Salon owner has lied to me :( Please help!

[8889jenny]

Hi Everyone

Hope you are ok, I posted last week about being worried about not having enough clients as I am renting a room in a hair salon. The ladies salon is upstairs so passing trade cannot see it. I didn't even know it was there to be honest! They wont let me put up any signs down stairs, as it's a male hair studio so knowone walking passed will really know that I'm there :irked: I have done everything I can I've done leaflet drops tried to speak to clients and get the word around, and I have had 1 customer in the passed two weeks for a file and polish, that was because she was going to a wedding

One of the hairdressers came into my room today for a chat, she told me that she thinks that its not going to work out for me because the lady who was there before left because she couldn't gain a client base there as there was not enough passing trade, also no one knew she was there. This came as a shock to me because before I rented the room I asked the owner if the lady who rented the room before did well there and she told me that she had loads of customers from the salon and that she just wanted to go mobile? and alot of customers had made enquiries about nails and waxing! Since I have been there not one soul has made an equiry! I feel like I am being taken for an idiot!

The hairdresser told me today that the owner will tell people anything just to get the money in. I've had quite a bad feeling about this for some time now and I just can't see myself doing very well there I know these things take time but I just can't see this working. Help....:cry: xx

 

[classyclaws]

Hi there, I kind of know how you feel, I too am in an upstairs salon with no passing trade. Its frustrating I know especially if you have been mislead. I have been working a couple of days for about 8 weeks now and things are picking up a little now. July and August seem to have been disasterous for lots of nail geeks. Try doing a local leaflet drop. I would approach the owner and discuss this with her. Could you not agree on a percentage of your takings until business picks up? It will definately take time, and I would also offer discounts for referalls from an existing client, i.e. give the client a discount for every referal she makes.
Your post does not say if you are full time or not, but either way, it would definately seem that you have been mislead, have you signed any kind of agreement? Can you end the arrangement? Are there any other local salons where you could work and get passing trade?
Sorry for all the question, but just trying to fire ideas at you.
Hth's

 

[missyb1975]

Get out of there! I used to work for a hairdresser/owner who had all these wonderful plans to renovate upstairs of her salon into a beautiful day spa. Once I started there I realised that she had no business plan in place and no financial backing to get the project up and running. Thankfully I was on the payroll but found myself redundant after 5mths. She had no focus on the beauty side of the business and did nothing to increase it.

I can't tell you how much better I felt after getting out of the situation. I would recommend checking out the next space you rent before you say yes to it though. Good luck

 

[8889jenny]

Thank you for your replies, It did seem like a good space at the time but they didn't bother to inform me that I couldn't advertise downstairs! Which is quite a big problem for me because I'm upstairs and if passing trade do not know I am there then this is going to be a big problem for me! The atmosphere there is terrible the hairdressers hate the salon owner because shes just full of lies ! lol what a mess :irked: all I seem to be doing is going up there trying me hardest without any results it's got to the stage now where it just feels like a waste of time being up there so I end up just going back home, There has been no signed agreement at all! They are actually closing and moving next door in 6 months where there will be no space for me, so I just thing that the owner is trying to just tell me what I want to hear so she can get 6 months rent out of me for her new place. She even told me the lie that I would be able to move next door with them and carry on renting, the hairdresser today told me that there wouldn't be enough room! Just so confused at the moment because I have put everything into this and it's making me think that doing this was a bad idea :cry: xx

 

[Blue Rose]

Ooh I do feel for you hun as I know exactly where you're coming from.

As well as having my main salon which is on a busy main road & ticking along nicely, I was encouraged to rent a room in a hairdressers in the town centre.

Like you I was a bit mislead into believing the salon was busier than it was & there was a demand still for beauty services.

Well, our 1st week started off really well but after 4 weeks, each one getting steadily worse, i saw in the book that the following week only had 2 appointments in so I told her I was quitting that day (saturday).

Luckily I hadn't signed anything & didn't have to give any notice. All the time I was there I had a funny feeling about it, & intuition is best listened to. So, if you think that yourself about your place, then I'd suggest calling it a day & look for something on a ground floor level in a busier salon.

Put this one down to experience & I'm sure you'll find something more suitable.

