From Grooming to Boarding: A Look at Pet Manager vs. MoeGo for Australian Pet Pros

If you’re in the pet grooming game, you’ve almost certainly heard of MoeGo. It has made a huge splash as a sleek, modern, mobile-first platform designed specifically for groomers. Its user-friendly app and focus on scheduling, communication, and online booking have made it a favourite for grooming salons and mobile groomers alike.

But what if your business is more than just grooming? What if you also offer daycare, or boarding, or you’re thinking of expanding? This is where the search for a more comprehensive solution begins. For Australian pet professionals in this position, the comparison often comes down to the specialist, MoeGo, versus the all-in-one powerhouse, Pet Manager.

Let’s dive in and see how these two platforms serve the diverse needs of a modern Aussie pet business.

The Specialist vs. The All-Rounder

MoeGo is a champion in the grooming space. Its strengths are clear:

• Grooming-First Design: Everything is built around the grooming workflow, from appointment scheduling to client messaging and smart reminders.
• Excellent Mobile Experience: Its app is a core part of the product, making it fantastic for groomers on the go.
• Modern & Sleek: It has a clean, attractive interface that appeals to users looking for a modern tech experience.

Pet Manager, in contrast, is an all-in-one business management platform. It’s not just for groomers; it’s for groomers, boarders, daycare operators, trainers, walkers, and more.

• True All-in-One: It has dedicated, feature-rich modules for every conceivable pet service.
• Operational Powerhouse: It’s designed to manage the deep logistical and financial complexities of a multi-service business.
• Australian Core: Built with an intrinsic understanding of the Australian market, from financials to public holidays.

The Comparison for the Growing Aussie Business

Let’s say you’re a successful grooming salon in Sydney, using and loving MoeGo. But you’ve just leased the space next door to open a doggy daycare. How do these platforms compare now?

1. Service Management:

• MoeGo: You can continue to manage your grooming appointments flawlessly. Managing the daycare, however, might mean using a separate system or a less-than-ideal workaround within the grooming-focused software.
• Pet Manager: You simply “turn on” the Daycare module. You get a dedicated daycare scheduler, specific settings for half-day and full-day sessions, and the ability to sell daycare packages that use a token system. Your grooming and daycare operations live side-by-side in the same system but have their own distinct, purpose-built workflows.

2. Financials & Payments Down Under:

• MoeGo: Integrates with online payment processors like Stripe and Square, which works well for taking deposits and payments.
• Pet Manager: Offers this too, but with two key Aussie advantages. The seamless, two-way sync with Xero is a massive time-saver for any business owner dreading BAS time. Secondly, the direct integration with Tyro EFTPOS terminals means your in-person groom and daycare payments are processed and reconciled automatically. No more manually entering $85.50 into the machine and hoping you get it right!

3. Complex Pricing Scenarios:

Your business model might get more complex as you grow.

• MoeGo: Handles pricing for different grooming services effectively.
• Pet Manager: Its rules-based pricing engine allows for incredible flexibility. You could create a “Groom & Play” package that discounts a daycare day if the dog also gets a full groom. Or automatically apply a 10% surcharge on all services on a Saturday. Or have special pricing just for Oodle-mixes if you wanted! This level of automation across multiple service types is where an all-in-one system shines.

The Case of the Cross-Sell

Here’s a little story from the front lines. A client comes to pick up their Spaniel, “Samson,” from his grooming appointment. You say, “Samson was such a good boy! By the way, we’re going on holiday in a couple of months and need a place for him to stay.”

In a specialised system, you might say, “Great! Let me just grab my other calendar…”

In an integrated system like Pet Manager, you say, “Great! I can book that in for you right now.” You swivel your screen, open the boarding scheduler, and lock in the booking. You can even take a deposit for the stay right then and there. It’s a seamless experience for the client and a captured sale for you.

The Right Tool for the Job

If you run a pure grooming business and want a sleek, mobile-friendly app to manage your appointments, MoeGo is an outstanding choice and a leader in its category.

However, if your business is already multi-faceted, or if you have ambitions to expand beyond grooming, an all-in-one platform like Pet Manager is built for your journey. It provides the depth of a specialised grooming module while also offering the breadth to manage every other part of your growing pet care empire, all with a distinct Australian advantage.

Don’t let your software limit your growth. Explore what a truly unified platform can do for your business with a free, no-obligation 30-day trial of Pet Manager.