As of May 4, we have been social distancing for over six weeks, thanks to the pandemic that struck in the first quarter of 2020.
This is a unique time, especially in our industry. To get a sense of how we’re all navigating it, we surveyed salon owners and stylists to see what these last few weeks have felt like.
And today, we’re sharing those beautiful, open, transparent responses with you.
4 tips to help you figure out the feels
But before we dive into the survey results, we wanted to share four tips to handle all the feels that you might be experiencing.
Don’t fight this on your own
One of the things we’ve been very tempted to do during this time is go dark. To become a recluse, cut everybody off, and stay in your bubble of happiness.
If that’s how you feel, take the time you need to heal yourself. But don’t stay in the darkness; consistently seek the light and choose joy. Find inspiration sources, like a book (whether it be fiction or business-based), social media profiles that light you up, and take this time to seek answers, support, and guidance. It will be huge in business and beyond.
Focus on the gift of time
All of us have felt financially overwhelmed at one point or another. If the projections on the news made you feel like you were financially overwhelmed or spiraling out of control, know that’s normal.
When you feel that fear, know this: you can always make more money.
Money is a resource that will not dry up. It could run low or be allocated in places we don’t want it to be. That’s annoying, and we can be upset about that, but the money still exists.
What we can’t get back is time.
The silver lining of this season is we’ve been given the gift of time. While money may be low, time is high.
Use this time right now. If you want more time in your life, be grateful for the time you have now. The universe will provide you more time in abundance when you do so.
If you feel financially overwhelmed, it’s understandable. Find some peace of mind in that the money is coming. Respect and enjoy the time we have now.
Redefine what is most important to you
If you’re a workhorse (a.k.a., you could work all the time), take this opportunity to pause and redefine what’s actually important to you.
Maybe you’re finding you like having a little more downtime. Maybe you’re taking lunch breaks with your family now and like it.
Find more balance in your life and use it to reshape the way you walk into the future. Think about the pieces of now that you’ve enjoyed, and release the rest.
Don’t worry about what you can’t control
Instead of spinning your wheels about things that are out of your control, reflect on what you can.
Like with the restrictions on our industry. It’s freaking frustrating, but ranting on social media won’t do any good. That’s spinning your wheels about something you can’t control.
But what you can control is writing to your governor and making sure they hear your voice. Actually reaching out and voicing your opinion is powerful.
Take control and choose to do what you can to make a difference and to push yourself forward.
Survey results
Let’s step into the incredible survey results! This survey was answered by 1400 stylists and salon owners.
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35% were salon owners
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30% were booth renters
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17% were studio suite owners
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20% were other (commission, stylists working out of their home, mobile stylists, etc.)
What are your biggest concerns during this time?
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I am only one person and it will take me weeks to catch up.
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My clients will be too afraid to return to the salon right away.
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My biggest concern is the loss of clients. As people become tired of waiting to get back in, they might go to stylists who are offering services through their home, which is illegal in my state.
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I’m worried about my salon closing or not being able to survive after this.
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I only had two months’ worth of bills saved up. That’s coming to an end now, and we’re still forcibly closed by the state with no hope of returning.
Salon owners, are your booth renters paying rent during this time?
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51% said, “I’m not requiring a rent payment during this time.”
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14% reported that all stylists are paying full rent as required.
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14% said that stylists are supposed to be paying but refuse to.
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6% reported some are and some aren’t.
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12% said, “I’ve worked out a deferred payment plan.”
A lot of owners feel like they’ve put their life on the line to give stylists a place to work, and now those stylists have turned their backs. On the other hand, some stylists feel like since they’re not working and their name isn’t on the door, it’s not their problem.
Both sides are understandable. We are a difficult industry to understand because we are leaseholders within a lease. But most salon owners aren’t profitable and aren’t trying to take advantage of you. They’re trying to create a salon for you to come back to at the end of this.
Booth renters, are you paying rent during this time?
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33% yes
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66% no
If no, why aren’t you paying rent?
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40% can’t afford it without any income but would pay the rent if they could.
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17% said, “Even if I could afford it, I don’t think it’s fair to have to pay that.”
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3% aren’t planning to go back to their previous salon, so why pay rent?
Salon owners, do you plan to keep your salon open after the pandemic?
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77% said, “Yes, absolutely.”
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21% would like to but aren’t sure
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1% will shift back to booth rent
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1% are selling their salon
Stylists, if you wish your owner did one thing differently during this time, what would it be?
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More communication. There have been three texts from her to our stylist groups since March 21.
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Honestly, I wish my salon owner was just willing to listen. She thinks she knows what’s best because she’s been doing this for so long, but her old antiquated ways aren’t how things work anymore.
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The only complaint I have about my salon owners is there hasn’t been communication. I don’t know if I’m supposed to pay rent or not.
Salon owners, don’t go dark on your team. They want to hear you’re thinking about them, that you don’t have any answers yet but you’re actively working on something. You don’t have to be a superhero, but you have to say something.
Here’s what owners would say to stylists:
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I wish my renters would communicate to me. I’m not sure if they’re leaving or coming back after this. I just want open lines of communication.
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I wish my booth renters would understand that I still have to pay rent, utilities, and insurance while I’m out of the salon. I have no choice. They must be paid. I wish they would help to support me with some kind of booth rent so that we were in this together.
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I wish my stylists understood this is a time they can dive into free education and dig deep into social media. But my stylists haven’t been posting much.
Isn’t that wild? Both sides wish more conversation was happening. Communicate with each other. It doesn’t have to be answers, just words.
How much money did you have saved before this pandemic?
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12% were living paycheck to paycheck
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13% had a couple of weeks’ worth of living expenses, but it’s gone now
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20% had a month’s worth of living expenses
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32% said two to three months’ worth of living expenses
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20% have four-plus months’ worth of living expenses
Wherever you are in this breakdown, know we are in this together, and we will come out stronger than ever.
Have you found a way to produce any type of revenue resource during this time?
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42% are selling retail
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24% sell root touch-up kits
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1% are becoming educators
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31% said other
Unless you were considering becoming an educator before this, don’t just do it now to make money. It’ll be a long road, so just make sure you’re in alignment.
1099 commission stylists, did you know that you wouldn’t be eligible for traditional unemployment since you aren’t technically an employee?
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61% said yes
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40% said no
1099 commission is essentially working illegally in our industry. You can’t be commissioned and then receive a 1099. If you are, you’re misclassified.
This is a huge mistake in our industry. We can’t misclassify people. You have to know how you’re working.
Use this time to do your research and find a great booth rental or legal salon where you can be a W2 commission stylist.
If you applied for payroll protection or pandemic relief programs, were you approved?
This does not include unemployment or stimulus check payments.
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11% were approved for PPP
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80% got nothing
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8% were approved for the disaster relief grant
Disaster relief grants are the forgivable grants that were originally $10,000 a business. And then, within a week, it shifted to a smaller amount based on how many employees you had.
It’s a frustrating and scary time because we worry that we’ll lose clients and business. But what’s different about this is that we are all in this together.
As much as you can, be the bright light and know your business will come out stronger on the other side. It doesn’t mean it will be easy or there won’t be things we have to figure out.
But know your clients appreciate you. Now more than ever, there is a wild demand for beauty services. People realize how incredibly essential we are to their life, even if we’re technically considered a non-essential business.
They’ll come back and want to give you bigger gratuities, pay more for your services, be more respectful of your time. Good things are coming out the other side of this.