Opinions Please - home based salon

[PNT]

Hi guys - I have taken a look through the various threads about home working and the majority seem to be quite positive about home working in general.

My dilemma is this - I have been made redundant and am going to re-train in nail enhancements again (had own salon 10 years ago). I am pregnant and want to work around my family and thought I would go mobile. I'm not sure it would be viable right now due to the high fuel costs and travel times v's working at home. So I wonder what your thoughts were of me setting up at the far end of my kitchen? It is a nice, big, CLEAN kitchen and the space would be professionally set up and dedicated to clients - but what do you think of this - would it put you off/think it unprofessional? I dont have a spare room at present. The long term goal would be to build an extension in the garden and have a separate salon there but obv. need to raise cash first. Really appreciate your thoughts on this :| Tracey x

 

[violet1]

I don't think there is anything wrong with that, as long as it's set up well and when clients come it's tidy and clean then I think that's fine and would have no problem if I were a client.

I was also mobile a couple of years ago but really hated lugging all my stuff around. I now have a home salon. I have a converted garage which I use, although it is also used by my children as a tv room. I have one end of the room and make sure it's all tidy when clients come. I love having it at home, I can be sitting down watching tv in the lounge, next minute doing a client in my salon. There does seem to be people that still want a mobile service, but I don't tend to do them unless it's too good to refuse, like a few treatments etc..

 

[Mrs RSM]

I personally wouldn't be impressed as a client. I would wait until you could do it properly.

 

[bluejoel14]

I am mobile but do a loy of clients from home at present I don't have a designated room. So I have to use my bedroom I explain this to clients and it is also reflected in my prices. I have had no complaints and they all come back. I no it is not ideal and not very professional but until I have a spare room this is what I use I think as long as you explain to clients and don't charge salon prices they can decide wether they want to come or not but as I say I have had no problems.

 

[PNT]

Thanks for this - I really want to make a go of it as a business and try and gain some clients before I shell out cash for an extension - but I also want to give as best a professional image as possible - even if it is in the kitchen lol! I will be working hard on my marketing, but is 2-3 clients a day reasonably achievable?

Any other opinions from anyone - all appreciated!

 

[peartree]

Hi I'm mobile and sometimes work from home ( friends and people I know well) I don't have a room and do it in my kitchen... I always make sure its very clean and tidy ( hard work with 3 children,but i make sure my appointments are also booked when they not there) and also toilet and porch area which they walk through.. I personally wouldn't mind going to someone who works in their kitchen as long as they were clean, friendly, qualified and insured

 

[missjodylee]

Great topic.
I want to start from home also but don't have a spare room to do it in so it'll have to be a nail table in the loungeroom. I know this is not as professional as I'd like but what can you do when you don't have the space?
Do people who have home salons all have a spare room dedicated soley to treatments/services? Or does anyone else do it from their loungeroom/kitchen?

 

[Nailz73]

Hi

i too was mobile until i couldnt cart my stuif around due to baby bump.. so i stopped for a while.. i have since been in undated with calls and have set up a small area in my dining room.. which again is clean tidy and i can set all my stuff up.. the clients i have had have been great about it ..

you could invest in a couple of screens to seperate your work area from your kitchen area which gives privacy to family and clients too.. which i what intend to do once baby has been born until i find premises.. as long as it is clean tidy and avoid having clients in just before or after dinner when you have cooking smells etc then am sure you will be fine for a bit..

Sarah xx

 

[Metamorfosis]

I have a dedicated salon room at home, I made sure I had the space before I started my business, I personally wouldn't mind if I went to someone's home and the workspace was in the kitchen - like you said as long as it's clean etc. I just preferred to have my own space away from kids, dogs etc

 

[Kerence]

I have just set up in my second lounge next to my kitchen and Iv never been so busy as long as yr work station is clean a lot of my clients are working mums too so understand during school holidays my kids are in the house or garden with there friends My nail table is in the corner of my lounge x

 

[eden_nails]

Great topic.
I want to start from home also but don't have a spare room to do it in so it'll have to be a nail table in the loungeroom. I know this is not as professional as I'd like but what can you do when you don't have the space?
Do people who have home salons all have a spare room dedicated soley to treatments/services? Or does anyone else do it from their loungeroom/kitchen?

