Outgrown home based salon, help!

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Sasha Malone

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jul 5, 2014
Messages
57
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Location
Greater Manchester
Like the title states, I have out grown my home base salon!
This time last year I was mobile across the North of England and Staffordshire. However I moved to strictly y home base, as I was fully booked and it made sense to stay in a base. I lost alot of clients including celebrities, however it didn't end badly for my brand.

Fast forward to this year- the past several months I have been extremely busy and work every day mostly back to back. I really need help and I desperately need a least one other stylist as well as a barber.
My home base salon cannot accommodate extra staff, so I will mostly likely need to rent a salon
Could I ask what you all did when you were fully booked, needed to expand but did not have thousands to buy a salon? So far I have managed everything without a loan, put money back into the business and built up slowly.
Years ago, several times I tried renting a chair in a salon. It didn't end up working out. This was because I needed to build my own brand and maintain my reputation. To my luck this has worked, and I have many new clients who are celebrities and happy to come to my home base salon!

Shall I save up, rent a salon and hire staff?
I am really flat out tired and continually turning away clients despite raising prices several times. What do I do! Help!

Thanks in advance xx
 
First thing I would do is put my prices up. If you are fully booked and back to back you can afford to do this and any loss of clients is likely going to be make up in a price increase in fees so you will cover yourself. You will then gain more clients at this higher price and be making a better margin.

Short term this would be my advice. Long term I’ll have a think and get back to you xxx
 
First thing I would do is put my prices up. If you are fully booked and back to back you can afford to do this and any loss of clients is likely going to be make up in a price increase in fees so you will cover yourself. You will then gain more clients at this higher price and be making a better margin.

Short term this would be my advice. Long term I’ll have a think and get back to you xxx

Thank you, I will put my prices up further.
 
I would ask your self what your end goal is?

Do you want to run and manage a high street business with staff. Do the marketing, advertising, managing and maybe take a step back from clients?

Or do you love what you do, where you work but are just too busy? .. if that’s the case put your prices up!!!

Think about an extreme case. If you doubled your prices and half your clients walked away... you’d be working half a week for the same money.

In reality as you are already struggling to fit clients in maybe factor in a 20% rise over the next year ( 10% each 6 months) . If you loose 20% of your clients you’ll still be earring the same and be less stressed trying to fit them in.

But if salon management is the way you want to go, start some business planning.
 
Put your prices way up.
If you employ staff and gain overheads, you may be worse off financially.
I speak from experience!!
 
I would ask your self what your end goal is?

Do you want to run and manage a high street business with staff. Do the marketing, advertising, managing and maybe take a step back from clients?

Or do you love what you do, where you work but are just too busy? .. if that’s the case put your prices up!!!

Think about an extreme case. If you doubled your prices and half your clients walked away... you’d be working half a week for the same money.

In reality as you are already struggling to fit clients in maybe factor in a 20% rise over the next year ( 10% each 6 months) . If you loose 20% of your clients you’ll still be earring the same and be less stressed trying to fit them in.

But if salon management is the way you want to go, start some business planning.

This gives me more food for thought!

I really do love what I do and my clients really like the work and results I produce, especially as I specialise in managing their needs/requirements.

I have just posted a notification of my October price increase. Today's clients so far are cool with this.
Money isn't an option for a vast majority of my client base and alot do tip quite heavily.

I will most likely loose a few clients. However the last time I raised prices, I gained a whole new clientele.
I will take on board of your advice and raise my prices, so I can become less busy. Is this called supply and demand?

Thanks for all of your help, I really appreciate it. It's making me feel less stressed! X
 
Put your prices way up.
If you employ staff and gain overheads, you may be worse off financially.
I speak from experience!!

Yes, this is something I should avoid. I cant be worse off financially. Alot of my money either goes back into the buisness or set aside for my eldest child's professional career, and the kids extra curriculum activities.
 
This gives me more food for thought!

I really do love what I do and my clients really like the work and results I produce, especially as I specialise in managing their needs/requirements.

I have just posted a notification of my October price increase. Today's clients so far are cool with this.
Money isn't an option for a vast majority of my client base and alot do tip quite heavily.

