Launching a day spa and a salon can be rewarding and lucrative only if you understand the type of employees you need to help you make your spa/salon a huge success.
“One of the initial roadblocks faced by spa owners is hiring (and then retaining) good employees,” says Navrajvir Singh, content contributor at Cute Insides, Sassy Stree and Fun Travellers.
Yes, it’s a daunting task — the responsibility of hiring the right candidate with the right skills and attitude can quickly wear you down. To top it all, the entire hiring process becomes tricky because of the competition that’s there for the qualified personnel. Your competitors might easily lure all of your talented employees and you’re back to square one.
Here’s an outline of all the employees you’ll need to run your spa/salon:
Operator/Owner
The first employee of your salon/spa is you. Your attitude, work ethic and culture directly impact your employee’s behaviour.
Manager
Skip hiring a manager only if your salon/spa is extremely small. Otherwise, it’s a wise decision to spend those few extra dollar bills on a manager. They can help you handle all the myriad tasks from recordkeeping and paperwork to purchasing and employee scheduling. They can also act on your behalf when you’re not around and deal with issues like facility management and maintenance.
Cosmetologist/Hairstylist
Your hairstylists and cosmetologists are the heart of your salon/spa staff. They are licensed to cut and colour hair, give facials and manicures.
Salon/Shampoo Assistant
You’ve seen this employee shampooing your hair while your stylist is busy with another client. They may also sweep away the hair clippings, fold towels, and basically run errands to support the salon. They’re usually interns/graduates working to gain experience.
Receptionist
Apart from greeting customers, scheduling appointments, billing, ensuring your clients have had a welcome drink/beverage and hanging their coats, your receptionist plays a vital role in retaining customers.
It’s a good idea to let your receptionist be in charge of the sound system and also keep them updated with the latest products and services so that they can convince your clients to try them out.
Manicurist
If you wish to provide professional pedicures, manicures and acrylic nail treatments, you’ll need a well-qualified manicurist.
Electrologist
They’re qualified and licenced to provide all sorts of hair removal services.
Massage Therapist
They are experts in giving massages since they have more experience and training.
Aesthetician
If you’re a small salon owner, you can skip hiring an electrologist and massage therapist and hire an esthetician instead. They’re licensed to provide services like massages, waxing, facials, etc.
They can also offer make-up consultations if you don’t have a budget to hire a specialised make-up artist.
Written by: Shristi Patni
Shristi is the Chief Content Officer at Raletta. She enjoys writing about food, fitness, finance and everything in between. Feel free to connect with her via Linkedin or drop an email at [email protected].