Wilst i have been training/practicing, over the past while i have been working from home. I was really worried about clients etc, but no-one has came then left i always make sure that my clients when they come are invited into a warm clean happy well ventalated house. I think that is the main thing so long as its clean and tidy and the client feels 100% welcome. Im really glad others share the same veiw as me, as a 'friend' was bad mouthing me to a client as i am not mobile (heavily pregnant and dont drive). Thing is mobile technicians are not always going into homes that have a designated area to a client having there work done! Or that it will be clean and tidy to the required level, but in your own home you can. I think the main thing is asslong as client is happy, and comfortable, and leaves feelin they got wot they paid for, whether it be from home in a section of the house/home salon, or the technician coming to them.

xxx

 

[Mrs RSM]

If I went to get my nails or any treatment done and was lead to someone's bedroom, not spare room, but their own bedroom, I would be shocked and leave without having the treatment.

No offence intended at all, it is just my personal opinion but a bedroom is a very personal space and I just find it very odd that anyone would use their actual own bedroom.

 

[Wooshka]

I think it could work as long as you made sure it was screened off somehow and like it's own little room.
The reason I say this is, I feel that most clients like to come for the 'not at home' feeling, the 'something special' feeling, so if they were to just get plonked at the end of the kitchen and be able to see all the same things they see at home, then Mmmmmm not sure I would appreciate this myself if I was a client.
You will also have to ensure your husband and children are not running in and out while you have clients, this would annoy me no end and I have kids myself so I know what being a mum is like.
Even though I think it could work, I think you would be better off in the long run just biting the bullet and doing it right the first time and getting that extra room built on.
I now wish I had done it this way, I use the same area that will always be my home salon but it's not finished and I although I love it, I hate it at the same time and wish now I was a little more patient and just waited till it was done properly. My work space is not in my home as such, I have halved my double lockup/attached to my home/fully enclosed garage and it has a temp wall down the middle so it looks like it's own room but it's just not permanent and how I want it to be exactly.
So my clients walk through my front door of my home and then turn right straight through my salon door, so they never get to see whats on the other side of the wall (my laundry, car and hubby's workbench and the usual garage stuff).

As to the using a bedroom that is actually not a spare room but the techs bedroom, I'm sorry but I would have to agree with the other poster, this is not somewhere I would feel ok having a beauty service done. I would probably not walk out on the service but I know I would not return. A persons bedroom is way to personal and I would feel like I was intruding on their personal space/life by being in there.
No offense intended, it's just my own thoughts on that subject that's all.

 

[Miss Sylk]

If your work is outstanding and good priced, where you do it wont matter so much. If your average at your work and prices, people wil expect more professional surroundings as your competing with the others.

Friends and family wont mind, others could.

You can always work your own ours from premisis, unless your rent is high and you will need to work more to afford the rent, weigh it up there.

Usually people who dont have the space, go mobile, maybe thats your only option at present.

The table looks nice though x

 

[PNT]

Hi guys - I was wondering... those who have recently set up a home based salon from scratch, roughly how many clients a week you were getting just trying to get some idea of what I might be able to expect - although I suspect the answer is how long is a piece of string lol!! I appreciate some may not want to answer this one - please dont be offended by my question I'm just having a crisis of confidence whilst I am setting all this up! Could be pregnancy hormones! x

 

[purpleivy]

I have (or at least had!) a dedicated room at home. When we were doing alterations anyway, I had a basin put into one of the downstairs rooms. The only problem is that I've started working from home doing sewing and alterations, so it's quite tricky to have the place looking tidy when moving from beauty/massage client to sewing client. Managing though and making changes to the arrangement of the room to make best use of it.

 

[Princess Layla]

There's absolutely nothing wrong with working from home, I do, I work from my conservatory, the people I do are friends of friends etc, who have no problem coming to my house and even bring their children if they need to. The serves I offer are top quality with top quality products, if you feel working from home is best for you, you go for it girl!

 

[wendynailedit]

Hi guys - I was wondering... those who have recently set up a home based salon from scratch, roughly how many clients a week you were getting just trying to get some idea of what I might be able to expect - although I suspect the answer is how long is a piece of string lol!! I appreciate some may not want to answer this one - please dont be offended by my question I'm just having a crisis of confidence whilst I am setting all this up! Could be pregnancy hormones! x

I'm glad you asked this question! I've been wondering the same! :biggrin:

 

[OrchidB]

Yes it's do-able, i have a home salon in my back garden and my clients just love it, very cozy,one-to-one service. I think it's the best way to give clients personal service, they feel special......go for it!!!

 

[lollybabe11]

I have set up in my conservatory, I've made the space as salon like as possible and I have no toys or clutter ect in there, just so it looks more like a salon. I keep this space as tidy and clean as I can and try to keep the kids out lol! Here's a pic...