Brian Taylor, better known as ‘The Dog Father of Harlem’, is the owner and operator of Harlem Doggie Day Spa. We sit down with him to talk about his shop, how they’ve developed the business and how the they’ve grown over the years.
Harlem Doggie Day Spa is home to a hot, new take on being creative whilst bringing a top-tier grooming service to your clients. Being no stranger to the wide world of social media, Brian has learned the ins and outs of how to grow a successful business using Instagram to attract new clients, showing the “behind the scenes”.
Brian is also incredibly popular on TikTok (@Dogfatherofharlem), with over 100,000 followers to demonstrate the scale of how much his business has grown over the years.
Alongside the ever-growing business, Brian also has taken on the role of running his own non-profit known as the Pup Relief Tour, which takes groomers across the country to offer free grooming services to people in need.
In regards to the actual dog groomers, Harlem Doggie Day Spa, Brian tells us a little about the business: “HDDS is dedicated to providing the finest cage-free boarding, daycare and grooming facility in Harlem, NYC. We also now offer mobile grooming service in NYC.”
Starting in 2010 with a vision to create a one of a kind grooming facility, the business grew over time when clients began requesting care for their pets for the day or whilst they were away on holiday. “By learning and catering to each dog’s personality and needs, we developed trust with our customers, by providing an enriched environment with your best friend.” Brian adds.
Brian also comments on how their social media pages have helped contribute to the success of the business. Their clients use the socials to check out their funny videos, transformational grooming videos, pet updates and business policies.
“We use the platform to rally our clients and followers whenever we have social or community causes we need their support with,” Brian adds, “We ask every new client to follow us because we may post their pup as a feature content. We do daily Instagram stories, and post informational content for pet parents.”
According to Brian, the best way to grow a business is by tapping into the client base and creating content for your clients to enjoy. This is because he sees that people love sharable information, especially “snack-sized” content!
It’s no secret that social media is a massive part of growing any business in 2022, however there are still so many small tactics and ways to ensure that you’re utilising it to its full potential. Brian sees that these methods can be considered highly important, and stands by the fact that it is one of the cornerstones of any growing business.
“I think that a ‘hidden gem’ is being consistent with content. You should have fun with it. Content should be fun and it adds value to your profession. People like content that shows you’re passionate and have knowledge and expertise in your business.
“I love the TikTok platform because of the live feature that helps groomers build their brands. They can groom pups in front of prospective clients. Those viewers then go on and follow them on other platforms.” Brian adds.
Brian works with multiple brands, ranging through clipper companies, shears, shampoo and even online booking services. Working alongside these, paid deals are created for social media content, and Brian is able to use this to boost his business: “The most important thing when working with brands is outlining the terms and making sure it’s mutually beneficial for you and your company.
“I think working with Andis for the Pup Relief Tour was very important to my brand and my cause during the 2020 pandemic. They gave us $20k worth of clippers and did their best to support our cause.”
Brian thinks that groomers will have a huge impact on 2022 because there is a large amount of “pet parents” looking for trustworthy groomers.
“I think every business owner should really take time to spend creating content and adding value while they grow their business,” Brian continues, “Those loyal clients will follow you as you develop. They love the journey and you could inspire some to open their own business one day.”
Brian’s business has grown exponentially over the years. The proof is in the pudding, if you invest your time in to the right avenues, in this case creativity on social media, you will inevitably see nothing but positive growth for your grooming salon.
Follow @harlemdoggiedayspa and @Dogfatherofharlem on Instagram and search Pup Relief Tour on GoFundMe.