Salon Based vs Mobile Technician - which is the choice for you?

If you’ve recently gained a beauty qualification and you’re just setting foot into the world of full time work, you’re probably considering which direction of employment to go down. Depending on your field of expertise, there are many different opportunities as the world of beauty grows and develops. In this helpful guide, we look at some of the pros of being both a salon based and a mobile technician, and how each of their differences can benefit your lifestyle.
Salon Based Technician
Recognition
It can’t be denied that starting your own salon gives you great exposure. Having your name on the highstreet gives you instant access to any passers by who might be needing your services. Along with any loyal clients who book recurring appointments, you will also have a steady stream of potential clients who can walk in from the street. Having this brick and mortar location will also give potential customers a reassurance that you are a genuine, established business.
Fixed Hours
Working in a salon means working the normal, highstreet hours - this is when shoppers are in town, and when your clients will expect you to be open. If you want to offer appointments outside of these normal hours, there is an opportunity to charge a little extra for ‘out of hours’ treatments. With the exposure that having a salon brings, there is opportunity for growth, meaning more staff. This will in turn mean that there will be people to cover you - keeping the business running - when you want to take a holiday!
Culture
Opportunities for more staff brings the chance to create a culture within your salon. Not only will a good culture be good for you and your staff’s morale, but cultivating this will also create an atmosphere that your clients will be happy to come back to time and again. Having control over the atmosphere you work in can be a really helpful way of ensuring that you are fully enjoying your work.
Learning Opportunities
If you are newly qualified, finding a job in an already established salon is an excellent opportunity for learning more. Putting your skills into practice under the supervision of those who have been doing it for years is a certain way that you will develop further. Even if it is your own salon that you are working in, there is always opportunity to learn from all the new clients that are walking through your door.
Mobile Technician
Lower Cost
Deciding to go it alone as a mobile technician holds many benefits too, the first being the low cost of initial investment that you need to start up. Without the need for a building, and all the expenses that come with it (rent, electricity - you name it), you are already saving a lot of money. On top of that, you don't need to have all of the equipment at once. Just having exactly what you need for clients that you already know you are going to see can save you from investing in things that might be used infrequently. This allows you to gradually build up your range of tools over time as your clientele develops.
Flexibility
If you’re wanting flexibility in your working hours, then being a mobile technician is perfect for you. No highstreet location means no expectations set on you and when you need to be available. You can give your clients the appointment slots that work for you, whether it’s just during the day, or evening and early morning too. If you have a family, this can be a particularly helpful way of ensuring that you are able to make all of your family commitments whilst still being able to work enough hours.
Personal
Having clients visit you in your salon, coming into your atmosphere and culture, can be a great way to ensure that you are always comfortable. But visiting clients in their own home can provide another level of personal service, giving you the chance to build a relationship with them. Once a solid relationship is established with a client, this can lead to a level of trust, meaning that they are unlikely to look anywhere else for their treatments. They are also more likely to recommend you to their friends - an added bonus!
Profits
Working for yourself as the sole trader in your business means you have no other employees to pay - the profits you make will be yours to keep. You might decide to invest most of this back into your business, or keep it to support your lifestyle. Whatever you do decide, the choice will be fully yours to make. The beauty of building a personal relationship with your clients is the potential for word-of-mouth referrals, meaning you can spend less money on paid advertising too.
They key to a successful business.
Whether you choose to utilise your skills within a salon setting or as a mobile technician, there are evidently great benefits to both routes of employment. The right choice for you really comes down to your own personal preference: which of these pros are most important to you, and which suit your lifestyle better. If the growth opportunities and exposure of a salon based business is something that you aspire to have, then starting the process to make this a reality will give you much fulfillment. If the flexible, personal approach that being a mobile technician brings is something that is of great importance for you, then building this type of business will be the ideal choice for you.
The key to a great and successful business? Enjoying what you do! So finding the way of working that creates this for you will ensure you are fully set up to enjoy your work and enjoy your future!