Ask Sheryl Chia anything about dogs and the love she has for them shines through immediately. But what gives her even more pleasure than talking about dogs?
Making them look good.
“I was showing dogs competitively and wanted to learn how to groom dogs myself. Also, I had always been interested in working in the pet industry since I was in secondary school so the choice seemed logical,” said the twenty-three year old entrepreneur, who owns her own dog grooming store, Pet Emporium, which she started in 2009 at Upper Bukit Timah before moving to their current location in Tyrwhitt Road.
She began her journey by first heading to the United States and enrolling in a course in dog grooming, before taking part in an exchange program where she headed to a grooming school in Tokyo for a month. Not that simple to become a dog groomer, you might think but she believes otherwise. “Anyone can pick up a pair of scissors and call themselves a groomer. That’s why there are so many ‘chop shops’ found all over the world”.
Though she might have realised her calling and dream at such a young age, the buck doesn’t stop there and the entrepreneurial spirit is strong in her. She still aspires to open many stores as possible.
What were the biggest challenges you had to face when you decided to become a dog groomer?
First off, it’s an unconventional job. It’s also not glamorous or impressive so i was hesitant about telling my parents at first. The other thing would be the salary. Groomers are normally paid via commission and the amount of commission received varied from shop to shop. It also varies based on experience and skill. New groomers earn very little.
Are there any downsides to the job?
Dealing with aggressive dogs or dogs with health issues is delicate and tricky. Safety for dog and groomer comes first but sometimes it is hard to achieve a perfect groom when considering those factors.
What is the dog grooming industry in Singapore like?
I think it’s fairly competitive here. Compared to some other countries, we have very little dogs. Considering also the size of Singapore, we have a high number of shops per area.
What advice would you give to someone who wanted to become a dog groomer?
Think it through! Think again and again before deciding. It is not an easy profession and requires sweat and blood to go into it - literally!! Unless you really like dogs, don't consider it.
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