Controversial!! The youth of today.

[laurakate]

I am employed and have always wanted to be. I want to be in an environment where I can learn from other professionals and it's nice to be doing the treatments rather than worry about running a business.

I see myself as a beauty therapist rather than a business woman. I also like the fact that someone else does all of my tax and NI paperwork and that I'm in an environment where there is scope to be put on training courses.

For me, I knew that I always wanted to be employed by someone when I started my beauty training.

On the flip side of things, I can see why people might choose to work for themselves because I have turned down work from "employers" who were not following recruitment/employment law so I can see why someone might think "I've had enough of this I'm going it alone."

Also, in years to come I would like to teach beauty and I feel that I will be best equipped to do this by gaining as much industry experience as possible in terms of working for someone else

 

[charlie_c_06]

Maybe ive not moved with the times, i dont know. Its like the young ones want to earn the big money straight away, but dont want to put the effort in. I think reality shows and the media have a lot to answer for. They see people becoming rich and famous by doing nothing.

what do you class as 'the young ones' ?

 

[Sparkles2011]

Just to add my bit, I'm newly trained (although just pushed 30) but couldn't get any salon experience anywhere. I wrote to all my local salons and offered to work for free but still no interest so now I'm going mobile once I get enough practice in. I assume this is a common situation for many newly qualified therapists and is simply a sign of the times after a difficult recession.

Sent from my HTC Sensation using SalonGeek

 

[rainbowtanning]

I don't feel that's it's laziness, in fact I would say that it's harder to be mobile and work for yourself. The responsibility is on your shoulders, you have to find the clients, you have to go to peoples homes and set everything up every time, you have deal with clients if something goes wrong, you have to build up the reputation. You have to put a lot of effort in if you want to succeed xx

 

[fluffydreams]

Totally disagree.
How is training, making a business plan, researching properties, paying overheads, buying stock, marketing, advertising, working 12 hour days, cleaning, paying own tax & NI and trying to earn enough money to keep a roof over your head lazy?

I trained and couldn't get a job anywhere with NVQ Level 2 & 3 Beauty & Level 3 Nails, everywhere wanted experience or an apprentice. I also think another thing that puts people off working in salons is that SOME managers/existing staff treat new members quite badly to which I have seen whilst working in other peoples properties.

I set up on my own when I was 18 and have worked extremely hard to get where I am now. The lazy option would have been to go get a set job that finishes when you leave your place of work without the worry of property/stock/clients etc. Being self employed your job never finishes, even when you're at home at the end of the day.

I find it insulting to stereotype all people under a certain age. I agree that some young people don't want to work and are lazy but if they are that type they certainly would not have a successful business under their belt.

 

[Alpenrose]

Why does the OP think that people should enjoy working fixed hours and do what they are told? Why do you think it is wrong to strive to achieve a bit more than working for peanuts in a salon?To suggest that young people are lazy is very unfair. In all age groups, there are lazy, hardworking and those in the middle.
Lazy will never work, and if they are made to work, surely, they won't do their best.
Hardworking will only work for someone in two cases: there is no other employment option currently or they want to gain experience and do it themselves later.
The "middle" folk are perfect employees - as they NEED to be told what to do, don't want to take responsibility for serious decisions and guaranteed income (however small) and paid holidaya are exactly what they are looking for.
The trouble is, who is going to run the salon if everyone will be "working hard" and not aim higher?

 

[LanaxBeauty]

Laziness? Really? I am a 20 year old sole trader who works out of my own home and mobile, and I'm sorry but some days I think it would be alot easier to work out of a salon, being a business owner consists of alot more than just DOIN appointments and being paid, you have the months before hand put in of getting your business off the ground, then the months after launching of the slow haul of trying to build a clientele, even with that you have cash record keeping, upkeep, inventory, advertising, taking personal time to make and maintain appointments, all of which is mostly unpaid.

How is that lazy compared to say going to work doing your appointments for the day and getting paid? As it would be in a salon. I'm sorry but I think you are way off the mark. Having said that I do know of a couple of people that do it mobile purely because they aren't even qualified to work in a salon. Obviously that is easy because their business isn't registered so they really just do their appointments and take the cash, and give up months later when they build no string clientele due to lack of experience and qualifications.. or get reported or even worse sued.... I guess it's a case of each person is different. I do it because I have a 2 year old and most salons don't offer working hours of 3 days a week and evenings like I offer from home. I cannot comit to a Monday to Friday job with a toddler..

 

[NailAddiction]

I, like most other people on this thread, completely disagree with this. I am 18 years old. I started out training when I turned 16 and have worked extremely hard, been patient, dedicated and paid for every bit of training and kit out of my own money.

I set up self employed in a small hairdressers and had to work hard to build up my experience and my clients. Two years down the line I have finally build a decent client base and I have now been offered a position in another salon (they found my Facebook page and saw my work) I will still be working self employed when I move salons and wouldn't have it any other way. Being able to fit my job around my personal life and other college courses is perfect for me.

And to be very honest, I am quite proud when I tell people I am self employed and that I have build MY clients MY own experience and MY skills up.

Yes, I am really looking forwards to moving to the new salon where another nail tech also works self employed as we can share tips, help each other out. But I would never want to change my job now. I am proud of how well I have done!

 

[alexandra.]

Controversial? I think you will find insulting would be a better word. What an awful generalisation to make. No wonder SOME of 'the youth' turn out badly with people stereotyping a whole generation like that. Cant help but laugh really

 

[Peter D]

I just wonder if the OP has had some kind of problem recently as this is not the first post she has had a pop at mobile and home salons undercutting High Street Salons, which is mentioned and seems a tad paranoid to me.

