Success: Are you ready for it?

[izzidoll]

I see there have been a few threads of late, asking for advice on how to set up and start off businesses, but how far ahead do you look when you are first starting up, and are you prepared for success?

When I was an Educator the most common reason students gave for being on their course was they wanted to be able to work around their families! and doing nails would realise that ambition.
I didn't get it then, and I don't get it now !

OK I started nails thinking of it as part time work that I would enjoy, but 4 years in and having become an Educator I was working a 7 day week, 5 in the salon(with late nights) 2 doing Training and only getting 2 days off every 6 weeks between courses. After 6 months of this I finally employed another technician in the Salon and got 1 day off, EVERY week

My husband was wonderfully supportive but I don't know how people manage to build a business without that support, and with kids!!!

We work hard in this business to build up a good and loyal clientel, but with that done we then need to keep putting in the hours to service that clientel, and only then start to reap the financial rewards.

How do you manage with all this and kids too, and have you planned it all out right from the start?

I honestly don't see how you can turn a good profit (making all your hard work worthwhile) if you are only prepared to work hours that suit you, and not your clients.

Feel free to put me right......................

 

[kimi1101]

I suppose it all depends on what you want from it.

When I worked for someone, employed, I gave 100%. I worked all the hours asked by my boss, and some etxra to accomodate clients who were wanting out of hours appts. (Funnily enough the last day I worked for my ex boss was a Sunday - doing her clients a favour)

But I didn't resent it, I loved it. And now I have the salon myself, I love it even more. I had my first 5 day week last week - I left the salon for a total of 3 hours. I put a lot in but am lucky to have got a lot back too.

I knew from day one I needed to put in the work. I had planned to work only 5 days from January, but after splitting with my boyfriend and having to 100% support myself, I realised this wasn't going to happen. But I'm glad that happened because I just wouldn't have been able to take a day off then. The salon still needed me.

As you say, I don't know how people with kids manage. I couldn't look after kids when I had a salon and vice versa!! But this maybe is just because I've not needed to.

 

[persianista]

You have dared to ask the question I would have loved to! I have no children and devote vast amounts of time and energy to my salons. I have no idea why people open salons expecting it to fit around school times. I find mine are very full on, and I can only do what I do because I have lots of help and support.

I don't generally answer posts by people who are pregnant and want a salon as I think they are mad.
I may be wrong and there is a magic way of making business ownership part time and I will be interested in the responses.

 

[chocolatepickle]

I totally agree and I have a child. So in answer to your question, No, I am not ready for success.
I suppose for many it could work with the help of full time childcare, be it nursery or with family, but personally I cant devote as much time to either clients or business whilst being the parent I want to be to my child. So that will mean for me somethings got to give. For now that something has got to be my career. Not because I dont have passion, or ambition, but because my PRIORITY lies for now with the welfare of my child. Perhaps there are people out there who can have their cake and eat it, just I personally dont feel I can.
As I have become busier more recently I am finding more and more that this question is popping up in my head. I have to arrange clients around childcare and I am struggling! I either am lucky and my sister can help out- which is the easiest option, or, the client is able to fit in on the days I have a nursery space or when my other half is at home. If none of these work I either have to turn the customer down or find alternative childcare and disrupt my little ones routine quite often. It really is a right PITA! But I love my son and I love working for myself but I'm a realist and the reality for me is that in these circumstances I can never class myself as successful. Thats not to say one day I wont be as I am 100% confidant that I will be- just not today.

We're taking the decision now whereby:
I keep plodding along as i am, learning slowly and gaining slow steady experience. Although its a mess about its do-able and we can have another baby now and I can really work on having a career when the baby is old enough for childcare,
or
We have only one child and I can go for it now as my little one now is getting bigger and is nearly eligible for pre-school funding so we wont have huge childcare costs and I'm already building a steady client base by the week.

I don't know how others manage as I don't feel I can have my cake and eat it so now i have to decide which way to go! Luckily I'm only 23 so time i feel is on my side which ever way i choose.

 

[sarahpoppy24]

Hey brilliant thread!! i work HARD fro my money!! I would say there is no way on earth I could do this job if I had a family or sometimes even a boyfriend, I put everything into my job and I love it but yeah it is a massive stress too and I only have myself to look after let alone staff!!
I would say that my business although small is a succes I have loads of clients and I update my education regularly. I dont see there being a problem of working part time hours as long as you are trained and up todate and legal etc, but if you want this to be your job and income you need to work extremely hard!!!xx

 

[izzidoll]

You have dared to ask the question I would have loved to! .

....and to think I thought you weren't backwards at coming forward lol!!!

Thanks chocolatepickle for your input on this.

