Does anyone work from their spare bedroom?

[Gawjus36]

I've been working as a mobile nail tech for two years now and have a great little business. I'm at a point now though where I would really like to be static, I'm sick of packing and unpacking my kit and dashing from place to place.

So I'm considering working from home, I don't have the thousands of pounds to convert my garage so I'm considering using a bedroom upstairs which current functions as an office.

I'm interested to hear the pro's and cons of doing this, does it 'look' professional, does it impede on your own privacy, do clients take you seriously, do you get walk-ins?

If you do work from a similar space in your own home I would love to hear how you make it work.

Thanks in advance xxx

 

[kerriequinton01]

i work from home in my spare bedroom.clients like it and feel relaxed and homley.i would recommend doing it.but i stil have clients that want me to go to them.
hope all goes well

 

[brandy1]

I work from home as a beauty therapist. We had a spare bedroom converted so that I could have running water in the room. We had some kitchen units fitted and a non-slip floor. The upside is that clients like the relaxed environment and the flexibility that brings, the downside is that there is no walk by and I have to rely on advertising (costly) and word of mouth. I sometimes feel isolated and I also go from client to doing things in the house and then back to work on a client, so don't get much of a rest. Everyone also thinks that you are at home rather than working - something I am trying very hard to dispell. Overheads can be cheaper, but I have to heat the whole house and insurance can be a problem - I went with Ansvar and saved a fortune. I also checked with my local council to see if I needed planning permission. I didn't fortunately. Still need to have PAT testing done and get any other licenses needed - I didn't take any chances and have done everything by the book.

I hope this helps.

 

[Gawjus36]

i work from home in my spare bedroom.clients like it and feel relaxed and homley.i would recommend doing it.but i stil have clients that want me to go to them.
hope all goes well

Thank you for that kerriequinton01, how do you split your mobile/home business? Do you work specific days or hours for each?
Do you have somewhere for clients to wait if they arrive early or you run over? I'm killing myself with questions and just don't know whether a chair rental would work better, however I love the idea of being at home too....was there anything in particular that you had to work around or overcome?

 

[kerriequinton01]

it can be a little hard when my other half comes home at 7pm.but normaly im done by then. i wouldnt have any1 at home to disterb you when your doing clients,so do you have family and kids ? would they be out when your working? i work any time.in evenings if my partner is going to be home,i tend to go to them.its never a problem,or if they want to come to me,i kick my other half out lol at the end of the day its business and my other half know that and is happy with my working from home.
hope that helps. x

 

[Tip Toe Nails]

I have home salon off my main living room area. A small bedroom works well if you work it! Take the time to see where you want your station and make sure its comfortable and inviting!

Best of luck!

 

[Glitterbox81]

I have set up my spare bedroom as a treatment room. To get to it the customer comes in the front door, straight up the stairs and the room is at the back of the landing- so not really passing through any family areas. When we're in there the door is shut and it's just the same as a room in a salon would be.

I don't have children and if my husband is home when customers come in he goes in the living room and shuts the door so there's no interaction.

My main issue is that I have to have the house showroom clean all the time

 

[Karen-Nail Tech]

I have set up my spare bedroom as a treatment room. To get to it the customer comes in the front door, straight up the stairs and the room is at the back of the landing- so not really passing through any family areas. When we're in there the door is shut and it's just the same as a room in a salon would be.

I don't have children and if my husband is home when customers come in he goes in the living room and shuts the door so there's no interaction.

My main issue is that I have to have the house showroom clean all the time

This was the same situation asked. I worked from my back upstairs bedroom for 6 months. It's a pain keeping your house showroom clean so that every area in a clients view is as professional as it can be and the bathroom is immaculate. I did have my room solely dedicated to beauty as I wanted to take the "bedroom" feel out of it.

I now work from a summerhouse in my garden which means the upstairs is fine to be less perfect but now I have to my kitchen perfect as clients pass by that!

Some clients told me they preferred being in a home but I do think I lost one client as she wasn't comfortable or wasn't keen which was a shame.

x

 

[Gawjus36]

My main issue is that I have to have the house showroom clean all the time [/QUOTE]

That's my main issue!!!! Lol!

I have three children, hubby and a dog. My house set up sounds identical so I guess I can shut bedroom doors right?!!

Do you lock the front door so people can't interrupt? Do you have drinks facilities etc? Do you have any elderly clients that would potentially struggle with stairs? Is it a legal requirement to have disabled access??

Gosh, I could go on and on!!
Thanks for all the replies so far, please keep them coming xxx

 

[Maz101]

I have a small bedroom as my nail room and I am also mobile, I don't have any problems as they come in and go straight up the stairs, all the other bedrooms are shut and my room looks professional and once the door is shut it's nice and cosy. The people that haVe been in there say they love it as warm and homey and they prefer it to a large open salon.

I would say go for it, but also still do mobile as some people won't come due to whatever reason, kids, husbands.

For drinks I have a Dolce Gusto which does coffee, chocolate and provides hot water for tea. I use twinning in little paper packets so they know there nice and new and they all sit in a wooden twinnings box, I have a variety, plus little cartons of milk the non fridges type from Macros, so know all ok.

I also have 3 dogs but they are never allowed upstairs and I have stair gates on all the doors, so the are safe when a client arrives.

