Designing Your New Salon: Making Beauty Beautiful
As a recent Beauty School graduate, it’s exciting to finally be in a position to make the dream of opening your own salon come true. But you know that the hard work is really just about to begin because the rest is up to you and, of course, you want to make the most out of your brand-new business venture!
Obviously, looking good is the backbone of the beauty industry, and you want your salon to convey that image to every new client who walks through your door. A beautifully-designed salon creates a first impression that says you’re serious about your business and committed to the value of making your clients look good.
To do this, you need to see your salon through the eyes of your clients. As your clients enter, will they see a salon designed with attention to detail that is both functional and inviting? From your reception area to the work stations, are they both comfortable and functional? Your salon needs to be designed with both your clients and your profitability in mind.
This challenge can be extremely enjoyable for you as you develop your new business. But it can also be overwhelming. The sheer number of styles, colors, and types of equipment can leave you feeling out of your element. An important part of being successful in business is being able to judge when it’s time to find an expert who can guide you through the process, just as your clients would choose a professional hair stylist. After all, you don’t want to learn how to design salons – you just want to design YOUR salon.
Many equipment manufacturers have teams of designers on hand to help you do just that. You get the best of both worlds when you allow your own creative vision of your new salon to grow with the help of a design professional who knows their way around salon equipment, furniture, colors and styles. Your salon can still reflect your own unique style – in fact, having a helping hand can keep you focused on that vision.
Here are a few things to keep in mind when designing your salon:
1. What feeling do you want your clients to have? The proper use of color can instill and feeling of calm and relaxation, or energy and rejuvenation. What is your goal?
2. How will each space help contribute to the overall success of your salon, are you maximizing the potential income within your space?
3. Will you offer additional services like a manicure/pedicure station, waxing station or make-up services? More offerings can draw a more diverse clientele and encourage more frequent visits.
4. Retail Space! What types of products do you plan to carry for your customers? Placing these in a highly visible area will not only help produce more income, it will allow you to interact with you customers and offer advice on what products would best meet their needs.
Here is a bonus idea, even if you aren’t ready to take the leap and open your own beauty salon: Keep a scrapbook. Keep notes, pictures from other salons, images from magazines, swatches of fabric that represents the look and feel you imagine for your salon. When the times comes to open your first salon you will have a great blue print for creating the perfect environment for you guests, that reflects your unique style!
Laurie Cohen is the Vice President of Marketing at Veeco Manufacturing in Chicago. Veeco has been designing salons for over 84 years. For more information about creating your salon, visit their website at www.veecomanufacturing.com.
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