Beauty of owning her pink pebble
Ladies-only salon owner, Megan Barnard says doing what she loves means she never has to work a day in her life
AFTER years of experience in the field of beauty and a stint in the guesthouse business, Megan Barnard realised her dream by opening The Pink Pebble Beauty Salon in 2010.
Years later, this ladies-only salon is flourishing in a competitive industry but for Megan, her greatest competition is still herself.
How was the idea for Pink Pebble born?
I qualified at Total Concept Academy in 2003. A friend and I wanted to open our own salon in 2009. She did more of the holistic therapies and I was more involved on the beauty side.
We applied for small business funding, but without any luck.
While we were waiting for business funding, we brainstormed a name together and ended on The Pink Pebble Beauty Salon.
In the interim my friend had decided to move to the UK. I then carried on working.
My mother’s dream had always been to open her own guesthouse, having come from the hotel industry with more than 20 years’ experience.
My parents me asked if I would run the guesthouse for them while they continued to work during the beginning stages.
I agreed and requested they help me start my salon on the same property.
I was 26-years-old at the time, which my parents had always agreed was a better age to start my own business, having had time to gain the experience I needed.
In July 2010, they opened their guesthouse and a month later I opened my salon, which fell under the guesthouse name.
A year later, a client of mine asked me a valid question about my presence to the average person on the street, and whether they thought they needed to stay in the guesthouse to visit the salon.
I’m an open-minded person and was grateful for her question, as it was a constructive learning curve for me. I was pregnant with my firstborn at the time, and being open for only a year, I had to close the salon for three months, as I couldn’t afford to employ someone at this early stage of my business.
In November 2011, after returning from maternity leave, I “separated” from the guesthouse and changed the name to The Pink Pebble Beauty Salon.
What is your core service?
The salon offers a wide variety of treatments such as microblading, permanent make-up, Gelish and acrygel nails, RegimA Skin Peel and Heal Treatments and facials, lash extensions, manicures, pedicures, waxing, tinting and a variety of massages.
What makes your business unique?
We are a close-knit salon. There is always an amazing atmosphere to come into and I feel this is a great welcome to any client who comes in for a special treat. Our staff are all fully qualified both nationally and internationally and have a passion for what they do.
If someone wanted to copy your business model, how would they start?
Start slowly and build up steadily to where you would like to be. Have someone who you can turn to for business advice and guidance when needed.
What were some of the biggest inhibitors your business faced before getting off the ground?
Getting to the correct clientele through advertising. Cash flow was also a problem, as well as location, as we aren’t in a mall or on a main road.
What are some of your biggest challenges from day to day?
Last minute cancellations or no-shows. We all have emergencies and this is no problem when they occur, however when the rest of our clients’ time is disrespected by not allowing others the opportunity to come in, it affects us all. This is a great problem in our industry, even with a 48-hour cancellation policy and a reminder which is sent out.
What is the best advice anyone ever gave you about success?
Take baby steps, as one needs a lot of patience to grow a business.
Save for the “rainy” months, as all businesses go through these. Use constructive criticism wisely.
What are some of the best practices that have made your business successful?
Keeping up to date with trends, attending extra courses to add to my treatment menu and maintaining a good reputation with regards to great customer service.
What kind of advertising do you do?
I always ask my clients where they hear about us and the main sources are Facebook and Instagram.
Word-of-mouth plays a big role.
What is your company’s vision?
I want the business to become a franchise. We are very passionate about The Pink Pebble and have high standards of treatments and customer service, which we would want to reflect in all future endeavours.
What have been some of the highlights in running your business?
The different people I am privileged to meet along my journey, the reward of hearing our clients laugh and be happy while enjoying their treatments, and the great reviews we receive.
How important is social media and an online presence for your business?
It is vital, as it plays a huge role in gaining potential clients’ attention.
Having a website with a great domain name is an excellent step in the right direction.
Do you have any plans for expanding the business, and how would you go about this?
In August 2015, I decided to renovate the salon – what should have only been re-tiling became an entire revamp.
This made a massive difference to clientele traffic and the revamp was even better than I expected, so for now, we do not have plans. However, there may be something in the pipeline in the near future.
What is the biggest lesson you’ve learned from your business journey so far?
Always remain humble. When you love what you do, everything else is a bonus, hence I never work a day in my life.
I’m always in competition with myself to become better at what I do.
How important has mentorship been to you in your journey as entrepreneur?
The backbone of my business is my parents. Without their constant mentorship and guidance, I would never have learned what I have so far.
I learn new things every day, whether it be a sound piece of advice from a client or a friend.