Do you find it all a bit too much?

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kylieb

Well-Known Member
Joined
Apr 18, 2007
Messages
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Location
Coulsdon surrey
Do you mobile geeks find you have absolutely no time to yourself? Or is this just me spending too much time on my business?
If i'm not working i'm online trying to get more business. Completing online directories or sorting out my website.
Then if i'm not doing that i'm being bombarded with text messages by people who say i want an appointment on thurdsay after work. Grrrr tell me a time. I don't know what time is after work :eek: So you end up wasting more time sending more texts.
I come home inbetween clients for a quick cuppa (as you do) and have neighbours knocking on my door. I must be free to do treamtments right now because my car is there! :mad:
Then not to mention all of the changing around you have to do because people cant organise themselves very well.

I have put in so many hours and it has paid off. I have a large client base, but I am beginning to wonder is it actually worth it financially? By the time you have paid tax and everything else, we don't really earn that much! and have no life!

I am wondering if I should just stay mobile or look for a room and do a 9-5 job and come home and not have to worry about the rest!

Do any of you feel like this or am i just being a little moany moo?
 
maybe im being a moany moo too but i have been thinking the same just recently as loads of clients keep messing around and lots have cancelled as have no money!
I have had a look into rooms but there are sooooo many salons and every hairdressers has a nail tech so competition is tough where i live . So i don't know the answer either !
 
maybe im being a moany moo too but i have been thinking the same just recently as loads of clients keep messing around and lots have cancelled as have no money!
I have had a look into rooms but there are sooooo many salons and every hairdressers has a nail tech so competition is tough where i live . So i don't know the answer either !

It seems almost impossible to get a room anywhere. I know what you mean. And I am having exactly the same troubles with clients who book up and then suddenly have no money :mad:
 
Doesn't get any easier in a salon unfortunately :(
I opened my salon in October and god theres so much work involved! you still work the same crazy hours and still sit online all night working on advertising, accounts, ordering stock etc etc etc! so that end of things doesn't change. the only thing is you have set hours but i actually think that also has its bad points, at least when i was mobile if id stuff to do during the day i could fit it in around appointments but now i cant just lock up the salon and leave for a few hours you know, people expect to be able to call in anytime between 10am and 9pm.
I'm like you and i keep wondering what it'd be like to have a 9-5 again and set wages every week!! i'd feel bloody loaded lol !! but then again you have to answer to someone all the time which can be a pain in the a*ss!!
so pro's and cons to both!! I think its a great achievement though being able to work for yourself.. unfortunately it leaves us tired and broke.. :rolleyes: the joys :lol:

i do think we need to have a good moan every so often though :hug:
 
Well Im gunna say ladies,,, Clients will mess you around if you let them!!!!

Ypu have to train the new ones like you do a puppy, how to use oil jewels not tools, etc etc. When they are used to them you can reward them with free solar oil or something simlar. ( I take pics).

I now after experiencing this type of client will try and not do them (mobile) as I know what they are like.

But unfortunatley I feel we have to be availabe to our clients, I have at many times gone out to a good paying client for a nail repair and she has gave me £20 for one nail,,,,,, and they are the types of clients I want (and will respect).
 
oh kylieb ! you sound like me a year ago!

ok, lets break this down a bit you are spending all these hours and no have no more for youself right? so you need to work smarter and also learn to say no yourself!!!!!

you need to set some time aside for you.

go through your diary and see if there is a day when you are quieter and and now take a deep breath and pencil in some you time! go on, you can do it!!! I want you to pencil in two hours ....dont argue kylieb just do it.

Now, when a client calls and wants those hours you have to say " no i am sorry i am booked up those hours" they will choose another appointment. dont you dare give them that time!!!

Right this online thing, are you jumping on and off all day every day? stop it!! get your diary and pencil in 30 mins three times a week to get all your online stuff done.

these text messages, same people? get a diary and write down their names and their work times. so when they text "after work" you can have a flick through and choose a time for them. saves the never ending messages wasting your time.

Coming home for brew. fatal. make yourself a flask and go and find a parking space, switch off your phone and have a brew in the car. OR dont answer the blerdy door!!! Put a sign up to say " in the bath having a relaxing moment" . Just cos they are at your door, doesnt mean you have to answer it.

You are not being moany, you are being overwhelmed. ever thought it might be overwork???? so girl, only YOU can make those changes. your business wont collapse just you havent answered the door once or twice. you have to be tougher with yourself.

