Hairdressing salons
Discussion
Anybody out there run a hairdressing salon?
Thinking of setting one up or buying an existing business. Any pitfalls we should be aware of? What should we be looking for? Looking at middle of the range salon catering for men & women. Probably look to have an experienced full time manager & we'll oversee it. Is it best to have employed stylists or to rent the chairs?
No experience in this sector so any advice much appreciated.
Thinking of setting one up or buying an existing business. Any pitfalls we should be aware of? What should we be looking for? Looking at middle of the range salon catering for men & women. Probably look to have an experienced full time manager & we'll oversee it. Is it best to have employed stylists or to rent the chairs?
No experience in this sector so any advice much appreciated.
Be Careful there seams to be an abundance of salons at the moment. My wife's a stylish and at the top of her game at the moment. On a short 200mts road where she works there's 8 salons. There seams to be an opening in gents. Make the barbers top quality charge loads and offer cut throat shaves at £25 a pop.There doesn't seam to be many of these open. There are loads of top women's salons but it seams blokes still have to go for a £5 cut in a sh-thole.
All depending on your location the barbers would only work it a busy town or city.
All depending on your location the barbers would only work it a busy town or city.
Edited by hollydog on Tuesday 23 October 11:21
My MIL, has had one for at least 25 years,
upstairs is rented to a barbers, downstairs, is for women's cuts,
its very old fashioned and not at all trendy, but its the cheapest in the area and seen lots come and go.
its now run around the school holidays and school hours for my wife and he sister,
its given all of us a helping hand over the years, i did think it needed money spending on it,
upstairs is rented to a barbers, downstairs, is for women's cuts,
its very old fashioned and not at all trendy, but its the cheapest in the area and seen lots come and go.
its now run around the school holidays and school hours for my wife and he sister,
its given all of us a helping hand over the years, i did think it needed money spending on it,
LordHaveMurci said:
Thanks, hadn't considered a Barbers.
Does your wife own her own salon or let somebody else have all the stress?
She works for someone. She said shes never wanted the stress of running her own. But all i see is the amount she takes for someone else. If you can get a good team together pay well you will earn a fortune. Research your area head hunt the best that's already got there client base. The hairdresser moves the client's will follow. Be careful some employers get there employees to sign contract so if they leave the can't work anywhere in the town for 6 months. Does your wife own her own salon or let somebody else have all the stress?
My wife completed a BTEC Hairdressing course a year ago (qualified overseas but not recognised in UK).
There were something like 10-12 modules. 2 of these were solely to do with health & safety. Each of the other modules had its own health & safety component.
Everything from use & storage of chemicals, hazards, accidents, proper record-keeping for all "consultations" (and consequent data protection), skin tests & ailments, safety & security of client's belongings, ...
Talking to her tutor it seems that it's a prime industry to get shafted by chancers looking for compo, unless you're really careful. Cited an example of a woman who came to a local salon, her coat was taken & hung up in the space set aside. Took coat when went home. Came back day later saying that the big faded patch on her coat had been caused by some bleaching agent or something spilt on it...compo for new coat. Kicked up a big fuss. Now the salon checks all coats & stuff and makes a note of anything awry.
So, yes, get a really experienced manager in place if you're not familiar.
Also, research location well. We have 5 salons near us. Only 2 have been established for any decent length of time. The others come & go in the space of 12-18 months. Close down & new one opens up in its place, only to fold a year or so later. But there always seems to be 5 salons!!!!
There were something like 10-12 modules. 2 of these were solely to do with health & safety. Each of the other modules had its own health & safety component.
Everything from use & storage of chemicals, hazards, accidents, proper record-keeping for all "consultations" (and consequent data protection), skin tests & ailments, safety & security of client's belongings, ...
Talking to her tutor it seems that it's a prime industry to get shafted by chancers looking for compo, unless you're really careful. Cited an example of a woman who came to a local salon, her coat was taken & hung up in the space set aside. Took coat when went home. Came back day later saying that the big faded patch on her coat had been caused by some bleaching agent or something spilt on it...compo for new coat. Kicked up a big fuss. Now the salon checks all coats & stuff and makes a note of anything awry.
So, yes, get a really experienced manager in place if you're not familiar.
Also, research location well. We have 5 salons near us. Only 2 have been established for any decent length of time. The others come & go in the space of 12-18 months. Close down & new one opens up in its place, only to fold a year or so later. But there always seems to be 5 salons!!!!
spikeyhead said:
OP, not having a dig but I'm curious how anyone picks a business sector they know nothing about as their next venture, rather than choosing something they understand?
