Business Opportunity

[morganbone]

Hi all,

What a great site I recently found you when searching for advice on a business opporunity I have been offered.

I have been working as a mobile beauty therapist for a while alongside my full time admin job (very busy and hectic but I love it).

I have recently been offered a small (but adequate) sizes retail unit in a new development of shops close to my home. I would love to take it on but the timing is bad as i am just about to leave on maternity. However this is something I don't want to miss out on, so I was thinking that maybe I could set up a hairdressers for 12/18 months and then look to develop the beauty side when I come back to work.

However this leads me to a number of questions mainly how do I a non hairdresser employee a hairdresser when I know nothing about it and how is it best to employee someone like this?

I hope this makes sense and that with the wealth of knowledge out there you'll be able to advise me.

 

[persianista]

Hang on, you want to set up a business that you know nothing about whilst you are having a baby?

If I put it like that does it sound like a bizarre plan?

I'm sorry I am coming across negative, but this just sounds shockingly naive to me. I have hair salons and know how much time, work and knowledge go into them.

There will always be shops available when you are in a better position to devote your time and energy to a salon.

This is just my opinion.

 

[morganbone]

No I do understand that it is a seemingly crazy idea and put it out there so people could tell me. Easier to look at it realisitcally when its down on paper and people give an opinion. I had all but dismissed the idea until I knew that my current job wasn't feasible after maternity and then kinda worried how would I be able to set something up with a little one as well.

I've never consider the option really and therefore propbably don't understand how hard it would be to set up

 

[joe90]

It is stressful enough setting up a business that you know plenty about so setting one up with absolutely no knowledge of the area you will be trading in I would say is very dangerous ground.

Besides which you will have a very demanding baby on your hands and yes, even the best of babies are demanding.

Think long and hard before you do this as it could be a very costly mistake.

 

[blush09]

if you're going to employ someone, why dont you employ a beauty therapist on a years contract instead of a hair dresser?
wont it work out expensive having to change the fixtures and fittings after running the place as a hair dressers?

 

[mikem]

When you set out on a high risk strategy you usually look for a significant outcome in return. This seems high risk with at best moderate return. the onlt benefit you really get is that you hold that particular retail unit. If retail units in your area are like rocking horse teeth, than it may be worth it. Within the current economic climate small businesses are closing all the time so I would say there is a good chance of something coming up.

The biggest effort you need to put in is when you open. If you cannot put that time in it will impact on the growth and success of your business. If you pay someone to look after it it is unlikely they will put the energy into it.

If this is your first child, you are embarking on a trip into the unknown and you don't know how you will feel about having your own business at the other end. If it is your second you are going into the child multi-task phase so still an unknown. If it's your third it's more work but you've done the major change bits.

It's your call really but with the world economy as it is you really need to go in all guns blazing at a new business and juggling the business with a new child is a challenge. If it were my wife and I in the same position I'd be looking to focus on the impending arrival and when you are ready you can start your business.

Mike