Which path to take?

SalonGeek

Help Support SalonGeek:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

411

Well-Known Member
Joined
Nov 20, 2008
Messages
1,395
Reaction score
16
Location
Slough, Berkshire
Hi geeks

I'm in a bit of a dilemma even though I think I know which path I want to take.

I left work last year June, prior to that I was working full time and doing nails in evenings & weekends to build up clientele.

When I left work I only had 3-4 regular clients, which built up during the year as I was home during the day.
I also started a CIPD HR course after I left work as at that point business was not great, so I thought to earn a decent living let me try a different career path.
I'm coming to the end of the course, and at the same time my client base has increased to 25!

Now I'm thinking it took me 3 years of hard work to get to this point and if I give it a little push and introduce threading, which I'm qualified in, and train to do waxing & massage I could potentially earn a decent living.

I have my own nail salon which is a front room converted into a salon, so I don't have many overheads.

On the other hand I could go into HR start off from HR Assistant and move up, starting salary around £20-22k.

But I can't go into HR then decide I don't want to pursue it as I would have lost all my clients.

It's a tough decision to make.

Any advice would be much appreciated.

Thanks
 
Have you got an HR job lined up? Also, why do you think you gained more clients? Was it word of mouth? What do you like and dislike about each option?
 
Nope not yet.
I think I gained more clients as I had flexibility for day time appointments.
Mostly word of mouth.
I dislike the thought of starting at the bottom in HR, I like it knowing there is potential to climb the ladder.
With my salon I like doing what I do in all areas,I dislike only the tax returns!!
 
Thing is, I know your area quite well (grew up and still live nearby) and you have such a huge jobs market at your feet. You are close to London and are within the M4 corridor. I doubt you would struggle to find a job, and £20k is quite high for an entry level job. You can always come back to beauty, it's really much easier to do if you have some savings and life experience behind you when you start (not to mention more qualifications). You can also do a few treatments for a select number of clients in your spare time to keep up your skills. Probably not what you want to hear but I think in this climate you'd be better off saving up some money for a few years, as HR is a good profession at the end of the day.
 
Thank you for your advice.
I feel if I go into HR then I won't be able to keep up with my clients, and I will lose them. I was thinking of working 3-4 days in HR, rest in my business, but then I'm neither here or there.
 
No I don't think it'll work that way, doubt there are any HR jobs that short for a new entry. You really do have to make decision one way or another, and I do think you're worrying too much about losing clients (you'll always gain more) but sometimes you have to be practical. I'm not saying don't do beauty, I'm just giving my opinion so feel free to ignore ;)
 
No I appreciate honesty.
I know it's a tough one to decide on [emoji17]
 
Couldn't you work hr in the day & mobile (or home salon) in the evenings & on weekends? I don't think taking the hr job as a part time role will get you up any ladders in that area you'd realistically need to give it 100%, you probably think you'd be shattered by working weekends & evenings tho but I would do it, when you do a job u love it dosent feel like work :) have you looked at your beauty business to gage how long you'd be untill your making £20k from that?
 
Hi
I did evenings & weekends and it was very hard after a full day's work.
Ideally I would have wanted to go part time and build in my business, but I wasn't given the part time hour and I was so fed up of the job.
That's what hubby said if I go the HR route I would have to go full time. That means losing my clients as I'm quiet busy not working full time.
I only do nails but I'm looking into doing waxing and massage. I'm already qualified in threading. The feedback from my clients is positive they would definetly come to me.
20k is the most I would make bring really optimistic.
Where as in HR I could earn a lot more. But that means letting go of my 3 years of hard work not forgetting all my investment in the business.
 
I felt compelled to reply to your post as I've always had this battle myself. I qualified and managed a salon that I'd started in when I was still ht school. I left to take a better paid 'sales job'. I moved areas when I married and chased my dream of having my own high street salon. 2 years into it and I discovered it wasn't as easy as I had thought (I was only 22 yrs old) and business was ok but slow. I knew it would pick up...but would take a couple more years. I needed more money now..not in 2 years!! There was a job advertised locally to manage a spa...good pay. I applied. I got it. I closed my business. Since then I left (the spa shut) and took on another sales role (not beauty related). I started offering mobile on an evening/weekend. Many of my salon clients returned. I've recently moved and will be working from home shortly in a log cabin. I still work the sales job (part time) but my real passion is in beauty. Unfortunately I am always drawn back to sales because of the good pay/holidays etc, however although the pay is better I have no job satisfaction. Perhaps if the sales role was in the beauty industry I would feel differently but I just wish I could just do my beauty full time. I'm hoping that by summer next year I will have built up my clientèle enough to do this. I've set myself this goal - it will make me work harder.

Looking back I wish I had have had the financial backing to keep my shop, although the ups and downs and different careers have taught me what I like and dislike. My summery my my own experience would be - Life's to short to be in a boring thankless job. Do what you love :)
 
Thank you KattyB for your reply.

As much as I love my business, in reality when I weight everything up it just won't earn me a decent wage.

I will still keep my business going just doing nails. Not going to add other services that I don't really enjoy and would have only done for the sake of bumping up earnings.

If HR doesn't appeal to me I still have the back up of my business. I do miss a regular income, and like you say the good pay/holidays etc.
I miss having friends outside work, my own social life.
I don't have young children and I realistically do have another 15-20 of work in me.
Even though we have our own home, im looking into buying a place to rent for my children.
Without a good job none of this will be possible.

So I've had to weight out what's going to work for me financially.
 
Thank you KattyB for your reply.

As much as I love my business, in reality when I weight everything up it just won't earn me a decent wage.

I will still keep my business going just doing nails. Not going to add other services that I don't really enjoy and would have only done for the sake of bumping up earnings.

If HR doesn't appeal to me I still have the back up of my business. I do miss a regular income, and like you say the good pay/holidays etc.
I miss having friends outside work, my own social life.
I don't have young children and I realistically do have another 15-20 of work in me.
Even though we have our own home, im looking into buying a place to rent for my children.
Without a good job none of this will be possible.

So I've had to weight out what's going to work for me financially.

I can understand why you would choose this. Its a tough decision but looking at some of your reasons in your last post it will secure them goals. I'm sure you will find that even if you go full time in HR you will never get away from your clients always asking if you wouldn't just mind squeezing them in!! Good luck!!
 
Yes I know that, but I can manage them around my work.
I'm going to try to get 4 days work. Maybe dedicate a day for my clients.
Trying to do all of the treatments myself will be too much, especially as I'm not really keen on waxing or massage. I've already got tennis elbow which will get worse if I do those treatments.
I don't want a high at salon, I don't want hassle of staff, overheads etc. I love doing nails which I can still do.
Right now this is the best thing for me to do.
 

Latest posts

Back
Top