Job Dilemma

[cherrysoda]

Hi everyone,

Im in a bit of a dilema! :irked:

I qualified as a nail technician with Creative in May 07 and had my own salon for a while but experienced alot of problems with another salon and had to close.

Then i tried renting a chair in a hair salon in a busy town but it was so quiet i had to give it up too! (think there are to many nail techs charging £20 and less to compete with)

So now i work as an administrator and I HATE IT!!!!!

I really love being a nail tech - Its my true calling!!! But i just cant find the right way to go about it:cry:

There are no "paid" tech jobs in my area (all rent a chair) and i was wondering if it was worth traveling (maybe up to an hour) to work for a well established nail/beauty salon or in a department store that paid a wage????

Does anyone do this or know someone that does this??


Please Please help i dont want to have to completly give up something i love so much!!:cry:

Thanks in advance xxx

 

[chrogers]

Hi hun, Im so sorry your so unhappy in your job! we've all been there!!

Ok, Have you thought about going mobile?? I have recently left my salon after a year due to a business partnership not working out. I love nails as do you, I feel like its my passion and its what i'm meant to be doing. But recently I have started working for a local bank. Its great hours weekends and evening off and it gives me the security of having a regular wage. Ok sorry to rant on lol my point is, why dont you stick at your office job for a few more months and advertise your nail talents like crazy enabling you to build a regular client base. Once you have done this maybe you can go free lance full time or look at finding a base within your area? Just a suggestion anyway.

I'm just speaking from experience, when you travel to work in a salon/nail bar you obviously have to work to there rules which you may not necessarily agree with - for example my problem was my previous employer setting a tile to 60 minutes for a full set inc consultation, treatment, paint, payment, rebooking and selling products. I just think because you have already worked for yourself and you would have developed a technique that suits you, you may find it dificult going back to work for someone else.

Hope I've kind of given you some advise, Sorry for going off track!! lol

 

[mdskora]

Hi,
I am sorry too that you are un happy... I would be unhappy if I were not doing nails too..
I guess the problem with our industry is that we will come 2nd to " putting food on your clients table"... It has taken me 12 mths to build my client base up... just as you start to get going something happens and some clients move away , others take their nails off due to money etc.... I have alot of cancellations early in the week.... hardly ever on pay day or the few days after....
It will take time no matter what you decide.... I would not travel to work.. Could you start at home for a few evenings a week untill they are full and then open up a weekend day and then when that is full you could think about working during the days.... just a thought.... My income is icing on the cake in our family.. we don;t rely on it to much as it changes week to week...... but the more you work at it the better.
please let me know how you get on...
XMel

 

[Kerry's Nails]

I agree with all that has been said already. I work 35 hours a week in a sales position and only do my nails after hours. I have a small client base of regulars (when they can afford it), and usually end up with a lot of new clients or one offs (as I call them) for special occasions. All my advertising is via word of mouth. My income from nails is also icing on the cake, after our normal household incomes. I can work my own hours and only a few nights a week if I prefer, or I can book myself right out for weeks on end.

 

[sj1973]

Hi ya.........why not work from home....if you have a job now....tell your workmates what you are doing and say to them........"i will work for a discount for say a month".......that give's you the chance to get client's and word of mouth spreads !!!!!

I think 1 hour is a long way to travel back and forth everyday......that's just my opinion.......xx

 

[beautyseeker]

Try going mobile or work from home. Please dont be sad. You will get a lot of support from all the geeks. Hard sell to your work-mates, give discounts, etc, etc.

I am a beauty therapist and I am finding it hard going at the moment but I just know from the support I have had on this site that things will get better, I just have to keep going and be positive (even if it means getting a part time job in Asda).

:hug:

 

[cherrysoda]

Thanks for your help!
I would love to work from home a couple of nights a week and even have a very nice dining room i could use! Only problem - i work 51-60 hours a week! (no wonder i hate it lol).
I think im gonna start looking for a part time job then i CAN work from home! I have one loyal clent that wants me to go to her house so i said i will in the first week in march!! I have an A board from my old salon and maybe if i get it all changed and put it at the end of the drive people might see it and ring for details!!
Humm what to charge tho? Less or more than in a salon???

