I hate to be the bearer of bad news: In our industry (beauty salons and barbering), when you give notice to your employer, they want you to leave immediately. If they let you finish out the day, you will be one of the lucky few. Do not expect a cake and a goodbye party.
No matter how long you’ve been there or that you’ve been the best employee they have ever had, they do not want you there once you give notice. The reason: they do not want you talking to clients and telling them your good news. They don’t want you to tell clients where and when you will be moving. And they do not want you talking it up to your coworkers.
I know it hurts your feelings when they treat you this way. I’ve been there. But please know it’s just business, even though it’s hard not to take it personally. Someday you will probably be in their position.
So once you have secured your new Albuquerque salon location, get all your ducks in a row, even before giving notice. This means:
If you don’t have social media accounts, this is the time you must have them. This way people can reach you and you can reach them. Make yourself as available as possible and make connections with your clients on these platforms. Make sure your privacy settings are set to public and post as many before and after photos as you can.
Create a website for yourself. Even if it’s just a free one-page site where you can post examples of your work. People want to see your work before they contact you for the 1st time. We have a great website that will drive potential clients to you. If you are a Villager at Village Salon Studios, you will be included on our website. We get great results.
Determine your preferred method for accepting client payments. The very popular PayPal may be your choice, but there are others, some of which don't charge a fee in certain circumstances. Some accept payments through their website. Be ready to accept payments on day 1.
Gather as much client contact information as you can. You don’t have to tell clients why until you are ready. You don’t want your employer to get a whiff that something is up. You need time to get ready.
Also, start putting money aside. You are going to need to supply all of your products. Start small. Don’t buy an entire color line, just buy what you will need for your clients for the 1st week or 2. And then buy again as that runs out. The time will come soon enough when you will be able to buy the full-color line but it takes time.
If you are coming to our salon and need more guidance, we'll be glad to put you in touch with our recent new villagers to learn how they made this transition successfully. Let us know.
So before you give your 2 weeks notice, be prepared for that to be your last day. Most likely it will be. Just be ready!