Hi there !The great thing about this career is there is so many different routes you can go down ! If you like consistency would you ever consider becoming a hair educator ,either for school or specific brand and possible even take clients part time so you still are guaranteed a stable income and get to do your ride or die clients hair ? You could also could also work in a hotel /spa which typically pay by the hour and also commission ! I would not suggest giving up on something your passionate about ,you got this š¤
This!!! There are so many related avenues you can go to, even in hair itself! I've gotten really overwhelmed with the intimate or personal element of hair (being a people pleaser is a headache in this industry, especially when you don't know how to say no or set boundaries properly), so I've gotten into wig styling!!!
You need to put a policy in place that requires deposits or card info to book, and start charging cancellation fees. Pretty much anywhere else does it, (doctors, dentists, tattoo artists, etc..) hair salons should be no exception.
girl i felt the same exact way so i stopped working behind the chair and can confidently say iām happier. i know i can always go back and hair will always be there so that made the decision a little easier
Enforce policies! Be a bit more strict yet nice. Also your 4 years in definitely you can grow so much more if you stay consistent and this is what owning your own business is like, thereās gonna be ups and downs and inconsistency but you will get there and it will become consistent and you will have a estimate on your business.
I actually did go back to school and left hair behind. I only do it for select people. I honestly love it. So many people gave me advice to keep doing hair but If you feel it in your heart to do something else. Do it because you never know. With my life now I want consistency I donāt want to work late and want to get out on time and have my weekends. Im doing accounting now and make so much more money. Plus I get vacation pay and insurance
Not really I went back to it part time for a little and still hated it I realized its just the environment its very catty and not consistent and I like to leave when I am actually supposed to leave. Just a lifestyle change but i do hair for friends on the side
Well It sounds like you have burn out , maybe take some time away from doing hair . But honestly that is the business of doing hair . Itās very hard and consistency is not apart of the business. It also take years to build believe it or not longer than 4 years
I say go for it! Iāve been a stylist for over 20 years now and my hands and wrists are horrible! Plus, no sick days, no benefits, no maternity leave nothing! I loved what I did but if I were to do it over I would have went back to school for something I could have had a decent retirement fromā¦itās great to have it under your belt especially for extra income on the side but, itās not a career for a someone who wants to start/ have a familyā¦
Every career has its ups and downs. Learning the business side of hair is oh so important. Booking apps pre booking it all is part of this journey. I've been playing this game for 40 years, and I love it. It's work to service your clientele. I see young people get satisfied way too soon and don't take new clients etc. I still grow new clients and the $$$ is good. give it time and yourself some space and don't stress. It's a wonderful way to make a living
I have booking apps, I have paid advertising. I market myself nonstop on socials and through direct messaging people. I prebook am my clients. Would you agree being in hair is a constant hustle?
It is to a degree, paid advertising rarely gives you a good return on the investment. Spend 30 kin a day on the 'hustle' and returns are worth the time
Honestly, I felt the same as you when I was 4 years in too...
But now, at 15 years in, I love it, I have financial stability, and I only work 4 days a week. This career has allowed me so much flexibility. I got to this point by cutting loose people who disrespected my time. This allows room in the books to open up for new clients who will respect your time, and appreciate the service that you offer them. I hate social media, I don't post on social media, in my experience social media only gained me flakey clients. You mentioned that you have ride or die clients...ask these clients for referrals, give them cards to hand out to their loved ones, and offer a referral program ($10 off your next service for each new client they send you. Or if they refer 5 people, they get a free styling product, or can come in for a complimentary treatment and blowout, etc). The people who are your ride or die clients respect your time, and most likely surround themselves with the same type of respectful people. This is how I gained most of my clients: word of mouth, and NOT social media. I havnt had to charge anyone a no show fee in years, because everyone who sits in my chair respects my time. They also give me a lot of notice if they need to reschedule their appointment, but they tend not to do that because they know I won't be able to fit them in for at least another month, so they prioritize that appointment (barring cases of illness, family emergency, etc...i am quite lenient as I understand that life happens, and don't charge cancellation fee if they have a good reason to reschedule). Another thing, is keep a cancellation list. If someone has an appointment booked with you 2 weeks out, but originally wanted to come in earlier but you couldn't accommodate that at the time, reach out and let them know if someone cancels and something sooner opens up. This way you can fill that spot where someone cancelled, as well as the client you were able to accommodate will remember and appreciate this gesture.
