Mobile to salon?

[spikeyfaerie]

I'm just looking for opinions on how easy it is to go from being mobile to being in a salon.

To be honest, my mobile business is hardly thriving which is totally my fault.

Thing is, now that I'm expecting our first child I'm thinking that a regular wage is a lot better than having the freedom to pick and choose my days. My husband works on a rotational shift pattern (so his days off are different every week on a 5 week rotation) which is why mobile was ideal for me initially. It meant I could plan my week so we'd have the same days off. This is becoming less of a concern since I'm very aware that his wages, although great, already pay for everything and I contribute nothing financially.

I'm 30 (soon to be 31) and qualified to NVQ level 6/SVQ level 3 and have worked in a salon while I was qualifying although it wasn't very well run (the owner wasn't a hairdresser and was only interested in profit, not quality of products - we had about 4 retail lines and really cheap tint that gave poor results) and I was basically a stylist with very little support. We were always full with people claiming groupon deals (stupid stupid deal he can't have made any money on) and no time to really ask anyone for help/guidance. My confidence in my ability and my enjoyment of salon work absolutely plummetted in there so I left and finished the last few months of my level 3 then went mobile.

I am confident in my colour theory and my basic cutting skills, can apply colour and foils well, just need to brush up on my timings probably. My hair-ups need some work since it's been a while since I've done many.

I'm also going to have a nail technician qualification at the end of January in manicure and acrylics which I was thinking might help give me something extra if I could maybe do a couple of days hair and a day or two nails in a salon. Would that be likely or do you think a salon owner would prefer me to be one or other rather than both in the same salon?

What kind of level of job would I even apply for? I'm guessing trainee stylist since I already have qualifications (and it wasn't a crappy college that just passed everyone, eg by the end of level 2 my colour tutor was teaching us some colour correction to push our knowledge for level 3) but would I be more likely to just be expected to start at the bottom?

Thanks for any advice, ideas etc.

 

[mm29]

I personally would put all my effort into mobile, I believe stylists need to work very long days, late nights early mornings and weekends to make a decent wage, and with a newborn and hubby working shifts this could be very costly in child care fees!

When mobile the money you earn is yours, you pick your hours around family life and can still make good money! If your doing nails as well you could do offers combining them both!

 

[spikeyfaerie]

Just to clarify, I'm not looking to be making a full-time wage. My hubby makes about 38k so my wage is more to give us holiday/extras type spending money. Just haven't been able to save up much of my mobile earnings so far since it has mostly covered things like insurance and NI (though nkw exempt feom NI).

 

[mm29]

My child care is £33 a day per child. I have 3 under 5 and I personally think mobile works better for me, my hubby in forces and works odd hours if/when he is about,

You might also find it difficult to get a job being pregnant and how long would you want off maternity?

 

[spikeyfaerie]

I would be waiting til after I have the baby. Just starting to think about things just now while i am not sleep deprived!

 

[mm29]

Not saying dont do it, just thinking if you reinvented yourself mobile and really pushed it you could prob make it work around your family, for 1st few yrs of baby's life,

 

[rachwalton]

I personally would put all my effort into mobile, I believe stylists need to work very long days, late nights early mornings and weekends to make a decent wage, and with a newborn and hubby working shifts this could be very costly in child care fees!

When mobile the money you earn is yours, you pick your hours around family life and can still make good money! If your doing nails as well you could do offers combining them both!

Itotally agree keep mobile you can work around family. do a leaflet drop you will soon pick up clients and maybe think about salon when ur baby is older if thats what you fancy. congrats on having baby.xx

 

[mm29]

Oh ok I thought you ment do it now,

Sorry not been in a salon a few yes now coz girlies, so can't help there!

 

[spikeyfaerie]

Thank you for your replies. I sat last night with my pros/cons lists, worked out what my priorities are and in what order then went through the lists again and matched up to priorities. Turns out what I thought was a really high priority didn't show up that often on my pros or cons. Also childcare might not be the big issue I thought cos there would only be a couple of days in a 5 week rotation that my husband wouldn't be at home in the afternoon and I might have to organise something.