Cheap therapists aren't any good?

[hazeleyes]

Looks like you are making amazing progress!

What part of London are you?

Thanks- I'm trying! It's my goal to complete all 3 masters and hopefully become a grandmaster one day!! Fingers crossed ey?
I'm in South east london- Peckham/bermondsey so not really ideal for affluent clientele! I have london bridge very close by and dulwich so I target those areas as I charge higher than most of the shops round here! They charge £15-18 for shellac where as I'm currently charging £22 and hoping to increase that to £24-25 once I complete my master painter! I go mobile all over south and east london as well to try help myself- I'm willing to go wherever, if they will pay lol!

 

[virtues2011]

I don't have a problem with beauty as a hobby, it makes no difference whatsoever, you have those that are fully qualified and health and safety conscious providing it as a hobby, you have those uninsured, few qualifications that have high street salons...I'm competing with £500 upfront payments for a course of 8 hours of work, as and when, within a three week window, £62 an hour is not too bad with minimal product use....against what? competing with £15 nails as a high street salon working 70 hours a week on minimum wage..why would you....because you love your jobs?! Not in my lifetime I'm afraid but each to their own here. Like everyone says ' you're worth more than that' ...saying and doing are very different clearly. Personally the ones that have gained all their qualifications and do it as a hobby are the ones that are better off emotionally, physically and financially in my opinion as there is little pressure.

 

[essentia]

I do not always think of cheap treatments as therapists who are no good but I often think that they are doing a disservice to themselves and the profession. There is a market for cheaper beauty if you use less expensive products. - fair enough and of course area will produce variation in prices. It is those offering things at just ridiculous prices - there is always the cost benefit ratio which will determine whether a price vs the cost of product/ overheads is worth it. There is no point working for very little - if therapists find they are then they need to find a better business strategy.

 

[Elaine Armani]

To be honest, from my point of view you SHOULD charge according to your area, the only time I would consider a therapist "cheap" is when they're based in the CBD and charge $25 for a full set of acrylics when all of the other salons charge $45+.

 

[MrsSlim]

Wow that's a lot of competition In your case I think I'd be looking to offer a treatment that nobody else was. You must be doing well though to have expanded, are you home-based or mobile?

Thanks Emma-Jayne

Yes that's what I'm wanting to do so I'm keeping my eyes peeled to see what new treatments are going to be popular this year!
Luckily it's a large base but I've worked my backside off to give good service and I'm naturally a very warm and chatty person so I think that helps in my situation as it's tough with husbands being away a lot of the time so I can sympathise with clients..
I'm home based I converted a bedroom into my beauty room

 

[NiceHair]

I have a big bee in my bonnet about the attitude/ perception that because it's more expensive it must be better!

I believe in a quality product at fair pricing. I know therapists who charge the earth for their service & I know for a fact that their service is fairly slap dash and frankly uncaring.

Here's a wee anecdote which demonstrates my point. I recently went on hols to Marrakech in Morrocco. I went for two Hammams with full body massage. The first was to a very small but pretty & fairly inexpensive place hidden in the middle of the main tourist area. The treatments were lovely even if the surroundings weren't so plush.

The next trip was to Marrakech's No1 Hammam. The place itself was BEAUTIFUL, however the treatments (4 x more expensive) than the other place were nothing special. While I was still getting dressed after my massage, the therapist was remaking the bed for the next client (rude!). Mid Massage another therapist came in to whisper to my masseuse (rude!). To top it all, when we'd paid, the exit was another less salubrious doorway which sent us out into an unfamiliar area through where the laundry room!

Top prices, do not necessarily mean top quality!!!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[laurakate]

I don't have a problem with beauty as a hobby, it makes no difference whatsoever, you have those that are fully qualified and health and safety conscious providing it as a hobby, you have those uninsured, few qualifications that have high street salons...I'm competing with £500 upfront payments for a course of 8 hours of work, as and when, within a three week window, £62 an hour is not too bad with minimal product use....against what? competing with £15 nails as a high street salon working 70 hours a week on minimum wage..why would you....because you love your jobs?! Not in my lifetime I'm afraid but each to their own here. Like everyone says ' you're worth more than that' ...saying and doing are very different clearly. Personally the ones that have gained all their qualifications and do it as a hobby are the ones that are better off emotionally, physically and financially in my opinion as there is little pressure.

Don't ever stop posting on here! I find this to be a very refreshing idea/concept in terms of how to think about my situation more positively as someone who is very much in the category of part timer who doesn't earn much, is doing everything well and properly and just wants to be happy.

Due to the low frequency of clients I have I earn less than when I worked part time in a spa but it's nice not to be in a situation where I'm being worked like a slave and treated like an idiot where my passion gets crushed (I miss the clients but not the management).

Yeah, I love the perspective you offer here because it gives me a positive thought and outlook to build on

I'll keep this in mind!

 

[laurakate]

You really don't always get what you pay for.

In a big spa you're looking at paying around the £35 mark for a 25 minute treatment that could be rushed (it's a bit of a conveyor belt) by someone who is straight out of college and still very much learning. With a home salon you could pay around £15 for a half an hour treatment where the treatment feels more about the attention being fully on you via a more thorough consultation and a therapist who enjoys their job and brings a wealth of experience with them.

I'm generalising but I don't think paying more guarantees a better service.

It's the same in the food industry...do you want your food prepared by a corporate company who knows that if you don't come back some other sucker will take your place because they're a big brand name anyway charging premium prices or do you want your food prepared by a smaller business charging less for your meal who are keen to give accuracy, passion and go the extra mile because personally their livelihood depends on it?

Rhetorical question in some ways but yeah.