(or you can let me be tough with you and ill come round and slap your legs.... only kidding I charge for that service!!! lol)

tigi
xxxx
 
It does not matter if you are working mobile in a salon or from home - it does get overwhelming at times!:irked: I work from home and gradually have set up much better hours for myself and family. I am not so bothered anymore to squeeze that last person in and I am getting more organised. Only you are in control and you have to be strong otherwise you get fed up and so tired. Look at how you can organise your days better and tell clients the best time to contact you. Most will co-operate.:hug:
 
Yeah- it does get a bit "much" sometimes. I run three businesses (albeit one big-ish one, one with my wife and a small retail one) and it can get quite stressy sometimes.

Then.....I think back to the hours spent in an office making other people rich, putting up with idiot back-biting middle managers and getting made redundant on a whim.

I'd rather be in control of my own destiny really :)
 
oh kylieb ! you sound like me a year ago!

ok, lets break this down a bit you are spending all these hours and no have no more for youself right? so you need to work smarter and also learn to say no yourself!!!!!

you need to set some time aside for you.

go through your diary and see if there is a day when you are quieter and and now take a deep breath and pencil in some you time! go on, you can do it!!! I want you to pencil in two hours ....dont argue kylieb just do it.

Now, when a client calls and wants those hours you have to say " no i am sorry i am booked up those hours" they will choose another appointment. dont you dare give them that time!!!

Right this online thing, are you jumping on and off all day every day? stop it!! get your diary and pencil in 30 mins three times a week to get all your online stuff done.

these text messages, same people? get a diary and write down their names and their work times. so when they text "after work" you can have a flick through and choose a time for them. saves the never ending messages wasting your time.

Coming home for brew. fatal. make yourself a flask and go and find a parking space, switch off your phone and have a brew in the car. OR dont answer the blerdy door!!! Put a sign up to say " in the bath having a relaxing moment" . Just cos they are at your door, doesnt mean you have to answer it.

You are not being moany, you are being overwhelmed. ever thought it might be overwork???? so girl, only YOU can make those changes. your business wont collapse just you havent answered the door once or twice. you have to be tougher with yourself.

(or you can let me be tough with you and ill come round and slap your legs.... only kidding I charge for that service!!! lol)

tigi
xxxx

Love that advice :) I have a wee one to work around as well but he is due to start playgroup soon, so going to take 1 playgroup session a week for me time :) xxxx
 
oh kylieb ! you sound like me a year ago!

ok, lets break this down a bit you are spending all these hours and no have no more for youself right? so you need to work smarter and also learn to say no yourself!!!!!

you need to set some time aside for you.

go through your diary and see if there is a day when you are quieter and and now take a deep breath and pencil in some you time! go on, you can do it!!! I want you to pencil in two hours ....dont argue kylieb just do it.

Now, when a client calls and wants those hours you have to say " no i am sorry i am booked up those hours" they will choose another appointment. dont you dare give them that time!!!

Right this online thing, are you jumping on and off all day every day? stop it!! get your diary and pencil in 30 mins three times a week to get all your online stuff done.

these text messages, same people? get a diary and write down their names and their work times. so when they text "after work" you can have a flick through and choose a time for them. saves the never ending messages wasting your time.

Coming home for brew. fatal. make yourself a flask and go and find a parking space, switch off your phone and have a brew in the car. OR dont answer the blerdy door!!! Put a sign up to say " in the bath having a relaxing moment" . Just cos they are at your door, doesnt mean you have to answer it.

You are not being moany, you are being overwhelmed. ever thought it might be overwork???? so girl, only YOU can make those changes. your business wont collapse just you havent answered the door once or twice. you have to be tougher with yourself.

(or you can let me be tough with you and ill come round and slap your legs.... only kidding I charge for that service!!! lol)

tigi
xxxx

Great advice Tigi!
 
Great advice Tigi, think ill have to take some of that on board too!

Then.....I think back to the hours spent in an office making other people rich, putting up with idiot back-biting middle managers and getting made redundant on a whim.

I'd rather be in control of my own destiny really :)

EXACTLY! God that really reminds me of why i went down this route in the first place!! thanks for that :hug:
 
:hug:
Do you mobile geeks find you have absolutely no time to yourself? Or is this just me spending too much time on my business?
If i'm not working i'm online trying to get more business. Completing online directories or sorting out my website.
Then if i'm not doing that i'm being bombarded with text messages by people who say i want an appointment on thurdsay after work. Grrrr tell me a time. I don't know what time is after work :eek: So you end up wasting more time sending more texts.
I come home inbetween clients for a quick cuppa (as you do) and have neighbours knocking on my door. I must be free to do treamtments right now because my car is there! :mad:
Then not to mention all of the changing around you have to do because people cant organise themselves very well.

