Opinions please on renting in hairdressers

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Shazzar

Well-Known Member
Joined
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Bolton
Hi everyone

As usual I come here for the sound advice that I've come to so greatly rely upon!! Please be warned.........its a long one!

Here's my situation. There is a hair salon very close to where I live. I visited her the other day to see if she has ever considered renting to a nail/beauty tech. She used to live in the property and bar the front of the property being used as the hair salon the back room and all upstairs (including a loft room) are empty!!

She says she knows it's dead space and has thought about advertising but has never got around to.

Now...... There are two rooms that I am interested in - the one room on the first floor level and the loft room. The salon owner has no idea about what to charge as has never looked into it and has asked me to come to her with some figures. My questions to you are these:

(1) Do I need to worry greatly about not being 'seen', physically, whilst doing nails, if I have enough presence in the salon itself with posters etc and a really well lit and classy sign on the first floor of the building exterior?

(2) There's a possibility of a friend of mine coming in with me, but if she doesn't, how do I practically go about dealing with the coming of going with clients? What I mean is, it wouldn't be a problem if doing nailes but say I'm in my loft room doing a body massage and my next client turns up.....how can I get around that one? Ask the salon owner to help?

(3) If so, what about when I'm working on a day the salon's closed (as she is closed on a Tuesday). Yes, I can have an intercom system, but I don't want that buzzing away whilst my client's supposed to be at the height of relaxation!! Any suggestions for that?

(4) The space is great but I've got absolutely no idea on how much to offer. I've tried to look at comparisons locally, BUT THERE ARE NONE!!! Should I go into other businesses maybe and actually ask them?

(5) Is if fair to offer less as I will be on the first floor and not have my own shop frontage?

(6) Is it better to get an all inclusive deal where business rates and electricity are included and I just pay for my own telephone line?

(7) Does the passing trade of her clients really make it worth my while being there as opposed to working from home? Or could they be a hinderence? Are people put off coming for beauty treatments if they don't go to the salon for their hair done?

(8) The rooms need decorating, but nothing that a good lick of paint and some good quality vinyl will not sort out. However, the bathroom is in need of desperate work. Is that her responsiblity as her clients use it too and it is her property?

(9) I know from looking at other threads that this may be really hard to answer, but I'll ask anyway and see.... I could afford to pay about £200 a month for these two rooms that amount to about the same size of two decent sized bedrooms (4.5m x 2.6m and 3m x 4.5). Am I taking the micky offering that or not?

You've probably gathered I'm mithered but it's my first time of doing this and I'm frightened!!! I keep telling myself I've got nothing to lose really as it would cost me about £500 to refurbish the two rooms and apart from that I have bought everything else.

Any words of wisdom, any comments positive or negative, no matter how remote you think they may be, will be really really appreciated......

Ta
 
Blimey Sharon, you've really thought about this long and hard! I rent space above a salon so I can only give advice on how I find it works, so here goes .....

(1) Do I need to worry greatly about not being 'seen', physically, whilst doing nails, if I have enough presence in the salon itself with posters etc and a really well lit and classy sign on the first floor of the building exterior?
No, I don't find it too much of a prob because I have a big banner in the window of the salon, and I advertise in YP and Thomson. We get v few walk in clientsas we are the wrong end of town, most comes through ads and WOM. You will need planning permission I believe for a sign, and this will only show up when it's dark.
(2) There's a possibility of a friend of mine coming in with me, but if she doesn't, how do I practically go about dealing with the coming of going with clients? What I mean is, it wouldn't be a problem if doing nailes but say I'm in my loft room doing a body massage and my next client turns up.....how can I get around that one? Ask the salon owner to help?
Is your friend going to be a biz partner, if so DON'T DO IT, too risky. If just sharing space then make sure you set ground rules when you start, otherwise you may find yourself doing all the donkey work whilst she rakes in all the dough!! When my clients come in, they go to the hair reception and they phone up to me to let me know - we have a digital phone with extra handset that has an intercom facility.
(3) If so, what about when I'm working on a dy the salon's closed (as she is closed on a Tuesday). Yes, I can have an intercom system, but I don't want that buzzing away whilst my client's supposed to be at the height of relaxation!! Any suggestions for that?
Not sure on this one, you may have to look at employing a recpetionist for this day only.
(4) The space is great but I've got absolutely no idea on how much to offer. I've tried to look at comparisons locally, BUT THERE ARE NONE!!! Should I go into other businesses maybe and actually ask them?
I pay £100 per week, that pays for rent, electrics, use of phone etc. But I supply all equipment,advertising, decorating etc. Id'd rather pay a flat rate as I'd hate to have to part with loads of dosh if I had a good week and had to hand over 25 - 40% for them doing nothing except earning from what was dead space anyway. If you do a search on here you'll get an idea of what others pay too. Start low when you negotiate though as you won't be able to come down from your initial offer.

(5) Is if fair to offer less as I will be on the first floor and not have my own shop frontage?
Wouldn't have thought so as you'll be nice and exclusive up there. Try and find out what rent the owner is paying (there may be other shops up for let in the vicinity that you can compare) and phone your council for the rates PAYABLE on that property. You'll then get an idea if you are getting a fair deal in paying a proportionate amount of the total overheads realted to the space you are renting.
(6) Is it better to get an all inclusive deal where business rates and electricity are included and I just pay for my own telephone line?
She may not let you get your own phone line in. Mine was very wary in case I went after a few months and she was stuffed with an unused line. IT works well for me with them answering the main phone and transferring to me. But yep, get an inclusive deal.
(7) Does the passing trade of her clients really make it worth my while being there as opposed to working from home? Or could they be a hinderence? Are people put off coming for beauty treatments if they don't go to the salon for their hair done?
Most def worth your while. I have worked in a salon, been mobile, worked from home and rented space and the latter is far better. You are your own boss, you don't have people tramping in and out of your home, you don't get peeps phoning at 10 on a Sunday night kindly letting you know they've broken a nail, you shut the door on your work and go home, you still work with others and have that comeraderie, you have a visible presence. We now offer beauty treatments and most of our clientelle is from the salon and nail clients. They think it is great to have it all under one roof - nails, beauty and hair. Waxing is v popular, follwed by peds. And it works both ways cos your beauty clients start having their hair done there too.

