Really struggling in my new salon

[rachirv]

Hello! Hoping all you lovely's can help me with this one. I have had a search but can't seem to find what im after.
Basically, i am working one day a week in my friends salon doing acrylics. I have only just qualified in January so am trying my hardest to build up experience and a client base.
I am initially working on a 50/50% basis where i use her products until i builid up my client range and then i will rent my station for for £20 a day and use all my owen products.
I started there at the end of january, and i made flyers etc offering 10% off all appointments with me until the end of feb,hoping that this would get me some clients in. I handed them all out, put them through letterboxes and on notices boards etc, and she also put them in the salon too. i have only had 2 clients, one of which is my best friend who has been coming to me right through my training too. I am feeling really disheartened. I know it takes time but i expected at least 1 or 2 clients a day. I am going to put an advert in the local paper too but i have been qouted nearly £100 for one advert for one week, which i just do not have the money for. i know i will probably make the money back but if i dont have it to start with then what can i do. Should she be paying some of this money as it is her salon? or is it all down to me to pay as i am self employed? i use all her prices etc so i don't even feel it is my own business.
Luckily, my mum is paying for my childcare, so I am not loosing money, but i am not making any either and I am in such a pickle. Any ideas what i can do?

Rachel xxxx

 

[bevi]

hi
are you listed on facebook and gumtree both are free and i get most of my clients this way

 

[SJK]

Do you have an optimised website, facebook pages and listings on the free websites? If so, check Lynne Baker's thread on networking and promoting your business. It's bound to give you loads of ideas and all of them have been trialled by geeks.

http://www.salongeek.com/biz-geek/83160-more-ways-promote-your-business.html

 

[smooth]

It can take time to build up a business but you clearly need to do more than what you are doing now. There's no saying that an ad in the paper for one week will work not unless you are doing an amazing offer but then you don't want to offer things at such a low price as they'll never pay full price.

A salon I know offered all clients a free set of nails hoping that they would all book in for refills, not one person came back for an infill. That shows you how little they valued that treatment.

Why not do an open evening where you do a demonstration of various enhancements on one nail so they can see the quality of your work and hopefully book in?

People won't just look at a leaflet and sign up for your service unless they already want to have the treatment. One nail tech told me that nail clients tend to be loyal, don't know whether that is true all the time though as I don't do nails.

Good luck

 

[rachirv]

no the salon doesnt have a website, so its down to the salon to do this surely, and not me? and yes they have a facebook page but i am not one of the admins on it so can not put statuses etc. i have asked them to do ones for me but it never happens. i have been advitising on my own facebook though. i just feel like the salon aren;t doing anything to promote me neither. i had loads of clients when i was training, but once i qualifed and put my prices up, none of them came back :sad:

 

[GracefulH&B]

Hiya.

One of the things in life I've learned is that if you want something doing, do it yourself. There's no point waiting for somebody to do something for you, take the bull by the horns and get your own facebook page that it totally yours for you to write on it what you want. Takes 10 minutes to set up, if that. Get your own website. There are loads of free web site sites on the Internet and if you do a search on here, I'm sure you will find advice on which ones to use. If you want this business to really work, then you have to put a little bit more effort in I'm afraid. It really is no good waiting for other people to do things for you. You've done well so far, you've got your business up and running, now you need to go all out and advertise it. Good luck.

 

[Zoe Sonsino]

Hi Rachel,

Have you tried getting your local paper to do an article on you and your new services? May be worth a word with them.

The other thing that maybe worth a go is contacting any local womens networking groups as they sometimes have ladies evenings etc. You may have to joing the group though which again could lead to potential customers.

Good luck and I'm sure things will improve.

Zoe

 

[lissa]

most of my clients come from facebook it does take time i have been out on my own since oct i qualified july 2010, i have a steady stream of regs, don't get too disheartened im still not fully booked but i plan to be ,
i was renting a room for £50.00 from tomorrow im starting form home as with child care costs and the room rent id rather be working from home x

 

[heatherp]

When I went to a Business Link meeting, they said that with advertising unless you are going to do a big campaign it wasnt worth it, people see your advert, forget you, then when they see your name again then it might stay with them.

Spend your £100 on better ways to get your name out there, a website for one, get some leaflets and drop through doors, get refer a friend cards and loyalty cards so once you start to get clients they have incentives to pass you one to their friends.

As has been said it takes time and alot of hard work, good luck huni

Hxx

 

[Chelliesnails]

hi hun, i am a self-employed beauty therapist. I rent a room in a hair salon, I pay £80 per week. The stock is mine and my hours are up to me. I have a separate name for my business, I have my own website. No commission is paid to her. All the money i take is mine, less my rent, tax, insurance and stock replenishment. I pay for all my own advertising. When I first opened I had no clients for three months!! Now (two years in July), I am fully booked for weeks in advance. It takes time and hard plugging, and some nights of no-sleep!!. Your first steps could be to get the word out at local schools, loyalty cards and discount cards. Door to door flyers did not work for me, word of mouth is your best advert. If someone comments on your nails - give them a business card. Set up your own website, facebook and gumtree adverts. Try to keep positive you will get there, but its early days. It will take hard work, don't be put off by those who wanted you when you were training, others will follow which will be loyal and regular clients. Local Adverts may bring people in, but I offer recommendation discounts to people who recommend their friends and family. I would sort out with the salon what both sides expect from each other. Good Luck HTH xx

 

[Chelliesnails]

Oh forgot to mention - try vistaprint they do fab business cards good quality and cheap plus they do a website which you can pay monthly. xx

 

[vitality]

Did you do a business plan to start with? If not you will need to devise a marketing campaign for the next few months to a year at least. Always think ahead for different events and occasions. Search through the sight especially Lynne Baker's thread to come up with ideas to suit your business. If you don't have the money you will definitely need to plan smartly. As the cliche goes "If you fail to plan, you plan to fail."

 

[M00min]

Hiya.

One of the things in life I've learned is that if you want something doing, do it yourself. There's no point waiting for somebody to do something for you, take the bull by the horns and get your own facebook page that it totally yours for you to write on it what you want. Takes 10 minutes to set up, if that. Get your own website. There are loads of free web site sites on the Internet and if you do a search on here, I'm sure you will find advice on which ones to use. If you want this business to really work, then you have to put a little bit more effort in I'm afraid. It really is no good waiting for other people to do things for you. You've done well so far, you've got your business up and running, now you need to go all out and advertise it. Good luck.

Sound advice! The internet is a wonderful, cost effective way to get noticed.

Bear in mind too that these things do take time. There are two types of nail client you're going to get - people who currently go somewhere else or "new" people who've never had their nails done before. Both need persuasion to choose you. It will get easier once you get a bit of word of mouth behind you. Good luck! x