Michelle Ryman came to Portland, Ore., from San Diego in 2008, just as the economy was starting to falter. Finding new clients has been a greater challenge because of that, but Ryman succeeds by following good entrepreneurial and managerial practices.
She began renting a space at Diva, a salon on Northwest Thurman Street, in early 2009.
“I prefer leasing," she says. "I like to be in charge of my own business. It’s hard to give that control to somebody else and let them run their business for you.” She says some salons provide space and products but offer only commission, typically about 50%. “If you don’t have any clients, you don’t make anything.” She’d rather rent.
Hair Salon Success Starts with Certification
Local and state requirements vary, but all beauticians must be licensed. Ryman trained at San Jose City College and then worked as an apprentice before starting out on her own. She practiced about seven years in San Diego.
Beauty Professional Profits from Pravana training
As an educator for the Pravana Naturceutical line, Ryman focuses on color. Pravana, she says, provided extensive training, and she also has opportunities to teach color concepts and techniques to others.
The Pravana training offers Ryman a chance to form her own niche. “I really like the idea of it," she says. 'I really like to change somebody completely, their look, and color is a way to do that.” And being a salon entrepreneur gives her the flexibility to work the way she wants.
Business Experience Boosts Salon Entrepreneur
Ryman, who is 34, has never worked for salary. Salaried jobs she’s explored pay little, perhaps $10 or $12 hour. “It doesn’t seem as lucrative,” she says. “There’s definitely room for growth when you’re doing hair.”
In San Diego, she says, some hairstylists make in excess of $200,000 a year by leasing a station. They do it by double booking. “They constantly have a person in the chair,” with apprentices mixing color, shampooing or blow-drying clients while the stylist does the actual highlights and haircut.
Salon Success Grows with Advertising
Ryman is continually looking for ways to get the word out about her business. “I will do any avenue available to me as far as advertising,’’ Ryman says. “The Internet is obviously a huge one.” But not everyone is online. She asks neighboring businesses to display her business cards, passes out coupons, and advertises in the local newspaper. The purpose: “Just to get people in your chair so they get to know you, get to know the hair you can do—and hopefully like both.”
She learned an important lesson the first time she handed out fliers offering a discount: Make sure there’s an expiration date. As her business blossomed in San Diego and her clientele was booked, “every once in a while someone would come in with a flier—maybe two years later.”
Any entrepreneur, in a salon or otherwise, needs a skill set that includes teamwork, organization, Internet tools, scheduling savvy and discipline. Here's how Ryman approaches these benchmarks:
Portland Hairdresser Emphasizes Teamwork
When everyone at a salon is renting space, teamwork is important. "It definitely shows what kind of salon you’re in and how friendly people are in the salon,” says Ryman, who may shampoo for someone who’s running behind or help out when a stylist’s client comes in and someone else is still in the chair. “You’re there to make every client happy,” she says, “not just working for yourself.”
Portland Hair Salon Keeps Track of Business
Salon success means keeping good books, paying bills on time, being ready for clients and keeping the salon running smoothly by ensuring that towels and smocks are always ready and other products are in stock. If another person is behind, Ryman may pitch in by sweeping up around the station to keep things tidy.
The Best Hairdressers are People People
“People skills are huge. You always have to be nice to people who walk in the door. It’s a really big part of the job.” Ryman’s view of a successful stylist is someone who is friendly, trustworthy and knows how to listen. “A lot of people talk about very personal things to their stylist because the stylist doesn’t know anybody else in their lives,” she points out. “It becomes a lot like therapy.”
Reviews Are Key to Web Presence for Portland Salon
The Internet is key. In Portland, Ryman says, the CitySearch business locator is much more heavily used than it was when she was in California. Additionally, “a lot of people are Googling salons in their area.” The Web is “such an easy way to advertise yourself,” she says. Reviews on sites such as CitySearch are important. And social networking sites like Facebook are becoming an increasingly popular way of getting the word out about a stylist’s personality and expertise. Static business Web sites are becoming less useful, as they are difficult to keep current.
Scheduling Keeps Beauty Professional on Track
“Scheduling has got be right on,” Ryman emphasizes. “You can’t mess up, because then the client’s going to be upset. ... Mostly it’s about the client and making them happy.”
Salon Independent Contractors Know Value of Discipline
It’s important for salons to pace themselves, although even then, glitches can occur. “Sometimes you are knee deep in color and there’s nothing you can do to speed up the process,” Ryman admits. In such cases, the stylist has to rely on the understanding of the client and the helpfulness of the rest of the salon team in making the new arrival comfortable until the chair is available.
Salon success rests on the interaction of many skills and, ultimately, the personality strengths of the individual hairstylist. In Portland, Ryman is blazing her own path, building on a solid foundation of established principals and practices.
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