As a working salon owner how much do you pay yourself per hour

[LBR]

In May I will have had my home salon 3 years. I'm only part-time and from April last year I started to take a monthly wage, not much but some pocket for me which is going to this years holiday. By June all my start up costs will have been paid so my monthly wage will go up by 2 times as much as I take now.

It has been a hard slog but I can't believe it's three years already. With such a small business I can't believe how much stock I actually have for retail and just doing treatments so I know there is a big outlay for everyone else too.

It must be hard having your own high street salon but realisticly I would never open up a salon without drawing a wage for myself otherwise what is the point of setting up in business. Yes, I know everyone would like to have their own salon one day and be their own boss but at what cost. You set up a business to make money not just for fun. In your business plan you take into consideration your time and the money you have to pay to yourself. If it wasn't for you it just wouldn't have happened.

I sometimes think we are a bit soft when it comes to taking money out of the business for ourselves so that's why this financial year I have given myself a wage every month. I think most peeps would be better off doing this too. It certainly gives me a target to aim for every month and has given me the drive to get on with things better as I was wondering why I was all doing this!?

 

[Diana Williamson]

i STARTED MY OWN SALON 4 YRS AGO,i AM ALSO A HAIRDRESSER ,MY ACCOUNTANT ALWAYS SAID PAY YOURSELF A WAGE ITS MOST IMPORTANT ,.SO I DRAW A WAGE IT PAYS FOR THE FOOD AND PETROL ETC USUALLY AROUND £100 A WEEK HOPE THIS HELPS dIANAX:idea:

 

[Emma Bagnall]

hi all, i find it totaly baffaling that hardly any of you draw a wage! i draw £300pw wages, this still leaves me with plenty for salon costs, any training etc. i mean dont get me wrong, my business account isnt flooded with cash (far from it), and my business is far from perfect, some of you may have read a previos thread of mine about my lack of skincare clients, i am just lucky enough to have plenty of nail clients! i know for many of you nails are a passion, and you probably love your job and would do it for free, but what about your household bills and holidays, clothes, going out etc... i couldnt survive without taking a wage...:| p.s... i do work 44 hours a week, hence the salary.. im not being greedy!

 

[Cathie!]

Unless you have a business overdraft or factored a wage into your initial set up cost it's not that simple as to just take a wage when you're still establishing yourself and don't have enough business as of yet to enable you to pay yourself a full time wage for a full time job, or maybe indeed opened you salon with a full book of clients.

As I said previously, I am undertaking a pretty big marketing initiative, so as soon as this has started to kick in and get bums on seats, I expect things to turn around.....I'll update as it happens!

Maybe I was a bit slow in not having a damn good marketing strategy in place but I do now.....so here's to the future!

There's also a lot of history in the one small year my salon has been open and I expect thing to get a lot better now that chapter of history is closed.....After all a year isn't that long in terms of brand new business establishment.

 

[Emma Bagnall]

Unless you have a business overdraft or factored a wage into your initial set up cost it's not that simple as to just take a wage when you're still establishing yourself and don't have enough business as of yet to enable you to pay yourself a full time wage for a full time job, or maybe indeed opened you salon with a full book of clients.

As I said previously, I am undertaking a pretty big marketing initiative, so as soon as this has started to kick in and get bums on seats, I expect things to turn around.....I'll update as it happens!

Maybe I was a bit slow in not having a damn good marketing strategy in place but I do now.....so here's to the future!

There's also a lot of history in the one small year my salon has been open and I expect thing to get a lot better now that chapter of history is closed.....After all a year isn't that long in terms of brand new business establishment.

i,m sure you will do it.. wait until the summer arrives, you should be run off your feet, and once theres a bit of money in the bank from your busy period, thats what will pay your wages through the quiet times.. thats how i manage! good luck with the marketing campaign :hug:

 

[Cathie!]

i,m sure you will do it.. wait until the summer arrives, you should be run off your feet, and once theres a bit of money in the bank from your busy period, thats what will pay your wages through the quiet times.. thats how i manage! good luck with the marketing campaign :hug:

Totally......had 2 of us last summer booked back to back through the summer months.....unfortunately one of the 2 didn't manage to get the repeat business and regular clientelle you need to see you through the dark times lol!

Basically, I'm starting from sctatch again, I've had my moan last week and am optimistic again!

