Scary but good scary! Salon owners help needed, please!

[sax'd_out]

Hi guys, don't usually post much on here as can usually what I'm looking for via search but anyway!.....

Ok so background... am a Cnd nail tech with home based salon, good loyal clientele working around 30 hours a week, long story short hubby and I are looking to switch roles and he will stay home more with kids and I will work more, so this has got me thinking about maybe buying an actual salon rather than keep working from home (be good to separate work and home life a little more) I am always having to turn people away as I can't fit them in which I hate doing and my website generates me a lot of new clients.

So my hubby and I have looked into it and decided that starting a new salon would be preferable to buying someone else's second hand reputation and equipment, I have a friend who has a portfolio of properties etc and can help me get some suitable premises, but what I would like to know is what other costs are involved, (would like to make sure I haven't got my head in the clouds and what I'm thinking is accurate)

Rent
Utilities
Insurance/Liability etc
Music licence

Have to dash as baby needs feed but what other expenses have I missed as am sure there must be more lol

Obviously I have stock for nail stuff and am thinking about renting space/room to people for lashes and waxing etc, not thinking about offering hair as there a hundreds of places with that covered so kitting out salon wouldn't be too much of an expense I think lol

Thanks in advance for your help !

 

[souz]

well done you and how exciting!!and what a lucky girl!!

look into Business rates, these can be really high nearly as much as rent but there is help at there at the min....government was giving small businesses free business rates until march next year!

Insurance - this will be much more for a shop than it was at home

Internet?

Card machine?and bank charges

accountant?you may do your own at the minute but with a shop you may not have the time and it will be more complicated!

xxx

 

[Geminikelli]

Hi Hun

Ok I am gonna offer some advice from a different outlook you may have already gone through all this so I apologise if I sound patronising.

Really think long and hard as to why you want your own salon, what do your clients want? Have you asked them? Have you put the feelers out?

Strip it back to basics.. Why do they come to you? We all love to think its because we're fantastic at our profession but this is not always the case, how many times have you heard people say I need a new hairdresser but I love my current one she is so lovely and I'd offend her by changing etc etc

Your usp may mostly be you!

I don't know what you offer etc so am just generalising .. You may have clients that are shy and unconfident and come to your home salon because its private they may not like a salon environment.

Location.. Where in relation to your home would it be? How easy would it be for your clients to get there? Will it cost them extra? Is there parking? I'm sure you have heard people say oh I went to xxxx for years but she moved salons to otherside of town and I'm not going over there...

If it was me I'd be asking my clients.. Even if you do a basic feedback form and ask them to be brut fully honest.. If anything this will benefit if you do move, you could ask what other services they would like to see you do etc? They may even highlight problems you didn't know about.

If you do decide to open a salon then be prepared to work non stop, the advantage you ave at home if finishing at 3 if u have no more bookings if ur salon is open say 9-5 then u need to be there 9-5 even if u don't have clients you need to be seen as open.

Plan plan plan.. Retail, stockists,

Advertising is a huge cost.

Leaflets, flyers etc be prepared to have everyone walk through lot asking for a leaflet which majority if time will get binned.

Competition .. Does you area need another salon, why will u be different to the others.

Staff how will u manage salon .. S employed or paye this itself is a nightmare and think most salon owners will agree staffing is the biggest stress.

I've been open 1 year this month and I feel like I never switch off, I have two children 1.5 & 3 and unfortunately they do get neglected I'm forever saying sorry mummy is working I can't do this or that, be prepared for the guilt that consumes you and how your children will probably favour daddy as they spending so much time with them, in my case it's nanny!

But it is worth it and eventually will pay off.

Good Luke in what you decide x

 

[Welsh Nails]

I think if you're successful as you are, think long and hard about it!

Having a premises as others have already said, tends to mean you are tied to it, whereas at home, you can at least take on extra clients, but during your free time you see your children, tidy up, etc!


Not saying that opening a separate premises won't be fabulous for you, but if its not broken, why do you want to fix it?

