Renting a space and working round your family...

[~Emmsybabes~]

I should hopefully be renting a space within the next couple of months...

I have so many things going round my head at the moment,
I hope you all don't mind, but I need to offload on you all with some of it and see if you can help clear some things up...

I was wondering, those of you that rent a space,
Do you still work outside of salon hours...

Say fit in that client mobile in an evening the salon is shut....
Or say only work 3 days in salon 3 days at home...etc....

Basically I know I need to do this....But I still have kids, and they are still too young to look after themselves...
They still have school holidays and still get poorly when they need their mum there...

I have always been a "do it all myself" mum, and still would like to be....
But incorporate the business into it too...

I don't have family to look after them, their dad works too....
And I think I have left them too late now to put into childcare...
I refuse point blank to put them in the local after school club thing locally, as I once let my youngest go, she is very shy and the whole time she was there not ONE person spoke to her...
Not to see if she was ok..nothing !
Never again will I trust them with any of my children...

But obviously my rent will still need to be paid...
So I am wondering I know I have some friends who would still want to come to my house, or me to go to theirs (and take kids along) to do their nails, rather than travel to a salon..

Do you think it could work doing both ways ???

These are not things I have only just thought about of course it has always been my problem...which is the main reason I left my last job and took up a nail course...
So I could hopefully one day work around my children...with as little problems as possible.

The lady who will own the salon, is Fully aware and understanding about the kids...100%
and said if I need to be at home, then I need to be at home sometimes,
But that isn't going to pay the rent,
and I am worried it will all get too complicated working in and out of a salon...

(god this is where the fun begins isn't it lol )

 

[An*Gel]

Hi Emma,
Congrats on your award!!.. I rent a space and work a three day week. The owner is really lovely and is delighted that I'm in her salon as it brings in trade. The first time I ran over as a client was late and all the girls in the hair salon were finished and ready to go home.. so I'm thinking oh God.. what happens now? but they all just said bye and basically lock up when you finish.. she gave me a key the following day so I can come and go as I like now and can work in the evening when the salon is closed (not that I do this much lol)

I only do the odd client at home and only clients that I know understand what it's like to have kids as I have a two year old, so it sometimes takes hours to do a set, but they are more than happy to wait .

I don't think it will be as complicated as you imagine.. I wish you all the best but HELLO!! you are a brilliant talented nail tech to the stars.. what are you worried about you nut:hug: x x

 

[~Emmsybabes~]

:green:Hello hunny, and thankyou :hug:
I worry about everything lol...

Tracy (lady getting the salon) is similar, she cant wait for us to get up and running, and trusts me and knows me and my kids really well...
(so much so she now brings sweets as she knows my daughter moans about being staaarrrvvinggg all the time lol)

She trusts me as a tech as I helped to transform her badly bitten nails over the years,
She understands the passion I have, and the idea's in my head I get...(the big plans lol)

My main worry is just paying the rent at the moment....what If I can't work during school holidays, I am stuffed then !
How do any of you in a similar situation work round this ???

I have just been saying to another geek (my lovely Sher) how I had thought of planning ahead for these holidays and keeping back some takings to cover the rent during these times....
Possibly sending out incentives to try and organise clients around not needing maintence appts during the holidays...
Does this sound about right do you think?

She said I may find that the school holidays won't be as busy anyway...

I'm worried I may not do too well...and get in a struggle paying rent, and making enough profit to build my business...
But I suppose thats a worry everyone has in the begining...

This is NOT going to put me off at all...there must be a way,...I just need to find it :lol:

I was also thinking maybe she could get a beauty therapist in who only wants part time, and we could share the room (and rent)

I will know more on wednesday I am sure....

I need to get everything out or my head will bust...:green:

 

[Urban Geek]

I have in the past worked between a salon where I rented space and my home salon. Both were in different parts of town so there was a wider radius covered by my services too.

I am often in the salon after all the other staff have left. I have my own key and come and go as and when I want.

So long as you are consistent in your opening hours, you should be able to work things out quite well.

