Busy busy busy!!

[Sarah22]

Hey geeks.

I'm self employed in a hair salon and have a spray tan room, a nail room and a treatment room. I'm comibg up on my 2nd year in business. The hairdressers I work with are fantastic at taking appointments, payments for me and offering tea, coffee, etc.

I'm NOT complaining in the slightest, but at the moment I'm flat out. It's mainly existing clients but recently there's been quite a lot of new clients and I'm just really worried that my quality of work is going to go down as I'm exhausted!!

I guess what I'm asking is how other self employed geeks cope during mental times!! I'm scared to employ somebody in case the busy spell dries up, but at the rate things are going, I think it might be my only option.

Is anybody else in a similar situation?

 

[Josie*]

Hi
Have a long hard think before you employ it comes with alot of red tape and issues. Suddenly you have wages NI and tax to pay for someone else too. Also holidays, sick and maternity to cover!!
Saying that you maybe made of tough stuff though and find somebody really good.
Could you rent out your nail desk or tan room to someone just a couple of days? That way you wouldn't have the concern of quieter times and all the above.
You are obviously good if I were you I'd be tempted to pop my prices up a little and enjoy being in demand.
Josie x

 

[Sarah22]

Thank you for your reply!!

I know, I'm not sure about all those details. I'm worth nothing when I get home from work lol. I'm sure I'll be fine, I'll just have to go to bed earlier and take iron supplements or something!! Haha!! Xx

 

[FlawlessBeauty]

If you are really exhausted and working to the bone, i agree you should up your prices a little and maybe give yourself longer treatment times, or make sure you book yourself a lunch and a 15 minute break later in the day.

Encourage your clients to book their appointments in advance and remember it isn't your fault if you can't accommodate someone. They will fit around you if they want the treatment.

It's great to be busy, but you also want to be healthy enough to enjoy your life outside work too.

Congratulations on your success xx

 

[Charlee-c]

I'm becoming the same I rent within a hairdressers and could do with taking someone else on towards the end the week my concern taking someone on is they might turn out to be rubbish and not up to my standard and then it would be me that would need to correct any mistakes,therefore I wouldd rather battle through myself

Charlotte x

 

[Sarah22]

That's part of my problem... I'm too soft and if somebody needs something done last minute, I feel sorry for them and just work through my breaks to get them in.

My clients are amazing, they don't put pressure on me at all, but I feel the need to accommodate them.

Yes Charlotte, I'm with you on that one. You work your ass off to build a client base and all it can take is for a sloppy treatment from somebody that you take on to make that client go elsewhere!! Xx

 

[Lynne Baker]

Put your prices up.

 

[snaz]

R u the salon owner or do you rent a chair there??

 

[SMBeauty]

Hi,

I have spoken to my account about this in the past with regards to hiring someone as it can be tricky when times slow down. Their suggestion was the following:

Instead of hiring, take someone on self employed. Draw up a contract which basically says that they cannot give out their number, work within so many miles of your business, state a percentage of the treatment cost they will receive and have them invoice you for total amount either weekly or monthly.

So far this has worked out well for myself as I have a fantastic lady who is very flexible with hours.

 

[unas escarlata]

I agree with Josie and Lynne. Your work is clearly excellent and it is a perfect time to implement a small increase. It won't put people off, it is expected. I'd get into the habit of having a yearly increase. Once you've done it once, it becomes easier.

Well done on your success

x