Brooke Evans, once the owner of a fully employed salon BE Ironbridge, recently took a bold step in her career as a salon owner, and decided to transition to a self-employed business model. With the rising national insurance and VAT costs being a huge strain for businesses, Brooke’s decision wasn’t entirely by choice but left her with no option to close her salon and re-open as The Grid Collective.

While the shift came with lots of challenges, Brooke describes the change as one of the best decisions she’s ever made, not just financially, but for her team and her own well-being. If you’re a salon owner considering the move to self-employment, Brooke shares all her valuable insights, experiences and advice on navigating self-employed salon life.

“This is actually such a challenging topic! It was genuinely one of the hardest decisions I have had to make, but I feel like I was put into a corner and pushed into it. The rise in national insurance and the VAT threshold for us was a massive turning point. What we, as a salon, were getting back in return really was just the minimum. There were times when I found it really challenging with the business, such as making sure my team was well and being paid correctly, but at the end of the month, it came to a point where I wasn’t exactly looking after myself. Before, all I cared about was making sure the salon was doing okay, but with the current situation of now being a parent, I just can’t manage that anymore, so I knew that something had to change.”

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“I knew it was the right time to make the change as a lot of salons are now going that way. Due to the changes the government have set out, it’s almost like there wasn’t much choice for us. For me, I never wanted to close my business. I always wanted my own salon! So whilst it was my choice, it was unfortunately forced upon me to make this decision. I knew it was the right thing to do because of the advice from external support. We did try and look at ways we could improve our situation, but the self-employed model always came back as the better option. When I spoke to my team about the direction I wanted to take and heard their feedback, I knew it was the right thing to do.”

“You never know how your clients are going to take it. Even though it’s not making a massive change to them, I still think becoming self-employed is the underdog of the industry. But my biggest concern was not having people want to do it with me, such as if someone in my team didn’t want to rent a chair. I also had concerns for the future, as well as having to make sure I would be covered if I was off work.”

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“My day-to-day work has gone crazy! But in the best way. Before the change, I had a manager, we had assistants, and the workload was spread out. Now, having my own column means I am doing everything myself again. For example, sorting stock, shampooing the client's hair, answering emails, cleaning up after myself, everything! It is hard to go back to doing everything yourself, especially when you work a column that is back to back. But it’s keeping me busy and I am loving it!”

“My day-to-day working life. From the moment I get in, to the moment I leave the salon, I am so busy. I literally have to do everything myself now. Currently, I am fully booked and I also take on external work, so I do find myself working a lot more but there are so many benefits to it.”

“The money I am earning! I finally feel like I am being paid fairly for the amount of work I output. Before, I was taking home such a minimal amount for the work I was doing, and it wasn’t beneficial in any shape or form to be a salon owner anymore. Now, I feel like I am seeing the benefits so quickly and I am in no way shocked that the majority of the industry is going this way. The financial benefit is massive as well as the freedom that comes with it. I don’t have to worry about my staff and about what they’re doing anymore. I just feel like the perks have been amazing!”

“If you want the freedom, and you want the financial gain, this is definitely the way forward. Luckily, I’m in a position where work is coming in and I struggle to say no, which is a bit of a challenge, however, it’s such an amazing position to be in when you have the choice and freedom of whether you want to take on the work or not. I am so, so glad that I can finally input into the lifestyle I want to live. If you are in a position where you are thinking about it, I would seek legal advice to do things correctly. I would honestly just say go for it!”

From Brooke’s experience, the shift to self-employment has not been easy, but as Brooke’s journey shows, it can be empowering, financially rewarding, and ultimately, life-changing. If you’re a salon owner on the fence about making the move, Brooke’s experience suggests that although you may be faced with some big challenges, they can also lead you to bigger and better opportunities!