Hi all,
I'm interested to know what people think on this one. Regarding nail treatments, but probably others too, do people think mobile therapists should be charging less than salons? I personally think they should be about the same, for two reasons
1. You are spending more time per client travelling to & from home so your treatment prices cover a longer time period than salon, which counteracts their overheads to an extent
2. The client benefits from either environment - salon gives you the salon feel, home gives you convenience, save on parking, may suit personal circumstances or whatever.

I really think they largely cancel each other out so why do people think the prices should be different? Clients can choose which they want, everyone tells me they love the convenience so it's obviously horses for courses. Why should price be a factor?

Just one opinion I'm really interested to know what others think!

Cheers
Jx

My favourite business related phrase is: "It is not what it costs you, is it what it is worth to them."

If I was to go mobile I would charge more than a salon who was offering the same service at the same quality. My target market would be those who value a mobile service, do not like traveling to a salon and enjoy having private treatments at home or at their hotel room. Those who value their own time / are busy with work and social arrangements - who do not have the time to drive to a salon / park / drive back etc.

I wouldn't be targeting those who wouldn't mind or like going to a salon as then they would value the service less and therefore would want to pay less.

Yes I think it should be the same whether salon ,home salon of mobile ,its the sevice u provide not really where its being done as far as the price is concerned.:-D

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Personally no, I don't. You are still a professional technician/therapist, you're just working under different circumstances.

People do seem to have a perception of mobile as cash in hand, doing it for some pocket money rather than the one of the convenience of not having to leave your house to have whatever you want done... but then there are so many more hobbyists/messers doing mobile/'homers' for a fiver than there would be setting up in salons!

It's like Tesco/Sainsburys et al - you don't get cheaper prices just because you shop at home and have deliveries, and then you pay for the delivery. And you certainly don't spend less at the corner shop than you would at Tesco

So no, I don't think that they should have to charge less but the therapists who DO charge, for example, half the price of the salon are only damaging the interests of others - much like those who charge £15 for shellac, or groupon it. Being so cheap devalues the brand and damages future revenue.

I think they should be the same or more than a salon for mobile. The trouble is most mobile therapists think they need to be cheaper - so this is what people expect. However it also depends on your set-up. I literally set-up a mini salon environment in the home and clients love it and most say "oooh I wasn't expecting all this, I thought you'd just do it at my kitchen table" !!! My biggest compliment came from a client who was used to going to a very fancy dayspa but time restrictions meant she needed a service at home - she said she enjoyed the experience more than at the day spa and thought I did a better job !

What clients forget is that a Salon would charge a "call-out" charge to come out to them. When I worked out my costs (not just product, fuel etc but running my website, marketing, reinvesting in education, insurance, tax etc etc) I found I was more or less the same as the Salon local to me. I felt I couldn't charge more for convenience because other mobiles near me charge less than me, so I didn't want to bump my costs up more.

I have stuck to my guns on pricing, added value where I can, made it a very professional experience and have had excellent feedback. The clients that I have had have been just who I want, people who like the exclusivity of having some-one go out to them and offer a very personalised service at their convenience. If you position mobile services at the RIGHT client then there is no need to resort to dropping prices compared to a salon and underselling yourself IMO xxx

I completely agree with those making the point of targeting the right people. That was my aim, exactly the same service but for those clients that have a specific reason for wanting a mobile service, not just mobile = cheaper. I'm also doing out a home salon for those who want to get out of the house but don't want a salon (busy) experience.

I'm glad I'm not the only one thinking this, it's something I've noticed a lot recently in threads. I think it devalues the whole industry with messers & people undervaluing services & cutting prices but that's just my opinion of course!

In general (as a customer) I would look to pay less for a mobile service as I'm missing out on that salon experience and it isn't as much of a luxury for me to be at home. I (perhaps wrongly) assume that the therapist has lower running costs not having to maintain a premises.

However i'm currently organising my wedding and paying a premium for services that I want to come to me + my wedding venue as I need that convenience so I'm prepared to pay extra for it! So it's funny you can look at it both ways.

Do you not think that it is convenient for you to be able to have a treatment done at home for example a spray tan or a wax and then you can just go about in the correct loose clothing instead of having to be seen looking a bit un-groomed (no make up or deo etc..) around town, or have to drive with seat belts on and risk damaging your tan or be seen around town with bright red eyes after an eyebrow wax for example?

I have many mums as clients and they love the convenience of me coming to them after the little ones are settled in bed so they don't need to pay a babysitter/childcare costs. They also love that I come with all I need and I take it all away again and they are free to sip a glass of wine and watch a film while I work away (that is usually what clients do when I do their Minx or crystal Pedis lol).

There are many benefits to having someone mobile come to you, you need to charge for the fact that you are providing a different service to a salon but provide services of a high standard like you would expect at a salon.

Mobile does not have to mean cheap but there are lots of people out there who seem to think they need to be cheaper to compete, they usually don't last for long as they are working too hard for very little profit if any (I think most of the time they have no idea how much each service actually costs them to do) and they can't sustain that for a long period of time.

I prefer to offer a good service at a decent price, I know of salons charging cheaper than me and salons charging more and there are other mobile therapists that are cheaper than me but I'm still working, I've had a few clients drift off to try the cheaper services but most return again so I must be doing something right.

Great thread!

I charge the same as salons round here or more (but more because some salons charge to little iykwim).

I'm sort out in the main because i'm mobile and its convenient and their choice to have a mobile appointment- so why if thats the case should i charge less? Im not causing anyone to miss out on the salon experience as theyve chosen my service.

