148: TB: Commission, Rental or Suite?

In today's "throwback episode" we revisit my friend April, to discuss the differences between commission, booth rental and suite ownership. 
 
April Cox is an American Board Certified Hair Colorist. She is also an Educator for Eufora International since 2005 as an Academy Instructor in Core Shapes for precision cutting and a Color Educator since 2016, with now just joining the curl team in 2020. These positions give her the opportunity to travel to salons and share education to inspire and share. She also earned Educator of the year in 2019. Today we are sitting down to discuss the differences between working as an assistant, and the differences of working in a commission salon, a booth rental salon and a salon suite. 

April's Education Page: https://www.instagram.com/coxcut5 
April's Salon Page: https://www.instagram.com/splittinghairssd ___ 

Use my Gloss Genius link to start using today!

Grab your FREE PDF of The In-Salon Training Toolkit today.

Make sure to subscribe to our YouTube Channel as well!

Visit my Amazon Store for all my favorite products!

Grab your Ultimate In-Salon Training Toolkit!

Website: www.danisekeilitz.com
YouTube: All About Hair

Shop my favorite Eufora Products.

Transcript

Unknown: 1:32

Well, hey there. This is Denise. And this is the salon ownership Made Easy podcast for salon owners who are searching for simple solutions to their everyday challenges. I've owned several six and seven figure award winning salons in my 30 year career. With so many changes happening in our industry these days, it seems like salon owners need a shoulder a hug and a big dose of reality. Think about it. We didn't learn how to be successful salon owners in beauty school. So why don't you let me share what has worked and what hasn't worked for me over the years, you do have what it takes to be amazingly successful. So let's do this. I'm excited. You're here. So April, tell us a little bit about how you became a hairstylist. Why hair, you know, what's your passion? Just a little bit of history. We like to start that way. You know, like most of us that are in the hair industry. I always loved hair. I was the one who would cut all my friends bangs off. Oh, yeah, we've talked them into anything. My poor Barbies look like their hair was shredded and covered in Sharpie marker. Yep, so always have that passion and love. But somewhere in my own mindset, I got the idea that it wasn't a professional career, even that was flexible. And so I chose to go to education to be an educator. Because I was a young mom, I actually have five boys. She doesn't look like she wouldn't have five kids. So thank you, you hold it together very well. She says, I thought for a long time raising kids going to school being an educator, that was the path that was definitely going to work but mostly because of the flexibility. And I love sharing information. So you were you going to be like a teacher like primary middle school, high school what this is where it fits well into this industry, performing arts. So oh, what kind because that was my passion, like on stage like theater, performing arts. So I taught actually, when I did teach, it was third, fourth and fifth grade. And it was dance, performing arts. And so they did learn music appreciation. How do I rewrite music? How do I do the stand steps and how do I write a script? And so it was a lot of fun. That's cool. That's a whole other conversation we need to have. I love that. I didn't know that about yourself. Yeah, because it helps them with public speaking. Absolutely. So fun things. Well, that last year that I was teaching, I just moved back from a foreign country. My first husband was marine lived there for six years. And I was kind of new into what was going on and a year into it. I was being paid by the PTA has really honored that. But I got pink slips, which is very common as a new instructor. Sure. And so I thought, well, I'm getting divorced. I'm a mom of four kids. I've always loved hair, and I have all these other changes in my life. Why not? One more? Why not? And went to beauty school. And I quickly was searching for something that was matching my internal of how do I not just do hair, but be professional at it and show the face I wanted to. And I was really lucky enough to have found that fairly early on actually with leading Don Julian seeing that professional side to our industry. And I dove in not just feet first headfirst whole body like cannonball right into it, because I knew that this industry is magical. And I just needed to be guided on how to create. Yeah, so I chose hair, partly because of the flexibility partly because of the creativity. But also because I wanted to show that you can be a dynamic professional behind the chair. You you unpacked so much in that. Just in that. First of all, I think most of us kind of got into the industry or because we wanted to