 

[THERAPY]

Hi Emma. When I first took on my beauty room with NO existing clientele! I too struuggled to cover my rent etc, after around 2 months I advertised for another therapist to job share with to help with the rent. This worked really well and the lady now has her own room in the same salon as we both got busier etc. There has to be a lot of trust with each other, but if your're both passionate and hardworking it can work. Good luck xxx

 

[An*Gel]

When I started out I rented a room in a beauty salon. I had just qualified and was terrified!! I always managed to pay the rent (somehow). You are brilliant and very very talented and I'm sure you have an established client base (something I didn't have) I had to have another sneaky look at your album ... what on earth are you worried about missus?!.. they'll be flippin' queuing out the door for you!!! I found I got loads of clients from the beauty salon.. the owner would introduce me to them and I'd show them my nails, give them a price list etc or if it was quiet I would offer a freebie file and paint and this would usually end in them booking in for at least another paint, but they usually wanted some enhancemets.

Sometimes when I had a very quiet week (I could still just about manage to pay rent €150 per week 7 years ago) the owner would tell me not to worry about the rent.. the girl in the hair salon I'm in now is the very same.. she told me if I was quiet she didn't want rent... I would never take them up on this, but it was reasurring to know. I'd say the owner of the salon you are going into will be the same (hopefully)

With holidays, I give my clients loads of notice and mark the time out of my book.. I made it clear at the start what days I work and the hours I do and that I have a child and that he might have sick days and they are all very understanding about it and I'm sure your clients will be the same... the great thing about not having your own place is that you have the girls in the beauty salon are there to explain to clients what the situation is

I honestly don't think you're going to have a problem.. don't be worrying:hug: x x

 

[ValencianNails]

I'm worried I may not do too well...and get in a struggle paying rent, and making enough profit to build my business...

A wise old geek (and dear friend) said to me recently that you'll only fail if you contemplate failure.
How right was she?

Failure is what we fear the most and it's also what stops us doing things and pushing ourselves.

Do you have a friend who would have your girls in the holidays for a few pounds in her pocket?

In the summer my children used to go to the playscheme, it was cheap and they had loads of fun.
I had no choice, whether I/they liked it or not, I had to work to make ends meet.

Try the after school club and see if it's any better than it used to be, have a word with 'whoever' runs it and make sure they know that you don't want your children ignored...
Be assertive and tell 'whoever' what you expect of them.


If you want it badly enough then you'll make it happen!


:green:

 

[~Emmsybabes~]

I don't have clients...
I will be starting from scratch too...

I understand about childcare, and some people think I am a bit cheeky when I say I would rather starve than put my kids with one of the local schemes....
(I have starved before...it wasnt too bad that I can't do it again lol :green

I don't have any friends (which sounds a bit sad) Well what I mean is I do have friends, but none close enough to have the kids, and all of my oldest friends (the ones I would trust) work full time themselves...

I figured I am not going to panic anymore...
I am going to see tracy tomorrow take it from there....

I WILL manage this...I just don't know how at the moment lmao...:green:

I am also going into this with a positive attitude (believe it or not lol)

If I keep on thinking "I am not prepared " then I will never do it,
No one can be fully prepared to do something they have never done before can they ..

Thankyou all :hug:

(I'd still be happy to hear more stories on how you all do it xxx)

 

[jenny2]

Hi hun, u are an amazing nail tech, if i had your talent i would have been half way there a long time ago on the nail front. So i am sure the clients will be coming out of your ears hun.
In regards to your children as my hubby always says to me stop thinking of excuses and start thinking of solutions:lol:. Trust me it worked for me. I like u have children , hubby works and no one to have my boys for me. So i work around them. Work the hours they are at school, fetch them and if hubby finishes at five go back on your late nights thurs and friday for more business. u hun are a fantastic person with an amazing future ahead. U don,t need good luck as u are going to be fab.:hug:

 

[Bagpuss]

I think i would say don't over commit yourself...arrange what you can 100% do for now....and nothing more. Take it slow and see how it falls into place. Your kids are your life as are mine and would remove limbs for them...but you have a right to a life too.

