Should my boss be promoting me? I'm a little confused

[Jo's Nails]

Hi, I have been work in a nail salon for the last 6 weeks. My boss owns the hair dressers which is well established and the nail salon which has not long opened. His clientele is 50+.
We have had no clients for the last three weeks.
My boss is relying on a poster and a price list for the nails and Beauty in the window. He will not advertise. I have asked him to advertise more and connect with other local businesses and to target a clientele but he is very old school and thinks that I should pull people into the salon if they are out side window shopping. Most of the time they are not interested.
He now wants me to come in on my days off to self promote and work in the hair salon for no pay.
I feel like I have nothing to work with, no marketing equipment just a few leaflets. I am trying to do all I can on Facebook.
I think we both have different ideas on where the business is going he wants to keep it quite old I feel.
I am a bit confused, because he already has the hair salon and I think he should have advertised and had clients booked up before opening.
Am I wrong in thinking this because when I try and talk to him he confuses me.
I really want this to take off, it's my career.
Please give me some advice.

 

[Jo's Nails]

I feel like I am banging my head against a brick wall!

 

[surf girl]

Glad to see you left the old salon, or is this the same place? Are you employed or self employed?

 

[Jo's Nails]

Hi Surf Girl Yes I left. I could

 

[Jo's Nails]

Oops pressed the wrong button.
I couldn't stand it has to get out.
This is a new salon and I am employed. Totaly different from the old salon. Everybody is really nice but I thought it would have picked up a bit quicker.

 

[Jo's Nails]

There are no posters/ marketing / leaflets/ promotions/ contacts or anything set up for Christmas. I would have thought he would be thinking along these lines and have more of a plan.

 

[Jo's Nails]

I'm feeling a bit gutted actually
: (

 

[byKaty]

Well if he's employing you then yes he should be doing more to help you out. Might have to bite the bullet and take the initiative yourself and see what happens. Have you tried chatting to his clients while having hair done and offering hand/arm massages ?

 

[Jo's Nails]

Hi Katy yes I have approached clients, I introduce myself with a price list and use shellac as a selling point and try and talk to them. He has stopped me a few times saying that she has her nails done else where this puts me off. It's a very small hairdressers and they are literally working back to back and I would get in the way if I did a hand and arm massage as there is no room.

 

[Jo's Nails]

I have been working in my own time on models creating work for Facebook and to build a portfolio for this place I have also suggested to my boss that the days he wants me in to self promote (on my days off with no pay plus I have to pay travel fair) I would rather bring nail models in and create a set of nails or two to take pictures or do a little video for advertising. There is no portfolio we have no nail pictures or build up of work of what clients want. I don't mind self promoting and putting a bit of extra work in its in my self interest to do so.

He has booked me hair clients in a cut and colour and has called it a training day and has asked me to stay later than expected which means child care expenses? I think he is taking advantage. It's a bit strange that he wants me in the hair salon and the nail salon is empty and he doesn't want me in there. I'm feeling paranoid about it like he is going to get someone else in. If this was my business I would be pushing it.

 

[squidgernetball]

If he's paying you anyway, he may just want you to help out. If there are no nail clients, maybe this is fair enough. I do wonder why he employed you with no work, but that's his look out. Are you helping out with anything that you can? Handing out leaflets outside the salon and in the street can really help to draw people in. We are so often asked by a waxing client "is there anyone who can do my nails now?" And we have to turn them away. It can be a spontaneous thing. A sign saying "walk in appointments available" may help but cheap signs in the window put up with blue tack should be avoided like the plague. Are you visible at the front of the shop or at the back?

If you want the job to last, you need to get clients. I'd personally be out on the street hauling them in [emoji87]

 

[AcidPerm]

He now wants me to come in on my days off to self promote and work in the hair salon for no pay.
I feel like I have nothing to work with, no marketing equipment just a few leaflets. I am trying to do all I can on Facebook.

Just No! What he is asking you to do is illegal (NMW) and he could get into trouble for it.

Do you think he's just wanting extra help in the hairdressing salon from someone who can do the odd set of nails if his hair clients request it?

 

[byKaty]

Just No! What he is asking you to do is illegal (NMW) and he could get into trouble for it.

Do you think he's just wanting extra help in the hairdressing salon from someone who can do the odd set of nails if his hair clients request it?

Good point @AcidPerm !! If he brings you in on days off then your hourly wage will drop below the minimum.
Maybe you need to call a mesting with him and ask him straight out why you are there? Is it nails or hair?? If it's nails then he needs to let you do what you think needs done to get them in. He shouldn't be stopping you from chatting to his clients, I don't get that at all, that means more money in his till and it's the clients choice whether they go elsewhere or stop with you.

 

[Jo's Nails]

I was so worried last night I couldn't sleep all sorts of things were going through my head and I was thinking the worst. I am sorry if I was a bit negativ. I really want this to work. I had a chat with my boss this morning before I started work and told him how worried I am. He was a bit more open to suggestion than yesterday and put my mind at ease but I still think it's very important to put my ideas foward. For instance I suggested a deal for today to get bums on seats and some money in the till so we both agreed for all colour/ highlight clients offer a reduced shellac. So the first client of the day was highlights (this can give you an insight of what he's like lol) he told me that he had explained the offer to her and she said no and he wouldn't let me go over to her. So I made her a cuppa and got chatting and before long she was sat in my chair having her nails done. Today was busy, I approached clients and got them to have there nails done I had quite a few walk-ins I felt strong and confident and I told him today I am happy because I am doing nails. I feel that I have to be a a bit more direct with him and I have to come up with a plan myself to gain a clientele. I wish I had the money to go self employed.

 

[Jo's Nails]

My boss has now told me that I have been wrongly employed.
I'm not sure what is going on or what his plans are.
In the interview I made sure he knew exactly what I was capable of, I set up three meetings with him after that and had phone calls to double check everything and he took me on on that basis. I'd had three other interviews to attend and foolishly turned them down because he wanted me to start straight away.
I've had droughts about my current position a few weeks ago after I realised there were no clients and he hadn't advertised his new businesses and I had thought to my self I should have gone to that other interview which was more local to me and I would have been doing a lot more than sitting doing nothing and the lady has a reputable business.

I have put so much into this gone in an hour early everyday, opened up the Facebook page and in my spare time I have been creating nails on friends for free and and posting them on his Facebook page with his business cards underneath in my own time at two o'clock in the morning.I thought I was building something.
The thought of looking for another job this close to Christmas and rearranging child care well ill have to do it?
I have no money, I am a single parent with absolutely no back up and all I've ever done is try as hard as I can. I am not contracted as when I started three 6weeks ago he said I wouldn't have a contract yet as everybody is on different rates and it would be a while before I had one.
I don't know why he has opened this business but I did hear him on the phone asking someone to come and rescue his business so I think that's why he has been stopping me from advertising?

 

[AcidPerm]

Oh dear, that doesn't sound too promising if his business is in trouble.

The contract issue is a red herring as you do have an employment contract with him in legal terms, from when you started working there. He should have provided a written contract but not doing so doesn't invalidate your position. However, you don't have job security because you've not worked there long enough unless he dismisses you for pregnancy or one of the other specific reasons covered by the legislation.

You either have to sit tight and wait to be let go or try to find alternative employment. Some places might be hiring to cope with the rush in December but January/February is often quiet so it might not be a permanent position.

Maybe contact the other places where you had an interview just in case they still have a vacancy.

Would you consider going self employed?
If so, ask him if he'd consider letting you have the nail desk rent free until you have secured a regular clientele and then you'd be happy to pay him a weekly rent.