I do rent a room as and when but its not in a commercial area as such- its a treatment cabin in the grounds of a health food shop thats in a residential street, so not a great advertising opportunity as you'd get in row of shops or high street. Still my clients prefer mobile despite some of them finding me via the shop.

I dont believe in charging less as im simply in the same boat as those techs in salons; in as much as i train the same way and buy the same products at the same price as those in a salon.

Salons are hit with overheads, business rates etc as mobile techs are with travelling time, petrol, car costs and up keep- i dont know the cost differences, id put good money on it being alot more for a salon but at the end of the day its horses for courses and we all make that decision when we enter a business. But bottom line is its ultimately up to someone where they choose to go and a large part of that decision i assume is based on location and convenience through family commitments, life style and job.

My service is no less professional than a salon and i believe in charging what im worth and making a good profit- thats one of the biggest reasons we work- for the money

When my boy was young, and hubby working shifts, it always suited me to have a mobile hairdresser, the position im in now is that i can have my hair done anywhere but chose to still have a mobile hairdresser one for the convenience and two cos she's fab! Ive paid cheaper salon prices for mobile in the past but now pay about the same as a salon and im happy to do so. My hairdresser brings her own backwash, uses quality products, has years of experience, does an amazing cut, colour and blow dry and loves her profession- why shouldnt i pay for that?

I read on sg ages ago that its funny as an industry some charge less for mobile, yet in the main other industries charge more as its offering people more.

Just my thoughts geekies x x x

I charge more or less the same as the salons around me and I'm not going to budge on it. I do a bit of mobile and home salon (well its not st my home its at my lovely mummys house).

I use premium products so why shouldnt I charge the same. At the salons I've been to, (I'm not saying its the same for all salons) I've felt like a bum in a seat. Get me in and out as quickly as possible and take my money.

I have one of those charge £10 for shellac file and application or £15 for full shellac near me. She's mobile but apparently setting up at home too. I've no idea how she is making a profit charging that and Ive no idea if she is using the correct products lamp etc. I saw on facebook she did a full set of acrylics with shellac Blackpool and mop on top for £20, that's absolute madness!

With my home salon I want my clients to feel truely pampered. I allocate extra time per treatment so they don't feel rushed, plus gives me extra cleaning time etc. My clients get far more for their money with me than in a salon too.

I might not be a salon in town but I've still got overheads to pay. I pay a small amount of rent to my mum which also covers water, gas electric etc. I then have my products to buy etc. I've had people say oh so and so only charges x amount. My reply ok that's their price but mine is x and I'm sticking to it. Explained why and what my treatments involve and they are usually happy with that.

Steph xxx

I charge the same prices as local salons, and have a minimum spend on mobile treatments varying on how far I have to travel. I run offers from my homebased salon, but not on mobile treatments. I don't think mobile should be cheaper as its a lot more hassle, and you have setting up, packing away time and car costs.

I have a home salon and when I started (just out of college) I was cheaper. A year in I've put my prices up to £20 and still busy. In April I'll be putting them up again. There is a girl on my town who charges £27 and at some point my price will match hers. I don't think it's anyone's business if you pay rent etc. You are paying for a service. If the client doesn't think it's worth it they are welcome to go elsewhere. At christmas I thought I had made lots of money but I was so wrong! I had to pay out so much for more products etc that I hardly made anything. £15 wouldn't really be worth my while. Took me a while to work that out.
I think everyone should be the same price. It's clients preference where they would like to go.

As an ex-salon owner, and now mainly home-based, please do not think that the above comes anywhere near covering salon overheads - even with our extortionate fuel prices and car up-keep costs - IT DOESN'T! Dont take this comment the wrong way - read on ..........

I have relocated to home-based, but I still charge the same prices as when I had my salon. Why? Because (like the advert says) I'M WORTH IT!

As said previously, it is the clients choice. I have recently changed my hairdresser that I have used for 20 years, simply because I cannot afford his prices any more. He has a large High Street shop and I absolutely understand why he has to charge sooooo much (having been in a similar situation), so I now use a mobile hairdresser that is sooo much less expensive (notice I've said less expensive and not cheaper!) She is great, but, given the choice and necessary funds, I would rather visit the salon as I personally find it a far more relaxing and "indulgent" experience, and having my hair done is one of those rare moments for me.

Horses for courses, but wherever you are based, charge what you are worth, no more, no less.

Thing is I have a fully fitted hair salon in my house I give a one to one experience my clients feel totally relaxed thay can just chill and tell me anything thay want as there is no one else there ,if they r getting colour thay can have there coffee and biscuits in peace read study etc no distractions I would say that's better than a bizy salon :-D

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When I started out mobile I was doing so many offers and promotions but soon realised I was attracting the type of clientele that I didn't really want (not trying to be a snob!) after a few messages asking if I'm still/when am I doing the half price pedicures, I upped my game. I don't want clients who will only have me when I'm 'cheap' not the reputation I want either!
Also, I know it may sound a bit extreme but as a mobile stylist/therapist, we are actually potentially putting ourselves at risk due to be one person going to a strangers house (I guess could be said as the reverse for the client having a stranger coming in aswel)
But I would rather pay for a one to one service.
As others have stated above, it's all down to personal preference of the potential client, but if they like what you do...they will continue to have you. I increase my prices accordingly each April and only lose certain clients who I would expect to lose anyway but they aren't really a major loss to me iykwim