Want to swap the day job but haven’t quite got round to it?
Are you guilty of spending too much time thinking about setting up a salon and not doing enough?
I get hundreds of emails from would-be salon entrepreneurs who are dreaming of being their own boss but haven’t got around to taking the plunge. Yet.
The perfect time to set up your salon or spa
Are you hiding behind the ‘now is not the right time to start a new salon business’ excuse?
There is no perfect time. Perfection isn’t possible. So don’t hang around waiting for the time to be right.
Is the real truth that you are frightened of failure, hard work or the perceived risk?
It’s nothing to be ashamed of. Setting up a new hair or beauty business, and becoming your own boss, takes guts, hard graft and commitment. It’s not for everyone.
Setting up a new hair and beauty business means long hours
Is a touch of laziness and liking a ‘quiet life’ the real sticking point?
I love this quote from entrepreneur and founder of Innocent Drinks Richard Reed. ‘A good test of whether you have the staying power and commitment is if you can come home after your full time job and work on your business plan rather than watch EastEnders. There is no blaming the economic climate either.’
Setting up and running a hair or beauty business is demanding. Anyone who says otherwise is telling you porkies. But the benefits of freedom, building something to be proud of and the financial rewards beat EastEnders hands down every time.
(Need a hair or beauty plan? Get my free Salon Marketing Plan Guide here.)
Reduce the risk-factor in your new salon start-up
Do your business homework of course. Mitigate your risks. No one is suggesting you should jump in and open a salon or spa blindfolded.
There is plenty of advice out there on assessing and reducing the risk of a new business. All I’d add is go in with your eyes open and be wary of putting your family home on the line. That way, if your new salon fails you’ll just have to pick yourself up, dust yourself down and find a new day job.
Worried your new salon business will be a flop?
Fear of failure is a common worry for new business owners. There are hundreds of articles out there to help you understand how to control it, harness it and push through it. Read them. Then decide to take that first tentative business step or settle back down to the day job.
Just make sure you don’t fritter away your opportunities worrying about the ‘right time’. You may end up dissatisfied with your job and kicking yourself as your peers set up successful salon businesses and enjoy the rewards of being an entrepreneur.
Still waiting for the perfect timing?
Get past the idea stage. If you’re spending too much time thinking, and not enough doing, decide to ‘do it’. Take that first step. The perfect situation, time and circumstances don’t exist.
Genius is one percent inspiration, ninety-nine percent perspiration.
– Thomas Edison