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! 🤦🏻‍♀️

I won't poach her clients - they all know how to contact me, so if they want to they can... may not be a good business attitude on my part, but I'd feel bad trying to 'sneak' clients. I'll make sure I advertise well - if they want to follow it's their choice, no pressure.

I mean, that sounds very noble of you but honestly, fuck that. Just poach her clients. Morally you're in the clear after the way she's treated you.

Spend two or three weeks slipping business cards to your best/most trusted clients - in fact, if she's never there why not go the whole hog and just book your first appointments with them. Then one day just hand her the keys and walk out of the door.

Not being funny but would she rent you the property, so instead of leaving, you just do a take over?

Go mobile, it’s almost impossible to book a mobile hairdresser unless you wait weeks where I live .

Came to say this it seems obvious it’s probably money laundering, otherwise why wouldn’t she care more about it. Weird that she’s hassling you though.

Ask her if you can hire a chair.

If she charges customers low prices, she may charge you a crazy low rate.

I mean, it won’t help her business but I’m sure you’ll do better out of it! :D

Wow, no wonder you are busy - sounds like you need to know your worth. Would there be an opportunity to buy her out of the business?? sounds like you will be popular still and can make a go of it alone if she isn't making enough from you then she wont from anyone unless she increases the prices. She sounds an idiot, maybe time to get tough!

It’s time to part ways. It’s not working.

Depending on how badly you need a regular salary, either mobile or employed.

Be prepared however, for clients who have become accustomed to the artificially low prices not following you. I like and respect my hairdresser but I wouldn’t pay much more to see her.

Good luck

You should og rent a chair somewhere make your own money- you could charge a lot more.

Good luck @Ginismedicinal. Your ex bosses's behaviour is outrageous, she's been taking advantage of you. I hope your new business goes well; it sounds as if you have a pool of loyal clients and even if you raised prices by 20%, you would still be well below usual market rates.

I think its this. OP gather evidence- photograph price lists and booking pages on your phone so you have evidence of what you were doing, for what price.

I can’t wait for the shit to hit the fan for your boss to have to face the reality of what she’s caused 😂

Sounds like you might benefit from Renting a Chair rather than going mobile. Mobile is hard work if you’re doing colour!

With Rent a Chair you set your own prices but you negotiate with the salon over what’s covered in your chair rental agreement such as shampoo products and tint tubes.

The Hairdressers Journal online has run a few articles on Rent a chair that would be worth reading BEFORE you make any decisions.

https://hji.co.uk/the-big-debate-do-you-offer-chair-rental

I’d also recommend you join the National Hairdressers Federation as they offer discount rates for insurance policies and will advise on legal liability for data protection with regards to keeping client data safe.

www.nhbf.co.uk/membership/member-benefits/chair-space-room-renting/

Sadly lots of reasonably competent hairdressers open their own salon thinking all they have to do is open the door but don’t bother to learn any business skills and then wonder why the business fails. 🤔🤷🏻‍♀️

If she has a high turnover of staff, its possible she was trying to push OP out; in which case she won't want to let her rent a chair. It all sounds dodgy.

Go out on your own.

OP, I live in a rural area so expect prices to be lower than the city, but even here my salon is £80 for highlights, cut and blowdry.

Good luck to you for setting up on your own, if you have done it before you can do it again. I have several hairdresser clients, and they have all gone from being employed to being self employed, initially starting with chair rental, and then building their own salon at home with an extension or garden shed setup.

Good luck OP, you've done the right thing in getting out! She's exploited you hugely

Wow, she didn't realise when she was very lucky to have you! I wish you the very best of luck in your new venture - can be a bit scary going out on your own to start with but with the years of experience you have I'm sure you'll be very successful - and most importantly happier.

I wonder what the manager thought you could possibly to do to increase profit?
I thought you were building up to say she was going to let you go/fire you, but it seems she thought you could increase your output despite already working flat out. Very bizarre attitude from her, when all she had to do was increase the salon prices which were woefully low.

Anyway, it seems she has given you the push you really needed, and I hope you appreciate how much in demand you will be - good hairdressers are like gold dust, I've been with mine for about 12 years now, following her from her old salon which closed during Covid to another one a few miles away, and I'm sure your current clients will do the same whether you go to their house or decide to work for another salon - a more professional one, where they charge properly and you get reasonable amounts of breaks! Good luck to you, things can only get better! 😀

Oh no, I don’t think she should rent a chair in her current salon as that’s unlikely to work. The manager won’t want to relinquish control and will treat her like an employee.

Plenty of salons are run with self employed hairdressers and ideally she needs to find one that’s already working well but has spare capacity.

HAHAHAHA
She is going to wish she never opened her big gob.
You will find work easily with your skills and she is now going to have to explain your absence from now through to November. Nice one love - try treating your staff nicely next time.

Exactly and you need to tell her that - you have no opportunity for more clients so the only way to increase income is to increase prices!

How did the conversation go, OP?

Please please please find another job! You are worth so much more than minimum wage x

Good luck. Without poaching customers, you could do an ad in local paper saying you are now available in so and so location and contact details. Then it is customers who choose, you are just informing them of changes.