Commission Hairdressers are Entrepreneurs - Don’t Be Fooled.
(This blog is for the hairdressers out there and the salon owners!)
We are living in a really weird time in the industry. For me, I have been in the industry for 20+ years now and WOW. There has been so much change. The way I was trained and the salon world I knew as a young hairdresser seems lightyears behind us now. Some of it is good and some of it is questionable and a lot of it is propaganda.
I’m just going to say it…the industry “narrative” (thank you to social media) is that in order to be super successful you must eventually become an independent hairdresser. The funny thing is, this is absolutely not true. In fact, it is difficult for statistics to even prove that there is any difference which proves to me there isn’t much difference in the big picture.
Are there situations where it makes sense for someone to be independent? Of course!
There is a place for all employment types in this industry. The point I am making is…even if a hairdresser is a commission-based employee, that hairdresser IS in fact an entrepreneur. This fact…that all hairdressers are entrepreneurs is why I think there is little difference in the income across the board between the two extremes.
Here’s why
(The following attributes are true in most boutique salon settings similar to Virtue Vegan Salon. I cannot speak for other business models - but this is often the situation in a commission salon):
No limit on how many clients/guests you can take.
No limit on how many hours you do or don’t work.
You can decide on how much you want to make and work that much or that little.
You can raise your prices.
The above list is all within your control no matter if you are employed or independent. No matter what- there are simply two ways to make more money behind the chair:
Charge more per service
Take more guests/clients
This fact is the great neutralizer and is why at the end of the day, both forms of employment require the same things to be successful. Period.
So if you are thinking that your income is “capped” because you work for a salon as an employee, think again. The online narrative wants to say this, but at the end of the day, you get to choose your growth no matter your employment status in this industry! Some of the highest paid professionals in this industry are employed (check out this podcast to hear about this). I believe this is to be true because these professionals only have to focus on their craft while the rest of the business and administration is taken care of by the support team of the salon.
Obviously there are some differences between independent and commission hairdressers. For example, if you are employed, you typically will use the products and haircolor that the salon chooses. However, if you work at a great salon, you will likely be super happy with the products and color they choose! In addition to that, usually the salon provides the full palette of color and full line of products which is very difficult to do as an independent in many circumstances.
In summary, regardless of whether you are employed or independent, you my friend, are in SALES and you are in fact an ENTREPRENEUR. Do not let the false narrative on social media pull the wool over your eyes and make you believe something that isn’t actually true.
If I were going to start working behind the chair again I would absolutely work as an employee. I know I could do great with building a clientele and I wouldn’t have to worry about taking work home with me and I would have people helping to push me forward when it was time to raise prices, learn new techniques etc. That honestly sounds like a dream to me!
Keep doing awesome things no matter where you are in the industry :)
Love,
Melanie
xxo