Shocking naivety

[laurakate]

Who said joining the industry 'to make a quick buck' ?
£9 an hour for a manager? You can earn more than that sitting in a call centre. Ok not creative or fulfilling and nobody has a passion for it but passion doesn't pay the mortgage.

Thats the thing though in that sometimes people think they'll make good money quick being their own boss because working for someone else in hair and beauty is pretty much minimum wage.

Self employment however isn't sustainable for a lot of people in a saturated industry even if they have sound business skills. This will leave people with the dilemma of working for peanuts either self employed or employed or leaving the industry altogether. I think that's about the size of it anyway.

 

[persianista]

Thats the thing though in that sometimes people think they'll make good money quick being their own boss because working for someone else in hair and beauty is pretty much minimum wage.

Self employment however isn't sustainable for a lot of people in a saturated industry even if they have sound business skills. This will leave people with the dilemma of working for peanuts either self employed or employed or leaving the industry altogether. I think that's about the size of it anyway.

To be honest, I've always earnt a really good living. There is money to be made in hairdressing, but it is a different industry today than it was even 7 years ago.
The day I work for min wage is the day I give up.
Before the recession, millionaire salon owners weren't uncommon.

 

[Lks]

To be honest, I've always earnt a really good living. There is money to be made in hairdressing, but it is a different industry today than it was even 7 years ago.
The day I work for min wage is the day I give up.
Before the recession, millionaire salon owners weren't uncommon.

What do you think has changed about the hairdressing industry these past few years? I wonder if the beauty industry in general has changed recently too. The nail industry certainly has in the last 30 years.

 

[BannerPenguin]

What do you think has changed about the hairdressing industry these past few years? I wonder if the beauty industry in general has changed recently too. The nail industry certainly has in the last 30 years.

Saturation. Kids have started doing it from Secondary school and getting qualified then every tom, dick & harry can start a business.

 

[persianista]

I agree with BannerPenguin, saturation. Hairdressing hasn't had it quite as bad as beauty or nails, which, to be honest, are pretty much universally lower paid than cleaning.
What has made my decision is the issues with overheads going up, prices being pretty static, and the dog eat dog attitude nowadays. We've always competed, but at the moment, it seems every company out there is designed to shaft you. I get at least 30 sales calls a day.
I'm working harder and harder just to stand still, which I really don't want to do. At the moment I'm averaging 50 clients a week, and have raging RSI in both arms.
I know I take a lot of flack on this site for my 'other' career, but I really would prefer to earn my living using my brain instead of my hands as I head further into my forties.

 

[virtues2011]

Did you have any luck with your viewings or were they similar to the first!?

 

[laurakate]

I agree with BannerPenguin, saturation. Hairdressing hasn't had it quite as bad as beauty or nails, which, to be honest, are pretty much universally lower paid than cleaning.
What has made my decision is the issues with overheads going up, prices being pretty static, and the dog eat dog attitude nowadays. We've always competed, but at the moment, it seems every company out there is designed to shaft you. I get at least 30 sales calls a day.
I'm working harder and harder just to stand still, which I really don't want to do. At the moment I'm averaging 50 clients a week, and have raging RSI in both arms.
I know I take a lot of flack on this site for my 'other' career, but I really would prefer to earn my living using my brain instead of my hands as I head further into my forties.

This is exactly how I feel in the sense that why should I work so so hard in such a physically demanding job with antisocial hours when the money I take home from it just isn't enough to make the difference I need it to. Financially I don't ask for a lot but if I stay in beauty for the rest of my working life there are just too many short comings for not enough money.

I'm hoping that with my "other" career plan that I will get better working hours with much less physical strain where I am paid for my academic abilities. I'm hoping to make money out of what comes more naturally to me where the salary compensates me to be able to look after myself (I currently have a night out every two months if that at the moment and I worry about paying for basic stuff and it's just no way to live when you work that hard).

I love beauty for what it is. I can't fault in in terms of having a skill that I will always find useful, working with people and the job satisfaction that gives you the days that makes it feel worth it. It is creative and people facing and there are no requirements to do night shifts (yet!) and it does allow for some flexibility with having time off in the week so there are a lot of things going for it in the short run and I think as an industry it is great for a young person who is wanting to build their confidence in doing something they enjoy at the start of their working life but when it comes to wanting to pay for things like mortgages, bills, old age and a few little treats in life then it is not quite going to cut the mustard unless you've already covered that kind of thing by working previously in another industry and are coming to beauty later in life in search of job satisfaction predominantly over money.

