Opening home/garden salon

[Louise@Srunch]

Hi everyone,

I’m a full time chair renter, and I was thinking about turning a room into a home salon or having a summer house style salon in the garden.
So I pay chair rent but buy everything else my self (apart from towels just now) but apart from the chair rent and insurance just now

What are the main components I need to consider (renting a whole salon isn’t in the picture atm as it would be much easier)

So here’s what I have:
Renting
Heating
Electric
Water
Insurance. For my self
Insurance for the building

I also do extensions and few beauty treatments (so that’s all factored into insurance n all that ) have a reasonable clientele.



It if anyone has done similar could you give me your honest opinion and advice on it. Or do I find another salon to work from just now


Thanks

 

[TheDuchess]

Hi Louise. There are loads of threads looking into similar questions whichI recommend you read through.

Are you a home owner? If not speak to your landlord first. Unless you are a social housing tenant with security of tenure for a few years it’s a non starter.

Your Council may offer business mentoring for start -up ventures at affordable rates and that might be one way to explore the questions you should consider. In the first instance you need to check with your Council to find out what their attitude will be to you setting up in business in a residential area (your home). Councils don’t all take the same approach. One possible loophole is part-time trading - less than 2/3 days a week for instance might be acceptable.

The next thing to consider is how you would market yourself. How well do your clients know you? Will they follow you or would they stay in the salon? That’s the million dollar question. You need to build a really strong rapport with clients to get them to visit you in a new place. And you need to be visible as a business online so that clients can imagine being part of your new venture.

I’d always recommend having a second string to your bow, so maybe take on a part-time job to give you some security while you explore how much business you can generate at home.

Regarding your bricks and mortar questions - If you want some ideas of how much utilities will be, read the meters in your current salon and do some maths to work out your share and then look at what you pay per unit at home to work out your additional costs. Being observant at work will give you a much more accurate idea than asking other people what they pay because it depends how many clients and how many cuts and shampoos and colours and blow drys you do in a typical day.

Your insurance will be around £400 ish extra as you often need a new (higher) home insurance as well as business insurance. You’ll also need some equipment and furniture, and a booking and payment system.

 

[Louise@Srunch]

Hi Louise. There are loads of threads looking into similar questions whichI recommend you read through.

Are you a home owner? If not speak to your landlord first. Unless you are a social housing tenant with security of tenure for a few years it’s a non starter.

Your Council may offer business mentoring for start -up ventures at affordable rates and that might be one way to explore the questions you should consider. In the first instance you need to check with your Council to find out what their attitude will be to you setting up in business in a residential area (your home). Councils don’t all take the same approach. One possible loophole is part-time trading - less than 2/3 days a week for instance might be acceptable.

The next thing to consider is how you would market yourself. How well do your clients know you? Will they follow you or would they stay in the salon? That’s the million dollar question. You need to build a really strong rapport with clients to get them to visit you in a new place. And you need to be visible as a business online so that clients can imagine being part of your new venture.

I’d always recommend having a second string to your bow, so maybe take on a part-time job to give you some security while you explore how much business you can generate at home.

Regarding your bricks and mortar questions - If you want some ideas of how much utilities will be, read the meters in your current salon and do some maths to work out your share and then look at what you pay per unit at home to work out your additional costs. Being observant at work will give you a much more accurate idea than asking other people what they pay because it depends how many clients and how many cuts and shampoos and colours and blow drys you do in a typical day.

Your insurance will be around £400 ish extra as you often need a new (higher) home insurance as well as business insurance. You’ll also need some equipment and furniture, and a booking and payment system.

Thankyou

 

[David Owen]

Hi Louise. There are loads of threads looking into similar questions whichI recommend you read through.

Are you a home owner? If not speak to your landlord first. Unless you are a social housing tenant with security of tenure for a few years it’s a non starter.

Your Council may offer business mentoring for start -up ventures at affordable rates and that might be one way to explore the questions you should consider. In the first instance you need to check with your Council to find out what their attitude will be to you setting up in business in a residential area (your home). Councils don’t all take the same approach. One possible loophole is part-time trading - less than 2/3 days a week for instance might be acceptable.

The next thing to consider is how you would market yourself. How well do your clients know you? Will they follow you or would they stay in the salon? That’s the million dollar question. You need to build a really strong rapport with clients to get them to visit you in a new place. And you need to be visible as a business online so that clients can imagine being part of your new venture.

I’d always recommend having a second string to your bow, so maybe take on a part-time job to give you some security while you explore how much business you can generate at home.

Regarding your bricks and mortar questions - If you want some ideas of how much utilities will be, read the meters in your current salon and do some maths to work out your share and then look at what you pay per unit at home to work out your additional costs. Being observant at work will give you a much more accurate idea than asking other people what they pay because it depends how many clients and how many cuts and shampoos and colours and blow drys you do in a typical day.

Your insurance will be around £400 ish extra as you often need a new (higher) home insurance as well as business insurance. You’ll also need some equipment and furniture, and a booking and payment system.