Home based salon ideas

[411]

Hi geeks

I've had a look at a thread on here with pictures of everyone's home/shop based salons, and all I can say is AMAZING!!

I'm just setting up my home based salon. Will also be working full time.

The only space I have available which is safe for my products, & to keep nosey relatives who come around and nose around all my things is my garage. It's private and no one would interfere in my space there.

I have a conservatory as well but due to sunlight etc I'm staying away from that. And it leads from kitchen into garden and I don't want my things to be touched by everyone who comes around.

I need some ideas as I've made some space (half of garage) for my nail set up. The only problem is as you walk in you can see all the junk we have in there piled up!!

I'm thinking room dividers to section it off and no one sees the clutter, and on the plank white wall put a bit of wall paper & a nice rug with a vase of flowers etc.

Needs ideas desperately!! HELP!!

 

[Becky pocket]

Up load pictures of ur space

 

[nicole333]

Can you put up a proper stud partition wall? Then you have a proper wall space to put your things up to or hang from.

 

[squidgernetball]

Would definitely suggest you do it properly. I went for a treatment and she had a shed in the garden which could've been lovely, but there was a bike in there and it was cold. Her son and hubby were at home, and the husband answered the door which was a bit off putting, then I used the loo and there was no lock. All in all a very uncomfortable experience and I wouldn't go back, so make it the very best you can. I was taught a college 100 years ago to walk out of your room, then walk in and see what the client sees. Is it tidy, are you making do, are displays etc clean and up to date. You only have one chance to make a first impression, so make it count. Hope that helps, and good luck!

 

[411]

Lovely suggestions!

As I'm just starting out I don't want to make drastic moves yet, by putting up wall etc. It is my husbands gym area as well!!

Once I feel I'm building up clients etc ill look into something solid.

I will upload picture on here as soon as I've got it together, hubby's helping me to see how we can divide the space & jazz it up a bit!


Its true first impressions count!
And if I don't like it how can my clients! It is lovely & warm in the garage. Going to put brighter lights, maybe in my corner some jazzy wallpaper etc.

 

[411]

Ok ladies thank you so much for lovely suggestions! Don't know what I'd do without you all!!

I have to share my excitement with you all!!

We have a extra bathroom in the loft which is hardly used. It has a toilet & bathroom & bath. My lovely husband came up with a crazy but practical idea!

So we going to take bath out. Partition toilet off from rest of the room .It has a sink n lovely black tiles. He's going to make me my own lovely nail salon!!!

Garage idea no matter how much I spent would still look messy.

In the loft there's proper ventilation & light as well.

I know I'm only starting out I don't know the future holds, but it's my passion & I will make it work!!!!


😃😃😃😃😃😃😃😃😃😃😃😃
Can't stop smiling!!

 

[elmojo]

My nail room is part of our garage. My husband put up a diving wall to separate the 2/3 which became my nail room, and the 1/3 which we keep the spare freezer & garden stuff in. We insulated my side and did all new electrics. We also insulated the roof (leaving some free space for air to move around), and re-felted it in case of future leaks. I have a door to the side of the garage and a window which is ideal for my nail room as it gives a lovely airy feel to it. Just recently he also put me in a sink which is really useful (and also ticks another box for the council!). Good luck with it xx

 

[Wooshka]

I too converted about 1/3 of my double garage into my home salon.

Hubby put up walls and a door, put extraction ventilation in, air con, tiles on the floor etc etc.

I know you say that you are only just starting out but in all honesty, if I went to a home salon and it was a half a**ed job and just looked chucked together just to get started, I would not go back.
Make it from day dot exactly how you want it to be and give that good impression from day dot and this way, you will build your clientele up.
Yes, it's a big outlay but well worth it in the end.
When starting a business, you must look way forward, you can't just look at the now, cause what you do now has a great impact on the future, near and far.

 

[411]

@wooska - thank you for your advice!

I agree like someone told me on here "first impressions count" you don't get a second chance!

This is why thinking long and hard we decided to convert bathroom with my own toilet & sink for my salon up there.

It is in the loft though, not sure how clients would feel about going up
2 sets of stairs!

 

[Wooshka]

@wooska - thank you for your advice!

I agree like someone told me on here "first impressions count" you don't get a second chance!

This is why thinking long and hard we decided to convert bathroom with my own toilet & sink for my salon up there.

It is in the loft though, not sure how clients would feel about going up
2 sets of stairs!

