New salon, please can I have advice, I have poor clientelle

[bhavisha]

hi all

i was hoping someone would be able to advise me on my situation of opening a new salon. i opened a salon 4 weeks ago and picking up of cliental is slow, i offer threading, waxing, eye treatments, hair and make up packages, kids and hen party packages, massage, mani and pedi... and im considering on brining pure fiji range into my salon too.... but i am concerned as on average in a week so far iv been getting only 10-14 people in... is this ok? and should i really invest into pure fiji? i was advised to get the salon systems thai facial range in (the full range is £50) and replace it with pure fiji once it hits off..

please can anyone advise me on how you got on at the beginning of opening your salon? should i continue with what i offer, or should i go for a quick cheap facial range to bring cliental and money in before going for pure fiji??

oh yea and for threading eyebrows i have been told by several clients £5 is too expensive? yet in previous salon i worked at people were fine... im so confused and scared that iv put so much into my salon and its going to close down soon ! ! !

please help would really appreciate any help xxxxx

 

[persianista]

I have never opened a salon without a clientelle so can't advise you, have you searched on here for threads about advertising and marketing?
Most salons fail from lack of cash flow, so keep using your savings to keep going till you have built up enough clients.
5 quid for eyebrow threading seems really cheap as it is, some people will try it on, don't reduce your prices for them!

 

[Tanya.]

It is risky opening without a clientelle, I did it and it worked.

10-14 clients a week to start is a good, what you need to do is work with the ones you have. Perhaps offer an existing an amount off their service if they refer someone.... say 5 pound off if they refer someone that books and keeps their appointment.

If you are worried about paying rent and bills and such, I wouldn't invest in an expensive line right away. If you want that line, maybe purchase a beginner kit to get people started with it, and gradually go along.

My shop was on a side street, and when I was outside working on my flowers, washing windows, sweeping, I would wave at people that drove by, or talk to people walking by. It puts a face behind the sign.

Chin up, you can do it. A little creativity is all you need :hug:

 

[Martin Duffy]

I personally would never get in a cheap facial range to start off; if you chop & change your ranges your clients will wonder why they should believe you that a range is any good. One minute you'll be telling them your current range is really good, then you'll have another one in to replace it with that you'll be telling them is the best. You should always start by investing in the best range you can afford to - would you put a cheap product on your face? Your service has to wow people to get them to come back.

Also, you will always have a few clients who try it on; I charge £8 for eyebrow waxing. I'm afraid that starting from scratch can often be a long hard slog, you just have to keep slogging away at it. It can take years to build a decent client base.

 

[angelina221]

I started my salon with no clientelle!
I think you are doing well having 10-14 clients a week already. As Martin said, it can take years to build a good clientelle.
£5 is cheap for eyebrow threading. I don't do threading but charge £7 for an eyebrow wax.
Now facials aren't really popular where i live so i didn't want to spend a fortune on a facial range. Having said that, there is no way i would get some cheap range in.
I went with Eve Taylor. The products are fab and really work. Also there is no minimum order so just buy the minimum that you need and you can add more as and when needed. That way you are getting a very good range but it won't cost you the earth.
Eve Taylor also wont sell their products cheaper than it can be bought in a salon so clients are more likely to buy products from you.

 

[tigi]

I started out 7 months ago, it was a rocky start, i think the first week we had 15 clients and it has gradually increased from there. look, everyone has nervous moments, its natural and competely normal. you need to dig deep, big breath and get out there girl! you have done the hardest part by putting yourself out there, now the real slog begins. go for it lady and best of luck!

tigi

 

[katiebbaby]

I have not got my own salon, but I have qualified doin L&P, mani & Pedi & sculpt on form with CND and also spray tan with tantric only from june of this year, and beleive me I have found it hard. I do have an advantage as my husband does own his own business and I do not have the pressure to earn xxx amount each week or month, all I can say is that since june I have about approx 10 reg clients per month plus the walk in or random phone clients ( for mobile, which amazes me as im mobile) and I always will cover £150+ per week I was willing to give it all in a few weeks ago until a friend of mine had a word in my ear,, she said it takes a long time to gain trust and respect of clients, stick by your morals and goals and they will stick by you.

Just a bit random but I take about 1hr 45 mins to do full set nails and am really really putting myself down, my friend gave me real boost,, she been doing nails for over 15yrs she only takes 15,20 min less than me, as she said she prob cud do it in 1 hr if she shut her mouth and cut her prep etc but,,she wud loose clients,,everyone knows her for her brill service xxx and thats why she can charge more!!!!!

 

[Curly Bamboo]

hi all

oh yea and for threading eyebrows i have been told by several clients £5 is too expensive? yet in previous salon i worked at people were fine... im so confused and scared that iv put so much into my salon and its going to close down soon ! ! !

Well eyebrow threading in Hounslow, London starts from £2 and in Harvey Nichols Knightsbrige its £19.

You should place yourself on what your skills are worth. The type of client that thinks £5 is expensive, is this the type of client you want for your salon?

