Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Christina Carney. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Christina, appreciate you joining us today. Being a business owner can be really hard sometimes. It’s rewarding, but most business owners we’ve spoken sometimes think about what it would have been like to have had a regular job instead. Have you ever wondered that yourself? Maybe you can talk to us about a time when you felt this way?
As a small business owner, I’m constantly trying to stay on top of everything from scheduling, inventory, the experience for the clients, work/life balance, & the actual profit / benefits can be extremely overwhelming. At times, hearing friends & clients speak of their 9-5’s can be very intriguing. You hear so many people congratulating others for being self employed or in ownership, but it isn’t just rainbows & butterflies. Something I’ve come to realize is how lucky people who are employed is the benefits. Automated taxes , health insurance, PTO, maternity leave, 401k’s are non existent unless you have a large enough team & stream of revenue. As I’m building & expanding my business these are always in the back of my mind, even for my own benefits. You are fully responsible for anything that can go wrong as well. I wouldn’t trade this lifestyle, but sometimes I wake up exhausted wishing I could work remote. Sometimes I don’t feel like posting content, responding, or just wanting to turn it all off. You can’t. You’re schedule isn’t “what you want it to be”. You’re working 24/7. If it isn’t a client, it’s an employee, it’s a repair, or a problem that needs immediate solving. Vacations aren’t unplugged from work, you will always have someone needing to reach you. Another problem that can occur is what happens if an employee leaves or your schedule is pretty empty? You’re the one responsible for the revenue of the loss, you don’t have a set salary. You always need to be 10 steps ahead & have multiple back up plans. Making sure your team is happy & performing to the companies standards is critical as well. How do you keep everyone happy & holding them accountable at the same time? No one will care for your business like you will. It isn’t their investment, you’re investing into them.
Luckily, having only worked in the beauty industry, I don’t know what a regular job is. Even as an employee, stylists are commission based & tend to lack benefits within salons. I truly wouldn’t understand the concept of a cooperate position, I think I personally would be bored. As hard as it is to be the sole provider of my business, the chaos keeps you aware. It is never a dull moment. There’s so much creativity involved, including rebranding or remodeling. You’re in control of the design of your business. If something isn’t working, you get to provide the solutions even if it requires critical thinking. I believe it builds a better understanding & reflection of mistakes made.
The last time I questioned my decision to become a business owner was actually fairly recent. I am approaching the age of needing my own health & life insurance, buying a home, & preparing for my future ie family planning & retirement. Realizing how expensive these are & the lack of education you have for this can be so overwhelming & stressful. How will I afford independent insurance? How do I save for taxes while also funding my personal savings & investments? What happens if there was a huge recession, or I get injured & can no longer work? How do I take maternity leave & still have income? What is my plan for expanding or my escape plan? This is where having a financial adviser, accountant, & role models are so important. I haven’t fully figured everything out, but writing down a yearly growth plan, a 5 year plan, & 10 year plan has helped me stay organized. You’ll never follow the exact plans, but you’ll be able to redirect your goals along the way. Thankfully, I have plenty of resources & people I can ask advice from.
Overall, no I (as of now) do not regret my decision to be a business owner, & encourage anyone who is willing to put in the effort & planning to go out & TRY. I think that failure, to any degree, will teach you some form of lesson. I also believe you won’t know for yourself how it’ll go, unless you take the leap!
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
My small business is a single salon suite & as of right now I am the owner & stylist. I specialize in color & extensions- specifically blondes & flat tip extensions. My salon suite is very calming, comforting, & elegant. My mission at Sun & Rose Salon is to provide excellent services so my guests will leave with even more knowledge of their hair & more confidence once they leave their appointment. I have been in this industry now for 11 years. I’ve had experience in every department of a salon. I am currently in the process of getting master certified by Masters of Balayage for the highest quality of color services & balayage!
Can you open up about how you funded your business?
I founded my business over years worth of saving. I knew from the age of 17 my ultimate goal was to be a salon owner. I have always been terrified of taking out loans, so everything I’ve bought to start my business was paid in cash, but over time. I slowly started collecting my furniture, I studied multiple product lines buying a few colors at a time & finally invested in colors I knew I needed most then slowly added more. I’ve remodeled & moved since opening so I also planned ahead with extra savings. I also spoke early with my accountant about predicting my gross & net income, product sales, & other fees to ensure I was saving correctly for taxes.
Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?
WORD. OF. MOUTH. Every client I make sure to to give at least two business cards. I always ask if anyone knows of anyone needing a new stylist. I love when clients share their photos on their Instagram story because it’s free promotion & tagging my clients in posts I make of their hair. I also maintain personal relationships with my clients to build trust & friendship. This allows them to confidently refer me to their friends. Your first impression with a new client is so important, so then they want to share you with their friends or colleagues.
Contact Info:
- Website: Saunandrosesalon.com
- Instagram: Sunandrosesalon
- Other: Instagram: glambycarney