when to invest in new things?

[christinarena]

Hi!
I was just wondering when is the best time to invest in new services/products for your salon. Do you think it is wise to invest straight away and have a salon which offers lots of different treatments (such as microdermabrasion machines, oxygen facials) Or do you think you should build up a strong client base, make some of your initial investment back, then add on new things?

 

[bombini]

I wish I knew the answer :|

I have invested in as much as I can & am now trying to build up a strong client base. I have then decided to introduce new treatments, eyelash perming etc as soon as I can afford to probably every 4 - 5 months.

What I won't be able to do for a long time is offer things like Caci Treatments or Body Wraps as I just haven't got the spare cash to inject in these things.

I think its good to offer a variety of treatments but there are some salons that offer to many !

 

[Chameleon]

Therees never a good time to invest,not in this industry anyway,2 years on and im still ploughing back into the business...and why??
Because its never a bad thing not to invest if you are SERIOUS about your work and to invest for the future.
Just know your goals and realisations and know what you believe and trust.
The rest will fall into place.

 

[eager beaver]

i feel that it is best to invest sooner rather than later if you can afford it. when i first started my business i used lesser known products and lots of treatments, but not some of the ones with a bigger outlay (no surgical etc).i was happily plodding along, but when i decided to get a loved facial brand in, tanning servives and a couple of new machines, i was literally busier by far over night. it made me wish i had done this from the start. a decent product range doesnt need selling, it sells itself, and clients love the more specialised treatments (dermabrasion etc). let prospective clients know from teh off start that you are a high quality salon etc that has clearly researched and invested in their business.This is only my opinion, HTHs xx

 

[jax]

Thats a tricky one.

I personally would base that decision on a few factors, but here is a couple of questions I would ask myself to start off with -

What percentage capacity is my salon working at?
Should I concentrate my marketing on increasing that percentage, before making further investment?

The reason these questions for me, are key is because its easy to throw money at something in an effort to improve it - but its not always the answer. If for example your salon is only working at 30% capacity I would say - No, dont invest in any more treatments at this time, first try growing your capacity figures by doing more marketing. Prod the market and check its definitely there, before you go spending your holiday money.

If on the other hand you are nearer 80% capacity and you are making a profit then I would probably go for it. xx

 

[Urban Geek]

I would start investing when I was refusing a lot of custom because I didn't offer the service/products.

 

[therapyem]

i started out just ofefering hoistic therapies. oer time i had people phoning for beuaty treatments. i could nt afford the time to do a full beauty therpay course so went and did VTCT courses one night a week. it has taken me about 18 omnths to studya dnd o my manicure/ prdicure, waxing, facials, lash and brow treatments and tanning- both cream and spray.
it useful to let clients know that you are going to be offering these treatments in the near future.
my cleint base for beauty is not as big as my holistic side of the business but it is growing slowly

start asking whta treamtnets clients would like to see in your salon. bit of market research.

hth
xxx

 

[jnail]

I deciede on new treatments etc after I have thought out & selected what's going to be a long term interest or just a passing fad for me not so much the clients.


The reason being is that if I am passionate about the add on what ever it may be machinery or product I can promote it and introduce it to my clients alot easier than if its say, the moments Must Have.

Also if you expand later down the track, can these item be utillized by other operators as well ? [if applicable]

HtH

XX J XX

 

[Gelly]

I would invest in as much as I could afford, right from the outset.
But I would only choose services which I have a passion for and I would make sure I was the best around!!
Anything else, invest in later, when you have a good established client base and more time for training and practice!!

Obviously this is what I would do if I were you........ not exactly what I have done!:lol:

 

[aquariushoney]

It depends on how big your salon is.

Obviously, big flashy salon's clients will expect that you did a good variety of treatments.

But, if you're small, stick to the basics to begin with. Everybody will always get waxing, tinting, facials, mani's, pedi's etc etc done and these services will always be your bread and butter.

Then add new services one by one so long as you can comfortably afford them.

And, when you get a new service or treatment, market it heavily to your client base so that your new investment isn't sitting idle and end up being a waste of money.

For bigger more expensive machine type equipment, offer a limited number of first treatments for FREE! And watch the frenzy of clients wanting to try it out, and hopefully book further treatments once they have seen the results.

 

[hippy-chick]

also do some market research!

I really wanted to add chocolate facials and chocolate wraps to my menu, got samples and spoke to reps.
I then asked around and even posted a poll on here, and I was quite shocked to realise that not many people thought being smothered in chocolate was a great idea!

I would invest in a good facial range, tanning range, and then build up gradually with other things.