Starting to open a nail and hair salon.

[nailnail]

Hi there,

I have the money and fond a great location that I wanted to start a nail and hair salon. First is that right that I need to find out if the shop has A1 license for nail and hair salon? 2nd how do I apply for bank loan to help me with my 1st year of opening business, while the 1st year need to get customers in. Please give me some examples detail how to apply or fill in bank loan, so that I have some idea. Should I put out 5 days course for hair stylish £3495? I already have a nail technician but I have no hair dresser background and needed to learn the course fast. Should I wait for September enrol and do 1 year course, which it's cheaper. 3rd I have a very good senses feeling that the location I chose is great for nail and hair salon. Because there are so many apartment around that shop are build right now. I could open the shop by summer or end of 2010 and hire nail and hair staff to do it for me and myself just work as receptionist and at the mean time I can do hair dressing course.

Please any advice or tips would be appreciated.

 

[Duke Fame]

Don't even start. THere are a plethera of hair & nail outlets and whilst you are looking at the flats going up around your location, most of these that have already been built are empty right now.

If you can't do hair, you are not going to be good enough in a week to create a client base. Most hair stylists go from school to college working in a local salon for a couple of years before being let loose on paying customers. They then may get a job in a city centre salon where they gain a reputation amongst clients. Only then should they go it alone.

When a bank is lending money, they go on hte track record of the person if the business hasn't got one, they will not lend to a novice.

 

[Bri]

I agree with DukeFame.

What makes you think you can go on a hair dressers course and then open your own salon straight away. Recipe for disaster.It takes a helluva long time to refine hair cutting to a standard that you are respected and popular.

As for opening a salon for hair & nails have you researched your location properly. Whats near it, whats furthest away from it. Transport links, parking, competition, foot fall. Location is everything when your starting out.

I've moved to where I live six months ago and have walked around most of the town and surrounding areas, every other two shops is a barber or hair salon and two or three nail salons. How the hell they survive is beyond me.

 

[nailnail]

thanks DF & B for your genuine advices, yep I agree with you too. If I don't know background with hairdresser then I guess I should forget doing a course. If not local nail salon. Do you think the shop location is surround building apartments would be a good business location? I have a relative already have 5 years experience in nail technician and I can hire 1 or 2 more staffs if busy. And I will working on receptionist and cashier. Do you think that would work?

 

[PERCY67]

Hi

If you go onto Tolleys.co.uk, nail bars and hairdressers make up more than a fair share of businesses for sale.

When the good times rolled, these along with sandwich bars were all the go, no longer women now colour their own hair and make the butties.

Please don't waste you time, its a well worn path that isn't paved with gold

 

[Ashley_Price]

While I agree with the comments above - to an extent - I want to add a modicum of optimism here.

Go with your second option of employing a nail technician and a hairdresser, if you are sure you have the money to pay them each month.

The biggest question I would ask though is what experience have you had from running similar businesses in the past? Have you been a manager of a nail and hair boutique for someone else? If so how long for?

When you approach the bank you need to be able to show you have a proven track record in this industry.

Yes, times are tough at the moment, but it can be the best time to start a business providing you are willing to put the hours in. Just because you're salon will be open from 9am to 5pm (for example) doesn't mean you will only work those hours, it will be a long, hard time for you.

There are lots of hairdressers/barbers in Lewes - and a new one seems to open up each year. Lewes is a town with a population of 15,000 people and I am sure the number of these businesses far outweigh the balance. However, they all seem to be doing very well.

There is no such thing as a saturated market. Look how many accountants, solicitors, builders, plumbers, even hairdressers - - there are. You will survive and succeed if you can offer something different - whether it's a higher level of customer service, special offers to regular customers, etc.

But never doubt that it won't be HARD WORK!! Are you willing to put your business before your family and friends (except in emergencies of course)? They will see very little of you and you need to be sure they won't become a big pressure on you.

