Keyword traffic estimator

I'm a spanner, ignore me, must be a full moon. I was talking about the Google SERPs not the keyword tool.

the keywordspy results pull the broad match results, I don't think the the quote operator works with them.

Indizine and Magnify have explained it and Magnifys done a great summary so I'll shut up.

...Personally think flyers would be a winner...

I thought so because not all women use internet for searching hairdressers.
And obviously they would not think even about changing their current hairdresser until they get a flyer.
But unfortunately and surprisingly, flyers don't bring me any new customers.

How about placing ads where women, primarily mums hang out? Thinking maybe Kiddie clubs, womens groups, I know we have some tree hugger style cafes near us that organise coffee mornings. Church groups is another one, maybe older folk, but still need their blue rinses?

I know my missus was desparate to get her hair coloured when she was pregnant, but had to wait until a certain stage so it was safe, so maybe a preggars promotion and tout it round your local antenatal groups. I remember there were all sorts of local companies hawking their tat during our antenatal group.

Could you organise a coffee morning in the salon? Get a brew, a bun and a hair cut?

Not bad for a bloke eh?

Are you home-based?

Yes...

I think that may be the problem.

Unless its family and friends or friends of friends, you will struggle to entice strangers to your home to get their hair done.

Mobile hairdressers are still around but they've never come close to competing with the salons. People actually enjoy a trip to the salon. It's not the same done in the house.

Also, people may have concerns around the following which reflect on your operating practices purely because it's not a common practice to run a hari salon from someone's home:

1. Planning permission. Do you have this? Will your neighbours mind us parking in front of their drive when we can't get in your driveway? I hope they have patience cos I cant nip out to move it once I have my foils on. Someone might see me!

2. Public liability - this will also depend on the premises being fit for purpose (see point 1. above) - if I fall down the stairs after nipping to the toilet on your stair lift, will your insurance pay out? I have 3 previous successful claims, so I hope so because my back is really weak these days hence the wheelchair use.

3. Equipment - proper salon washbasins and chairs used? Or is it my head over your sink? I have a bad back.

4. Premises H&S - fire regs, access, parking, toilets, opening hours,etc. - where's the family? do you have a scary dog or a cat at home i'm allergic to? Are you using a separate water pipe and not the same one you wash your hubby's mucky work pants in the washer with?

5. Disability compliant? Will I get my wheelchair in your door and have you got a ramp to get in and out? Is your toilet adequate for disabled people like me?

I'm speaking as if i'm the customer above, not me personally of course!

I hope this makes sense, so if you have all the correct things in place, remove the customers fears by overcoming the barriers in your advert. You have more to overcome than a proper hair salon premises.

Also, we would expect your prices to reflect all of the above, so they can neve compete with local salon prices, mostly because you don't have the expenses of rent and rates which are a big wedge of the monthly overheads which affect prices.

I thought so before I started, but it does not seem so at all


What is not the same exactly?


What kind of planning?



Thre is no problem with parking spaces. And actually all the house around run their own business from home too.


Not possible


This could be a problem unless I insure myself which I am not too keen to do to be honest. Too many insuarences


All professional equipment to the highest standard. I have invested quite a bit to make sure customers get the top of confort, so do I.
It looks exactly like a professional salon, but only at home.


I don't have pets and indeed, the pipe is separated


I think disabled people would use mobile hairdressers


I appreciate this


I believe I have everything in place and have never had any complaints.
In fact, have a look at my reviews in google places


That is the main point

Planning permission is legally required from the council to run a hair salon from home. They can stop you trading today if they found out. Watch out your competitiors don't report you.

Appropriate insurances are also a legal requirement such as the public liability insurance.

Fire regs would apply so you'd need a H&S inspection.

You do need to make sure you can accomodate disabled people, whether you think they will use you or not. So you need to be legally DDA compliant where appropriate.

When the council come out to inspect your premises they advise everything you need to do (usually before you start) then you go away and put it in place they come back and check everything is OK to trade and off you go. Unless it's al in place to start with of course.

PS I do not doubt the skill level you offer, but if your flyers aren't working i'm saying that the 'home salon' bit could be putting people off. These are merely suggestions. I used to be a business advisor and have advised hundreds of clients over the years when starting up in business, so I have a lot of experience in this area and I still do business mentoring for our local council's enterprise scheme.

Here's an example planning permission document off the 'net you can view where someone has applied to turn their home garage into a salon. Here you can see everthing they consider and review before given permission, along with any limitations of use. It does differ from council to council, so you can ony go by what your enquiries result in, not what worked or didnt work for other people. They look at the house, the room, the environment around you, etc. to make sure it will be OK. How good a hairdresser you are, or how many great testimonials from customers you have, have no bearing on this application.

http://www.stedmundsbury.gov.uk/sebc/live/documents/reports/Y664%2013%20SE-08-0094%20Misbourne%20The%20Green%20Risby.pdf

Thank you for the information Indizine.
I haven't heared about planning permissions before at all.

Do they not take in to account new business owners can be not aware of such a thing?

How much does the approve cost anyway?

I have had a quick look in to the planning permissions.

I think it does not apply to me because I haven't applied any external changes to the house and do not have any adverts outside or anything else that would make it look different from a conventional private place from the neighborhood point of view.

In the attached example you kindly provided, a garage was converted to a salon which made it more explicit.
That is different to mine. People who walk by my house do not realise there is a hair salon in it.