To be honest, I think you should think long and hard about putting it up in your loft if it's up 2 lots of stairs.
Just by doing this, you are cutting out many potential clients who might have come but won't cause they can't walk up stairs.
My mum being a perfect example, due to her health issues, she can not walk up or down any more than 2 stairs. I'm lucky that I only have one step down into my salon and then that same step going up on the way out.
I know personally speaking, I avoid places with too many stairs cause I hate walking up stairs cause it hurts my bad back.

I do not have a salon toilet, I use one of my house toilets for clients but in all the time I've been open now, I have not had one client ask to use the toilet but if they did, they would have to walk through my house but I figure, Oh well, they know it's a HOME salon and I can't just add a toilet anywhere.
I always make sure it's clean and tidy and I have no problems with a client using the house toilet.

I do have a small sign up letting them know a toilet is available if needed and I usually ask them if they need to use the rest room before starting as this helps me out by having no interruptions during the treatment.

When clients are in my salon, they would never know what's on the other side of my walls, the walls look exactly like all the other walls in my house, they are solid, floor to ceiling walls that no one would ever know are temporary walls due to the way they were built, so if we ever have to move, the 4 huge screws holding up each wall can be taken out and wall moved.

 

[411]

Thank you for your ideas!

I can't do it in the garage as my husbands gym equipment is in there and a whole load of junk!
Would be very difficult to move gym equipment in the loft.

If a client came to me I do have the option to do them in the conservatory if they can't go up stairs.

Also I have a big room opposite the loft which is a bedroom/office/boys den. Where there is a tv a soccer table, so if I get clients who need to bring kids, they can sit there while I do the treatments.

 

[Wooshka]

Thank you for your ideas!

I can't do it in the garage as my husbands gym equipment is in there and a whole load of junk!
Would be very difficult to move gym equipment in the loft.

If a client came to me I do have the option to do them in the conservatory if they can't go up stairs.

Also I have a big room opposite the loft which is a bedroom/office/boys den. Where there is a tv a soccer table, so if I get clients who need to bring kids, they can sit there while I do the treatments.

Well, if you feel you have no choice but to use the loft, then that's your choice, just as long as you understand you are limiting yourself possibly a lot more than you think.
I'll tell you a interesting story, I had a friend who hired one of the best solicitors in town, she had to climb 2 huge flights of stairs to get to his office, she changed solicitors after 2 visits cause she couldn't stand walking up the stairs anymore and this was a girl who was fit and healthy, she said it was just a hassle.
It is something that you will have to advertise somehow to let all your clients know they have to walk up x amount of stairs to get to your salon.

I know what you mean about your hubbys gym stuff etc, my hubby had all his furniture making tools and machinery etc in our garage and our new car and just normal household junk.
At first he said no way he could move all his stuff, no way on earth our new car was going outside EVER bla bla bla.
But I explained all the in's and out's to him, explained that in order for me to really make this work I have to set up the salon where it's best for the clients and a successful business and he finally understood and we did what we had to do to make it work.
The car went outside with shade sails over it, we got rid of all the junk we didn't need and he set up his workshop on the other side of the garage and made my salon so it is pretty much sealed off from his dust etc if he needs to work. He never works when I'm working though.

Anyway, good luck with whatever decision you make, I'm sure it will all work out:Love:

 

[Lucy_Lu]

i LOVE the sound of your own little salon space in your loft!! I would love to have my nails done in an environment like that. Especially with the toilet, that would be a major selling point to me in choosing a home-based tech. i'd feel uncomfortable using the family's bathroom (don't know why!).

You seem to have the best of both worlds here - the privacy that a shop front/highstreet salon doesnt have but with the professional look and feel that it does have!

Good luck :Love:

 

[411]

Thank you!

I could have the whole room to myself, but I feel as there is already a toilet there & a sink, all we doing is partitioning it off, so customers feel comfortable using that rather than having to go into the family bathroom,where at times i havent got round to cleaning!!

I do have the luxury of space, that's y I'm keeping it there. And as I mentioned right opposite there's a big room with tv, soccer table, so customers who haven't got child care, can still come to get there nails done & their kids are occupied.
Also it's away from rest of the house so no interference with the rest of the family.

Where as doing it in the garage or conservatory, customers will go through kitchen. Garage is very dark, no ventilation or good light. Conservatory is not comfortable as it would be too much interference with people nosing around my salon.

I know ground floor is more convenient, but the stairs really ain't that bad.

And I will give options if certain customers can't go up stairs ill give them a personalised service in my conservatory.

