Thinking of quitting..?

[Noo]

Hi Guys

I used to work in finance and re-trained couple of years ago as beauty therapist.

I went self-employed as mobile beauty therapist and have built up a successful business (too busy more than anything which is great).

However, I'm seriously thinking of giving it all up as it just seems so much work - both physically and mentally.

All the lugging kit and stock, keeping clients happy (all the clients who chop and change appointments aswell!!), organising diary, keeping website current, ordering/buying stock, keeping my books, organising other therapists for pamper party bookings....list goes on and on

If I'm not out at night chances are I'm doing work-related stuff in house - feel it's overtaking my life and I've got a 18mth old and a 3yr old who I also like to dedicate time to (obviously!).

I long for the days of leaving office without another thought of work till the next day but when you're self-employed there's no getting away from work as your mobile is your work. I'm always getting calls and emails I have to deal with when trying to have family time etc etc

There are parts of the job I love - I love doing pamper parties, my work in sheltered houses with the old ladies and seeing my 'regulars'. Wondered if I could somehow combine these areas with part-time office job?

Sorry for rambling on... wondered if any of you have felt like this and what you did or what's kept you going...

Another thing is not getting paid for holiday time - would love fortnight off but no chance I could afford it!! And that's me busy - hard to work up buffer in bank account when money is being spent on advertising, stock etc etc

aaarrgghh, in total quandry. Don't want to waste what I've built up but not enjoying it all at moment which isn't fair on clients or myself.

Any advice or words of encouragement would be much appreciated.
x

 

[hippy-chick]

I often feel like that! Although I rent 2 rooms and a training room, I still do talks and courses in the community. I feel sometimes that I work 24/7, if I'm not working physically I am emailing, updating website, sending emails to potential clients and students, or ordering. I also have to do research, and keep up to date with what is going on.

I then network, visit geek and 2 other forums.

But, I would not change this for the world! I love love love what I do, and I love love love being my own boss.

I would think about cutting out the mobile and focus on the pamper parties and the contract work that you have.

I too get sick of clients messing me around, not turning up for appointments are cancelling by text at 10.30pm the night before. If it wasn't for customers, I would be happy! lol! But, obviously my work is focused on customers.

i find the training side more enjoyable at the moment, working with like-minded people who are hellbent on bettering their skills. I am finding myself veering more and more towards that. I also have a year contract with MS society, so any other work on top of that is a bonus.

I love doing talks and demos in the community and get treated like royalty by the people who book me. I then go back to the salon to see crossed out appointments and its like a slap in the face and back to reality.

But, when it goes great, it is great! So the bad times usually outweigh the good times.

I think you mentioned trying to spend time with kids, and as they are both so young, would it not be best to spend more time with them and then pick up your business more when they are both in school.

If you decide to continue working at mobile, then dictate the hours that YOU want to work. Perhaps 2 days a week between 9-5pm and if that isn't good enough for some clients, then let them go. I work school hours Mon - Fri and a couple of late nights - this for some clients still isn't good enough, and I soon realised that their is no pleasing everyone so stopped trying to please everyone.

 

[chriscavell]

Hi
A friend of mine who ran her own freelance marketing business used to have a cut off point for answering emails and calls (unless they were emergencies in which case they called her landline but that was only for 'big' clients) which helped her, she had a small child at the time and obvioulsy wanted to look after her too, to switch off.
It was something like not before 9am and not after 5.30pm (answering most of her emails around lunchtime then again at the end of the day).
It would be an awful shame if you were to give up, youve obviously put in a lot of time and money to your business and quite frankly I can only hope that my efforts amount to the same as yours (Im scared that it wont work out and I wont have enough work). Im sure there are other suggestions but that was mine.

Good luck

 

[essentia]

It would be a shame to give up now as it one of the careers that can work well around a family. However as I am begining to find out that when you try and please everyone family life suffers - so to add to what the others have said draw some boundaries. I work school hours and some evenings. I recently did every evening and it was far too much. Your kids are so young and this time goes so quickly - find the balance. I have a mobile contact number and I do not answer calls after a certain time or on Sundays so it is less intrusive. :hug:

 

[Noo]

thank you all SO much - I think I might try some of these suggestions before quitting altogther.

I think I might get another mobile phone - one for personal use so I know if my present mobile goes it's work and I will decide on a cut-off time like suggested (good idea!).

I think what has happened is that I've got really busy and I've not prepared myself for it. I maybe need to decide on more structured hours that suit me and really try to stick to it.

Do any of you find it hard to stick to set hours when you have clients saying "but thats the only time I can manage" so you put them in diary and want to kill yourself after!!? aarrghh, I'm my own worst enemy but I think it stems from initially setting up your business - goes against grain to knock business back.

