How cheap can people go?

[kim.ro18]

Hello

Im looking to soon set up my buisness again, i used to have one back home in lovely Scotland, but i now live down south.

When back home there wasnt a lto of competitino so i could charge normal prices etc, say £20-25 for manicure or pedicure etc, and things liek shellac were (and still are by other salons) close to £40.

But in the area i am at now i've seen someone advertising to do manicure,pedicure and lashes for £30????

i get thats great value for customer but for me, that just isn't profitable enough.

i do beauty because i can normal charge on an hourly rate for most treatments of about £20-40.(making it worth my time to do so)

its making me worry, because i want to set up, but wondering whether ill get any business from it, i am going to train with Kim lawless too, and i don't want to in-dignify the training by offering it at ridiculous prices, think i seen someone offering a full leg wax for about £7 or £10?? whereas i would have done it for about £30

What do you do?

 

[Lynne Baker]

How busy is your local Waitrose?

 

[Martin Duffy]

There will always be a market for a premium service at a premium price and there will always be cheap and cheerful - 'twas ever so and always will be!

 

[Lady Murasaki]

I don't see cheap end stylists or makeup artists/ BT as my competition or a threat as they cater to certain level/type of client that i don't want.

Do you think Chanel are running scared of primark, I very much doubt it lol

 

[Mrsbob]

I love that saying....
Nice nails ain't cheap, and cheap nails ain't nice!!
I think we've got to keep telling ourselves that and not give in to peer pressure!! As lady murasaki said, we don't want to attract that type of client!

Have you looked at other salons in your area and checked out their prices?

 

[Lady Murasaki]

Most of these cheap end therapists are prob not insured or done proper training courses.

As products cheap muck, eBay specials and fakes mostly me thinks!

The problem here is that the industry is largely unregulated and until it is regulated the industry will continue to be saturated with these types of people coming into it trying to under cut professionals and making a quick buck

 

[Martin Duffy]

The problem here is that the industry is largely unregulated and until it is regulated the industry will continue to be saturated with these types of people coming into it trying to under cut professionals and making a quick buck

Even if the industry becomes regulated, at the most it will be voluntary regulation, so I shouldn't hold your breath waiting for these sorts of people to disappear, they're with us for the duration!

 

[kim.ro18]

I hope so, although i am a Army wife, so im looking to attract other wives, girlfriends etc, s i have access to a lot of them, and they are not a bad lot of customers to have lol, but like everyone else, if someone is doing it 1/3 or even 1/2 less than what im doing, i still feel they might go that way. As they arent to know the products are crap, or the therapist is uninsured etc.

I do hope (as im moving again soon), that there isnt as many therapist about, as where i am just now9this is just for wives etc) there is at least 4 or 5 different therapist, all charging very cheap rates, and i do not want to follow suit.

 

[Tomme]

It's not how cheap you can put your price as much as how much your time is worth. A cut costs me nothing in product, but my time and skills is what I charge for. With colouring I factor in the highest cost of colour a person may need, then add on time and skill and I'm left with my charge.
These "cheap places" cheaply don't value their skills, and neither do their customers... You will get people no matter what you charge, it's all down tithe clientele you want. Xoxo

 

[Russell]

Best thing to do is look what the top salons charge and go 20% less and use the top products and make a point to clients that they are receiving the same service and product and you are able to spend more time with them and the service is not rushed that way you can earn the most amount of money possible

 

[cerise]

On A site where I usually advertise someone is now offering shellac for £7 (even tho it's proberbly not the "real" shellac she's using) I am now not getting any new clients from there. But I'm not worried because by looking at her pics she doesn't look qualified or any good so they will soon start coming back!

 

[squidgernetball]

I've just seen a mobile therapist advertising locally charging £4.99 for a manicure - a lot less than I charge. She will attract a certain type of client, and so will I, and I'd rather my clients any time.

 

[siobrennan]

I am mobile and have a lot of girls as regulars for hair ups at a charge of £15(if more than 2 people) to £25(for more elaborate styles), though recently have lost a good few of them to another mobile girl who does up dos for £8. EVERYTHING for £8. Well, they are welcome to go to her, from a distance the hair looks ok, but on photos you can see all the pins and backcombing mess. so I'll do less and earn more, and see what happens. And in my local area, full leg wax has always been around £20-25, though even this is going down, seen advertised for £10 recently, and shellac is £20, though again, seen it advertised for £8-10. Bluesky anyone?! xx

 

[kim.ro18]

I am mobile and have a lot of girls as regulars for hair ups at a charge of £15(if more than 2 people) to £25(for more elaborate styles), though recently have lost a good few of them to another mobile girl who does up dos for £8. EVERYTHING for £8. Well, they are welcome to go to her, from a distance the hair looks ok, but on photos you can see all the pins and backcombing mess. so I'll do less and earn more, and see what happens. And in my local area, full leg wax has always been around £20-25, though even this is going down, seen advertised for £10 recently, and shellac is £20, though again, seen it advertised for £8-10. Bluesky anyone?! xx

Yeah i know, its annoying, to think a lot of clients are going to have no idea they are getting ripped off, but all they can see is a bargain.

I only want to go back part time, as i have just had a baby, and im wanting it to be worth my while, as im going to be investing a lot of money in to home salon, and training again, i just hope its all worth it

 

[Martin Duffy]

Yeah i know, its annoying, to think a lot of clients are going to have no idea they are getting ripped off, but all they can see is a bargain.

Until they have an appointment and realise they've paid cheap and got cheap. Very few people go back for more, which is why it is never worth worrying about.

Too many people spend too much time worrying about what others are and aren't doing, and if they spent half that time and effort concentrating on their own business they'd be too busy to care.

 

[Boop]

What happens when these people under cutting us are actually quite good at what they are doing?

There is a girl in my town who advertises herself as being the 'cheapest in town'. She always 'seems' busy and has ALOT of positive comments on her FB page and is quite well known around here.
Curiosity got the better of me and I booked in with her to see what she is all about and she is, I would say, very good and knows her stuff!

I cant get my head around how she can offer treatments SO cheap. All her certificates were up so she is qualified. Her website states she is insured and she has a purpose built work/live unit so I assume she must be registered for tax.

 

[jacquelineanna]

I wait for the day when these kinds of salons sets their prices like this:

Manicure - bring us a jam tart

Shellac - Bring us an iced bun

Crystal Pedi - Bring us a jam tart, an iced bun and a cup of tea

 

[Lynne Baker]

Brazilians - we'll give YOU a jam tart, cos, well, we've inflicted pain on you, so it's only fair, isn't it?

 

[MisstyB]

I wait for the day when these kinds of salons sets their prices like this:

Manicure - bring us a jam tart

Shellac - Bring us an iced bun

Crystal Pedi - Bring us a jam tart, an iced bun and a cup of tea

I am laughing my little socks off :lol: great idea, maybe do a christmas special though
Manicure - bring us a mince pie
Shellac - bring us some christmas cake
crystal pedi - bring us a mince pie, some christmas cake and a glass of mulled wine.........

 

[jacquelineanna]

I am laughing my little socks off :lol: great idea, maybe do a christmas special though
Manicure - bring us a mince pie
Shellac - bring us some christmas cake
crystal pedi - bring us a mince pie, some christmas cake and a glass of mulled wine.........

And in the very quiet time of January SPECIAL OFFER

Manicure, Shellac, AND a Crystal Pedi - just give us one of the really horrid christmas presents you got from great-aunt Florence.