What to Look For When Renting a Salon Booth
What if your salon booth could do more business than ever before?
Renting a salon booth isn't easy. And most stylists spend a lot of time trying to figure out how to turn their booth into a successful and ongoing business.
But you can transform your business with the right salon booth rental tips. Keep reading to discover our favorite tips!
1. A Good Culture Fit
Renting a booth can create conflicting feelings. For example, even though you are an independent contractor, you need to have a good working relationship with your host salon.
That's why we recommend only working with salons that you respect. Make sure you understand their policies and values to ensure that you will be a good culture fit.
This may sound like a simple step, but it is a crucial way to avoid working in a place that you hate.
2. Create Firm Policies
Want to know what is both the best and worst thing about renting a salon booth? It's the fact that you get to create your own rules and policies.
At first, this feels very liberating. You finally get to be your own boss! But it's up to the boss to "lay down the law" with strong policies.
Arguably, the most important policy is your cancellation policy. Without a firm policy in place, you may end up with customers who end up wasting your time.
3. Working With a Financial Planner
Do you have a natural head for numbers? Are you well-organized and good at math? If so, you can skip this step.
For everyone else, though, it's worth hiring a financial planner as your business grows. No matter how great a stylist you are, the success of your business largely hinges on understanding your budget, income, overhead costs, and other financial aspects of your business.
A good planner or accountant can help you figure everything out. And that frees up your time to focus on styling instead of staring at a spreadsheet all day.
4. Research Before Setting Prices
When you rent a salon booth, you need to make a very important decision early on in your career. And that decision is what your prices are going to be like.
To begin, try to factor in how much your booth rental is each month. And try to add up what your other monthly costs are (including supplies that you sell and various styling tools you need to replace).
On the most basic level, your pricing needs to take these costs into consideration so that you can make a profit. But it's also important to research what other people are charging so you aren't over (or under) pricing your services.
5. Read the "Fine Print" Of Your Rental Contract
This next piece of advice should really be common sense. But just in case, we want to remind you that it's important to read the "fine print" of your rental contract with the salon.
If you sign this agreement, you are signing a binding legal contract with the salon. And this agreement may spell out everything from the terms of your rental to the rights and responsibilities of the salon itself.
Reviewing the contract before you sign it helps you avoid any nasty surprises. And if you end up in a dispute with the salon, you need to make sure you have a legal leg to stand on.
Don't like some of the contract terms? You can always try to negotiate something better for yourself!
6. Respect Your Host
We said it before, but it bears repeating: you need to have a good working relationship with the host salon. And this means treating your hosts with the respect and courtesy they deserve.
This doesn't mean you need to be a doormat if a dispute comes up. But going the extra mile to be kind and respectful to your hosts when you interact can go a long way towards securing a future for your business.
7. Getting Organized
Be honest: are you a naturally organized person? If the answer is "no," then you need to do everything in your power to strengthen your organizational skills.
That's because you are more than a stylist. You are also your own manager, your own assistant, and your own marketing and sales team. Furthering your skills in things like scheduling, budgeting, and marketing is going to help you develop a more successful business.
8. Social Media Marketing
Speaking of marketing, it's important to not overlook your most important marketing tool. We're talking, of course, about social media marketing.
On social media, you can encourage your friends and family to visit your salon booth. And you can also create a business page to help you reach out to others through helpful posts and cool content.
One of your goals with social media marketing is to build an online following. Your biggest fans will like and share what you post, turning them into brand ambassadors for your growing business. And don't forget to mention your business in local community groups online to bring more customers into your booth.
9. Following Up With Customers
It's not over once a customer leaves your booth. If you'd like to see them again, make sure you follow up about their experience.
Simply thanking them for business and asking for feedback is a great way to build customer loyalty. You can also gather customer email addresses in exchange for emailing them special deals and discounts. This lets you create an email marketing program that keeps customers coming back.
10. Sell the Right Products
In addition to your actual hair styling, a major part of your business is selling various salon products. And you'll need to pay for these out of pocket, so it's important to pick the right products.
Try to choose style and haircare products that are best suited to your base of customers. But don't be afraid to bring in products you have tried and enjoyed. Your customers will like the fact that you can personally endorse how these products work!
Salon Booth Rental Tips: What Comes Next?
Now you know our top salon booth rental tips. But do you know the best way to advertise your services?
We make it easy for stylists just like you to advertise their services and for clients to book your services. To see what we can do for your business, just contact us today!