Where to go next?

[Abi Smith]

Hiya I am struggling atm feeling low al of it but having a real think about life & business!
So I have an amazing!!! Home salon my hubby built I love it & love the fact I can go between mummy jobs & work work, however business is soo slow 1-2 clients a week if i am lucky! Now is it because i work from home & people dont like this? Been looking for a space to rent in an established salon but they are proving hard to find! Do i bite the bullet & open up my own. I have had my own shop before so business set up ect doesnt worry me!
I am starting college in sept to do NVQ 2 beauty as i am trained in waxing, lashes, tanning, lash lif & nails ect but want to be level 3 trained so i can employ an apprentice & also teach courses. (Long term goal)
But i need to be able to afford to kive so do i go part time & try & find a part time job? Or give up all together & go into a full time job it wont be something i will enjoy as beauty is what i love but need to start earning!

 

[AcidPerm]

How much advertising do you do?
Do you offer limited opening hours?
Are you easy to find/have parking facilities?
What's your retention rate like with your existing clients?
Have you tried a refer a friend discount?

Your home salon could be very successful (plenty are) but maybe you aren't marketing it enough?

Location is important but if you offer a really great service, a lot of clients will choose you over a so so service in a high street salon.

 

[Abi Smith]

I feel i do alot (my friend says possibly too much) i have an add in local mag, drop leaflets & post to local facebook groups once to twice a week.
I am open monday-friday 10am - 10pm & Saturday & Sunday 7pm-10am (operated on appts only not walk ins as i am from home)
I have a drive & on road parking they can use, i hardly have any clients at all (been going 18 months) I have a few that come each time they have an event but nobody a reg that keeps on top of treatments.
I offer a loyalty scheme & do a discount if they bring a friend but not so much a refer a friend scheme( what do you recommend for a working scheme)
I am only in a village however we are quite a large village (120 ish kids in village school as a guide)

 

[AcidPerm]

Do the other school mums know about your salon?
Could you offer to donate a voucher for say £30 to the school raffle and at the same time hand out little leaflets at the next parents evening?
Do any of the girls do dancing competitions, so needing spray tans?

It sounds like you're doing the right things so just accept that it can take time to establish a decent size clientele. Just keep plugging away and try not to get disheartened. When I did my hairdressing course, one of the older ladies liked the way I coloured her hair so asked if I'd continue during the college holidays and she became my first proper mobile client.

Have you read the Sticky thread pinned at the top of the Business forum? It might kick start some new ideas if you need a boost.

 

[CFBS]

Sounds like you doing the right things.
I'm home based in a small village and people seem to be prepared to travel up to 7 miles to me. That seems to be the cut off point.
I do paid regular promotions of special offers on Facebook. Target your audience carefully to get the best response.
This is a good way to break into new circles locally.

It takes a couple of years to get a reasonably full book. after 3 years you should be nearly fully booked each week.
Things grow gradually but once you get to about 100 clients it grows by word of mouth more.

Make sure you send a leaflet to every house within a mile radius of your house. This will give you your starting client base.

 

[Abi Smith]

Thank you i will go on another leaflet drop & think of my promotion for july what sort of offers do you find work well

 

[Rachael.V]

How are you following up on the clients that do come to you? How often do you get new clients that don't come back? Do you keep a customer database so you can contact people?

 

[Miss Lord]

Hi Abi, I've put an add on netmums and get a good response from there. It helped get my small home based salon to show up on the first page of google. Good luck, I hope you get busier [emoji140]

 

[Cathi44]

How long have you been open? It sounds like you're doing plenty of marketing but it does take time to grow a business, particularly when you're not in sight of the public and walk-ins (ie. High Street). Also look at doing lots of networking.... any local events going on etc. Get chatting to everyone & anyone about your business. And get the clients you have already telling people how fab you are!! Use your location as a USP too.... peace & quiet, no interruptions, relaxing & tranquil, total privacy.

 

[Abi Smith]

I have been going about 18 months, i send text reminders when next appointments due eg 2 weeks nails & 6 weeks lashlifts ect yes everyone i do has to fill in a consultation card with details on & i have them all, i get about 2-3 clients a month! Most of those are new i have about 3 that keep coming back but only when they have an event on wedding ect! I am on netmums i have put on all free listing sites, all school mums no what i do but only the 1 uses me and thats my best friend i donate a prize to all events i hear of have done local schools, playgroups & charity events i have donated about 15 since xmas only 1 ha been redeemed

 

[Cathi44]

I have been going about 18 months, i send text reminders when next appointments due eg 2 weeks nails & 6 weeks lashlifts ect yes everyone i do has to fill in a consultation card with details on & i have them all, i get about 2-3 clients a month! Most of those are new i have about 3 that keep coming back but only when they have an event on wedding ect! I am on netmums i have put on all free listing sites, all school mums no what i do but only the 1 uses me and thats my best friend i donate a prize to all events i hear of have done local schools, playgroups & charity events i have donated about 15 since xmas only 1 ha been redeemed

Hhhmm... well I would say 18months isn't long in terms of a new business (it probably took me 3 years to have a strong, loyal client base and a full diary). That said, I would expect more than 2-3 clients a month, so I can understand your frustration. What's the competition like in your area? Where are all these people going for their treatments? If you're well known already and doing lots of PR & marketing I would start to question whether it's the right area for what you're offering (ie. Is there actually a demand for your services or is there a glut of salons offering the same treatments) Also, are your prices in line with the competition / more / less. Is it feasible to cast your net further and look at attracting clients from outside of the immediate area.