kind of prove that it is a profession. Right. I mean, there's a little bit of that in all of us, I think because I don't not very many people raise their kids to go out into the world be hairstylist. You know, so it takes courage to say that's what, that's what we want to do. But I think I know you think that to that it is the most incredible industry to be in and just rising above the stigma of what a hairstylist really is it mean it takes all of us to prove it every day. Yeah. So Don Bewley Where did you meet him? Don Bailey is the founder of euphoria. And just in case people didn't know that. How did you meet Don was really quite cool. As a student, school still, and they had an opportunity for us to be the top 10% to work in a mock salon. Oh, and that's cool. It's kind of neat because you got to learn what that was like. Yeah, well, Don Julian come into the school to help create that because that's who he was. He's super dynamic, incredibly magical. And so what was you for in the school? Like? Oh, okay, it's a brand new program. Okay, he offered to help sponsor it for Oh, Silas. Oh, that's smart. He's smart dude. And did a class. Oh, it's okay. Kind of neat. Yeah. And so my first dive to that was actually working with the product and the master stylists program and taught by Don Bewley. This is how we want you to use the product. He did our initial intake product class. Back in the days when we had eight skews. Yes, yes. Little beige bottles. Yeah. Yeah. Oh, gosh, I wish I had kept those 100% Yeah. So and he was incredibly dynamic. Oh, oh, to say the least. Right. And I saw I want to be like that. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. He is a dine in. He was a dynamic human being. I think that's why we most of us are in euphoria, because we met him and he was such a character and such a guiding light and fresh. So you went to Beauty School? Here in Southern California? Yes. at Palomar. How Amar. That used to be Oceanside. No, there was two campuses. Oh, okay. And Palomar. Okay, because I went to Oceanside. Yeah. And it is no longer it's a coffee shop. Correct. So, but I heard that one of the instructors that was there when I was there. 30 years ago. Is Miss Miss Anita. Is that her name? She's at Palomar. Yeah. Oh, my gosh. Oh, my gosh, was Miss Cathy there too. Oh, my gosh. So I should I need to go into their school and say, Hey, you don't know me. But I probably wouldn't know that maybe they're some of this so we can Okay, so you for was not in the schools. But yet correct. It came in when I was a student for that opportunity to work in the program. Wow. So it was a huge for us Beauty School, just in the master stylist. So it really was the elite of the elite. To learn these other programs, you got to play with this elite prod product. Yeah. Because we were read cut school. Oh, okay. Because I was like, wow. Now they don't do still do that, though. Before actually still have the master stylist procedure at Palomar. That's all you for? Oh, I didn't know that. So it's been interesting was that 18 years like, wow, that's interesting. Okay. And so right out of PT school. What did you do? Did you go work in a salon? Yeah. Okay. So this is why I've always encouraged salon owners to go to the school and kind of pick out who would match their team. Sure. Because Gail Fullbright, the owner of headlines, the salon would come in, you know, every couple of months and do a small business class. She's a smart cookie store. She does amazing and attracted to that. Yes, she was also euphoria. So that fit two pegs of what I really wanted. And so I applied at her space to be part of her sister program to learn under her to learn under Connie kaska. So yeah, yes and nail salon owner to wow, yeah. And I was lucky enough to be mentored by them. Wow. Wow, you need to do my hair. No, no, that's amazing. Not very many people can say that. That's how they started. And if you don't know who Gail and Connie are, we'll make sure we include their links so that people can find them because they are exceptional leaders in our industry exceptional. So you started as an assistant, correct? How long did that last? So I assisted for I moved up quickly. I'm sure you did total and in the last three months of that I was already doing models in hair. Okay. Okay. So what did the Assistant program look like? Were you washing hair? Were you going to weekly education classes? How what did that look like? So I was shampooing at first and blow drying so they would teach me how to blow dryer and then shortly after that, I would I was able to start applying touch ups with my master stylist and then I was applying them by myself for that master stylists, okay or in between foils a base color shirt and Tony right. Okay, now we can have you start toning and so it was it was a good graduation into things right to learn the technical skills. Eventually down the road, they learned how to teach more business skills. I just kind of learned it through osmosis. It was it was at the beginning. Yeah, but Gail Fullbright brain To a person that she is wanted it to grow and still choose to. Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah, she's Yeah. Well, that's good. So you then you became a stylist at headlines? Yeah. I'm assuming you built your whole clientele there. Yeah. And I worked there for 12 years. Wow, girl. Okay. All right. And it's a commission salon. Correct. Okay, so you've been a commission state, you've been an assistant, you've been a commission stylist. And then what did you do? I took six months off my career behind the chair. And I taught at the beauty school where I started because I knew that having that influence for myself at the beginning of my career was huge. Yeah. And I wanted to implement that with systems and programs at the beauty school. And for about six months. It was 100%. You for oh, wow, it was really kind of amazing. And that's pretty cool there. So they use the color and everything at that, at that time. Korean, the school full school. Yeah. And I got to train the educators that were there, the beauty educators and then rewrite some of their curriculum to match that which was really, really fun. And wow, an incredible amount because the amount of color that you have to have for a school, the amount of product, the inventory, and you can imagine so but it's no longer are you for a school just in the master stylists room. Okay. Still marks. Okay, that's in there. Interesting. Okay, yeah. It's sort of like you have to be present with that excitement in order for it to maintain just like a salon owner, it needs to be present in order for their culture to maintain once that goes away, then it's not quite the same. I thought that six months would have been enough to maintain it. And I learned that it's not if you want your culture to stay, you have to be there. Yeah. So I had left because I loved hair. Yes. And I couldn't not do it. Right. So I went back in the chair. Yeah. I don't know if you know, I was an instructor for a hot minute. Yeah, I say that at our local beauty school and in Virginia. And same thing, same thing, you know, you find out pretty, you know, like, man, let me get them after they're out of school. Yeah, you know, it's when those basics and you're like later just learned how to hold their shears and hold a round brush and how to section and you know, everything in you wants to jump in there and do it for them because you see them struggling. Yeah. Being a an instructor at a beauty school takes someone very special down to all these. Oh my gosh, yeah, it's probably the hardest. I think so. And to stay passionate about it, you know? So yeah, kudos, though, that you know, that avenue then. And then you left there. Yeah. So you're building up all these skills and all these lessons and all these scattery? Yeah, battery gallery? And then what did you so for? For a short time I worked at Salon paradigm? Which Oh, yeah, was okay. And I quickly discovered that I wanted more. It maybe was because of my experience at the school. Sure. With running so much. I wanted more. And so I started with booth renting and that was at Fair Haven and Escondido and learning that environment. And again, maybe I like collecting knowledge was eye opening in several ways, because it was ran like a team as best it could be. But each person has their own individual boss sort of share their chair. Yeah. So that that coat coexistence of team environment wasn't the same. Right? And I always knew going into it. This is my stepping stone into owning a salon. Sure. You're just collecting information on how does this work? How does this kind of Salon work? How does this and I'm still amazing friends with the owner. That's awesome. Yeah, I don't like burning bridges. That's good. So when you went into salon Haven, is that hair Haven? How many stylists were in there? Three. Oh, okay. So it's just smaller four. Okay, and everybody was booth rent and so did everybody use their own product lines, everybody has their own color lines. So like that we're each had our own color to have us of course we're 100% Before okay, but I loved how it was set up to where back bar and style product was provided by the salon into encourage retail and keep the code consistency of all you fora on the face. I see. Yeah, the color was not by everyone that was in there. Because you purchase your Color. Yeah, right. Right. And so that was a different thing for you. So how did that did you find? I guess let's compare commission stylists with booth renting. So what are some of the things that maybe you didn't really think about when you went into booth rent? I mean, were there surprises? Did you kind of know what to expect? I, I am one of the lucky ones that I was given a lot of education and each of my spaces was had the chance to have leadership