 

[cabinkel]

Ah bless you! Sadly i too was promised the earth when i looked at renting a room in a local tanning shop, to then find out it was rubbish! It seems some people just want the rent! I would agree with the other geeks, get out and find somewhere else, go mobile or whatever suits you. Would it be worth you doing a bit of mobile work to build up a client base to take with you when/if you decide to rent again? just a thought.
Good luck, xx

 

[Mrs.Clooney]

Thank you for your replies, It did seem like a good space at the time but they didn't bother to inform me that I couldn't advertise downstairs! Which is quite a big problem for me because I'm upstairs and if passing trade do not know I am there then this is going to be a big problem for me! The atmosphere there is terrible the hairdressers hate the salon owner because shes just full of lies ! lol what a mess :irked: all I seem to be doing is going up there trying me hardest without any results it's got to the stage now where it just feels like a waste of time being up there so I end up just going back home, There has been no signed agreement at all! They are actually closing and moving next door in 6 months where there will be no space for me, so I just thing that the owner is trying to just tell me what I want to hear so she can get 6 months rent out of me for her new place. She even told me the lie that I would be able to move next door with them and carry on renting, the hairdresser today told me that there wouldn't be enough room! Just so confused at the moment because I have put everything into this and it's making me think that doing this was a bad idea :cry: xx

Can I just give you a bit of sound advice for the future Jenny regarding the areas I have hilighted in red above.

Firstly, you mention that they didn't bother to inform you that you could not advertise. Agreements are a two way thing. The owner was wrong to not inform you, but you also should have asked before agreeing to rent space. Therefore the responsibility of any misunderstanding is shared with both the owner and yourself.

Secondly, you are not protected as there is no signed agreement. Again a shared responsibility between both of you. Would you rent a house without a rental agreement? Would you hire a car without a lease agreement?

This may not be what you want to hear and it may appear that I am sounding a bit harsh, but honestly I am really trying to help in the hopes that you won't let this happen again. I have read so many times on this site of peeps who fall victim to unscrupulous people with no comeback because there were no proper written agreements in the first place.

It just simply does not work! I agree that this owner has obviously been like a slippery reptile but for the future, so this does not happen to you again, have a full written, signed agreement before you rent anything. If the other party does not want to partake in signing anything, then walk away!

Take care hun :hug:.

 

[Mrs.Clooney]

Ooh sorry Jenny, you may want to delete or merge this thread with your other one which is exactly the same. HTH x

 

[8889jenny]

Hi Everyone

Thank you so much for your help, I understand what you mean about the agreement Mrs Clooney, they did say that they were going to draw one up for me but this has not happened yet! Also before I was renting the room she promised me the world and said that she would help with advertising etc.. and that I could put a sign up in the windows. I had a big sign made which cost me £20, on the day that I arrived I put it in the window downstairs thinking that she would be ok with this, as she had said, and when she saw it she turned round and said that I had to take it down and that she meant the window upstairs! Who exactly is going to be able to see it on a tiny window upstairs????? :irked: so that was money wasted. I would like to go mobile, but I have had no interest in my leaflets or anything, just really don't know what to do? Or wether this is going to work, I havn't made any rent at all over the past week. I end up going in early in hope that someone may want a treatment then going home after a couple of hours because no one seems interested, my phone hasn't rung once either xx

 

[Mrs.Clooney]

Hi Everyone

Thank you so much for your help, I understand what you mean about the agreement Mrs Clooney, they did say that they were going to draw one up for me but this has not happened yet! Also before I was renting the room she promised me the world and said that she would help with advertising etc.. and that I could put a sign up in the windows. I had a big sign made which cost me £20, on the day that I arrived I put it in the window downstairs thinking that she would be ok with this, as she had said, and when she saw it she turned round and said that I had to take it down and that she meant the window upstairs! Who exactly is going to be able to see it on a tiny window upstairs????? :irked: so that was money wasted. I would like to go mobile, but I have had no interest in my leaflets or anything, just really don't know what to do? Or wether this is going to work, I havn't made any rent at all over the past week. I end up going in early in hope that someone may want a treatment then going home after a couple of hours because no one seems interested, my phone hasn't rung once either xx

I appreciate that you are feeling low and let down :hug:. Never start anything until you have the agreement in hand, signed, dotted and lined! For the future, protect yourself first! It is not selfish in the business world, it's sensible.

As for what you are going to do? Don't mope around. Print out some new leaflets, eye catching and easy but they don't have to cost the earth.

Distribute them perhaps 100 at a time. I've heard that a 1 or 2% customer is a good return on the drop. Don't necessarily focus on upmarket areas. Focus on other areas too. Do the drop on a Sunday when nobody has mail through the door but do it at a time that barking dogs are less likely to disturb afternoon or early morning Sunday sleepers.

Try and see if you can deliver leaflets at gyms, hairdressers (where there is not another nail tech), GP surgerys, hotels (where there are no spas) and arrange to get a free internet( yell.com) or yellow pages listing of your mobile service.

