Sorry another room rental post but need help!!

[littlekate]

Hi everyone,
I am trying to find a room to rent to do my beauty business from and so far have looked at two and am wondering whether either or none are suitable?

The first one I looked at is in a town about 20-30 min drive from where I live. Its a busy, wealthy area and the room is in a hairdressers which is on the high street but is not very visble but there is room to put a sign to promote. I would get 2 rooms for £100 a week. one is a large room and one a small room. There is parking round the back of the shop. Its a great room but don't think my existing mobile clients will travel that far. A few said they would but it seems like I would be starting from scratch really but I would get the hairdressing clients coming in so would poss counteract this?? There are already 2 beauty salons in the town.

The second is in my cousins estate agents which is in the town I live in so could walk to it. They have a spare office out the back which is a good size, has a back entrance so clients wouldn't have to walk through the shop and there is a car park behind the shop which is free for 2 hours. It has nice beams in the room and there is a toilet next door and space for a waiting chair. I'm not sure what the rent will be yet but my cousin said he'd do me a deal so think it would be cheap. I'm just not sure if clients would be put off coming into the back? Also it would not be visable to passers by.

What do you guys think?? Any comments are greatly appreciated as my boyf tries to help but doesn't really have a clue!! Bless him!! Thanks xx

 

[Mouffloncake]

Hey!!

Good luck

If out of the choice of the two, my gut insticnt would say go for the two rooms in the hair salon.

Hair & beauty go hand in hand, winning formula. I wouldnt worry about there being 2 beauty salons intown already.

People almost expect to see something beauty related around a hair salon but they wouldnt be looking so hard for a beauty room at the back of an estate agents maybe?

Would your existing mobile clients come to you if you have the room at the back of the estate agents, is that closer for them?

Would you consider having both? So you split the week & pay 1/2 the rent to one & 1/2 to the other plus have set days in each. That way, you would be exposed to two sets of client in diff areas.
I know it's a case of doubling up on things like wax pot etc.
(This is what I'm do at the moment, two rooms in two towns).

It is hard to say without seeing the two. Also, I know everybody will have their own thoughts on the situation. It is good to kick these thoughts around tho.

Where I have one of my treatment rooms, there are at least 10 high street salons plus you have a good handful of mobile/home based therapists!

Would your weekly rent be all inclusive? One of my rooms is all inclusive but the other has sneeky extras.... Phone bill, water cooler, music liscense.....

How exciting tho I really enjoy having a room & not having to lug all my gear around with me.
xx

 

[number1kitty]

Personally I would say the hair salon. 2 rooms for £100 a week bargain!

You will have the entire hair salon client base as potential new customers. They will trust you as they trust the hair salon.

Just make sure that they will work with you and recommend you especially the staff so people know you exist. Its amazing how few people notice theres a beauty salon in their hair salon!

If they dont recommend you or are off with your clients then it can do more harm than good.

Kate

 

[littlekate]

Thanks guys.
My gut instinct is saying no to the estate agents. I think it would be harder to get people to know its there although it is in my present clients area. I think I would struggle to get new clients in.

I do like the hair salon rooms and it seems like a good situation to be in I just wish it was closer for my existing clients to get too and I hate letting them down! I think its a case of do I do it for them or for me!

Maybe I should wait and see if something else comes along, although I don't want to miss out on an opportunity! Oh its so difficult!!

I really want to have my own room as I miss doing facials and would like to do more treatments like hot stone massage and caci etc which arent easy to do mobile. Maybe I could do 2 days mobile and the rest of the week in the hairdressers??? Im not sure if they would reduce the rent for this? Worth a try I suppose!

 

[essentia]

Hi I would look more closely at the contractual arrangements that you would have to make on both properties before jumping in to either. Renting rooms in salons can be notoriously fraught with problems - a hairdressers does not mean automatic clientele! I know I have been a hairdresser in the past and rented as a BT in several hairdressers.

I presume with the local one it would mean that most of your clientele would presumably follow. A client only last week told me that she preferred going to somewhere discreet especially if she was having her waxing done so no one could see her face afterwards and avoided high street salons!!!! Only you know what to go for but I would see where you stand contractually first.

 

[littlekate]

Good idea thanks. I think I will go and see them again and ask more questions this time as the first time I went I completely forgot what I wanted to ask and got carried away getting too excited!! I suppose there is always going to be a risk whatever I do. I just really want a room and feel if I don't do it someone else will and I will have missed out.

 

[RedAdmiral]

I'm not liking the estate agents tho being in the hairdressers does not equate clients. Hair/nails/beauty go well with each other but do not garauntee that you will be busy. Like all business' you will have to promote andmarket your business.
I think the 2 room option, as at least you'll have somewhere to do spray tans/nails without odours interfering with your facials.