Community and teamwork spell success for N.J. pet grooming business

Kristine Karanikitas has always loved animals, so she combined her passion and a degree in veterinary technology to launch the Hillsdale, N.J.-based pet grooming salon Reigning Cats & Dogs. To build her entrepreneurial dream into a thriving business, she leans on her true affection for the animals she serves, the community they come from, and the team that makes it all possible.

“I am lucky because I’ve been able to turn my genuine passion into a business,” Karanikitas says. “I could not have done it without my amazing community and team.”

Now in its 26th year, the salon is being honored by Jersey Shops, a program co-sponsored by Citizens and the New Jersey Devils to spotlight New Jersey-based businesses.

Karanikitas recently shared details of her experience as a successful New Jersey entrepreneur and provided tips for running a small business.

Tip: Connect to your community

As a pet lover, Karanikitas knows that the animals she cares for are valued family members to her customers. When she opened Reigning Cats & Dogs, she looked for ways to communicate how much she cares about each pet she works with.

She accomplishes this, in part, by providing visibility into each pet’s salon experience. “The grooming area is completely visible to anyone who walks in,” she says. “We want customers to be comfortable that their family member is being well cared for.”

An active social media presence also helps to establish and maintain closeness with her client community. The salon shares a photo of every groomed dog on Facebook and posts birthday greetings to all of its four-legged patrons on Instagram.

Giving back to a broad-based community, outside of her customers, is also important to Karanikitas. Reigning Cats & Dogs regularly donates gift certificates to local nonprofit fundraising events and provides free grooming for dogs that are up for adoption. The salon also promotes the animals looking for their forever families on social media. “All of my own dogs have been rescues,” she says. “I want to help all of the wonderful animals up for adoption find good homes.”

The salon is also committed to serving families with dogs of all sizes and long-haired cats. Many salons don’t work on long-haired cats, and they only groom dogs that are 25 pounds or less — something many pet parents don’t know when they adopt an animal. She also offers specialized services, for example, watching pets when customers are moving or dealing with life events such as funerals. Many customers are incredibly grateful for these specialized offerings, and the goodwill generated has a positive impact on the salon.

“The majority of our customers come in through word of mouth,” Karanikitas says. “So, giving back to the community is a central part of our business.”

Bottom line

Community connections are important for business and for giving back to the people who support you. Identify what matters most to your customers, outside of what you sell, and build relationships by serving those needs. When it comes to giving back to the broader community, identify a cause that benefits your customer base, something you care about, or an initiative that matters to your team.

Tip: Create a strong team

Reigning Cats & Dogs currently has a staff of 18 and Karanikitas says she develops her team with a combination of training and careful nurturing of a positive company culture.

The team has a strong foundation too. Karanikitas’ late father, an experienced entrepreneur, helped her start the salon, her sister manages social media, and her best friend from kindergarten is the manager.

Karanikitas has steadily expanded on her core team over the years by hiring local students for entry-level positions and building on their skills. Some of her young hires have eventually gone on to operate their own kennels or graduate from veterinary school.

“The kids we hire learn how to behave like a professional, and it’s great for us because we train them to do things like washing and drying the dogs,” she says. “When they are advanced and have enough experience working with animals, they can eventually learn how to do things like trim nails.”

When it comes to groomers, the salon has been lucky to add some new talent after a few of the salon’s long-time groomers recently retired. “We found and trained three new groomers who are all very energetic, talented and patient with the animals.”

Karanikitas credits her hiring success in part to placing a premium on company culture. She knows from experience that a successful hire for the salon must be more than just a skilled groomer. In a small shop, team fit is also a must-have qualification.

Bottom line

Actively seek out people who have the skills you need and the cultural fit that is key to building a strong and productive team. A willingness to train or upskill — give existing employees the training they need — can help you maintain a steady pipeline of talent. Define your company culture in writing, to help you identify people who will work well with your existing group.

Tip: Organize business management

Today, Reigning Cats & Dogs is thriving and Karanikitas is considering acquiring a larger space to support her expansion plans. But it hasn’t always been easy. She admits that when the shop first opened its doors, managing business essentials such as payroll and invoicing, did not come naturally. “I was disorganized, and it felt overwhelming,” she admits.

She has taken the invaluable advice of her father — an entrepreneur with nine businesses — to automate everyday tasks such as payroll and financial planning. This step has freed her up to focus on business priorities: “My payroll system deducts the right amount of taxes automatically, and makes budgeting so much easier,” she says. “Not having to calculate everything myself makes everything go so much smoother.”

This financial organization was also critical when state regulations made it permissible to operate during the pandemic only if the salon sold pet food. The salon quickly evolved to offer this inventory and Karanikitas took out two Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans to help cover expenses. Without solid financial organization, this challenging phase of the company would have been much harder to manage.

“We were able to open more quickly than many other service businesses that cater to humans rather than animals,” she says. “Being organized set us up for success.”

Bottom line

In good times and bad, organized financial management helps you make informed decisions and quickly adapt to market changes. Automating payroll, customer payments, invoicing and bill payments, cash management and other tasks frees up time to handle business priorities. Automated financial management tools also improve the insight you need to make important company decisions. Also, be sure to prepare for unexpected expenses by applying for a business line of credit, which allows you to draw only the funds you need. Business loans can also help you be ready for challenges and opportunities.

The success of Reigning Cats & Dogs is based on a genuine passion and a commitment to supporting the people who make the business possible and a relentless commitment to the health and welfare of its dog and cat clientele. Karanikitas also credits her innate entrepreneurial vision and her learned financial management skills with making her entrepreneurial dream a reality.

Do you need guidance on your small business journey? Schedule an appointment with Citizens to receive assistance for your business.