Opening Beauty Salon

decus

Hi,
my wife is beautician and we are thinking about opening beauty salon.

Was wondering if anyone has experience with this trade? What we have to pay attention to? Would it be a better to buy existing business or start new one...?

Any advice(s) will be really appreciated from our side!

dbran

Hi

Firstly you need to make sure that you get a good location and spend some time making sure the decor and ambiance is right. If you get this wrong you will not get many repeat customers.

On a practical level also you need to ensure that you manage you materials lotions adequately to minimise wastage.

Its a fairly competitive area. But then again so is everywhere.

Best of luck with it.

dbran

decus

Hi dbran,

thank you very much on your input, really appreciated from our side.

In terms of location and how to make it right, is there anything you would suggest (i.e. how to do market research, would you target areas with young professionals or mature areas with reach people...).

You are right on the point of competitive area, but as you said, is everywhere.

Thanks again!

Immy

location, location, location

It depends on the funds available for set up. Maybe go mobile first and build up a client base.

I know 2 women recently who are running from their homes. very successfully.

decus

Hi Immy,

funds are no objection , only joking ... have no even idea how much would be required to start beauty salon (any insight on this?).

Go mobile first is viable, low risk approach, definitely something to think about.

Thanks a lot!

Nuttzz

Two big problems in this area I found where

1. Staff doing nixers and swiping new clients for their cash business

2. Mobile operators operating outside of the tax net and with no fixed overheads, which makes a fixed location much more unprofitable

CarlowGraphics

Pay good attention to location
Existing business would bring clientele, but also bad reputation.
Most important- do market research. Go on the street and stop ladies to ask: how much they are willing to pay, how often they would use it.
Look up on nearby beauty salon facebook account.You will find allot of valuable information about clients

dbran

Go to an established local beauty salon, swipe a copy of their price list. Then sit outside in your car and count the number of people going in for a couple of hours and how long they stay in there. Maybe do this a couple of days to see what the size of the market is. I am sure your wife should have a good idea of how things work.

Do your research....


dbran

decus

Nuttzz wrote: »

Two big problems in this area I found where

1. Staff doing nixers and swiping new clients for their cash business

2. Mobile operators operating outside of the tax net and with no fixed overheads, which makes a fixed location much more unprofitable

Hi Nuttzz,

great point, the only way I could see to protect against your 2 points is to have some machines which staff and mobile operators could not buy or is not convenient to move around.

Thanks!

decus

CarlowGraphics wrote: »

Pay good attention to location
Existing business would bring clientele, but also bad reputation.
Most important- do market research. Go on the street and stop ladies to ask: how much they are willing to pay, how often they would use it.
Look up on nearby beauty salon facebook account.You will find allot of valuable information about clients

Two good ideas, really appreciated! Will do both.

Thanks!

decus

dbran wrote: »

Go to an established local beauty salon, swipe a copy of their price list. Then sit outside in your car and count the number of people going in for a couple of hours and how long they stay in there. Maybe do this a couple of days to see what the size of the market is. I am sure your wife should have a good idea of how things work.

Do your research....


dbran

Yes, she has some idea, but would like to help too . Your idea is worthwhile trying, thanks!

decus

Any ideas how to value existing beauty salon business (i.e. equipment + n x Profit, or ...)?

Graham

decus wrote: »

Any ideas how to value existing beauty salon business (i.e. equipment + n x Profit, or ...)?

That's been asked a few times, do a search of the Enterprise & Business Management forum for some really useful posts.

Here's one of the best threads discussing the subject:

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057193101

decus

Graham wrote: »

That's been asked a few times, do a search of the Enterprise & Business Management forum for some really useful posts.

Here's one of the best threads discussing the subject:

Graham,
great pointer! Thanks for sharing it, a lot of valuable insight.

Nuttzz

decus wrote: »

Hi Nuttzz,

great point, the only way I could see to protect against your 2 points is to have some machines which staff and mobile operators could not buy or is not convenient to move around.

Thanks!

its the bread and butter stuff you lose out on, you'll fill the place with nails, waxing, tans, pedicures etc.

You can have IPL etc but you'll only get a small number of users of these compared to the above

bizzyb

My wife is a Beauty Therapist, she said 95% of her work is waxing, nails & eyebrows but mainly waxing.

decus

Nuttzz wrote: »

its the bread and butter stuff you lose out on, you'll fill the place with nails, waxing, tans, pedicures etc.

You can have IPL etc but you'll only get a small number of users of these compared to the above

See your point...It is tough then.

decus

bizzyb wrote: »

My wife is a Beauty Therapist, she said 95% of her work is waxing, nails & eyebrows but mainly waxing.

Interseting, would never think. Thanks for info!