As for the age thing, I am an old git and can remember it being the same years ago, and as I am now older and supposedly wiser I think there are good young workers and bad young workers as well as good older workers and bad older workers. I am not sure why the concern about competition. It is not something I concern myself with it is about getting your own house in order and believing in yourself and offering the expertise, skill, enthusiasm & service that the clients deserve irrespective of your age.

If you are good enough and dedicated enough and have patience then invariably you will succeed. There will be plenty of therapists that will fall by the wayside, of all ages and levels of experience, mobile, home salon, shops but as I have said before the cream always rises to the top but it isn't something that happens overnight.

An interesting debate but not sure I hold with the starting point of it.

 

[shedunlop]

I think that it is clever of them not to want to work for minimum wage and to want to build their own businesses.

A lot of therapists, young and old like me, will start up and fail but at least they will have tried. I encourage youngsters to strive for their own businesses and think it is the best way to make any money in this industry.

As for pricing we are lucky to have free trade in this country which encourages competition. Get your pricing right and you will do very well indeed and retain clients for years. Get it wrong you will either make no money by working for next to nothing or by being too expensive for clients to want to use you. Either way the only therapist who is any competition to you are the ones who get it right.

I wouldn't worry about new starters, they come and go and will always be there. My advice to everyone is to concentrate all your energies on your own business so that your clients are really your clients and who wouldn't even look at anyone else's salon or pricelists because they are loyal to you.

 

[BrianneG]

I think lazy is having a salon, and upset you have to step up your game because there is more competition out there- forcing you to quit being complacent. Age has absolutely nothing to do with it.

 

[lilylou21]

When I read the first couple of replies I was going to write a really long reply about how hard I work, how many hours I do etc etc but I think everyone has said whatI wanted to say. No matter what age you are if you want a successful business you will work your socks off and sacrifice your social life, your partner, and your designer shoes.

People who start businesses usually know it is a lot of hard work, if they don't then they soon find out and that is generally the make or break of the business.

I think we should embrace the fact that young people have got the ambition and drive to work for themselves and encourage them cause its not easy.

so after getting in 3 hours ago to an empty house cause my little family have started our weekend away without me cause im working, im off to bed.

Lily (age 25 not sure if im still youth of today. as a lot of you seem to be younger lol)

 

[Elaine143a]

I think lazy is having a salon, and upset you have to step up your game because there is more competition out there- forcing you to quit being complacent. .

I sooooooo look forward to seeing your posts in a few years time when you get your own salon ...............

 

[BrianneG]

I sooooooo look forward to seeing your posts in a few years time when you get your own salon ...............

I have one. Thank You. What I'm saying is that I do not worry about all the "young" ones working out there. I'm not threatened by competition. Lazy is lazy, complacency is complacency- and it has nothing to do with what age you are. AND FYI- I'm not young-

 

[Elaine143a]

I think lazy is having a salon,


Brianne, please forgive me. From above quote I assumed you were (as soooo many posts on here do) slagging off salon owners. Friends:Kissing: ?

 

[BrianneG]

Oh, I would never put down salon owners, workers, mobile therapists...
I dont like putting anyone down and I wasnt even talking about the OP, I probably shouldnt have use the word- you-in my post....
I forgive you! Friend!

 

[Susie H]

I'm a mature student, a very mature student, I've been a part of this industry since 2005 and went to college to get my level 3 quals so that I could offer more interesting services. There are 18 students in my class ranging from 16 years old up to 25 and then me:lol:
Every single one of those girls turns in quality work, they are passionate about our industry and they have hopes and dreams for their future, not one of them is lazy, not one of them can have a finger pointed at them and have it said that they don't like to be told what to do.
They all follow the rules, they all have good time keeping and they all have jobs, some of them have 2 jobs.
Now, the fact is in this part of England, salon jobs are very few and far between. When they do turn up they usually turn out to be self employed status. These girls are looking for work with in the industry and quiet a few of them have asked me my opinion of being self employed and I've told it to them straight. So no, they are not going into this with their eyes shut, these are girls who are studying for their Btec quals and in better times could and should expect to be able to walk into the best of the jobs out there, but they are realists, they listen to the news, they read what's said on this site and they know no one is going to help them unless they help themselves.
Yes, salon experience is the best way to go for the newly qualified, but if the jobs aren't out there it's better to go self employed than it is to work in a supermarket, these skills we have need to be practised or we lose our edge.
So I say, well done to them for finding a way to make it work, finding a way to gain some experience and for not giving up and winging that there are no jobs out there and the job centre doesn't help them.
That would be the lazy way, the easy way and if they did it that way no one would be able to say it's their fault, with nearly 3 million people unemployed, we all have to get a bit creative to get on the work ladder, me included.
Interesting thread by the way:hug:

 

[LanaxBeauty]

Instead of letting the poster know how insulted we are, why don't we all thank him/her? It is because of close minded judgmental people like you, that push all us young and old business owners to get where we are today!! Youth cops so much crap for being lazy, or stupid, etc, but I find for the most part, it doesn't break us! It's MAKES US!! So thank you!!!

 

[Lovebeauty14]

Instead of letting the poster know how insulted we are, why don't we all thank him/her? It is because of close minded judgmental people like you, that push all us young and old business owners to get where we are today!! Youth cops so much crap for being lazy, or stupid, etc, but I find for the most part, it doesn't break us! It's MAKES US!! So thank you!!!

Success is the best revenge so lets all of us be as successful as possible. Despite us being lazy, meddling kids! *wink*