Opening a salon can be a truly amazing accomplishment. You do have to remember though that the whole process can also be somewhat stressful, but there are things that you can do to try and make things easier on yourself.
Make Decisions with Your Head
You always have to make sure that you make decisions with your head and not your heart. Don’t ever introduce services or even products because you like them. If you do, then you may end up wasting a small fortune and this is the last thing that you need. One way for you to avoid this would be for you to try and do your market research. When you do, you can then find out what your customers want, as well as giving yourself chance to make much more profit.
Take out Insurance
If you don’t have insurance then you probably won’t get very far. You have to remember that you are just at as much risk when it comes to liability as anyone else who runs a business. Sure, you won’t have to worry about having an accident on a construction site, but you will be at risk of clients suing you because they are not happy with the results you promised. If you want to protect yourself here then you should know that companies such as Hiscox provide public liability insurance in hairdressing for a very affordable price.
Look after Yourself
You have to make sure that you take good care of yourself. At the end of the day, you can’t work every hour of every day and still expect to be a fantastic therapist. You need to eat well and you also need to take time to just be with your family or even your friends. If you do then you will soon find that you end up being much happier and much more positive in your position.
Take your Time when Recruiting
If you want to build a very successful team then you need to make sure that you build it slowly and that you also look for people who have a good amount of creativity. If your business is growing fast then it’s easy to expand, but you need to think about the long-term. Invest slowly and make sure that the people who you are hiring actually have a passion for what they do instead of just having talent.
Don’t Put off the Boring Stuff
Staying on top of your paperwork is essential. If you fill out a last-minute tax return then you’ll soon find that this isn’t fun and that in some instances, you end up being charged as a result. If you want to get around this then you need to hire a good accountant and you also need to make sure that you keep all of your receipts. Sure, this isn’t fun but at the end of the day, you will soon find that you end up guaranteeing way more positive results and this can really work in your favour.
Choose the Right Location
It doesn’t matter whether you rent a retail space or whether you have a building because your location is quite possibly one of the biggest expenses you will face when you decide to open a salon. When you do go ahead with opening your business, you have to make sure that the area is well populated and that it can easily be accessed by a car. Of course, it also helps to make sure that you are far enough away from your potential competition.
Hire a Designer
If you have the means, then you should hire a designer as they can help you to make sure that your salon is appealing and that you also have a very functional workspace. This will give you a look that is consistent as well as making sure that you are projecting the right image. At the end of the day, working with a designer or even a space planner can help you to make sure that you are making the most out of your revenue potential and that you are also appealing to your customers. If you do need to get some construction work done, then it’s super important that you negotiate it in your lease agreement.
Focus on your Team
Your salon is only ever going to be as good as the people who you are employing to run it. Beauty is a very personal industry, so you need to make sure that the staff you hire are friendly, knowledgeable and skilled too. It’s advised that you invest in the right training at this point, and that you also work with them to give them the support that they need at all times. It’s also a good idea for you to try and upsell products as much as you can, and that you make sure that your brand is destined for success.
Think about your Clients
It’s so important that you create a vision for how you would like your clients to look and even how you want them to feel as well. This will help you to create the right atmosphere and it will also help you to develop a solid business. You need to try and gather feedback from your clients as well, as this will help you to learn what they do like and what they don’t. It’s helpful for you to outline this in your business plan too, as this will give you the boost you need to really increase your salon success.
Charge what you are Worth
It can be very difficult for you to know how much to charge. This is especially the case when you are starting out with your own company. When you have done your research, and when you have a ballpark figure you can then consider your own training and skills so you can add more if required. This is a great way for you to really take things to that next level.