DIFFERENT TYPES OF WORKPLACES

As a beauty industry professional, you have a variety of different work environments to choose from. For example, you might choose to work from home, rent space in an existing salon, open your own storefront, or work for a salary or commissions at a salon or spa. Your ideal workplace mainly depends on your personality and the possibilities that are open to you.

 

Running your business from home

There are several potential advantages in operating a home-based salon. For one thing, you’ll have more flexible hours, which is great if you have family commitments.

 

If you do decide to open up your own salon at home, the first step is to look at the municipal regulations governing home businesses. Most cities generally require a permit. Regulations can also be quite specific when it comes to signage. So before you design the perfect sign to place on your doorway, make sure to check if you’re permitted to display this kind of information outside your property.

 

Next, inform your home insurance company. Some insurers will modify your premiums, while others will require proof of insurance issued by a specialized firm like Asserpro.

 

Make sure to fully dedicate a section of your home to your salon business. A doctor would never receive their patients in a room littered with toys and other family possessions, and a professional beautician shouldn’t either!

 

If you decide to work from home, be aware that networking with other professionals in your region will be key to your success. Refer your clients to a good nail technician, hairdresser, massage therapist, dentist, florist or veterinarian who works in your city or region, and there’s a good chance they’ll refer their clients back to you. And don’t forget that word of mouth is a low-cost yet highly effective form of advertising.

 

Renting space at a salon

Renting your own space at a busy salon staffed by different kinds of beauty and wellbeing professionals (acupuncturists, massage therapists, psychologists, etc.) can be very advantageous when you’re just starting out. You’ll find it much easier to build your own clientele if you’re working in a setting that already gets a lot of visitors.

 

Le fait de travailler en équipe peut vous permettre de prendre de l’expérience sur des facettes du métier moins connues, comme le travail de bureau, la tenue de livres, la gestion de la clientèle et de l’agenda et plus encore. Vous apprendrez alors de l’expérience des autres, ce qui est une richesse inestimable.

 

Working as part of a team can also help you gain experience on less well known aspects of the profession, like office work, bookkeeping, clientele management, agenda setting and more. The lessons you’ll learn from the experience of other professions will prove extremely valuable.
Even if you work in a salon, it’s important to have good professional liability insurance from a specialized provider. The insurance policy won’t cost you much but you’ll sleep better at night knowing you’re covered.

 

When visiting your future workspace, make sure the area is well organized with a sink, adequate storage space and sufficient electrical outlets, as it’s not safe or pleasant to work in a room crisscrossed by electrical wires. Air conditioning or heating systems can also be very handy, especially if your job involves a lot of waxing.

 

Ambient noise can be a downside of working in a salon. Providing treatments in a soundproof room is one potential solution. And if you plan to offer relaxation treatments, a quiet room is an absolute must. However, if you plan to focus mainly on laser hair removal, for example, soundproofing will be a less important factor.

 

Finally, make sure you get along with the rest of the team. You don’t need to become best friends, but a respectful, harmonious and laid back atmosphere is essential to a healthy and pleasant work environment, both for you and for your clients