my shop burned down!

[luv2getnailed]

OMG! I have to tell all of you what has happened to me! Two weeks ago, my co worker calls me up at seven in the morning and calmly says to me, "Nancy, the shop is on fire". First, of simply not believing her, I finally come to the realization that she isn't lying. Knowing nothing about the fire or what has even caused it at that moment, I get off the phone and get dressed and get my butt to the shop to find everybody, including some clients, standing around looking dumbstruck.

Crazy things go through ones head during a situation like this. I, lucky as I was, was the last to leave the night before. All I could think of was, what did I forget to turn off? Is this fire my fault? What about everything I own? Am I covered under the shops insurance? Really...a million things go through your head in this situation.

I get to work and they tell me the fire was caused by a faulty wire in the air conditioning unit. YEA!!!! I didn't cause it!!!! Plus, the fire actually started int he business right next to us and if it wasn't for our firewall, our shop would have been destroyed. We had smoke and water damage. No fire. Thank God! Plus, not one of my nail items got an ounce of water on it! Amazing....simply amazing.

But, in the mean time, the building has been condemned and all four of us girls now currently reside at another salon, that luckily, had room for all of us. The owner of the old shop is looking for a new shop, but two of us girls really likes the new place. It is a snooty place, but very spa like. It makes us dress up more and makes us act more professional. Not that we weren't professional before, we were just more relaxed.

Since Im a nail tech, the owner of the new place said she didnt have a manicurist because everyone that comes in wanted to do liquid and powder and she didnt want to have to contend with the smell. So she had no one. She is allowing me to come in and do my clients because of the shop burning down, but I have a feeling, if we decided to stay with her, couldn't she make me stop doing liquid and powder? Then I heard her say that her rent is going to go up every three years and the way I took that is, if I decide to stay there, my booth rent will go up, every three yrs. too.

I just feel like Im in a rotten position. My clients LOVE this new place. Most of them don't want me to leave. But in truth, I don't know if I could afford the booth rent there. I hope the owner of the old shop will decorate the new place with the same feel as the current place. I promised I would go with the shop no matter what. But at the new place they have two pedicure spa chairs and I have zero. So I would have to purchase one. So what do you guys think? I'm at a loss here! Thanks for listening to my long sad story! :cry:

 

[sugerpuffm]

Well .... my guess is that if your good at your job you dont need to have top of the market to make a place feel upper class just the right look ... so its nothing that good old fads n argos cant help with ..... im thinking if u took a little of the place to your new shop your own clients will feel just as happy ... after all they love your work!!!!! not the paint on the wall or the chair they sit in ..... there just little extras ... i say start a fresh n make that new place spit spot n glam but with your feel to it ... :hug: GOOD LUCK XXXXX LET US KNOW HOW U GET ON XX emily xx

 

[Noodle]

That's just awful Nancy, but thank goodness no one was in the shop at the time of the fire.

It seems as though you have a loyal client base though, and so I don't think that it'll be too long until you're up and running again, wherever you happen to re-locate to.

Good luck and keep us in-the-know :hug:

 

[BABSann]

Thank God all of you are ok,you can replace materials but never life.

I was living below a flat that caught fire years ago and I can tell you it was the worst time of my life,watching your windows explode,the water damage etc.

Anyway,glad you're all ok and that you have somewhere else to work.:hug:

 

[Lellipop]

Glad you are ok Nancy that is the main thing :hug:

 

[pure]

What a nightmare for you, but as the others have said it could have been so much worse.

Thank goodness you have been able to find somewhere else in the meantime and your clients are sticking with you.:hug:

 

[elizabethnails]

This is very sad, thank god no one got hurt.

 

[SammiG]

Hi,

Isn't it amazing that none of your stock got damaged! Thank goodness everyone was Ok.

Good luck in whatever you decide to do. It would be great to stay at the new place but I know what you mean about the boss. I recently had a similar situation...I'll tell you all in another post.

Even if you decide not to stay, I'm sure your clients will be loyal to you.

Sam xxx

 

[user 2987]

Hi,

this is Sue the client and I have to say that in this situation I would stick with you and I think your clients will too. My nail tech's studio is a converted storage area in her house. When she goes on vacation her backup is a girl working in a really (and I mean REALLY) nice studio, with all the mod cons and smiling staff to go with it. But Rita and I have so much fun together in her back room, plus she does excellent work. So although I am thinking of going to the new place for pedicures (Rita doesn't do them), I would never trade her in for the new place for my nails.

I think if you tell your clients your reasoning for not staying there they'll follow you wherever you go.

It might not hurt to offer a teeny tiny gift to everyone who stays with you. Not as a bribe...but as a thank you. Rita gave me one of those teeny tiny bottles of Solar Oil for Christmas once and now I'm never without the stuff and use it religiously!

Good luck.
Sue.