Beauty salon in the Hospital???

[olenabeauty]

Hi everyone, I am new to this site, but have read so many threads for the past three days and I have enjoyed it a lot.

I have a question and would really like to hear your honest opinions. I am looking at the moment for a place to rent to set up my beauty salon there, and the other day received information from estate agents that there is a new development project going on at the moment in one of the main wings of the hospital in my town( major hospital), there will be quite a few shops to rent there on the ground floor. So at first I thought that this is a good opportunity, nearly went ahead to make an offer, but now I am starting to get hesitant, what if I am wrong?
GEEKS PLEASE, would really like to hear your thought( bad or good ) on that. Many thanks

 

[nailpod]

Hi everyone, I am new to this site, but have read so many threads for the past three days and I have enjoyed it a lot.

I have a question and would really like to hear your honest opinions. I am looking at the moment for a place to rent to set up my beauty salon there, and the other day received information from estate agents that there is a new development project going on at the moment in one of the main wings of the hospital in my town( major hospital), there will be quite a few shops to rent there on the ground floor. So at first I thought that this is a good opportunity, nearly went ahead to make an offer, but now I am starting to get hesitant, what if I am wrong?
GEEKS PLEASE, would really like to hear your thought( bad or good ) on that. Many thanks

wel i am a nail tech so i have had visit some girl who in car acident broken back but was only concerned about the missing nails, so it does make ppl feel better but i also donno if it will bring in much business as opposed to the obvious hosp staff which may come to you, and the other pl in hosp may not be looking at gong while visiting sick ppl.so i personally wouldnt but i would maybe say you are avil to do mobile work possibly.

 

[olenabeauty]

thanks a lot for your opinion

:green:

 

[Cazbar]

Parking is one of the most important considerations I would have thought for you.

My experience of parking in hospitals is pretty bad - not enough space and waaaay too expensive. This would be a huge deterrent to potential clients imo.

 

[olenabeauty]

thanks caz

but i am just thinking that this is the same problem for salons in the city center, still clients are coming in.
but i agree with u on that, as even when i went to see the unit, i had to drive around for a while to find where to park:cry:

 

[estherlou]

I think its a good idea, i've seen hairdressers many times in hospitals, why not beauty salons, not just for clients coming in but for people who are already there, some people spend months of their lives in hospital and a nice beauty treatment would be a lovely treat, also parents of kids in hospital. You'd have to be really thorough with consultation and medical consent in needed for patients at the hospital.
There sheer number of doctors, nurse4s and staff at a major hospital would be huge. think you're on to a winner there! xx good luck xx

 

[olenabeauty]

Yes, this is exactly What I had in mind Esther, I used to work in a small salon close to another big hospital, and we were always busy, all of the clients were doctors and nurses.
Another good thing is that there is a postnatal and antenatal clinics on upper floors, so i am thinking of a nice papmer range for pregnant women, what do you think?

 

[collin]

Maybe ask yourself
1) would someone who is in hospital or someone visiting a patient really want your treatment ?...I would have thought that would be the last thing on their mind?
2) What is the lease that you could get tied into...be carefull of long terms when getting started..what if it doesnt work and your stuck with paying rent for the next xxx years?

there must be better,cheaper,less risky,more flexable options for you out there...maybe put yourself about a bit and join in with another salon who doesnt offer the service you do..rent a room to start with...if your succesfull then get your own place in the right place and at the rght terms for you/your buisness
Good luck :hug:

 

[Sassy Hassy]

Added to the great opinions so far, I would worry about the transient nature of your clients. I don´t think as a regular client I would want to go to a hospital for a beauty treatment ... I don´t like them at the best of times. And as already said, the parking is usually a nightmare.

I think you wil have to seriously think about this ... I´m all for thinking outside the box, but just remember there still IS a box!

Good luck :hug:

 

[Marilyn Monroe]

Am I right to assume you're talking about St James' because the parking is absolutley ridiculous and expensive. The area around it (no offence) is not too nice either, just thinking for parking my car. We have been broken into 2 in the hospital carpark!

I'm not sure you would get many of the patients as clients for instance most wouldn't be able to have enhancements or even polish, staff aren't aloud polish either.
But then massage may go down well?

