Comment

Comment by Lorie Kuchta on August 24, 2013 at 7:39am

I want to thank everyone for your suggestions and support!!! I also thank you Dennis for your references as I did not know specifically my rights and those articles clarified for me my rights as an exempt tax payer AND knowing that how to communicate more effectively not only what I want but WHY some of their requests or demands of my time and energy is inappropriate!! I did move on, and even though I'd like to be on my own totally, I was able to start in an established day spa, close to home, and they pay me hourly or commission which ever is greater.  So for me as I build my clientele and get some savings back in the bank, it is enough to pay my bills if I have to take the hourly rate and I feel much relief to be able to do what I love!!! Thank you Dennis for those articles they empowered me to stand up and refuse to settle for less than what is rightfully mine!!! 

Comment by Kathleen Bostick on August 23, 2013 at 8:54pm

Great article Dennis! thank you for sharing.

Comment by Eva Sandoval on August 8, 2013 at 8:54am

Hi Lorie

I'm happy to hear you moved on.  I know this is a hard business to get going when you are on your own.  I'm lucky to have my husband that is the bread winner of the house.  I live in California San Diego County.  I agree that this site has given me hope too.  I don't want to give up after being a stay at home mom for 13yrs now I want to make this work.  I wish you all the best and even though I too am on the West Coast we c ould keep in touch through this site. ;0)

Comment by Lorie Kuchta on August 7, 2013 at 12:47pm

Thank you Eva for words of encouragement, I too was trying to get experience.  I opened my last check the other week and she had discounted both facial services, one of them twice, without ever mentioning it to me.  I have moved on.... and since then I have recieved numerous phone calls from her massage therapists asking if I could do facials on their clients :(  .. But I'm not settling for less just because I'm trying to establish myself.  How I'm gonna find a way??? I do not know as I'm down to my last few hundred dollars.  This site gives me hope, if others can be successful then so can I !!! My heart is in this and this business is what I am passionate about... so living on a prayer & Faith & a complete refusal to give up on my dream!!!  Eva what state do you practice esthetics?? I am  in Maryland. I've noticed alot of the esty's on here are from the west coast, it would be nice to network with professionals locally.  Thank you so much for your support :)  Best wishes to you as well!!! 

Comment by Eva Sandoval on August 7, 2013 at 10:31am

Hi Lorie

I would move on.  I worked  at a Day spa for 9mos and basically worked for free.  I was grateful for the experience but you have to decided for yourself when enough is enough.  I've had my license for about 3yrs and I too am working on getting myself known.  Its not easy but if you have the passion it will work out in the end.  That is my theory.  Best wishes to you ;0)

Comment by Maria Semuel on July 31, 2013 at 12:20am

I have been licensed for ........

Comment by Lorie Kuchta on July 28, 2013 at 11:55am

Thanks Nicole, I originally thought I could utilize that time for business only time from researching, following up with clients, etc. location off to side, walk-ins, sidewalk signs great idea but not much trafffic going by & she acknowledges that as she has been there 5 years.  I've decided to let her go & move on.  The last time I did facial, she stated massage girl would handle credit card transaction (as untill we make contract, of course, she is not giving me access to cc machines or keys) and that she was leaving for the day.  While I was in room giving facial, apparently the girl's client extended his massage from 30 minutes to 1 hour and the owner had to stay instead of leaving for the day.  Because I am trying to establish myself and build a clientele if I only have 1 facial, and it takes me quite a bit of time to pack up, drive, set up  then break down, pack up drive an hour back, I sometimes am in the mood to really spend some time giving the client special attention, or extra time talking about home care and products I think would be more effective for them, etc.  Anyway I went over the hour (It's my decision if I want to spend extra time with someone, and I did NOT have any more appointments that day) Anyway when I was finished the owner was infuriated... going on and on.. about what IF you had another facial scheduled??? Well yea WHAT IF?? exactly.. I didn't and she got angry because SHE had to stay to answer phones, WELL, personally I think she should of looked at that as POSITIVE that I would be willing to give something extra to keep or build clientele.  It was ONLY to her advantage as It was my time n choice to make the same amount of money I would have on just an hour.  Thought about all the cons: I have bring own sheets, towels, and have to wash myself, do facials for cheap and no control over pricing or facials offered, supply products, set up in "whatever room", have to go down hall for hot towels, wax, parafin, ughh, no room to really grow my business, can't sell retail on my products.... Ugghhh.. I'm holding out for something better.. I'm done atleast with her.... To me, she showed me by her actions, she really isn't supportive of me building anything, unless of course she had someone giving her their free time covering HER!!!  I'll have to come up with something else.  She even is advertising on her website she is looking for an esthetician???? I confronted her and she said "WELL, when you commit to answering phones a few days a week I'll take it off.... CYA, lady. GOOOD Luck finding an esthetician willing to put up with all that. no thanks. I'd be better off renting my own space and doing groupon. 

Comment by Nicole Weymer on July 28, 2013 at 8:39am

Answering phones for free sounds like it is a bit unfair. Maybe you can renegotiate your expectations for answering phones---time is money and you should be compensated for that. In terms, of being in the spa when you might not have customers that is a personal choice. I have no clients on my books for this upcoming Tuesday (bummer) but I am going to spend the day there and put a sidewalk sign out (it is in a retail area) offering walk in facials that day. I figured if I get one new client from it, it is well worth my time reading, playing on the computer, rearranging my treatment room etc. while I wait for a client.

Good for you for going back into the field.

Comment by Lorie Kuchta on July 23, 2013 at 8:46pm

Thank you Dennis, I had been thinking about offering a mini facial along with a massage.  I am not an employee, I have to pack everything up (linens, products, machines, towels, music, candles, heated mitts& booties, etc.) set it up in which ever massage room that is available at the time, and if I were to have more than 1 facial there is the possiblility I would have to set up in a different room for the next facial on the same day.  I want to bring a LED machine but its ridiculous how I have to pack it all up and set everything up, break it down, pack it back up, drive it back home, and wash linens.  The spa just opened in May and the drive is an hour and a half so I was only going to stay there till I built up clientele.  The 3rd place has NOT opened yet and she keeps asking me to research this, research that, and then keeps saying "honestly, I don't know when I will be able to open."  Then she gives me a list of things she wants me to do like create facial menu, research equipment prices, product lines, pictures on how she can decorate but she has not paid me anything yet.  The problem with the massage business is she wants me to be there on certain days to answer phones and if I end up getting appointments on other days she still wants me to "come in" and be there to answer phones. She is not willing to hire a receptionist and her facial treatment is only $65 and includes both a hand and foot massage.  She only has 1 facial on the menu.  So I'm not an employee, but she limits what I can do there and she sets the prices.  I personally think that if I'm not an employee why should I be a free receptionist???  Maybe I have the wrong attiutde? But if she needs me to answer the phones what is her incentive to help me have facial appointments on the days I'm answering phones for free??? My time is worth money.  But she is really my only available opportunity right now to build full time business..

Comment by Dennis H'Avila on July 23, 2013 at 8:28pm

Since you are working in 3 different places. Which are you in each setting; Booth Renter, Independent Contractor or employee. Depending on what you are would dictate what your responsibilities are. I'm an esthetician & massage therapist so I actually have worked in a lot of different settings. I found this article to be helpful.   http://tinaalberino.hubpages.com/hub/Know-Your-Rights-in-the-Salon-...

There is many ideas what you can do to boost your clientele., for instance you can try & do a combo package at the massage studio. See if you can make clients book a package deal with facial & massage.