monthly fee (typically $200-$800/month depending on the market) to use a grooming station, tub, dryer, and kennel space within the salon. In exchange, the groomer operates as a fully independent business — setting their own prices, managing their own schedule, keeping all revenue from their services, and building their own client base.

Booth rental is attractive to experienced groomers who have built a loyal client following and want to earn more than commission allows without the overhead and risk of opening their own salon. A groomer who generates $8,000/month in revenue and pays $500/month in booth rent keeps $7,500 before supplies and taxes — significantly more than the $4,000 they would earn at 50% commission on the same revenue.

However, booth rental carries risks. The groomer is entirely responsible for their own client acquisition, scheduling, supplies, insurance, taxes, and business administration. If they get sick or go on vacation, there is no income. They must carry their own liability insurance. And the arrangement is only profitable if they have enough clients to cover the fixed rent plus expenses. Booth rental is rarely a good fit for new groomers who do not yet have a client base.