Taking a step back?

[crystaltash]

Hi Geeks,
I'm in a bit of a dilemma and need some advice. My salon has been up and running for a year and a half now and it's going really well. I have a girl who is working for me and has been with me since January.
She is brilliant - her waxing skills are fab, massage is excellent - everything is great about her. I started her off on 16 hours a week and now she is up to 23.5 hours a week. She is in the salon on her own on wednesdays and runs it really well. Clients like her and she has brought some of her own clients with her too. She told me when I employed her that she would like full time work when I could provide the hours.

Right now, I'm really pleased with the way the salon is going but I know it could be promoted and marketed better and that is the part of running the salon I really love. To be honest, I don't really enjoy doing a lot of the treatments anymore and I would rather concentrate on working ON the salon, rather than working IN it. So I was thinking about making this girl full time. It's a viable option and I can afford it. I will still work in the salon part time on the busy days and then the rest of the time I will work behind the scenes trying to get more people into it and then hopefully be able to employ another part timer!

For some reason though, I feel guilty. I feel like I should be in the salon all the time. But it's getting increasingly harder to both work in the salon and on it, IFKWIM. I feel I've really found my passion in the marketing end of things and the girl who works for me really loves the treatment end of things. But is it fair on her? You know, leaving her there on her own some days?
Have any of you made this transition? If so, how did you feel? Is it the right thing to do? I feel it is, but any advice would be much appreciated.
Thanks guys. Your wisdom always helps me.

 

[Bettierae]

Leaving her on her own some days is fine, and as she gets to grips with it all she will find it easier and easier. If you are wanting to work on the salon, and not in the salon, can't you base yourself there anyway? If you have a back room, get it spruced up, office style. Get yourself kitted out with your laptop, printer, broadband etc. Make the most of your reception area and appoint yourself unofficial receptionist and when you are there you can be in and out of the salon, with your sales face on, promoting your services face to face.

That way you get the best of all worlds, you are doing your promotion/advertising, you are giving your girl full time hours as requested, you get to oversee things, and you can mix up your time accordingly. Just make sure you have regular catch ups/staff meetings at least monthy so you both are on the same wavelength. In time, get yourselves a level 1/2 student from college. That way your salon is busy and your girl gets help, and isn't on her own much. hth x x

 

[beauty8984]

As from your first point it seems she would be fine and i think she would like to be more in charge but thats just my opinion. Maybe have a chat with her and let her know what you want to do and if she is ok with the whole situation. That way you can make sure she is confident enough to work alone. Thats also a brilliant idea - to set up a back room then you can always be there on hand if it is needed at any point and you can go out of the salon to promote or stay in the back room to send out emails. hth :Grope:

best of luck, let us know what you decide xx

 

[NIKKIhair]

Hi Geeks,
I'm in a bit of a dilemma and need some advice. My salon has been up and running for a year and a half now and it's going really well. I have a girl who is working for me and has been with me since January.
She is brilliant - her waxing skills are fab, massage is excellent - everything is great about her. I started her off on 16 hours a week and now she is up to 23.5 hours a week. She is in the salon on her own on wednesdays and runs it really well. Clients like her and she has brought some of her own clients with her too. She told me when I employed her that she would like full time work when I could provide the hours.

Right now, I'm really pleased with the way the salon is going but I know it could be promoted and marketed better and that is the part of running the salon I really love. To be honest, I don't really enjoy doing a lot of the treatments anymore and I would rather concentrate on working ON the salon, rather than working IN it. So I was thinking about making this girl full time. It's a viable option and I can afford it. I will still work in the salon part time on the busy days and then the rest of the time I will work behind the scenes trying to get more people into it and then hopefully be able to employ another part timer!

For some reason though, I feel guilty. I feel like I should be in the salon all the time. But it's getting increasingly harder to both work in the salon and on it, IFKWIM. I feel I've really found my passion in the marketing end of things and the girl who works for me really loves the treatment end of things. But is it fair on her? You know, leaving her there on her own some days?
Have any of you made this transition? If so, how did you feel? Is it the right thing to do? I feel it is, but any advice would be much appreciated.
Thanks guys. Your wisdom always helps me.

What are your long-term goals for this salon? That is the first thing you need to ask yourself. Yes, you want to market more, but will you be adding more girls into the salon?

And with you being the owner you need to figure out how much you are going to be working there. You ARE the owner. You need to be there at some point during the day or always have your phone on you incase of an emergency.

The way I am lookin at it is--- You want to expand your business, and be more on the business-end of it. So what's stopping you?

 

[MissConfused]

hello
i don't have any advice to offer on what to do apart from to just follow what your hearts telling you to do i really just wanted to say well done for making your salon such a sucess that you are in the position you are in! x

 

[WaxGirl]

i totally agree with the above poster, it sounds like you have done a fabulous job, its lovely to hear success stories, and ohhh guilt? its such a wasted emotion! just enjoy your success, you really sound like a lovely boss and the way you speak about your employee shows the high regard you have for her, it sounds like she is doing really good job, i think if you have made such a success so far that you should just contiue to trust your instincts as it sounds like you have good judgement.

well done and all the best whatever decision you make!