I have put in so many hours and it has paid off. I have a large client base, but I am beginning to wonder is it actually worth it financially? By the time you have paid tax and everything else, we don't really earn that much! and have no life!

I am wondering if I should just stay mobile or look for a room and do a 9-5 job and come home and not have to worry about the rest!

Do any of you feel like this or am i just being a little moany moo?

Hi Hunny,

Just beware,

I've been mobile for almost 20 years, when I was ingle and kid free I lived to work, couldn't got to cinema etc with friend cos I was at work til 10pm every night, but I did have 3 holidays a year, so I had something to focus on, but I'd be lying round the pool and my phone would ting for an appointment, cos no one took any notice when I gave them my holiday dates.

Then I got married,and fell pregnant and said thats it finish work by 6pm,
clients didn't consider by them I had others to consider they would ring my home phone at 10pm at night. Within 1 week of giving birth on the phone wanting to knwo when I was coming back, even though I'd given them a date, I had 3 months off from start to finish , but was still pestered.

By the time I had my second child 5 years ago , I had to cut my hours and I had 2 days off with my son. Then one day 18 months ago I quite literally lost it!!! Ended up messing up someones hair, then sat in my car and sobbed, I went straight to the docs as I knew I couldn't coipe anymore. Phones ere my main phobia, ringing constantly, texting aaarrrGH!!! Doctor couldn't sign me off work as obviously I was my own boss, and getting sick pay just wasn''t woth the ag. I had 2 weeks off put a message on my phone asking clients not to leave a message but to ring back on a certaion date, but they still left messages. It all sounds petty now but at the time, it quite literally made me scream.

Then June 2010 I decided to do something, Itrained in Hair extensions and Brazilian blow dry, got a good friend to rebrand me, desigh a website, and I bought a cheap PAYG phone, changed my number on all my new business cards, website etc, and my email, put a not on everything staing I don not take appointments by text.

Do you know the best part about all this? Switching that work phone off at 7pm and turning it back on at 8pm, not answering it if I'm busy cos I know its a client, not an emergency of any kind etc.

Sorry I know I've rambled a bit, but its so important to set boundries I've learnt the hard way, tell your customers when you're at home its because you're not working, don't answer the door, I think that is a cheek, get another phone, don't reply to the texts at all. My son is now 5 and started school this year, so now they're both at school , and my hubby works all week and some weekends so its a juggling game, I no longer have a day off, which I though I would but I don't mind so much now, all because I've set some boundries. Don't end up like me, I was totally broken, but I'm back. :hug:

Phew I'm worn out after that xx
 
Great topic.

I completely agree about the seperate mobile.

I switch mine off at night, and back on in the morning. If I'm on holiday, I change my message to say "I'm on holiday and will be back on XX date" Please leave a messsage and I'll call you when I return.
 
Clients will mess you around If you allow them.


Mmmmmm lolxxxx
 
Clients will mess you around If you allow them.


Mmmmmm lolxxxx


Katie, I'm glad you live in an ideal world, but clients always mess you about even if you control a few, there are always the new ones to contend with that you haven't got control over yet and they mess you about ... So it's never ending and not that easy!

Tigi, your post is marvellous and it is obvious that you took allot of time and thought to help Kylieb and that is the spirit this site is known for. So glad to see it is still here. I hope Kylie listens to it ... Hears it ... And does something about it soon before she cracks under the strain. xX

It seems, Kylie that (like i did for many years) you have made yourself totally accessible to your clients and really go all out for them and this is the attitude that builds a successful business. The thing is that being accessible in my day was from 8am during work hours in the salon ... Once I was home, I was inaccessible !! These days with cell phones and Internet one can get caught up 24 hours a day ... I watch my own daughter doing emails at 1 in the morning and want to scream at her to give it a rest!. There comes a time when you've just got to not respond to the phone alerts or just not log on to the Internet for a little while ... Set your hours like tigi suggests and prioritize in your life.

As to making money ... You sure as he'll should be, working as you are. If you don't seem to be, then maybe look at the spending and don't spend on things you don't use or need in your business. I see nail techs spending all the time on stuff that makes them no money! Crazy. Best of luck, you've done well and obviously established a good reputation ... Now just get control of your time and break some bad habits like living on the Internet and always feeling compelled to respond immediately to texts and emails.
 
Last edited:
Some great advice given here.

Mine is; If you are overwhelmed with clients, put your prices up. It doesnt have to be by much, but enough to dampen demand a touch. It will also ensure you earn a bit more doing a bit less.
 