 

[Hope]

Totally......had 2 of us last summer booked back to back through the summer months.....unfortunately one of the 2 didn't manage to get the repeat business and regular clientelle you need to see you through the dark times lol!

Basically, I'm starting from sctatch again, I've had my moan last week and am optimistic again!

Cathie your Salon has a lovely 'feel' to it, and I am sure that the atmosphere has only improved recently. Your work does and will continue to speak for itself and any new clients will be repeat clients I am sure of it.

 

[Bagpuss]

I really really want to hear if anyone actually is doing well from their investment.

I want to hear someone having 2 and 3 hols a year and a nice house and a good lifestyle.

I want to hear about someone saying 'its really hard work and was hard at first but now its paying for itself now'

If we hear this from someone then it will be worth it for you all one day, and keep you motivated.

Like I said earlier, I have no regrets about giving up my salon (my only regret was I didnt get the salon I had in my mind - it was fantastic)

I am mobile and thats the way I prefer it but thats hard too and I am still paying off my debts I built up with my salon.

I have a home salon...so no rent or massive overheads....i pay myself a wage.......buy not enough for 2 - 3 holidays a year or a nice house etc...but then i never expected to be either....i never thought in a million years i would earn enough for those things so i don't feel let down. I set my goals on being happy if i earned £100 a week....and i did plus some ...so i went over and above my expectations cos i didn't set them too high to begin with.

I remember my MIL saying why do people always assume that if you have your own business your are loaded....she had her own hair and beauty salon for 25 years....she said she never earned good money...she made good money, but it went on rent, staff wages, rates, bills, stock...etc....she was the one who told me to keep it small...stay at home. I am glad that i have.

I do feel for those of you with debts....i have been there BIGTIME....best of luck xxx

 

[Jeni Giles]

I really really want to hear if anyone actually is doing well from their investment.

I want to hear someone having 2 and 3 hols a year and a nice house and a good lifestyle.

I want to hear about someone saying 'its really hard work and was hard at first but now its paying for itself now'

If we hear this from someone then it will be worth it for you all one day, and keep you motivated.

Like I said earlier, I have no regrets about giving up my salon (my only regret was I didnt get the salon I had in my mind - it was fantastic)

I am mobile and thats the way I prefer it but thats hard too and I am still paying off my debts I built up with my salon.

Unless you have a business overdraft or factored a wage into your initial set up cost it's not that simple as to just take a wage when you're still establishing yourself and don't have enough business as of yet to enable you to pay yourself a full time wage for a full time job, or maybe indeed opened you salon with a full book of clients.

As I said previously, I am undertaking a pretty big marketing initiative, so as soon as this has started to kick in and get bums on seats, I expect things to turn around.....I'll update as it happens!

Maybe I was a bit slow in not having a damn good marketing strategy in place but I do now.....so here's to the future!

There's also a lot of history in the one small year my salon has been open and I expect thing to get a lot better now that chapter of history is closed.....After all a year isn't that long in terms of brand new business establishment.

It can be done, it is hard, hard work, but it can be done. I'm working in proof, our school in the last 10 years has grown from 20 students to 70 and from 6500 square feet to 15,000 square feet. We are having a difficult time keeping up with the demand for well trained professionals. The salons in our area visit our school at least once per month to keep in touch with our students close to graduating. The stylists in our area are moving or retiring because they have worked long and hard and are ready to turn it over to a "new" generation.

I will admit we have had growing pains, new things to deal with that we hadn't considered, but over all I'm glad to have grown and I look forward to knowing that the excellence can continue.

 

[Cathie!]

I think it must all take time, can't have it all in a week ...years of hard work will all come to fruition...Jenni you've been ping 10 years now and expanded mega times......were you wondering what the hell you were doing after your first year?

 

[Little Angel]

Hi

I earn a good wage from my salon. I have had it since 1990 though and i am hair, nails and beauty.

I can perform most of the treatments i offer myself so i am there to cover if necessary.

Got to say my staff are great, i only work part time and also have a lot of paperwork. I have found if its your place you cant let it rely on just you, and your clients. You need time to manage it and your staff.

