Opening a salon?!!

[nail_star2003]

Hi guys and girls,

Just really wanted to ask a bit of advice from those of you who have or who are opening your own salon.

I am home-based at the mo with a very healthy clientele but as most of you home-based techs appreciate living and working in the same environment can be really frustrating. I have been approached by a local shopkeeper as to whether I would be interested in buying the lease on one of his shops. The parade of shops where it would be has 6 shops of which he owns 4!!! The problem is that there is one shop separating the 4 so ideally he wants to purchase this shop (which needs a helluva lot of work doing to it) and have a completely open space but he wouldn't need the end shop.

Now as this shop is on my local estate travelling to and from is no bother, my clients actually have less travelling plus I would gain the exposure in my local area which has absolutely no competition. The shop is structurally sound so I would only need to kit it out with the obvious things such as shop signs (how much do they cost anyway), storage etc.

Great, I hear you all say - BUT - I am 7 and a half months pregnant with my second child!!!!!!! My first is nearly 2 and half years old. My husband is a little concerned about the time away from the children which I appreciate but I really feel that I won't get an opportunity like this where I live again.

I would appreciate any advice any of you can give me. I don't want to let my heart rule my head but I don't want to miss the opportunity of a lifetime. I would love to hear about any fantastic things you all did with your salons and also the really bad, costly mistakes so I can try and avoid them!!!!

 

[zaza]

hi kelly im afraid i havnt opened my own place yet (but im eagerly plucking up the courage to) Im a mobile beauty therapist at the moment, i qualified when i was 18 (im now 21) and because i couldnt get a job in a salon straight away i kinda took a back seat then after being in that back seat for 3 years i convinced myself i wouldnt be good enough to continue with the work i loved. until one day i thought stuff it i already had a little boy and thought if i was mobile i could work to suit him. i have only been doing it now for 7 months but soooooooo wished i had gone mobile when i first qualified because i would probably have my own shop by now.
If you dont do it you will regret it and your children wont suffer because you wont let that happen, it will be hard but worth it.
Go for it and good luck.
Zoe. x

 

[nuttyaboutnails]

hi

i hope i can help. i have recently took over a salon that i have worked at for 3 years since it opened. from what my previous employer has said(we are good friends too so we talked alot!!) it did cost a lot of money to set up the building it was vurtually refurbished. she also had 3 children so she found it hard to put in the hours. from my own experience i find it hard work, 6 days a week at the salon paper work at the weekends and i havnt got children!!
if you were looking to employ staff then obviously you could choose the hours you want but then you have to find wages.
it is a big commitment both finacially and time-wise.
i have wondered if i have done the right thing but for myself i havnt had to 'build' a salon from scratch or have any other commitments.
it is really exiting having your own bussiness but you have to take the highs with the lows.
dont think that you might be missing an oppurtunity cuz you never know whats around the corner!!

good luck whatever you decide X

 

[emmad]

I'm in a similar situation. I have 2 children, 1 who starts school next term and another whos just started day nursery 2 days a week. I'm mobile and have a salon at home but I'd love to open up somewhere of my own away from home as well. I'd like to have another child too. I have to say that if I were in your situation I'd grab it with both hands. Whatever happends, you will manage and if its something you really want to do it will be very rewarding.

I know local business women who already have children and kept having them whilst runnning in some cases several businesses. You think you will need to have a good plan of who might cover you if you were not around and loads of support from family and friends etc.

Good luck!!!

 

[nail_star2003]

Hi girls,

Thanks for the comments! A few replies to what what you have said:

1) I do run my home-salon as a 'business'. I have an accountant, do my tax etc so I feel that all of this could be transferred to the shop premises.

2) I have a very good network of support around me. My husband is very supportive of my ambition although he is a little cautious and my mum looks after my son now whilst I work and will look after the newborn. She would never let anyone else look after the kids and to be quite honest, I wouldn't want anyone else looking after them. At the minute, I don't pay her and she doesn't want paying but I do feel that I would have to give her something if it was to be a full time thing i.e. shop hours.

3) At first I wouldn't be employing anyone as I feel that I would need the books to be fairly full before I felt ready to take on that responsibility but I was considering making a beauty room and renting that out to a beauty therapist etc. That way at least there would be a little bit more of an income although not guaranteed.

It's so hard to know what to do for the best. You never know what's around the corner so, nutty, you are right, but I'm a fan of the '**** or bust' way of thinking because I know that if I want something to work badly enough - it will!!!!

Thanks for your comments girls and any more advice is appreciated!

 

[Sassy Hassy]

Only you know the true support and back up that you will get with the family. taking on the commitment of premises is a whole different ball game to working from home as I'm sure you appreciate. Had it been me in my circumstances then I would say definitely NOT to do it, having a second child is very exhausting as when the baby is sleeping you still need to look after your other child, and with the emotional. physical and financial demands of the shop I wouldn't have been able to cope. But hell that's me!!

