For those with a salon

[Bodacious]

How long did it take you to build up a regular clintelle and therefore busy salon???

 

[Shelley Clarke]

Hi

I set up in a salon with a Beauty Therapist in Feb and i'm just starting to get regular clients in. Some clients just want nails for holidays and special occasions but it is quite hard to get the ones who come back and want them regularly. Sometimes it can be a bit disheartening but this week i've got about five infills to do which means my regular client base is building up.

Shelley

 

[kerrie]

Hi Bodacious,

Alot of it depends on your location as well, are you in a busy area?

I was in a salon 12 months ago that is only 100 metres from the salon i am in currently.

I was in the first salon for 8 weeks, and gained approx 10 clients in that time.

I moved to another salon 100 metres down the road, which is in a busy shopping centre and gained around 30 clients in the same amount of time.

I have been there for about 10 months now and most days i am doing anywhere from 5 to 8 clients per day, compared to 1 or 2 per day in the old salon.

For me the major part is location, you get seen, people dont have to go out of there way to find you, you can be found lol

Of course after being found you need to offer a good service that keeps them coming back, something a little different that another tech doesnt offer.

I also do simple nail art and dont charge for this, it doesnt take me very long and its a cheap free way of advertising, all there friends and other people are going to see the art and ask where they get there nails done , i have got a lot of new clients this way.

Just a few strokes with a nail art brush and they are stoked at getting something for "free". lol Of course they only get nail art if they are getting an infill or full set .



Kerrie

 

[Bodacious]

Thanks for that guys, we are a very new salon so am hoping to build up a good client base, nut there has been an outbreak of nail services in the area this year.

 

[Welsh Geek]

I started in Dec 02, and it took me about six months to really build up a good client base.... 18 months later I am fully booked most of the time and well in advance..... desperate for new staff too!!!

I found it a good idea to do a special opening offer, even though I knew my nails were better than the competition, I needed to get people to try mine, so I did a special by offering full sets for just £25 for one month only.......
and even though I'm busy I do an offer every year from the end of Sept to end of Oct and from Feb to March... (this covers for the quiet periods in my area) my prices are generally going up this year though to keep up with costs....
I also started doing beauty with 10% reduction for the first month, people feel their getting something for nothing, and they mostly come back, because they like what they get!!!

Sue

Thanks for that guys, we are a very new salon so am hoping to build up a good client base, nut there has been an outbreak of nail services in the area this year.

 

[Bodacious]

I know what you mean about staff, I really really need an acrylic technician who can do the end of the week days. The demand far outweighs the supply! There are some 'college' leavers due soon so I may get some applicants and then I can maybe get them on a conversion course.