What would you do?

[mdskora]

I have a small problem...

I work 3 days a week in a hair salon... rent free.. I have know the owner for 16 years and he would rather have a nail tech rent free than not at all.

My problem is that I cant have my nail table... or the chair that i want.. as it doesnt match the salon decore.. His ex wife used to be the nail tech and it has all been made to her likings...

Also the waxing room i share with the other hair dresser is also used as the washing up room, the lunch room... people come and go as they please..... it is not to the standard that i would like.. hygeine wise and other...

Today I went into work on my day off to do a set of nails and waxing for a client that is going over seas on the weekend... I was in the middle of a braz wax and they made my client get dressed and leave the room so that one of their hair clients could have a eye brow wax... which i had to do and they ended up with the money!!!
How embarassing .... so then my client went back onto the room and we finished off her waxing... not without 3 knocks on the door for their lunches and pure stupid requests.... can you beleive that... I have had clients tell me that they dont feel confortable getting waxed in the salon..

My hubby and I have been thinking about turning our front room into a salon.. I have the perfect room that i could close off from the rest of the house and I have side axcess so the kids would never need to fo into the salon...

But I am worried about letting the boss down and also not having the walk in customers etc.... these are hard times to be up rooting and starting again....

Another reason I am wanting a change is my boy has started school nd I now only see him on sundays.... he is at school mon to fri and I work at the salon on sat....

Thanks for listening.. I am still very cranky about what happened today..

What am I going to do?...

X Mel:cry:

 

[geeg]

I have a small problem...

I work 3 days a week in a hair salon... rent free.. I have know the owner for 16 years and he would rather have a nail tech rent free than not at all.

My problem is that I cant have my nail table... or the chair that i want.. as it doesnt match the salon decore.. His ex wife used to be the nail tech and it has all been made to her likings...

Also the waxing room i share with the other hair dresser is also used as the washing up room, the lunch room... people come and go as they please..... it is not to the standard that i would like.. hygeine wise and other...

Today I went into work on my day off to do a set of nails and waxing for a client that is going over seas on the weekend... I was in the middle of a braz wax and they made my client get dressed and leave the room so that one of their hair clients could have a eye brow wax... which i had to do and they ended up with the money!!!
How embarassing .... so then my client went back onto the room and we finished off her waxing... not without 3 knocks on the door for their lunches and pure stupid requests.... can you beleive that... I have had clients tell me that they dont feel confortable getting waxed in the salon..

My hubby and I have been thinking about turning our front room into a salon.. I have the perfect room that i could close off from the rest of the house and I have side axcess so the kids would never need to fo into the salon...

But I am worried about letting the boss down and also not having the walk in customers etc.... these are hard times to be up rooting and starting again....

Another reason I am wanting a change is my boy has started school nd I now only see him on sundays.... he is at school mon to fri and I work at the salon on sat....

Thanks for listening.. I am still very cranky about what happened today..

What am I going to do?...

X Mel:cry:

A home salon is a perfect solution in so many ways, Mel. The one way it is not perfect is 'exposure'. You have to work hard so that clients know you are there. But yours sounds like a perfect set up to me.

Having said that, could you not ease your way in to a home salon and work both places until clients get to know where you are?
Could you talk to your friend who has the salon, candidly about your concerns about the hair salon? Surely anyone can see that it is a really bad situation re the waxing. The salon decor not being to your liking is a minor thing really. Hygiene and privacy are not minor things!! :irked:
Working rent free sounds like a sweet deal, but how long will that last if he decided differently?

 

[mdskora]

My thought exactly... exposure was the word i was looking for...

I was thinking about working both until they got used to "love:" coming to my house...
I had spoken to Tom about the waxing issue...he is one of these... "yeah yeah... we might move and get a proper beauty room...".. we have been going to paint for about 3 years and nothing ever happens...
He has been sooooooo good to me that i feel guilty even thinking about moving from there...

I do think I need to be honest with him and tell him that i am planning on moving home within the next 18mths so i can look after my family better...

I want a great room that smells wonderful.. that has soft music and candles.... not a blarring radio and bitchy staff...

Maybe I could set it up and give it a real good 5 day a week try for 2 years and see what i can make....

Nails I love.... Waxing is easy money if you are quick..

I am sooooo confussed... Also I will be taking away the kids tv/toy room.....
I was a mother that NEVER wanted a tv or toys in their bedrooms..... but I will need to if i take it away from them

X Mel

 

[alpina]

Just to give you something else to think about...

You have certain advantages by from home also. You do have to work harder to gain exposure but that could be a good thing - you are getting your name out there, offering specials, etc, while a lot of the salons may not be doing this.

Also you can work different hours to the salons and offer late appointments (if you choose to do this) . I find this has been a big advantage for me as most salons close at 4/5pm here. Late nights are usually 6pm, not enough time for a full set after work.

I opened my home salon with not even one client but I have made it work and I think it was the best desicion I've ever made.

 

[mdskora]

Ange,
That is great.. well done to you.... In my mind I can see this perfect little room with Aqua blue and white linen.. beautiful art on the walls and candles and music playing... I would need to spend a little bit of money to get it to that stage and at the moment it is bright red( kids toys room).. I would need to add a wall or a divider so that i could do the waxing in private... These things take time and I am sure that if I do what Gigi suggested and work from both for a while it would work no trouble.... My aim is to want people to rather come to the house than the salon.. when they are asking for this preference I will know when it is time...

