Beauty of her job is – she loves it
Salon owner says pampering and treating clients as individuals, well-organised bookings and location key to success
SINCE starting Ultimate Indulgence in her early twenties, Sanria Kemp has learnt the art of keeping everyone – from staff to clients – happy. Nine years down the line, she explains her secret to success.
What makes your business unique?
I think what makes Ultimate Indulgence unique is the attention to detail when it comes to clients.
Our main focus is to keep our clients happy and offer them the best service for their money.
I also think it comes down to a well-balanced staff that can work nicely together and complement each other.
We also think our cleanliness makes us unique, as that is very important in our line of work.
If someone wanted to copy your business model, how would they start?
I would suggest they spend a few days with us in the salon to see how to treat all clients professionally.
Some treatments require delicate handling and the clients all need to feel that they are being treated as individuals, not just as one of many clients.
It is also important to learn that a wellstocked salon is always a necessity, as well as a well-organised booking schedule.
What are some of the biggest inhibitors your business faced before getting off the ground?
I think an inhibitor would definitely be location, because the wrong location can break a business.
To find clientele who will stick with you is also a risk when you are starting out.
Do you have any tips for budding entrepreneurs or new business owners?
I would say you have to put in the time to create a successful business. It doesn’t happen overnight. Always get back to your clients even if you cannot help them.
Keep your clients happy and make them your first priority.
What are some of your biggest challenges in day-to-day business operations?
The biggest challenge is time management.
No client wants to wait around for their appointment, so you must ensure that each and every treatment is booked for the correct length of time and keep to the schedule at all times.
It is very difficult if clients arrive late or do not arrive at all, then all the precise calculations fall by the wayside.
What is the best advice anyone ever gave you about success?
Success is not something that just happens.
You have to be fully motivated each day even if some of your day is very repetitive.
Although you are the boss you cannot take time off when it suits you.
Success does not come to someone who is not 100% committed and you must control wasteful expenditure even if the temptation is huge.
What is your target market?
We cater for ladies of all ages. We want everyone from young to old to feel special and feel treated when they leave the salon.
How important is it to market your business on social media platforms such as Facebook?
It isn’t that important. I think word-ofmouth is more important in our industry.
How did you acquire funding for the business?
My dad helped me when I started out.
Once you had secured funding, what was the first step in actually launching the business?
I started small and gave away a lot of “free” vouchers to draw clients to my salon and it just grew from there. Then I obviously had to start building up my stock and machines.
How and when was the company started?
I was always interested in the beauty industry and once I left school I went to study at Elizabeth’s Beauty School in Summerstrand. I did a two-year course and while I was studying I did my hours at two different salons. Once I was done with that I worked at a salon for about a year, then decided to venture on my own. I started up a salon (with a partner) for about a year, but then decided to end the partnership and go at it on my own – and here we are nine years down the line and loving every second!
What is your core service?
We offer a vast variety of treatments so I can’t say that we specialise in one specifically.