Please be gentle with me...

[beauty91]

Ok everyone, i am new to this website and this is my very first post, and o boy what a post.

In a sticky dilemma, i have taken on a salon with a lease of 5 years but i can opt after 3 years to get out. The salon is going very well and lots of clients which is amazing - i am a sole trader and operate it on my own, i have employed a receptionist to help me on a few days and family help me by watching reception too (this has been really helpful!)

I am a year into my contract, and o my gosh i have just found out i am pregnant with my longterm boyfriend of 6 years now. It was a shock as not expected of course and now i am a bit stuck on what i should do...

All my friends and family are so supportive with the salon, my boyfriend has a great, reliable job and good income and the salon is picking up well. Now with the news i of course want to carry on with the salon- but with being pregnant and then having a baby - is this really possible? being a sold trader?

Family will support it looking after my little one if i was to take the salon on still (as i suppose i would have to because i cannot get out of the lease until 3 years). Or i have a few fellow beauty therapist i have known from previous jobs who would be more than happy to help/ rent the salon for a day a week etc.

So i guess my question is... is it possible to have a baby and still have the salon by being a sole trader?? so stuck could honestly cry. this seems like such a helpful website, and i know its a bigger to start off with!
Please do not judge my situation, should have been completely more careful i know! Such a personal thing to advertise on here and any advice at all - doesn't matter what!! Will really help me! Please just be honest

Sorry for such a long thread! And all the information!

Thanks!

 

[smooth]

Congratulations on the pregnancy! You have pretty much answered this question yourself, you say you want to keep the salon, so I'll give you a few pointers to consider.

How long you are going to work til in your pregnancy? You will have to have someone doing treatments when you are not there so suggesting your friend does one day a week really would not work. I would try to get someone in who will cover the whole of your maternity leave.

What will you do with the baby when you go back to work? if you are using a nursery book your place now, they get booked really quickly. I didn't understand if you were stating family would help, are they in a position to baby sit for the hours that you now open? Would you have to to and fro at times of the day?

Being a sole trader is irrelevant as to whether you can keep a salon. A ltd company would give you protection against financial claims. If you exercise the break clause at 3 years you would have to give your notice at 2.5 years assuming a 6 month notice is required.

Try to integrate someone sooner rather than later as it will give your clients time to get used to them.

x

 

[beauty91]

Thank you Smooth, for the quick response, and yes although unexpected, very excited to me a mum

Well i know everyone is different through their pregnancy, i am hoping to work for as long as i possibly can? Although i do realise the further along it goes the more difficult i will be finding it.

So with regards to getting somebody in on more of a full time basis? do you think i am better of renting out a room to another therapist? Or actually employ somebody with the understanding of myself and the pregnancy? Sorry loads of questions just mind is everywhere!!

Are people these days happy to 'just cover' maternity periods? If i was in that situation i don't think i would be? or is it varied??

With regards to once i have had my baby i am hoping to get back into at least a little bit of work to feel comfortable in myself, also my boyfriend get all weekends off - so this would be an excuse the allow him to bond with baby i suppose and for me to 'keep an eye' on the salon?

With regards to my family helping, my boyfriends mum doesn't work now (retired) and is elated with the idea of her first grandchild and fussy over my as it is let alone a baby, she very keen to help although i do not want to put on her too much. As with my mum and sister they both get 3 days off a week and are eager too ... sorry i am babberling!


Yes to use the break clause 6 months notice is required although i am not so sure if this is what i would like to do as i love my salon :'(

I am just all over the place, so confused on what options are the right/ wrong ones to take and whether i would be able to keep up the salon once having a baby.

Thanks for your advice anymore is appreciated. As you can probably tell baby brain has kicked in already and i worry A LOT!

 

[lash-fantastic]

First of all what a thread to start with :green:and CONGRATULATIONS to you both:hug:

I don’t think renting out a room is such a good idea to be honest from a business point of you. It may lead to a loss of clients for the salon as the therapist renting will be building up HER clients and all new clients to your salon will become her clients instead the salons.

Could you possibly think about employing someone to come on board part time for when you get further on in your pregnancy. This would also give you the opportunity to train them on your way of things that way you know the salon is in good hands. You want to come back to more clients not less. And if you need them to stay part time say when you return.

Dont forget its not just your head thats all over the place but your hormones will be too:hug:xx

 

[smooth]

you need to get someone you will be happy with and someone that you can trust. I don't know how it would work if you rented a room as they would be wanting as much work coming in and you would too. You have to be happy with employing someone though.

Do you have anyone that you know is a good therapist that will come and share your work load towards the end of your pregnancy that you will trust to work full time when you're off?

Good that you have got a good support network.

 

[GracefulH&B]

Congratulations.

I was in the same position as you. I set up my business and all was going well. About three months after setting up, I found out I was pregnant. It was kinda planned; took me four years to get pregnant the first time, thought it would be the same a second time. Not so. I finished work at 38 weeks, had a planned c-section at 39 weeks and when my baby was 4 weeks old, went back to work part-time. Me and my husband were like passing ships in the night; when he came home, I went to work. My clients were fab and were happy to wait for me to come back from mat leave. I looked in to taking somebody on but I couldn't find anybody that I thought was suitable (probably too picky lol). It all worked out so well, when baby number 2 was 20 months old, I had baby number three. It's hard work, you need to be really upfront and open and honest with your clients, be prepared never to see your partner until you feel happy enough to put your little one in nursery (if ever) and the worst bit ...... Be ready to never have a minute to yourself. But, I wouldn't have it any other way. Even though I was only off for 5 weeks, I would have worried the whole time that somebody else was running my business into the ground. Do what feels right to you; it sounds like you have a fantastic support network, something I didn't have, try and take it easy when you can and all the very best.

Mandy

 

[tillymay]

My little girl almost 3... And my business is growing as fast as her, wen I found out I was pregnant it gave me more drive to succeed , yeah cause u can do it... U have good family around u too xxx Congrats as well xxx