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Thread: To keep stripping or keep my day job?

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    Default To keep stripping or keep my day job?

    So I've been dancing for a little over a month now. I've done hair full time for the past 2 years and love the salon I am currently at. However, I do pay a weekly 230$ rent to work there and the owner recently expanded so there are more stylists taking my walk ins. It has hurt my money BAD. Which is why I started dancing again.

    The issue lies here: I've been at this new salon a year now which means my weekly rent is about to go up. Last week I actually OWED 97$ to him. Dancing has definitely helped me pay my bills and it's not something I can quit nor do I want to. I have kids, and I work on the nights I don't have them, so I don't have to pay a sitter. Anyways, dancing has made me have to set up my salon schedule where I leave at 4pm, to be at work ready by 7. The salon's stylist are all independent so the front desk girl just sees how unavailable I have become and has seemed to stop giving me clients.

    What do I do? I really dont want to switch salons because all of my clients like the convenience of the area and it's just the nicest area of town right now. But the rent going to 260-300 a week is insane!!! Do I tell the front desk girl I'd really appreciate if she threw some more call ins my way? Or should I quit the hair biz and dance entirely? Something I am prepared and wouldn't mind doing honestly... Help.

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    Default Re: To keep stripping or keep my day job?

    Quote Originally Posted by nessagolightly View Post
    So I've been dancing for a little over a month now. I've done hair full time for the past 2 years and love the salon I am currently at. However, I do pay a weekly 230$ rent to work there and the owner recently expanded so there are more stylists taking my walk ins. It has hurt my money BAD. Which is why I started dancing again.

    The issue lies here: I've been at this new salon a year now which means my weekly rent is about to go up. Last week I actually OWED 97$ to him. Dancing has definitely helped me pay my bills and it's not something I can quit nor do I want to. I have kids, and I work on the nights I don't have them, so I don't have to pay a sitter. Anyways, dancing has made me have to set up my salon schedule where I leave at 4pm, to be at work ready by 7. The salon's stylist are all independent so the front desk girl just sees how unavailable I have become and has seemed to stop giving me clients.

    What do I do? I really dont want to switch salons because all of my clients like the convenience of the area and it's just the nicest area of town right now. But the rent going to 260-300 a week is insane!!! Do I tell the front desk girl I'd really appreciate if she threw some more call ins my way? Or should I quit the hair biz and dance entirely? Something I am prepared and wouldn't mind doing honestly... Help.

    How about going into the salon on less days and concentrate more on dancing? Since you like doing hair, I wouldn't give it up right away. Because you also enjoy dancing, then you would have less stress getting to work on time and more days to relax and get ready for it. Hopefully, you will make enough money to help your weekly rent while devoting fewer days but more full time to the salon. That way you can probably rope in a lot walk ins on those days? Then you still have your time with your children. I don't know if it would work exactly like that but maybe you can tweak it to your preference.

    Hope this helps and good luck!

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    Default Re: To keep stripping or keep my day job?

    Would you consider going independent as a hairdresser? If you have a solid customer base you could slyly give them your business card and do their hair at theirs or yours at a discounted rate (seeing as you'd no longer be paying the saloon).

    This also gives you a bit more freedom to keep dancing on days that suit you and you might be able to get a few of the girls from work as hair clients, put a flyer up in the dressing room or something.

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    Default Re: To keep stripping or keep my day job?

    Magicin, thanks, that seems to be what I'm doing I think. Working two full days and three half days at the salon. It's just the income hasn't been there for me. I have to supply my own color and products and I'm losing more than I'm making

    Amareth, yes I have considered it but I know what a pain it is. I don't like the at home idea because of having to wash their hair in a sink, improper lighting, if my kids are home or theirs etc. plus the gas for either party. Who knows if they wanna drive into the semi hood to get their hair done! My salon wouldn't mind at all if I was leaving, and the independent thing scares me also for the fact that my client base is not as strong as it could be. I have offered to do the girls hair from the club it's just alot of talk from them so far.

    Thanks for the ideas ladies, my brain is still trying to figure it out!

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    Default Re: To keep stripping or keep my day job?

    Keep salon job but try to talk with the front desk girl if she can direct more calls to you. I say keep salon job because if you dance full-time it can get to you. Meaning, it can be hard to keep a balance. However, if you keep a balance with work, don't get drunk all the time, don't pick up bad habits from the job and nature of the job, then maybe it'd be ok to just dance full-time. Except psychologically it can be a problem...so take that into your consideration.

    Maybe look into another salon to work at? Good luck!

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    Default Re: To keep stripping or keep my day job?

    This should be an obvious 'no brainer'. If you put in the same number of additional hours dancing as you have been putting into the hair salon in addition to dancing, you'll undoubtedly earn significantly more money. Since you're not the 'owner' of the hair salon, your efforts there aren't 'building a Brand' for yourself or achieving any other sort of intangible benefit ... you're only earning current income ( against which you're being charged salon rent ).

    Thus I vote 'follow the money' and dance full time ! Set aside part of your extra earnings towards purchasing your own hair salon equipment and starting your own 'shop' in the future !

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    Default Re: To keep stripping or keep my day job?

    I know how you feel about the day job. I'm in the same boat right now - I really need to quit my job because I'm actually losing money making the long drive for a measly 15-30 bucks a night usually. I feel horrible planning to tell them I have to quit because everyone there is super nice and I actually enjoy the place - I just don't enjoy the fact that the money isn't enough. I know you love the salon, but a job is supposed to provide you money - not put you into debt. You shouldn't have to take on another job just for the sake of covering losses from the first job. The salon sounds like more of a hobby than a job if you're actually losing money by being there. I know you like that specific salon, but if you're not making anything, maybe try going to a different salon or going independent, as someone else said, if you want to keep doing hair?

