Franchise funding by sector
Grooming tables, kennels and handlers: what funds each cost line at a pet care franchise.
✓ Merchant Fund Express starts with a soft credit pull. Terms depend on your business's revenue and history.
Updated October 21, 2026 · Merchant Fund Express
Already running a pet grooming, dog daycare, boarding or training franchise and need capital? Merchant Fund Express funds existing pet service owners with business loans, merchant cash advances, revenue-based financing, lines of credit, equipment financing and working capital. We read appointment and package deposits, count royalty and ad fund drafts as normal costs, and give a same-day decision on a complete file.
Pet services are labor businesses with specialized equipment. A grooming salon books appointments a few weeks out and collects at pickup. A daycare sells day passes and monthly packages, so part of its revenue arrives as recurring card charges. Boarding fills up around holidays and summer travel, and the busiest weeks need the most staff. Training programs sell multi-week courses paid up front or in installments.
Equipment is purpose-built: hydraulic or electric grooming tables, tubs, high-velocity dryers, clippers and blades, kennel runs and suites, play-yard turf and rubber flooring, drainage and air handling. Staff are the main cost: groomers (often paid on commission), bathers, kennel attendants, handlers and trainers. Merchant Fund Express sizes funding after royalty, ad fund and rent, using the unit's own deposits. See pet grooming funding for the independent-shop view.
| Cost line | Timing | What fits |
|---|---|---|
| Grooming tables, tubs, dryers, clipper sets | Replacement or adding a station | Equipment financing; see grooming equipment financing |
| Kennels, suites, runs | Expansion or wear | Equipment financing on the quote |
| Play-yard turf, rubber flooring, drainage | Wear and sanitation upgrades | Term loan for Tier 1; working capital otherwise |
| Groomer, attendant and trainer payroll | Weekly; heaviest in holiday boarding | Franchise payroll funding or a line |
| Shampoo, supplies, retail treats | Monthly reorders | Line of credit draws |
| Mobile grooming van | Adding a route | Vehicle funding |
| Royalty and ad fund drafts | Recurring | Counted before sizing |
Pet service brand pages are not published yet. Any operating grooming, daycare, boarding or training franchise can apply now. The review reads about 3 months of card deposits and package charges, payroll frequency, the royalty and ad fund drafts and any existing positions. Name the brand on the application so the drafts are read correctly.
Suppose a hypothetical combined grooming and boarding franchise deposits $74,000 a month, rising to about $95,000 in December. Royalty and ad fund drafts, rent and an existing van payment take $19,000 a month. The owner wants two more grooming stations ($22,000 quote for tables, tubs and dryers) and needs about $18,000 of extra attendant payroll across the holiday weeks.
Figures in this example are illustrations of the arithmetic, not an offer, quote or approval. Real terms depend on the file and the funder.
Daycare packages and monthly memberships count as revenue when they settle into the business account, even though the visits come later. Merchant Fund Express reads the monthly total and the trend; a dip after summer travel is normal for boarding. Grooming deposits are read as steady appointment revenue. Royalty and ad fund drafts and any software or booking fees from the franchisor are counted as recurring obligations.
Each location's entity is reviewed on its own account; see multi-unit franchise funding. Existing positions are counted, and a new structure can lower the payment. Terms depend on the business's revenue and history.
No tax returns for a typical first review; full financials usually only above $250,000. The application takes about 5 minutes with a soft credit pull.
Yes. Merchant Fund Express funds operating pet service franchises from $25,000 to $5,000,000, sized on deposits after royalty, ad fund and existing obligations.
Yes. Equipment financing is reviewed with the vendor quote, the equipment as the purpose and its useful life.
Yes, when they settle into the business account.
Yes. A line of credit drawn for the busy weeks and repaid from boarding deposits is the usual fit.
Yes. Sole proprietors are eligible, ITIN applicants are accepted and Spanish-speaking support is available.
Merchant Fund Express reviews your location's revenue, deposits and existing payments. Same-day decision on a complete file; funding often the next business day. About five minutes to apply.
