Should I take the risk?

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goldigga

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Sorry in advance if this has been asked a 100 times! If there's already a few posts on thus please point me in the direction

So I've just finished my level 3 hairdressing and although I work in a salon junioring 1 day a week I have no other income,I've been offered a small salon for a really good rate and I'm not sure what to do,i also do beauty but haven't as much since doing hair so was thinking I could offer both? I have no quams with the beauty side of things as I've been doing it for over 10 years but has anyone gone straight from college to opening a salon? Did it work? Were you nervous being on your own? I do have some experience from the salon but still not sure if it's enough to start me off? Or is it a case of learning from experience as you go? Any advice welcome thanks
 
Sorry in advance if this has been asked a 100 times! If there's already a few posts on thus please point me in the direction

So I've just finished my level 3 hairdressing and although I work in a salon junioring 1 day a week I have no other income,I've been offered a small salon for a really good rate and I'm not sure what to do,i also do beauty but haven't as much since doing hair so was thinking I could offer both? I have no quams with the beauty side of things as I've been doing it for over 10 years but has anyone gone straight from college to opening a salon? Did it work? Were you nervous being on your own? I do have some experience from the salon but still not sure if it's enough to start me off? Or is it a case of learning from experience as you go? Any advice welcome thanks

Anyone with any advice or stories? I'm still undecided what to do?
 
Anyone with any advice or stories? I'm still undecided what to do?

I thinks it's best to get experience before you open a business/salon to learn from the mistakes and successes of others. How do you know you are doing things right if you have no comparison? [emoji4]
 
I opened up straight away and made some costly mistakes, it did make me learn very very quickly as its your own money. The main thing i struggled with was making bad decisions with staffing (I have three treatment rooms) and the products I used, I was very much brainwashed into going with what we used at college and listening to staff and not going my own way, which cost me. I was nervous when we first opened, but now three years on, i am loving it and the business is doing so well (but this took me three years to really build up), now i have my name stamped on it, using the products I love. It has been very very hard work but if your willing to put all the hours in, go for it! I think it depends what kind of person you are if you want to take your time to find your feet, then maybe hold back. If your like me and ready to give it a go straight away then go for it! You will never know unless you try. Hope this helps in anyway. x
 
Thanks for your replys.

I'm under no illusion of how much hard work it will be and I know it could take years to see any profits but I am a hard worker and so passionate about hair & beauty and don't mind putting in the hours it's the lack of experience in hairdressing that worries me,I have been in a salon for nearly 3 years now whilst studying but only as a junior and the odd blowdry,I've watched and learned lots from my work over the years but my fear is a client coming in to me and I don't know what to do?or use? I do homers just now and so far I'm getting on fine but by being in a salon I'll be open to a bigger audience and if I'm on my own I'll need to make decisions myself but then again I suppose that time needs to come anyway? Its the fear of starting off a business and then realising I'm not good enough
 
Whatever you do, don't underestimate how much it costs to run a premises and that you will be liable to pay rent and overheads even if the business isn't making money. You'll need a good cash buffer to cover that, or you'll go bust before you've even got off the ground.
 
Whatever you do, don't underestimate how much it costs to run a premises and that you will be liable to pay rent and overheads even if the business isn't making money. You'll need a good cash buffer to cover that, or you'll go bust before you've even got off the ground.


Yeah that's another worry I'll be doing hair and beauty but obviously only having a handful of clients just now I'm worried some weeks might be dead! I do have the idea of having someone rent a chair and there's space for a mua but it's getting people
 
Don't forget to allocate a decent marketing budget. If you have the best salon in the world but no one knows about it, it's doomed to fail.
I wrote a blog post that might help - Top Mistakes Hair & Beauty Salons Make
 
I started 7 years ago I did beaut I was mobile for about a year I opened up a beaut salon which wasn't the best space but cheap I did everything on a show string but there was only me and I went from there
Get some offers on the go and advertise everywhere u can jst make sure the area that u go to make sure it's viable
I had a few issues when I first opened but now is all good I've moved from where I was into another salon have 2 staff but things are still not fully booked even after all this time remember ppl will under cut u and u will have over heads to pay x
 
Personally, I'd probably just rent a chair in your position, to gain more experience without having the bother of too many overheads. Set yourself a plan to review the situation after say, 2 years.

However, if you decide to take on the salon, consider renting out a chair to a hairdresser who is extremely passionate and very experienced, with an existing client base. Then, if you have clients who you don't feel confident to do, pass them to your chair renter and learn from them.
 
Personally, I'd probably just rent a chair in your position, to gain more experience without having the bother of too many overheads. Set yourself a plan to review the situation after say, 2 years.

However, if you decide to take on the salon, consider renting out a chair to a hairdresser who is extremely passionate and very experienced, with an existing client base. Then, if you have clients who you don't feel confident to do, pass them to your chair renter and learn from them.
Great advice.

Have you done the maths for opening a salon? Can you afford it if it all goes tits up?
There are so many posts on here about opening salons. I often wonder how many people go ahead and do it - there are also lots from people closing their salons and moving to a cabin/spare room. Think long and hard and whatever budget you have, it won't be enough [emoji85]
 
Great advice.

Have you done the maths for opening a salon? Can you afford it if it all goes tits up?
There are so many posts on here about opening salons. I often wonder how many people go ahead and do it - there are also lots from people closing their salons and moving to a cabin/spare room. Think long and hard and whatever budget you have, it won't be enough [emoji85]

I've only started to look into it all to see if it's doable,I will admit I was quite shocked at just how much investment you need but I do have good financial backing if I go ahead but it's still the fear of not being good enough which I'm hoping is just nerves that will go,as I've said before I'm not afraid of putting in the hours,work etc but it does come back to my lack of experience in the hair side

Can I ask though has anyone gone straight from training/college to being a mobile stylist?
Again your on your own with no guidance and having to make your own judgements? How did it work for you?
 
I've only started to look into it all to see if it's doable,I will admit I was quite shocked at just how much investment you need but I do have good financial backing if I go ahead but it's still the fear of not being good enough which I'm hoping is just nerves that will go,as I've said before I'm not afraid of putting in the hours,work etc but it does come back to my lack of experience in the hair side

Can I ask though has anyone gone straight from training/college to being a mobile stylist?
Again your on your own with no guidance and having to make your own judgements? How did it work for you?


If i were you i would go for the rent a chair option....i have 10 years salon and management experience and i open my first salon in 3 weeks (im still terrified)

What would you do if you had a colour correction in and it went terribly wrong? What would you do in the case of a huge complaint? I would also be worried incase clients were put off by you having no experience. I understand you have been working while studying but thats not the greatest real taste of hairdressing. The odd blow-dry wont teach you the advanced science behind colour you really should know ...after all your staff should be looking up to you to teach & guide them.

This is purely an example but.... Unfortunately a local salon near me opened this time last year and the owner was straight out of college. His dad bought him a beautiful no expense spared ready made salon...with staff. He employed 2 of my friends and several others. He lost all staff members one by one as he just didn't understand the business and my friend was pretty much running for him. Anyway the salon was sold last week.

I really wish you the very best and whatever you do you make it a success xxx
 

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