If you haven’t read the opening article to this 6-part series, please see 6 Important Questions to ask yourself before opening a business. Part 3 in this 6-part series is: Where?
- Where will your location be?
- Where will you put storage and set up all in the space?
- Where will you do laundry?
- Where will you go for supplies?
Where will your location be? This goes back to “who is your client?” Will your office be in a storefront, walk-in salon or a private office that is by appointment only? Will your location be visible to street traffic? Walking and driving traffic? Will you share a space with others or be independent? How much space do you need? Will you rent or own?
Because I’m a one-woman show, I can opt for smaller office spaces—and have. Currently I’m in the smallest (and least chic) salon space I’ve had in my entire career. The reasons are it is only a few blocks away from my home, it is centrally located so it’s easy for clients to find and access, there is plenty of parking (something there was none of when I officed in downtown Boulder), and it is inexpensive. All of those factors were important to me when I was once again looking for a place to put my business.
In past years, I
owned an entire building that my salon was located in. It was more space
than I needed, but it was also a savvy business move. Years later when I
was no longer living in Dallas, where this building was, I sold it at a
considerable profit. I was also able to “fix it up” however I wanted to
since I was the owner. Unless you find an amazing deal in a primo
location and you are 100% confident in your skills and ability to
succeed in your business, I don’t
recommend purchasing your office space. Not right off the bat, anyway.
Rent first, see where your business takes you, then go from there.
Here is my all time favorite office space: my storefront in Chicago's tony Lincoln Park. As you can see, I made it easy for all to see, whether they were in a car or on foot, what product I had available and what type of business I was. This was a high-traffic area in a gentrified neighborhood and I was the only skin care business in site. I paid high rent but I had a large business to cover the costs. (Although, this wasn’t the case at the beginning; see upcoming All of my skin care office locations for more tidbits about that.)
A smaller office space is usually going to be less expensive. Low overhead should be a mantra you say to yourself always. High overhead, as in high rent and expensive equipment, can—at least in the beginning—get you into hot water. Beware!
See Where in the world is your business? for more helpful information on finding the perfect location to set up shop.
Because I’m a one-woman show, I can opt for smaller office spaces—and have. Currently I’m in the smallest (and least chic) salon space I’ve had in my entire career. The reasons are it is only a few blocks away from my home, it is centrally located so it’s easy for clients to find and access, there is plenty of parking (something there was none of when I officed in downtown Boulder), and it is inexpensive. All of those factors were important to me when I was once again looking for a place to put my business.
 |
| The Dallas office building I owned |
Here is my all time favorite office space: my storefront in Chicago's tony Lincoln Park. As you can see, I made it easy for all to see, whether they were in a car or on foot, what product I had available and what type of business I was. This was a high-traffic area in a gentrified neighborhood and I was the only skin care business in site. I paid high rent but I had a large business to cover the costs. (Although, this wasn’t the case at the beginning; see upcoming All of my skin care office locations for more tidbits about that.) A smaller office space is usually going to be less expensive. Low overhead should be a mantra you say to yourself always. High overhead, as in high rent and expensive equipment, can—at least in the beginning—get you into hot water. Beware!
See Where in the world is your business? for more helpful information on finding the perfect location to set up shop.
Where will you put storage and set up all in the space? How will you arrange your everything from facial room and supplies to front office space? Is there storage space available for your supplies and incidentals? Back product stock?
Where will you do laundry? I have always (thankfully) had laundry facilities inside or near my office spaces. In fact, prior to my Boulder offices, the only time the laundry wasn’t in the office itself was in Chicago. It was an apartment building on top and had storefronts on street level. I was one of the storefronts. Because the building was residential, it had a laundry facility in the basement—perfect for my business needs!
You need to take this into consideration when looking for office space. Since moving to Colorado, I have always (in all my different offices) simply taken the laundry with me and done it at my home. This may sound like drudgery to some of you; in that case you’ll need to hire a laundry service if you can’t or won’t do it yourself. This is another expense that you can save on if you do it yourself. Keep your expenses, espeically at first, to an absolute minimum. Once you get on your feet and especially when your business takes off (starts bringing in serious money) then yo can decide whether or not doing the laundry makes sense to you.
Where will you go for supplies? Besides venders, where else will you need to find supplies such as toilet paper and Kleenex? These may seem like basic questions, but having the answers to as many questions as possible, no matter how complex they are, will make opening your business easier, smoother, and less stressful. Some venders will be more obvious and easy to find, other may take some research to locate.
Be sure to have a file with the names, contact information, pricing, and turn-around time for your suppliers. You don’t want to be scrambling to find things you need to do a facial or in any other way keep your business going day to day. Be prepared and be organized.
The next article in this 6-part series is #4 of 6 Important Questions: When?
Where will you do laundry? I have always (thankfully) had laundry facilities inside or near my office spaces. In fact, prior to my Boulder offices, the only time the laundry wasn’t in the office itself was in Chicago. It was an apartment building on top and had storefronts on street level. I was one of the storefronts. Because the building was residential, it had a laundry facility in the basement—perfect for my business needs!
Where will you go for supplies? Besides venders, where else will you need to find supplies such as toilet paper and Kleenex? These may seem like basic questions, but having the answers to as many questions as possible, no matter how complex they are, will make opening your business easier, smoother, and less stressful. Some venders will be more obvious and easy to find, other may take some research to locate.
Be sure to have a file with the names, contact information, pricing, and turn-around time for your suppliers. You don’t want to be scrambling to find things you need to do a facial or in any other way keep your business going day to day. Be prepared and be organized.
The next article in this 6-part series is #4 of 6 Important Questions: When?
