Home salon vs mobile

[millyspook]

I'm on the process of setting up a log cabin so I can do treatments from home. I'm currently mobile but getting a bit fed up with lugging all my heavy stuff with me plus would like to travel less.
I am concerned whether I will lose clients when I open my home salon as lots of my clients love the fact that I am mobile and I feel that is my niche.

Should I still offer some mobile treatments - such as spray tanning and perhaps only do other treatments from my home. Or should I offer just one night where I do mobile visits and all other times from my home? I'm not sure what to do for the best as I don't want to lose clients. How did other geeks make the transition ?

 

[millyspook]

Mod- sorry prob should have put this under biz section

 

[butterflies000]

Hi I'd speak to your clients, only they can tell you if happy to come to you or would prefer you to go to them ( mobile)
You could then work out what clients and treatments if needed to go mobile or willing to still go mobile if needed for 1 day/evening.
If you decided to just have your salon at home then you may notice clients leave but if your good i'm sure you would still have them return if you offered some offers occasionally on treatments they have, plus they may enjoy the experience more by coming to you.
Hope you manage to work things out

 

[GracefulH&B]

I'm the same as you. Started off mobile but have set up a home salon. I had a little chat with the clients I knew wouldn't want to come to me, and asked if I could see them all on a Monday. Thankfully, they were happy enough with that. So Monday's I'm mobile and the other days I work, I work out of my home salon. Works well for me. Good luck

 

[Emily Case]

I have been mobile for a year but opened my home salon last month. Everyone is loving it! The clients that can't get to me are (thankfully) all in one area, so I go there on a Tuesday every 3 weeks. It works out well

In total I lost 7 clients who needed me to be mobile but also needed me to be flexible for them... it just wasn't possible. It sounds like a lot but since opening the home salon I have gained 11 new clients so it all evens out! I couldn't meet their needs as well as looking after myself (can't carry equipment any more after a bus wrote off my car in June).

Good luck! I love my room and so does everyone else.

xx

 

[happyfeet]

Hi hun

As has been said, only your clients can really answer this for you.

I started mobile, took on a treatment room to rent on an as and when basis but found mainly people sort me out for being mobile and the rent per hour is a little high so I just really use that now for kids nail parties and cost it so that the rent is covered and I still make the profit I want.

However I car share with my hubby and don't always have the car so I needed something that wouldn't cost me pennies unnecessarily so this year I opened my home nail studio. I still have die hard mobile clients that through their circumstances need to have someone come to them, and in all honesty I do still like to get out of the house and change my surroundings. I have one particular client who prefers mobile, but if I cannot come to her she is willing to come to me. Another client of mine doesn't mind where she goes.

I'm honest and up front with my clients about my availability and they work with me, so I know I'm very lucky. New clients I always try and book them in to my nail studio as this is my personal preference for time wise, no travelling and I like giving clients the full pamper experience that I do in my home nail studio.

It does get tiresome even now packing and unpacking my kit but in all honesty it takes at best 5-10 minutes to do.

Not sure if thats helped at all or if ive just gone on one of my usual rambles!!

Love n hugs

 

[millyspook]

Thanks for all your replies. I like the idea of just offering one night as a mobile night, that way I can still please my mobile clients that can't come out to me in the evening.

What do you do in the way of charging, I am thinking of leaving my costs as they are for mobile and perhaps offering a 10% /15% discount for visits to my home salon. Or should I just leave as they are?

My prices are on my website Shimmer Beauty - Mobile Beauty Therapist and Nail Technician - Shimmer Beauty - Mobile Beauty in East Sussex/West Kent - CND Shellac, Waxing, Gel Nails, Spray Tanning, Manicures, Pedicures, MInx, Rockstar, Hollywood Toes.

 

[Emily Case]

I've left my prices as they are for mobile, and from August to November I am running 15% off any treatment over £20 (not to be used in conjunction with any other offer). It has just encouraged people to come to see me at home - they just needed an incentive, and now that they have all fallen in love with the home salon they don't need the incentive any more and will come regardless!

In November, I will take that discount to 10%, then 5% a few months later.

xxx

 

[lisa82]

I'm hoping to change from mobile to working from home, and leave a Thursday afternoon/evening mobile. I will be leaving my prices the same. Maybe even a slight increase for my mobile clients