Getting Last Minute Nerves

[koskinas]

Hi
I was hoping someone could give me some honest advice or maybe just a push.

I am planning to open a salon in City of London soon but am getting very nervous as its getting closer, I'm so worried its not going to work and i'll be left in debt.

I have the salon premises almost ready the builders are working on it now, I have paid for all the shop fittings from my savings.

The shop is my fathers and he has said that I do not have to pay him rent until I am doing well so there is no pressure there.

I have have had a modern unusual beautiful shop front done which I got a grant for but contributed 12,000.00 of myself again from my savings.

I have a couple of friends who work in media, one being a very glam magazine and one a well know newspaper who have both offered to help advertise as much as they can for free.

I have already brought most of the equipment and furniture out of my savings, nail desks, reception desk, microdermabrasion machine, galvanic machine, electrolysis machine this has all been paid for in full, so I shall have no installments to pay.

Also the 3 salons near by (the competition) are not really decorated nicely and offer very basic treatments, two of them are located inside a hairdressers. I have fitted out the salon very beautifully like a spa, it is not very big but has 2 floors, with three treatment rooms and three nail stations.

The negatives are I have never worked in a salon, however I do hold most of the qualifications, Beauty Therapy NVQ Level 2, Electrolysis, Threading, Aromatherapy, Reflexology, Massage, Indian Head Massage, Make-up, Nail Art, Nail Extensions. I did these qualifications years ago and never practised.

I was hoping to work as the receptionist and manage the salon and practise on friends and family to get my skills up to scratch.

I have run out of funds now but need money for staff and products which I'm thinking of getting a loan for.

I know I am very lucky and am having a lot of help but can't help worrying. I did try to get a job in a salon for a few months to gain a bit of experience but no one would take me on as they wanted experienced staff which I understand.

I was thinking of taking a loan to cover the beauty supplies and staff wages and expenses for three months, is this right?
How much money did salon owners put aside before opening?

I know I'm in too deep now, I am confident I will make it work as I am quite business minded and have managed to secure two business deals with other companies who said they will give me their client data base and advertise for me for free. But I still so nervous.

I'm also worried with the Uk climate at the moment I might not get a loan?

Do you think I'm crazy and it should be fine or do you think I have something to worry about!

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated

 

[loubylou]

Looking at the amount of money that you have already put into the salon i don't think you really have any option but to kick yourself up the backside and just go for it,
don't forget to get salon and public liability insurance and any license's that may be applicable in London,
get in touch with the chamber of commerce they should be able to put you in touch with a loan firm that has low interest rates for first time businesses as well as lots of other help to give you,
your salon sounds like it is going to be great and look beautiful,
your next hard task is finding good, experienced reliable staff with great people skills that will work their backsides off to help you make all this work out, hth
good luck with it all :hug:

 

[koskinas]

Looking at the amount of money that you have already put into the salon i don't think you really have any option but to kick yourself up the backside and just go for it,
don't forget to get salon and public liability insurance and any license's that may be applicable in London,
get in touch with the chamber of commerce they should be able to put you in touch with a loan firm that has low interest rates for first time businesses as well as lots of other help to give you,
your salon sounds like it is going to be great and look beautiful,
your next hard task is finding good, experienced reliable staff with great people skills that will work their backsides off to help you make all this work out, hth
good luck with it all :hug:

Thanks, thats really useful info about the loan, i'll get straight on it, thanks for the support:Grope:

 

[hippy-chick]

your bound to feel nervous, but you know that it is right, you've not gone into this with your eyes closed.

its just jitters, start positive affirmations and wear the biggest most confident smile you can muster.

 

[Lynne Baker]

Well done for getting this far, and all without finance!
Get in touch with Business Link for loads of free advice, and join a high end women's networking group like Athena to get clients. I joined this and have recouped my annual investment many times over. Learn to schmooze with the media types and offer a few free treatments. As Louby says find the right staff, reward them well, have them share in the salon's fortunes and work your bums off.
Feel the fear, and do it anyway!
I'd be far more worried if you were Miss Complacent. Worry about everything and it will raise your game.
I shan't wish you good luck - this is more about hard work than luck (though luck does play a tiny role!).
Congratulations - if you want your girls to be trained in Cozmetic Lab mineral makeups let me know; I've just become an authorised trainer for them!

 

[orchidette]

Wouw this sounds realy impressive , good luck to you and I hope everything goes smoothly...
If you dont mind me asking , how much did you actually spent so far ?

 

[koskinas]

Well done for getting this far, and all without finance!
Get in touch with Business Link for loads of free advice, and join a high end women's networking group like Athena to get clients. I joined this and have recouped my annual investment many times over. Learn to schmooze with the media types and offer a few free treatments. As Louby says find the right staff, reward them well, have them share in the salon's fortunes and work your bums off.
Feel the fear, and do it anyway!
I'd be far more worried if you were Miss Complacent. Worry about everything and it will raise your game.
I shan't wish you good luck - this is more about hard work than luck (though luck does play a tiny role!).
Congratulations - if you want your girls to be trained in Cozmetic Lab mineral makeups let me know; I've just become an authorised trainer for them!

Thanks for the advice Calla I will check out those networking groups, have read many of your previous notes, very informative and had already put your notes on my list of things to do, Thanks for the advice

 

[koskinas]

Wouw this sounds realy impressive , good luck to you and I hope everything goes smoothly...
If you dont mind me asking , how much did you actually spent so far ?

