Self employed or employed?

[Xbeautyx]

I'm a beauty therapist, i have over 10 years of experience but always working for someone in a salon. When i had my child i decided to go self employed, i picked a few treatments to focus on and do clients mobile and at home. I built up around 15 regular clients, doesn't sound much but it was enough for just me to organise that amount of people. I was asked last year by a good friend if i wanted to go work in her salon on a % rate while she went on mat leave. I agree'd as was ready to be back in a salon and saw it as a good way to stay independent. Fast forward to 10 months later and i've discovered that the salon (i think due to location as we are set back in a health club away from a main road!) is very, very seasonal! When its good its good but when its bad its terrible! Im paying childcare costs two days a week also to be there but it doesn't always pay for me to be there, despite me working two full days, one evening and every other weekend...like i say when its bad its just so quiet it keeps me up at night..but i didnt loose hope at first, i have tried to do promo days, facebook pages, you name it ive tried it but now i see that it doesn't matter what i do to get clients through the door, if its not summer months or xmas i may as well not be there! So...my question is, do i leave, cut my losses, see if i can get my old clients to come back to my house so i can keep what i make or do i stick it out and just keep going and hope one day when my child's at school and i have then no childcare costs to give more time to this to make it pay? The girl who went on mat leave now works part time also but she doesn't seem to want to make things better which is such a shame and it does make me feel rather foolish, if she can't be bothered what chance have i got? After all its in her interest to help promote me and her salon as we did 50/50 split! What shall i do?!

 

[PamieD]

Sounds like you need a proper sit down with your friend, point out that you're not earning enough and see what she says. If nothing changes then maybe you can negotiate a part-time deal too, so you can do both. The your last resort can be to start yourself.