 

[Saya]

Hiya,
I'm a newbie too, and of course had to give this some thought.
There's gotta be something in it for you, otherwise I would have thought it's a non starter.
Appreciating that there are ongoing costs that you need to re-invest into, the way I have decided to proceed is as follows:
Profit = anything that is left after the months outgoing, der!
Of which 50% goes towards the business savings pot (for re-investment/ saving up for a re-launch in a few years time)
and 50% I take home (although I'd be paying for my business start up loan from this).

Being self-employed is commission based, so your income would have to be proportional to your good and bad days.

I haven't launched yet, so I don't know if this would actually work, but it's the best way I could see balancing it.

Hope this helps!

 

[alpina]

I work from home, so I have minimal overheads. Technically I don't pay myself a wage. I just spend what I need, when I need to. If I was working for someone else I would earn about $560 a week for full time work, monday to saturday.

At the moment I don't allow myself that amount to spend on myself, I only spend about half, the rest stays in my account for savings and business expenses.

But I only work a few hours a day at the moment, which is great not working 10 hour days anymore.

I've only been open for seven months, so I'm still building my client base, which is why I'm only working short days. I only need to work three hours a day to support my business and personal expenses, but I advertise as being open nine hours a day. So when I get busier I should be making a very comfortable wage.

I've just placed an ad in the yellow pages for this year and invested in a few new treatments (spray tanning and body scrubs/wraps), so hopefully business will pick up some more soon.

Opening my business has been the best decision I ever made, I wish I'd done it sooner.

 

[essentia]

Hi I have started working from home and setting that up was costly enough. Through the years I have known quite a few salons to go bust as well as make it - I think it is a hard slog but obviously there are those that do well - good position, determination etc but I think it is very hard when you have a family and no real support. I would never set up a high street salon I think it too risky. I was on a course recently and a girl there was selling up as she said that her friend who was mobile took home more than her and she has had her salon 6 years. It has taken a lot for me to come back to beauty again (mainly the convenience of working around my son) as it is a hard slog. I have had some wonderful clients over the years but this time I am more prepared and hopefully will have a successful home business. I admire anyone who has that leap of faith but you inevitably have to work longer and harder with less money than in a 9-5 scenario.

 

[hippy-chick]

I think the reason why some beauty places survive is because they pay the staff minimum wage, so making up overheads, etc with that.

I used to work freelance, ie go into several venues to do treatments as and when needed. I used to earn approx £600-700 a month for part-time hours.

Now I have 2 venues I rent rooms in and have to pay rent in one and a percentage of the treatments in the other. I pay myself £100 a week.

My ultimate aim is to only rent one of the venues and base myself there.

The biggest thing is to ensure that your weekly/monthly overheads are manageable. I also cost into that 6 weeks annual leave. I am lucky that my rent/percentage includes everything, ie leccy, phone, etc, so apart from my own advertising, products, etc, the rest is paid into the biz account.

My friend has just closed her 3 floored town house holistic centre after nearly 4 years due to ill health but her overheads were ridiculous, she had to do a hell of a lot of treatments to do to make a profit.

 

[Cec]

First, this is NOT to brag, but I really hope it will inspire some of you.

I started 10 years ago. I took my course and started doing paying clients (they payed "model-prices", so not much, but better than nothing) the day after I finished the enhancement part. I went to the university and had about 2-3 models each day. I passed my exam after about 2-3 months and started renting space at a hairdresser. I didn't earn much money, but I had my loan from the university (I took some exams to get the loan) and so had my husband, as he was also studying. I took every client I could get, be it Sunday evening, Saturday night, Monday at 07.00 etc... My son got used to me working....

After a year we moved to my hometown, the next biggest city in Norway, with about 200.000 people (haha, not many people living in Norway...) and I started all over again, but this time, in an office building, at 5th. floor, in the city. Over the 9 last years I have had bigger and bigger salons, the biggest at 220 square meters in the middle of the city. I had staff, I went into beauty, makeup etc... It was EXHAUSTING, although I had a decent income, I didn't get much compared to how much I worked.

Two years ago I thought... What's the point of doing this, 9-9? What do I get from it? Happy clients, a sore back and crazy head (from all the talking ), but no holiday, no nice clothes, no nice shoes etc... I didn't have the (extra) money, nor the time. I then decided to focus... What are you good at? What can you do really good? NAILS. I "ditched out" everything than nails and found a small place in the middle of town, but at first floor. I then did only nails for a year and last summer I had to think again.... "You are doing only nails, you are doing it good, you have a full book, you don't take new clients, still, you don't have enough money to travel to the big beauty-shows around Europe. To get the inspiration you need to stay."

