1.
What is the most important aspect of wanting to
own a salon?
Unfortunately,
many people go to beauty school with aspirations of owning their own salon
without researching all that it entails.
Beauty School gives you the technical skills to obtain a license to
perform a service but not the business skill needed to open and operate a
salon. I would have to say that the most important aspect is DRIVE. If a
stylist wants to own a salon, they must assume many additional roles (or hire
someone): as realtor (scout locations, sign lease/mortgage agreements), as manager
(create/manage contracts, recruit staff, pay bills, open/manage accounts, purchase
equipment), as PR (market, advertise, network), as Janitor (yes…it’s mostly on
YOU), as Therapist (all salon problems
will become yours), and overall be prepared to be like the Greek God Atlas who
carried the weight of the world on his back because you will have to be
proactive and know how to handle complications (power outages, loss of hot
water, unsatisfied staff/clients, theft, etc).
2.
How do you begin to envision your business plan?
With any business, you need to have a strategic business plan that explains the
who, what, why, when and how. This will serve as a blueprint to your business
and may help you obtain financial backing from banks and investors. If you plan to provide a product or service
that is a commodity (something common like a salon), you’ll need to show your
niche strategies of what will make you different and successful. If there are
already 400 salons in your city/state….why would people come to your NEW
business vs the other 400?
3.
What are the key necessities to starting such a
business? This is where a lot of people get discouraged but you have to be (or
have) a great manager who will stay on top of getting and keeping current all
licenses (salon/barbershop, staff, business), permits (sales/use tax), Tax ID#,
Determine legal structure, register your business name, apply for trademark to
protect your brand, register for state/local taxes, etc. There is WAY more
involved than just signing a lease!!!
4.
How do you choose and evaluate your team?
Recruiting is a very important task in ensuring your business’ success. Your
staff should represent your overall vision. Recruiting the right people will
save you from headaches in the long run.
The worse mistake you can make is to just “fill up your chairs.”
Stylists have a tendency to “shop hop” if they aren’t satisfied so spend the
extra time to recruit those whose goals are in line with your overall vision.
5.
When it comes to style, presentation and
customer service, how would you coordinate the essentials? To attract WHO you
want (staff and clients), your overall presentation must appeal to them. If you want a higher end clientele, you’ll
have to invest more into chic décor, products, and diversify your
services. If you wish to be the neighborhood
hot spot, you may need to provide more entertainment. If you seek a more professional consumer, you
may consider offering extended hours and fast services. It’s hard work getting
new clients but you also have to retain them and that could be easy if you
always focus on your vision and keep them pleased with your total package!
6.
Marketing is always key to any business, how
should salons be marketed? Marketing and advertising can be very expensive so
it is very important to know WHO you want to market your business to. It’s only effective if you make a connection
so spend your money wisely and always set a budget so you don’t compromise your
operating funds. Start with as much free
marketing as possible (friends, social media, etc) and ask your clients to be
walking billboards for you by posting pictures of your work and wearing your
merchandise (shirts, hats, etc).
7.
Clientele – where does it come from? Initial clientele comes from your efforts and
hustle! Noone will come to you if they
don’t know who you are and what services you provide. Get out and pass out business cards/flyers!
Take advantage of slow days by getting out and introducing yourself to
potential clients. Once you start
developing relationships and providing great services, then you may get
referrals from your clients and by word of mouth. This is why it is important
to treat EACH client like your best friend because you never know their
connections…they can make or break you.
Bad reviews spread faster than great ones so always provide a positive
experience. Your clients are your bread
and butter…source of income.
8. In
one year, what should your expectations be for your hair business? It is vital
to set goals and strategies to maintain them.
Periodically, evaluate how well you are doing and always find creative
ways to stay (or get back) on track. After your first year in business, always
look at your business plan and whatever objectives and goals that you may have
forgotten about or opportunities you may have missed, make sure to incorporate
them into your plans for the upcoming year.
Sometime we get lost in everyday life responsibilities and we get off
track but always follow your heart.
Owning a business is NOT easy but it IS possible to be successful if YOU
ensure its’ future with a game plan! I
pray that this encourages someone…Good Luck J
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