Also phone your local schools and ask if they hold fayers, pamper evenings etc...... so that you can offer some treatments for a wee charge but at the same time meet people and distribute leaflets. I did kids nails at my daughters school and charged £2.50 per set. Made £45 (busy throughout) and donated the money to the PTA.

Usually schools ask for the hire of a table eg. £25 which means you make £20 profit for 3 hours of fun. Do a base coat, 1 good colour coat, simple nail art and a top coat. Bingo, kids love it.

Start organizing this tomorrow! I really wish you well :hug: x

 

[8889jenny]

Hi Everyone

Hope you are ok, thank you for your advice the other day. I had a good long think about things and I really can't see things working out there. Not much passing trade and I just can't seem to get over the fact that the owner lied to me about things when she knew that I was quitting my full time job to do this :cry: I have told her today that I won't be renting any more and she was really offish with me and then sent me a text to say that I need to give it more time and that she was going to make room for me for when they moved :cry: basicly a text to make me feel like crap, I don't see how they can do that though even I know that there probably wouldn't be enough room and I wouldn't be able to do my waxing in there as I wouldn't have a room for myself. Maybe its me, I don't know any more :cry: Just feel so down about it, plus the fact that I've got people saying that I havn't given it enough time. Just don't know what to do any more I have no money, no job and I've worked so hard to do all of this in hope of a happier future. I don't feel happy :cry: I know I need too pull myself together but I'm finding it hard xxx

 

[Mrs.Clooney]

Hi Everyone

Hope you are ok, thank you for your advice the other day. I had a good long think about things and I really can't see things working out there. Not much passing trade and I just can't seem to get over the fact that the owner lied to me about things when she knew that I was quitting my full time job to do this :cry: I have told her today that I won't be renting any more and she was really offish with me and then sent me a text to say that I need to give it more time and that she was going to make room for me for when they moved :cry: basicly a text to make me feel like crap, I don't see how they can do that though even I know that there probably wouldn't be enough room and I wouldn't be able to do my waxing in there as I wouldn't have a room for myself. Maybe its me, I don't know any more :cry: Just feel so down about it, plus the fact that I've got people saying that I havn't given it enough time. Just don't know what to do any more I have no money, no job and I've worked so hard to do all of this in hope of a happier future. I don't feel happy :cry: I know I need too pull myself together but I'm finding it hard xxx

Get out of there Jenny. Pick yourself up, dust yourself off, pack your things and go mobile. This woman sounds like she is all promises but will not deliver. Again :hug: x

 

[8889jenny]

Thank you for your kind words and all your advice Mrs Clooney :hug: I'm dredding going to collect my stuff :irked: x

 

[Lavender-blue]

Jenny you can do this. Go in there , take your hubby or someone to help you carry your stuff. Pack up your belongings. You will find the strength and courage.

I personally wouldn't get into any more dialect with her. Smile ever so sweetly and walk away with your head head high.

Put it all behind you hun. It was never going to work.

Get yourself some cards and stuff printed , spend the next couple of weeks to get yourself out there. Have a good think and do some geeking and research and if you feel that you need to rent somewhere else , start looking, otherwise go mobile.

Eitherway I would be outta there.

Good luck . xxxxxxxxxxxxxx:hug::hug::hug:

 

[8889jenny]

Thanks for your advice hun, just hope i've done the right thing even though deep down I had a bad feeling about it. I'll let you know what happens I don't mean to be nasty but I don't really want to have to come into contact with her again she was trying to find out who had told me about the other lady today, but I never told her, I didn't want to get any of the hairdressers into trouble, she still went along with the same story that the other lady left to go mobile and was never in the salon. I told her that wasn't what I was told. Wish I had that lady's number to hear the truth! I havn't text the owner back anyway I don't really want to go into any of it with her. xxxx

 

[1999judy]

We read so many tales about this type of thing happening. WHY on earth do the salon owners not realise that they are losing money by not letting techs advertise and for the public to know they are there??
Get the car. Get your stuff and get the hell out of there.:hug:
Don't look back...look forward to the next thing x

 

[hippy-chick]

I would leave too.
I rent in above a hairdressers, I have signs up everywhere, I have a digital photoframe next to the TV, all my leaflets, biz cards on the reception desk.
I have a sign up in my window upstairs, but I also use the small wall by the stairs which I have mirrored letters spelling my biz name out, and I put special offer posters on their.

I try and make everything look as professional as possible, I tend to have postcards, etc, from vistaprint, so that what I do put up looks good.

The Hairdresser is great with me and has even made clients come up and see me, she comes up all the time for treatments too.

It really helps when you have support.