Help me weight this out.

[redhairboy]

I would say go with option 2. I was a stylist for 10 years before my first son was born and all of my friends that went on to rent are doing great! All of them! Good Luck. I hated working for those chains.

[carriek38]

I'd do option 2...and I'd see if your friend would, say, do a promo week/weekend to get your name out there, get some extra traffic through the doors to try to build up your clients, etc.

[BESMama]

I know my hairstylists over the past few years have all gone from the larger salon to renting their own chair. They say it's significantly better to make their own schedule and they make quite a bit more. However, I'm not with the independant stylists anymore...

One other thing to consider is that not all patrons may be receptive to your part time schedule. I pay top dollar to my stylists, and I find it's really tough to work with a part time stylist when you have a special event that falls on a day your stylist isn't available. Just my thoughts, which I know may be unpopular.

[Bethannp]

Thanks for all the advice/support. I have a meeting with my friend on Friday to talk it over more in depth. I really think option 2 is the way I want to go, I'm just nervous about it

Originally Posted by BESMama I know my hairstylists over the past few years have all gone from the larger salon to renting their own chair. They say it's significantly better to make their own schedule and they make quite a bit more. However, I'm not with the independant stylists anymore... One other thing to consider is that not all patrons may be receptive to your part time schedule. I pay top dollar to my stylists, and I find it's really tough to work with a part time stylist when you have a special event that falls on a day your stylist isn't available. Just my thoughts, which I know may be unpopular.

That's why working in my friend's salon would probably be better. If a client has a special event on a day I don't normally work I can arrange to come in on that day for her. I wouldn't have that flexibility in a chain. That said, we're talking small town rural Iowa here, nobody is going to be paying top dollar for anything

[BESMama]

Originally Posted by Bethannp That said, we're talking small town rural Iowa here, nobody is going to be paying top dollar for anything

I really need to move...

[Bethannp]

Originally Posted by BESMama I really need to move...

That's kind of one thing that will stink about option 2. I won't be able to charge as much for services as what I was getting when I worked in Des Moines. But, I won't have to drive nearly as far, so it will be worth it.

[Bethannp]

Just a little update -

Cost Cutters agreed to work with my schedule stipulations, so pending everything going well at the interview (though she basically already offered me the job) I think I'm going to work there. I have discovered though, that I really do want to rent a chair, but at the end of the day the town where my friend's salon is just is not the right location for me. I'm going to go work at Cost Cutters for a year or so and then look into finding a chair to rent in a town that will work better for me, and hopefully I'll be able to bring some of my clientele I build up in the mean time with me.