Hi Kylieb,

I find too find it all a bit much sometimes, no consolation to you, but it helps me to hear someone else say it too :lol:

I think thats why SalonGeek feels like a refuge - you are not alone:)

I have spent a lot of time in the past thinking that if I did not spend every waking minute on my Salon it would all go wrong - and then I read somewhere 'don't work hard work smart' - well, I do not manage to always do that but I do try too and I make sure I have one day off a week where I do nothing salon related unless it is urgent - I find it comes in cycles of chaos and then period of order where I catch up and then chaos again - I use to think I would learn how to control it all but there are so many unexpected things that can happen when you run your own business that you can always be surprised! I guess it stops it getting boring!

I really like persianista's idea about putting the price's up a bit - I think that proves the 'work smart theory'

Maybe book a holiday too,

Alex-Lydia
 
oh kylieb ! you sound like me a year ago!

ok, lets break this down a bit you are spending all these hours and no have no more for youself right? so you need to work smarter and also learn to say no yourself!!!!!

you need to set some time aside for you.

go through your diary and see if there is a day when you are quieter and and now take a deep breath and pencil in some you time! go on, you can do it!!! I want you to pencil in two hours ....dont argue kylieb just do it.

Now, when a client calls and wants those hours you have to say " no i am sorry i am booked up those hours" they will choose another appointment. dont you dare give them that time!!!

Right this online thing, are you jumping on and off all day every day? stop it!! get your diary and pencil in 30 mins three times a week to get all your online stuff done.

these text messages, same people? get a diary and write down their names and their work times. so when they text "after work" you can have a flick through and choose a time for them. saves the never ending messages wasting your time.

Coming home for brew. fatal. make yourself a flask and go and find a parking space, switch off your phone and have a brew in the car. OR dont answer the blerdy door!!! Put a sign up to say " in the bath having a relaxing moment" . Just cos they are at your door, doesnt mean you have to answer it.

You are not being moany, you are being overwhelmed. ever thought it might be overwork???? so girl, only YOU can make those changes. your business wont collapse just you havent answered the door once or twice. you have to be tougher with yourself.

(or you can let me be tough with you and ill come round and slap your legs.... only kidding I charge for that service!!! lol)

tigi
xxxx

Hi Tigi,

I would like to say a massive thank you for taking the time to give me all of that advice. I have most definitely taken it on board and everything you say makes so much sense.
I have done this all weekend. Had no clients and just switched my phone off. It felt strange but...Ah bliss. I feel so much better for it already!
I think this is the biggest mistake I have made when it comes to my business. I should have got 2 separate phones!

Massive thank you hun :hug: xx
 
Katie, I'm glad you live in an ideal world, but clients always mess you about even if you control a few, there are always the new ones to contend with that you haven't got control over yet and they mess you about ... So it's never ending and not that easy!
Tigi, your post is marvellous and it is obvious that you took allot of time and thought to help Kylieb and that is the spirit this site is known for. So glad to see it is still here. I hope Kylie listens to it ... Hears it ... And does something about it soon before she cracks under the strain. xX

It seems, Kylie that (like i did for many years) you have made yourself totally accessible to your clients and really go all out for them and this is the attitude that builds a successful business. The thing is that being accessible in my day was from 8am during work hours in the salon ... Once I was home, I was inaccessible !! These days with cell phones and Internet one can get caught up 24 hours a day ... I watch my own daughter doing emails at 1 in the morning and want to scream at her to give it a rest!. There comes a time when you've just got to not respond to the phone alerts or just not log on to the Internet for a little while ... Set your hours like tigi suggests and prioritize in your life.

As to making money ... You sure as he'll should be, working as you are. If you don't seem to be, then maybe look at the spending and don't spend on things you don't use or need in your business. I see nail techs spending all the time on stuff that makes them no money! Crazy. Best of luck, you've done well and obviously established a good reputation ... Now just get control of your time and break some bad habits like living on the Internet and always feeling compelled to respond immediately to texts and emails.

Thank you Geeg,
You have given me some fab advice also. You are totally right, I definitely need to switch off when I get home!
My biggest problem of all is having to respond to enquiries straight away. So I will take my appointment book with me to respond to clients when I am 'working' and i'll leave it at home when i'm not.

Thank you for making me feel better!
 
Clients will mess you around If you allow them.


Mmmmmm lolxxxx

People will always mess you around I think. That's just people. It just depends on the extent of it to make me have to tell them about it or i'd end up with no customers :lol: x
 

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