Thinking of starting that dream salon?
Lets assume that your a qualified successful stylist. One that has been in the industry to have a good idea of how things work. Lets assume that you have worked for a long enough period to establish your self as a stylist and have a strong following of loyal clients.
Now let's assume that you have worked for other people for long enough. You want to start your own business you want to do things your way. You know you can do things better use your experience and knowledge to be a success and offer your clients some thing new and different.
Sounds great ha? I think this is the normal path of progress for most hairdressers. We reach appoint where we start to question the way things are done in the salon they are involved in. We think the owner is taking to much of the pie! We know we could do a better job we have a vision.
We have a great following of clients. We know our business. We understand our clients, how hard can it be? I think much tufter than many think!
Without dwelling in the past a number of years ago I went through this very scenario. I had out grown the salon i was involved. I say involved in because I had work amy way up and was a director and share holder. Sound good ha. Well it was not enough! Why ? Because i felt i was the busiest in the salon and yet felt i did not have a voice. was this the case or is the grass just always greener else where! Or is was this just Ego!! i don't regrets ever but wonder some times what might have been if i had made other choices.
It was time to go it alone: I sold my shares back to my partners used this money to buy a lease.
I purchased an existing salon old fashioned shampoo and set joint. I closed it for 2 weeks gutted it with the help of family and friends re opened as trendy up market salon. [not one pictured]
My clients all followed the location was and is key. In this instance i chose a location that was where all my clients were moving to. Easy parking great location they were happy to pay the same prices that i charged in Chelsea.
I had a vision and a goal i was very motivated, I had something to prove to my self and others i could be a success. It worked really well .Why? Because i was in the right place at the right time. This salon attracted other start up salons they tried to do the same thing as more and more sprang up as the area developed. I noticed the odd one failing within a short time. Why? Any market can only sustain so much. What they were creating was on longer new or different, saturation point! I sold this salon within 2 years and made a huge profit the guy who bought went bust with 1 year. what you don't need is an empty salon!
Why am I telling you this? As a warning think things through. Do your home work. The world we live in has made a huge global shift in the way business is done. Clients needs and wants have changed old business models no longer work. These are challenging times.
Having a vision and a goal knowing how you might want you salon to run and look is so exciting. But really take the time to think it through. ASK YOUR SELF what is it you really want? What is it you really want to achieve? My advise would be before leaving the salon you are established in, talk with the owner see if you can buy in. Invest in what already exists share your vision share your concerns discuss change.
There is little or no risk in putting out feelers and it could save a great deal of headache in this very fragile economy. Collaboration and innovative thinking. Having a vision and goals we should all have making them a reality takes a lot of planning forward thinking and soul searching honesty about commitment and risk. You need to work with talented motivated vision sharing stylist's a team. Think your already part of a team why not just adjust the balance of things.
I decided to write this because not to put any one off but as a warning that it takes huge amount of work and commitment with no guarantees. I read so many comments by people struggling to make end meet trying to attract business. Thinking that discounting is the only way forward disillusioned by the industry and what it takes to get ahead. you might end up on your own struggling with being alone!
I exchange e-mails with people who have started businesses and know find themselves struggling to succeed asking what will it take. Vision, commitment, willingness to change and adapt, loyal clientele, a team that shares your vision, Capital to support you through the challenges that lie ahead. For it's not all smooth sailing.
To succeed you need to. Specialise stand out be different. Be highly skilled and knowledgeable in all aspects of our industry or make sure you have a good team of skilled adviser around you.
Mike B2MR
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