All of us have had to evaluate our current job circumstances at some time in our careers to determine whether or not we are in the ideal salon for our needs and our career goals. Sometimes the decision is clear-cut and simple. In other cases, you can find yourself, so to say, "on the fence." Reaching a final decision can be challenging. While you don't want to remain in your current work environment, you also don't want to make a rash decision that you'll later regret.
This blog will assist you in determining if you should wait it out, talk to the owner about making some adjustments, or to walk away.
Before filing your resignation, you should ask yourself the following questions:
Do you wake up excited about your workplace and your coworkers?
Of course, you won't get out of bed every morning excited to go to work. At work, there will be good times and difficult times. But you should start thinking about other possibilities if you wake up every day dreading the time you'll be spending in the salon or not enjoying being around your co-workers.
Are you hearing complaints from your clients?
The focus of this business is customer service. You have two choices if the clients you serve communicate their dissatisfaction: either you take their concerns seriously and deal with them, or you choose to ignore them and risk losing their business. If clients are unsatisfied with your coworkers, management or your work environment - this is something to consider with your decision.
Try to work out a solution with the owner. It is time to go if it does not work.
Are you at a salon that helps you grow as a professional?
If you want to be more than "just another hairdresser," do you work at a salon that promotes and encourages professional development? Numerous salons provide opportunity for promotion and further education. Some even help with portfolio building and take part in fashion shoots and events for publications.
If your current salon isn't providing you with the opportunity you need to advance professionally, it might be time to look for one that can.
Are you making enough money?
If your business isn't bringing in enough revenue to support you financially or if your pricing is so low that you're barely breaking even, it's time to evaluate both your motivation and the atmosphere of the salon.
Quick Tip:
You can give your salon a six month probationary period. Discuss issues with the salon owner or manager and work together to find solutions. If, at the end of that probationary period, you are not seeing any improvements and are still having the same issues, maybe you need to move on. If you know what you are capable of in terms of building your clientele. If you aren’t feeling a sense of belonging or feeling comfortable or “fitting in” with your co-workers, maybe it’s just not the right place for you to truly be yourself and flourish.
What is your relationship with your coworkers?
We've all witnessed how strained relationships at the salon can lead to conflict and impair overall happiness. Having work friends is crucial to your happiness on the job, learning how to better navigate these tensions is the first step. If you are unable to repair relationships that are making you unhappy at work then maybe it is time to say goodbye.
Essentially, business is business.
It's challenging to leave an unpleasant workplace. You may have a close personal relationship with the owner or your coworkers despite the issues compromising your professional happiness, which adds even more complexity to the situation. If you've made the decision to quit, keep reading to learn how to successfully leave your salon.
How To Successfully Leave Your Salon
Essentially, a successful exit indicates that everyone is as satisfied as possible and that you are making sure clients are satisfied with your decision.. Sounds impossible? Absolutely possible, babe.
We want to give you the tools you need today to make this transition as smooth as possible for you and your clients by enabling you to act morally. We'll concentrate on local moves, cross-state and even opening up your own salon. Each has particular difficulties and tasks that must be performed correctly.
We'll also go into detail on how to handle that awkward time, keep your clients happy and make sure you leave with your class and integrity intact. Lets begin…
Show up on social media
You cannot put off posting on Instagram, Facebook, or your website. These are crucial. Your social media presence is the sole thing that demonstrates your incredible stylistic abilities. It's a completely new ballgame; your new salon owner and potential clientele don't care about what you performed at your previous salon. However, you already have some street credibility if you have a stunning website and social media presence. Establishing an internet presence is the first step towards making the transition significantly easier.
Check your lease
When possible, always act ethically and legally. Give 30 days' notice if your lease requires that. It is customary to give two weeks' notice if you are an employee. If things do not go as planned, have a backup plan. Having a landing spot is crucial, even if it means renting a temporary station or getting accepted early by your new salon.
Don’t start talking too early
Real talk: Things will become ugly if you announce the news too soon. Each and every time. People will still feel strange about your decision even if they are your biggest supporters. Initially, coworkers are happy for you when you tell them you're going to a new salon. Then it really starts to hit home and all of this strange baggage that you had no idea was there comes spilling out of the closet. Instead, once you've informed your owner and are certain you have a spot to land, start announcing your move to the salon.
How to tell the boss
The best course of action is to get in touch with your salon owner if you want to be on good terms when you leave. It is best to communicate as openly and honestly as possible. It provides the salon owner with every chance to step up and meet the challenge. The best course of action is to give them plenty of notice and to continue acting professionally until it's time for you to leave. At the end of the day you have to make the best decision for yourself.
The heart wrenching part… talking to clients
Give the owner of your salon and the people you work with plenty of notice, but try to limit the amount of time with your clients.
If you are moving locally
Wait until your move is underway and you've given your salon notice before telling your clientele you're moving on. You want to try to make everyone happy in this situation as well as keep the awkwardness to a minimum.
If you are moving to another state
Three to four weeks prior to the move, begin informing your clientele. Your clients will abandon you if you begin telling them too soon. They'll miss you, but they'll accept it when they see another stylist because you're going to go anyway and your income will decrease. No one wants to relocate across state lines with no money in the bank.
Promote yourself and keep moving forward until three or four weeks before the move. There is a method to transition smoothly while maintaining a high level of client satisfaction; however, if you notify your clients too far in advance, you risk losing business.
If you are opening your own salon
Even with a qualified contractor, your salon opening will be delayed. Weeks or months may pass, but it likely won't open on schedule. Permitting delays are common, and strange things occasionally happen. It can appear disorganized to clients, so wait to notify them you are relocating until you have the keys in hand. Excited about starting a salon? That's quite normal, but don't go ahead and tell everyone about it until you have more definite plans. When opening your own salon and leaving a current salon team, don’t try and poach stylists from the salon to join you. It’s just not classy and you don’t want to start out your brand new journey with bad business karma following you.
In Conclusion..
Making the decision to move salons should not be taken lightly because ultimately it can make or break your career. It can catapult you forward or set you a couple years back. Make sure before making this decision, you ask the hard questions, work with your salon owner and co-workers to try and correct any existing issues and if you still decide leaving is best, take your time finding your new place to make sure it checks all your boxes AND your client’s boxes.
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