positions and in ordering color. That's good doing inventory. Not every hairdresser has that advantage. And so it wasn't shocking to me to have to purchase my own color. But I could see how it would be to a lot of hairdressers, and even a couple others that we had in there, there was one that would only buy color for the day. Ah, and I didn't know if it was because of cost. That wasn't the way I always bought the whole line. Right? You never be without what I needed. Right? I guess I have heard of people doing that they run to the beauty supply before their day gets started based on who they're doing. Correct. through consultation, but we run into stuff all the time by Absolutely. Oops, that didn't work. Fix. Wow, that would be that would cause me a lot of anxiety. If I was doing it that way. So you had to do ordering your supplies. And of course all your your supplies to do hair foils all that stuff. Oh, cleaning nation salon. Right? You would have your own hairdryer tool, scissors, combs brushes, things like yeah, everything else was provided by the salon. Yeah. Towels, everything. assistants to help. Right? All right, news and education on a regular basis. Yeah, that's true, right? Even when it comes down to medical benefits if you need it, which is huge. Okay, so did you guys have a retirement like 401k, or anything like that? Paid Time Off and benefits all kinds of benefits? When you go into our cam booth renting the owner of the booth rent or salon does not have to provide any of that for you. And so, essentially, you make about the same, okay, when it comes down to apples and apples. Okay, right. And if you don't have a strong business mindset, you might fall through some hoops that don't work out. Right. Like, what about taxes? What about taxes? So for taxes, are you then become a sole proprietor instead of a? employee? Right, getting a W two, right? Quarterly? Do you? Yes. Is that what you're supposed to do? Well, a lot of people don't know that making over $1,000. Yeah. Which what happens if you don't pay quarterly? We actually get fine. Okay. Because I, I know what happens to corporations and it just Yeah. Okay. So how do you know that? Do you have to have an accountant to tell you to have an accountant? Okay, my taxes. So if they're doing their own taxes, they may not be aware until the first year and then all of a sudden, they owe more money than they did. And then they get fined because they weren't paying in and say, it's a lot of a lot of things and sales tax, too. So all the products if you carry a retail line, which most people should you have to pay sales tax on that to mean there's a lot of things right. Yeah. And so you learned all of that when you are booth rental. Now, you did mention education. You were on your own for education. Where are you because you paid for it? Yeah, there's this along with bringing in education, but not always. I didn't have to have a retail license. But I also had to have but I did have to have a business license. Oh, oh, yeah. So the salon did the retail for you. Did you get commission on that meant? Yes. Okay. Yeah. How did she pay you commission on that dish? Take it out of your rent? No, it's separate from rent. You know, and in California, there's some iffy laws on how that works. Yeah, well, everywhere. Yeah. You can't pay somebody commission if the Yeah, the whole thing. I know some do it where they just credit towards that. Yeah. And some actually pay you right, like a bonus. Yeah, a bonus. Because I hear that word floating around a lot in California to bonus. Good job. Good job. Well done. Yeah, we'll just leave it there. Okay, so you were booth renting? And then now you're at a suite. So I'm assuming that that was the next step of your journey. Right. So how has that been? So you're in a solo suite a solo salons and you're in a pretty big What is it a space and a half? He said yeah. And I initially wanted to do that before booth rent, but I'm glad I didn't. Okay. Because it was like that next baby step into a wait you have to have a business license. Oh, wait, I have to buy my own color. Oh, so then when I went into finally getting a suite, because a lot became available in 2020 Yeah. I have some things but didn't have everything. I then realized, oh my gosh, I have to buy so many towels. And oh, yeah, oh, my gosh, I have to get a resale license. So I can sell retail, even have it in my space. I also had to get, you know, the licensing for my name everything to the statement, right? All of those things that all the the amazing salon owners already know, that you have to do, right? It just kept doubling on, right? Because you are a business owner coming. You are an official business owner of your space. Once you get your business license, and once you get, you know, go to the state and get your name correctly researched and make sure nobody else's name bad and all right. I mean, it's done. Right. You