Salon owners

[mrslamps]

Bit of advise please.
Were you 100% sure when you opened your salon?
I have a fab opportunity to have my own salon, I've worked on this for a few years now but always bottle out last minute.
I know it will be a struggle at first but I do have a good client base as it is now but I just can't say yes.
Part of me wants to do it and part of me is absolutely bricking it- is this normal lol?
All advice welcome
Please don't quote as I don't want to keep this thread open thanks xx

 

[PamieD]

Fear grows from seeds of uncertainty. Uncertainty can come from lack of knowledge or experience. If you are a risk averse person, and it sounds like you are, then you really do need to work out what it is holding you back. Do you know absolutely everything about what you need to do, from start to finish? Do you have a business plan? If not then I would def advise writing one, just to iron out any gnawing doubts. If you've got the client base already then you've got the hard part over with imo.

 

[What's your dream]

I opened my first salon on 11th December. I've been in the trade since 1984 and wanted this for 33 years!!!! I'm completely on my own with no support after my divorce 5 years ago. I had been freelance in the area for 4.5 years before I opened. Has been the scariest, hardest, worrying and best thing I've ever done! I don't have any staff as yet I have worked all shifts 6 days a week myself, Sundays I have spent delivering flyers and doing FB ads ect. Make sure you have enough funds to cover a few months with no wage. Hopefully next month I will be able to take a small wage.
I would not change a thing.
Good luck when the time is right you will know and you will jump. X

 

[squidgernetball]

Bit of advise please.
Were you 100% sure when you opened your salon?
I have a fab opportunity to have my own salon, I've worked on this for a few years now but always bottle out last minute.
I know it will be a struggle at first but I do have a good client base as it is now but I just can't say yes.
Part of me wants to do it and part of me is absolutely bricking it- is this normal lol?
All advice welcome
Please don't quote as I don't want to keep this thread open thanks xx

I don't think anyone can be 100% sure. I did mine with no debt whatsoever. I saved and moved, saved and bought some bits and so on and so on.

I was very lucky to have a friend who I met at a networking meeting who became a mentor. He was trained as a solicitor so gave me some great advice and looked over my contract for the price of a full English. He asked me what I was waiting for. He helped me see the possibilities where all I saw was the debt.

If you're happy as you are, carry on, but my saying was 'change nothing, nothing changes' so I bit the bullet. I sublet a small treatment room for 2 days a week which helped with money. I used the other room and worked and worked and worked. I took on my first member of staff about 2.5 years ago. We expanded into the larger part of the building about 18 months ago and I employed my second member of staff last July. January has been phenomenal for us.

People look and say "this is lovely. You're so lucky". I am because I do what I love, but luck didn't get me here.

As has been said: if your clients will follow and you have a rainy day/crap month fund it'll really help.

Do your sums. Work out what it will all cost with no exceptions. I don't have a music licence but have Internet and have to pay for rubbish collection, insurances and so on.

If you've got any questions please ask.

One thing I will say that put my mind at rest. We went Ltd before we expanded the premises. Instant peace of mind as our house etc is safe. This was as much for financial reasons as security but it has been good for us.

Finally, only you can decide. People can suggest and advise but at the end of the day, the buck stops with you. In 6 months will you regret not trying. It's been massively hard work but every morning I put the key in the door and I'm hugely proud of what I've achieved.

Good luck with your choices

Vic x

 

[RED STAR]

Nothing ventured....nothing gained....
So you might make a huge mistake......but then again, you might not.

I've been in the industry for 35 years.....in salon,s large and small, on ship, worked from home.......
so pretty much tried it all, except I'd never really considered owning my own salon.

To some, opening your first salon at 50 would probably seem a little late in the day, but I was always busy doing something else.......
As I still love the art of hair, and I've no intention of hanging up my scissors any time soon, I bit the bullet and bought a shop.

There are no guarantees in life.... check out the small print, then give it your best shot!