Blimey, missed some, this is a Loooong thread!
(8) The rooms need decorating, but nothing that a good lick of paint and some good quality vinyl will not sort out. However, the bathroom is in need of desperate work. Is that her responsiblity as her clients use it too and it is her property?
Bathroom would be up to her, or you could go halves. Would you really want to put in loads of money to something that you have no legal title to?

(9) I know from looking at other threads that this may be really hard to answer, but I'll ask anyway and see.... I could afford to pay about £200 a month for these two rooms that amount to about the same size of two decent sized bedrooms (4.5m x 2.6m and 3m x 4.5). Am I taking the micky offering that or not?
Personally I would think £200 pm is too cheap. PErhaps you could say this for the first 3-6 months and then review the situation. She won't want you to be raking it in and she only gets £200. It has to be a symbiotic relationship - ie both sides win!

You've probably gathered I'm mithered but it's my first time of doing this and I'm frightened!!! I keep telling myself I've got nothing to lose really as it would cost me about £500 to refurbish the two rooms and apart from that I have bought everything else.
Do the decos yourself, I did. Not going to win a changing rooms award, bit it looks clean and fresh and cost me peanuts.
Any words of wisdom, any comments positive or negative, no matter how remote you think they may be, will be really really appreciated......

Just make sure you have all of this in place before you start and you should be fine. Go for it, sounds great. Best of luck hun, let us know how you get on.
 
WOW!! I think Sassy gave you some EXCELLENT ADVICE!! There's nothing like getting advice from someone who's been there, and done it all. Good job Sarah!
I'll add my two cents.
I know many salons that are "tucked away" in the inner parts of a building, and not visible to the outside. THIS MEANS NOTHING! You can still have a successful business. Here, there are a lot of really nice salons in office buildings, etc,. and they do well. Just be sure to take out a few really nice ads, have tons of business cards (pass them out everywhere!), and mailers work well too. Make up some post cards, and send them out informing potential clients about your new salon, and any specials you are running.
I think you really should consider getting someone to help you part-time with reception work, until you get it all sorted out. Maybe a younger family member can help you out for a while.
And I ditto Sarah on the points about getting an "inclusive deal", and about clients loving to have everything under one roof.
All together, I say do some asking around about rental pricing, and negotiate a good deal. It sounds very exciting, and I wish you the best! Keep us posted!
*hugs*
 
Sassy and Diya, thank you SO MUCH. Sassy you have answered everything I've asked and it means a lot. Like Diya said, the fact that you are in the same situation is just brill.

I really do like the idea of an all-in package but the hair salon, although appointments are booked up 8 weeks into the future (!!) it is only one person working there and so to ask her to help with the phone is a little different, but a little more thinking will sort that one out!

Thank you so much again. I'm hoping to meet up with her over the next few days and get started. I'm aiming for being up and running at the end of November ready for a little Christmas cheer to come my way!!

Keep your fingers crossed and I'll let you know how I get on!
 
Sharon, you are welcome. It's nice to answer someone who has thought about what they want and just need a pointer in the right direction!

Just another thought, how about going halves on a receptionist? If the other lady is so busy it would make her more productive, and would help you too.
Feel free to ask if you need any more help, either pm me, or continue to post so we can share our experiences with everyone else.
 
I was going to rent a room in a hairdressers last year and having learnt the hard way (it didn't happen!), I've just got a couple of things to add :

  • Make sure you get a lock on your rooms. It saves any problems with any stylists potentially helping themselves to your products when you're not there!
  • Before you start any redecorating/refurbishments, get a written agreement in place.
It might sound a but drastic, but I spent every weekend for about 3 weeks decorating the room and laying floor tiles when the hair salon owner started being a bit funny with me and saying she wasn't happy with the decorating. I think she'd finally realised that she was losing a storeroom! As we didn't have anything in writing, I ended up leaving and she had a decorated room !

Good luck,
Karen
 
That's a good point Karen. As much as I'd like to throw myself in there and trust on word, my cautious side would not let me do it without something in writing. The locks on the doors are a great idea.

Sassy and anybody else interested, I'll keep you posted and let you know how it goes.

Thanks everyone
x
 
Sassy, sorry, forget to ask my other question....!

You say that you share the phone with the hair salon you are in. Do you share their name then or do you only share their number, but have a different name for your business?

Not setting out negatively or too positively (depending on the way you look at it), but I really want to keep my name seperate to hers because if, in the future, I build a great empire (!!!) I'd need to move premises and I'd want to take my identity with me!!!

What have you done?

The only advantage I can see of sharing her name but adding "Beauty" on there is that she's already got planning permission for her sign and therefore we could go halves on a new one and have my details on there.

Although, just as I'm typing, we could still go halves on a new sign but have my own name on there..... what do you think?

Cheers
x
 
Hi Sharron, when I worked from home I called myself Smart Nails. But when I moved into the salon called Envy Hair Company, I changed my name to Nail Envy so that it went hand in glove with the salon, now we do beauty we are Nail Envy & Beauty Too! So I could take the name with me if I wanted to. HTH
 

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