do that one? Right for right. Yes, you but you jumped through that hoop and it's done. I mean, it's not like you have to do that every month. But But it's those people who don't do that, because they don't know how to do that. They get in trouble. Right? Correct. Yeah. So what are some of the other like, lessons learned? I mean, do you enjoy being a sweet owner? Love it. Okay. Now, I've heard people say that it can, you know, you don't have the, you know, the team energy around you is that do you find that kind of hard to get used to. So that can be taken. However, the individual only wants it to be right, they can stay in their suite come and go and leave and never meet any of their cohorts that are in Yeah, we built? Yeah, not my personality. I know, I still know 90% of the suite owners in here. And like having a relationship with them. Because it's nice, like I've run out of stuff, or they've run out of stuff. And we know that I can ran out of cotton down the hall and get it so nice. One of my co workers right in writing, right? Things like that. Okay, just having that camaraderie if you needed it, right. No, that's good. That's good to know. Um, I have to admit, I mean, I told you that when I walked in here, this is actually the very first time I've even been in a solo salon. Not that I'm biased or anything, because I own a commission salon with a full on team, but I don't know, I've never had the opportunity or the need to walk into one. So it's been a learning experience. And it's quite, quite nice, actually. Thank you. I really love your space. I love that. It's kind of quiet. But it's yeah, you know? Yeah, I like it, too. So what other what other lessons? I mean, you have a full on retail, I mean, this girl can sell. I'm looking at a retail going. This might be more than what? No, it's not what we carry. But it's quite a bit for one person. I keep a full stock of retail. Again, that mentality, I never want to feel like I don't have something to provide to my guests needs. Isn't that the worst? Oh, well. It was funny about that. I bought the initial intro, which wasn't too big, right? It was, you know, a couple of each thing. And then I thought, well, I need more retail for that mentality that I have. And every time I brought in more, I would sell more. Of course, I bring in more, and I would sell more. Well, I think what happens is people see you're serious, correct. You're serious. I mean, the stuff works, you know, and here's your prescription, and you need to take this home and you walk the walk, you don't just talk the talk, you walk the walk, and you guide them through the experience. So no, I love that. All the fears were gone that I was like, Oh, absolutely, absolutely. And you don't have to stop at the beauty supply to pick it up. But you couldn't pick this up at a beauty supply. So you have to order it because she's a full on you for I mean, you guys can't see that. But you might see it in the background or color. So what else I mean, our our audience, most of our audience are brand new hairstylist coming straight out of Beauty School. You've done everything. You've been an assistant. You've been a commissioned stylist, you've been a booth runner, you've been an ad and instructor at a school, and now you're in a solo suite. So what's next for you for the first time I'm actually looking for a space to grow into when the right one comes to me I know it'll be there. Yeah, but I was taught a long time ago put it into the universe and what comes to you because you're not going to be open to it or see it unless you already are actively thinking this is what I want. This is how I want it. Yeah, and I would love to find a four or five chair salon that I could be an owner in. Oh, and you would kick ass too. I know I mean, cuz you've already you already know, you know what it takes? You've already, you know, done all the hard stuff. And experience is huge. Yeah, including to somebody new because I love I sought that out. Yeah, when I was looking for a space, I cannot express more the importance of assisting a talent first, I think so too. And just even if it's like you've said to me before learning through osmosis, whatever it is, take that time to learn to grow, to build to figure out what you want, what you don't want, yeah, use what I call the shopping cart method, take it what you eat, want leave on the shelf, everybody does things differently. And it might not suit your method or your ideas, but you can still take something from that you can still learn from that. So your advice would be assist first correct and stay at a place longer than five years. The grass is not greener on the other side, right? You know, you're gonna have things that you need to work through working with people and everywhere and learn from it. Right. That's great. And don't you think most salon owners there? First of all, they're people too. Yeah. And they make