Close to closing!

[surf girl]

I don't actually always feel very confident doing some of the treatments, particularly nails, which is a big problem as I feel I'm not giving a good enough service and I'm the owner! The other therapist who recently left actually had been there longer than I, as she was there when I took over. And a lot of the clients would prefer her to me! Which really got me down. I know Im a lot better than I used to be but still don't seem to be as good as my ex employee, at least in some clients eyes!

Tanning actually was my initial interest and I wanted to focus on this as it's something I'm really into and confident with, but the salon also does a huge range of treatments. And I'm reluctant to hire anyone new to help with treatments such as nails, as I can't afford to pay an employee! X

I notice when u talk about the salon it's like it's not yours, like it's somewhere you work? Maybe because you took it over with the old staff member and treatment list that's just how it has had to be.... I'm sure your work is actually fine your hearts probably not in it because you keep getting rubbed in ur face how amazing the other girl was, I really wouldn't take it personally, they probably think their being nice about ur staff member to her boss (which is fab in theorey but not when ur the alternative lol!) how about if you took time out and did a relaunch? It dosent have to be a full refurb maybe something more like an actual business overhaul? Go back to basics of what YOU want and what you want to do, then add on the services you want your remaining staff member to do, think along the lines of tabatha takes over or gordans kitchen nightmares, sometimes a fresh start and a fresh approach can make a huge difference, look at what works and what dosent and change things so it all feels good for you just a thought

 

[Gracemae23]

Don't do it Hun, keep going! I'm 18 months in and yes had some of the biggest stresses of my life, when I feel things getting on top of me I take a couple of days off or even just a day just to get my thoughts in to perspective! Sometimes just a short break can help. I only had 2 clients today a shellac and a ebw ok not mega money but I was fully booked all last week. I love it when people prefer to have my work colleague instead of me doing their treatments because it frees my time to get other managerial stuff done. Keep going find your passion again make plans going forward etc. you'll be fine. We are all in the same boat and this week is particularly quiet as people don't get paid until the end of the month and it's been a long month. Valentine's Day is coming that'll be busy. Keep going Hun x

 

[pure]

What are your salons most popular/profitable treatments? What are your favourite treatments?

As someone else said, go back to basics. Look at your treatment menu. If there are treatments on there that you don't want to offer and are not popular then remove them. If you have no confidence in nails, why not book some additional training for yourself or perhaps a 1-1 session.

To boost publicity for free, you could host a charity day/week. Choose a local charity and donate a % of your weekly takings. You can get the charity to help you promote the event, get the local press to do a story on it which shouldn't cost you anything. Get balloons up, drinks and nibbles and make a really big deal of it and you should be able to reach a whole new audience of potential clients.

There's an amazing thread on here about promoting your business, I'll try and find the link for you. But in the meantime, as said, go back to basics, look at what works, what doesn't, and make the business yours. You don't have to just offer what the previous owner did.

 

[pure]

http://www.salongeek.com/biz-geek/83160-more-ways-promote-your-business.html

 

[Robyn Ireland]

My heart breaks for you, OP.
Starting a new business is a very brave thing to do,m especially at the end of a recession. Someone else said it, but I really do think you should tailor your services to those you are confident about. If nails aren't your thing but you know that doing them would be profitable for you, then retrain. I think I would be specialising for the moment ... tanning, waxing, whatever. Go for the things that please you to do ... enthusiasm rubs off
If you truly want it you'll work for it. And if you work for it you *will* succeed. Promise

 

[jiff!22]

To the OP, I'm sorry you're feeling this way, I can almost hear the sadness in your posts 😔
We all have a right to have a moan and winge about how bad things are and to feel sorry for ourselves, we ALL do it about something in our lives at some point or other. However, my point is that when I feel this way I get to a point where I think 'right, enough of that negative thinking...let's have a think about what I CAN do about my situation'
Like others have suggested, don't offer treatments that you hate, that will just make u more miserable. Decide what you are good at and what u love (tanning I think u said 😀 ) and start there, don't drop prices to get ppl through the door, incentive offers are best... Say your tans are £20 offer a deal to come with a friend and both get tans for £17. Push it in a 'get rid of your winter blues/winter skin kinda way? Offer your nail desk for someone to rent maybe? They're just some ideas to get you started. The ideas of refresher courses are also great, I work alone and find going on a course massively inspiring and always feel renewed enthuasium upon my return.
Don't give up yet, I really hope you find your passion again 😀

 

[Bella-te-beauty]

Thank you to everyone for all your lovely comments. while I am still here I am definitely going to carry on trying. I have just put a new offer out, actually on manicures and pedicures!

I think it just hasn't helped being this time of year. I actually had a lady who was very keen to buy the salon over Christmas but then she pulled out right at the last minute, I think that's why my motivation had all gone! But now I am here for the foreseeable future I may as well carry on trying, and who knows maybe I will change my mind! x

 

[Carlalouise]

It is hard and can be soul destroying, I've found having a salon is like a roller coaster, it's up and down and sometimes quite nerve racking but with grit and determination you will get there.

Lots of us are quiet at the moment, January is renowned for being dead, it will pick up. As for staff, they are a nightmare! I've been open 2 years and had only one desent Therapist and she had to leave because of childcare. I've been taken for a ride, stolen from, lied to, let down, I've now just employed my daughter on an apprentership so at least I can trust her, she also wouldn't dare give me any crap, lol.