 

[nailnail]

Hi Ashley: Thanks for the very deep thought replied, your advice sound more balancing with negative and positive in business. I have the money to open up a small shop, but of course I need to make money. I will provide genuine service. When people come to do nails I want them to feels like we are rushing them. I want to provide them a great service different to others Asian nail shop. How much do I need to pay a nail tech and hairdresser these days a week? I know I will have to put my money first few months because new business.

To answer your questions, no I do not have any of these background or experience. This is all very new to me. I am fed up working for others and like to open my own with western style not Asian style.

My kids are still very young and I can hire a child minder to take care of my kids or sponsor a relative back home come and help me with kids.

I know open my own business I will have to put all my heart in the 1st year because that is the hardest year to get customers in.

The location is very near to my house so I like to take care of my kids time to time when the business are stable. But I really sense that this is a good location for me. I can even take my kids to school and pop by home to see how they are doing.

Please advise me on how go on doing market research for my business and more.

Will it's be a problem that I have no experience in my business field and the bank won't lend me? I need that bank loan to help stand my own feets with the 1st hard year.

 

[Duke Fame]

Do you think the shop location is surround building apartments would be a good business location? I have a relative already have 5 years experience in nail technician and I can hire 1 or 2 more staffs if busy. And I will working on receptionist and cashier. Do you think that would work?

Go and sit around the location on a week-day and count the number of youg women customers there are.

I very much doubt these appartments are anywhere near 70% occupied. Then the question is how many of these are women and if they are women, they are likely to be professional and not around in the week. Then you have to make all your turnover in 2 days, not only that, are professional women likely to use a nail bar? I don't know the market but it's always struck me as something the lower class 'chav' females go to.

You may be better off setting up in a location where there are a lot of stay at home mothers who get bored during the day and have disposble funds to spend on tarting themselves up.

 

[vvaannmmaann]

Do you actually need a shop? Lots of expense and overheads.Could you not get mobile and visit people in their homes/offices.Don't forget the grey market.ie the older population in care homes/nursing homes they love all this sort of stuff.Good luck with it.

 

[nailnail]

Hi DF:I would love to sit there and count how many women walking around there but it snow outside right now I don't wanna stand cold my tits out...hehehehe. But that's a brilliant idea. There are plenty of school around my area, so quite some housewives and lots of business building too. If you think of Asian nail shop then only old chav go there, but even though I am Asian but I am very westernise, I like to provide like western service and the shop will be more modern.

Hi VV: thanks care home and nursing home are very good idea, I will call customer for my sister and take percentage from her.

 

[amanda1112]

You could do a NVQ in hairdressing at your local college. They should offer evening courses 1 or 2 nights a week. You start at level 1 and work your way up to level 3 which will take at least 2 years but you have to start somewhere. I would consider this option as apposed to a quick 5 day course because an NVQ will give you more depth and knowledge in this area. You will need to learn about various skin conditions etc which a 5 day course wont provide, not in any depth anyway! It will also be a lot cheaper to go to college. Please don't make a mistake and take the quick route in the hope of making a quick buck because you could end up with all sorts of problems and complaints if you accidentally mess someones hair up and you could end up losing your business. If you are serious about doing this I would suggest going down the proper route. There is a hair and nail bar just at the top of my road which appeared literally overnight and they have a terrible reputation already for bad hair cuts, bleeding fingers and lots of complaints. I did a NVQ Levels 1, 2 and 3 in Nail Services and it was very indepth as there are so many skin and nail conditions/diseases which technicians have to be made aware of. It is frustrating that someone thinks they can just set up a business overnight and without any experience and knowledge of their products or services in the hope of financial reward. You need to know what your clients wants and needs are before setting up any business which is a first class service by experienced/qualified staff. Life just isn't as simple as you make it out to be im afraid or we would all be doing it wouldn't we. Get some proper qualifications/experience first before going loose with those scissors!!

 

[joelietz]

That's good information. I didn't realize that hair stylists generally don't get to work on paying clients right after leaving hair dressing school. I didn't know it was such a long process before you have the experience to start up your own business.