 

[Eyelash Addict]

Bottom line is, you won't really know how it will affect your business until you take the leap. Many people don't move out of their comfort zone because they are afraid. It sounds to me like you are ready to do that. How big of a community will you be opening your salon in?
I live in a community of 50,000 people. I was an at home business for two years, and in my case, it built slowly that whole time. As soon as I moved into a retail outlet and focussed only on sp lashes, business just took off. I am doing at least three 12 hour days a week now, not to mention trainings. Social media has been an awesome way to build business, and you can partner with some other services like bridal photography. Anyway that is off topic.
As far as expenses, I think the other geeks have covered those. Your set up can be really costly. You just have to be careful that you budget for that.
The other thing that I think is a real positive for separating business from your home environment is this....IF you have children, I think this would deter a great many people from coming to your home. Most of my clients come for the relaxing getaway from their busy lives, kids included, and coming to YOUR home would not be relaxing for them if there was the sound of busy children in the background. Just saying!
I'm gonna say, go for it, and congratulations!

 

[sax'd_out]

Thanks guys for your input! It is very helpful! I think expenses wise it is pretty much what I was expecting, I just wondered if there were any other hidden costs I hadn't considered!

Re why do I want to change things?
I think this is a combination of things, I have 2 children, a baby and a 3yr old, so when clients come to my house they obviously hear them playing/crying etc etc and when I was simply doing a few people here and there for some extra cash I was fine with that but now I need to make things more professional.

There are lots of nss nail bars near me but most of my clients are wanting to find natural looking nails done by a person who can speak English and therefore can do what the client wants! Obviously some like me and would want to be loyal to me, but most come to me (at least to begin with) for my knowledge and training (not saying that I am queen of the world lol but I know a lot more than most of the high street nail techs seem to, and am working towards my masters with Cnd)

I have pretty much decided that this is something I need/want to do but am trying to decide whether now is the time what with having 2 small children?

 

[Geminikelli]

Thanks guys for your input! It is very helpful! I think expenses wise it is pretty much what I was expecting, I just wondered if there were any other hidden costs I hadn't considered!

Re why do I want to change things?
I think this is a combination of things, I have 2 children, a baby and a 3yr old, so when clients come to my house they obviously hear them playing/crying etc etc and when I was simply doing a few people here and there for some extra cash I was fine with that but now I need to make things more professional.

There are lots of nss nail bars near me but most of my clients are wanting to find natural looking nails done by a person who can speak English and therefore can do what the client wants! Obviously some like me and would want to be loyal to me, but most come to me (at least to begin with) for my knowledge and training (not saying that I am queen of the world lol but I know a lot more than most of the high street nail techs seem to, and am working towards my masters with Cnd)

I have pretty much decided that this is something I need/want to do but am trying to decide whether now is the time what with having 2 small children?

My devils are pretty much the same age as yours and to be fair there is no good time for anything there will always be something stopping you, if ur committed then go for it! I did and yes at times I think god I just want out and could easily go do a 9-5 job but then I'd hate that, you will get out of it what you put in. Lots of hard work and be prepared to put life on hold for a while as long as yor partner is supportive then you should be ok x

 

[Eyelash Addict]

Think on it this way... If hubby was working, he would be away from the kids a certain amount of time. It will be no different in the way that they still have one parent there most of the time. This way when you ARE home, you can be more focused on them.

Congratulations!

 

[blossom]

With your littlies growing up you're in for enough stress as it is lol

My first thought was . . . . why add to the load with a salon? If you can work 30 hours a week from home (with zero overheads virtually) wouldn't it be a good idea to just stop turning those new people away and carry on as you are but just increasing your hours - and/or your prices? Your website generates you loads of new client so you don't exactly need a high street presence then to get more people . . . . so that would simply mean lots more money coming in and nothing more going out - and very little in the way of additional stress.


But if it's more about wanting a salon than simply wanting an increase in earnings then maybe just go for it. But there are an awful lot of outgoings and there will be loads of outlay.


I know what you mean about separating work and home life more though. x