Thanks xxxx

 

[chrogers]

well i'm mobile at the moment and I'm charging £25 for a full set and £15 for infills. I know a lot of geeks will think thats quite cheap and to some degree I suppose it is but i'm literally matching the local NSS price in Cardiff. For me i'd rather charge that little bit less and people end up with good quality nails without the extreme nail bed damage. Just my opinion though.

 

[dingbat]

Don't be sad sweetie, try mobile then you could see how that goes then maybe cut your hours at work?

 

[sj1973]

Thanks for your help!
I would love to work from home a couple of nights a week and even have a very nice dining room i could use! Only problem - i work 51-60 hours a week! (no wonder i hate it lol).
I think im gonna start looking for a part time job then i CAN work from home! I have one loyal clent that wants me to go to her house so i said i will in the first week in march!! I have an A board from my old salon and maybe if i get it all changed and put it at the end of the drive people might see it and ring for details!!
Humm what to charge tho? Less or more than in a salon???

Thanks xxxx

That,s ALOT of hours you work hun.........go part time job then do home/mobile nails .....when you start,i would put your prices down for first month......tell people that you are doing discount for the first month as a incentive for them to come....then they will stay .....even when you put your prices up xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

[cherrysoda]

Hi everyone!!!
Just wanted to update you all on the job front and get some more help please!

Well i thought id give Nails Inc a go and rang to see if they had a job available. They did and i got the job and ive been there for a week.

After being there a couple of days i got a call from a lady that was opening a second salon a couple of doors down from where i first had a salon and she said she had a chair i could rent for £50 a week if i wanted it!

So now i have a new job dilema :irked: (why does my work life have to be so compleicated???? I feel like pulling my hair out!!!)

Right do i stay in Nails inc where i get paid a really good guaranteed wage plus bonuses if i sell products but have to pay £52 a week to travel there and have to work till 8 which means i have to pay for a taxi to the train station putting my travel costs up more.

or

Do i pay £50 per week renting a chair in a new salon thats opening that is right near where i live, has a free car park behind it and a tanning salon a couple of doors away which i used to own and had a business partner that did nails in and took about £1,000 a month (theres been no nail tech there since we sold it) and i think it would do really well but its getting the customers back and finding the £50 to start off with!

Sorry this is so long winded i just wanted to get all the facts there for you to help me make a decision. I dont think being mobile is for me and the home salon isnt possible now (thats another story tho)

Thank you so much for all your help guys its very much appreciated:green: xxx

 

[sodabubble]

Hi everyone!!!
Just wanted to update you all on the job front and get some more help please!

Well i thought id give Nails Inc a go and rang to see if they had a job available. They did and i got the job and ive been there for a week.

After being there a couple of days i got a call from a lady that was opening a second salon a couple of doors down from where i first had a salon and she said she had a chair i could rent for £50 a week if i wanted it!

So now i have a new job dilema :irked: (why does my work life have to be so compleicated???? I feel like pulling my hair out!!!)

Right do i stay in Nails inc where i get paid a really good guaranteed wage plus bonuses if i sell products but have to pay £52 a week to travel there and have to work till 8 which means i have to pay for a taxi to the train station putting my travel costs up more.

or

Do i pay £50 per week renting a chair in a new salon thats opening that is right near where i live, has a free car park behind it and a tanning salon a couple of doors away which i used to own and had a business partner that did nails in and took about £1,000 a month (theres been no nail tech there since we sold it) and i think it would do really well but its getting the customers back and finding the £50 to start off with!

Sorry this is so long winded i just wanted to get all the facts there for you to help me make a decision. I dont think being mobile is for me and the home salon isnt possible now (thats another story tho)

Thank you so much for all your help guys its very much appreciated:green: xxx

I say go for it! but I'm impulsive, so after thinking about it, could you not do a little trial run with her, say for a couple of days that you're not working at nails inc, just to test the water?

Best of luck, I really really hope you can make it work xx

 

[angel fingers]

well obviously you do need to weigh up the financial pros and cons and see if one far outweighs the other .

but i notice that you said you have only been doing nails since may last year.
i think staying at the guaranteed job would give you the valuable experience you need if you wish to set up on your own in the future. salaried nail jobs are few and far between and you seem to have struck lucky there. i'd give it another 12 months and then aproach the rental lady again. let her know your plans and she'll keep you in mind for the next time she's looking.