Should I move my business back home? Mucho advice needed

[JessBoo]

Hi sassy, just wondered which part of fareham you're in? (i work in park gate). Have you thought about advertising in the Informer- my mum got loads of business from there when she started up.

 

[Sassy Hassy]

We are in Envy ( 2 doors along from Perfect Pizza, yum!). I did advertise in the Informer a couple of years ago but didn't get much from it ( 1 client from 3 months advertising). Trouble is it tends to cover out of Fareham central if you know what I mean. Thanks for the advice though.

 

[dee]

hi hun, hope you are ok , i know wot u mean , i have a treatment room at home, it is my converted dining room, and i have my A board outside my driveway , i would love a salon but where i live there are loads so it is too much risk , as it is only a small town and soo much competition, and the rents are huge , so i do it from home , no rent and all money exept for the usual is mine :green: , granted i have only just started getting customers , but at least i am lucky we can survive on daves wage,
get doing some flyers with special offers -this has got me clients
sorry i cant be more help , i do hope things get sorted for you love dee
ps -put a stick of dynamite under the boss , it might motivate her to spruce salon up lol

 

[Sassy Hassy]

Thanks Dee, think she needs more than a stick of dynamite!! Sad really because the staff she has are so fantastic, she doesnt deserve them, and without them the business would have folded by now.

Thank you all for your advice and best wishes, going to see how January pans out and if it is still slow I'm going to move back home. Call it a temporary measure until I can get my own pad! At least that's my thoughts at the mo, prob change again next week!!

 

[Christine G]

Hello Sarah,
Life can be such a *******at times eh? Sometimes these things are happening for a reason, there could be something better around the corner. I'm a big believer that when one door closes, or causes a problem, there is always another one that will open. Seems you are at a crossroads and don't know which road to take, but have faith, try to relax, I know it's difficult, the answer is out there and it will appear to you.
I sympathise with your financial dilema, when I walked away from my ex 7 years ago after 18 years of marriage, all I had was a bicycle, three garden tubs and a portable television, but somehow I knew everything would be all right. (my partner says that will be on my gravestone,,,, It'll be all right!!!!
Perhaps sit down when your'e in a calm and relaxed atmosphere, be brutally honest, and write two columns, plus points and negative points for each of your dilema's, list as many things as you can, no matter how trivial they seem, and maybe by putting things down in black and white it will help you make your mind up.
Have faith, but try not to jump into anything you are not going to be happy with in the long run. This probably hasn't helped much, and I know I've babbled on a bit, but hey, you never know.
Best of luck,keep positive,and above all, let us all know what you decide eventually.
Terrraaarrrr
Christine.

 

[VickyB]

Hi

Just reading this post and wondered what the outcome was.

Sas, you seemed really low at the time - and as always ... Tech's out there to help, offer you advice and understanding.

Did you stay at the Salon - or did you go back home. Either way, how is it going for you at the moment.

Just me being curious .... lol !

Vicky
x

YOU KNOW WHAT THIS SITE IS JUST FAB, AND YOU GUYS THAT I HAVE NEVER MET ARE JUST THE BEST!! I came to you for help and you haven't let me down. You don't know how much you have helped me. Thank you from the bottom of my heart

Trinity, you must be able to read me like a book!! I do love having my own place, and I don't want to stop doing nails and go back to a boring job that I don't enjoy, and in the big scheme of things I really want my own place. But I don't have the funding to do it and worried about taking on a business loan. I'm a single mum and have all the financial responsibilities that that brings. I am really only making myself ill because I can't find the right direction to go down at the mo (but yes you are right my own salon is the way I would go if I could).

Cathie, as my daughter is away at Uni, I can convert a bedroom into a salon. The clients are mine no problem. I pay for all my own advertising, and most of my clients are my die hard ones that followed me from when I worked at home before I moved into the salon. It wouldn't cost me much to set up from home - just a lick of paint. (I would be very naughty and not declare to the powers that be,:smack: I know bad girl!), but I do prefer the salon environment and in all honesty would prefer not to work at home, but my finances are telling me otherwise and that's my predicament.

*Jo*, It's so assuring when you hear from someone in the same (or similar) boat and doesn't make me feel like I'm the only one. There is a new nail place about a dozen doors along from us and they are dead too ( not NSS, but they do use e-files, and a bit dodgy), but the nail bar in the main end of town is always packed and their reputation sucks, so why are they so busy? cos peeps can see them. So many peeps don't even know we are there as we are invisible from the main road (apart from a ruddy great banner in the window!). But their rent and rates are £35K pa plus up that end of town, and I definitely don't want to commit to that.

