Dog grooming business scales up with £9,000 micro loan from the Development Bank of Wales

A Monmouthshire dog grooming business has bought out one of its counterparts and grown to its fourth salon, with the purchase supported by a £9,000 micro loan from the Development Bank of Wales.

Shampooch Dog Spa offers a variety of dog grooming services for pets at its salons in Monmouth, Usk and Cwmbran. Taken over in 2024 by qualified dog groomer Daniel Price, it provides nail clips, baths, ear cleaning, teeth brushing, eye trims and full grooms for dogs of all sizes. 

Earlier this year, Daniel and partner James Ralph spotted an opportunity to buy Chepstow-based Julie’s Mucky Pups. A £9,000 micro loan from the Development Bank of Wales, via the Wales Micro Loan Fund has supported Daniel and James to refurbish the Chepstow business and install new equipment.

This is the second time the business had been supported by the Development Bank, following a £15,000 loan in the autumn of last year, which helped Daniel and James to open their store in Cwmbran.

James Ralph, owner at Shampooch Dog Spa, said: “We’ve been able to grow quickly because of Dan’s experience and the reputation we’ve built up locally. We were very lucky to have the opportunity to take over the business in Chepstow, and the support we had from the Development Bank meant we could refit it quickly for our needs and our brand.

“We already knew the Development Bank from when we expanded to Cwmbran, and we knew they’d be able to help us with this next step in our journey as a business.”

Boni Koneti-Ash, Portfolio Monitoring Assistant at the Development Bank of Wales, said: “Dan and James have built up a fantastic business at Shampooch Dog Spa, with high levels of repeat customers and a good reputation for dog grooming locally. The rate at which they’ve grown in just the last year is evidence of how well-regarded they are, and we’re glad to have supported them with the next phase of their growth.”

The Development Bank offers micro loans from £1,000 to £100,000 to help fund business growth, with fixed interest rates for the duration of a loan, flexible terms and fast-track applications available.