Thanks everyone,
Just to update, my business partner had pulled out because the business was just too over her head to feel comfortable about (i.e. the tricky bit about equity and risk).
However she remains as one of my dearest friends, will continue to provide her industry knowledge and help me out in the salon voluntarily, to build her own salon confidence : ) and no offence to her, I need to build a good service reputation, so she would have to impress me just as much as anyone else for the possibiltiy of a job.
This means I'm now on my own, business wise. However, I must say that it feels best this way. No one to answer to (erm, accept my company shareholders!) and I can continue to make all decisions without consulting.
One point that has been made in this thread was about the lack of owner's presence in the salon. I agree that one's start up investment cannot be left to anyone else's mercy, even employees, unless they can really be trusted to build the business. So I've quit employed work and will become the full-time manager there.