A lot more than I thought lol!
No I don't mind you asking.
12,000.00 on the shop front (which is crazy as I'm only paying 15% and the council the rest, so it would be a lot higher and really I don't understand why?)
15,000.00 for decorating the salon
Licences, planning etc roughly 1,500.00
Furniture 1000.00 Secondhand
There is a lot more I can't remember as I started the project 3 years ago and started buying stuff from then, however i need to do an excel sheet of how much I have spent so far, have been meaning to do it for ages, putting it off, don't really want to know lol!!!! I will do it sometime next week and sent you a breakdown, please remind me if I forget! :smack:

 

[koskinas]

your bound to feel nervous, but you know that it is right, you've not gone into this with your eyes closed.

its just jitters, start positive affirmations and wear the biggest most confident smile you can muster.

Thanks for the vote of confidence:smack:

 

[OBIC]

Nightmare, just typed you a long reply and lost the thing!!!!!!

You have done plenty of planning by the sounds of it and your debts seem minimal so I'm sure you can make a real go of this.

With regards to the break inbetween completing your qualifications and using them I really wouldn't worry. It took me over four years to take the step to get a job in the industry after I had retrained and all because I couldn't paint nails. So basically it is practice practice practice. Plus there are always going to be things that you aren't confident with but you are probably really fine.

I worked in an office environment in London (City and West End) for nearly 18 years so as you probably already know the City is full of insurance companies, banks and surveyors. At my company we had an internal internet (called intranet where I worked) and that often had offers/introductions from hairdressers etc so may be worth contacting some companies with offers and make sure you always follow it up with more offers cause people always love an offer! Also would be handy if you had any friends that worked in the City offices as they too could add you to their internal site and this may end up generating you lots of business.

All the best.

 

[shedunlop]

Fear is good! It will keep you sharp! There is very little between the feeling of fear and excitement really if you think about it!

Are you going to have a launch? Maybe a leaflet drop around businesses in the area or local residences and maybe offer a small discount for first treatments? This could get you going and bring in the funds to cover wages at least.

Anyway I am not sure that you need any help, you seem to have done so well, give yourself credit for how far you have come and I wish you the very best of luck. You will be a big success!! xxx

 

[Miss Sylk]

Exactly the position i was in last week, although not as nearly as much money as you have spent i guess, but still it would be a substantial loss for nothing if i gave up before going for it.:cry:

I had some kick up the arses, and im going for it, still scared, because if i wasn't scared id be Alan Sugar or someone.:smack:

Chin up, go for the dream!!!!!!:lol:

 

[koskinas]

Nightmare, just typed you a long reply and lost the thing!!!!!!

You have done plenty of planning by the sounds of it and your debts seem minimal so I'm sure you can make a real go of this.

With regards to the break inbetween completing your qualifications and using them I really wouldn't worry. It took me over four years to take the step to get a job in the industry after I had retrained and all because I couldn't paint nails. So basically it is practice practice practice. Plus there are always going to be things that you aren't confident with but you are probably really fine.

I worked in an office environment in London (City and West End) for nearly 18 years so as you probably already know the City is full of insurance companies, banks and surveyors. At my company we had an internal internet (called intranet where I worked) and that often had offers/introductions from hairdressers etc so may be worth contacting some companies with offers and make sure you always follow it up with more offers cause people always love an offer! Also would be handy if you had any friends that worked in the City offices as they too could add you to their internal site and this may end up generating you lots of business.

All the best.

That's a good idea, I will try and contact all these companies and find a package to offer them. Thanks

 

[koskinas]

Exactly the position i was in last week, although not as nearly as much money as you have spent i guess, but still it would be a substantial loss for nothing if i gave up before going for it.:cry:

I had some kick up the arses, and im going for it, still scared, because if i wasn't scared id be Alan Sugar or someone.:smack:

Chin up, go for the dream!!!!!!:lol:

Thanks, good to know someone else in my shoes!

 

[koskinas]

Fear is good! It will keep you sharp! There is very little between the feeling of fear and excitement really if you think about it!

Are you going to have a launch? Maybe a leaflet drop around businesses in the area or local residences and maybe offer a small discount for first treatments? This could get you going and bring in the funds to cover wages at least.

Anyway I am not sure that you need any help, you seem to have done so well, give yourself credit for how far you have come and I wish you the very best of luck. You will be a big success!! xxx

I will do some leaflet dropping a month before I open, and I'm having a launch party with a small celebrity an old school friend who has agreed to do the opening and the friend who works for the mag does PR and said she would arrange it. I don't know what's wrong with me, I was so confident and having so much backing and support but feel terrified and today I have found out a hairdresser with a beauty department who have 2 other branches in London has opened on the same road offering some treatments I wanted to that the other competition didn't, it's silly but I thought 'Oh God this is a sign not to open maybe I shouldn't!' Its crazy I feel so unsure. Have calmed down now and am thinking competition is good and for the hairdressers to have opened up with the beauty on department that road means there's potential in that area. I'm just really going to go for it now!:smack:

 

[Urban Geek]

I can't really add to the great advice you have already received but as has been suggested do a large corporate marketing campaign, ie approach the large blue chip companies located near you. Best probably to approach the chairman's PA or the chief executive's PA and perhaps offer them a taster treatment in return for a promotion within the company.

I wouldn't worry too much about other salons nearby. Just make sure your standards are high and keep them consistent. There are so many people in London that love their beauty treatments and with your obvious hard work and dedication I think you will do well.

With regard to staff, I would employ the best and give them incentives to match their hard work, to keep a happy and eager team and to maintain standards.

Good luck, stay positive, excited and keep us posted! xx:hug:

 

[tog]

If you don't have one already get yourself a Salon website, and put it on your leaflets so that when you deliver them to all the local companies their employees can log on and find out all about your salon.
Put offers on your website to encourage new clients.
If you need advice about websites, ask Ruth Mills on this site, she has done sites for loads of people and they all look fab, and she knows all the technical stuff.
Good luck!