US hairdresser Ellen Devine, Sam Villa Art Team and Master Stylist at Lunatic Fringe, shared her insights on relocating with success as a hairdresser, with loyalty, research and strategy that makes this process easier, even when you have to make a geographical change. Read here to take the fear out of new salons, spaces, locations and clients, from Ellen’s own experience.
When moving to a new location, it’s important to still consider and take care of your current clients, with general and personal referrals and recommendations that ensure they don’t feel they’ve been left in the lurch if you’re now too far to visit. Ellen explains that maintaining this positive relationship gives her business if she’s ever back in her original town, plus it speaks to her professionalism and good business practice when leaving.
From there, the most essential step in moving to a new location id research.
“Before moving to Utah, I visited to make sure I liked it, but I also checked out a bunch of salons before outreaching to them. The first place I went was social media. Look on Instagram to check out salons in your new area so you can get a feel for their vibe and the type of work they do,” she said. “This is the beautiful thing about starting fresh, you can truly reinvent yourself or change your focus. I also like to check out Yelp to see client reviews and experiences. It gives so much insight into the guest experience and should there be negative reviews, it shows how the salon has handled them, which can say a lot about a staff. I found doing this weeded out non-contenders and helped me focus on a handful of businesses that I thought would be a good fit for me.”
Ellen says it’s essential to focus on not just your resume, but your digital portfolio, with website templates being a helpful way to ensure your resume is at its best. From there, she also recommends updating your Instagram to reflect a digital portfolio. Hopefully impressing in these areas will lead to the interview phase.
“When entering these salons, dress to be authentically you and appropriate for the salon you’re visiting,” Ellen said. “During your interview, don’t forget you’re interviewing them as well. Make sure to ask any questions that are important to you. It’s important to have a clear understanding of the salon and how it operates, it’s also a great time to figure out if there are any conflicts of interest.”
From there, Ellen recommends strategically building your new clientele, by asking clients to recommend you to family and friends in exchange for complimentary treatments or services. Posting on social media is also an essential part of this process. “You can start by just tagging your new location on posts and try to build up while in the moving process,” she advises.
“All of this can be overwhelming, if you allow it to be, but now that I’ve experienced relocating salons and areas multiple times, I find it can be extremely empowering. I know that because I’ve done it before and was successful, can do it again and all will be well. Keep some savings for your fresh start, make a plan and you will thrive in a new area. This is an opportunity to reinvent yourself as an artist and focus on what you want your business to look like. Jump in and enjoy the journey!”
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