What do I need to open a beauty salon?

[VICKYBROOKES]

For all those who think my accountant is a joker, please bear in mind, he is not being paid he is doing this because he is a family friend. Me! He is hugely successful and from what i hear from one of his accountants he got somewhere in the region of 20,000 just for a business plan. This is what he'll be doing for me for free, I will be putting in ten grand of my own money and my accountant is looking at obtaining somewhere in the region of 75-90 grand. He will not be making anything off this he is just trying to help me get started on my own feet.

I didn't just wake up one day and decide I wanted to open a salon, but my accountant has always said if I come up with a business idea he would help me set it up. Now I have done some market research and decided that the health and beauty trade is one of the most successful and constantly rising services. Now I have run pubs and bars all my life, so I am never going to be comfortable with opening up an office, I would need to open up a business were there is a personable factor as I'm a total people person. Now I had a very simple idea beauty related, and I sat done with my accountant and I explained my idea to him and eventually that simple idea evolved to this complicated one. As far as training goes, I'm not going to be doing the courses cheaply and quickly just to fit them in!!! I dont expect to be fully qualified within a year, please I'm not that ridculous. I just want to at least start on the basics and definately do health and safety so as when I employ people I'm in a good position to know whether they are following good procedures or not. Once I'm actually in business I am planning to learn part time as my partner will be helping me run the place, I can leave him to run the place while I go off and study, yes I know it takes long but it is possible.

Yes there is a government loan called a small business loan that is given by the government. Well it is directly paid by the bank with a twenty five percent risk, for example, the bank give me 100,000, the government will definately pay back the bank 75,000 so they only risk 25, 000. Easy as that, it all depends on the business plan and believe me my guy is good!! Many peolple dont know about this loan the same reason why they dont know about many things to do with the government. IF YOU DONT ASK THEY WONT TELL YOU!

Now to those of you who put my idea down, please I came on here to get constuctive advice or critism, if you think I'm gonna fail and its a bad idea, what do you care?

of course we are not putting u down , the geeks on here know there stuff and were just giving u honest advice . it just seems a bit strange to ask the banks and government for money for a business plan considerin u know nothing about the beauty field. i even asked the princes trust for some money to help with my training costs and they said no as i hadnt been training or had any beauty training at the time i applyed.

of course we wish u luck in ur venture but we dont want to be saying i told u so in a years time .

good luck to u and ur accountant

 

[BABSann]

I'm planning to open a beauty salon in a busy shopping centre next year but I don't have a clue what I need to do! A family friend told me I should open a beauty salon as its one of the highest growing sectors in the economy. He's a very succesful accountant and will do the business plan for me to get a government loan which if obtained, (which I'm sure it will because he has got it for many people) it means only if my business is successful will I have to pay the loan back. The problem is I am not trained in any aspect of beauty or business, but I am a bright spark. I'm looking into doing some courses with the london school of beauty and make up. But what do I need to start my own beauty salon, I want to include, hairdressing, nails, st tropez spray tan, dermoligica facials and massage.
What equipment will I need?
How much space will I need?
How many workers will I need?
What licences do I need?
What insurance do I need?
How much will it cost to turn the space into a salon?
Who do I get to do it?
How much do hairdressers get paid or how they get paid? (I heard sometime its commission based)
I want two beauty technicians who can do nails, facials,tans and massages, how much do they cost?
What level of training is required and how do I check?
How do I make sense of the mintel reports?
What is the average cost of starting up a salon from scratch?

I know I'm asking a lot but if any of ou who have any helpful advice it would be much appreciated.

Thanks Kalaa

Ok,I have got this first page up because I am re reading what you wrote....you said your accountant came up with the suggestion and told you
"you should open a beauty salon as it's one of the highest growing sectors in the economy"You didn't say you came up with the suggestion and put it to the accountant friend.

We have given you professional advice,I cant imagine any bank or anyone else for that matter, unless it was a loan shark, giving you or anyone else with absolutely NO qualifications in the beauty industry a £100k loan to set up a beauty salon.

