
The Constant
Starting at Impressions front desk in 2006 when he was 19 years old, General Manager Paul Petrowsky is a seasoned professional who owner Sarah Taylor says is responsible for much of her own success.
A new survey of 1,000 owners by Phorest Salon Software discovers that almost half have considered giving up their dream of salon ownership--then the survey explores the reasons these owners are feeling so overwhelmed.

Many people dream of setting up their own hair or beauty salon, but turning that dream into a reality, learning the ropes of business and people management, and making it work when your livelihood depends on it, can often leave salon owners hampered by feelings of self-doubt, and overwhelmed by the weight of those responsibilities.
If this sounds like you, don’t worry, you’re not alone!
Phorest Salon Software recently surveyed 1,000 salon owners around the world, and found that almost half (45%) have seriously considered giving up at some stage throughout the process of setting up, running and growing their salon. In fact, the majority of those who thought about giving up did so when their salon was already well-established, 3 or more years into business.
So what exactly are the aspects of running a salon that get salon owners so overwhelmed they think about packing it in? Phorest’s research revealed that almost a third of salon owners found hiring and managing staff to be the most challenging aspect of their jobs.

Following that, external factors like rent, tax and recession caused 22% to almost give up hope, 19% hated that their passion for hair or beauty had become a chore, 12% found marketing their salon too taxing, 10% couldn’t keep up with admin and accounting, 3% found it too difficult to juggle family with running a business, and only 2% wanted to give up so they could retire.
Ronan Perceval, CEO of Phorest Salon Software, commented: “Salon professionals spend a lot of their time lending a supportive ear to the clients in their chair, but when it comes to having someone they can lean on for support, being an owner or manager of an independent salon business can be lonely and isolating.
“To help salon owners combat these feelings of despair and strengthen their skills as business leaders, we have set up a number of Phorest initiatives, including a free 6-part salon management course, as well as a salon mentorship hub, where salon owners can book a free consultation with a topic expert of their choice. These initiatives are completely free for all salon owners, not just for Phorest clients.”
Phorest has taken a deep-dive look into the challenges faced by salon owners in each of these broad areas of running their business - you can read the full report here. And they have specifically designed their Free Salon Management Course and Salon Mentorship Hub to help salon owners to tackle each of the challenges identified in the report.
About Phorest: Phorest is a cloud-based salon software, however it is not just a tool to manage appointments. It is a powerful system designed to assist with day-to-day business driving new business and generating referrals. Phorest is the software of choice for over 6,000 salons globally. For more information, visit https://www.phorest.com/us/

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