I am so glad that other people feel the way I do because without salon geek I would be anxious that I'm being moany and ungrateful but I don't think this is the case.

 

[virtues2011]

This is exactly how I feel in the sense that why should I work so so hard in such a physically demanding job with antisocial hours when the money I take home from it just isn't enough to make the difference I need it to. Financially I don't ask for a lot but if I stay in beauty for the rest of my working life there are just too many short comings for not enough money.

I'm hoping that with my "other" career plan that I will get better working hours with much less physical strain where I am paid for my academic abilities. I'm hoping to make money out of what comes more naturally to me where the salary compensates me to be able to look after myself (I currently have a night out every two months if that at the moment and I worry about paying for basic stuff and it's just no way to live when you work that hard).

I love beauty for what it is. I can't fault in in terms of having a skill that I will always find useful, working with people and the job satisfaction that gives you the days that makes it feel worth it. It is creative and people facing and there are no requirements to do night shifts (yet!) and it does allow for some flexibility with having time off in the week so there are a lot of things going for it in the short run and I think as an industry it is great for a young person who is wanting to build their confidence in doing something they enjoy at the start of their working life but when it comes to wanting to pay for things like mortgages, bills, old age and a few little treats in life then it is not quite going to cut the mustard unless you've already covered that kind of thing by working previously in another industry and are coming to beauty later in life in search of job satisfaction predominantly over money.

I am so glad that other people feel the way I do because without salon geek I would be anxious that I'm being moany and ungrateful but I don't think this is the case.

We've had numerous conversations about this over the months. I was always told by my father from such a young age, Work with your brain rather than your hands, when you work with your hands you always have to be there. With your brain you can be anywhere in the world. In any industry the money reflects the job that you do. (Generally) You won't see an employed beauty therapist on a six figure salary, like you won't see a MD on 6ph. It is all relative. ... but the more intelligent you are the more you are penalised. You can't win. No disrespect to anyone who works with their hands and had been successful with it, purely an example of what I was taught.

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[persianista]

I feel very blessed to have had the wonderful career that I've had, and yes, I've accepted offers now on two salons and two flats.
The paperwork I'm prepping for the solicitor right now is a total pain in the neck.
I'm hoping that by the summer I'll be free.
Then I'll really have to learn about marketing. Selling a product worldwide is very different from selling services locally. It'll be a big learning curve, but I'm already active on some forums specific to my new career, so I'm back to being the newbie novice. I love it.

 

[virtues2011]

I feel very blessed to have had the wonderful career that I've had, and yes, I've accepted offers now on two salons and two flats.
The paperwork I'm prepping for the solicitor right now is a total pain in the neck.
I'm hoping that by the summer I'll be free.
Then I'll really have to learn about marketing. Selling a product worldwide is very different from selling services locally. It'll be a big learning curve, but I'm already active on some forums specific to my new career, so I'm back to being the newbie novice. I love it.

That is fantastic news. I'm right behind you... I'm hopefully going to be free by summer from the salon. Our proof of concept for our invention will be finished by July so that will be sold probably into a worldwide market leading company whilst retaining the IP rights. Forgive me if I am being to personal with asking you what your new career will be. . Is it your books?

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[persianista]

I'm sorry, I'm not allowed to mention it on this site.

 

[virtues2011]

Well the best of luck anyway.

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[gillian w]

She's a very good author,Dawn Latham,puts shades of grey in the shade

 

[persianista]

If only Gillian, but very kind of you to say so.

 

[gillian w]

I don't think people realise how hard it actually is to work in this industry.Its also a huge commitment because as a personal service people want you working late and weekends.
My daughter in her 20s has had her social life go right out of the window and she works like a Trojan 6 days a week in her own businesses,something I never really wanted to do so most of my working life I was employed.

 

[gillian w]

If only Gillian, but very kind of you to say so.

Well I enjoyed yours much more.Lots of twists and turns.

 

[virtues2011]

It's a fabulous talent to have. Look at J. K Rowling... What an imagination. I haven't read a book for years unless I'm revising for exams. I did buy the first book of fifty shades and didn't get past the first chapter. Useless.

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