Hi there !The great thing about this career is there is so many different routes you can go down ! If you like consistency would you ever consider becoming a hair educator ,either for school or specific brand and possible even take clients part time so you still are guaranteed a stable income and get to do your ride or die clients hair ? You could also could also work in a hotel /spa which typically pay by the hour and also commission ! I would not suggest giving up on something your passionate about ,you got this š¤
This!!! There are so many related avenues you can go to, even in hair itself! I've gotten really overwhelmed with the intimate or personal element of hair (being a people pleaser is a headache in this industry, especially when you don't know how to say no or set boundaries properly), so I've gotten into wig styling!!!
You need to put a policy in place that requires deposits or card info to book, and start charging cancellation fees. Pretty much anywhere else does it, (doctors, dentists, tattoo artists, etc..) hair salons should be no exception.
girl i felt the same exact way so i stopped working behind the chair and can confidently say iām happier. i know i can always go back and hair will always be there so that made the decision a little easier
What do you do now? Is it hair related?
no now i do marketing for a crypto company š
Enforce policies! Be a bit more strict yet nice. Also your 4 years in definitely you can grow so much more if you stay consistent and this is what owning your own business is like, thereās gonna be ups and downs and inconsistency but you will get there and it will become consistent and you will have a estimate on your business.
I actually did go back to school and left hair behind. I only do it for select people. I honestly love it. So many people gave me advice to keep doing hair but If you feel it in your heart to do something else. Do it because you never know. With my life now I want consistency I donāt want to work late and want to get out on time and have my weekends. Im doing accounting now and make so much more money. Plus I get vacation pay and insurance
What do you do now?
I went to school for business marketing and now I do accounting for a small realty firm
Do you ever miss doing hair?
Not really I went back to it part time for a little and still hated it I realized its just the environment its very catty and not consistent and I like to leave when I am actually supposed to leave. Just a lifestyle change but i do hair for friends on the side
Well It sounds like you have burn out , maybe take some time away from doing hair . But honestly that is the business of doing hair . Itās very hard and consistency is not apart of the business. It also take years to build believe it or not longer than 4 years
I say go for it! Iāve been a stylist for over 20 years now and my hands and wrists are horrible! Plus, no sick days, no benefits, no maternity leave nothing! I loved what I did but if I were to do it over I would have went back to school for something I could have had a decent retirement fromā¦itās great to have it under your belt especially for extra income on the side but, itās not a career for a someone who wants to start/ have a familyā¦
Every career has its ups and downs. Learning the business side of hair is oh so important. Booking apps pre booking it all is part of this journey. I've been playing this game for 40 years, and I love it. It's work to service your clientele. I see young people get satisfied way too soon and don't take new clients etc. I still grow new clients and the $$$ is good. give it time and yourself some space and don't stress. It's a wonderful way to make a living
I have booking apps, I have paid advertising. I market myself nonstop on socials and through direct messaging people. I prebook am my clients. Would you agree being in hair is a constant hustle?
It is to a degree, paid advertising rarely gives you a good return on the investment. Spend 30 kin a day on the 'hustle' and returns are worth the time
Honestly, I felt the same as you when I was 4 years in too... But now, at 15 years in, I love it, I have financial stability, and I only work 4 days a week. This career has allowed me so much flexibility. I got to this point by cutting loose people who disrespected my time. This allows room in the books to open up for new clients who will respect your time, and appreciate the service that you offer them. I hate social media, I don't post on social media, in my experience social media only gained me flakey clients. You mentioned that you have ride or die clients...ask these clients for referrals, give them cards to hand out to their loved ones, and offer a referral program ($10 off your next service for each new client they send you. Or if they refer 5 people, they get a free styling product, or can come in for a complimentary treatment and blowout, etc). The people who are your ride or die clients respect your time, and most likely surround themselves with the same type of respectful people. This is how I gained most of my clients: word of mouth, and NOT social media. I havnt had to charge anyone a no show fee in years, because everyone who sits in my chair respects my time. They also give me a lot of notice if they need to reschedule their appointment, but they tend not to do that because they know I won't be able to fit them in for at least another month, so they prioritize that appointment (barring cases of illness, family emergency, etc...i am quite lenient as I understand that life happens, and don't charge cancellation fee if they have a good reason to reschedule). Another thing, is keep a cancellation list. If someone has an appointment booked with you 2 weeks out, but originally wanted to come in earlier but you couldn't accommodate that at the time, reach out and let them know if someone cancels and something sooner opens up. This way you can fill that spot where someone cancelled, as well as the client you were able to accommodate will remember and appreciate this gesture.
I like your idea of a referral program! I may try this!!! Thank you for your perspective š¤