I then increased my prices.... All my prices went up with about 25 pound! I wrote a letter to my clients, told them why I had to do this, and kindly said they could text me or phone me if they didn't want to continue. I lost some clients, but I also got some. And I still have a waiting list. I COULD do more clients if I wanted to, but I don't want. I don't want to be stressed out every time I have a holiday, or don't have time for a reballance, or just need a day off. I still work a lot, but at least, I now earn the money I need to take 3-4 holidays a year, to go to all the beauty-shows I want to, to shop and to eat at restaurant etc... Money isn't all, but I have to admit, for me, it means I get the freedom to do what I want to do.

To do nails (beauty) is da** hard work and I have to admit, I am not sure I would have continued if I didn't get a nice income. People who knows me, knows I am very passionated about this industry. Although I am doing it good I always seek to be better, I know I can always learn more, but it's not enough. After all, I have a life outside the salon...

I am SICK of people telling me I am LUCKY. That's not true... I have worked so hard to get there.... I am also sick of hearing nailtechs saying: "Oooh, I'm going to move to Norway!" There are lots of nailtechs here who takes 30 pound a set, and as in UK, there are lots of nailtechs starting up and closing again the same year. I would assume nailtechs per. person is the same here as in UK...

Although I didn't manage to focus all the time, I had a philosophy:To always be at the top, technically and price-wise, then I would get the clients I wanted: Those who can afford to have their nails done, all the time. Those who appreciate good work. Those who don't care what they pay, as long as they get VALUE for money. And at last those that can afford it even if the economy in the country fall apart. I have those clients now and I am happy I stayed to my philosophy, even in hard times. It may seems greedy and maybe it is, but for me, business is business and one has to do what one has to do, nobody else do it for you....

C.

 

[lublu]

yes i know exactly how you feel have been in business for 3 years and i can safely say i have never worked so much for so little!!!!
I absolutley love what i do otherwise i wouldnt have stuck at it and i do believe and work towards it being my little gold mine.
No its not easy, glamorous or secure - but what is these days - i have been made redundant twice and i had no say in the matter this one is all down to me!!!
I dont have children - maybe you would feel guilty even if you were working for someone else??? may be you have to give yourself a time frame and plan and give it all you got and then if its still not good you can walk away knowing you tried it all. dont know if this helps as i said i dont have kids and think your are doing the two hardest jobs in the world at the same time.
We have chosen the challenging, risky path it is up and down most people dream of running there own business but dont dare - we had the guts to do it i think we should pat ourselves on the backs.
I think in business you have to have passion, energy and not be afraid to learn. We have to be accountants, managers, therapists, marketers, advertisers, graphic designers, sales people, cleaners, the list goes on......
Pm if there is any way i can help
good luck - i know how you feel
lucy xxxx

 

[crazysaz]

hi all, ive had my salon for 2 yrs. when i 1st opened i had absoloutely nothing, incld clients! 1st yr i took home £4k. i dont really know 07 - 08 offically but it would probably be about the same. 1st yr was basically keeping the salon afloat. 2nd yr i brought in good money but put it back into the business. this yr im in it to make money! theres always going to be more equipement/stock/training but at some point you have to realise enough is enough. i ve totally cut back on my spending, incld staff, for a while i was employing a girl a couple o days a wk. i realised she was gettn more than me for 2 days work so ive got rid of her and just cope on my own. at the mo im taking home around £200 a wk. whatever i make on a sat is my wages and the rest gos into the bank. i also set myself targets - 18% on top of last yr. by the summer im hoping to pull in good money and that will keep me going through the quiet times. going om hols in may for 2 wks and im panicing but at the end of the day if i cant take time off after 2 1/2 yrs what is the point! hth

 

[hippy-chick]

Sarah,
sounds good. I must admit to spending as an investment rather than putting money away, but at the end of the day, theirs always something to be forking out for.

 

[RedAdmiral]

I am quite shocked at some of these post but I know they are a reality I was the manager of a salon that make €54k per week hair nails and beauty - rent alone is €150k per year, 15 staff. The owner started out just like us 1-2 staff and look at her now. Dont take your eyes from the prize

Good Luck