Moving premises-keeping clients?

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HannahJane90

Hannah Butland
Joined
Oct 18, 2014
Messages
282
Reaction score
141
Location
Exeter
Hello All,

I was after a little advice from anyone that has been through this...

I have a home based salon and have been doing ok for the last year and a half. However there is room for improvement. I increased my prices in August last year as realised I was selling myself short. I now work a lot less but make the same money. This is still not good enough for me, I have more time to gain more clients but am finding it difficult.

After some soul searching I realised my biggest issue is location. I am in a small village between two towns. Whenever I post great deals or advertisements on Facebook I get a great response but when asked where I am located, they no longer want to come.

The gym I go to have a beauty room newly available to rent in the biggest town near where I live. Offers free parking and a waiting room, better features than I could get in the city centre. I am wondering how I can make this work without losing too many of my existing clientele. Most of my clientele are from the village and this new place is 9 miles away.

Does anybody have any ideas that worked for them?

Thank you in advance x
 
Hey I moved premises and kept my clients, I told them by email about the move with details of the new address and a link to google maps so they can find it easily. It was the best move I've ever done! I got so many more clients on the new location!
 
Hey I moved premises and kept my clients, I told them by email about the move with details of the new address and a link to google maps so they can find it easily. It was the best move I've ever done! I got so many more clients on the new location!
Thank you!! Yes, this is what I am hoping for. As it is in a gym, they is over 2,700 members coming through the door! Albeit not all active members and a lot are men but still! I was thinking of sending an email out to all clients to let them know that I am thinking about it, as haven't confirmed yet. But I feel they should know asap.
 
If you're not making a living from what you do now.....I think it's a no brainer...bite the bullet.:)
Be sure your up for the challenge!
You might have a better location, free parking, and POTENTIALLY a bigger client base,
but you will still need to sell yourself......... it's tough out there! :cool:
Assuming this is a room rental, why not keep your old clients happy, by saving a morning/day/afternoon for them, and keep them mobile?;)
 
I had a home salon for 5 years then a shop came up for rent, it was only half a mile away and I took the gamble, I did loss a handful of client but a gained a lot more. What's the worst that can happen you can always go back working from home
 
Yep absolutely!

That is what I keep telling myself... Put the work in and I will gain more
 
You could always work in both places.
 
I am also in a similar situation now. I have been working from home for 7 years, even though I have a client base I also want to work more but building up a clientele is hard, I've also been given the opportunity of renting a room in a top luxury health club with over 7000 members that currently has no beauty can you believe!! Its in the physio centre. I would be sharing it with a sports massage therapist. I currently am going to try it out and then gauge what the clients want and build it up from there. Like me you still have your room at home. If you don't take the plunge you won't know, plus you may gain some extra clients even if it dosent work out.
 
You are absolutely right. I feel that if I don't take the plunge now I never will. I am too going to be situated within the physio and sports massage area, it will be a great opportunity to just give it ago without horrendous over heads!!

Good luck to you!
 
You are absolutely right. I feel that if I don't take the plunge now I never will. I am too going to be situated within the physio and sports massage area, it will be a great opportunity to just give it ago without horrendous over heads!!

Good luck to you!

Hi Hannah,

I'm new here, so am rather late to your conversation. Sounds like you've made your decision, which is fine and great.

With that in mind, here's one thing you can do to be proactive...

Anonymously survey your clients to see how willing they are to come to your new location. You'd do that by sending out some emails (since not everyone will reply at first), which get people to click over to a one-question survey. You can set that up fairly easily and for free with Google Forms.

The question could be something like "How likely are you to keep coming to me for <services> at my new location at <location>? Why? I love having you as a client, so please tell me!"

Remember to remind people in every email and on the form that their reply is totally anonymous. People won't want to look bad by admitting that they don't wanna drive farther to your new location.

If you get a bunch of resistance, you can maybe think of a special offer to get them to come at least once. That way, at least some of them might see that the move wasn't so bad after all.

Sunni
 
Hi Sunni,

Thank you for that! I have been speaking to my regulars as they come in as I felt it a bit more personal. I have had really positive feedback so far and feel that it is a great move for me!

I agree an email will be the best for those clients I don't see so often. I am trying to talk about the positives for relocating, but of course I understand it won't suit everyone!
 
Hi Sunni,

Thank you for that! I have been speaking to my regulars as they come in as I felt it a bit more personal. I have had really positive feedback so far and feel that it is a great move for me!

I agree an email will be the best for those clients I don't see so often. I am trying to talk about the positives for relocating, but of course I understand it won't suit everyone!

That's great to hear, Hannah. In its own way, your move is a great test of your relationships with your clients.

And I bet there are ways to get some of the gym-goers or people from nearby to come test you out.

Sunni
 
I started up a salon 11 miles away from where I previously worked. Several of them followed me.

If you're good enough. They'll keep coming!

(Not saying you're not good... But you know what I mean. I hope...)
 
I started up a salon 11 miles away from where I previously worked. Several of them followed me.

If you're good enough. They'll keep coming!

(Not saying you're not good... But you know what I mean. I hope...)

Very cool, Grace_Hair. Congrats! What have your customers told you about why they like you so much?

Sunni
 
I started up a salon 11 miles away from where I previously worked. Several of them followed me.

If you're good enough. They'll keep coming!

(Not saying you're not good... But you know what I mean. I hope...)

Haha I know what you mean! Well done to you as well.

It's a confidence thing isn't it!

It's all going ahead now so I am keeping my fingers crossed for a smooth move!
 

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