Children in the Salon: Your Contract and How to Navigate with Renters.
Whether you have recently opened your own salon or are a seasons owner, successfully handling clients while managing renters can be a challenge. The best strategy for success is to implement policies in the salon and follow them without fail. But, this can be a balancing act, as an owner, you want to inspire success without being critical or controlling. Good Policies will help your renters succeed, too!
Some of us opened our salons out of the passion for salon business and some because we wanted to get out of situations we didn’t have control over that were making us nuts. Making like-ability and leadership a balancing act.
As owners we have responsibilities to create a salon culture and environment that is safe and comfortable for the staff and its clients. And that means seeing something that is becoming an issue and handling it like a BOSS!
So Let’s talk about a very sensitive issue, children in the salon.
In an industry where we cater to all people, children in the salon are common. Some of you opened a family friendly salon and cater to the family experience. Thank you!
For the rest of us, who are catering to the business professional or have a spa like environment, children in the salon are a more sensitive topic.
Whatever your opinion about having children in the salon, either for services or with their parents, a Child Policy is key. But, how can you possibly ask someone not to bring their toddler or school age children to the salon, sitters are hard to come by you know! Here is the verbiage we use in our rental agreement, On the website and soon to be on our wall in the salon.
Please feel free to use it if it works for you.
Child Salon Policy:
For the safety of all, insurance reasons, and to ensure the relaxation of our guests, stylists children are not allowed in the salon while you are at work. For our guests, we welcome children that are having a service/appointment only. We ask that those children are in constant care, and attended to at all times.
How to Navigate Your New Salon Policy with Renters
At Cultivate, a HairLoveDesign Salon, we are a co-working salon; meaning everyone is working their own business as renters. What that also means for us is that we have a set of business standards that we operate under in which everyone agrees. Policies are presented to the renter at the time all documentation is being finalized before move in day. If the potential renter has any issues with the salon’s culture, they can decide if this salon is right for them.
For owners who are updating current policies with new items, I like to suggest getting everyone together and creating this policy as a team. This helps everyone feel they have a voice and will greatly increase a successful transition. If you move forward doing this on your own, I would give the Renters a heads up and let them know you are making changes to the rental agreement. You should look at your full document and update anything and everything needing to be updated so you are not dropping new rules all the time; instability does not create a culture that people want to stay in.
Implementing New Policies
Follow through is key. If someone does bring their child with them, don’t get upset, just let them know politely that your policy has changed and you would love to see them come back for some relaxing mom or dad time.
We know it can be challenging enforcing rules in the salon when each of your co-workers run their own business, but making sure you have your updated “legal” rental agreement handy helps you maintain the overall comfort and understanding in the salon.