As for the clients preferring the other therapist to you and her work being better, don't beat yourself up over that, she was there first, that gives her loyalty and from the sounds of things she's been doing it longer which gives her the advantage of experience which in time you will get.

Get back in the saddle, stop giving yourself a hard time and just concentrate on giving the clients you do have the best service you possibly can.


Xx

 

[girlsetsfire]

I work in a nail salon that has been around for 10 years (I've been working there for 3) and there are some days that we get absolutely no clients. I lost my passion for nails for a time because I was too in my own head about how many clients other techs had, how much they were making etc. It took a lot of soul searching and tears, but I found my passion again. When it comes to not feeling super sure of your skills, just remember this: Even the greatest in your industry started off not knowing a damn thing. Fake it til you make it! I went from not having any regular clients AT ALL to being the most requested tech at my salon.

Keep your head up OP, we have faith in you

 

[Bella-te-beauty]

Wow thank you for the motivational message SiobhanMarie, I hope things are going well for you now? It is actually really lovely hearing such positive replies and really interesting and insightful knowing that I'm not alone in struggling!

I know what you mean about the anxiety and panic, I have never felt stress like this past year either! Usually last minute staffing issues, nightmare clients or just panic over how to pay the bills! When I took over the salon last January, there was three members of staff working for me here, and I knew that it was too much, so had the hardest and most stressful job of letting people go. Which of course, didn't set me off on a good foot! Now eventually they have all left! Which I am beginning to enjoy, as at least at the end of the month I am not paying any wages!! :wink2: But am now looking for one self employed instead. As previous posts have suggested, I am now going to focus on the treatments that I enjoy and like doing, and as I'm not too confident with nails, so looking for a nail therapist to help out. At least this will also cover the rent hopefully!

Thanks to everyone whos been commenting, SalonGeek is a life saver! Hope you all have a good productive day x

 

[squidgernetball]

It's so great to hear you sounding so much more positive. Please keep us up to date with how things go.

Vic x

Sent from my GT-I9195 using SalonGeek mobile app

 

[Jen889]

Wow thank you for the motivational message SiobhanMarie, I hope things are going well for you now? It is actually really lovely hearing such positive replies and really interesting and insightful knowing that I'm not alone in struggling!

I know what you mean about the anxiety and panic, I have never felt stress like this past year either! Usually last minute staffing issues, nightmare clients or just panic over how to pay the bills! When I took over the salon last January, there was three members of staff working for me here, and I knew that it was too much, so had the hardest and most stressful job of letting people go. Which of course, didn't set me off on a good foot! Now eventually they have all left! Which I am beginning to enjoy, as at least at the end of the month I am not paying any wages!! :wink2: But am now looking for one self employed instead. As previous posts have suggested, I am now going to focus on the treatments that I enjoy and like doing, and as I'm not too confident with nails, so looking for a nail therapist to help out. At least this will also cover the rent hopefully!

Thanks to everyone whos been commenting, SalonGeek is a life saver! Hope you all have a good productive day x

I've been following your thread but have yet to post. I felt the same way as you last year. I felt that closing was my only option as I wasn't enjoying my spa and felt like I was working for nothing.

After encouragement from geeks here, I decided to drop services I didn't like. By doing so I found my passion for nails again since I have more time for them. Since then I have expanded to a larger location and hired a staff member, all of which I thought would NEVER happen only 8 months ago.

I say "when life hands you lemons, make lemonade!" Drop the services you don't like doing and spend some time on yourself. That was a fantastic suggestion I got here and took to heart. For the first time last July I took two full weeks off and enjoyed time with my boyfriend and family. This past Christmas I did the same and finally enjoyed every holiday party, in the past I could only attend one or two. We sometimes forget about us as we are constantly thinking about the client and their needs. We have to change that and realize we are just as important!

I'm glad to hear you are feeling better. If you need to talk, please feel free to pm me

 

[WaxGirl]

I opened up on my own June 2012, I stayed a year and that year was hard work- l2 hour days 7 days a week it was none stop but I built it up and then fell pregnant so had to move to a bigger place as I needed to go on maternity leave (well that was the plan) I moved in July 2013 and my best friend who I worked with for 11 years come and worked in the salon self employed just renting space which I hadn't worked out properly as it didn't even cover my outgoings for a day let alone a week (but iv learnt from it). Basically I had my son October and went back to work December ready for christmas only to find she had booked all my clients in with her and no one knew I was coming back.
I had no stock as she had used it and no clients, bills everywhere and a new born baby believe me when I say that was the hardest time of my life, she left the salon January and I had to start from scratch.

I have a young girl who was meant to be working 21 hours as I had got busy again thrn she said I can only work 1 day now due to college, people won't go over to her, she doesn't offer drinks, no one re books with her and is pretty lazy to be honest when it comes to a lot of things, appointment get messed up it basically doesn't help me it's more hard work putting things right.
I'm trying to persevere however I had put a ad in for someone else.

Basically what I'm trying to say is it's been the hardest part of my life iv never been so stressed, I get anxiety now and it's something I never suffered with before but still I have the plan in my head of where I want my career to go and slowly it's getting there, if it was easy everyone would do it.

I had lost time with my son, had argument with my partner, lost my best friend but all that pushes me to make it work more so cause what would have been the point in all that.

You have to go through tough times to make you grow and be better at what you do.

We all have slow days don't think your on your own put offers on and look after your regulars to boost your business back up.

Be strong all the best xxx

#respect .. love your resilience and determination... have no doubt that one way or another you will reach your goals... those have to be the greatest skills when building a business