While it’s the responsibility of the salon’s staff to take care of the clients, it’s the responsibility of its owner to take care of the team. These salons attract top talent through competitive salaries, attractive benefits, a ...
Santa Visits Bella Lago Salon and Spa in Mooresville, NC
5 min to read
While it’s the responsibility of the salon’s staff to take care of the clients, it’s the responsibility of its owner to take care of the team. These salons attract top talent through competitive salaries, attractive benefits, a flexible environment and an energizing culture. To evaluate the workplace environment, we challenged these applicants to tell their compensation story to a local reporter doing a feature on top places to work. They were invited to clearly outline career paths, salary expectations and benefits packages. Extra credit went to applicants who demonstrated creativity in their employment perks.
BELLA LAGO SALON & SPA Mooresville, NC bellalagosalonspa.com Gabe & Merrisa Barnhardt SQUARE FEET: 7,000 TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 27 AVERAGE CUT & STYLE: $40 AVERAGE STYLIST INCOME: $40,000 to $49,999 BEST-SELLING RETAIL: Kerastase, Aveda COLOR: Aveda TECH SUPPORT: Millennium, Demandforce ASSOCIATIONS: “We don’t focus on titles. We have leaders and levels of seniority and ways for the staff to focus their abilities and do what they’re best at. Everyone is playing on the same field and we’re all an equal part of a team.”
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BELLA SALONS & SPAS West Des Moines, IA bellasalons.com Joseph & Kimberly Heemstra SQUARE FEET: 3,000, 3,200, 3,200 TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 56 AVERAGE CUT & STYLE: $38 AVERAGE STYLIST INCOME: $40,000 to $49,999 BEST-SELLING RETAIL: Bumble and Bumble, Kerastase COLOR: Wella TECH SUPPORT: Millennium “We have an open campus. After you have achieved the Technician level of styling at Bella, you may come and go as long as you don’t have a client. This allows you to have a better work/life balance through more flexible schedule.”
CENTRE SALON & SPA, FASHION PLACE Murray, UT centresalon.com James F. Pacifico SQUARE FEET: 1,400 TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 11 AVERAGE CUT & STYLE: 32 AVERAGE STYLIST INCOME: $30,000 to $39,999 BEST-SELLING RETAIL: Aveda COLOR: Aveda TECH SUPPORT: SalonBiz, Demandforce “All employees have the ability to earn salon cash through various contests and incentives throughout the year. Some employees earn so much salon cash that they never have to pay for any of the services they receive with their own money.”
CHANGES HAIR STUDIO & SPA Kamloops, British Columbia changesstudio.com Alana Krenz SQUARE FEET: 1,500 TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 11 AVERAGE CUT & STYLE: $52 AVERAGE STYLIST INCOME: $40,000 to $49,999 BEST-SELLING RETAIL: Aveda COLOR: Aveda TECH SUPPORT: Milano, Demandforce ASSOCIATIONS: BC Hairdresser Association “We provide various on-site educational programs such as bringing in a coach for assertiveness training and artists for cut and color classes and hairdresser boot camp to fine tune skills.”
CHEMISTRY HAIR SALON Shreveport, LA Bryan Sullivan SQUARE FEET: 1,400 TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 12 AVERAGE CUT & STYLE: $48 AVERAGE STYLIST INCOME: $50,000 to $59,999 BEST-SELLING RETAIL: Redken, Pureology COLOR: Redken TECH SUPPORT: Envision, Facebook ASSOCIATIONS: “Stylists are given a planning journal where they log daily progress and plans for retail recommendations and add-on service offerings.”
JACKSON RUIZ SALON Austin, TX jacksonruiz.com Allen Ruiz and Heath Smith SQUARE FEET: 2,500 TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 55 AVERAGE CUT & STYLE: $65 AVERAGE STYLIST INCOME: $50,000 to $59,999 BEST-SELLING RETAIL: Aveda COLOR: Aveda TECH SUPPORT: SalonBiz, Constant Contact, DemandForce ASSOCIATIONS: PBA “New team members spend one full paid day per week in a classroom or training environment. We have a dedicated team of educators who deliver an unparalleled training experience that prepare stylists with a high degree of technical skill which is relevant and forward thinking.”
