During our webinar on March 29th, "From Solo to Employee: Exploring Different Compensation Models," our readers came armed with questions. So many in fact that we ran out of time before we could get through them all. (Want to tune in? The complimentary webinar is available on-demand here)

Panelist Jen LeBlanc, who serves as the operations manager and director of marketing at Salon Rootz and Endz Salon Stuidios in Medina, Ohio. Located in the same shopping plaza, Salon Rootz is a traditional commission-based salon business, while Endz Salon Studios offers studios to styliss who strive for independence. While LeBlanc described how the two salon co-exhist within the same business during the webinar, listeners were eager with questions on how it works on a day to day basis. 

Here, LeBlanc pens responses to our listeners questions:

Q. Is there an specific criteria Rootz stylists need to achieve before they can move to Endz?

LeBlanc: Yes. We look for 5 years minimum of experience (preferably 8 years min), gross service production from Rootz at $75,000 minimum. We want to know how many of their clients are Rootz clients (meaning they will go to anyone in the salon) versus how many are truly the stylist's clients. The stylist should be very independent, self-sufficient and self-motivated. And, we want to know they have knowledge and understand the responsibilities of running their own business in Endz. 

We meet with the artist three times prior to their final desixion to move to Endz to assure ourselves we coached them in the right direction, and that they are ready for the next adventure. 

Q. Did you find that stylists make more money in the salon suite versus the commision-based salon?

LeBlanc: This is the million dollar questions right, LOL. At Salon Rootz we pay up to 50% commission but that is 50% pre- new client deductions and they are not paid on service fees (color fees passed along to the guest).  Some of my most successful community members at Endz have figured they make 73% of their earning after rent, taxes, color etc.  We coach them to W-2 themselves, and we STRONGLY encourage it.  Even though we strongly encourage it only 2 of our members last year had done that, and they were eternally grateful when he pandemic hit that there was no delay in receiving unemployment during shutdown.  Those that were not W-2'd had lots of struggles and delays. I will say now 80% of the community is now operating under a W-2. I will also add no one at Endz is making less than what they were making prior.

Q. Did the stylists take their clients from the commissioned-based salon to their new suite?

LeBlanc: We do allow the artists to let their guests go with them. As a matter of fact we coach them on the professionalism of that process.  I have an artist in-process moving over to Endz presently and although Rootz will take a hit, it ends up being minor because Endz comes out ahead. I have another artist graduating a level to help fill gap in void that was not on the books yet. The idea is that as one graduates to Endz, the void is filled thru an up and coming stylist at Rootz. When the machine is running well oiled, that is the flow.

Q. What is the weekly rent for the Endz Salon Suites? 

LeBlanc: The Standard Single is $225 weekly; the Plus-Size Single is $250 weekly; The Entrance Suite is $350 weekly and the Doubles are $438 weekly. 

Q. What is the difference between your space rental business and something we would see from one of the biggest corporate suite chains? 

LeBlanc: Our communal spaces are the biggest differentiators.  For most of the corporate suites, the shampoo bowls are in the same room. That is terrifying to us. The thought of never leaving a 100 square-foot area.  Maintenance is done on hand for us and usually same day. Our competitors for the most part are absentee landlords.  We do cover communal area cleaning weekly, and we are less expensive in most cases.  But we require leases. Yearly leases paid on weekly terms to be exact.

Q. Is the community shampoo area stocked by the stylists or the salon, and who keeps up with the cleaning, theft, etc.?

LeBlanc: The salon itself is protected by a security system.  We handle weekly communal cleaning by our cleaning company.  They stock their own backbar supplies because they all use different brands.

Want to hear more from Jen LeBlanc? You can catch her on Instagrm @JLeBlanc and on Clubhouse @jleblanc. She co-hosts the Leadershift Circle Daily with Rowena Yeager on Clubhouse so be sure to join their 'club.' They typically broadcast around 8:40 EST Monday-Thursday.