At the end of my tether

[BannerPenguin]

I had 2 regulars who found me on my website. One recommended me to the other, she told her daughters to come to me & bought gift vouchers for her nieces to come for a treatment.

One was going through a messy divorce and said she can't afford to get her nails done. The other said she's too busy studying and working she doesn't have time either. Her daughters have moved to London as they graduated n found work. I had 1-2 people they recommend would come once in maybe 3 months. Odd wedding client.

After June it just died. I had 3 regulars who come from august, one has lost her job so can't afford to do nails. One is a regular, the other one was very regular, I wasn't available one sat and she needed a repair and went to fix it at the NSS and has not booked it after that.


I do manicures, pedicures, shellac, acrylics & gel. I've introduced 3d nail art, loads of acrylic designs from some very well known ladies in the industry.

I want to introduce waxing, lashes. But right now if I can't even get a client in through the door, how am I going to get people in for those treatments?

I have salons all around, literally a very well known at the end of my road who do everything, they have 2 branches.

Another two 15 mins down the road, another one 10 mins around the corner.
Not forgetting the 3 NSS in town, & 3-4 beauty salons which are all on the high at, which is 15 mins away from me.

If it's down to location there isn't too much you can do. If it was me I wouldn't even considered training for an area that is so saturated.

 

[virtues2011]

Guys, I really feel for you and I understand what you are saying. If I didn't do this as a hobby I wouldn't be in it at all, BUT that said I still can't compete with the NSS salons and the seven other home studios in a half mile of me, nor do I want to try. I changed my direction after completing my VRQ certificates. There was only one other salon in my area (3 miles away) that works with CACI so that was where I headed but it comes with a price, no one around me works with Environ so I took that route as I enjoy and am passionate about skin. I am itching to sell my hair salon, they are popping up all over the place seems on a daily basis with ridiculous prices and sadly I have lost motivation and interest with it.

 

[411]

If it's down to location there isn't too much you can do. If it was me I wouldn't even considered training for an area that is so saturated.

It's is down to location and area saturated with salons.

This is why I'm not 100% confident introducing what all the other salons are doing.

 

[411]

Guys, I really feel for you and I understand what you are saying. If I didn't do this as a hobby I wouldn't be in it at all, BUT that said I still can't compete with the NSS salons and the seven other home studios in a half mile of me, nor do I want to try. I changed my direction after completing my VRQ certificates. There was only one other salon in my area (3 miles away) that works with CACI so that was where I headed but it comes with a price, no one around me works with Environ so I took that route as I enjoy and am passionate about skin. I am itching to sell my hair salon, they are popping up all over the place seems on a daily basis with ridiculous prices and sadly I have lost motivation and interest with it.

This is the problem I'm having, NSS charge next to nothing for shellac and acrylic. I cannot lower my prices and to be honest I refuse to do that. I can't compete with them.

I haven't spent money and top class training for me to earn next to nothing on the treatments.

Even introducing other treatments I doubt will help, as I'm finding it difficult to get people through the door.

Thank god I wasn't that quick to give up my full time job, as much as I don't like it I get paid at the end of the month, something I don't see happening if I was to work in my nail salon full time.

Hard to come to terms with it and except it as I've had my heart set on it for years after I had my training, and once I opened a year ago I didn't think it would come to this.

Still refusing to give it up and keep trying, even if it means a top up to my full time income.

 

[virtues2011]

This is the problem I'm having, NSS charge next to nothing for shellac and acrylic. I cannot lower my prices and to be honest I refuse to do that. I can't compete with them.

I haven't spent money and top class training for me to earn next to nothing on the treatments.

Even introducing other treatments I doubt will help, as I'm finding it difficult to get people through the door.

Thank god I wasn't that quick to give up my full time job, as much as I don't like it I get paid at the end of the month, something I don't see happening if I was to work in my nail salon full time.

Hard to come to terms with it and except it as I've had my heart set on it for years after I had my training, and once I opened a year ago I didn't think it would come to this.

Still refusing to give it up and keep trying, even if it means a top up to my full time income.

I think having the security of your job and not having to worry so much over how the bills are going to be paid sure helps keeps the stress levels down a little. I know it is not ideal for you. I don't know what is worse. How can you have a USP when everyone has the same USP - it seems to be determined on price rather than anything else, and I still stand by the fact that not every cheap therapist is crap. It is proven even on this site. Affluence certainly plays a part but it generally is the noughts at the end of the figures that change it is all relevant. I don't know whether I am in a better position or a worse one as my treatments are in hundreds of pounds at a time rather than tens...