In trouble with my boss... weird situation, any advice appreciated.

[Ginismedicinal]

I'm a hairdresser with 30 years experience, I'm employed in a salon and FULLY booked up til the end of November, not even room for a cut and blow dry... but, my boss sat me down yesterday to say I'm not earning her enough money, she's having to 'carry me'!
I've been here 2 years and, strangely, they charge about £40 for a full head highlights, toners and cut and blow dry!! I've NEVER worked anywhere that charges less than £90+ for a service like this.
Obviously they can't be charging enough to cover wages/overheads etc, and suddenly, out of nowhere I've been taken asside for this chat that there's not enough money coming in.
I'm the only stylist here, I open up, I close etc, just me. How am I to earn them more money if I'm fully booked up months in advance? I don't even have ANY breaks etc.
Is there something I'm missing? I'm so confused by this sudden 'problem' where the solution is in the owners control, not mine... charge more for the services! 🤦🏻‍♀️

Yes, rent a space in another salon. At my hairdressers there are four independent hairdressers in one room.

You sound great. Start up on your own.

You may be owed holiday pay, and if you don’t get a break in the day and get paid minimum wage, then maybe you’re being under paid as well.

Agree with others, you have the skill and experience and by the sounds of it great time management to set up on your own.
Look at local salons and try to get a chair rented for 2-3 days per week. The other days go mobile.

If low uptake at first approach care homes (usually 1 day per week) for wash and sets to supplement income.
Could also offer bridal/bridesmaid styling deals on the weekend as this pays well too.
Do some introductory offers so you can get photos of your work.

Have you thought about retraining in Brazilian keratin treatments, japenese straightening or hair Botox?
These are expensive treatments to offer too, japenese straightening is often £300+ Depending on hair length and if I’m correct the product is around £50 to purchase. Hair gloss is also relatively inexpensive and can bump up income as an additional treatment.

Weigh up the cost of extra training vs how long to recoup but in your position If you already drive I don’t see how you couldn’t make the same money already working much less.

Hope things get sorted for you!

Agree with @Mummabear90hair . See if you can hire a chair elsewhere.
My lovely hairdresser was at his previous salon for years. I kept going because he is a good hairdresser, but the salon was getting dingy looking and uncared for, but the prices kept going up. He left to be self employed in another salon and the old one promptly went bankrupt, which the owner blamed him for. Meanwhile he told me he increased his take home by about 80%.

Also please don’t quit straight away!
You need time to get established, look into setting up the business, solid business plan with financial projections, make sure you have enough equipment and when/how much product to purchase. Change car insurance (possibly home insurance and notify landlord if doing at home).
Look into Gdpr as others have said as you don’t want to be taking data that isn’t yours, get digital marketing sorted with fb/insta and business pages to advertise. Plus check your contract, you don’t want to leave them in a lurch then be charged for all the lost profit by your boss. You may not even own and be able to use previous pictures.
It sounds like your boss would be one to kick up a massive fuss.

Your local council or trading standards should have info to help you get started.

Actually legally she is underpaying you . If you are in early staying late you aren’t earning nmw … you can actually complain to hmrc about this .

I agree with the others .. hand your notice in consider next steps rent a chair , go mobile .

good luck

Definitely don't quit straight away. A lot of people booked in will be let down and you will potentially want them to be your new customers.
There's normally something about poaching customers, so you need to let people know yoh will be leaving on x date and they can find you on FB under your very easy to find name. (Rather than giving them business cards directly).

Take a deep breath, decide actually if you want to mobile or rent a chair. My friends done both and much prefers the rent a chair, but mobiled for a couple of older clients.
Investigate availability in other salons of chair prices. Consider your pricing structure and get that on your FB page etc.

Good Luck

Start here. With your sister. Do her friends hair, they will tell others and maybe your old customers will find you?

I'm surprised that nobody has picked up on your comment that you don't have time for breaks - your employer is breaking the law if you don't get the legally required minimum.

I'd also check that you have been able to take the legally required minimum annual leave days. That's 28 days per year (including bank holidays) if you work full time 5 days per week.

I'm another one suggesting you look at renting a chair at another salon at least initially. You'll have minimal set up costs, and actually more pure working time if you have the clientele for it as you don't have to factor in the time it takes to get from one client to the next.

At a decent salon everything will be set up for you including reception & taking bookings, they may well have a "shared" hair washer/floor sweeper etc as well, and are likely to keep consumables like dyes & treatments in stock there you can draw from. Obviously the more services they offer you the more you will have to pay for your chair, and you would have to keep your prices in line with the salon's standard rates for other stylists, but it's a good compromise between having the piss taken by an employer & going it completely alone.

Your boss sounds like a nutter. Get out of there OP. And no need to give your boss more than the minimum notice once you have a job lined up.

Hairdressers are surely in higher demand than this.

Give out your number discreetly to clients first. Be careful as she might try and say you’ve stolen her clients.

My mobile hairdresser quit and I had to find a salon. I pay double what I used to pay her now, so I know people will use you

Where are you based? If you name the rough area, county etc, then maybe you can pick up some mn customers! (Here’s hoping you’re in my area)

(just as an aside, if going solo, don’t forget to get public liability insurance)

How are you at up dos? And do you know anyone who can do nails? Offering party packages (Christmas, wedding guests, school proms etc…) when you can come and get ready a group of people and be a very nice earner.

Avoid the wedding party unless you want high stress (or really know they will be very relaxed!)

My hairdresser comes to the house and I pay £50 for all that

Your boss is clearly a complete moron, shooting herself in the foot with you as you will obviously be looking to move on now.
You’re being criminally underpaid and she’s not going to be able to replace you.
Her refusing to sort her business out is not your issue.

I would find another salon or work for yourself doing mobile. It’s her issue not yours. If she hasn’t put her prices up she isn’t keeping up with costs.

She's got customers coming out of her ears!

It's the holiday season fast approaching-I think if I were you I'd be looking at getting a chair in another salon.

I don't want a mobile hairdresser-I like going to the salon and escaping so just consider the logistics and it will be difficult to take existing customers mobile and charge more/the same for what they had done in a salon.
Move to another salon where you are appreciated and paid well for your skills.

there are lots of incredibly skilled jobs where you earn minimum wage. dental nursing for example

I’m just moving hairdressers after 20 odd years with my current one. Found someone brilliant. Her day rate is around £250-£300, which is what I will be paying for a colour correction and around 6-8 hours in a seat.

when you say that’s it and she complains (which she will - expect fall out), ask her what miracles she expected to perform if you are booked until November but not bringing enough in. And you shouldn’t be on minimum wage either - ridiculous.

Why don't you start a customer telephone book where you ask for their number to say that if you are sick you can let them know but really because you are thinking of leaving, but you don't tell them that? Not sure about the rules of data collection though? You would need to check up on GDPR - is that right?

When my hairdresser was leaving he sneaked me a personal card with his contact details. I'm not sure about contacting clients directly. Very surprised owner of salon didn't know though as he was about as subtle as foghorn leghorn.

If you're collecting data you have to tell people (honestly) how it's going to be used, and not use it for other purposes.