mistakes, just like regular people. I've made a few. And but they're open to communication. Yeah. Yeah. No, I, as a salon. And that's, you know, that's, that's a message that needs to be said is that communicate every relationship. Communication is key, you know, whether it's your spouse, your kids, your, you know, boss, whatever, if you don't know how to communicate, or if you don't feel comfortable communicating. There's a problem there. That's unhealthy. So, so assisting first, and now what if somebody, maybe somebody's listening, and they're in a commission salon, and they just feel a little stagnant for whatever reason, maybe they're not getting the education, or maybe they got into a salon, and they were promised big things, and they're sweeping hair, or whatever, because there's all kinds of things out there. And maybe they're looking at these soulless suites, because they're everywhere. Yeah. You know, that's where I want to go first. Yeah, uh, yeah. What would you what kind of advice would that would you give somebody for that? You're successful in the suite, not just because of some some business skills, but because you have the clientele to build off of. And if I wasn't 80%, full, I no way would have made it in a suite. And the main reason is, is because Guerilla Marketing still works. Go out there, put your card out, talk to your guests. But if you have no base to build off, and you're starting now, where do you start with that? Right? Instagram only brings me so much rice, but only brings me so much. And I actually have met a new stylist to the area in the suites. And she was trying to do, you know, fairs, she was putting ads out and trying to get clientele. But still it was slow. It's like one or two a week. Right build, and we're never ready to help you. Yeah, I never thought of that. If you new to the area. Yeah. That you're trying to build. I mean, it's not necessary. Right? You might have, right. And you've might have done this in a different town. But you move to a new city and you don't have a clientele you to have to start over right from scratch. And it's not like people walk in here the doors locked, right? The rat, named Dorothy Yeah, of course, by appointment only. And I know a lot of salons still run their businesses that way, even by appointment. Right. So how did they get that appointment? If Yeah, I hadn't I mean, so it was great in that it has a an online system that will send out your referrals from your own. Oh, that's all fine. That's great, which is fabulous. But again, if you're not getting more than four new guests a week, it takes a while to build it. So if they want to go that route, and they have the experience, have some invested money at least once where Wow, yeah. To pay for everything you need. Yeah. Where the clientele will be coming in to pay you to do hair. Wow, that's great advice. I mean, because you don't think of that. I don't think of that. And it's not wrong. It's right. It'll bite well before you make the right right and then you have to again, like booth renting, seek out your own education. Keep up to date on everything. Make sure all of your licenses are up to date everything. Yeah, of course. You know, something I haven't thought of is do you have so your your beauty supply reps come in here? I mean, how does that work? Yes, so they can set up appointments. Okay, my scissor Rob came in. Okay, can I set up a time for him to come in and check my scissors so yes, they come in and amazingly, you know, both Ross and Ben have both been in that's awesome to help. me with my displays and how to get straight. So Wow. Okay, just like they would for the salons. Yeah, yeah, I'm just trying to, I'm trying to like, compare and contrast what happens in my salon versus maybe what would happen in here. And I'm just trying to think the only thing really is building your chair. Yeah. And you got to be really great at that. Yeah, have some clientele. And then and always ask for referrals. Always, always, always, always 100% full, right. Please send me friends that are here. Just like you are just like us. People are gonna move, die, go someplace else, get bored, whatever, you're gonna lose clients. I joke and say nobody left me. They just told me that. They do move. Right, right, right. Things happen. Right? In a building. I was told once it's like a funnel. I know you've heard this too. If you're not constantly filling the top of the funnel, eventually the bottom is going to drop. Absolutely. I hate it when I hear. And you see it on social media. I don't know anybody personally that my books are closed. Does that does that closed? I love new guests. I actually knew new guests energize me. Yeah, you know, it's almost like challenge on you know, it's just like, tell me, how did you hear about me and all that, right. And then let me solve your problems because they don't know what you know. And I love new guests. Some people