Start of something new

[Twin1]

I'm going to open a beauty shop for young lady one day from ages 5 and up who like to be pamper. Do you think parents will like this for their kids since most shop are for adult?
Because I don't like taken my kids to the beauty shop and hearing grown folk talk.The place will be design by kids.

[krymson]

Honestly... I don;t thinkit would work... not in this economy, people arent going to want to take their little girl and get a manni and a peddi just for them to jack it up at school the next day...

Now you market to the, as Obama likes to refer as, "Upper Class" aka rich folks... You might be able to swing it but for us "Middle Class" aka the poor folks who scrape by because the upper class like to spend money on stupid crap, you're not gonna last too long.

I could be wrong just giving my POV

[Steve B]

It sounds like a great idea to me. People will spend money on their kids when they won't spend it on themselves. I think a special place just for little girls would be a huge hit. You would probably do well even with lower and middle income folks. Normal logic doesn't always apply to what you would think people should spend their money on (i.e. lottery tickets, cigarettes, beer, fast food, bottled water, etc.).

[Pack-Secure]

If you have the room, why not expand it and have a barber shop type set up for boys? You could set up video games in the waiting area. You could also set up a TV or two for viewing while they are having their hair done. Maybe have a dress-up area (Tiaras, crowns, scarves etc.) and a photo back drop like photographers have for parents to take photos of their children while they are dressed up and have just had their hair done. Just some thoughts.

[huggytree]

your in IL....how close to Chicago are you? are you in a rich area???....im here in WI and i KNOW there's tons of money around Chicago....i work on lake homes all the time which are owned by people from IL (summer homes(3,500 sq ft+))

im saying this because your customer MUST have money to throw away.....the average person isnt going to throw money away on a beauty shop for 5 year olds

i go to Disneyworld every Winter.....they have a beauty shop (bibbitybobbtyboo) where kids get the full princess treatment...they will give the kid a gown and glitter up her hair...there are tons of 5 year old girls running around Disney with the treatment....then the parents spend $200 more to eat lunch in the Castle....these parents will spend $500+ on the whole princess experience....and there's a few hundred a day doing it there every day....they are all rich kids(i assume)

yea there's a market for it and its a good idea.....but only a market where rich people live....your average person will laugh at the idea

i would never consider it for my kids...its as spoiled as you can get to give a 5 year old a beauty shop experience(the Disney way)

are you talking a $100+ experience for 5 year olds or are you talking a $25 haircut? give us a definition of what a beauty shop for 5 year olds is

[GreaterVisibility]

No, you don't have to be rich to spend money on such an idea. I certainly wouldn't put something like you're talking about in the ghetto, but you will definitely find people that will spend money on it. Case in point:

Club Tabby - Where Girlz Rock! Boutique, Parties, Makeovers and More! (http://www.myclubtabby.com/)

We have one of these in the Oxmoor Mall in Louisville, KY. It seems to do well, and is packed any time we've been by there in the mall.

Face it, people have more money than they claim to have. Look around right now and every restaurant is packed, you can't get a parking spot in front of the local Wal-Mart, there is plenty of money going around despite so many whining about not having any. I can get all of the business I want in my service business. People have money, and spend it, and people will spend even more than usual on things like their kids and their pets.

[Gabe]

Personally, I wouldn't go for it...at all. I wouldn't take my daughter anywhere near that JonBenet Ramsey kind of stuff. It's just the wrong thing to teach little girls, especially at 5 years old. Sure people may buy it, but as a business owner you need to decide what kind of impact you want to have on the world. We can't all cure cancer but we can at least not make things worse.

What I would go for is an educational center that taught kids (especially girls) basic logic, programming, electronics, etc to expose them to that kind of stuff. There are already enough vacuous little girls growing up who aspire to mediocrity.

I'm likely in the minority, but that's my take on it.

[Freelancier]

If you've ever gone to an American Girl doll store, they sell -- can't make this stuff up -- doll hairstyling. Big bucks. The big factors in this for your success will be location, location, location. And whether you can make every budding little princess feel like the most important person in her own life.

[huggytree]

Personally, I wouldn't go for it...at all. I wouldn't take my daughter anywhere near that JonBenet Ramsey kind of stuff. It's just the wrong thing to teach little girls, especially at 5 years old. Sure people may buy it, but as a business owner you need to decide what kind of impact you want to have on the world. We can't all cure cancer but we can at least not make things worse.

What I would go for is an educational center that taught kids (especially girls) basic logic, programming, electronics, etc to expose them to that kind of stuff. There are already enough vacuous little girls growing up who aspire to mediocrity.

I'm likely in the minority, but that's my take on it.

your not in the minority.....i agree with you about the child beauty pagent stuff.....those TV shows make me ill(i have 2 young daughters)

its not for my kids, but there's a market for it and if done right it doesnt have to be a 'beauty pagent' type business

this may be just a $25 haircut for 5 year olds that she's trying to do....it hasnt been defined how far this business is going to go


as far as training your 5 year old to be a computer programmer.......thats not going to happen...i have a 4 and 7 year old....all they do is play 'princess'.....they are obsessed at that age.....they have no interest in ANYTHING else...they are 100% in.....i tell my girls no ears pierced until age 16 and no makup or nail polish....all their 7 year old friends (ALL!) and most of their 4 year old friends already have ears pierced and are experimenting with make up....society likes to make little 'women' out of 4 -7 year olds....taking advantage of that market is most likely a smart thing.....as far as morally its a grey area....i wouldnt create little 'Ramsey' girls...ever......but there is a way to be tastful about it and not make 5 year olds look like prostitutes

Morals DO matter in business.....this type of business 'may' push into that grey area for me....or it just may be a $25 haircut for 5 year olds

[dave@businessecon.org]

Hmmm....; I've had 9 beauty salons as clients over the last 17 years. Only ONE made it more than 3 years in business. That was because they catored to the elderly that would regulary seek out perms. As for children, you have got to be kidding me. It's a licensed profession (hair cutting/sytling), the costs are off the charts and pampering a 5 year old is flat out wrong. Unless you live in a beverly hills area, I don't see a lot of return business. Once you have exhausted the customer database, its over. Evan many spas that aspire to the young college crowd can't make a profit, why on earth do you think Mom is going to return? This is at best a birthday present and that is all.

I wish you well. But put your money into something else.

Dave

[Twin1]

Dave this will be a salon for busy mom who don't have the time to do their kids hair,it will be afforable for all income flat fees. This will be a non- chemical all natural braiding, styling, cut only. I have young girl and morals and I get tired and will let my girl get their hair braided or just wash and style It just that simlpe. Here in chicago there 5 dollar cut and the place stay busy I go myself.

[dave@businessecon.org]

Twin1:

I can appreciate your desire. I'm just trying to inform you that without a great plan of attack, its going to be tuff road for you. From my experience, it takes about $80,000 to start up a hair salon of some level. And this assumes you have a license to cut hair in your state. Even if you raised $20,000 and were able to find someone to lend or invest, it is still a long hard road. So your idea has to be beyond just good, but GREAT!. This is a highly competitive market and its difficult to stay in once you get in involved. So I wish you well, and please keep me aprised of your progress.

Dave