I will most likely loose a few clients. However the last time I raised prices, I gained a whole new clientele.
I will take on board of your advice and raise my prices, so I can become less busy. Is this called supply and demand?

Thanks for all of your help, I really appreciate it. It's making me feel less stressed! X
I think this is your best option based on your other response to CFBS post. A LOT of salons/premises lose money for quite a while while getting up and running and finding good staff is nearly impossible these days no matter the pay.

You're spot on that its supply and demand. :)

You corner the market, grow the demand, raise your prices. Apple is a prime example of doing this perfectly. If you lose clients, you work less but earn the same/if not more so it's a no brainer. If you stay as busy at the higher rates, then you are earning much more :)
 
What a lovely situation to find yourself in! Plenty of work - too much in fact. Going bigger is not necessarily the key to happiness. That should come first when you think about it. Here is Just a thought to add to all the great replies above from Hazelb,CFBS and bannerpenguin-

Have you thought that maybe your celebs/ clients like the small uniqueness of your home salon , is that why they come to you to get away from the business and gush that a larger salon would have?

I honestly think you should market research your clients and ask if they would still like what you do if you changed from being home based....afterall they pay your bills and give good tips.

I could never consider being a manager as I like being hands on, so being tempted into the management route has never been an option for me. In my opinion a bigger salon will be a bigger headache , but I do wish you well in whatever you choose.
 
I think this is your best option based on your other response to CFBS post. A LOT of salons/premises lose money for quite a while while getting up and running and finding good staff is nearly impossible these days no matter the pay.

You're spot on that its supply and demand. :)

You corner the market, grow the demand, raise your prices. Apple is a prime example of doing this perfectly. If you lose clients, you work less but earn the same/if not more so it's a no brainer. If you stay as busy at the higher rates, then you are earning much more :)

Thank you, as always your responses are always helpful, much appreciated!
 
What a lovely situation to find yourself in! Plenty of work - too much in fact. Going bigger is not necessarily the key to happiness. That should come first when you think about it. Here is Just a thought to add to all the great replies above from Hazelb,CFBS and bannerpenguin-

Have you thought that maybe your celebs/ clients like the small uniqueness of your home salon , is that why they come to you to get away from the business and gush that a larger salon would have?

I honestly think you should market research your clients and ask if they would still like what you do if you changed from being home based....afterall they pay your bills and give good tips.

I could never consider being a manager as I like being hands on, so being tempted into the management route has never been an option for me. In my opinion a bigger salon will be a bigger headache , but I do wish you well in whatever you choose.


Ahh thank you! This is a thought! After all of your useful responses. I believe home base is where I shall stay. There isn't any reason to ruin all of my hard work.

Thanks again. X
 
First thing I would do is put my prices up. If you are fully booked and back to back you can afford to do this and any loss of clients is likely going to be make up in a price increase in fees so you will cover yourself. You will then gain more clients at this higher price and be making a better margin.

Short term this would be my advice. Long term I’ll have a think and get back to you xxx

Absolutely, when I’m shattered and working all hours I put mine up. It doesn’t have to be a lot but remember that those that are below that new price point that you lose will then be replaced by those spending more.

I’m at home and I like to stay at a happy medium of x amount of clients/hours per day. Anymore than my ideal amount and I get grumpy, tired, achy, stress headaches, then I need more massages myself and spend more..it’s not worth it to me. I put the prices up, sometimes as little as a few quid on a lash tint is enough, depends where you are busy. Tans were ridiculous when I did them for £20, couldn’t get a minute to breathe and always had tent out stinking up
the place...£25/30 and it’s way more bearable and only on certain days of the week.

I’m looking for a new home and I’m scouting out places with an annex or separate entrance so I can separate it a bit more. Maybe a large lounge for more space and having a large dining room as open plan dining/lounge to avoid upstairs guests. Will help with being able to ‘shut the door’ on work.

I did try having a makeup artist before giving up makeup myself and it just didn’t work. Trusting someone else to turn up is so hard, I don’t know how salon owners do it, I really don’t.

Your lifestyle will thank you.
 
Aww! Thanks for the insight. This is now really making me think a price increase is well over due! Xx
 

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