My gut reaction is to say is will be too much, but if you feel that you can cope with it all then go for it. If it's meant to happen then it will, if not then lady luck has something else lined up for you in the future. Good luck in whatever you decide to do, keep us posted!

 

[Boogaloo]

I would love to own a salon one day, but with my present circumstances I have a 3 year old and a 9 month old baby. I am just starting out on my training now after 9 months of my son being born. believe me it is very difficult to juggle everything once you have 2 children very different to just having one, although you are more relaxed. I could not take on that resposibility but that is me.

Only you know how you feel about coping with this and if it is your dream then maybe you should follow it.

I wish you well whatever you decide

 

[nail_star2003]

Thanks girls. I am sure that 2 children are more to cope with than 1 (although my little boy is a godsend). I am also aware that these shops where I live don't come up for sale very often!!! Talk about catch 22!

The shopowner has a meeting with the council today that was already prearranged and he has said he will keep me informed. I'll just have to wait and see what he comes back to me with. I do think, if I'm honest with myself, I will take it because I don't want to regret not taking the opportunity when it was there.

I shall keep you up to date!!

 

[Boogaloo]

I am sure it will be the right decision! Good luck and let us know

Thanks girls. I am sure that 2 children are more to cope with than 1 (although my little boy is a godsend). I am also aware that these shops where I live don't come up for sale very often!!! Talk about catch 22!

The shopowner has a meeting with the council today that was already prearranged and he has said he will keep me informed. I'll just have to wait and see what he comes back to me with. I do think, if I'm honest with myself, I will take it because I don't want to regret not taking the opportunity when it was there.

I shall keep you up to date!!

 

[cuticles]

Whatever you decide will be the right decision as Lisa says. Only you know whether you have got the right comitment and dedication and your family support sounds great. As you are aware, this is a long term decision but I feel you wouldn't be asking if you didn;t want to do it already!! Good luck

Cathy

 

[emmad]

Sounds to me like you have the perfect situation!! Childcare and the cost of it is a major factor and it sounds like thats sussed.You are very lucky although I'd have to be confident that your Mum will cope with 2 (1 being a newborn)as well as she does with 1. In the early days of baby number 2 I'd say you'd need to be prepared to do much less hours unless you can find someone to cover for you. If paying the shop rent without actually working in it for a few weeks/months causes a problem for you financially this might not be the best time for the venture. I dont think it would be easy but as I said beore I reckon it would all work out in the end.

 

[Little Angel]

HI

i would say GO for it! lol but then i opened my salon at the ripe old age of 19! You have your child care sorted. Open your salon for 6 hours a day for 5 days a week and have any call routed to answerphone or mobile.
renting a room to a therapist or better still a couple is a great idea. Plus they can answer the phone too!

You could also consider other options like sunbeds, spray tans, hairdressing etc.

HTH

 

[Urban Geek]

Oh Kelly! How exciting for you - a new baby on the way and now this! I think you have already made up your mind - you just want reassurance. Is it the row of shops round the corner to where you live. If it is, I think that is a fab starting point for your first shop - loads of passing trade there! I also think that you have established yourself well as a successful home-based technician who does georgous nails and your next step is to move on to your own premises.

I can imagine your mum being even more excited that you. She is a brilliant support for you and one fab lady (I hope you got her the biggest card on Sunday!). The fact that you have your mum supporting you along with your hubby, there is no excuse but to grab this opportunity. I know it will be a hard slog for you but you are quite laid back and I am sure will be able to juggle everything fine. The premises are so handy for you.

Go for it and keep us all posted!

 

[nuttyaboutnails]

hi kelly i think that you have set your heart on doing this already and it does seem that you have a great deal of family support which is great. renting a room out would be a good move -i rent my room in the same building as a tanning studio and a hairdressers it does attract bussiness. you are obviously great at your job as you have a healthy clientelle and it can only get better!

all the best x

 

[nail_star2003]

Thanks to everyone who has replied to me on this one. I think I have set my heart on it and I know I can make it work even though I know it will require a lot of hard work - now and long term.

Nail Novice 2 actually knows my me and my mum and also where the parade of shops are so it's nice to get a positive from her! Thank you!

Hopefully things will go well and I will get the shop but if I don't then I'm sure I'll find something else!!!

 

[caz3]

Hello Kelly,

Just reading through posts I am quite new to all this and want to set up in my home if and when I get there!

Just wanted to say looking at your web site and profile you have done so well to say that you are still in your early 20's well done to you you must be very proud of yourself.

What ever you do good luck I am sure if you have got this far you will even go further.

Good luck with the birth of the new baby when this happens I am sure you will enjoy having the two children.

If you have any time spare would you PM me with a list of things I will need to do to beable to work from home. I know this has been talked about on this site many times but it would be nice to see what you had to do.

All the best
Caz