Sorry,I again will say I dont mean to sound harsh but this is living in cuckoo land,seriously,this guy is an accountant how can he give you such advice??I would also like to know how he can possibly know anything about the business plan when he dosn't know anything about the mentioned business??

Anyway,good luck,please dont think any of this is easy and you certainly will be hard pressed to have your salon next year...

 

[Lavender-blue]

I'm planning to open a beauty salon in a busy shopping centre next year but I don't have a clue what I need to do! A family friend told me I should open a beauty salon as its one of the highest growing sectors in the economy. He's a very succesful accountant and will do the business plan for me to get a government loan which if obtained, (which I'm sure it will because he has got it for many people) it means only if my business is successful will I have to pay the loan back. The problem is I am not trained in any aspect of beauty or business, but I am a bright spark. I'm looking into doing some courses with the london school of beauty and make up. But what do I need to start my own beauty salon, I want to include, hairdressing, nails, st tropez spray tan, dermoligica facials and massage.
What equipment will I need?
hairdryers, products, tanning equipment,beauty products and equipment
How much space will I need?
Depends how big the shop is
How many workers will I need?
Depends how successful you are, what space you have, how many clients you posess
What licences do I need?
What do you mean by licences? You will need a licence to play the radio
What insurance do I need?
Depends what treatments you do and how many staff you have
How much will it cost to turn the space into a salon?
Depends how much money you have, its like asking how long is a piece of string
Who do I get to do it?
builders, architects,friend of a friend, again depends on budget.
How much do hairdressers get paid or how they get paid? (I heard sometime its commission based)
Depends what area you are in, experience, qualifications, how generous the boss is!
I want two beauty technicians who can do nails, facials,tans and massages, how much do they cost?
Depends how experienced or talented they are, or what they are prepared to work for.
What level of training is required and how do I check?
Depends on what they are expected to do. Level 2 0r 3 is desirable. Check by looking at their certificates.
How do I make sense of the mintel reports?
Dunno
What is the average cost of starting up a salon from scratch?
It depends on how upmarket you want it. Again its a case of how long is a piece of string.

I know I'm asking a lot but if any of ou who have any helpful advice it would be much appreciated.

Dont run before you can walk is my advice. :hug:


Thanks Kalaa

You have been given some excellent advice. Surely your accountant would know the answers if he is the one who gave you the idea in the first place.

Lavender-blue

 

[Chameleon]

For all those who think my accountant is a joker, please bear in mind, he is not being paid he is doing this because he is a family friend. Me! He is hugely successful and from what i hear from one of his accountants he got somewhere in the region of 20,000 just for a business plan. This is what he'll be doing for me for free, I will be putting in ten grand of my own money and my accountant is looking at obtaining somewhere in the region of 75-90 grand. He will not be making anything off this he is just trying to help me get started on my own feet.

I didn't just wake up one day and decide I wanted to open a salon, but my accountant has always said if I come up with a business idea he would help me set it up. Now I have done some market research and decided that the health and beauty trade is one of the most successful and constantly rising services. Now I have run pubs and bars all my life, so I am never going to be comfortable with opening up an office, I would need to open up a business were there is a personable factor as I'm a total people person. Now I had a very simple idea beauty related, and I sat done with my accountant and I explained my idea to him and eventually that simple idea evolved to this complicated one. As far as training goes, I'm not going to be doing the courses cheaply and quickly just to fit them in!!! I dont expect to be fully qualified within a year, please I'm not that ridculous. I just want to at least start on the basics and definately do health and safety so as when I employ people I'm in a good position to know whether they are following good procedures or not. Once I'm actually in business I am planning to learn part time as my partner will be helping me run the place, I can leave him to run the place while I go off and study, yes I know it takes long but it is possible.

