Salon Owners - Who are just Salon Owners

[salon90]

Hi,

I'm a fairly new salon owner, who is just a salon owner and not in the industry in terms of hair and beauty. I'm wanting to know how do you find running your salon as just an owner?, do you find it easy or hard?. How do find talking to staff about the industry in terms of new trends, development and products etc, even though you don't have any background to the industry?. Do you actually get involved in the hair and/or beauty part of the salon, or do you just deal with the business side only. Do you work in the salon as a receptionist or leave it staff run?

Any other questions are welcomed, as I should be able to answer them.

Hope this is not a repeat thread.

Thanks

 

[Bluerinse]

Hope you don't find this rude but I've worked in salons run by a hairdresser and also by none hairdressers just owners and now i own a salon and im a hairdresser, and I don't think it works owning acsalon. In the nicest possible way you don't know how a salon works and owners generally don't want or ask! Just book the work and see the money!

 

[ilovelashes]

I'm not in the same boat as you but I'm a new salon owner/one man band. Your biggest asset is your clients and I'd say you have to be there everyday getting to know the clients the staff and the day to day running of your business.

Hope this helps x

 

[MrsHBeauty]

I planned on being just a salon owner, I went to a local traiig academy so I could learn the theory behind all the treatments I wanted to offer in my salon. I fell in love and ended up practicing as a beauty therapist in my salon!

I don't want to do it for ever though. As soon as the salon has enough money to pay wages to cover all opening hours I will reduce my hours as beauty therapist and going to manager, and eventually salon owner then opening a 2nd location, but a different type of salon not a regular beauty salon. It will incorporate other things aswell. I'm really excited about this.

I think you can be a salon owner only, you will have to work closely with a manager or senior therapist/hair dresser. You will need to learn what works and what doesn't work within the industry go to lots of places and have treatments learn all you ca from that.

My BT's have no salon experience and neither do I and we offer a fantastic service. We now what we expect to receive, so we give just that.

I work really long hard hours, it's not easy but it's worth it.

It's extremely hard work

 

[salon90]

Sorry for the late reply, just been a little busy.

Thank you for your replies.

Blue Rinse – I didn’t find what you said rude because you have probably worked in a salon where the owners in the past have just been money orientated and just wanting to make a quick buck rather than creating and working with a successful client and staff base.

I strongly believe you can just be a salon owner but the owner really has to be realistic of what is expected from both the running of the salon and its staff base. However staff need to understand that the owner has limited knowledge in the area of Hair & Beauty so it is there right to help them understand the issues that may arise and generally help them to make the salon successful.

Ilovelashes – I totally agree with what you have said, the owner needs to be in the salon not all the time but majority of the time to greet clients and being thankful for them to come the salon. It is also important for the owner to be there so they can make sure each member of staff is helping equally in the salon and to also identify weak areas of both the business and services to get them back on track.

I am lucky because I work in the salon as a receptionist for now and have been for the last 2 years but I am going to be leaving this role to work in another business, so just worried how things will be in the salon once I am gone.

Jemima26 - I totally agree with you Jemima.

Anyone else have any views on this??

 

[JuZz'<3]

I agree with Blue!

I previously have worked for a salon owner with no experience. It was terrible. They worked the reception most days and messed up bookings. As a hairdresser I like my column to be organised. I like to know wether im coming or going. She would book in a colour and 30mins later id have a cut booked in. She thought I was able to 'slap a colour on' then quickly do a 'chop' then 'wash off and finish off colour customer' with out understanding time slots or anything. It messed alot of us up. We sometimes had 2 clients arrive at same time for same stylist! I'm not saying this will be how you work but I personally think it's a big Nono!
And in my own personal opinion, I think no person with out any experience should be able to wake up and say 'oh I'll open a salon'
and although you just said that blues previous bosses may have just been money driven, this must also be partly your reason? No body would invest in or open a business, if they didn't think it would generate a nice income!

Also, how will you deal with complaints? Even a highly experienced stylist may struggle to deal with certain situations so the salon owner would be expected to step in, how can you deal with these situations? How can you give that client that's complaining advice? You can't. We was left to deal with all complaints even though it was very rare we had a complaint, but salon owner could only step in if client became aggressive or abusive. I just can't imagine it to work very well x

 

[MrsHBeauty]

You learn alot very quickly, as a salon owner I think you know what you need to learn and learn it ASAP.

You learn from the people you employ and also from your own experience. As a salon owner I'm not removed from my salon, i suppose there is more to go wrong with hair than beauty? Maybe not though.

Complaints are felt with by the member of staff who treated them, if this isn't resolved then I will step in (this has never happened) its not a hard industry to learn the theory, it's the practical that is hard to learn.

So as a salon owner i think it is really important to be separated from clients, to be able to look into the business not through it. You need to be able to look at the bigger picture , whilst also focusing on each individual client.

I'm looking forward to being able to solely the owner/manager it's where I am best, i am not giving the business all it needs as I'm spending soon many hours each week in the treatment room.

 

[Beautygirl1977]

I just wondered what makes people want to be a salon owner when they aren't trained?
Seems to me your relying on staff way too much. I don't know how you could deal with clients?
There is a lady in my town a salon owner and nobody takes her seriously.
I don't really get it. Am I missing something? X

 

[MrsHBeauty]

you can still love the industry if you dont work as a therpist. I think its a ery rewarding and challenging industry to be in. New products and treatments are available all the time, there is always something new to learn. I personall find it facsinating.

People who have been in the industry for years, or have a passion for actually preforming treatments seem to find it strangethat other people want to own salons, and do it on a wim etc but not actual but if you are good at what you do and run a good salon it doesnt really matter. There are people who arent good at what they do, who concentrate on the money, they are the salon owners that most are talking about.

