Potential Salon Opening
February 3, 2015 - 8:54am — Anonymous
Hi, I am considering opening up a salon on dupont west of symington and am wondering what local businesses and residents think about this. I know there are already, or have been salons open in this neighbourhood. I have been in a nearby neighbourhood(for 7 years) renting a chair and am considering opening up my own shop. The price point would be approx $30 for mens cuts and $55/60 for women's cuts. I would also be offering all other hair services, colouring, up do's etc. I come with a pretty full clientele, but want to bring other stylists. Does this neighbourhood want/ready for a salon of this caliber?
Hi, There's a hair salon in
Hi,
There's a hair salon in the units at Campbell/Dupont very popular womens cut $20.00 men $15.00 so in comparison you may have competition.
Good Luck!
Open it! Ely's is Gone
I would go. Ely's at Wallace and Lansdowne just closed and I'm looking for a new place and would absolutely go there. I love close! There's nothing else in the area.
Lessons learned helping setup a Salon at Dupont and Perth
I actually partnered with a hair stylist to setup a salon in the hood at the plaza at Dupont and Perth - it was called "Sweet Hair and Spa". The salon was a hair and nails spa. The previous owner had a salon there as well. Here is what I learned I hope you can benefit from it.
1. It helps to speak Portuguese. I actually own one of the units in the plaza and brought it from a salon owner. After buying it I partnered with a hair dresser to run a salon.
The previous salon owner was always busy and complained about working alot. She had back problems and I think she didn't really want all the responsibilities of managing the building.
2. It takes a while to gather clients. I helped run it for 10 months. We kindof did a chair/space rental businesses. The hair dresser did great but that was because she already had regular existing clients. The nails specialist had to work hard to build up clientele. The salon at the time was newly renovated. Obviously the summer months were great for business. Over winter the walkins died down. I think there is lots of potential if you have a good personality - it also helps to speak Portuguese because there is not enough modern hair salon places in the area to accommodate the Portuguese community.
3. In the height of the business we had a hair stylist, a nail person, a aromatherapy/hair removal specialist and a tattoo artist there.
The hair stylist and the tattoo artist did super well. The nail person was really new at running her own business and didn't feel like she was making her rent but she was getting lots of new clients with alot of (direct) mail marketing. The aromatherapy client was not doing so well.
At the end, because the nail specialist quit we decided to close shop.
I really just wanted to be landlord and to run a business I am not familiar with. The hair stylist did not really want to rent and manage the store. The tattoo artist could not cover the rent alone so we decided to call it quits.
4. Shortly after closing the nail specialist came back and regretted her decision. She started to understand that her business takes a while to build up and after leaving she realize what the benefits of running your own business are. I think 2 years is the mark to break even for a business because you are no longer looking for new client or walk-ins as your main source of income. It is when the regulars make up the bulk of your business.
I think there is an untapped market in the area for hair/nail/tattoo parlours/spas as can be seen by the hair salon at Dufferin Mall. But I think the clientele are looking for a $20-40 hair cut. I think once you have established your regulars you can start doing more upscale work.
Anyways having tried it and failed, I hope someone else might learn from my failures.
Good luck!
i dont know if this
i dont know if this neighbourhood want or is ready for a salon of this caliber..i can not speak for everyone...but a salon of this is definitely not for me..i am currently paying $20 (for men)...and i think im already paying too much...again..i can not speak for anyone else but myself..and i am only speaking for myself only...by the way..does anyone know where to get a haircut cheaper than $20...i dont mind saving a few more dollars since i have a mortgage to pay, kids to raise and parents to support...lol
too expensive
i personally would not feel comfortable paying this much for a haircut around here when more established salons in the downtown core offer similar prices...you maybe want to charge less...just my 2 cent...
Thank-you for your feedback.
Thank-you for your feedback. When I first moved to Toronto in 2001, I paid these prices for a haircut then even as a student. The businesses that charge less that you speak of have been in the neighbourhood for years and most of them own the buildings they are in. Therefore only having to pay property taxes. The prices that I charge have actually been the same for about 8 years, only to have a small raise with the HST tax. That means as an entrepreneur I haven't experienced a raise in 8 years. The "price" I have no problem paying, in order to work for myself. If I charged less I would not be able to afford the commercial rent in any neighbourhood in Toronto. At my current prices I can only now afford to pay commercial rent in the Junction Triangle. Commercial rent like residential is growing at an increasingly rapid pace, pushing out small business unfortunately and making it so that bigger business is the only kind that can afford to be in any neighbourhood. I assume for most residents of our smaller toronto neighbourhoods, that the idea of their own area turning into a gentrified, generic commercial business hub is less than ideal.
I appreciate your comment and hope this opens you up to helping small, local business growth.
Clients care about what they
Clients care about what they pay not what you have to consider as a business not the clients problem. Those are prices for downtown not this area.
i hear ya...i hope you can
i hear ya...i hope you can become sucessful...i was just speaking from a consumer's point of view...if you were buying similar goods/services, would you consider the different costs associated with each seller/provider, or you would be more concerned about the cost that you have to pay to obtain that particular good/service?...i think most people will consider the cost they have to pay...in this area where most of us work hard to earn our dollars...even though we are willing to help local businesses.......we are only hurting our own pockets if it requires spending more for similar goods/services found else where...wonder who's going to help us at the end?...that's all....i'm sure we can help in other ways..but if it requires us spending more money...then that's tough right?...if the price is right...i personally will come to you everytime..if the price is too high...feel free to state what other form of help you need.....thanks.
Interesting point, I'd put a
Interesting point, I'd put a dollar value on being able to walk (and on time saved) to a place where I'd feel comfortable getting a haircut in the area instead of having to head out of my way somewhere on the weekend, which is what i do now to get my hair done.
it all depends on the biggest
it all depends on the biggest variable which is the price...and ppl dont go out of their way to get a haircut...it is normally close to home..or close to work....so if there is already a place close to work..then it is just as convenient as it is close to home...so that dollar value is really pointless if ppl are not really going out of their way nor on the weekend..it is simply just on the way home after the work...
I agree, the more new
I agree, the more new businesses & services the better,
Remember we are still a somewhat smaller voice considering lots of development is already on the way/happening, within 12-18mths we will likely need many more indie startups to meet demand and keep residents shopping in area
I think the timing is right if one wants to grow with the area
That is a very good point.
That is a very good point. The more good businesses the more the local residents will shop, local.
i would think not.... have
i would think not....
have you done market research? i would suggest u do that in detail before u open a shop only to close it 3 months later! SUccess is 90% planning, 10% action!
Most new businesses come up
Most new businesses come up with a 3-5 year plan. As I said in my post I have a very loyal/full clientele. I can support a business on my own. I do however want to be able to bring other stylists on board. I was hoping for feedback on foot traffic, drive-by traffic, neighbourhood resident support that sort of thing. Any suggestions for how I go about my market research? I do live and work in a very close neighbourhood and have for years, which gives me a bit of insight. I have talked and will continue to speak with other local business owners as well.
Yes
I live on Dupont West of Symington and would certainly love something that close to home.
Thanks for the feedback.
Thanks for the feedback. Neighbourhood support is what would keep my business growing.
I think the more new business
I think the more new business that move in to the area the better!
Can I ask what you mean by "caliber" of salon? Do you have examples of the type of hair salons your shop would be like?
By caliber I meant my price
By caliber I meant my price point. The junction triangle has a couple of salons and has had more in the past. None of which we're in this same price range. All past(too my knowledge)and even current are at a much lower price point.