083 Is The Salon Suite or Studio Right For You?

Oftentimes on the podcast, I talk about the changes that are happening in the industry and particularly the ever-evolving business models.  In the United States, the Salon Suite or Studio as some prefer to call it has had a massive impact on hairdressing and how hairdressers work and that model is influencing salons in many countries. The biggest operator of salon suites is Sola Salon Suites and their very first suite operator was Kim Bennet and so it’s a real pleasure to have Kim as my guest today and get a really good insight into how having a salon suite works from someone who has been doing it for 17 years.  In today’s podcast we discuss: The salon suite business model Who is and isn’t suited to opening a salon suite/studio of their own What are the advantages and disadvantages  And lots more!   In This Episode: [01:45] Welcome to the show, Kim! [02:25] Kim shares her background. [03:21] Kim speaks about how she got started with Sola Salon Studios. [05:18] Did the salon suite model exist when you first got started? [07:41] Kim discusses the founders of Sola Salon Studios. [10:04] Kim shares the Sola business model. [11:00] Antony talks about why the salon suite model isn't for him. [13:19] Kim shares why the salon suite works for her. [16:33] Kim discusses wanting to give her clients a better experience, and to do that, she wanted the studio model. [19:46] Kim speaks about evolving over the years and how her business evolved with her. [22:59] Were there any challenges that stood out to you since you were new to the salon suite model? [26:34] Kim shares how Sola stylists handle their guest's arrivals because they don't have receptionists. [29:18] Kim discusses the matrix on how many studio suite stylists decided they didn't like the business model. [31:16] In Kim's experience, when she saw people leave Sola, they were usually becoming salon owners. [34:03] Listen as Kim speaks about who might not be a great studio suite owner. [37:31] Kim says that competition between suites around pricing isn't something that happens at Sola. [39:57] Do you get walk-ins with the studio suite model? [41:10] Kim talks about what she misses about the traditional salon model. [43:38] Kim discusses what clients have told her about missing the traditional salon experience. [45:55] When it comes to retail, some don't want the hassle of it, and others see the benefits and profits from selling products. [48:03] What is the average cost of a studio suite? [53:07] The most important business model is the one that works best for you. [57:10] Kim says that social media is huge in the salon suite entrepreneurial mindset. [1:01:20] Kim discusses the age-old challenge of stylists taking their clients with them when they leave. [1:04:16] Who is training the new generation of hairstylists? [1:06:59] Thank you so much for being on the show!   Links and Resources Grow My Salon Business    Kim Bennett Kim Bennett Studios @kimi_kisses Instagram | Facebook