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LA TIERRA SALON & SPA Highlands Ranch, CO latierrasalon.com Walt Wharry and Kelly Wharry SQUARE FEET: 4,100 TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 31 AVERAGE CUT & STYLE: 45 AVERAGE STYLIST INCOME: $50,000 to $59,999 BEST-SELLING RETAIL: Aveda COLOR: Aveda TECH SUPPORT: SalonBiz/SpaBiz, DemandForce ASSOCIATIONS: “We are the only salon in the state of Colorado that offers a 401k retirement plan. We have provided consultations to other salons on the concept but I don’t believe any have implemented a plan, yet.”
PEPPERS SALON Puyallup, WA pepperssalon.com Sally Brower SQUARE FEET: 1,900 TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 18 AVERAGE CUT & STYLE: 50 AVERAGE STYLIST INCOME: $30,000 to $39,999 BEST-SELLING RETAIL: Bumble and Bumble, DevaCurl, Moroccanoil COLOR: Keune, Pravana TECH SUPPORT: Millennium, Demandforce, Spa Boom ASSOCIATIONS: PBA “One of the reasons our salon is well known for hair color in our community is our stylists are given the opportunity to become certified for the American Board of Certified Haircolorists exam. Training, test materials, fees and mentoring to pass the exam are provided by the salon.”
SALON LAURIE & COMPANY baltimore, MD salonlaurie.com Laurie Schroeder SQUARE FEET: 2,200 TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 21 AVERAGE CUT & STYLE: $70 AVERAGE STYLIST INCOME: $70,000-79, 999 BEST-SELLING RETAIL: Aquage, private label COLOR: Goldwell TECH SUPPORT: MIllennium ASSOCIATIONS: PBA “As a contributing part of the team, as each department and the team meet the monthly goals, stylists eligible to earn a bonus each month. Everyone shares in the bonus, divided only by part and full time standards, not by who has the busiest schedule on the book, but by how each person supports the team.”
ZANYA SPA SALON Lambertville, NJ zanyaspasalon.com Zanya Gissler and Filomena Cook SQUARE FEET: 9,600 TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 54 AVERAGE CUT & STYLE: $70 AVERAGE STYLIST INCOME: $50,000 to $59,999 BEST-SELLING RETAIL: Oribe, L’Oreal, Intelligent Nutrients COLOR: L’Oreal, Wella TECH SUPPORT: Millenium, Demandforce ASSOCIATIONS: PBA
ADDITIONAL HONOREES* A New Beginning an Aveda Lifestyle Salon and Day Spa, Bethel, CT Aura Salon & Day Spa, Scottsdale, AZ Avalon Salon and Day Spa, Deer Park, IL Blo, Raleigh, NC Christina & Company Salon and Day Spa, Lafayette, IN Clive and Co, Dallas, TX Cortello Salon, Jacksonville, FL Eric Fisher Salons, Wichita, KS Ginger Bay Salon & Spa, St. Louis, MO Habitude Salons and Spa, Seattle, WA Hollywood Hair Salon and Spa, Centralia, IL Impressions, Mequon, WI Josephine’s Day Spa & Salon, Houston, TX Mango Salon, Richmond, VA Maxime Salon, Hingham, MA Neroli Salon & Spa, Milwaukee, WI Paul Kenneth Salon & Spa, Woburn, MA Paris Parker Salons & Spas, Hammond, LA Prodedgy—A William Edge New Artist Salon Salon 2000, Fleming Island, Florida Spa Bleu, West Dundee, IL Vanity Salon, Houston, TX
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*Additional honorees have accrued more than one honor in the the 2015 Salon Today 200 and their salon is profiled in another category.
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