Why team (employee) based salons are still important to this industry.
There are many choices of stylists and salon cultures especially in the larger towns and cities.
You have the quintessential salon of a team who work as artists. Who work to help and be part of a team.
You have the salons where all the stylists rent a chair which means you in fact have several different solo companies working under one roof. You also have salon suites, a large building owned by a business person who normally has nothing to do with the industry. Renting small private spaces out to hair, make up, massage people. These salon suites aren't a new idea . They have come and gone in popularity in the past.
Im not here to say either one is better than the other. You can get some very good stylists who rent a solo salon you can also get some very bad stylists who work in a traditional salon.
The difference lays in the structure. I always like the feel and joint knowledge of a team based traditional salon. There is little fighting over clients, there is a family feel where they help each other out, care about everyones clients . You can ask for second opinions, different levels of expertise .When you go on vacation you know your clients are in safe friendly hands with people they know already.
Also with traditional salons (commission or hourly pay employees) they have a standard they all stick too. They all care about the name of the salon. They are part of it. I believe its everyones business. They put in a lot of hard work and long hours helping to build a brand and name. You don't have to worry about stylists not turning up or being constantly late. When you get a group of solo business owners they don't have to answer to anyone. Often putting the reputation of everyone at stake. Maybe there is enough space for all of us. It isn't about how good you are or about bouncing ideas off of each other. There is always an aspect of the grass is greener in this industry there always has been. I hope the traditional salons always have a place and continue to grow. It's a place new fresh stylists from school can come and be trained and start of at. Its very hard for a newly qualified stylist to rent a chair or own a salon suite straight off. It's harder these days for a lot of them to find a path.
I have a great team here at Cavallo who truly care about each other and all our clients old, new and who ever does their hair. You know you will see the same friendly familiar faces with a joint creative knowledge thats hard to find these days.