Curious too, I'd be looking to invest in one with an experienced manager/deputy manager of a salon. Otherwise you are going to have to get a good manager and keep her = pay her well.Like others have said, hairdressers & barbers seem to be everywhere.
My wife is a hairdresser and I asked her the same question about owning her own salon when I met her.
Location is very important but also clients. Will her existing clients follow her to her new shop?
You'll need to employ other staff that also have a decent following otherwise they will all be stood around giving each other a colour change.
I wouldn't do it but I wish you well. Watching with interest.
My wife is a hairdresser and I asked her the same question about owning her own salon when I met her.
Location is very important but also clients. Will her existing clients follow her to her new shop?
You'll need to employ other staff that also have a decent following otherwise they will all be stood around giving each other a colour change.
I wouldn't do it but I wish you well. Watching with interest.
Well after being a hairdresser/barber for the last 16 years my thread finally arrives!!!
I decided last year to set up my own shop, having worked in various salons over the years from the back streets to the multi nationals, i'd always said id have my own shop before i was 30 (finally opened a week after my 30th!, close enough) anyway....
I got lucky and managed to rent some premises i had worked in 10 years ago, it had been a salon until 3 years previous, when for various reasons it suddenly closed (divorce and rubbish staff)So i kind of got lucky, it was a fresh start but a lot of the locals still new it as a salon. I was also lucky that a few of them remembered me, so word of mouth traveled quite well on recommendations.
To set a shop up isn't that cheap, my 2 barbers chairs and 2 ladies cutting chairs, 4 mirrors, 2 back washes, desk, scissors, brushes etc etc cost me well in excess of £3k (a decent barbers chair can cost £1k second hand!!) and most of that stuff was second hand.
The biggest problem is that its about location, you can be a mediocre hairdresser and make a small fortune (my last boss was like this, makes around £95k profit with him and 2 staff) or you can be the best hairdresser around but in the wrong location and make next to nothing. (i sit somewhere in the middle lol)
im now at the point where its starting to pay a bit, looking to make a profit of around £25k this year (been open 15 months) But the main thing is to find reliable good staff.
Hairdressing is renowned for high turnover of staff, some are good but, like to move every few years (me when i was younger) and some are passable and stay on longer.
Its a tough business as you NEED to offer something the others arent offering in the area. For me this was a relaxed clean modern ish salon that wasn't full of chavs, but offered both classic cuts as well as more modern services.
Yes cut throat shaves are good, but for how long they take, how many people actually want them, to me they just aren't worthwhile. 45 mins work for £25 when i could have done 3 cuts in that time at £8 and have a long queue of customers waiting whilst you p1ss about doing a shave, and if there are kids running around the shop, a shave is the last thing you want to be doing.
Hope thats a little insightful and helpful.
Matt
I decided last year to set up my own shop, having worked in various salons over the years from the back streets to the multi nationals, i'd always said id have my own shop before i was 30 (finally opened a week after my 30th!, close enough) anyway....
I got lucky and managed to rent some premises i had worked in 10 years ago, it had been a salon until 3 years previous, when for various reasons it suddenly closed (divorce and rubbish staff)So i kind of got lucky, it was a fresh start but a lot of the locals still new it as a salon. I was also lucky that a few of them remembered me, so word of mouth traveled quite well on recommendations.
To set a shop up isn't that cheap, my 2 barbers chairs and 2 ladies cutting chairs, 4 mirrors, 2 back washes, desk, scissors, brushes etc etc cost me well in excess of £3k (a decent barbers chair can cost £1k second hand!!) and most of that stuff was second hand.
The biggest problem is that its about location, you can be a mediocre hairdresser and make a small fortune (my last boss was like this, makes around £95k profit with him and 2 staff) or you can be the best hairdresser around but in the wrong location and make next to nothing. (i sit somewhere in the middle lol)
im now at the point where its starting to pay a bit, looking to make a profit of around £25k this year (been open 15 months) But the main thing is to find reliable good staff.
Hairdressing is renowned for high turnover of staff, some are good but, like to move every few years (me when i was younger) and some are passable and stay on longer.
Its a tough business as you NEED to offer something the others arent offering in the area. For me this was a relaxed clean modern ish salon that wasn't full of chavs, but offered both classic cuts as well as more modern services.
Yes cut throat shaves are good, but for how long they take, how many people actually want them, to me they just aren't worthwhile. 45 mins work for £25 when i could have done 3 cuts in that time at £8 and have a long queue of customers waiting whilst you p1ss about doing a shave, and if there are kids running around the shop, a shave is the last thing you want to be doing.
Hope thats a little insightful and helpful.
Matt
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