Is a Self-Serve Dog Wash Profitable?

The demand for pet products and services has never been higher, with one in five of Australia’s 5.1 million dogs adopted during the pandemic pet boom. This increase in pet ownership has further cemented the animal industry as a profitable venture, with Australian pet owners spending $33 billion on their pets in 2022 alone. Installing a self-serve dog wash is a profitable and low-maintenance way to enter the pet industry.

Depending on your chosen model and location, installing a K9000 self-serve dog wash can boost your annual business revenue by an average of $18,000. If you want to learn how a self-serve dog wash can add supplementary income to your existing business, take a closer look at the benefits, costs and models below.

What is a Self-Serve Dog Wash?

A self-serve dog wash is a machine where customers can self-wash and groom their dogs for a small fee (usually $10–$20). They are equipped with all the tools and products a customer needs to wash and dry their dog, including shampoo, conditioner, bathing facilities and a built-in dryer. The machines charge customers based on the time spent washing and drying their dogs. This usually amounts to 20% of the cost of a professional dog grooming service, offering customers an affordable and attractive pet cleaning alternative.

Benefits of Adding a Self-Serve Dog Wash to a Business

A K9000 self-serve dog wash offers many benefits, including payment flexibility, custom branding, and more.
Some notable advantages include:

Steady secondary income

Incorporating a K9000 dog wash into your business offers a reliable additional revenue source. Plus, if the unit is installed indoors, customers can use the self-serve dog wash all year round.

Flexible operation

Our range of K9000 dog wash machines are easy to set up and can be installed anywhere with access to a cold water supply, sewerage connection and power circuit. Our units also allow you to adjust pricing to meet your business needs.

Complete independence

Unlike franchising alternatives, a K9000 unit is purchased and becomes part of your business, with no ongoing franchising fees or commitments.

Industry insights

With a K9000 unit, you can access our long-term industry insights and extensive support services, ensuring your unit performs to the highest standards.

How Much Does a K9000 Self-Serve Dog Wash Cost?

A self-serve dog wash machine is an affordable business addition, with investment costs ranging from $12,750 (+GST) to $45,000 (+GST).

How Much Revenue Can I Make a Year From Each Dog Wash?

The average annual revenue of a K9000 unit is $18,000 per year. This is based on our customer average of 35 dogs washed per week at $10 a wash. The revenue your K9000 unit can generate may be higher or lower than this estimate and is related to your location, unit count and pricing model. Businesses located near pet stores, dog parks or beaches with good foot traffic often take in much higher annual revenue.

For example, a customer in a regional Victorian town with a population of over 35,000 people and over 6,000 dogs, where there are already 7 self-serve dog wash units, a K9000 dog wash machine can still generate a significant annual turnover. The customer generated around $21,679.35 in the last year with their K9000 V2.0 machine. According to our projections, with an average of 6 dog washes per day and a fee of $10 per wash, a K9000 V2.0 machine can achieve this level of profitability. This shows that there is still potential for a K9000 machine to be a profitable investment, even in areas with existing dog wash units and a relatively low dog population. (0.17 v 0.22 national average)

How Soon Will My Self-Serve Dog Wash Become Profitable?

K9000 self-serve dog washes become profitable in a year on average. For example, an entry-level unit valued at $12,750 can recuperate its cost in one year when washing an average of 5 dogs daily at $10 a wash. This setup would generate an average revenue of $18,000 annually or $12,740 annual profit when subtracting the average electricity and water cost of roughly $3 per wash.

Popular Installation Sites

A self-serve dog wash is suitable for many types of businesses. Examples of suitable locations include, but are not limited to:

• Car washes
• Pet stores
• Vet clinics
• Groomers
• Caravan parks
• Laundromats
• Residential complexes
• Kennels
• Pet hotels
• Campgrounds
• Retirement villages
• Apartment complexes
• Petrol stations
• Convenience stores

What Type of Self-Serve Dog Wash Would Best Suit My Business?

If you are considering adding a self-serve dog wash to your business, it’s important to select the right unit to fit your needs. We offer a range of models tailored to different budget and space requirements, suitable for pet stores, vet clinics, grooming salons, car washes, and more.

K9000 Groom Easy

The Groom Easy is designed for grooming salons, kennels, doggy daycares and pet stores. This system forgoes a cash or payment system while still providing the full functionality of a traditional K9000 dog wash. The Groom Easy is intended as a grooming tool for businesses specialising in pet bathing services.

K9000 Original

Designed for car washes, pet stores, vet clinics, laundromats and independent operators, the K9000 Original is a versatile unit suitable for indoor and outdoor applications. This unit provides a tried-and-true consumer experience through the original 2005 dog wash design.

K9000 V2.0

This second-generation machine improves on the K9000 Original with remote auditing functionality, enabling you to track your machine sales and usage. This machine also improves on the K9000 Original with additional features, including touchpad controls, LED lighting and multiple user payment options.

K9000 V2.0 Twin

Ideal for outdoor and indoor applications at car washes, pet stores and laundromats, the K9000 Twin provides dual tubs for high foot-traffic businesses. This unit offers a better ROI than installing two single units. With two tubs available to customers, wait times are significantly reduced or eliminated altogether, ensuring users have a positive experience.

K9000 V2.0X

If you have a small space or low volume site, consider the v2.0X model. This compact dog wash unit offers impressive performance and is ideal for caravan parks, retirement living facilities, or any location with limited space. Despite its smaller size, the v2.0X can still accommodate medium to large sized dogs and provides all the features and functionality you need for a high-quality dog washing experience.

With various models available, we can help you find the perfect K9000 to suit your specific business needs.

How Does The K9000 Dog Wash Attract Customers?

A K9000 dog wash is a valuable investment for businesses seeking to attract new customers by providing a convenient and efficient service for maintaining their pets’ hygiene.

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A K9000 unit not only ensures that you deliver quality dog grooming services to your customers, but has also received the approval of major pet retailer Petbarn for its exceptional capabilities in generating foot traffic and attracting new customers.

“We serve a large number of loyal dog wash customers each week, so it’s important for us to invest in reliable equipment that maintains the highest quality of service, like the K9000 machines. Our DIY Dog Wash facility complements our in-store grooming service, and has helped us to grow our customer base by offering an alternative quality grooming solution and ultimately helps more pet parents care for their pets.“

STEPHANIE SPINKS
Petbarn National Implementation Manager

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Customers are drawn to the K9000 dog wash for a variety of reasons, including:

Zero cleanup

With a self-serve dog wash, no cleanup is required by the pet owner after a wash. Additionally, these machines only require cleaning after 25 washes, significantly reducing the maintenance and cleanup required by staff.

Fast drying

At home, many customers will only have basic tools such as a hand-held hair dryer, making the drying process long and tedious. With a self-serve dog wash, the customer can get past this stage quickly by using high-powered professional grooming tools.

Ergonomic design

The K9000 dog wash is designed for upright use, promoting customer comfort and reducing physical strain while bathing their dog.

Convenience

With a self-serve dog wash, you don’t have to make an appointment or wait for a groomer to become available. You can wash your dog whenever it’s convenient for you. You have the flexibility to groom your dog at any time, even outside of regular business hours.

With the recent surge in pet ownership, a self-serve dog wash is a lucrative addition to many businesses, offering a low-entry cost of $12,750 (+GST) to $45,000 (+GST), high return on investment and a steady average revenue of $18,000+ per year. These figures, coupled with these machines’ low-maintenance and flexible nature, make them great investment opportunities! If you want to explore adding a K9000 dog wash to your business and attracting a new customer base, contact us today to learn more and get started.