First month home salon open now gone quiet?

[Miss Sylk]

Hi all,

This is my first month open. After my big expensive newspaper ad i got some custom and calls, all going well. The only other thing i have done is a small leaflet drop and that gererated only one client, who i think was a spy anyway!

What havent i done and why is it so quite with no calls!!!??

I intend on having a small advert this week and a small one in a silly free door mag next month, all paid for well in advance, thank god! I need to do another leaflet drop locally (its soooooo cold though)

As i work from home, i cant really advertise through a hair salon, next door businesses. I have a website in the making, should be up this week finally! Its a very good website and i have the address on all info ive handed out which may have let me down because the site hasn't been up for people to look at.

Mostly the treatments i have done has been nail extensions which typically is my weakest point, they are not terrible but not perfect, do yo think this has affected word of mouth which i rely on?

The salon nearly decided after seeing my advert, did exactly the same "but better) with an offer in! thanks! do they always do that?

Its very difficult for home salons to get the numbers in and advertise as i have no partnerships to help fund it (like hair salon etc)

If anyone has any idea to put bread on the table over xmas i would be so appreciative!

xx

 

[sachi]

One thing i was thinking of doing when i get going is offering a free fill for every referal (no more then five) To my clients. IF you feel you have a weak point then work on that everyday and give a little extra to the clients that have them done. EI a little longer soak and massage maybe. Yeah I know that takes away from your time but it might help them to come back and refer others to you rather then turn them away if they don't 100% like the extensions. Most of all don't give up! Hand cards out with a % off your services for new clients. Word of mouth is going to be the biggest draw IMO. That is how it works where I live anyway!

 

[Miss Sylk]

I was quite suprised with the effect from my first advert! i was expecting to be quiet. But its gone the other way :-(

I am working my ass off at the nails, giving free ones to friends to work at them and doing my own (which i dont like) .

xx

 

[kezza*]

Hi ya
I recently set up a home based salon in September, I had an ad in the local paper didn't get many people from it,,,,,I have a website and slowly people are seeing it,,,,,I'm in yellow pages which I paid for sooooo far noone has come from it,,,,,the best advertisement which I pay for is the local little magazine which goes round my area,,,,I also did leaflet drops and some roads I got noone but the roads around me I got the best replies from. The best form of advertising is deffo word of mouth but it's soooooo slow lol. This month has been very quiet I have only had a handful of new clients the rest is regular clients,,,,,It takes time I did find that some hairdressers let me leave business cards,,,I also put an advert in the post office and local shops that have notice boards.... Stick with it and just keep promoting urself,,,I'm keeping my fingers crossed for December i'm about to sent out letters to clients that I been to me since opening with xmas offers and doing discount cards for xmas. Good luck and try not to feel to low it will be worth it

Kerry

 

[sparkler]

I also set up in september and have found things slow going until this week. i defo think things are on the up.
be confident, believe in yourself and keep at it.
Good luck x

 

[lealei]

i dont know if ur newspaper would be interested but u coud try asking them to do a human interest story....ie setting up form home during recession etc....or if u did anything with the government training for starting ur business. I havent done this myself but i have seen similiar items in my newspaper.

I like the idea of refferals being rewarded.....word of mouth is the way to go...give ur friends whom u are praticing nails on ur business card so they can pass it to anyone who comments on them....or try encouraging new customers with a complimentary aftercare kit...this can be done quite cheaply, and adds value.

Good luck

 

[Loolabelle]

Hi
I too have a home salon. I have found that word of mouth is the best advertising but understand that its the frustration of getting people through the door in the first place. I am unable to advertise in our local mag at the moment due to a long waiting list of people wanting to go in it!. I have put a poster up in our local post office which has brought in quite a few customers. I am also lucky as the local hairdresser has a poster and some price lists on display for me, which has been very beneficial! I have recently done a couple of xmas fayres as well to raise my profile. Not very lucrative on the day tho' gave out flyers/ price lists and hope that people will remember me when wanting treatments. I also got the local newsagents to put flyers in the papers they deliver tho found that not to be so successful.
I know its frustrating but keep at it and I am sure you will be a success! I started in Jan this year and even now I have some really good weeks and some really slow ones!
HTH
LOO x

 

[BlondieJo]

You should contact your local schools and see if you can get in on any xmas pamper evening. It is a great way to meet be clients when you are starting out. You could sell some vouches too. They would make a great gift to buy on the night.

 

[Miss Sylk]

Great ideas guys, thanks for your support! i better get cracking, im being a bit laid back because the first two weeks were great, luck with advert i think.

Nearly all my local hairdressers have beauticians in them, huge lot of competition around here, still ill give it a dam good shot!

Good luck for christmas yourselves!

 

[Ruthlm]

remember to advertise on the free online sites as well, google business is a good one, and gumtree, you can advertise in your own specific area on gumtree, and lots of people look, all of the above are free as well, good luck xx

 

[Martin Duffy]

Have you thought about offering to do a talk/demo for local social groups, such as mothers coffee mornings, WI, craft & flower groups etc?