Yes there is a government loan called a small business loan that is given by the government. Well it is directly paid by the bank with a twenty five percent risk, for example, the bank give me 100,000, the government will definately pay back the bank 75,000 so they only risk 25, 000. Easy as that, it all depends on the business plan and believe me my guy is good!! Many peolple dont know about this loan the same reason why they dont know about many things to do with the government. IF YOU DONT ASK THEY WONT TELL YOU!

Now to those of you who put my idea down, please I came on here to get constuctive advice or critism, if you think I'm gonna fail and its a bad idea, what do you care?

People who choose this profession are people who see it as a vocation,like nursing or teaching.

Are you prepared for the blood,turmoil,tears tantrums and the heart ache that comes with a business...?

Are you prepared for the hard work that goes into learning beauty therapy?

I used to be a nurse before a beauty therapist,and let me tell you the anatomy and physiology i learnt from level 3 was shocking...i felt like i was back at nursing college,and i was slightly out of my depth,but stuck with it:!:

There are good points in owning a salon,but ultimately its YOU that has to put in the work to reap the benefits.It takes YEARS of sheer determination before the rewards are seen.

Are you a "peoples" person.?

You say you worked in Pubs,thats good,but please bear in mind its a different ball game in a salon.You need,tact,diplomacy,an empathatic nature toward your clients.Your brands also reflect on you as a therapist,do you have retail skills as you are selling treatments and products.You dont need to do "sales pitching",but you have to believe,TRULY believe in your skills,and products.

I get the feeling you really need to think this through.

Beauty and nails,is so so much more than a "growing trade"...yes its growing,but it has to grow for the right reasons,and is a profession that should be seen just like nursing or teaching.

Any way,i wish you luck,you have to realise this is a serious decision:!:

 

[fificharlie]

Ok,I have got this first page up because I am re reading what you wrote....you said your accountant came up with the suggestion and told you
"you should open a beauty salon as it's one of the highest growing sectors in the economy"You didn't say you came up with the suggestion and put it to the accountant friend.

We have given you professional advice,I cant imagine any bank or anyone else for that matter, unless it was a loan shark, giving you or anyone else with absolutely NO qualifications in the beauty industry a £100k loan to set up a beauty salon.

Sorry,I again will say I dont mean to sound harsh but this is living in cuckoo land,seriously,this guy is an accountant how can he give you such advice??I would also like to know how he can possibly know anything about the business plan when he dosn't know anything about the mentioned business??

Anyway,good luck,please dont think any of this is easy and you certainly will be hard pressed to have your salon next year...

In all fairness babsann, the bank will not give a flying chuff about who is qualified and who isnt - all they see is that the funds will set up the salon - the poster could be hiring an experienced manager and staff with that money. They deal with money - not regulating the salon.

The accountant could draw up a business plan - usually a business plan is quite generic in what is set out - competitors, strong qualities, cashflow forecasts etc - to be honest its pretty much the same in any business.

If you have enough money - theoretically you CAN open a salon and not lift a finger. BUT - in my personal opinion, that really is just 'owning' a salon - not working there yourself and playing a part in it - I get the impression that the poster is only interested in that.

 

[Chameleon]

In all fairness babsann, the bank will not give a flying chuff about who is qualified and who isnt - all they see is that the funds will set up the salon - the poster could be hiring an experienced manager and staff with that money. They deal with money - not regulating the salon.

The accountant could draw up a business plan - usually a business plan is quite generic in what is set out - competitors, strong qualities, cashflow forecasts etc - to be honest its pretty much the same in any business.

If you have enough money - theoretically you CAN open a salon and not lift a finger. BUT - in my personal opinion, that really is just 'owning' a salon - not working there yourself and playing a part in it - I get the impression that the poster is only interested in that.

In regard to your last statement i got exactly the same vibe from the poster

 

[fificharlie]

Just to add -

I think the original poster should get off his or her own backside and find these things out for themselves.

The local council will have stack loads of info on what you should and shouldnt be doing, with regards to health and saftey etc.