 

[Abi Smith]

O yes i know i am relivitly new but was hoping for a bit more than 2-3 people we have a village salon quite expensive & 1 other lady home based but does it only for friends as more of a hobby, im not sure where they are going as its all seemed hush hush when you ask

 

[kerry33]

I've just had a quick look at your fb page and I would say you are offering treatments far too cheap. £6 for a spray time, £15 for gel fingers and toe!! Your are really underselling yourself and attracting the wrong clients.
You will attract clients looking for a bargin. Looking for a one off cheap treatment, not bothered about seeing you regularly.
I am a mobile beauty therapist. I've had my business for nearly 5 years and I'm consistently busy every week with regular clients. I charge £20 for a spray tan and Shellac for fingers and toes would be £56..no discount. I live in a small village and have alot of wealthy clients...that is your target audience. People that have a disposable income, offer them a high quality, superior service and they will recommend to friend and then off you go.
I am by no means criticising you, just offering you my opinion

 

[Bettyboobumpkin]

I would agree. If your prices are too cheap people think you aren't properly qualified/ using cheap products or are dodgy. If I were you I would price myself just below the village salon.

 

[Abi Smith]

I would agree. If your prices are too cheap people think you aren't properly qualified/ using cheap products or are dodgy. If I were you I would price myself just below the village salon.

No thanks I appreciate any advice! My tans are normally £12 but i go away on Thursday and have lots of open tubs i will have to throw away so thought i would get them used up! I will sit and re think my prices i did do my full price list based of what locals charged but i think i may have to up them and see how that goes at least then i can afford to do special offers would you mind if i added my price list once done to see what you think?

 

[Cindy2021]

Hi Abi,
I have a home salon out in the countryside and I'm now fully booked a month in advance so hang in there.
All my advertising has been through social media, in particular FB. I also pay for ads on there as likes to your page won't see your posts unless they regularly engage with them. They don't show up on their newsfeed.
Keep plugging away and you'll get there.
How are your prices fir your area? One thing that puts me off as a client are very cheap prices. I'd rather pay more for a decent service.

 

[Abi Smith]

Hi Abi,
I have a home salon out in the countryside and I'm now fully booked a month in advance so hang in there.
All my advertising has been through social media, in particular FB. I also pay for ads on there as likes to your page won't see your posts unless they regularly engage with them. They don't show up on their newsfeed.
Keep plugging away and you'll get there.
How are your prices fir your area? One thing that puts me off as a client are very cheap prices. I'd rather pay more for a decent service.

Hi, thanks do you mind sharing your facebook page so i can see how you advertise yours? Ill keep going just feeling disheartened im off into a salon a couple of days a week to see if that helps i have alot of family & friends in the town so hoping that will help but still will be pushing my home salon! I am roughly inline with other local prices so slightly below sone slightly above eg average might be £5 so i could be £4 or £6 but my home prices are way to cheap for the town so when i go into the salon i will be upping my prices but from the advice on here i will use my new salon price at home to!

 

[Cindy2021]

Hi, thanks do you mind sharing your facebook page so i can see how you advertise yours? Ill keep going just feeling disheartened im off into a salon a couple of days a week to see if that helps i have alot of family & friends in the town so hoping that will help but still will be pushing my home salon! I am roughly inline with other local prices so slightly below sone slightly above eg average might be £5 so i could be £4 or £6 but my home prices are way to cheap for the town so when i go into the salon i will be upping my prices but from the advice on here i will use my new salon price at home to!

Here's my FB page...
https://m.facebook.com/Polishedtopurrfection/

I don't think I do anything special or different although I do a lot of acrylic nail art which people are willing to travel for and I work long hours.

Good luck in the salon

 

[squidgernetball]

Please don't be under the illusion that clients don't come because you're a home salon, and that they'll miraculously come because you have a premises. People buy people. Try and get 'you' across in any marketing. Think about the people you'd like to attract.

I started out in a home salon. I did a four day week max and used the flexibility to support my ageing mother and step father. I searched for the best products out there and invested a lot of money to ensure my clientele received the best treatments possible. I was constantly updating my skills. It all takes time.

Fast forward to the present day and I have a very successful large salon with four staff but in the early days, it was my home clients that moved with me that paid all my bills.

Remember, clients are usually going somewhere. You have to make them want to come to you. Offer the very best of everything and definitely put your prices up.

Vic x

 

[BettyBaa1994]

I feel i do alot (my friend says possibly too much) i have an add in local mag, drop leaflets & post to local facebook groups once to twice a week.
I am open monday-friday 10am - 10pm & Saturday & Sunday 7pm-10am (operated on appts only not walk ins as i am from home)
I have a drive & on road parking they can use, i hardly have any clients at all (been going 18 months) I have a few that come each time they have an event but nobody a reg that keeps on top of treatments.
I offer a loyalty scheme & do a discount if they bring a friend but not so much a refer a friend scheme( what do you recommend for a working scheme)
I am only in a village however we are quite a large village (120 ish kids in village school as a guide)

Have you looked at local salons? Are they busy as it seems maybe you are in a saturated market. ? A village only need so many beauty salons, what are you offering that is different?

You say you only have level 2, have you asked your clients what future treatments they would like to have? Maybe it is the treatments you offer ,for example in my last area massage was REALLY an in demand treatment whereas spray tan or waxing less so.