Don't even start. THere are a plethera of hair & nail outlets and whilst you are looking at the flats going up around your location, most of these that have already been built are empty right now.

If you can't do hair, you are not going to be good enough in a week to create a client base. Most hair stylists go from school to college working in a local salon for a couple of years before being let loose on paying customers. They then may get a job in a city centre salon where they gain a reputation amongst clients. Only then should they go it alone.

When a bank is lending money, they go on hte track record of the person if the business hasn't got one, they will not lend to a novice.

 

[philipcarlyn]

Everyone here might think I'm a little crazy, but I'm seriously considering opening a nail salon, despite the fact I know absolutely nothing about nails. The only plus side I guess is having sufficient captial to open a shop and purchase the necessary equipment, apart from that I have no experience running a salon whatsoever! I do however have the business acumen, as I have been running my own successful on-line company for approximately 9 years, producing high net yeilds. I live in a town called Crawley (next to Gatwick Airport), which has a population of around 120,000 residents. From what I gather, there are already 3 - 5 nail salons in the town centre (quote me if I'm wrong), but everytime I walk past, they always seem pretty busy. I estimate to open a successful salon, you would need to invest £20,000 to £50,000. Again this is only an approximate figure. To rent a reasonable size shop, which can accommodate 6 stations, £20,000 to £35,000 would be a good starting point. I'm confident providing the salon's in the right location, with plenty of footfall and parking etc, surely it cannot be that difficult to succeed in this type of industry. I guess the most challenging part is finding decent qualified staff, who are reliable and care passionately about what they do. I know one guy, who is supossedly a multi millionaire and knew nothing about nail salons and he now owns a fleet of them. It all boils down to business acumen, available capital, location and reliable staff. Tick all these boxes and I reckon your on the road to success.

Phil

 

[Baby.B]

Hi Phil,


I'm actually in the same situation as you at present, I managed succesful business in the past and now thinking in opening a Nail beauty salon in the Middlands.


At the moment I'm gathering informations with regards to the legal requirements to run the salon in terms of licensing, insurances, suppliers etc...


Would you mind to share with us any information you would have concerning how and where to get the license etc...


Thanks in advance.


God bless

 

[Juliesy]

Everyone here might think I'm a little crazy, but I'm seriously considering opening a nail salon, despite the fact I know absolutely nothing about nails. The only plus side I guess is having sufficient captial to open a shop and purchase the necessary equipment, apart from that I have no experience running a salon whatsoever! I do however have the business acumen, as I have been running my own successful on-line company for approximately 9 years, producing high net yeilds. I live in a town called Crawley (next to Gatwick Airport), which has a population of around 120,000 residents. From what I gather, there are already 3 - 5 nail salons in the town centre (quote me if I'm wrong), but everytime I walk past, they always seem pretty busy. I estimate to open a successful salon, you would need to invest £20,000 to £50,000. Again this is only an approximate figure. To rent a reasonable size shop, which can accommodate 6 stations, £20,000 to £35,000 would be a good starting point. I'm confident providing the salon's in the right location, with plenty of footfall and parking etc, surely it cannot be that difficult to succeed in this type of industry. I guess the most challenging part is finding decent qualified staff, who are reliable and care passionately about what they do. I know one guy, who is supossedly a multi millionaire and knew nothing about nail salons and he now owns a fleet of them. It all boils down to business acumen, available capital, location and reliable staff. Tick all these boxes and I reckon your on the road to success.

Phil

Hi Phil I am now in the same position as you, I have no expericance in the nail industry other then I vist one myself twice a month but I do have the capital and the desire to open one myself. Could you please tell me if you do go ahead and open one and was 50,000 enough to get the business up and running, and more importantly how is the business doing.

regards

Julie

 

[hcscheshire]

There is some great advice on there. What my advuce would be is do your research into the area you are about to start your business. Then once you have found that location hire stylists and nail technicians. One thing a lot of companies do when they start out is rent the chairs out to local stylists