Taking on apprentice?

[sam1]

I need help! I'm having to turn business away cause I'm only one person and cannot work 24/7 ,also completely unimpressed by alot of the training near to me and haven't yet seen work I'd be happy to employ.So I've been asked by a client who has just completed her certII in beauty therapy if I will train her to do nails? I'm seriously considering it as she has a full time job else where (dress shop) so I don't have to put her on yet and I have twelve months till renos happen at the salon I work at and I have the room to put in another table.Twelve months to get her to a stardard I find acceptable then she can sit a recognition of prior learning exam so she can get her cert III in Nail Technology.So question is do I give it a good, is it a cr*p idea, would you ever consider doing it? Input needed please!
Sam

 

[Winky]

I'm in the same situation, I find I'm having to turn away clients and I don't have any time left for myself. I opened my shop 6 months ago and want to start an advertising campaign but I'm afraid that I won't have time to fit anyone else in. So this week I hired an "aprentice". She's a beauty therapist but knows very little about enhancements. For the last 3 days she's been sitting by my side watching me work and in between clients she practices on my nails. Today I let her do some work on clients. She starts to thin out the old gel on one hand while I start on the other, then I take over from there. The problem that I'm having is that since i have no free time in my schedule i can't find time to sit and teach her. It's also very hard for me to refuse a paying client so that I can have teaching time. And then there's the possibility that she may just leave as soon as I've taught her what she needs to know. There are a lot of things to consider before going ahead with the apprenticeship and whatever you decide to do, I wish you luck! As for me I'm giving it a try, and if it doesn't work out then it'll just be a learning experience for me.

 

[oey]

Are these apprentices doing college/private training at the same time as being your apprentice.

I am sure there is other salon duties they can do for you. It will be suprising that in time the amount of work they can do for you that you never even considered. Why not find a way of Beauty Therapists doing some beauty treatments in your salon.

Are you paying them?

 

[Winky]

Are these apprentices doing college/private training at the same time as being your apprentice.
She is already a licensed beauty therapist, so no, she isn't doing any other training simultaneously

I am sure there is other salon duties they can do for you. It will be suprising that in time the amount of work they can do for you that you never even considered.

In my case, I plan on having my "apprentice" help with answering phones, making apointements, cleaning, talking to potential customers who walk in while i'm busy and watching the shop if i need to step out. (Oh and also allow me to have a luch break!) But since she started only a couple of days ago, she needs to get settled in before she actually starts doing any real work. What I mean by this is that, for example...right now she answers the phone but no one wants to talk to her, they insist on speaking to me. It's going to take time for my clients to get used to dealing with someone other than me. I've been working solo for nearly 5 years and my clients are worried about being attended to by someone else. Also if i make her spend the day cleaning, for example, she won't be learning to do nails, and it's in my interest (and hers) that she learn as quickly as possible.

Why not find a way of Beauty Therapists doing some beauty treatments in your salon.
I briefly considered this, and while it would keep her busy it goes against my vision for the shop. My business is nails-only and that sets me apart from the rest of the salons in my area.

Are you paying them?

Yes.

 

[oey]

I think it will work well for you. Like you say, just need to give it time for your clients to get to know her.

Would it be worth finding a way to get here some professional training with the system that you use. That way she will be able to help you with any new clients quicker than before. You wont be the one doing all the training either which will suit your rime better.

 

[Winky]

Thanks! I really hope it goes well. I would get her outside training but, like
Sam1, I'm also not impressed with the training being given by the local schools (I've frequented most of them out of curiosity). And right now I'm working on starting my own training center. That's another reason why I need help in the shop, so that I can have time for training.