Whether it’s because you’ve had a confusing interaction with a manager during a quarterly review, experience a persistent feeling of knowing you’re not reaching your potential in your place of employment, or just wish you could make a living off of your dream career, you’ve likely thought about starting your own business. For many people, this might be something like an online handmade jewelry store—a side-hustle to do on evenings and weekends. But for others, the dream is to take their knowledge, talent, and skills to start off on their own in the industry they’re already involved in. Take the beauty industry, for example. Hairstylists, nail techs, massage therapists, and others can certainly thrive when working for others, but many beauty pros want to take the plunge and be their own boss. Moving from being an employee to being a business owner can seem expensive and intimidating, but it can easily become your reality, especially if you live near Salons de Beauté in Lawton.
Making the Jump from Salon Employee to Entrepreneur
The truth is, fear is the hardest thing to overcome when it comes to making the jump from employee to entrepreneur. Think about it this way: you already have the passion, you already have the drive… or you wouldn’t be considering the move in the first place!
The way to combat fear is to educate yourself. The Salons de Beauté blog is a good place to start acquiring the knowledge and experience you’ll need to draw clients, offer professional services, and figure out what it’ll take to open your own place. Check there for advice on things like joining a trade union, establishing relationships, and making your salon a success. You’re already a talented beauty professional with solid technical skills. Maybe you already understand the business side of things a little, and just need to make sure you have a solid plan. If you’re committed to learning and have the energy to do what it takes to make your own business a success, you can do this. Let the fear go! Because the process is not that bad, even when it comes to finding premises. Although…
A Professional Location is a True Sign of Professionalism
Finding a location for your beauty business can be tricky, especially when you’re working on a budget, but it’s also extremely important to have premises that look professional. Beauty is all about trust, and your clients want to feel like they’re in good hands. Clean premises with a relaxed, salon-like feel in a high-traffic area will do wonders for your business. And if you can establish your business near similar ones, you can enjoy the “multiplier” effect where business brings business—you know, like having a coffee shop next door to a dry cleaner. Even better would be a setup similar to what you’d enjoy at Salons de Beauté in Lawton. If you’re a nail tech who accepts walk-ins, and your next-door neighbor is a hair stylist who gets a bit busy on the weekends, boom. That’s traffic you might not have had otherwise! That’s why small businesses find locations next to other successful businesses—impulse traffic can be a huge income source. Plus, the extra parking can make it a lot easier to get in and out of your business!
It’s Hard to Find Affordable Real Estate
While a search for affordable commercial real estate can seem overwhelming, it won’t be so bad. After all, commercial spaces are more valuable to their owners when they’re leased, so they’ll price themselves competitively. The big problem is actually finding an affordable space that’s already set up for what you want to do. Even if the price on a space is right, and the location is to die for, if it used to be a pizza place or an office, it’ll cost far too much to install cabinets, shampoo bowls, styling chairs, sturdy countertops, mirrors… everything you’ll need to be a small salon.
But if you live in the Lawton area, there’s a good solution at hand. Salons de Beauté in Lawton is affordable—most of our clients pay about $130 a week for a mini salon suite between 9×9 and 9×11 that has everything they need and nothing they don’t. Our space is welcoming to clients, with privacy doors and salon-like waiting areas. We also have great parking for them and on-site laundry facilities for you.
You Can Find a Salon Space That’s Affordable
We understand that any rent can seem like a lot when you’re used to just receiving a paycheck at the end of the working week, but in reality, the cost of a space for your own salon is easily covered when you’re keeping all your monthly service revenue and every single bit of the profit from your retail sales. Many of our leasees here at Salons de Beauté have found their income has doubled or more when they don’t have to share revenue or product sales.
As a New Salon Owner, Less is More
A mini salon suite might not be the space you first imagined when you began to dream of owning your own business, but when you really think about it, a smaller space can mean big things for you. Whether you’re starting out as a small business owner or downsizing because you’re tired of running a huge salon, less will be more when you lease with Salons de Beauté. Stylists and beauty pros can only really service one or two clients at a time, so you don’t need a ton of space to do your job exceptionally well. What you need is enough space to work with your customers, show off your products, and move around without banging into things. The waiting area at Salons de Beauté allows early arrivals to sit and relax while you finish up with your prior client, so you don’t need a seating area. You just need room to work, and you’ll have it—with storage, too, and all the amenities.
What Next for Your Salon Business?
If what we’ve said has got you thinking that leasing a mini salon suite might be the right choice for you, well, it’s time to take action. The year is ending, you’re starting to think about what the new year will bring. If you’ve fantasized this year about outfitting a salon space, creating a new client base, selling your favorite products, and more, it’s time to pick up the phone and call us today! Salons de Beauté is a great choice for any stylist or beauty pro interested in branching out into managing their own business. Contact us today!