If you concentrate on getting things right the money will come, in time, the beauty industry isnt an overnight money maker but it is a rewarding industry.

Childcare - this seems to have have lots of owners who dont work in the nursery. The nursery my children went to, the salon owner lives in Spain! she comes over here and there. The nursery is run very well and is constantly full. The staff turnover is low and the staff seem happy with their job.

I do like being a beauty therapist but its not my future. I had a lady tell me the other day my facial was heaven, and for those 30 minutes she felt like her again. Who woudlnt like to hear that

 

[Beautygirl1977]

I do like the thought of being a owner and making money without being there! Lol! Some day hopefully.
I can understand being a owner and getting someone else to run it. I guess thats what you would have to do. Need quite a bit of cash behind you to do it.

 

[skankinchar]

I just thought I'd add my opinion here...

There's a salon in the village where I live and is owned by a lady that is not a beauty therapist. The salon itself is very successful, as she has taken the time and effort to learn about all her products and treatments, and go on training courses with the therapists so she has as much knowledge as she can.

I think it just differs person to person, some people just want to sit and watch the money roll in, whereas some people are willing to put the hard work and effort in to make the business successful!

 

[alyon]

If you are not going to be there to oversee the day to day operations of the salon then you are going to need a very good manager to handle things in your absence. You will need to find someone who will treat the business as if it is their own and you will need to pay them well for that to happen. You will find that a manager on minimum wage will not be as willing to go that extra mile, work overtime if needed and deal with the stressful situations that you as an owner would normally be dealing with. And nor should they have to. You have to be willing to pay someone what they are worth.

And if you are lucky enough to find a manager who will do all of the above on a minimum wage, they wont be there long before someone else poaches them with a better offer.

I have seen successful businesses where the owners have hired a manager to oversee the business so they could go off and do other things. With the wrong manager in place, i have seen these businesses go under in 6 months!

So this is just a little food for thought. I think it is entirley possible for you to own and run a salon without being a therapist. As long as you take the advice that has been offered by fellow geeks and make sure you are always training and learning about your products and services. But as you have said you are going to be leaving the salon to work elsewhere...that is a whole different ball game.

You cannot just leave your staff and salon to mmange themselves with no manager and a manager costs money and takes time to find the one who will be right for your salon. Find that person and you will be fine...easier said than done ...good luck

 

[salon90]

Thanks for your replies....I am really slow at replying back.

Aww I feel sorry for you on that issue, booking clients is highly important not just on the stylists/therapist but on the clients themselves, they don’t want to wait or have to feel rushed….its there time to relax and enjoy themselves. Which I strive to do in my salon. I have a computer booking system to make sure appointments are booked in correctly at all times and also have a good understanding of the services that we offer so I can sort of recommend what is required for the client.

I’ve had no experience in the industry but I have had a lot of experience going to salons for personal treatments and know from that what is expected and also talking to my reps, staff and generally common sense on how to operate a salon efficiently.

I didn’t wake up thinking I will open a salon but I do find salons interesting. I started off with a sunbed salon, then added beauty and then followed by hair. I think what I’ve done and achieved so far is really good for a non industry professional. I am going to add pics soon to the other forum.

Oh yes, obviously we all do this to generate a good income, but you cant have a good income if your staff aren’t happy or your not running the salon properly…there has to be balance for it to work and I believe I am getting back on track….just need that extra push and I am on my way. I currently choose not to take any income but rather invest it back into the salon for training, products and new innovations….because one day I will be minting it haha.

I don’t really get many complaints but if I do, I will talk to the client and the stylist/therapist together to work a solution out, I don’t want an unhappy client but I also don’t want an unhappy stylist/therapist. Work together and all should be good…..well I think so.

I've had my issues in the past with staff etc…but I am getting to work well with the ones I have kept on and the ones who have recently started.

Does anyone have any good experiences with salon owners who are just salon owners?? If not I have to start a new trend hahaha.

 

[innovative]

Work on the business... not in the business...

I think you will do fine..

 

[essentia]

However staff need to understand that the owner has limited knowledge in the area of Hair & Beauty so it is there right to help them understand the issues that may arise and generally help them to make the salon successful.


I do not agree with your sentiments here. Staff go there to work not necessarily to show you the ropes!! You direct the business and the staff, not the other way round, that is why you need to know your stuff.

The bosses I have woked for in the past that have not been BT's have been very hard to work for and lacked the knowledge of the trade - however I know not all are like that. You do have to know what it entails - you can be a successful owner but as others have said you will need a good manager.

 

[BeauTea Rooms]

Hi... I'm a Salon Owner who's not from the industry. My past life has been Debt Recovery, Management, Recruitment and Sales, prior to opening my shop I worked on Government Unemployment Programmes and managed over 20 recruitment consultants. I've also got all my HR qualifications.

I was made redundant a year ago tomorrow (Happy Anniversay to me) .. I'd had my business idea and had been speaking to people about it, I have three businesses under one roof.

When I first started I thought I knew enough about hair and beauty to open however it became apparent very quickly that I didnt, thankfully the girls I took on helped me out and I did lots of research myself. I now know more than enough & can speak to people confidently about treatments etc.

We've been open 10 months now and I dont claim to be a 'pro' everyone I speak to knows I'm not from the industry. I'm a business woman and that comes across very clearly.

I have decided to do my beauty quals.

My personal opinion is: If you're willing to listen and learn you won't go far wrong, having a good feel for business will only get you so far you really do need to drink in everyone elses knowledge and take advise from trustworthy people. If you try to wing it in this industry people know you're blagging and you'll loose respect!

Good luck x