Something else to think about is planning permission / change of use - that is the biggest pain in the backside I have come across so far. It costs alot of money and takes alot of time.

With no existing client base an owner will have to work DAMN hard to get people through the door - the more money you lay out - the more you have to charge - the more you pay your staff, the less you get in profit - its not as simple as it seems.

I do think its going to be hard finding staff that will provide a good enough service to make your business a success - considering that you have NO experience of high standards - you dont even know the first thing to look for when it comes to a good set of nails.

Its a long hard slog - your brain will be mush by the end of it - but thats the thing - there is no end as there are new things to learn all the time.

It took me a YEAR of constant planning, ideas, finding out info - liasing with solicitors and landlords (ask the geeks on here - I was literally at the point of telling everyone to shove it) - and I am STILL learning.

This is all aside from ACTUALLY progressing my own education and becoming good enough to set myself aside from the competition. I still can improve.

waffling a bit now - just passionate about this.

 

[BABSann]

In all fairness babsann, the bank will not give a flying chuff about who is qualified and who isnt - all they see is that the funds will set up the salon - the poster could be hiring an experienced manager and staff with that money. They deal with money - not regulating the salon.

The accountant could draw up a business plan - usually a business plan is quite generic in what is set out - competitors, strong qualities, cashflow forecasts etc - to be honest its pretty much the same in any business.

If you have enough money - theoretically you CAN open a salon and not lift a finger. BUT - in my personal opinion, that really is just 'owning' a salon - not working there yourself and playing a part in it - I get the impression that the poster is only interested in that.

They may" not give a flying chuff who is qualified and who isn't", as you put it, fifi Charlie:green: however they will certainly give a flying monkeys as to who they are giving their money too, I would imagine anywayIf not well....what can I say?where does the unpaid money come from,if it fails???Us the tax payers...AGAIN?????

I would have thought given the state of the all time high debt that the banks would be a damned site more careful than just hedging their bets on some fly by night idea.

Sorry,sound really nasty and I dont mean to,it's just there are many therapists that have worked for many years at their qualifications,training and experience yet cannot afford to set up their own salon,yet some think because their accountant told them it was a profitable business to be in they can have it all yesterday.

 

[Lavender-blue]

They may" not give a flying chuff who is qualified and who isn't", as you put it, fifi Charlie:green: however they will certainly give a flying monkeys as to who they are giving their money too, I would imagine anywayIf not well....what can I say?where does the unpaid money come from,if it fails???Us the tax payers...AGAIN?????

I would have thought given the state of the all time high debt that the banks would be a damned site more careful than just hedging their bets on some fly by night idea.

Sorry,sound really nasty and I dont mean to,it's just there are many therapists that have worked for many years at their qualifications,training and experience yet cannot afford to set up their own salon,yet some think because their accountant told them it was a profitable business to be in they can have it all yesterday.

I agree with ya hun.
Its like everything in this world tho, there's the givers and then there are the takers who try and milk the system dry.

I also agree with what the other geeks were saying about being passionate about what we do.
You have got to be 100% passionate about your job, otherwise it just aint gonna work.
Takes all sorts I guess.

:hug:

 

[mercedes69]

anyone got the phone number of the accountant...? Oh and the bank? :lol:

Good Luck for the future xxx

 

[Lil Linz]

Personally, i would do a course first, get some experience in a salon and then start to think about setting your own up. It is a very long process which can take a couple of years to get everything into place.

I'm currently qualified in nails and makeup and looking at doing eyelash extensions and beauty therapy next year to broaden my skills before i want to set up a salon of my own (maybe a home one in 2-3 yrs then on the high street in about 7-10 years time!) when i can afford it!

I could try to do it sooner, but it wouldnt be of any benefit to my clients. I wouldnt know where to start with interviewing people and asking them for trade tests when i havent done or recieved any of the treatments myself to begin with. I wouldnt know whether someone was waxing my legs correctly or not, or cutting my hair right. Yes, i might have an idea but i wouldn't know for sure. Just like i wouldnt know what brands of products to use, some people prefer one thing, others something else.

