Maternity advice needed

[Dream is believing]

Hi I'm after your views on my situation. I've been working self employed in a salon for around two years and build a reasonably good client base I'm really professional caring and do my job to a very high standard. I am due to have a baby early autum time and the salon owner has said they want half rent for my space for the time I'm off on maternity. Which I get business is business so I said I'd be back after 8weeks and would give them £400 to keep my space for me. Now here's the bit that doesn't sit right the lady that owns the salon has said she wants to rent the space out to someone to do my clients while I'm off?

The way I see it is I have two choices I either pay the £400 and hope the new person doesn't steal the clients I've built through advertising and word of mouth and risk going back to nothing.

Or I don't go back after my beautiful baby is born and work from the room I have already at home and do a bit of mobile when my hubby gets home?

What would you do? Sorry for the long thread X

 

[Lady Murasaki]

Take your clients and run, sounds like the salon owner wants to have her cake and eat it .

Also by working from home you can be more flexible to your new baby's needs and spend more time with it when he/she arrives

 

[attitude]

Yep. Run as fast and early as possible.

 

[Dream is believing]

Take your clients and run, sounds like the salon owner wants to have her cake and eat it .

Also by working from home you can be more flexible to your new baby's needs and spend more time with it when he/she arrives

Thank you for your response this has been on my mind all weekend. I didn't really want to just to just have 8weeks off it was just all I thought I'd be able to afford. My plan was to do my clients who couldn't wait for me to get back to the salon once I felt right at home. I guess things happen for a reason. Just hurts because I love the salon and the owner but now I see I'm more of a tenant than a friend.

 

[Dream is believing]

Yep. Run as fast and early as possible.

Thank you for your reply. Would you go sooner rather than later? Xxx

 

[moom!n]

Do you have an email list of all of your clients? I would email them all and explain the situation. Or send a text round to all of them if you can't explain it in the salon without her hearing. I would start setting your room up at home and take you clients to your home room as soon as possible, don't leave it until your 7/8 months gone and handing her notice or she will probably give you stress you don't need and you won't have time to notify all of your clients

 

[Dream is believing]

Do you have an email list of all of your clients? I would email them all and explain the situation. Or send a text round to all of them if you can't explain it in the salon without her hearing. I would start setting your room up at home and take you clients to your home room as soon as possible, don't leave it until your 7/8 months gone and handing her notice or she will probably give you stress you don't need and you won't have time to notify all of your clients

My hubby said the same as you. I have numbers for most of them and a lot are on Facebook, my regulars contact me for appointments so hopefully that will continue. I know I might loose some but that would of always happened with having to cut back.

 

[AcidPerm]

Is this a hairdressing salon with lots of chair renters or a beauty salon with only you doing hair in another room?

Have you already made arrangements to convert a room at home into a mini salon or are you thinking of going mobile? If you want to work from home after the baby is born, contact your existing clients with your new address/contact details and then it's up to them if they want to continue seeing you.

I can see the salon owners point of view with regards to having another hairdresser in place to pick up any walk-ins or take care of your current clients who prefer to visit the salon. That's entirely sensible in her position.

I think you need to decide whether you want to return to the salon after 8 weeks or whether you'd prefer to work from home around your family and start making plans.

 

[Dream is believing]

Is this a hairdressing salon with lots of chair renters or a beauty salon with only you doing hair in another room?

Have you already made arrangements to convert a room at home into a mini salon or are you thinking of going mobile? If you want to work from home after the baby is born, contact your existing clients with your new address/contact details and then it's up to them if they want to continue seeing you.

I can see the salon owners point of view with regards to having another hairdresser in place to pick up any walk-ins or take care of your current clients who prefer to visit the salon. That's entirely sensible in her position.

I think you need to decide whether you want to return to the salon after 8 weeks or whether you'd prefer to work from home around your family and start making plans.

Yes it's a hairdressers but I am not a hairdresser I am beauty and there is another beauty girl who works there and could take walk ins. I did want to return to the salon even though I knew leaving my baby would be hard however now I know they want to sublet the space I will still be paying to keep free for me what will I be returning back to? I agree completely business is business and as you can see my business is my first born that's why I'm concerned about it. I already have a room at home set up and do mobile here and there always have done since I set up 4years ago. My moto is if you can't get to the salon or my home I'll come to you.

