Steven smart on making the move to salon owner

Steven Smart, owner of Smart:Est 73, Weston-Super-Mare talks about the transition from stylist to salon owner. How old were you when you decided to open your own salon? I was 25 and had eight years’ experience in hairdressing Was it the right time? Absolutely. I’d been working as a stylist in someone else’s salon and needed to branch out to really take control of my career. What traits did you have that you thought would make you a good salon owner? I have always believed in the value of superb customer care. I was, and still am, passionate about hairdressing and I have an overwhelming drive to succeed in whatever I do.  What were the biggest challenges in the early days of opening your own salon and how did you deal with them? On a personal level, making the transition from a stylist working as part of the team to the massive responsibility of employing and managing my own staff was by far the biggest hurdle I had to overcome.  Now that you have experience of being a salon owner – what training/knowledge would have proved useful in advance of opening your first business? I tried to consider every aspect of becoming a salon and business owner, but I would have benefited enormously from some lessons in staff management and knowledge of what it takes to run a successful business. What have been the major lessons learnt during your time as a salon owner? Never assume anything! What advice would you offer to a stylist considering making the move to salon owner? Do your research thoroughly; be hard but fair; really understand the people you employ; be honest and really think about whether or not it is the right move for you.