I oftern crit people that did all beauty.. as I thinkto be a great nail tech you need to concentrate on that only.... bu lately I have wanted to offer more relaxing treatments .. massage after leg waxing etc... I dont want to loose touch with the nails tho...
What do you offer in your home salon and do you have a room at your house or it is in the garage?...

thanks
mel

 

[femmefan]

I have a home salon and find that because I work evenings in the week I usually have my Saturday free - great for the kids!

 

[alpina]

I have a home salon and find that because I work evenings in the week I usually have my Saturday free - great for the kids!

Oh lucky you, I usually do 9:30am - 7/8pm on Saturdays as well as nights during the week. I only do it cause I need the money though

 

[alpina]

I think it's a great idea working from both until you are ready to leave the salon. I think you'll be surprised though, it probably won't take long for your clients to love the home salon, especially with the privacy/hygeine situation in the salon.

I offer all aspects of beauty and nails, but do mostly nails at the moment. Skincare and relaxing spa treatments were my passion and I only wanted to 'do nails' as an extra. Pedicures were the main treatment I did to begin with but the nails side is really taking off. I certainly don't do the best nails around, but I'm really proud of the work I do and absolutely respect the health of my clients natural nails, so I seem to be getting a reputation for this and my client base is growing quickly.

I use the rumpus room underneath the house for the salon. I don't have room dividers yet, but I have it sort of divided into 4 separate areas. I have reception, waiting/retail display area, the beauty room and my sink/cleaning area. The nail desk is in the middle between the other areas. I'm having some panel blinds hung to separate the beauty room for privacy as soon as I can find someone to install them I do my tans in the bathroom attached to the room.

I'll add a couple of pictures as soon as I figure out how!

It sounds like you've this a lot of thought and you really want to make it happen, so I hope everything works out

Here's some pics of the salon:

I know my nail desk shelves are filthy, I've since bought some plasic drawers to keep it tidy

 

[mdskora]

Nice Ange...
I am a "messy" nail tech... I end up tidying and cleaning between clients.. I am yet to master the art of putting it straight back where you got it from...lol...
My other questions was how to divide the room without placing a perm wall.... your blinds sound like a great idea... I wonder if I can do something like that... suspend some of those nice steel thick wires from the roof and a stiff curtian or blind.. my mother in law is a dress maker I am sure that she would be able to come up with something... My husband just wants to get a builder in and do it properly... his words were...." we arn't going to do this for a few months and then forget about it are we"!!!!! he has little faith !.. actually that p'd me off a little...lol

I have mentioned this to a few clients this morning and they all said they would love to come to my house... I also mentioned it to the girls that i work with... feeling them out.. I told them I was thinking about working a few days from home on the beauty side.. just teh things that i cant do in the salon...

I was waxing a male client today and was interupted another 3 times this morning...one of them even came in the room to answer her mobile... jessus...

thanks for listening to me have a whine...

I also need to arrange my prodcuts in a much better user friendly way.. something to work on
X Mel

 

[nail_baby]

Hi,

Was also thinking for your room seperation issue that you can get some really lovely room dividers. They come in all shapes and sizes and are easy to move. My sister in law has one where you can put pictures in it which would be really good for advertising products without sticking posters to the wall.

Good luck

Nail_baby :green:

 

[Paperclip]

I think the set up you have at the moment sounds like it isn't working privacy or hygeine wise. I dont think that your boss is repecting you or your clients privacy. Just because they dont charge you rent they cant treat you like that, thats awfull.
I would get your room set up at home now and start telling your clients, because I am sure they would want to go to somewhere more private.
You can work the hours you want to, epecially with children.
I have a small salon in town, a one up, one down. Its suits me perfectly. I work 3 - 9 tues to fri, sat all day. I get the best of both worlds, work and children and happy husband.
Get going asap. You and your clients will certainly be happier.
Best of luck.

 

[mdskora]

Thanks for your thought..

What do you girls think of those cube storage thingys.... they all like a wall unit with 4 x 4 cubes.. I could put that across the room and hinge a "door" off one side to allow access to the waxing area.. hubby thinks it would work.. I could get some lovely material and cover a frame,, he will hinge it onto the book case/cube unit.... I could then use the cubes to store my linen neatly and photos of nails that i have done... candles.. my Ipod for nice relaxing music... not clutter just nice and simple.. oil burners etc.

I would not have to go to the ceiling and that way if things ever went pair shaped we would just use it for a study...

I wish i could just do it all tomorrow..

I would love someone to do me a canvas with a ladies foot in high strappy shoes and then i want to actually do nail art on her toe nails.. 3d.... do you think that would look crap? just a thought..

Keep the ideas coming..
thanks
mel

 

[mdskora]

Just a quick update...

We went furniture shopping today and had a look at some ideas... Room dividers, screens and curtains etc... I think my hubby is as excited as I am....lol.. he was like a baby in the candy store.

I already have the room half painted and we are going to get the furniture when we get back from holidays.

I am looking for a waxing / massage bed... any ideas?.

when it is finished i wil post some pics for you guys to see.. x Mel