Dilemma!! which salon to go for

[suzybaby]

Hello
I have just returned to beauty after a brief spell running a catering business. I have a home salon all set up and a very small client base, which I am hoping to build up, my dilemma is in my village a hairdressers has a salon for rent above the shop, it has two rooms a reception area and it's own shower and bathroom.

The rent is £400 pounds a month with no contract so you can leave if things don't work out, it's run as a sepearate concern to the hairdressers with an external and internal entrance. I don't know what to do whether to go for the salon as I'll be promoted by the hairdressers so I'll gain clients that way as well as leaflets or to stick with my home salon and build up more of a client base.

Has anyone found that having a home salon can put clients off coming?
any feedback would be greatly recieved.

 

[loubylou]

You could buy your own salon for £400 per month hth :hug:

 

[~cHeRiSh~]

No contract would definately worry me. What happens if you build a booming business and you are kicked out, to put their own staff in?

You will be paying £400 a month so I guess it depends if that is 'all inclusive' and if you will get an extra £400 a month business from downstairs to make it worth the extra money.

You also havent got a shop front being upstairs - which is something to consider.

2 rooms and a bathroom may be more space than you would allocate for a home salon so you may have scope to get in a 2nd therapist or nail tech/holistic therapist etc, which could cover a lot of your rent.

I've never worked from a home salon so its difficult for me to comment much on that apart from I used to go to an excellent home salon and it didnt put me off one bit!

Just a few things to think about from the top of my head - but seriously think about going in without a contract. xx

 

[suzybaby]

can you? I thougth it would cost more than that to buy a salon but I haven't really looked into it yet.
my only experience of anyone getting their own salon, is my friend and she took out a 25k loan but that renovated the shop which she was letting.

 

[suzybaby]

No contract would definately worry me. What happens if you build a booming business and you are kicked out, to put their own staff in?

You will be paying £400 a month so I guess it depends if that is 'all inclusive' and if you will get an extra £400 a month business from downstairs to make it worth the extra money.

You also havent got a shop front being upstairs - which is something to consider.

2 rooms and a bathroom may be more space than you would allocate for a home salon so you may have scope to get in a 2nd therapist or nail tech/holistic therapist etc, which could cover a lot of your rent.

I've never worked from a home salon so its difficult for me to comment much on that apart from I used to go to an excellent home salon and it didnt put me off one bit!

Just a few things to think about from the top of my head - but seriously think about going in without a contract. xx

Thankyou for your reply, I never considerd the contract part a problem but of course it is x x

 

[loubylou]

can you? I thougth it would cost more than that to buy a salon but I haven't really looked into it yet.
my only experience of anyone getting their own salon, is my friend and she took out a 25k loan but that renovated the shop which she was letting.

I bought mine for 10 k, its a case of shopping around hun :hug:

 

[pips]

What you need to do is weigh up the pro's and con's of home salon V renting V buying.

You can buy an ongoing business and rent the premises

You can buy the whole package of business & premises

You can rent premises and build up your own clientele

All the above will have overheads of Rent or Mortgage or even a loan if you have to take one out, not to mention business rates, maybe gas, elec, water rates etc

A home salon will come with less overheads.

I would sit down with a peice of paper and mark up the fors and against and then decide what you would fel most comfortable with.

Good luck in whatever you do :hug:

 

[suzybaby]

well I went to see the salon today and it does look and sound very promising there is a reception with a nail desk and two treatment rooms the owner of the hairdressers states that it is two seperate concerns the beauty rooms are a different street number to the hairdressers, this is a let not a rent. I can sign a lease or just work month to month and there is a sports therapist wanting to rent one of the rooms so I can sub let which will halve my rent, though this is not in the lease so she can leave anytime.

I have weighed up the pros and cons and I still am undecisive!!

I have a home salon all ready but this has no passing trade and will take a while to set up again, but with no overheads, or I have this option with generated business from the salon which has been established for twenty years

If I beleived everthing I've been told today, the other therapist was always fully booked and is leaving because she and her husband have bought a post office. she is taking her clients with her but leaving the hair salon clients. how would I know this tho?

my gut feeling is to stay with my howm salon but I've just had my fingers burnt when I invested in the catering business I ended up losing alot of money so I'm feeling very cautious at the moment.

The last words from the owner was if I'm prepared to work then the clients are there as they have to get in a temporary therapist to cover the prom bookings they have!!

sorry to go on so long any opinions would be great from people who have gone through this

thanks guys :hug:

 

[suzybaby]

Hi
I thought I'd let you know what decision I've made,

I think I have weighed up all the pros and cons and I'm 80% decided on taking the salon above the hairdressers.

I can rent a room out to a holistic and sports therapist so that would halve the rent. I've checked the diary at the salon and most of the days are busy.

I feel I will kick myself if this opportunity passes by as this is my dream to open my own salon.

I just hope I'm doing the right thing.

tThanks for all your feedback, if anyone has any advise or experiences to share that would be great.

 

[pips]

Hi Suzy, i hope everything goes to plan for you chick and that all your days are busy.
Fingers crossed its a huge success story. plese let us know how you get on:hug:

 

[suzybaby]

Hi
just thought I'd keep you updated on my dilemma!!!

I rang the owners of the salon yesterday just to go through the finer details before I gave them my decision and was informed that the situation has changed, they want to rent out the room seperately now and they want me to sign a lease. I wasn't happy with this as they had changed their minds on the original proposal, and I wanted a get out clause if I had to sign a 3 year lease as I didn't want to be stuck on top of a hairdressers making no money if it doesn't work out!!!

Anyway alarms bells are ringing and I'm pulling out. my new plan is to get my home salon up and running with a good client base with no overheads and I'm enrolling on a complimentry therapy degree which is only two days a week.

thanks all for listening x