I've heard that new guests just are exhausting. And they are, I guess if you want to call that energy exhausting to me, that's excited excitement. And I love same energy, different, different title to it. I love new clients, I would do clients all day long. You know, and then you just shift them over to another chair. You know, just how you been. So I guess that is true. That's how I used to do it. And then just say, Oh, by the way, next time you might need you'll have to see somebody else. And then they'd be like, what? Yeah, but I fell in love with you'll fall in love with them too. So well, I love this. I've I've learned so much just from coming in here and seeing and experiencing. Like I said, I've never experienced this before. And we will film a little bit and put it in just kind of looking at your space. So what a couple other questions about soulless suites So what's all included? They do is it the same skillet chair and usually it's just now it's just the the you have the plumbing right and the chair it used to be when suites first came out the idea was to have everything prefabricated your cabinetry your chair your you know everything you need to kind of get started as far as what salon needs to build in now. It's like an empty box. Right and so you have to also then owning a suite provide the construction the paint the Oh, really it's your own design. So you have to buy all your own cabin tree and yeah, oh and chairs and really so it truly is. Okay, like the space baby little salon is just a smaller version summer one chair summer two. Yeah. So you can design it however you whatever you want. Color. All that? Because you did give me a little tour of the suites around here. Some of them were closed up, but I saw somebody that had you know, wallpaper up and that was cool. Yeah. It's your own design however you want it which is neat, because then you have your signature look for your shirt. Yeah, no, and that's exciting. And I could see how that could. People would like that of course because I remember when we designed our salon space, it's a big empty box and you just like ah, that's the fun part. Exactly. That is really the fun part and that's all the you know, and I had a lot of fun doing that. Oh yes yeah, that's fun and then all of a sudden reality hits it's like it's not fun anymore. I'm ready right so you said your this was already set up when you came in right cabinetry was already set up so I bought a extra cabinets and shelves to hold my retail and display it nice. Yeah. Yeah. That's interesting though. Because you you showed me a just an empty one. Yes. That's an I just didn't think right right. No, this is a great space with this big window here. That I wonder how much it costs initially to get set up then well for me and which was actually good because of the size of smart salon it was about 10 grand total, which and that's including product that's including color okay, including all the tools I would need my licenses every Okay, so considering how much it costs to open a salon that's relatively inexpensive. Yeah, it is the plumbing is there, the electrics there. We don't pay water or electric. That's all No. Okay. Nice, you know, as you're getting started into paying rent, because I will tell you at first I was like, Oh, that seems like a lot. A month are a lot. Right. But then once you get into it, you're like, Oh, okay at it. It evens out. Yeah. All right. So it's not you're not just renting a chair. It's not Guth rent, it is a salon. And all the bills are a mess around that. So. Okay. Well, this has been enlightening. I've learned so much from this. So hopefully, our listeners have learned a little bit too, especially if they're pondering, you know what direction they're gonna go out of school, or maybe they're at a salon that they're not really 100% happy with. Kind of gives them choices. You've done everything. So, you know, if people have questions, where can they get in contact with you? Or if I'm assuming that's okay. My favorite actually is Instagram messenger. Okay. I'm the fastest at that one. Yeah, yeah. Which in our face five cuts my entire page. Okay, my salon page, which is splitting hairs, SD, we'll make sure we include all those links. So yeah, if you have any questions that maybe April can assist with, I'm sure she would be glad to help. And if there's anything that I can answer, I'm here to so. Thank you, April. Thanks for being part of this. It's it's I always pretty Oh, yeah, well, no, you are. Hey, there. Thanks so much for listening to the salon ownership Made Easy podcast today. Would you do us a favor? If you got value out of this week's episode? Will you share it with your friends? And while you're at it, go ahead and leave us a review. That way more business owners like yourself will find us and we can help them with the challenges they may be facing too. Thanks again. And we'll see you next week. Take care