Help with having 2 self employed nail techs

[trixiebellewax]

Hi All, I'm looking for some advice on the best way to manage having 2 self employed nail techs in our salon, to keep things simple and fair.
I have one tech newly qualified and just offering gel polish, the second one is coming to see me next week after she is back from holiday. She is very experienced and offers mostly acrylic with some gel polish.

I'm thinking that they should alternate on taking walk ins and bookings from my current clients, and obviously the rest of their work will be self managed through their own Facebook pages and advertising.
Also, is it fair to request that they don't undercut each other with silly offers, or should set a minimum price that I am happy for techs to offer? (I don't want £10 acrylic nails in the salon really).
I am simply wanting to make things straight and easy from the start, any advice welcome
Thanks

 

[trixiebellewax]

I forgot to add that the arrangement is weekly desk rental

 

[CocoAllure]

Would that be fair when one doesn't do acrylics and the other does

 

[attitude]

I mean this in a friendly way, but if they are self-employed you really have no right to have any say in their pricing or offers. It's probably not going to be straight and easy.

As far as alternating walk ins, what if one tech always has a client at the time of a walk in, so in effect, the other tech gets most of the walk ins? What if they are both busy?

Why do you need two?

Edited to add that if you don't want silly prices, you should employ and set your own prices.

 

[Gina Ballerina]

I put in my s/e girls contract that there is no undercutting allowed. I want everyone to do well and work in a fair environment. If they are the only one offering a particular treatment then they can price that how they like. Works well for me.

 

[AcidPerm]

I put in my s/e girls contract that there is no undercutting allowed. I want everyone to do well and work in a fair environment. If they are the only one offering a particular treatment then they can price that how they like. Works well for me.

Interesting. I can understand why you'd want to set some ground rules but I wonder what would happen if you tried to enforce the clause?

HMRC are quite clear that a Salon owner cannot dictate the prices self employed staff charge so you could find yourself being answerable to tricky conversations from HMRC if someone complained to them.

 

[trixiebellewax]

Thank you all for your replies. I understand the rules of being self employed, as I myself have rented a room for 3 years. I am happy for nail techs to come and go as they please, have access to the salon and work their own hours, set their own prices etc. I don't want to be involved in their business generally, however we won't have someone in doing £10 nails as it cheapens the salon. So we just won't let space to anyone with cheap prices, products and constant offers, rather than dictate in the future

 

[trixiebellewax]

With regards to walk ins, it may just be best to allow whoever is free to take the booking, and if they a both free then to alternate and see how it goes?

 

[Eloise86]

You can't tell them what to charge, self employed!!!

 

[Eloise86]

I mean this in a friendly way, but if they are self-employed you really have no right to have any say in their pricing or offers. It's probably not going to be straight and easy.

As far as alternating walk ins, what if one tech always has a client at the time of a walk in, so in effect, the other tech gets most of the walk ins? What if they are both busy?

Why do you need two?

Edited to add that if you don't want silly prices, you should employ and set your own prices.

Well said

 

[squidgernetball]

You can't tell self employed what to charge but if you think they're charging way too low and affecting your salon you just choose not to rent to them any more.

All of this is a two way street. Negotiating with each other and getting nail techs to respect each other and support each other.
The clients are theirs, the money is theirs, the price list is theirs but the nail table is yours and if you don't like what they do get rid of them x

 

[Gina Ballerina]

They don't have to rent the room
All of their clients come from my website and they are very busy for only 6 months of business. They can do what they like price wise, have their own price lists with their own phone number and get all their own business and take no calls from my website and my phone number. Or they can use the salon price list and benefit from all the existing marketing and all the phone calls. The choice was there and they'd rather be busy I guess.

 

[Gina Ballerina]

With regards to walk ins, whoever is free and at the desk they have them just like whoever answers the phone books them in with themselves (unless a specific therapist is asked for)

 

[Gina Ballerina]

@ AcidPerm (can't see how to quote)
Their contract states 1 month notice period to be given on either side so I would just ask them to leave - or rectify the situation. I don't want to be mean and terminate their contact without asking for change first.
It was set when they took on the room.
There was the same set up when I rented a room.

 

[Gina Ballerina]

If I had to ask both to leave I would then employ people instead.
It must be very difficult for those working on a percentage split if the other person can charge what they like? They are self employed too.

 

[trixiebellewax]

You can't tell them what to charge, self employed!!!

I am looking for advice on how best to make it work with 2 nail techs, so that they are happy. If I don't like their prices then I won't be renting to them in the first place.