Can renting a chair in a salon be the beginning of a successful career for a hairdresser? - with Pedro Plastic

Are you thinking about changing your status from “employed” to “self-employed”? Or maybe you are new in the industry and considering starting as a freelancer who rents a chair in a salon? Whatever the case may be, there’s much to learn before you make the big decision. Although the roles of a chair renter and a regular employee may seem similar from the outside, this cannot be further from the truth. There are plenty of things that differentiate these positions, from the contract you sign to the way you handle your legal and financial affairs.

Nevertheless, being a freelancer comes with many perks and renting a chair in hairdressing can be very beneficial, if you know what to expect and what to prepare yourself for. Anyway, don’t take it from us, take it from the industry’s veteran who knows everything there is to know about salon chair rental - the famous hair artist and Booksy ambassador Pedro Plastic!

What do you need to know before you rent a chair in a salon

Let’s start by clarifying it loud and clear - renting a salon chair is not a “different form of employment”. When renting a chair in a salon, you are not an employee of that salon.

Renting a salon space is a way for a freelancer to work in the industry without the need to open their own salon. Depending on the contract, you can count on a place to work in (obviously), equipment, tools and even products. However, it’s crucial to understand that you are basically a tenant - you do not have a boss, but a landlord. Strictly speaking, you are running a competitive business inside of another business, so it’s key to know your rights and responsibilities. Oh, and remember - salon chair rental laws concern not only you, but also your landlord.

When renting a chair in a salon:

• You do not sign an employment contract but a salon chair rental agreement. You must ensure that all the terms and conditions included in it meet your expectations because the rent-a-chair agreement is the basis of your professional relationship with the salon owner.
• You need to include everything of importance in the agreement, including the amount and regularity of the payment, length of the contract, terms of termination, usage of salon equipment, liability for possible damage, and so on.
• You legally cannot be expected to treat the salon’s owner as if they were your employer. They cannot dictate things like your pricing, service menu, uniform or working hours. If they try to disclose any of these in the agreement, they may be accused of sham contracting, meaning attempting to disguise actual employment as an independent contracting arrangement.

The biggest perk of being an independent business owner is the amount of freedom you get from this arrangement, so do not let anyone take this freedom away from you - mind the contracts you sign! “If you are considering renting a chair, that’s because you are a freelancer. There is nothing better than to be your own boss”, remarks Pedro. “So, I’m going to give you some bullet points of what you need to consider before you rent a chair”.

Do you want even more of Pedro’s tips for successful hairdressing chair rental? Check his guide on insurance for hairdressers renting a chair!

1. Having a solid clientele base

“A strong clientele base is very important”, says Pedro, “so if you are considering renting a chair, make sure you have enough clients following you.” It’s not easy to grow a customer base when you are new in the industry and start as a freelancer, so it’s worth considering beginning your journey as a regular employee, and then becoming an independent solo business owner once you gain some loyal patrons and experience. Once you have that, make sure these patrons follow you on social media channels, so that they can keep track of your career path. Pedro especially stresses the importance of taking care of your Instagram fan page, as Instagram is a brilliant medium for online promotion. “To make everything clear and by the book, make sure your clients follow you on Instagram. By following you on social platforms, they can see where you are and what your ideas are for the future. So just like that, you can do a post or a story and your clients can see what you have in mind”.

2. Finding the right salon

You don’t want to rent a chair in just any salon - you want to rent a chair in a salon where you can count on a healthy working atmosphere, beneficial localisation and attractive conditions. Furthermore, if you have a loyal customer base, you do not want to leave the neighbourhood you are currently working in. “I would consider it important to stay in the same area, so your clients know where to find you”, explains Pedro. “They are used to going to the same location, and sometimes people don’t like that much to drive far to have their hair done”.

Location is not the only thing that matters, though. As you are going to work on somebody else's premises, you have to make sure that your business style is at least roughly in sync with the one they have. What do we mean by that? You don’t want your and your landlord’s values to clash, because, by nature, the way they go about their business affects you and vice versa. Remember that you are “using” their decor, equipment and/or products, so if you hate any of those, that will negatively affect your performance. Keep in mind that your clients will judge the entire environment they are in, not just you as their provider.

Not every solo practitioner will like working in a huge salon with many other stylists - and that’s okay. “You need to find a salon that reflects your vibe. You can work in a salon full of freelancers or you just rent a studio, where it’s just you”. Be honest with yourself and do not settle on just any place, because it will definitely have influence over your daily operations.

3. Finding a decent deal

You are probably wondering how much salons charge to rent a chair. The thing is - it really varies, depending on the way you decide to settle rent, the details of your agreement and the localisation. It’s to be expected that hair stylist chair rental in a renowned salon in London, where you have access to high-quality equipment and luxury products included in the cost, will be much more pricey than renting a chair in a smaller salon in Newark-on-Trent that does not provide you with anything more than a space to work in.

Furthermore, there is more than just one way to settle your rent. You can either go for a steady weekly/monthly payment, or you can pay the landlord a percentage of your earnings. Pedro explains: “Another factor is finding a decent deal. There are a few ways to manage payments. You can do a share of commissions, where you share with the salon the profits that you make, or you can pay per hour, or you can pay per day”.  You also need to determine whether or not there will be other factors to contribute to your rent. “You need to decide if you want to stock your own products, or if the salon is giving you theirs”. There are also the things you need to have included in your hairdresser rent-a-chair agreement.

Finally, remember that you can always try to negotiate the rate, and compare the rent in a few different places. Knowing the average chair rental cost in your area will help you immensely. “Some salons have the rate already on how much they rent the shares per hour or per day, or the percentage, but you can always do a bit of research about all the freelancers in your area and then you can check which one is the best deal for you”.

4. Staying in contact with your clients

“Again, the most important point is staying in contact with your clients, so having a very strong social platform”, remarks Pedro. “If you have Booksy, that will help you a lot, because of the tool called Message Blast, which helps you to message all your clients in one go”. Automatised communication works great if the software you use allows for the personalisation of messages - which Booksy certainly does. “You can customize your own messages or emails. You can inform your clients about things like the opening times, special offers or changes in your price list, or just announce that you are making a new move in your career”, explains Pedro.

5. Having a digital helper

Finally - investing in a piece of technology that will elevate your daily operations is always a wise move. “Having Booksy is gonna help you a lot”, says Pedro. “It helps me a lot to minimize all the time I need to expand with calculations, finance or reports. That app gives me everything!”. When you are a freelancer, there are a lot of things you have to take care of by yourself, so having a digital helper makes a huge difference. Do you want to try it for yourself? Start your trial account today and we can guarantee you will love it!