I know it is my decision at the end of the day, but you guys don't know how what you have written is helping to clear my mind, so any more comments would be so welcome. ( you can tell how quiet we are, no clients today so an unexpected day off!)

 

[Kim Lawless]

I would look for my own premises or share another salon. In the meantime, I would do a massive special offer on the PMC so that you get some money coming in and keep your head above water. Better than sitting there doing nothing.

Write down your different options. Then read through each one and then eliminate and whittle it down to the most attractive and viable option. Give yourself another 6mths then if it hasn't worked................throw in the towel. Be positive. YOU'LL BE FINE.

Working from home will bring you even less money and you'll feel isolated after being in a salon. Come on girl! Be strong. Have a little cry then...pick yourself up, dust yourself off and start all over again.

Keep us posted. xx

I wish you all the best.

 

[Ms.Matrix]

Hi Sass,

I haven't been on in a few days so I'm a little late. Firstly, what is your first mind/heart telling you to do? Any great and successful entreprenuer will tell you to follow your heart, it will NEVER lead you wrong. It is always good to follow your heart...when you think about the situation, what's the first solution that comes to your mind?

Now, for MY two cents...I think that running a home based business is a wonderful idea (although it can be a bit boring, not getting out and about) as you said it would cut down on your overhead until you have enough saved to open your own salon, if that's your desire, or you can have enough saved so when and if you do decide to go back to another salon you'll have some cushion in case of an unforeseen emergency. As for "Missy Salon Owner": Seems like she's lost the fire and has a big bucket of water in case she spots any anywhere else...some people never know or forget that it takes money to make money...if your premises are not attractive or pleasing to one's eye why on God's good green earth would someone want to come and spend their hard earned money there??

Have confidence in your advertising, marketing and word of mouth and have confidence in your ability as a nail tech, try to stay in contact with your clientele no matter what you decide and know that your clients have come to know and love you and will follow you wherever they have to...if you are half of the great tech that I KNOW you are.:hug:

You know my story and you know that I love nails and I'm not doing the volume of clients like I would like, so some things I'm just not really up to speed on...so all I can do is offer advice from what I believe would be a business owners standpoint...and gosh, I hope it helps:o

much love to you my sister!!!

 

[Sassy Hassy]

Blinkey Blimey Norah I was on a downer wasn't I? And the problem was that I hadn't had time off in over a year and was just plain knackered, something I will never do again, just not worth it. But you guys helped me focus and after a good rest at Crimbo I got my head back in order.

So business is on the up again, we're back to taking the amount of cash that we used to, in fact so far this year we have had the 3 most successful weeks to date since I went self employed. Need to really increase the beauty side though as this is still very slow, but I think this is because the salon is not welcoming to look at and puts people off. All I can say about this is WATCH THIS SPACE!

 

[Sassy Hassy]

Little tip from me to you all. Don't be a spendaholic like me, ie if you've got it spend it and if you haven't then CHARGE IT (Flintstones reference there!). For goodness sakes put some money aside in the good times to get you through the slow times, a lesson I have learnt very painfully, and another notch to put on my tee shirt of experience(You know my famous been there, done that, got the tee shirt lol!)

 

[dee]

glad it is going alright again hun :green: , as for the spending i am learning that lesson , but it is soo hard when you see new stuff you wanna buy it all, but now i am being really strict and not letting myself spend (coz i am totally skint , lol )

 

[Ms.Matrix]

Blinkey Blimey Norah I was on a downer wasn't I? And the problem was that I hadn't had time off in over a year and was just plain knackered, something I will never do again, just not worth it. But you guys helped me focus and after a good rest at Crimbo I got my head back in order.

So business is on the up again, we're back to taking the amount of cash that we used to, in fact so far this year we have had the 3 most successful weeks to date since I went self employed. Need to really increase the beauty side though as this is still very slow, but I think this is because the salon is not welcoming to look at and puts people off. All I can say about this is WATCH THIS SPACE!

I am soooooo happy that things are on the upswing for you, look for things to only get better, stay positive, keep your head up and...GIVE 'EM HELL ON NAILS GIRL!!!!!

 

[scattyfox]

Im glad things are better for you sarah
take care and dont work too ha hun
x