I have looked at all options before venturing out to convert my bathroom.

 

[Mrs T]

I have converted my Conservatory into a Salon. I got a special film placed on the roof to stop the heat coming through from the Sun and underfloor heating for the cold winter nights. Works a treat and my products are all protected from the elements too.
The door leads out into the garden and Clients come round the back of the property..thus having their own entrance/exit.
It is completely private and I have a blinds that are always closed across the door that leads into the actual house, so when I am with a Client, everyone in the house see's the blind closed and knows I am working.
It works really well and is 'professional working space' rather than a room in someone's house.

Maybe reconsider the Conservatory!? :Love::Love::Love:

 

[Redduck]

Hiya, it sounds like you have a few options which is great. The only thing I'd check out about working from the loft is that you satisfy fire regulations. Whilst it may be fine as a bathroom for you, your council may not let you work there if there's no fire escape. I don't know what the rules are but it's worth checking out before you go ahead.

 

[411]

I don't have the option to let clients in from the side to the conservatory.
And the down side is because it comes through the kitchen then into the garden, when people are over they will all poke around my products, and ask if they can use my polishes etc.

Yes my loft has a fire escape, as it was done professionally.

 

[mm29]

From hair but from a clients point of view, I don't think there is anything wrong with stairs or salon in loft,
You can offer games room, toilet and private space what more could a client expect from a home salon!
If that's not enough go to a city centre salon!

Good luck and have fun designing it

 

[Wooshka]

Thank you!

I could have the whole room to myself, but I feel as there is already a toilet there & a sink, all we doing is partitioning it off, so customers feel comfortable using that rather than having to go into the family bathroom,where at times i havent got round to cleaning!!

I do have the luxury of space, that's y I'm keeping it there. And as I mentioned right opposite there's a big room with tv, soccer table, so customers who haven't got child care, can still come to get there nails done & their kids are occupied.
Also it's away from rest of the house so no interference with the rest of the family.

Where as doing it in the garage or conservatory, customers will go through kitchen. Garage is very dark, no ventilation or good light. Conservatory is not comfortable as it would be too much interference with people nosing around my salon.

I know ground floor is more convenient, but the stairs really ain't that bad.

And I will give options if certain customers can't go up stairs ill give them a personalised service in my conservatory.

I have looked at all options before venturing out to convert my bathroom.

That's great, you are thinking of this from all angles then

One thing I did wish to mention (I forgot in my previous post) was about how you mention the tv room opposite the loft room and how clients kids could use this to be entertained while you work on mum (or dad maybe).
I would not encourage this on any level and for a couple of reasons.....
Sadly, those of us with kids, know that when we are out and someone elses house, the kids rarely ever leave is alone no matter how occupied you think they are, so I do feel that you and the client would be interrupted endlessly by the clients child.
With this happening, it poses a risk to your service on the client, if little Johnny needs to use the loo and he's a bit too scared in the strangers house, then mummy has to help but mummy has just had her hand come out of the lamp and is all sticky.....not a good thing for what you are trying to achieve
Then there is the safety issue, having kids around is not safe when it comes to products being out when in use and although little Johnny might have the best intentions, he might just run in too quick and knock it all over right in the middle of a cure
And last but not least, most clients actually use us techs as a form of getting a break from the kids and they know they can have an hour or two of peace while getting their nails done and once hubby finds out that the Mrs can take the kids cause the tech has got a special room set up for kids, then of course he will insist he must go meet with the boys after work instead of watching the kids while she goes to her nail appt

You have the luxury of setting your rules and then sticking to them and this is your chance now, right at the start.
Although I'm in a home salon and although I have sort of young children (my kids are 9, 16, 19 and 21) in the house, all my clients know that I do not allow them to bring their kids.
I even have 2 clients now where their daughters are my youngest daughters friends from school but I told them straight out, the girls do not come to the appt to play with my daughter, this can happen at another time when we are on social time and they were all for that cause it's their time for quiet time while with me.

Just something else to think about that's all

 

[411]

I totally agree with you!
I won't encourage them to bring kids, but if its a one off at times, with a regular client then I would.

Also as I have the loft room, with comfy sofas, so when clients come and I'm just finishing up with my customer they can sit there and wait.
As I wouldn't have the space in the bathroom conversion I'm doing to have customers sitting around. Which I don't mind at all because that gives my customers I'm doing personal service without anyone looking over.

Really excited! Got builders coming over tonight to give us a quote.










It's almost like my own little set up on the top floor!