What I also would like to add, is why don't more people with children go down the employed route? Then you can have set hours and work your childcare accordingly.

Is being employed seen as being less successful??

....I certainly don't think so, and know a lot of very successful and talented nail technicians who have no intention of opening their own salon, or being self employed as they are happy working in a salon with a secure wage and good working conditions.

 

[Ruth Mills]

I think being self-employed is more risky... in that you can't rely on having a steady wage/salary coming in each month (which you would expect to have if you were in a permanent job for an employer)... so saying, it's potentially a lot more rewarding too, as you're working primarily for you, rather than your boss's new Jaguar.

Don't expect it to be an easy ride though... if you really get into it, it will become an obsession and you'll find yourself willingly working silly hours to make your business work...

 

[persianista]

It is not politically correct to point out that it is impossible for a woman with children to have the same as a woman without. I generally keep schtum on the subject. x

 

[essentia]

When my son was very small I did get 2 interviews for local jobs but I did not go for them as the hours were just so unrealistic. My son is now 6 and I work once again as self employed. I have just cut my evening hours especially as I can work almost every night some weeks but it just is not feasible any more and I know my family life suffers. It depends on what you class as successful - as earning at what I enjoy and having a child is successful to me. It may not be the stuff of some high flyers but I am happy. I know if I were single I could really go for it but that is the compromise. To have more kids or not - those are the type of decisions that most of us have to make at one time or another but business will always be there waiting for you if you want it.

 

[OBIC]

I'm slowly building a client base but I also work in a spa. The spa is extremely badly paid but I never wanted to be someone that went straight from college to running my own business. I have learnt so much working within that environment and I feel it has set me up better to have this experience. I'm not saying it is a problem not having any salon experience but I just knew/know that works better for me personally. Also I like the fact I get continual training and I guess it is good to know you are definitely getting aset amount of money each month.

I work the spa job and setting up self employed around my kids and fortunately so far (although only been doing it really since October) it has been fine. My youngest will be at school full time from September so things should get easier. Although I enjoy the spa it only equates to 16 hours a week and is a short drive whereas for 18 years I travelled to London to my secretarial job and juggled this for 7 years with my son which to be honest was a complete nightmare so I don't miss that at all. For me it wasn't about doing ajob that fit in around my family but doing a job that I knew I'd love and enjoy and I can't really say I ever enjoyed anything about being a secretary!!!!

As I said I love the spa, be it badly paid, I love working with the other girls there but I also love working for myself because I know all my hard earned cash is just for me and for example 9/10 of that hour spent on a full body massage isn't going into somebody else's pocket (yes it really is that badly paid!!!!).

 

[persianista]

But what about that person who has built the spa and pays all the bills and overheads? Did you know that 50% of the treatment cost is taken by taxation now?

 

[izzidoll]

It depends on what you class as successful - as earning at what I enjoy and having a child is successful to me. It may not be the stuff of some high flyers but I am happy.

That definitely counts as success...doing a job you enjoy and having a good work life balance is the goal a lot of people are striving for.


Maybe I should explain my title a little better, Success: Are you ready for it.

It is really about pointing out that it is all well and good, starting your own business, renting space in a salon/gym/hairdressers, intending only doing 2-3 days a week, but once you have built your clientel, and have a full appointment book for those 2-3 days.....what then....have you planned for that?
It would be great if Mrs X always wanted every 2nd Thursday at 3pm and Mrs Y every 3rd Friday at 9.30 etc etc, but as we all know clients aren't like that
What do you do when your best and most loyal client is going on holiday and HAS to have her nails done on a Tuesday and you don't do Tuesdays do you lose this client? Because eventually if you can't fit in the regulars by working more hours, you will lose them.

Or am I completely wrong
Do some of you manage to work part time hours and keep your client lists to just enough to tick over.
Am I a pessimist because in that scenario I would worry that losing even a couple of clients would be a huge loss, as opposed to having a larger client list that may be harder to juggle but can handle someone dropping off the radar for a while without affecting my takings.

 

[chocolatepickle]

....and to think I thought you weren't backwards at coming forward lol!!!

Thanks chocolatepickle for your input on this.

What I also would like to add, is why don't more people with children go down the employed route? Then you can have set hours and work your childcare accordingly.

Is being employed seen as being less successful??

....I certainly don't think so, and know a lot of very successful and talented nail technicians who have no intention of opening their own salon, or being self employed as they are happy working in a salon with a secure wage and good working conditions.