 

[becki x]

:lol: you're like me

Try not to over plan,try to let it happen naturally. If the kids are ill you'll re arrange,you'll work and give it 100% when you can.

Good luck,not that you'll need it !

 

[rouge]

Would Tracy be willing to do it on a commission basis to start with, until you get a client base built up, just so you're not panicking about trying to cover your rent?

Good luck with your plans. :hug:

 

[~Emmsybabes~]

I am excited again lol,

I have just phoned my local business link .....OMG it seems there is soooooo much help !!!

I spoke to a lovely feller, he is sending me some information out that is relevant to me..

I feel all my panic ebbed away on the phone...

He has given me a list of things to do, people I need to speak to At least I am back on track with a plan now lol...

 

[suzy k]

Sounds like you are happier now :green:
Im kind of in the same boat as you at the moment too.
I might be renting a room above a hairdressers in the next 3 weeks and im nervous as hell. I have 2 young children and havent really worked since my eldest was born (nearly 4 years ago ).
Im going to speak to the owner tomorrow. On the phone she said that the rent was £100 a week but i asked if she would consider a percentage. She said she was open to offers so i'll find out tomorrow.(fingers crossed!)

Fortunately for me, I have found a wonderful (but rather expensive) day nursery for my boys, 3 days a week. The great thing is, Tax credits will pay for nearly all of it.
Have you tried speaking to tax credits? They are really helpful. You just tell them what you estimate your earnings to be and they calculate how much they give you (over the phone).

I hope everything works out for you. GOOD LUCK x x x

 

[Missy G]

Why do you have to start your client base from scratch again hun?

 

[~Emmsybabes~]

I don't have a client base lol...

My main client is the woman buying the salon :lol:

I just have the friends who have their nails done...every few months iykwim
(possibly 3)

It just didnt work for me, which is why I need to make a go of this,
Its the best oppertunity I am going to get in the near future, so I need to grab it, or I will forever be putting it off...

Thankyou for the advice about tax credits and childcare,
I won't be using child care though...For personal reasons yes...But It's a big no no for me
(when I was little a female highly trusted friend of my mothers seemed to think it was ok to babysit me...smack me whenever she felt like it...have party's and force me to sit on a chair and not speak...etc...
I am sure I need to say no more about my reasons for being so clingy to my kids)

Ooooo if I met that woman in a dark alley now :evil:

Anyway, my kids are now 9 and 12, both good kids generally...eldest has a few hormone moments lol, but nothing bad...
So I know I can trust them to behave for their dad if I need to work evenings sometimes....

In 5 years they wont want to spend a minute longer with me than is absoloutly nessesery anyway :green:
So I think I am worrying too far ahead that what I need to really...

A couple of magazines and a bag of sweets they are happy for a good few hours....

 

[suzy k]

OMG thats not good news. Thats one of the reasons why I wouldnt even think about putting my littles ones with a childminder (at home) because you just never know :cry:. The place where mine are going is so nice (and spotless) lots of teachers and just seemed really friendly and the kids looked really happy too, which is the main thing.

I totally understand where you are coming from.
As your children are at school age, could you not just work school hours? then maybe one day a week, let your hubby look after them so you can have a late opening day? x x

 

[suzy k]

ops, sorry, just saw that you answered that last bit

 

[~Emmsybabes~]

Just to clear up before I put fear in everyone lol...
The babysitter was a family friend...and would you believe it..My godmother
Not a child minder...and it was like 20 odd years ago.. xxxx
Anyway...thats enough of that waffle lol...Back to talking Business hey guy's

xxxx

 

[HeLLoKittY!]

Emma, Bagpuss hit the nail on the head, "your children are your life, but you need a life too". Nobody has my children, I trust NOBODY only my mum & dad, and they live 40 miles away. I do it on my own, my kids & my (tiny) buisness, it's not much, but it's mine and it works for me, my kids don't need to be looked after by anyone apart from their mum & dad and we do it & it works. I do a lot of faffing around mind, but it's worth it.

Keep it simple, sort terms out that will work for you, only then take the room on.

Lots of love x:hug: