Success: Are you ready for it?

[*sarah*]

I think I was quite naieve when I decided I wanted to be a nail technician, for starters I thought it looked easy & was good at painting my nails how hard could it be errrrr VERY lol
I also had to set up my own business to get the money for my CND course as no salons were taking on staff without qualifications, wish I could have had some experience first. I added services as I thought maybe just doing nails & on L & P at that was my problem no its beacsue apart from the odd effort I had sat on my boney backside expecting it all to come to me!
Well after nearly 4 years I have learnt the hard way and even though I am starting to build up an OK clientelle I know, and I am working harder
I really worry about the future as I do want to have kids, but I am hoping by then I will have a sucessful salon that runs its self but still keeping my hand in, or perhaps this is naieve unrealistic too??? xx

 

[sarahpoppy24]

Hey guys, im realy liking this thread, its a bit contrevercial but I can realy see the points everyone is making. When I decided to go self employed it was my choice so I have no right to moan at all, I CHOSE THIS JOB! I also know full well that when I go to have children etc the job (in this form)will have to go, sounds a bit harsh but its the truth. When I choose to have kids I know that will be my choice as well and I cant have my cake and eat it, that life!!! The way I interpreted the question was more of are you ready to be busy, to be successful at any job you need to be prepaired to put in loads and loads of hard work, do long hours and be passionate enough to be able to spend alot of your time revolved around your career. I also think that there is a misconseption that this job is so easy anyone can do it, that its not hard work and even if you did long days then filing nails cant be stressful right?????? I dont know if im making myself very clear here. But I think that success means different thing to different people, but to be successful at this OR ANY career you need to be ready to put in the training, the hours, your own money needs to go back into it etc.... I think this post was more aimed at being successful in your career than general success at life. Correct me if im wrong but that is how i read it xxx

 

[leonnib]

I think its possible to have children and have a successful business.you have to work harder then someone who doesn't have kids as you also have to be a mum/dad. I have a 2 and a half year old and 7 month old. I was pregnant when I opened my salon.I made some sacrifices like going back when she was 3 weeks old & I do work all the time at home on my pc. But I have one day off during the week and Sunday off with my family and we go away every couple of weeks on a hotel break with the kids.I have just expanded my business a year in so i dont think nothing is impossible it was just alot harder. I don't get help from family only my partner. my business is my full time job and only income so sticking to 2-3 days a week wouldnt have been realistic for me to earn enough or keep my business growing.
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[essentia]

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.

Regarding your reply I actually have some flexibility in my days, which helps cover these issues. I will work say 2 evenings but I will change which days they are to suit the clients or work an odd Saturday. Daytimes would be harder if you pay for childcare as they tend to be set times. I feel that really loyal clients will work their diary out if they know your working hours. We cannot always be everything to all people and I guess that can be a sacrifice that happens. TBH if you work FT you still may not be able to help every single client every time.

 

[Vetty]

Brilliant thread Izzi! I am an established self employed mobile nail tech with kids and at times it's really hard!! In the early days it was easy because I had more time on my hands, now I'm seriously busy and I have to juggle.

I work set hours mobile - 9am - 3pm Monday to Friday, 6pm onwards Monday to Wednesday. But, I also can offer appointments from home at 4pm...... The reasons behind my hours are due my children being of primary school age, I drop them at school zip off to my 9am client, finish my 1pm client and come back for school pick up. As the kids are older primary now (11 and 8) I can work from home with them here without them needing me for basic necessities but there is definitely a balance and I wont work after school every day it's not fair on them. I have a very supportive husband who is on his own without complaint 3 or 4 nights a week and I couldn't so what I do without his back up.

The reason I chose mobile is that I can flex my hours more easily than in a salon environment where IMO you need to be there all the time.

As I become more successful it gets more challenging. I'm a bit like Martin, I'm so glad I'm busy but could use a couple of quiet days right now!! One of my regular evening clients was ill last week so cancelled her appointment, I then had to tell her I had no spaces until her next appt in 2 weeks time which she accepted. Tbh I am running myself ragged at the moment trying to do everything but I know a quiet spell could come so I take the work while it's there. I am turning away new evening clients at the mo and sighing every time my phone rings with people wanting appts today/tomorrow/this week!!

Like others have said I'm not successful financially in the same way as some on here, but I'm almost fully booked and still managing to do the school run every day...... I don't get time to eat a proper meal during the week, haven't had my hair cut since April and really need a couple of hours to buy Fathers Day presents, but all in all I'm managing pretty well. I love my job and most of the time I manage to have work/life balance as well as earn a decent living.

Blimey Izzi you've made me think lots!!!

 

[sharneshairroom]

This is a great thread. I think you can have both, just not straight away... Like they say all good things come to those who wait. I am lucky in the fact I had done all my training etc before babies came along, AND had only just started out self employed. I was busy enough for part time at the start, so when I found out I was pegnant with no. 1 I decided to chill the business side down for a couple of years till she goes to school. I am pregnant with no. 2 thinking that I will have them close, then I will be able to concentrate on business once they're a little older. I have my in laws look after no.1 (and no.2 eventually) two full days and evenings, and my hubby looks after on saturdays. If for any reason a client HAD to come when I had the baby, I try to juggle then, but it hasn't happened yet, so am finding it ok. I am not a business success yet, but am trying to tick it over till I can be