Competition between colegues within a salon?

[millytint]

Here's the scenario...

There are 2 of us self employed in a salon, we are both fully qualified beauty therapists and nail technicians, i do set days and so does she (different times of course) i am just worried we are all going to end up falling out.... can this work...? anyone else got any experiences of this they would share...?

 

[Sarah-Jean]

If you both do set times, and they aren't directly in competition with each other, why would there be a problem?

She has her hours, you have yours... It's not like you're both there at the same time waiting to pounce on the clients as they walk through the door! LOL

 

[rouge]

I did this with another lady for two years, and we never had a problem. We made sure that our prices were the same, and also that if one of us had any issues over anything, we talked it over as soon as possible.

 

[AmeliaR]

i had a bit of a problem with this one!
in the salon were i work were all self employed and i just do nails, then 2months later a beauty girl started which i was fine with as id been offerd to do beauty as well there but i just wanted to stick to nail. and we got on finee no problems untill
...... our local wholesalers started to sell the nail wrap things!! (bearing in mine id been doing minx there and been reaallly busy with them all summer) then 1 day the beauty girl bursted into the back been like ooh look what ive got!... my face droped!! i was like hmmm some how i think thats unfair thats more of a nail service as all there are called tredy nail wraps!! i was thinking great next year all the money ive made from minx shes going to be exspecting half of them!! was not impressed at all!! i then toldthe salon owner the i was a bit miffed at it and she basically could give 2 s**ts (also i can do threading and when the beauty girl started i was told i couldnt do it anymore as SHE did beauty, but i was fine with that)


but anyway after all my raffleing on, i think you just need to be carfull especially with been self employed that your clients are yours and hers and hers that way there know upsetting each other. fair enought if some one want you but at our work we call it client poaching and we all dont like it when it gets done to us! lol but appart from tht i think it will be good to learn from each other

(im now glad to no that the beauty girl is leaving my work ... byebye trendy nail wraps! hehe)

also make sure if you handing out flyers they have your name on them so your not doing all the hard work for her aswell, and if you do a offer on the days you work then it will get you new clients and they will come back to you as you did them first

anyy wayy ill be quiet now, hopee it works out for you good luck

 

[millytint]

If you both do set times, and they aren't directly in competition with each other, why would there be a problem?

She has her hours, you have yours... It's not like you're both there at the same time waiting to pounce on the clients as they walk through the door! LOL

But we ARE directly in competition with each other. We do all the same treatments- And now i am having the same problem as the above poster, i started off doing Minx and Shellac, she's seen me doing them and now she is doing them too- only she is using those dam trendy nail wraps and shellac! Another prob is that she is paying on a % basis and i am paying a set amount per week to rent the room! This also means that she is usually still there when i get there and she has even stayed all day (on my hours) as she's had a client in later!

Really need help here just dont know what to do!

 

[millytint]

But we ARE directly in competition with each other. We do all the same treatments- And now i am having the same problem as the above poster, i started off doing Minx and Shellac, she's seen me doing them and now she is doing them too- only she is using those dam trendy nail wraps and shellac! Another prob is that she is paying on a % basis and i am paying a set amount per week to rent the room! This also means that she is usually still there when i get there and she has even stayed all day (on my hours) as she's had a client in later!

Really need help here just dont know what to do!

 

[skymark]

Im going to be honest and try not to sounds harsh.

There are many hair, beauty and nail salons that work on a basis of self employed staff renting chairs or rooms etc and work exactly the same hours and it works just fine. Because every client is different and they will choose the salon based on how they like it and from the salon they will choose their favourite therapist to go to.

Seeing girls working in the same salon as 'Direct competition' to me is not a positive attitude to have. Working together, sharing ideas and working on ways to encourage clients into the salon is the first port of call, clients will chose between the two of you based on their treatment experiences.

The 'I need to do treatments no one else does in the place and need hours when no one else is working' just screams a bit of insecurity to me. Basically you want clients who want say a shellac treatment and come at a particular time of day to have no choice but to choose you and not see there is someone else working next door.

In my opinion if you are skilled and likeable, you could work alongside 10 therapists doing the same treatments and clients will always choose to book in with you.

Fear of competition kind of lets slip that you think your clients will wander if given other options.

You have to get some CONFIDENCE in yourself, your products and your service. When you work on this you wont care about competition as you will be turning good amounts of money.

When you think about marketing, think about selling yourself, not about getting clients before the competition can get to them.

Also, make friends. If you are there for a while, there WILL be a time when you need this girl to lend you a hand by lending something that wasnt delivered, or taking a client on a day you are sick that insists that her nails must be done for her wedding etc.

Relax and get some confidence. The rest will follow.

 

[Lou_Lou]

I have to agree with Skymark, especially about making friends. Don't see another therapist as a threat, each of you will have different qualities which will appeal to different people. If you're doing a great job why would the clients want to go to someone else?

In some ways you're in a better position paying a set amount, once you've hit break even the rest is yours. Try and be positive and make sure you give your clients that little bit extra, sending birthday cards, thank you cards for new clients, maybe you could run a loyalty scheme. There's lots of things you could do to make sure you're just that bit better, a little competition helps keep us on our toes!

Best of luck.