Perhaps you'll be the start of something new.

Good Luck.

 

[olenabeauty]

Thanks guys, your opinions are precious to me:green:

 

[collin]

When starting off take lots smaller steps when progressing your buisness...this way if one step is the wrong one (and believe me ,like all of us,you will make mistakes)then its not such a disaster and easily rectified.

Lots little steps will actually get you where you want to be far quicker than taking large risky leaps
Good luck:hug:

 

[olenabeauty]

the thing is that I have already started with the small step, It has been about 10 months that I am renting a small room with hairdressers, I am quite busy, but because of the space I am limited to so many things I actually want to do, that's why I thought it is time for me to take this one step further, and I don't know but for some reason I had this strange feeling that this idea might work If I approach it in a right way, I might be wrong:cry:

 

[e-beauty]

i say go with your gut, maybe write up a Questioner and ask the hospital if you can leave it in waiteing areas or personally fill them in with people if you have the time. then you can use the feedback to See how much interest you get, and in what areas of the treatments your going to be offering.

Good luck
:hug:

 

[essentia]

Hi I get the feeling and from what others have said that it may be the staff that would be most attracted to the service and the mums in the maternity unit. Gaining regulars may be a problem and I think the parking is a big factor too. I used to live in Essex and there was a proper course for aromatherapy for cancer patients. If you have had some specialist treatments like this and reflexology etc you may get more mileage out of it. My one concern is that you already are doing well and it would be a shame to lose what you have now.

 

[estherlou]

I have say that i think the opposite of what some have said.
My mum worked for years in a large hospital near to here, she did her clothes shopping there and got some groceries and ate there on her lunch break. Also i have alot of friends who are med students 3 nurses and two doctors, they practically live at the hospitals they are placed in, they would kill for on site massage.
Having spent a fair bit of time in hospital with my son, i know how horrible it is walking around the corridors, the longest i've had to stay is a week, some of the mums are inthere for months at a time, you need to break the monotony of the situation, but you don't want to go to far, beauty salon on site ideal.
i still think this is a great idea, i visit a day centre, about once a month, for people with disabilities who couldn't get to the salon otherwise, alot of these folks are in and out of hospital quite regularly and it make their week having their nails done and a little massage.

 

[olenabeauty]

this is exactly what i am thinking, as I said before I used to work in a salon close to hospital, and you would not believe how many clients we had from there, all of them were doctors, nurses, pharmacists, cleaners etc, they all found time even for an hour facials, not only 15 mint treatments e.g waxing, eyelash tints, mini mans etc. I am thinking to have a junior beautician who would only do mobile treatments for those who cannot leave the room....
I will also definitaly have a range of specific treatments to target the right sector...
Thanks again Esther

 

[EMMA AT ELITE]

Hi
I have read all the threads and at first thought it sounded really good oppotunity but now am in two minds.
I think maybe write up a list of good & bad, pros & cons, then when you have finish see if you think the cons are worth the gamble.
I used to work in a salon 5/10 min walk away from a busy hospital in essex and a lot of our clients where nurses. We did also have parents and visiters of patients.
I think one of your main concerns by the sound of things is the parking. Is there any way you can get a couple of spaces outside the salon for your clients?
Good luck with whatever you do and please keep us all posted.
Emma :hug: xx

 

[olenabeauty]

I am in two minds aw well

This is a very big project, all of the units are nearly rented out. I am in the process of typing out a small survey for the hospital staff, byt this I should find out whether they will use the facility at all, and which treatments would be in demand.
I also know that they are building two new buildings for gynaecology and smth else, so even more staff, and I suppose I can find out about having some parking permit holder badges I can give out to my clients for they time they are visiting, but for some reason I think regular clients would be people who are on site already ( i might be wrong again)

 

[essentia]

Hi I have worked in a hospital too and I think you would have to draw clientele from mainly the hospital itself. I am not sure you would get many from outside coming (they made us staff pay for parking where I worked! and segregated patients and staff parking) I also think some staff may want to go somewhere other than where they work to switch off but definately a bonus for some. I think you would have to tailor treatments for the environment to get the best out of it. As always I would go with your own gut feeling.