The beauty industry is a very personal one where clients usually know everyone working in the salon as they usually go to the same place for their treatments. If i were just a client i wouldnt want to go to a salon where the owner was 'never there' or off doing a beginners course. (i DO NOT say this to offend anyone, but i would expect the owner to be experienced in at least one field)

I hope no-one takes offence to my post, i am just highlighting my personal views and why i wouldnt want to own a salon until i am completely comfident in my work.
Linz xx

 

[Terese]

Kaala, Im with most of the other Geeks on here.

Although I had a medical background I still went to college to get my level 2 and now I am studying for my level 3, I also am continuing with my professional development by attending courses and keeping myself upto date with products and services.

Im not sure how old you are and I dont wish to sound patronising however, your accountant? is NOT your business advisor....has He done anything in the Beauty Industry? Ask him.....is it from his own personal experience he can gather this info....my guess is he hasnt else he would know the struggles that are involved

These questions you asked.......they are questions included in a Business plan....ask your accountant to do the leg work, ask him what you have asked us...and you should spend the time gaining some qualifications !!

I hope noone takes offence at this...it is my own personal opinion

 

[Louise Manby]

The only advice I would give you if you are determined to open your own salon is that you must get good staff who do exceptional work! Without them its a no starter. Behind every successful salon are good, well carried out treatments. One poor set of nails and that customer wont come again, full stop. To get good staff you must be quite strict when you interview people and check their work thoroughly before deciding to employ them. Then comes the tricky part of keeping them happy. Offer good pay packets for the senior therapists/techs. As for yourself start your training. But remember all the training in the world might not make you the best if you havent got the 'x factor' naturally. And until you are perfect at your job dont let yourself loose on the clients.
Sticking to this advice doesnt guarantee succsess as it also depends on the area you are in, treatments you offer even politness of staff can drastically affect your business and you should always try to offer your clients something thing they wouldnt get elsewhere or make them feel special. evryone loves this.
If its a business you want to run I think that a business such as nails and beauty is one of the hardest as you are only as good as your staff and not everyone can be good at it. You may get all the best products around but they are only as good as the therapist/tech using them. A sandwich bar for example sells a product that cant really go wrong. Most people can make a nice sandwich. Get my drift?

 

[Louise Manby]

just to add if you think you are confident enough to be successful and know what people want then go for it. I did. I went straight from college into running my own salon and it has grown and i now have 2. Ok I will say that I have talent in this area but I also take risks because I know myself and I know I can rely on myself to make something successful. Im also good at blagging it. Prentending I know what Im doing when really Im learning at the same time. The hardest part as I mentioned is staff. Finding good ones. keeping the good ones and sorting out the ones who just want to use you for learning your techniques only to go and open a salon near you etc!
As for banks, if your accountant can make a really good business plan that shows how professional you can be and how money orientated you are of course they will give you the money. Just read the small print. I however started out with no loans, i did have a bit of money saved but I started small and grew. I was very careful where I bought my equipment from and just bought the basics (steamer, wax kit, trolley, lamp stool etc - my first bed was even a fold up one!) Now I have all the gadgets including fab pedicure spa chairs which create so much interest. You dont need to have all the latest equipment and gadgets etc at the beginning. Clients most of the time will not care if they are laying on an electric bed or not as long as the treatment was nice.
one last thing I will tell you is that I had 2 salons open very close to me in the last 2 years and they both closed after a year or 2. The first because she was not very good at her job. The second was a bar owner decided it would be nice to open a salon like mine as he saw it was successful. Everything was the same except the name. He however hired new and inexperienced people and didnt know how to treat them, blamed them fo it not being busy, paid them less etc etc etc. (I may be smirking here)

 

[BABSann]

just to add if you think you are confident enough to be successful and know what people want then go for it. I did. I went straight from college into running my own salon and it has grown and i now have 2. Ok I will say that I have talent in this area but I also take risks because I know myself and I know I can rely on myself to make something successful. Im also good at blagging it. Prentending I know what Im doing when really Im learning at the same time. The hardest part as I mentioned is staff. Finding good ones. keeping the good ones and sorting out the ones who just want to use you for learning your techniques only to go and open a salon near you etc!
As for banks, if your accountant can make a really good business plan that shows how professional you can be and how money orientated you are of course they will give you the money. Just read the small print.

