Taken a big jump to get out of debt......hopefully

fusar

Hello,

I am looking for some advice please! I am a little fed up in my current job and need to start to earn some more money to cover my outgoings and pay some of my debt off. My little boy is also starting school in September, so I need something a little more flaexible that my full-time job at the moment.

So.... I am in the process of buying a hair salon, which is currently making £500 each week after all costs. Yet it is old-fashioned and only offering to cut womens hair, offers no beauty treatments etc....

I am have a bit of a brain-storm at the moment regarding the modest refurb and the service I would like to offer. I have decided to open up our target market to a unisex salon and also incorporate an Afro hair stylist. I was also wondering if anyone else had any ideas? What do you look for whe choosing a salon? Have you any quirky tips on what I can offer to make people's experience memorable? Is there anything that I should be wary of?

Sorry for all the questions! Although I did get the business at a good rate, and have done some market research, this is still quite daunting, as I have never done anything like this before - jumping in with both feet! :-)

Many thanks in advance to anyone that can suggest anything :-)
Ciao
Fusar

Snaggles

If it's quite old fashioned at the moment, I would say keep the refurb fairly neutral - it's currently making a profit, so you don't want to alienate the existing customers who perhaps like it exactly because it's not an intimidating, flashy, city centre salon.

Re the afro stylist, I would do a bit of research - are you in an area where there is a large target market for an afro hair specialist? Are other salons nearby offering something similar?

You have a little boy so are experienced with children - could cutting childrens hair be something you could promote?

Have you got room to do the additional beauty treatments or would it mean cutting down on the amount of space you currently have for cutting hair?

Can't think of anything else at the moment, but good luck!

lindens

At the moment it seems to be making a good profit so If it were me i would carry on with it with no changes for maybe a month so you geta feel for the place. Get to know your clientele, chat to them - what do they like/dislike about the salon at the moment.To encourage them maybe hand them out a suggestion leaflet for them to fill in while waiting for thier colour/perm etc and offer a prize of a c&bd.
It aint broke so i wouldn't try and fix it just yet.
Sorry - forgot to say -GOOD LUCK:T

*zippy*

Hi Fusar

I had a friend who started offering reflexology and aromatherapy massage at a salon (rented a room), but as hairdressers are quite noisy places it wasn't really suitable. Nail treatments always seem popular though.

Good luck with it

zippy x

catewithers

Definitely research the afro stylist before jumping in with it. If there isn't a local population with afro hair then it might be a wasted venture.

WHat do I look for? Well, I am very picky when it comes to hairdressers because I have had some not great experiences! I look for a salon that looks smart and presentable, is tidy, is busy and looks fairly modern but neutral. I also want a stylist who's going to ask me what I want done to my hair, will listen to me and then ONLY do what I've requested. That's not to say I don't want their input but I don't expect them to ignore my wishes in favour of what they think I should have done. I like to be offered a drink when I've been seated in front of the mirror.

My favourite bit of going to the hairdressers is having my hair washed. One of the best salons I went to in this respect was when I lived in Hampshire and the person washing your hair would then also give you a scalp and neck massage afterwards - bliss. No extra charge.

HTH and Good Luck!