Newly self employed

[MissKerrie]

Hi all, I am just about to start up as self employed within a hairdressers. I am renting a beauty room, tanning room and nail bar and starting off at 2 days a week until I am needed. There has been a lot of interest in what I offer so far and quite a few booking so I'm happy with that! My question is...the salon has a card payment but this money goes straight into their business account so am I best to arrange my own mobile card machine? I will be continuing with a few regular home clients too so a mobile device would be best! Can you recommend any card machines that don't cost the earth to start up with? Thanks! xx

 

[professionaleye]

Don't do it. Sorry it sounds harsh, but is it worth the hassle? Card machines charge 15% + per transaction. If it's small payments, it will cost you a fortune. Do you accept chq? If you have your clients addresses then you shouldn't have a problem. I have a paypal account that I used once.
I have been working for myself for 3 years and never had an issue. I always tell new clients it's cash or cheque. It's possibly saved me a fortune. Hope that helps


Lisa 😃

 

[squidgernetball]

There are a lot of machines now with no monthly contract and can be run through your mobile. You pay a higher percentage per transaction but it will help you get up and running. I have to totally disagree with the previous poster. Since starting out many years ago from home, I have had a card machine. I take payments for vouchers and pop them in the post and when a client wants to pay on a card because they get John lewis vouchers for example I want to facilitate that. I also get people spending a considerable amount of money where they may want to spread the cost.
Charges are in the region of 2% not 15!
It's definitely worth looking into.

Vicki x

 

[facelashbrow]

As a home salon I wont be taking cards initially amd I warn clients. I think being at home people assume anyway, like mobile, that i am cash. I will start taking cards though especially as I start to have retail ranges in.
However if I went to a salon premises then as a client I would expect to pay by card, I never have cash and I wouldn't think to get cash before but I guess you'd only make that mistake once! Also isnt it harder to upsell if you only take cash?! I wouldnt have extras for retail products etc or to add an extra to my treatment. I imagine lots of people here from a pro point of view have never had a problem but as a client I pay by card everywhere.

Lol who carries a chequebook?!

Sent from my GT-I9505 using SalonGeek mobile app

 

[professionaleye]

Pros and cons to everything. Completely agree with the retail aspect. That's worth it's weight in gold. As well as spur of the moment purchases.

Lol, cheque books are still rocking. Many of my clients use a cheque. So they can track payments.


Lisa 😃

 

[MissKerrie]

Thank you for your replies! I'm going to look into it and see what I can do, I have retail products available to buy either in salon or at home so a card machine would defo help with sales! Plus I give clients the option to upgrade their treatment by offering package deals (tan and lashes together at a reduced price) so a card machine would help promote more spending! There's so many different companies offering mobile card devices...can anyone recommend a good no monthly fee system?

 

[Carla12]

Disagree with the first post – people have become fussier than ever before. You need to give them the option to pay by card or you risk losing business easily. If anyone were to charge me 15 for my card transactions I would haul them off to the judge! I think 2 to 3 percent is a bit more realistic.

 

[serenity2012]

I've had my salon for a couple of years and only take cash and never had a problem but then next to my salon is an atm which if people don't have cash on them they just pop and get it from there... But a friend of mine has a mobile card machine in her shop and charges 50p per transaction to cover the cost of it

 

[professionaleye]

Just seen this thread. Don't know if it will help you out.

http://www.salongeek.com/showthread.php?t=255082


Lisa 😃

 

[cloughers]

Hi all, I am just about to start up as self employed within a hairdressers. I am renting a beauty room, tanning room and nail bar and starting off at 2 days a week until I am needed. There has been a lot of interest in what I offer so far and quite a few booking so I'm happy with that! My question is...the salon has a card payment but this money goes straight into their business account so am I best to arrange my own mobile card machine? I will be continuing with a few regular home clients too so a mobile device would be best! Can you recommend any card machines that don't cost the earth to start up with? Thanks! xx

I recently got Worldpay Zinc and it's brilliant. I have a home salon and only work evenings and Saturdays and I've taken more money since I've had it because people tend to have more things done, ie they'll come for a leg wax and then end up having brows, underarms etc because they know they can pay with a card. It costs £60 for the chip and pin machine but if you use a link from me then you get £10 off and I get some Amazon vouchers. The charges are 2.75% on each transaction or you can pay monthly, £12.99. I've worked out that if you take up to £472.50 per month you are better off to pay as you go and over that you might as well pay £12.99 per month. If you want to order then use this link to get the discount. http://wpzinc.me/dFHXQ2cnxT