How can anyone prove how professional they are with no qualifications in the beauty sector?How can the poster know what the people want(as you put it)when she has absolutely no idea again about the beauty,nails or hair industry?Sorry I am interested that's all.

The poster(sorry cant remember her name)has made it very clear that she know absolutely nothing about this career.I am at a loss tbh.

Do you really believe that a bank will give someone a loan up to £100k with absolutely NO idea about what they are doing?Is it really a case of blagging t,because to be perfectly blunt I have been in this industry for a very long time,am in a extremely busy salon,know my profession inside out and if it is that easy well.....I shall go to the bank myself this afternoon and ask for a loan,after all I will only have to pay back 25% if it goes **** up wont I??What have I got to lose?

I am just surprised that anyone can really believe it's all so easy,even with determination,it's going to take time,training and experience,this dosn't happen in a year not even 2.

 

[mercedes69]

I want to know what bank this is... we need to spread the word. :lol:

Let us know how you get on at the bank Babs... It might be worth me coming back to the UK... I have done a 5 day foundation L&P course...they are going to be throwing money at me...

 

[Lavender-blue]

How can anyone prove how professional they are with no qualifications in the beauty sector?How can the poster know what the people want(as you put it)when she has absolutely no idea again about the beauty,nails or hair industry?Sorry I am interested that's all.

The poster(sorry cant remember her name)has made it very clear that she know absolutely nothing about this career.I am at a loss tbh.

Do you really believe that a bank will give someone a loan up to £100k with absolutely NO idea about what they are doing?Is it really a case of blagging t,because to be perfectly blunt I have been in this industry for a very long time,am in a extremely busy salon,know my profession inside out and if it is that easy well.....I shall go to the bank myself this afternoon and ask for a loan,after all I will only have to pay back 25% if it goes **** up wont I??What have I got to lose?

I am just surprised that anyone can really believe it's all so easy,even with determination,it's going to take time,training and experience,this dosn't happen in a year not even 2.

Oh Babs PMSL. You say it with such passion!! Can I come with ya to the bank?? :green::green:

 

[mercedes69]

Oh Babs PMSL. You say it with such passion!! Can I come with ya to the bank?? :green::green:

Oi get in line...this is going to be a long queue...:lol:

 

[BABSann]

Hang on just scribbling a business plan in my jotter in my 5 mins before I go to the hairdressers.:lol:

No seriously.....I wish Kalaa the best lof luck.:hug:

 

[kalaa]

You all so negative, I've known people who come from the offices in the city who know nothing about restauraunts, bars, nightclubs but have a passion to make things work. Guess what? They've been successful. You all seem to think that I think its easy, I know its not. And beleive me I 've had enough good and bad beauty treatments to know whether someones done a set of nails right. I am doing a hell of a lot of research I only come on here thinking that maybe just maybe you guys could offer some sound advice.I was wrong!!! For example, seems to me like no ones even heard of a mintel report. Now they are huge consumer group who do research in trends and most importantly the market itself which is a huge factor to be included in a business plan. You all missed the point that I suggested an idea to my accountant and he helped me develop this idea I had into this. Yes maybe I am ambitious, but there is nothing wrong wiith that. I as surrounded by people that are ambitious, I have one friend of mine-another accountant, who next month is launching a company that will be going into direct competion with directory inquiries. This is a field he knows nothing about but still managed to get 250,000 from the bank as loan. You should all know by now in this world its not what you know its who you know!!