kengolding
New Member
I appreciate adding me, and can surely use the advice.
Long story short, if possible. I purchased a building to put another business into.
That building also housed a Salon that has been there for 20 years. Steady clientele.
5 Stylists.
2 - Rent a chair for 150 a week.
3 - commission (55/45) from the person I purchased it from (60/40) according to the stylists
The salon has not been updated since 2000 and I was going to close it down and just use it for the other business
The stylists all said they needed the job and this is how they make a living.
I decided to keep the salon open and let them stay as they are for compensation
I have owned other business before and they all depend on online marketing, so having a salon
that is not online is giving up lots of customers.
Also did they not sell any product, so we are working to select a distributor, because we need product.
I met with the stylists last week and we disussed the condition of the salon.
It was bad, floors, old track shelves on the walls, no of them matching, old curtains from 2000, same with the paint.
I hired a crew and in the two days there were closed we put in new floors, removed the old decor, removed the old 40 year old waiting room furniture, replaced the floors, painted and made it look as good as we can without closing.
I ordered new ceiling panel for the 40 year old panels that are there now.
We also ordered new chairs and pads. The place is looking good for not having the ability to close for a long time , we have wet stations to replace and possibly add some nail services. We will have to replace the wet stations one at a time, in the evenings or on a long weekend. Neither is a good situation, but reality always trumps dreamland.
So now on to my original reason for joining this forum. I was looking for general advice on running a salon, but now I am afraid that it is moving into a mutiny.
At least there is the possibility that there could be a mutiny. For the two girls who rent a chair, I told them that while we are getting things together they did not have to pay rent. I thought that would help smooth things over.
I got a call from one of them last night and it was something like this, pretty short.
"Hey this is me, the salon chair renter, you got to tell us about your plans and how you want to go online but you did not listen to what our plans are. We want to meet and tell you want we want. We have all talked and we need to have a meeting"
I actually did hear them and spent about 20k showing I heard them.
This is the one stylist who during the meeting said, I don't have an email address and I am not going online.
I discussed about online bookings and how to get new clients, which they replied "we use word of mouth"
I asked when was your last client, and looked at each stylist. Nobody had a new client in a while.
I said, that is kind of the point of online. You can still do word of mouth but also online.
We then went into the backroom where there is a horrible room with a deep sink and an old table for the color and such.
Old plywood lockers. As we were discussing removing the deep sink and adding a counter with a color bar and real sink, putting in real cabinets for the lockers.
The same stylist who said she would not go online, made a comment that you might have all your stylists walk out.
WOW, I heard it but I ignored it and went ahead with fixing all the salon. Once the new chairs arrive I will have spent about 20k, and it looks ready to decorate.
WHEW, long winded I know.
I believe, but am not 100% sure I have a single person working against the whole going online and computerizing the shop.
I am new to the small town and also did not set out to purchase this salon, but I do see the benefit of having it for cross marketing.
If they all have gotten together to strong-arm me into not computerizing the shop then I think I have 5 options.
1. Forget about it close the salon, and concentrate back on the other business
2. Sell the girls the license and rent the whole space to them.
3. Let the whole staff go, Remodel and then recruit a new staff. (If they carry the costs I don't need to make much on this so I could offer 70/30 to make it attractive)
4. Acquiesce and don't go online (Hard to keep books legally)
5. Make my points again about online, and ask who wants to stay. Then let those stay and continue the remodel in the evenings and days off.
Small town, new guy in town, may be an issue so I need to know how to navigate this.
Any thoughts or questions are welcomed
Long story short, if possible. I purchased a building to put another business into.
That building also housed a Salon that has been there for 20 years. Steady clientele.
5 Stylists.
2 - Rent a chair for 150 a week.
3 - commission (55/45) from the person I purchased it from (60/40) according to the stylists
The salon has not been updated since 2000 and I was going to close it down and just use it for the other business
The stylists all said they needed the job and this is how they make a living.
I decided to keep the salon open and let them stay as they are for compensation
I have owned other business before and they all depend on online marketing, so having a salon
that is not online is giving up lots of customers.
Also did they not sell any product, so we are working to select a distributor, because we need product.
I met with the stylists last week and we disussed the condition of the salon.
It was bad, floors, old track shelves on the walls, no of them matching, old curtains from 2000, same with the paint.
I hired a crew and in the two days there were closed we put in new floors, removed the old decor, removed the old 40 year old waiting room furniture, replaced the floors, painted and made it look as good as we can without closing.
I ordered new ceiling panel for the 40 year old panels that are there now.
We also ordered new chairs and pads. The place is looking good for not having the ability to close for a long time , we have wet stations to replace and possibly add some nail services. We will have to replace the wet stations one at a time, in the evenings or on a long weekend. Neither is a good situation, but reality always trumps dreamland.
So now on to my original reason for joining this forum. I was looking for general advice on running a salon, but now I am afraid that it is moving into a mutiny.
At least there is the possibility that there could be a mutiny. For the two girls who rent a chair, I told them that while we are getting things together they did not have to pay rent. I thought that would help smooth things over.
I got a call from one of them last night and it was something like this, pretty short.
"Hey this is me, the salon chair renter, you got to tell us about your plans and how you want to go online but you did not listen to what our plans are. We want to meet and tell you want we want. We have all talked and we need to have a meeting"
I actually did hear them and spent about 20k showing I heard them.
This is the one stylist who during the meeting said, I don't have an email address and I am not going online.
I discussed about online bookings and how to get new clients, which they replied "we use word of mouth"
I asked when was your last client, and looked at each stylist. Nobody had a new client in a while.
I said, that is kind of the point of online. You can still do word of mouth but also online.
We then went into the backroom where there is a horrible room with a deep sink and an old table for the color and such.
Old plywood lockers. As we were discussing removing the deep sink and adding a counter with a color bar and real sink, putting in real cabinets for the lockers.
The same stylist who said she would not go online, made a comment that you might have all your stylists walk out.
WOW, I heard it but I ignored it and went ahead with fixing all the salon. Once the new chairs arrive I will have spent about 20k, and it looks ready to decorate.
WHEW, long winded I know.
I believe, but am not 100% sure I have a single person working against the whole going online and computerizing the shop.
I am new to the small town and also did not set out to purchase this salon, but I do see the benefit of having it for cross marketing.
If they all have gotten together to strong-arm me into not computerizing the shop then I think I have 5 options.
1. Forget about it close the salon, and concentrate back on the other business
2. Sell the girls the license and rent the whole space to them.
3. Let the whole staff go, Remodel and then recruit a new staff. (If they carry the costs I don't need to make much on this so I could offer 70/30 to make it attractive)
4. Acquiesce and don't go online (Hard to keep books legally)
5. Make my points again about online, and ask who wants to stay. Then let those stay and continue the remodel in the evenings and days off.
Small town, new guy in town, may be an issue so I need to know how to navigate this.
Any thoughts or questions are welcomed