How much cash should a dog grooming business keep?

A dog grooming business gets paid at pickup, by card. It rarely waits on customers. Cash pressure comes from groomer pay, often commission, and from rent, insurance and supplies. Busy weeks before holidays and summer are followed by slower stretches.

Payroll per run, all-in $ How often you run payroll Fixed bills per month (rent, loans, insurance, software) $ Days your customers take to pay, on average days Cash in the bank today $

Minimum to keep

Two payroll runs plus one month of fixed bills

Comfortable level

Covers costs while you wait for customers to pay, plus one month

Weeks your cash covers

If no customer paid you

The starting numbers are an example. Replace them with yours.

How cash moves in a dog grooming business

Customers pay at pickup, so cash comes in the same day.
Groomers on commission cost more when the book is full and less when it is thin.
No-shows leave paid groomer time with no revenue.
Shampoo, blades and equipment repairs are small costs that add up.

Why the usual rule falls short

Two grooming salons each do $30,000 a month. One books every client's next visit at pickup. The other waits for clients to call. The first one can see next month's revenue today.

How the calculator works

Result	Formula
Minimum to keep	2 × payroll per run + 1 month of fixed bills
Comfortable level	Monthly costs × (days to collect ÷ 30 + 1)
Weeks your cash covers	Cash ÷ weekly costs

Get this done for you every Monday

One Page CFO reads your QuickBooks, builds your 13-week cash forecast and your one-page report, and a CFO checks both. $500 a month.

Check if I fit →

Also for grooming salon owners, see the dog grooming business monthly financial report.