Kids Only Hair Salon

Hairdresser cutting a child's hair
Photo: Depositphotos
Q: I recently graduated as a hairdresser and I would like to start a kids only hair salon. Is this a good idea? Is there any advice you can give me?
 
A: I am not really in favor of a children only salon. I’ll give you my reasons and then you can decide for yourself.
 
Firstly, you’re blocking yourself in creatively speaking. You went to study hairdressing; how to cut, color, highlight, lowlight, style, etc. hair. There are so many things that you are qualified to do right now, yet by opening a kiddies hair salon, you’ll mainly be cutting the hair of children into very ordinary, everyday styles.
 
Parents don’t want their children’s hair cut into a funky or stylish or high-maintenance hairstyle. They want a style that can last for a few months and looks “normal”. They definitely don’t want their child’s hair to be colored or highlighted... That’s a bit boring, don’t you think? You learned all these cool techniques and creative methods of making someone’s hair look awesome, but you won’t be able to use it in a kiddie’s salon.
 
Secondly, you’re blocking yourself in financially. People don’t want to pay a lot of money for having their children’s hair cut. Most salons actually have discounted prices for kids cuts. Also, most salons have their apprentices or junior stylists do the children’s haircuts, mainly because it brings in very little money, thus most senior hairdressers aren’t interested in these cuts. Hairdressers usually get a basic salary (which isn’t much) and then make some real money based on commission income.
 
Do you have any idea how many children’s cuts you’ll have to do before you even earn a living? You’ll be standing the whole day, doing cut after cut, day after day, often in an environment of crying children, because they hate getting their hair cut or are scared of the scissors.
 
You’ll seriously have to work three times as hard as a high-end salon hairdresser, while you won’t earn a third of what he/she makes. This also means that you’ll find it hard to employ other hairdressers in a children’s only salon, except if you use apprentices on your floor which has huge draw-backs on a professional level.
 
Why do you want to open a children’s only salon? Are you especially fond of cutting only children’s hair? If so, I would suggest that you contact the nurseries and kindergartens in your area, and offer your services to them. Parents are usually open to having a hairdresser visit the school on a regular basis to cut their children’s hair. This saves them the hassle to drag their kids to the salon.
 
Also, children tend to be calmer when they see that their friends’ hair is being cut as well, which will save you a lot of emotional stress and headaches. This route also saves you the over-heads of running a premises-bound salon.
 
Did you do your apprenticeship in a normal salon? If so, work at a children’s salon as a stylist on commission basis for at least six months. If you still feel that this is the route that you want to take, then you’ll probably be happy when you open a kids only salon of your own.
 
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