Hello there everybody!
Like most of you I'm dreaming of opening my own salon one day (long way to go though) but I had this idea for when that day comes and I'd like to share it with you and especially with geeks working at salons.
Everytime I go to the hairdresser's I keep noticing that almost every customer brings her kid along with her as she doesn't have someone to look after it for a little while and the result is that the whole place is turned into a playground, kind of annoying to other customers.
The hairdresser understands both sides, mothers or not, but of course can't say anything because if she does, she may lose some good clients which I totally understand.
So I was wondering if it would be a good idea, if I ever make it and open my own salon, to arrange a little corner with a few toys to keep the little devils occupied.
I will only offer nail and make up services and at least at the beginning I do not intend to hire an employee which means that I will have only one customer at a time so hopefully not more that a couple kids playing at the same time.
The thing is that now that I am mobile , I have many customers with kids telling me repeatedly "Thank God you can come over here and do my nails because I can't afford a babysitter or can't take the kids with me at a salon etc" so I don't want to lose customers and all the effort I made to find them.
I totally understand them and want to make it convinient for them but on the other hand I'd like to hear what you believe in this matter because sometimes when we do something new, we often haven't thought of other consequencies that may occur!
Thank you for reading!
xxx

I personally think its a great idea!

you could have a little section that is clearly cordened off so that they can sit and play without you having to watch them getting into your stuff!

Sounds like a good idea to me. It drives me mad trying to stop clients' kids getting in the way.

Why don't you ask some of your clients with children what they think?

I will not have young children in the salon at all,
i believe it is a health and safety issue,
we can not concentrate fully whilst trying to watch what the children are getting up (lots of parents let their children run wild these days)
i do allow older children in the salon that can sit well and behave themselves but if i ever encounter a problem with them touching things i tell the parents they can not bring them again for the safety of the child hth

I'm with you, Loubylou. Facials and haircuts and pedi's and acrylics are special times for me and most patrons, and I would never consider bringing any of my kids unless they were older and could behave, play on their own computer or read.

Don't forget that you're running a business and have an obligation to ALL your patrons. Some children are not taught to behave and disturb others that are trying to enjoy their luxury time. Honestly, if I ever went to a salon or shop for a beauty treatment and there were children disturbing MY TIME, I'd not return.

Additionally, I think toys make a shiek shop look shabby and they get dirty and become full of germs and ...Weigh the odds here before you make this decision. It takes a lot of money to have your own shop so I guess you have to decide what kind of shop you want to own.

PS I love children, just like I love my cell phone, but when I'm paying to get my hair or nails done or a wax, I don't love children and I don't love cell phones. ox Hugs, kelly

At my last salon I was so fed up of children running amok, (it was only a small salon). I had kids picking up sharp things, opening the till I even had one dad sitting reading the newspaper while his daughter was trying to stick her fingers through the safety grill of the fan!!! In the end I put up a large notice reminding parents that I was running a business and not a kindergarten, so please keep children quiet and under control as it distracts the stylists and for the comfort of other clients. I had a lot of people applauding me for putting up the sign.
Don't get me wrong, I like well behaved children. I tried the route of providing toys, comics etc but it can almost say this is a playroom. It's a hard one but I think that it is about time parents take a bit more responsibility and stop being selfish. Children should be able to learn to cope with being bored for a little while and learn that there are playtimes and there are times that they have to be quiet

You know...my little girls a dream..very shy and timid.
Even when she has her own appointments for a haircut etc they still have to literally DRAG an answer from her.
She adores Antony when she talks about him, but if he said one word to her she would just put her head down and whisper...she get's home and is the complete opposite!!
THAT'S WHY I HATE KIDS MESSING AROUND!!!!!
I'm just so used to the quiet life
Boys are worse though...well mine were when they were younger.
I wouldn't of dreamt of taking them ANYWHERE with me, especially if it's for something relaxing!! and waxing...ermm not really. Inappropriate (sp?)
An hour for nails....those boys couldn't sit still for 10 mins!!
So NO I would never put another therapist through this!!
A salon is really not a place for kids unless they are very quiet and well behaved so get a sign that says "sorry but no children" if you have to.
Bear in mind, even the most well behaved kid in the world, at some point, will say....I need a wee....
In fact though....so do a lot of clients

I personally prefer it if children are not in the salon. Most of my clients that do bring children when they have to have them 100% under control and they are as good as gold although I did have one client's daughter ask about a zillion questions everytime she came and kept touching things

Its mainly the clients in the hair salon that bring children with them and some literally run riot, one even managed to get locked in the toilet before !

The one thing that always baffles me is why some clients bring a friend with them to wait while they have their hair done, some are there for hours !!