Setting up advice Please!

[Emma2475]

Hello all
I am thinking of setting up my own business by opening a nail salon at home as I currently have a large garage conversion. I am also considering opening another shop in a nearly town at the same time. I am off on maternity at the moment but am very keen to start my own business rather than return to my previous job and there does seem to be a lot of demand for good nails out there! I am not trained in nails myself so my role would basically be all of the salon management and the donkey work (dry cleaning, banking, salon cleaning, advertsisng, accounting etc). My plan would be to open either just the home based or the home and the shop based salon and to have 2/3 technicians in each with one appointed as senior/manage responsible for overseeing the others. I would be looking to take a certain percentage of the takings from each technician, say 35% per week and they take the other 65%. I would provide uniforms, materials, advertising etc and run some sort of incentive scheme e.g for everything over a certain amount they take a higher percentage than the basic say 75%. For the home based salon I would do quite a lot of local advertising to attract new business and when recruiting be advertising for technicians with existing customers either from mobile or salon that they could bring as there would be no shop window. The unit is large enough for 3/4 people. My question really is whether this kind of set up would appeal and why/why not?
Thanks for your help
Emma

 

[niclynch]

Hi i work from home and also do a bit mobile i have an established buisness which i have had for 13 years and work alone what i would say with this credit crunch maybe just start off with the garage conversion and in a couple of years then think of expanding, also you need to employ good technicians as you could soon build up a bad reputation with the wrong staff maybe do a bit of training yourself!! Good Luck x:smack:

 

[naildaze]

I agree. I think I would start the home one first and then as your business name gets a good rep. then expand to the other location.

 

[Emma2475]

Thanks for your replies! Would it put people off though coming to work for me and loosing a percentage of takings rather than doing mobile and or would it appeal to those not wanting to do mobile and visit homes or those not wanting to pay to rent a shop? Do people working in the shops pay a lot to rent a seat? What is the salary like for those working for someone else?
Thanks

 

[Blue Rose]

Hello all
I am thinking of setting up my own business by opening a nail salon at home as I currently have a large garage conversion. I am also considering opening another shop in a nearly town at the same time. I am off on maternity at the moment but am very keen to start my own business rather than return to my previous job and there does seem to be a lot of demand for good nails out there! I am not trained in nails myself so my role would basically be all of the salon management and the donkey work (dry cleaning, banking, salon cleaning, advertsisng, accounting etc). My plan would be to open either just the home based or the home and the shop based salon and to have 2/3 technicians in each with one appointed as senior/manage responsible for overseeing the others. I would be looking to take a certain percentage of the takings from each technician, say 35% per week and they take the other 65%. I would provide uniforms, materials, advertising etc and run some sort of incentive scheme e.g for everything over a certain amount they take a higher percentage than the basic say 75%. For the home based salon I would do quite a lot of local advertising to attract new business and when recruiting be advertising for technicians with existing customers either from mobile or salon that they could bring as there would be no shop window. The unit is large enough for 3/4 people. My question really is whether this kind of set up would appeal and why/why not?
Thanks for your help
Emma

I don't wish to sound negative (as I'm usually one of life's optimists) but if you are on maternity leave you have either just had a baby or are about to.

I would suggest you enjoy this precious time initially then think about starting your business when baby is a bit older.

I say this from experience. I had a very well established business before my children came along & it's bloomin' hard work trying to keep that ticking along aswell as being mum.

I have also tried starting other business ideas but with young children it is certainly not easy, especially if like you don't have the practical skills to do the treatments yourself.

Also from the sounds of it, your nail techs would probably be technically employed as opposed to self employed so you would need to think about how much wages would come to. Is all of this going to be financially viable enough?

 

[Emma2475]

Should have expalined better. I will be looking to start this up once my baby is in nursery part time in around 1/2 months time. I have the money to still be off work for a few more months but want to start him in nursery part time to get him used to it and can then use the rest of my week to start this up if I decide to go ahead. Otherwise I will just go back to my pre maternity job part time and save the money I have!
I am really interested in finding out whether it would be worth say 2/3 people working in the conversion and me taking say 65/70% of their takings with me covering all running costs of premesis, advertising, products etc? Would this be an attractive proposal to a technician bringing some of their own clients?
Thanks
Emma

 

[Lemmonie]

Should have expalined better. I will be looking to start this up once my baby is in nursery part time in around 1/2 months time. I have the money to still be off work for a few more months but want to start him in nursery part time to get him used to it and can then use the rest of my week to start this up if I decide to go ahead. Otherwise I will just go back to my pre maternity job part time and save the money I have!
I am really interested in finding out whether it would be worth say 2/3 people working in the conversion and me taking say 65/70% of their takings with me covering all running costs of premesis, advertising, products etc? Would this be an attractive proposal to a technician bringing some of their own clients?
Thanks
Emma

As a tech I would rather earn 100% of my takings for my own client than give you 35% of the takings.

However if i didnt have any clients I would be happy for you to get them in and pay for it. Good luck as its tough to get the clients in from scratch expecially with no experiance.

If i were you though id probably get trained up myself and start doing it yourself around the baby then expand from there.

 

[Emma2475]

Thanks for reply
Maybe I will just rent the space out instead then, was thinking would prob cost about the same anyway. My idea came from thinking that if people have to rent a shop or table in a shop now they might actually be better off this way but seems not! I don't have the patience to train myself plus I am two accident prone so best to leave to you proffessionals!
Thanks
Emma

 

[xbarbigirlx]

Hi hi

I say go for it! But in your situation your much better off working from home atm. Theres nothing stopping you but you'll need to practice alot before you can start on clients. It would be cheaper and if you have ample room then why not!! You save on petrol if you were to rent somewhere far, own environment, not too cramped and create your own hrs. Thats my oppinion anyway

xoxox.