Renting Space (CHAIR RENTAL/ROOM RENTAL) in the Beauty Industry

Written by ESG on October 16, 2015. Posted in Employment

Renting Space (CHAIR/ROOM RENTAL) in the Beauty Industry- Self-Employment Minus the Headache?

Alberta’s Beauty Industry allows for many ways to make money. You can find an employer that pays an hourly wage, a commission, or a mixture of the two.

Another route to making money in this industry is to rent space in an already established salon or spa. This path is for independent, creative persons who would like to dip their feet into self-employment, but are not yet ready to take the plunge.

Renting space allows you to make your own work hours as per your agreement with the business owner. Keep in mind that most business owners will ask that you create your work schedule around their hours of operations, so keep this in mind when you are looking for a salon/spa to rent space from.

Another benefit of renting space is the ability to offer your own services. This allows you to expand your service menu and only take training that is of interest to you. When you rent space from an already existing business, your services are not legally associated with the services offer by the salon/spa you rent from. In order to avoid a conflict of interest, it is very important to come to a written agreement with the business owner clearly describing the services you are allowed to offer from their salon/spa. Its best to rent space from a salon/spa that does not offer your specific services, otherwise, you may end up creating an ugly, competitive environment for yourself.

The ability to use your creativity to attract new clients is another benefit of renting space. As a space renter, it is your responsibility to get new clients to give your services a try. If you rent space from a thriving salon/spa, you will see a steady flow of clients, however, this does not mean they will become your clients too. You will need to create marketing material to promote your services. This can include business cards, social media, posters, etc. Ensure you and the business owner agree to your marketing methods and how much space in the salon/spa will be designated for your marketing material. For example, will you be allowed to put your sign on the front window? Remember, all these things will matter as your services become more popular and you grow. A sound, clear, thorough contract will help to eliminate unwanted matters in the future.

Renting space allows for control of your work/life balance. As long as you work within the salon/spa’s hours of operations, you book your own clients thereby controlling your own schedule. You also process your own payments, so only you know your financial standing at the end of each month, thereby you decide how you will balance your work/life budget.

Sounds good so far? Consider this…

You will need to make a small financial investment with the potential for loss. This small investment is pocket change in comparison to how much you would have to spend if you were opening your own business.
You will work independently, however, if you choose a positive environment you will have a support system of the salon/spa staff.
You will be giving up benefits, such as E.I., holiday pay and sick days, but your schedule is always up to you.
You will have to manage an unpredictable income, so ensure your life situation allows for a certain degree of uncertainty.

Still can’t decide if renting space is for you? Your decision can only be made after careful consideration of several factors.

Your personal situation, including your health, your family’s health, your financial situation, your support system, your family responsibilities, and your commitments all matter.

In addition, your skills and knowledge must be evident to your clients. Also, you must be willing to work hard and persistenty, and build long-lasting realtionships with your clients and distributors.

WHAT DO YOU LAWFULLY NEED?

Insurance
Business license
Certification (as per occupation)

For more information, contact Executive Spa Group. Whatever decision you make, we wish you the best of luck!

Executive Spa Group
Cultivating Alberta’s Beauty Industry
(780) 604 2772
executivespagroup.com

interview skills,interview tips,job search,job seekers

Beauty Industry Interview Tips

Written by ESG on September 2, 2015. Posted in Employment

Interview Tips for Beauty Industry Job Seekers

At ESG, we understand interviews can be a scary thing, so we decided to share some interview tips with beauty industry job seekers.

Before we start, let’s keep in mind a few things…

Things to remember:

Both parties want to make a deal
First, show you have the skills required
Second, find out if you are actually interested in the job

SETTING UP THE INTERVIEW

Try to follow these steps:

Find out as much as you can: Who is interviewing you and what are their positions in the salon/spa?
Always answer your phone professionally while looking for work
Voicemail- make sure your message reflects your professionalism

DURING THE INTERVIEW

Things to remember:

They don’t know you, or your skills and knowledge. Explain yourself thoroughly when answering questions
Ask questions. Don’t be afraid to ask the tough questions such as pay and benefits
Body language. Refrain from crossing your arms, slouching, etc.
Ask to rephrase if you do not understand the question
Ask if you can take notes. Writing down questions helps some people concentrate and also gives you the opportunity to come back to a question if you get stuck. Clarify to the interviewer that you intend to leave your notes behind
Thank the interviewer

Typical Questions

1. Questions about you and your skills
“Tell me about yourself/Strengths/weaknesses.”
Everyone has strengths and weaknesses. The interviewer wants to ensure you are working on your current weaknesses.

2. “What if” questions
“Tell me about a time when you had a conflict with a coworker.”
The interviewer wants to know how you have actually handled conflict, not how you hope to handle conflict in a best-case scenario.

3. Your interest in the spa/salon
“Why do you want to work here?”
The interviewer is looking for commitment. NEVER give a vague answer. Show the interviewer you’ve done your research.

4. Plans and expectations
“Where do you see yourself in 5 years?”
The interviewer wants to make sure that you are motivated enough to be promoted in time.

We recommend you write down answers to all the questions above and practice reciting them before your interview. Writing your answers will prepare your response and avoid those awkward “ummm”s.

Be prepared for a technical interview if your first meeting goes well!

We hope our interview tips help. Good luck on your interview!

Visit our job bank.

EXECUTIVE SPA GROUP
Beauty Industry Resource Centre
(780) 604 2772
executivespagroup.com

beauty careers,beauty industry,beauty jobs,cover letters,employment,esthetics,job search,jobs,resume,training

Beauty Industry Cover Letter Template

Written by ESG on August 13, 2015. Posted in Employment

Cover Letter Template for Beauty Industry Jobs

Cover letters are an important piece of your application package. Not only do they express a bit about your professional background, they give the employer hints about your language skills, plus the way they can expect you to express yourself verbally.

In the beauty industry, language is very important as it is the number one tool we use to build relationships with our clients.

Every cover letter needs to be customized. This makes applying for employment a bothersome process. It prevents you from sending a mass email with your résumé to all employers all at once.

However, employers do not like receiving application packages that were obviously sent to the masses. It is quite apparent when an applicant has not taken the time to research the potential employer and is applying anywhere and everywhere. These are the résumés that end up in the shred pile before anyone gets a chance to review them.

As a beauty industry resource centre, we encourage all service providers looking for employment to use a cover letter in the application package. In this article, we will share the basic information that should be included in your cover letter. Follow the template we provide, and customizing a cover letter will be much easier 😉

BEAUTY INDUSTRY COVER LETTER OUTLINE

Your Full Name
Your address
City, Province, Postal Code

BLANK SPACE…BLANK SPACE…BLANK SPACE

Name of Recipient
Recipient’s position
Company Full Name
Street address
City, Province, Postal Code

BLANK SPACE…BLANK SPACE…BLANK SPACE
BLANK SPACE…BLANK SPACE…BLANK SPACE

DATE

BLANK SPACE…BLANK SPACE…BLANK SPACE
BLANK SPACE…BLANK SPACE…BLANK SPACE

RE: Position Title (Job Reference Number, if available)

(BLANK SPACE…BLANK SPACE…BLANK SPACE)

GREETING: Dear Mr./Ms. Last Name:

*TIP: Address the person by last name. To be gender-neutral, don’t use Mr./Ms. and use the person’s full name instead (e.g. Dear Taylor Smith). If you do not know who to address, use “To whom this may concern”. This is the ONLY time you should be using this greeting.