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Original poster

Thinking of moving to Devon and setting up a beauty salon - anyone know about this kind of thing ?

43 replies

scatterbrain · 26/12/2006 22:02

Well -title says it all really !!

I am utterly stressed out - work full-time with a 1 hour commute each way - dd is 6 yrs old - and to be honest I seem to be doing everything badly ! I don't feel I do a very good job at work - I am not a very nice mummy - my house is a mess - and I am FED UP in capitals !!

DH has family in Devon and we really like it there - I've found a beautiful house in a small town with business premises on the ground floor - and we are seriously wondering about going for it and me swapping my dull civil service job for running a beauty salon/alternative health type of establishment.

I am not qualified in any of this - but have been an interested user for many years. I have an MBA and so the business side would not daunt me - and I assume I could employ therapists while I got rained myself !!

Does anyone know about this kind of business ?

Any advice would be most gratefully received - I really do fancy a change of life !

OP posts:

DimpledThighs · 26/12/2006 22:06

only thing to add is that me and a friend and her children always go to devon camping. Last year we decided to take it in turns to go off and have a massage and couldn't find anywhere!

Don't know what your market would be like?
What does DH family think of the idea?
Would you be relying on it heavily for income?

My friend was training as a massuer and it was taking 3 years - so you might need to look into employees first.

Good luck - if it comes off give me your number!

DimpledThighs · 26/12/2006 22:07

..oh sorry that was a bit negative - can I add (s)he who dares...

Original poster

scatterbrain · 26/12/2006 22:14

Thanks - Well - I wouldn't have to be making a huge fortune - only about £35K pa to match my current salary - but not necessarily straight away ! - and maybe could live with less !

House and business would be less mortgage than now - and dh could cover most costs in the short term.

I've been doing a bit of research in the area - just on the net - and there a few places around the area - but not a lot !

I would definitely want to target the holiday market !

I'm thinking all the usual services - waxing, tanning, massage, facials, nails etc - and maybe a bit of Reiki, Reflexology, and things like Hopi Ear Candles etc on the side !

I feel all excited now !

OP posts:

Katymac · 26/12/2006 22:16

Contact Business link

Has DH got a job in the area?

iPodForLifeNotJustForChristmas · 26/12/2006 22:16

choose your area of Devon carefully - It can be quite a poor place for most of us locals!

duchesse · 26/12/2006 22:22

Well, all I can advise if to do some serious market research before jumping in, scatterbrain. People in Devon have far less disposable income than in the South East- average salary is 20,000 /year, average house price something over 200,000. It may be that it is an up and coming business, but you should be aware that that rural areas here tend to be populated by farmers who are still living in the 1950s as regards your kind of business. Having said all this, bring your business acumen her, and you may well be able to find something to do, but you should not expect to make a fortune out of it. As I said elsewhere, the value of being able to choose your own work rate is inestimable. Good luck if you decide to move down here.

duchesse · 26/12/2006 22:24

scatterbrain- I just read your new message- you would be very, very lucky to make 35,000 a year. I just thought I had to mention that. As iPodetc says, really...

Crackle · 26/12/2006 22:26

I'm a business owner in Devon. Where are you thinking of setting up?

wannaBeOnTopOfTheChristmasTree · 26/12/2006 22:28

Tbh I think you?re getting totally carried away with the idea. I think the idea of moving to devon is great, but doing it and setting up your own business at the same time is waay too ambitious IMO. You say you would need to bring in 35k PA to match your current salary, but that?s just to cover your own income, bear in mind that you have no qualifications, so if you?re looking to employ beauticians you will have to be earning a hell of a lot more than that in order to pay their wages as well.

Most businesses don?t make any profit for the first two years, so it will be some time before you could actually afford to pay yourself a salary, and even longer before you?d be able to employ people to do the treatments. I would also choose your area carefully, as house prices in some parts of devon are actually in line with those in the south east due to the amount of people from London etc that have purchased second homes there and effectively priced the locals out of the market.

If you?re serious about starting a beauty salon, I would go to college and obtain some qualifications, then start doing treatments in the evenings etc when you?re not working, and if you find you enjoy it then consider moving and taking a job down there perhaps and then set up gradually, but IMO quitting your current job and moving to a different place to set up a business which you know nothing about is a very bad idea.

Kristingle · 26/12/2006 23:08

sorry, I agree with wannabe. sorry to rain on your parade

Judy1234 · 26/12/2006 23:23

It's a deprived area in parts and beauty is one thing people cut back on when money is tight so I would think it would be better to set up a beauty salon where people have more money than sense, somewhere like Cheshire or bits of London really to be honest... but I may be completely wrong.

Jimjams2 · 26/12/2006 23:28

If you went for Totnes or Kingsbridge, Exeter maybe, maybe Tavistock (maybe not though) you might find people with the money. Would be more likely to be a success if you had space to rent out to complimentary therapists as well- especially in the first 2 places.

Devon/Cornwall are number 1 in the country for hideous house price to salary ratio (ie house prices hugely more expensive than salaries), people really are poor here as others have already said. Some areas of Plymouth are in the top 10 deprived areas in Europe. I'd choose where you were planning to go very carefully. And as others said, get the qulaifications first so you don't have to employ anyone.

I do have some contacts in Business Link if you want me to find a contact name for you.

lulumama · 26/12/2006 23:29

i would say get some qualifications first..see if you like being a therapist, rather than a therapist

where we live, beauty salons seem to be 10 a penny and they seem to open and close quite rapidly and change hands frequntly.....

swapping your dull job , sure. ,moving to devon, why not...but setting up a business aswell...

why not work in devon for a year, and see that you like living there...before you invest in a new home & business, that would yield little return initially, if any

look at other ways to change your life , if you feel stuck in a rut..can you afford to cut your hours, employ a cleaner, go to night school or something:?

you are obviously craving some changes and want to make your lives better...so look at how else to do that

also £35 000...good salary, but unachievable to start with , certainly for the first few years within a new business IMO

can you do something with the MBA..? lecture, teach or tutor in business skills?

lulumama · 26/12/2006 23:30

like being a therapist rather than having therapies!