    Yeah, I know exactly what it feels like to like the place you're working at but not making enough, and how hard it is to leave... but the point of a job is money - if it's not making you money, it's not worth it.

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    Default Re: To keep stripping or keep my day job?

    Thanks so much for the input ladies. Sadly, all signs do point to leaving the salon but before i do, I will definitely tell the front desk girl I am a vulture for client call ins. I'd do better at a salon with cheaper rent, period. Dancing is still showing that it was a smart idea to start! One roadblock I thought of if I leave the salon and do house calls for hair, what will I tell my family? That I'm solely surviving on it? I do 95% of my families hair and we are all close. So far they just think I am some dinky bar waitress. Lol.

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    Default Re: To keep stripping or keep my day job?

    I didn't read all of the comments but I was going to say go independent, and get some business cards and hand them out to clients. When I used to rent rooms from people, I had rented a room from a hairdresser, and she was independent, and she would do clients from her house, or drive to them. I think it's a great idea. I lost her contact information, but I personally would love to have someone just come to my house rather than me going to a salon all of the time. Tends to be cheaper as well for the client. If I were you I would go independent and dance.




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    Default Re: To keep stripping or keep my day job?

    I would LOVE if my hairstylist would go independent and open up a tiny space in her home. Then I wouldn't have to break the bank everytime I wanted to get my hair done.

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    Default Re: To keep stripping or keep my day job?

    Good thread...I'll be keeping an eye on it as I am going to school for cosmetology.Not sure I will focus on hair however but Esthetics.
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
    Quote Originally Posted by Kisa7513 View Post
    You can only make so much selling dances, but when you really get into a guys head and heart, you get into his wallet.

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    Default Re: To keep stripping or keep my day job?

    Quote Originally Posted by nessagolightly View Post
    So I've been dancing for a little over a month now. I've done hair full time for the past 2 years and love the salon I am currently at. However, I do pay a weekly 230$ rent to work there and the owner recently expanded so there are more stylists taking my walk ins. It has hurt my money BAD. Which is why I started dancing again.

    The issue lies here: I've been at this new salon a year now which means my weekly rent is about to go up. Last week I actually OWED 97$ to him. Dancing has definitely helped me pay my bills and it's not something I can quit nor do I want to. I have kids, and I work on the nights I don't have them, so I don't have to pay a sitter. Anyways, dancing has made me have to set up my salon schedule where I leave at 4pm, to be at work ready by 7. The salon's stylist are all independent so the front desk girl just sees how unavailable I have become and has seemed to stop giving me clients.

    What do I do? I really dont want to switch salons because all of my clients like the convenience of the area and it's just the nicest area of town right now. But the rent going to 260-300 a week is insane!!! Do I tell the front desk girl I'd really appreciate if she threw some more call ins my way? Or should I quit the hair biz and dance entirely? Something I am prepared and wouldn't mind doing honestly... Help.
    I would focus solely on dancing. There's no money left in cosmetology, hair, esthetics, salons, & spas. MAYBE in nails since there is this whole extreme nail art trend right now, but otherwise its a flooded market. The ones that actually do well are the ones that spend TONS of time & $$$ in advertising/promotion. If you like the industry, freelance. Better yet, put it on the backburner and do that AFTER you retire from dancing. I left dancing because the money died in my state, but I can only imagine how much more it has died in the cosmetology industry.

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    Default Re: To keep stripping or keep my day job?

    Quote Originally Posted by GlamourRouge View Post
    I would focus solely on dancing. There's no money left in cosmetology, hair, esthetics, salons, & spas. MAYBE in nails since there is this whole extreme nail art trend right now, but otherwise its a flooded market. The ones that actually do well are the ones that spend TONS of time & $$$ in advertising/promotion. If you like the industry, freelance. Better yet, put it on the backburner and do that AFTER you retire from dancing. I left dancing because the money died in my state, but I can only imagine how much more it has died in the cosmetology industry.
    Hmmm I'm going to have to disagree with this statement. Or at least part of it. The economy has taken it's toll on everything especially this industry, yes and I can't speak for the hair field specifically, but I've been keeping a close eye on esthetics and it has been steadily growing. There is an increased demand lasers, photo facials, peels, and microdermabrasions. Spas and salons are adding these to their menus all the time. I think there are many factors that come into play in this industry.

    I do agree with everyone else and say continue dancing and follow the money. I plan to continue dancing throughout school and even after I finish. I'll dance until either I don't want and/or need to or I am no longer making enough money for it to be worth it.

    I also plan to freelance and eventually open my own salon.

    Good luck!
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
    Quote Originally Posted by Kisa7513 View Post
    You can only make so much selling dances, but when you really get into a guys head and heart, you get into his wallet.

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    Default Re: To keep stripping or keep my day job?

    This is all so inspirational thanks. I'm gonna stick it out at the salon for the holidays, and gather what I need to be independent. It will take so much stress off of me!! There's alot I need to map out but I'm gonna have to do it.

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    Default Re: To keep stripping or keep my day job?

    I go with freelance and add another thought: why not try to market yourself towards dancers? I'm sure you could get some dancer clients and possibly even get a job as a hairstylist at a club. That way you can continue to do both. To me the rent to do hair just seems high for the money.

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