How to Start a Salon: Is the Salon Suite Model Right for You?
What is a Salon Suite?
A salon suite is a private salon space where beauty & wellness practitioners operate their own independent business but without the large upfront costs and risks of opening their own stand-alone salon. The private suites are part of a larger space that may offer amenities and a communal waiting area.
At The Parlor, we created our suites to offer private salon space to a select group of premier practitioners in beauty & wellness service areas such as integrative doctors, fitness experts, psychologists, nutritionists, aestheticians, hair stylists, nail technicians, body work specialists, IV therapy, cryotherapy and more. The Parlor has 40 suites in a luxurious state-of-the-art space with high-touch amenities and club-like communal areas where the best-of-the-best in beauty & wellness can learn from each other while enjoying referral benefits.
Is Our Salon Suite Model Right for You?
If you have an established client base and a desire to own your own business, then the salon suite model could be perfect for you.
How are Salon Suites Different than Working for a Traditional Salon?
When you lease a private salon suite at The Parlor, you own your own stand-alone business, but within a larger, ultra-luxe beauty & wellness space. Your suite is specifically and uniquely for your business, your brand and YOUR PROFITS. The money you make is yours.
In addition to keeping all of the profits you earn from providing services, you also keep all of your profits on products you sell, and you get to CHOOSE THE PRODUCTS you want to sell versus selling what the salon dictates.
Furthermore, with a salon suite, you are YOUR OWN BOSS. You set your own hours and choose the services that you offer, working when you want and how you want.
Your suite offers you and your clients a PRIVATE SPACE with your brand and your vibe. Gone are loud, crowded areas and the close quarters chatter of a traditional salon. You can play your own music, have private client conversations, have your own signature scent, your own color harmony, and more. Your space is a reflection of you and the type of service and experience you want to offer your clients.
But at The Parlor, not only do you have your own private suite, you also have access to a LUXURIOUS COMMUNAL SPACE for you and your clients. You can network with your clients after an appointment over a glass of wine or connect with other premier beauty & wellness practitioners. You can also offer your clients a comfortable space to relax, work and socialize before and after appointments.
Finally, The Parlor offers a variety of beauty, wellness and small business education, assistance, classes and seminars to help each of its salon suite members be SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS OWNERS.
If you are interested in comparing and contrasting the profits of being a commissioned salon employee vs. a salon suite business owner, scroll down to the bottom of this post to view our profit calculator.
How is a Salon Suite Different from Opening up Your Own Salon?
A salon suite is similar to opening up your own salon, but with far less risk, less work, lower upfront costs, and more rewards.
LESS WORK:
When opening up your own salon you will be responsible for doing many time-consuming and costly tasks, on your own:
Finding the appropriate real estate
Negotiating with landlords
Obtaining permits for any work that needs to be done to prepare the space
Finding and negotiating with contractors and electricians
Determining what is needed in regard to heating, cooling & ventilation
Setting up a phone system and Wi-Fi
Setting up accounts for other utilities such as power
Setting up scheduling software and payment processing
Hiring an assistant to answer phones& emails, greet clients and set appointments
Determine how to manage logistics such as laundry
Setting up security
With a salon suite at The Parlor all of these things are done for you, so you can focus on what you do best.
LESS RISK:
Instead of signing a long-term lease in a space that is not quite outfitted for beauty & wellness services, you can have a flexible lease with The Parlor in a turn-key suite that is created specifically for beauty & wellness practitioners and is move-in ready.
MORE REWARDS:
Instead of working alone in your own salon, The Parlor suites allow you to be in business for yourself, but not by yourself. You are surrounded by other like-minded beauty & wellness professionals who are at the top of their game. The Parlor is a community, and the ultra-luxe communal space encourages a collaborative atmosphere that facilitates the sharing of talent, ideas, knowledge and services among members.
With independent salon ownership, you will spend a significant amount of time searching for the latest and greatest news and trends in the industry and finding classes and new products all on your own. As a salon suite member at The Parlor, we help you accomplish all of those goals. We offer on-site classes and seminars on beauty, wellness and entrepreneurship. In addition, our mezzanine level features an ever-changing mix of the latest cutting-edge beauty & wellness products to keep you up-to-date, freeing up your time to focus on your business.
If you think a salon suite at The Parlor might be a good fit for you, please contact us here. We are happy to answer any questions you have about becoming a member.