 

[Glitterbox81]

I don't provide refreshments but all of my treatments are ones where the customer drinking would be hard- eyelash extensions, spray tans and Shellac/Gelish, so no free hand for drinking.

I lock my front door mainly because we have had a lot of sneak in thefts around my estate so I've always kept it locked. I leave at least half an hour between appointments at the moment so that I don't have any issue with someone turning up while I still have someone else there which does mean I can do less people but at the moment this isn't an issue as I'm new and pretty quiet. I think if I got to the stage where I was busy enough for back to back appointments all day I'd probably look into getting a room in a salon or even my own little shop so I could have waiting facilities. Or some kind of extension or something built maybe?

I haven't had any disabled/elderly yet but if I did I could move my stuff downstairs or go to them (or I will be able to once i pass my driving test!)

I have 3 cats but they all hide under my bed when there's other people in the house so they haven't been a problem yet. We did consider maybe swapping the house around so the living room was upstairs in the spare room and the treatment room was downstairs beside the front door so people weren't walking so far through the house.

 

[411]

I use my front lounge.
We have 2, and the front one was never used. So converted into a salon. We have doors dividing the front lounge and dining room, so I close them & pull down white blinds which my hubby put up for me from ikea,so it's totally private.

My clients walk in from front door and right into my salon.

Works well for me, as I don't have to worry about making sure the rest of the house is immaculate.4

 

[Lady]

What about using part of the lounge? I don't have the luxury of an extra room right now, but do have rear access to the lounge, so unless they wish to use the loo, they wouldn't have to see the rest of the house. . This is my lounge due to be redecorated with no dining room table as nail area would be here. Its not ideal, but a start. What do you think?

 

[DeLaFemme]

I have home salon off my main living room area. A small bedroom works well if you work it! Take the time to see where you want your station and make sure its comfortable and inviting!

Best of luck!

I love your nail station where did you get it from?

Sent from my HTC One X using SalonGeek

 

[Tip Toe Nails]

I love your nail station where did you get it from?


Sent from my HTC One X using SalonGeek

Thank you mine (nail desk) one is from staples old computer desk and the other by the window is custom made for my comfort level by a skilled artisian costing me just over $900.00 with built in exhaust fan. I opted for no hand roll I do not find them comfortable.

 

[BeautyNerdJo]

I use my front lounge.
We have 2, and the front one was never used. So converted into a salon. We have doors dividing the front lounge and dining room, so I close them & pull down white blinds which my hubby put up for me from ikea,so it's totally private.

My clients walk in from front door and right into my salon.

Works well for me, as I don't have to worry about making sure the rest of the house is immaculate.4

Your salon is lovely xx

 

[Belle De Jour]

I work from home, i have converted one of the bedrooms into a salon room. The room also has an en suite which is useful for waxing clients to get undress/ freshen up in it's the first room at the top of the stairs so i only have to make sure doors are shut and hall stair landing and therapy room are spotless!
I work daytimes when my kids are at school and also two evenings starting at 7.30-8pm when they are in bed
i made sure that i got planning permission from the local council (£60) and permission from my housing association seems to be working out ok, don't forget to check your insurance covers your clients on the stairs within your home and to get PAT testing done, some councils have regulations regarding massage/waxing & disposal of rubbish ( so i have read on SG) so be sure to check this out too as different councils have different policy's.
Ive had a slow start but as i don't have a shop front & rely on word of mouth and advertising it's to be expected, this suits me fine as i don't want to be flat out until my son starts school in sept.
Everyone who has visited me so far has continued to do so and thinks my room is very relaxing )

 

[Gawjus36]

I work from home, i have converted one of the bedrooms into a salon room. The room also has an en suite which is useful for waxing clients to get undress/ freshen up in it's the first room at the top of the stairs so i only have to make sure doors are shut and hall stair landing and therapy room are spotless!
I work daytimes when my kids are at school and also two evenings starting at 7.30-8pm when they are in bed
i made sure that i got planning permission from the local council (£60) and permission from my housing association seems to be working out ok, don't forget to check your insurance covers your clients on the stairs within your home and to get PAT testing done, some councils have regulations regarding massage/waxing & disposal of rubbish ( so i have read on SG) so be sure to check this out too as different councils have different policy's.
Ive had a slow start but as i don't have a shop front & rely on word of mouth and advertising it's to be expected, this suits me fine as i don't want to be flat out until my son starts school in sept.
Everyone who has visited me so far has continued to do so and thinks my room is very relaxing )

It sounds like you've got something that works really well for you. Do you have any pictures? I'd love to see something that could help me generate my own ideas, like the other posters previously, they are lovely x

Thanks for your input xxx

 

[christine.t]

I use my front lounge.
We have 2, and the front one was never used. So converted into a salon. We have doors dividing the front lounge and dining room, so I close them & pull down white blinds which my hubby put up for me from ikea,so it's totally private.

My clients walk in from front door and right into my salon.

Works well for me, as I don't have to worry about making sure the rest of the house is immaculate.4

Love this! Where is your desk from?

 

[Belle De Jour]

Theres a thread on biz geek i think entitled your set up's lots of pic's on there of salons and home salons I'm on my phone and cant up load pics at the mo but i think i may have posted on there at some point lots of inspiration, i found Ikea great for furniture/ desk for my set up Xx