Thanks again for advice and spending time to reply - maybe just going through a rough patch where I need to take stock of where business is at and where I want it to head etc.

I have also emailed local college with regards to tutoring as think it's the next area I'm keen to get involved in.

xx

 

[Tracey Roberts]

All the advise given is very good, but before you think about quiting, think about how lucky you are also, compared to some people :hug:

 

[prettymiss]

I think any job has its ups and downs to be honest. When you're doing something day in day out your gonna find its down points! But like someone else said - think about how lucky you are!! I work in an office too and I hate it and cant wait for the day I can do Beauty full time. But at the moment I can directly compare the two.

That said, when I am doing it full time, Ive no doubt I'll complain about something - its human nature!

Have you thought about looking to rent a room in a hairdressers or something? That would solve the problem of lugging equipment around - something I hate doing too, and you'd have more set hours.

Ive got a 3 year old and I know how hard it is to balance everything.

Good luck with everything though!!

xxxx

 

[hippy-chick]

I used to accomodate EVERY request, and then realised that firstly I wasn't be appreciated for (what I viewed) the sacrifice, secondly, my family then had to shift about to accomodate the appointment and thirdly, I was harrassed as hell for it.

I now stick to set hours and only those hours. The clients that complained were generally the clients that messed me around and cancelled at the last minute anyhow.

I now work late on a tuesday and thursday. all the rest of the week its school hours.

 

[Annebet]

Hiya the advice u have been given already is great,I think in the begining we bend over backwards to get clients then nearly burn ourselves out lol.
I stopped doing mobile due to health reasons, but I think I would have ended up stopping anyway I found it a nightmare, I got a call for Valentines and it was a surprise from the hubby but he didn't have a clue what his wife wanted so i had to take everything with me Gel, Acrylic, Manicure, Pedicure items nail art the lot and it was one of them 3 storey houses I nearly cried I didnt lug everything up lol asked which she wanted and took that up, then I had someone ring for an appointement at 6.30pm so I went got there and her mum wanted hers doing as well, so inbetween them looking after the kids and on the moibile it took me till nearly midnight before i got home and I said never again, now I have a room all done up in the house so will be advertising from this september from home, I would do mobile but only during day time hours and maybe every Thursday late evening.
Just work out hours that suit you send all your clients letter's stating the new hours when you will be available, am sure they will understand. Good Luck

 

[Noo]

that's it exactly!!
total burn-out
nights lugging everything about -up 5-storey flats and not gettign home til midnight etc because you don't want to let anyone down so fit them in
right - going to take ALL comments under advisement and sort myself out.
you're right - when I was sitting in office I couldn't wait to get out!!
thanks again - you've ALL been brilliant

 

[tog]

1 set your hours of work and STICK to them
2 definitely have separate phones for personal/business use, and only answer the business one between 9 and 6 as already suggested. Also only reply to e mails during these hours
3 PUT YOUR PRICES UP! you are obviously busy enough to be able to do this. Even if you lose one or two clients. You will then be able to afford a holiday.
4 consider renting a room instead of mobile, which would stop all that lugging stuff about. You need to cost it all out first and check you will still be making the same money though.

Good luck x x x

 

[gillian w]

You have to be more strict with your work hours.With your children, set your work around them, if people want to see you THEY will change their hours.When your kids get older you are going to have to get them to clubs etc and you should have the time to do that, trust me the time you have to spend with your kids goes very quickly its not long before they wont want to spend time with you.
No one has my mobile i keep my answerphone on and when i have had a look at my diary i ring them back usually within the hour,but i need to plan around my family so i have never lost customers through this everyone has to be flexible.Work to live not live to work is always my moto especially when you have a young family..they should always come first.

 

[sarahpoppy24]

Hey hun, Ive not been doing it long but some weeks I find it hard but I have no family!!! Yeh id say the same as above and get those prices up!!!
If you lose a few you will still be making more money becasue you are getting more for the overall treatment per client hope this helps xxxxx:hug:

 

[Blue Rose]

Firstly well done on getting a good business going.

There have been some good suggestions made already & it really would be a shame to give it all up - something you no doubt would live to regret.

Have you ever considered employing somebody part time to help out?

That way you could spend a bit less time doing all the hard graft & focus on your marketing to build up the more profitable side of things like pamper parties & nursing homes.

You might find that the fewer hours you do doing treatments will bring back the passion again. As for the awkward clients who cancel last minute & chop & change, maybe get tougher & introduce a cancellation policy - and stick to it

Or, you could encourage your mobile clients who only have 1 or 2 treatments at a time to have more things done. You're there anyway so could afford to 'bribe' them with an incentive. Don't look at it as doing a treatment cheaper but what you are saving in petrol costs & your time travelling & lugging stuff about.

Whatever you think at the moment, there are always options.