 

[katiebbaby]

I totally agree with prev poster, I persoanlly would not care about competion prices. I base my prices on MY service and what I am worth, if clients say, blah blah cost etc etc, I say, "do they thats great". xxx ,,, xxx

 

[del3]

My opinion is, don't start with something simply because it's cheep, it's false economy.
It'll take a while to build up your clientelle and remember party season is just around the corner.
Re the brow threading I don't think £5 is too expensive at all, it's a skill and takes time to do a good job just like anything else.
I had a lady that was on her hols enquiring about a manicure last week, when she asked about prices she said 'oh that's expensive i can get a full mani for the price of your file and polish back home'.
I smiled and said ' oh that's good you're better off waiting till you get home then'...she left and came back 15 mins later to book her mani..go figure :lol:.
Don't drop your prices under preasure.
:hug:

 

[Martin Duffy]

On a kind of related note, I once saw a sign about price (in an antique shop) that made me chuckle:

"It's not that we're too expensive, it's simply that you can't afford us!"

 

[bhavisha]

hiya
we'll iv gone into work today with the most positive attitude.
i am going to be as optimistic about this venture as possible and its true i need to stick around to give my clients a trusting base.

wish me luck ! fingers crossed my salon gets further through christmas!

thanks everyone xxxxx

 

[oldgaltherapist]

Hi

That is the spirit - keep positive - it will get there I am sure. Like you I am quiet and I know I get hits on my website, I don't understand why I m not getting the bookings. What is keeping me going is that I know I am not the cheapest but what I offer is top dollar. One day it will go mad!
Good luck
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[prettymiss]

I think any clients are a good thing! Dont forget, those clients will probably also tell their friends and hopefully they will tell their friends and soon you'll have to take on more staff!! LOL

Seriously though, do you do much advertising/networking? Have you got the name of your salon EVERYWHERE!!! If budgets are tight there are websites you register on for free. Im sure you thought of all this before you opened!

Personally, I wouldnt be investing in any new ranges at the moment. Why give yourself the extra outlay and the extra stress? As for someone saying you're too expensive, Im sure you will get that whatever the treatment and whatever the price!! Theres always someone willing to try it on!

Good luck though Im sure you'll be going a lot longer than christmas!

xx

 

[blush09]

i cant believe they think £5 is too expensive for threading, i dont have it done personally but my sister pays £15 to have it done every cpl months
re: the facials, can you not offer 2 types - a recession busting cheap and cheerful and a luxury one (you could add the later one when things pick up) or perhaps offer a luxury one only and have a discount a certain (quiet) day of the week - or offer discounted special occasion makeup and manis on a fridays and saturdays for girls night out etc
hth

 

[Ditzy]

We charge £15 for threading eyebrows. Our nails are mre expensive than most in our area. If anyone quibbles. On price I tell them its all rwlative. When going ot for a meal you could go for caviar and champagne or a burger an coke, or something in between!
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[jo1983]

with any new business it is always best to try and be creative with your marketing.
Christmas is coming up, try and get involved in events within your local community. Offer prizes for raffles, go and network at carol concerts, craft shows, etc.
Do some local leaflet drops offering a discount if you come in with the leaflet!
Join a slimming club? And use it to network with the other slimmers!

People are always looking for a bargin, but instead of dropping your prices why don't you give your guests something extra with their treatment.
I have just created a new facial treatment, it is the same price as some of my other facials but I have included a cleansing foot ritual, a hand exfoliation and a hand massage, an even longer face and decollete massage and a scalp massage! The treatment lasts a bit longer and is even more tempting!!! Since creating it a couple days ago I have had 6 bookings, and hopefully even more to come!!

 

[bhavisha]

re: the facials, can you not offer 2 types - a recession busting cheap and cheerful and a luxury one (you could add the later one when things pick up) or perhaps offer a luxury one only and have a discount a certain (quiet) day of the week - or offer discounted special occasion makeup and manis on a fridays and saturdays for girls night out etc
hth

thanks for these ideas... so simple yet so easily forgotten! i was thinking of offering eye lash perming iwth a free eye brow shape or a free polish while the perm is setting!

renting the room that i have at the moment was very unplanned as i got made redundant but my manager was very trusting in my work and helped me find a new team to work alongside. so renting this room and doing my own thing is my new challenge! i am thinking of bringing pure fiji in rather than the salon systems thai range, as i need to keep a consistency in my product range to keep my clients faith in me and my treatments...! fingers crossed !

 

[Blissful beauty]

Hi I opened my own business in July, I am never really packed up with clients but I usually have at least 4/5 a day. I find Thursday and Fridays are my busiest days.

I have recently taken on a girl who just does spray tanning, she has a very good reputation and all her clients followed her from her previous workplace. She is self employed and uses all her own stuff so I take 25% off what she makes which is great and her clients then come to me for further treatments.

Another thing I have done recently is Calgel, it's absolutly fantastic and people are going crazy for it. For a couple of weeks we did a spray tan and a set of Calgel overlays for £30!! Once people have got really nice nails they will come back to you again. So try some specials offers, I do them every month.

With regards to skin care products, the last thing you wanna do is go with cheap products, I nearly did and am so glad I did not. At the end of the day your product ranges are your reputation and you don't wanna loose that! Save up and wait for a good one! I used to just buy the likes of elemis on qvc special offers and do it that way while I was saving up. Upside good range, downside no retail potential.

Hope this helps you and it will work it just takes time, get yourself out there and let people know your their. And most of all give the clients you do have a treatment they will never forget. As I am sure you know women like to talk and the best ever advert is word of mouth. X