I'm just worried that I'll hand over my maternity rent and come back to disappointed clients, they have gone else where or no clients. Just because two people do the same treatments it doesn't mean they will pay the same care and attention. It's not just treatments we provide as professionals it's the service

 

[Caroline_music_]

I agree with all of the above, it sounds like she has no concern for you and wants to keep the money plus your clients. If you have space at home it would be a good idea to start back after maternity slowly anyway and work it around yours and the baby's needs. At least your outlay at home is less and then you can decide what to do more longterm. You might feel differently about working when you've had the baby. Best to do this sooner rather than later. Your clients won't mind if you explain the situation, they want you, not the salon

 

[attitude]

I'd get everything sorted asap.

 

[katie_deanne]

I 100% agree with everyone else, you need to remember you are self employed so the clients are yours to contact freely and therefore you should not feel guilty at all about putting yourself first.

I work from home after having left a salon I worked in for 2 years and I would say 90% of clients came with me. And I am now due to have my first baby in September, all my clients are so understanding of the situation with me being self employed and obviously wanting time off and they all completely agree that I should take as much time off as I need.
I am thinking of finishing beginning of September (I am due 24th) and will be starting work again in the new year hope this might help you and how you feel about your situation! Xxx

 

[fluffy26]

Thank you for your response this has been on my mind all weekend. I didn't really want to just to just have 8weeks off it was just all I thought I'd be able to afford. My plan was to do my clients who couldn't wait for me to get back to the salon once I felt right at home. I guess things happen for a reason. Just hurts because I love the salon and the owner but now I see I'm more of a tenant than a friend.

Don't forget you maternity entitlement! X

 

[Dream is believing]

I 100% agree with everyone else, you need to remember you are self employed so the clients are yours to contact freely and therefore you should not feel guilty at all about putting yourself first.

I work from home after having left a salon I worked in for 2 years and I would say 90% of clients came with me. And I am now due to have my first baby in September, all my clients are so understanding of the situation with me being self employed and obviously wanting time off and they all completely agree that I should take as much time off as I need.
I am thinking of finishing beginning of September (I am due 24th) and will be starting work again in the new year hope this might help you and how you feel about your situation! Xxx

Thank you. It's just the fear what feels like starting again. Is your home close to the salon you worked in x

 

[Dream is believing]

I agree with all of the above, it sounds like she has no concern for you and wants to keep the money plus your clients. If you have space at home it would be a good idea to start back after maternity slowly anyway and work it around yours and the baby's needs. At least your outlay at home is less and then you can decide what to do more longterm. You might feel differently about working when you've had the baby. Best to do this sooner rather than later. Your clients won't mind if you explain the situation, they want you, not the salon

Thank you I have a feeling once I say I won't be back after baby it may be a case of sooner anyway. I just feel so sad this is the way things have turned out. I hate awkward situations x

 

[Dream is believing]

I'd get everything sorted asap.

Thank you I will x

 

[katie_deanne]

Thank you. It's just the fear what feels like starting again. Is your home close to the salon you worked in x

I can honestly say that if it wasn't for my husband pushing me to do it, I probably wouldn't of! But I am so grateful that he did because it's the best thing ice ever done.

My home is only about a 5/10 minute drive away from where my salon was, but a major complaint when I was there was parking as there was none, so now they find it easier as they can park on my drive
I wouldn't look at it as starting again, as you are already self employed so you are just relocating

Why don't you contact a handful of clients first and just get their opinion on the situation? If the majority say they would stay with you then I say go for it! Xxx

 

[Dream is believing]

I can honestly say that if it wasn't for my husband pushing me to do it, I probably wouldn't of! But I am so grateful that he did because it's the best thing ice ever done.

My home is only about a 5/10 minute drive away from where my salon was, but a major complaint when I was there was parking as there was none, so now they find it easier as they can park on my drive
I wouldn't look at it as starting again, as you are already self employed so you are just relocating

Why don't you contact a handful of clients first and just get their opinion on the situation? If the majority say they would stay with you then I say go for it! Xxx

Well it's funny you should say that when I first announced I was pregnant a few said what will I do while your off and I said they could come to me once I had baby setteled and they seemed happy xxx