Actually, for me being employed IS what I was after as like you said, you have stability and know what you are doing and should we decide to have more children (we hopefully will!!!) that is the route i will again take in order to keep doing the job I want.
The only reason I am self employed now is for a few different reasons I had to leave the job I was in so just fell into it whilst looking for another job.
But for the last month or so that I've been self employed I've earned a lot better money as self employed and I would, if I do carry on in this way, consider myself successful- yet I don't think this will happen because of the decision I will no doubt take to have another child at which point I will again look to become employed.
I just would not class myself as successful when only earning a low wage from someone else as opposed to earning a good wage working for myself.

 

[persianista]

If you want to earn GOOD money, then remember this is a service industry and we must be there when people want us.
If you do this for personal satisfaction then finding the part time to suit with the clients to suit would be deemed great success
You choose.

 

[chocolatepickle]

What do you do when your best and most loyal client is going on holiday and HAS to have her nails done on a Tuesday and you don't do Tuesdays do you lose this client? Because eventually if you can't fit in the regulars by working more hours, you will lose them.

Or am I completely wrong
Do some of you manage to work part time hours and keep your client lists to just enough to tick over.
Am I a pessimist because in that scenario I would worry that losing even a couple of clients would be a huge loss, as opposed to having a larger client list that may be harder to juggle but can handle someone dropping off the radar for a while without affecting my takings.

This is why I feel I struggle now having a child, because I do what I can to fit in with the clients needs- I dont work set hours as a part timer as I cant set part time hours to suit everyone. I tend to at the moment work as and when and am clutching at childcare where I can get it when its not on my set days... and its proving difficult! I'm doing it though as I have found that otherwise I will- and HAVE lost customers for that reason.

 

[OBIC]

But what about that person who has built the spa and pays all the bills and overheads? Did you know that 50% of the treatment cost is taken by taxation now?

Yes sorry I do know that it is a lot of bills, rent, stock etc, just fancied a quick moan about my bad pay!

 

[Brandywine]

I think you have a valid point. I'm self employed, work from a home salon and a local clinic. It works for me as I don't have a big client base, this suits me fine at the moment, and it's almost been like an apprenticeship, learning what clients want etc. But once my youngest is an older teenager (he's 9 at the moment) I will run my business differently and will expect to work a lot more hours, but earn more money too.

Personally I want to be a hands on mum and have a less "successful" business-I earn less money, but thats my choice and I believe you can't have your cake and eat it.

 

[izzidoll]

I believe you can't have your cake and eat it.

Having lived through the Shirley Conran 'Superwoman' years, and the feminism of the 70's & 80's I now totally agree with you.
I wish I could go back and talk to the bolshy feminist that I was and tell her to shut up!:smack:

 

[Martin Duffy]

I agree entirely that when success comes it's bloody hard work! When clients go to rebook & they see how busy my diary is they all say "ohh it must be really nice to have a successful business" & although part of me wants to say "yes, I'm really made up that I've built a good business" another part of me wants to say "but it would be nice to have a few quiet days"!!!

If only the day ended with the treatments, what a lot of people don't take into account is all the paperwork & never ending orders, invoices & decisions that need to be made. On top of that is the constant requirement to develop the salon; in short the business seems to become your life! I'm sure it can't just be that I'm a man & thus supposedly incapable of multi-tasking that makes me wonder how people fit in a family & a business!!!

 

[mizzy_dizzy]

Why self employed and not employed ? GOOD QUESTION!
For me it is this, I'm on a tiny island with very expensive buses, so I have to work locally, I also have 3 kids at 3 different schools, one of the children is autistic and has A.D.H.D so I don't think working at a different town would be a good move for me, I also don't drive, my other half is in Iraq and I have no family close by anymore, so I need to be local, a home salon sounds perfect to me but with my autistic child I'm not going to bring anyone into the home , it is his ,to be him self in ,
In my local area there are ALOT of nail places where they rent a desk, and just one place deadacated just to nails who do have employed staff . Problem is the way that they work and the products that they use are not anywhere close to the standard that I have come to learn about and want for my clients and my self as a tech,
I have build up a very good business in a very short time , but I was having to hand out over 150 a week in child care in term time and in school holiday time it was 300 pounds a week! 20 a day per kid.. That's only going on me doing weekdays and not Saturdays, this Easter (2 week holiday) I was faced with the choice work and pay 600 in child care or stay home ....
I have now got another tech in to work part time so that I can still have the room , it was the only way to cover the rent and not have a massive child care bill, I can now only do 16 hours a week ...
IT is totally sole distroying! & I hate it !
I just keep telling my self things will change soon , and they will do ,
Maybe I was trying to have everything , maybe I was being selfish to think I could work aswell as have kids but if it wasn't for the extortionate cost of child care I still would be doing it full time , (and I will again!)