Learning from other’s people experiences can prevent us from making certain mistakes. As a new salon owner it can get overwhelmed and you may not know where to start. Our team here at SpaSalon.us would like to share with you some advices to minimize your mistakes from other salon owners.
Here are some insights that we would like to share with you. Some are from former salon owners: things they would go back and change, if only they could.
First part: What they did: On the salon’s main floor, I started with six manicure tables but only two pedicure stations. Within about two to three months, I knew the salon needed more pedicure stations to handle the service load.
What they would have done differently: I would have started with an equal ratio of pedicure stations to manicure stations. I wound up putting two of the manicure stations into storage and replacing those with two pedicure spa chairs. It was an expensive fix; an entire wall had to be ripped out, plumbing had to be rerouted, tilework had to be redone, and all of the TVs had to be moved. On the plus side, the changes opened up the floorplan of the salon and made it much easier for my employees to work efficiently. I recommend these affordable pedicure stations.
Another insight from former nail salon owner
Second part: What she did. : I spent way too much money on the original building and design of the salon, with items like custom-made bars and chairs and unique flooring, thinking that an awesome design would attract awesome clients.
- In order to attract more clients, I often offered large discounts on services, and I wind up taking the loss (I didn’t want to take commission away from the nail techs). For instance, when I gave out a coupon for 50% off services, I lost all of my percent of sales, since I was paying the techs 50%commission. Those giveaways cost me a lot more money than I made from the clients who became good customers.
- Because good nail technicians were hard to find, I often overpaid techs to get them to work for me.
- I never got a nail license, choosing instead to focus solely on management.
What she would Have Done Differently?
- I would have stuck with tried-and-true furniture and design. It’s possible that the custom design attracted a few design-savvy clients, but I could have achieved the same success with more mainstream design ideas.
- I would have kept in mind that I would be the person paying for supplies, front desk, and other overhead expenses. So, I would not run giveaways where I would not at least be making enough of the service to pay for a portion of those costs.
- Again, I had problems calculating the true cost per service. (I often overlooked items like rent, credit card processing fees, and towels used; instead I looked only at supplies.) What I should have done was calculated the true cost of service and offered corresponding compensation.
- I would have gotten my nail tech license, so I could step in when a tech called in sick or we got super busy!! I would have got these manicure nail station at lower cost.
- Third part: What they Did: I was so busy trying to move onwards and upwards that I forgot to just enjoy the moment. In addition to owning a salon, I opened a nail school and a supply company. By the time I realized I have taken on too much, it was too late to change.
What they would have done differently: I would have stuck to working behind the nail table in my salon and not stretched myself so thin. I enjoyed teaching and reaching for broader horizons, but I forgot to appreciate how much I enjoyed doing nail services (for the creative and social outlet) and being part of the team environment in the salon setting. The decisions I made set me back a couple of steps. But on a positive note, in life I think we often have to take two steps forward and one back; in the end, we are still moving forward. I did learn the valuable lesson of living in the moment and to “do what you love and love what you do.” I’m a firm believer of “everything happens for a reason” so I’m looking forward to seeing what new opportunities are in my future that may not have come if I had not taken those steps.