Choosing to work at another salon is a big decision, and can be stressful for all parties involved: you, your salon clients, and your current salon owner. Since there are two main business models in the salon industry — employee/commission-based salons and independent/booth-rental salons, the answers to this question will vary. I’ll address both scenarios.
Employee/commission-based: Usually in the salon industry when an employee decides to leave one salon to join another, the salon owner terminates the relationship the same day. However if the salon owner is allowing you to stay for two weeks, it’s important to work together on the best way to inform your salon clients about your move. I recommend these steps:
1. Ask the salon owner for permission to download your client list and their contact info. This is the property of the salon if you are an employee.
2. Create a mailing to reach out to your clients to let them know your new address and tell them about any special offers at your new location. Also, to be fair to all parties involved, give clients the names of any service providers you would recommend for them if they choose to stay at your current location.
3, Create signage for your station that announces your new location, and share the special promotion you have at your new salon along with any promotions offered by your current salon to encourage clients to stay.
Booth-renter/independent: If you are working independently, you own your client list and information. Here’s how to get started:
1.Organize your client list including mailing addresses, emails, and phone numbers. Design a postcard announcing “I’m MOVING!” with the address of your new salon. You can design and print the postcards online at sites like clubflyers.com and vistaprint.com at a low cost. Send these out two to four weeks prior to your move. You can offer a small discount for their first visit.
In addition, you can compose an email stating how excited you are about your new beginning at the new address. State a few of the positive reasons why you have chosen to move and the benefits your clients will enjoy at the new location. (Don’t bad-mouth the salon you’re leaving.) Again, offer a small discount for their first visit. You can send these via regular email or use an online marketing resource like MailChimp or Constant Contact.
2. Change your recorded phone greeting. The new greeting should say, “Hi this is Kristi. Leave me a message and make sure to write down my new salon address! I’ll be moving to (address) starting (date).” After the move, change your greeting again to let callers know you are at a new address.
— Kristi Valenzuela, director, front desk division, Summit Salon Business Center (www.summitsalon.com)
Editor’s note: Check out Confessions of a Nail Tech on Facebook for more great nail tech questions like this one.