Judy1234 · 26/12/2006 23:34

jj's post confirms what I thought. I know people who've moved there for new lives and found the dire shortage of money has an effect on everything. Also affects the opportunities your children have to find work etc in due course too.

Judy1234 · 26/12/2006 23:35

I know a few exceptions. Very successful surfing schools. Wasn't one just sold for quite a few million where I think my daughter has surfed.

Jimjams2 · 26/12/2006 23:37

They're very keen to attract "knowledge" based business into the county at the moment. Internet businesses go donw well. Not manufacturing- too far. If service I'd go for the tourists but then you need to go to places like Kingsbridge where you pay a fortune for property.

I don't regret moving to Devon (from London). Our life would be unbearable in London now, but I'm from here originally.

Helennn · 26/12/2006 23:51

Probably not Kingsbridge, there seem to be plenty here already with plenty of choice. There is also a alternative therapy type place in the main street, although attached to the health food shop rather than a beauty therapy place. I know Dartmouth has also got a good one just opoened called The Cove

hippmummy · 27/12/2006 06:19

I agree you need to think very carefully about your market.
The places in Devon which appear very affluent (i.e have over-inflated house prices) are like this because there is a large proportion of second home ownership. So the people with the money aren't actually here most of the time.
Devon also has a huge population of retired people, who are often well off, but may not be interested in the kind of service you are offering.

wickedwinterwitch · 27/12/2006 09:01

Having moved out of Devon back to a city because we couldn't earn enough to even remotely consider buying a house I'd also say be very careful indeed. If you can make enough from tourists in the summer to keep you going for the rest of the year then fine but really consider what your income will be in the winter.

wickedwinterwitch · 27/12/2006 09:03

And completely agree about second home ownership. £25k is considered a V GOOD salary for Devon

Original poster

scatterbrain · 27/12/2006 09:49

OOoh lots of replies - Thank You all !!

Well - the area is a village between Tiverton and Barnstaple - and I do know the area and a lot of people realy well and they seem to think there is a market - but maybe quite reliant on tourists/visitors. It is quite an affluent area, lots of old money, big houses, horsey types etc - but appreciate that also a lot of poorer folk.

I know some of you are talking a lot of sense - I'm not ruling your views out - but I have a dream as they say ! I also have a lot of business experience and an MBA - so I don't think I am getting carried away as someone said !

I am looking into doing a course now - and in the short term I would continue working for my employer as a home based consultant - so the £35K is a bit of a red herring I guess. Also dh is home based and can live anywhere - so he would continue with his job - would just be doing a few more overnighters and a bit more driving but he is happy with that. Also - our mortgage would be about £50K less for a much bigger house.

DH seems to think the business is a bit irrelevant - he thinks we should go for the house and see what happens ! The whole downstairs is a business premises - and could be pretty much anything - could even turn it into a holiday flat/rental.

Thanks for all your thoughts !

Oh and - forgot to say - want it to be this area as have family there - where we are now we have no support at all and we want dd to see more of the family.

OP posts:

Jimjams2 · 27/12/2006 09:57

We moved back to Devon to be near my family. As I said earlier we would have sunk if we'd stayed in London- I really don't think we would have survived with our current situation without my Mum's support- so that should be a big factor in your decision.

If you don't need 35k to come from the business then I would move in a shot. Holiday let sounds less hassle! You're right about ~Tiverton being pretty wealthy.

DH took a huge cut in salary to move down here and I had to leave my job- we have very little spare money (in fact none ) - we did underestimate that bit considerably. We still have a large mortgage but a large house (that needs lots of work- but we won't have to move again). Despite the financial difficulties I don't regret moving at all. To be near my parents has literally saved us, and to be near places like Dartmoor and the sea is a huge advantage.

Crackle · 27/12/2006 10:07

I live near Barnstaple too. The area you are talking about is not overly touristy as Exmoor types tend to be ramblers and Nature lovers. There are a fair few beauty type places in Barnstaple, Tiverton and S. Molton that I know of so maybe you could suss out what they 'don't' do any train in the niche areas.

Lots of hippies down here so the holistic angle might be worth looking at.

Choose carefully where you live as the secondaries can be v.v.dire and you may be between two of the worst. The inde schools are all ok, West Buckland school is nearish though as is St Michaels although that does add to the financial burden.

I know what it is like to have a dream of the good life so I do sympathise but as a business owner I want to be realistic. £35000pa for Beauty stuff in a village setting isn't realistic at all. Is it a case of needing that amount to make the move feasible or could you move knowing that you couldn't replace that income? You would only be 45 minutes from Eeter or Taunton if you needed a busier setting but that does add the commute back into the equation.

Good luck anyway, it is a very beautiful part of the world. We are settled until the children finish seniors and then we are off back to civilisation!

Original poster

scatterbrain · 27/12/2006 10:17

Hmmmm - you know thinking about it I think it's more a case of wanting that house (It's a Grade II listed and gorgeous !) and it just happens to have business premises as the G floor.

I don't want to not work at all - so I am just probably looking for something to potter at ! sort of an extended hobby !!

I don't need to earn £35K - I will want dd to go to private school as the state schools in that area are not great - so I will really just need to cover those costs and give myeslf something sort of part-time and interesting to do !

If that house didn't have the bus premises I probably wouldn't even be considering the move ! Well - it probably won't happen anyway - so I'll go back to moaning about my life and give up trying to change it !

OP posts:

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