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Fit to open
When Barbara Daley found their dream site, it was only the beginning of the journey to opening this fabulous salon
When we first discovered our site, we couldn’t believe our luck – a listed building on a busy road, right in Liverpool’s city centre. However, from day one, the problems, although never insurmountable, kept coming and we went on a roller coaster ride from start to finish!
Keep the architects in check
The architects’ brief was to keep the original features but create a modern setting. They had some great ideas on how to use the space but some of them were impractical. They didn’t appreciate the importance of the height of the mirrors or the plug sockets being accessible – it would have been an aesthetically beautiful salon but with little consideration for the stylist or the client. Architects tend to get carried away so you need to be on hand to drag them back to reality.
Don’t forget to budget
When it comes to setting your budget keep 25 per cent for unexpected costs. Planning and legal bills accounted for a third of our expenditure. Our best investment was a valuer, who set out the costs based on our budget and specifications. He made sure the builders stuck to those costs and, more importantly, made sure that we didn’t pay for anything we shouldn’t have!
Flexibility is key
While we thought we had everything under control and ready for the opening, a huge problem developed – no water or heating! The team said they could fix it but not in time, so we had to redirect all of our clients to our other salon. My advice would be to have a back-up plan in place should you come across any issues like this! Alternatively, be flexible with the opening date so you can ensure everything is in proper order for the opening.
Our salon is a dream that we turned into a reality. Many people fear that the scale of the task makes it impossible to achieve on their own, but remember any dream takes perseverance and determination to make it happen. Dig deep to find both and you will see all the effort is worthwhile!
This article first featured in Business Builder, the monthly advice cards from L'Oréal Professionnel Business Max and HEAD For Business. For your own binder and cards, simply contact Laura at
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