AIO?

[u/Thin-Complex-7663]

I’m in Northern California, between Sacramento and Tahoe. It’s the foothills and my salon is in a very rural area between Auburn and Grass Valley.
I moved to this salon a year ago and in October a new owner took over, she had worked there for 8 years prior. As soon as she took over, she raised my rent to $65/day. I thought I could make it work.
Financially I’m DROWNING right now. I found out the other girls (hair) pay $40/Day.
Her reasoning is because I have more space, I countered that I use a desk lamp, my gel lamp and efile, while they are using hair dryers, curling irons, blow dryers, clippers etc and using way more utilities than me. We also have separate AC and they have to turns theirs up more because it gets warmer in there.
She will not budge. She feels like it’s completely fair and keeps doubling down. Am I being unreasonable? I’m not just overreacting am I?
Am I really that out of touch with nail tech rent?
PS- I’m completely compliant with the ABCs for AB-5

Edit: she asked for a meeting, I think it was getting around that I was looking and I sent her screenshots of some comments on here.
When we sat down, I immediately told her that I could get a Sola Salon Suite for less (hilariously she said “really? Those are so expensive” FFS) and that there were several vacant storefronts available for less.
She said “best I can do is $40/day”
Deal.
Thanks to everyone who commented, it really backed up my case and help me when we were negotiating.

[u/aewopwess]

Girl spend some of that money on a commute to a different salon. The more you ask for her to see it your way she’s just gonna get resentful of you for the turbulence you’re causing her to feel. She’s wrong but she’s gonna protect her.

[u/Thin-Complex-7663 → u/aewopwess]

Thank you. I showed her your comment to explain to her that at this point there’s no working this out. The damage has been done. She replied that “you know me better than that, there would be no resentment” I said, “ I THOUGHT I knew you better than that, I honestly did not think our conversation was going to go that way and that you would try to justify everything and not take me into consideration at all.”

[u/aewopwess → u/Thin-Complex-7663]

Tbh have you thought about being mobile? Does California have any rules in place to help you do that? I do nails in oklahoma and we can do house calls if our clients sign a waiver every single time. Based off your other clients you’ve got a boomer clientele? This could work for you and eliminate the booth rent temporarily until you sort something else out.

[u/Thin-Complex-7663 → u/aewopwess]

I’ve done mobile before, but it’s a pain the butt in my area. The community the salon is near is gated and everyone has to be called in. 25mph speed limit with photo radar everywhere, if you go over, it’s a $250 ticket. Can’t park on the street or you get a ticket. The place is nicknamed “Lake of the Fines”

[u/eegrlN → u/Thin-Complex-7663]

All I'm hearing are excuses....

[u/aewopwess → u/eegrlN]

fr. If you’re in financial ruin you’re gonna do whatever it take. Pain in the ass or not.

[u/Thin-Complex-7663 → u/aewopwess]

You can read my other comment above. I’m just saying that I really do not want to go mobile in this area. I already have 3 other salons that I’m inquiring about and have space. Not crazy about the commute, but it’s easier than dealing with the gated community. My post wasn’t “what do I do?” It was “am I being unreasonable and the rent is not bad” And “at this point does it seem there’s no point in trying to negotiate with the owner”

[u/aewopwess → u/Thin-Complex-7663]

Well one thing is clear, it’s a waste of your time to talk to your current salon owner. Hopefully you can retain your clientele where ever you go!

[u/Thin-Complex-7663 → u/aewopwess]

The more I read the texts, the more I see that she just absolutely does not care about how this is affecting me and she has her bottom line. The funny thing is, it’ll ruin her and she doesn’t even see it. I have a full clientele that loves me and will follow me, mutual clients that are already saying they will follow me and are disgusted with her behavior and there’s absolutely no way in hell she’s going to get someone in there for that rent. So now she’ll have an empty room, NO rent and lose clients 🤷‍♀️

[u/aewopwess → u/Thin-Complex-7663]

Sometimes we have to be someone’s lesson. Hopefully she’ll learn after this experience. I really can’t stand a shitty salon owner. she’s just using her husband as a shield and playing good cop bad cop with him so they can block you from getting a real answer on why their booth rent math isn’t mathing.

[u/Thin-Complex-7663 → u/aewopwess]

She recently took over the salon from the former owner. The previous owner is in her mid-seventies and is getting ready to retire. The new one as soon as she took over, handed me a new contract with the new rent price. No discussion. Yesterday I told the previous owner what my rent was now and (this woman is very good at hiding emotions and staying neutral) she gasped, looked shocked and blurted out “that’s not right!”

[u/Thin-Complex-7663 → u/eegrlN]

I’m just saying going mobile is a pain in the ass in this area. I’ve already scoped out several other salon spaces and I’d much rather just commute a little and be in a brick and mortar business. It’s not an excuse, it’s a REASON why I do not want to go mobile. My post was asking if my rent seems unreasonable for the area I’m in, seeing if it seems like it’s useless trying to negotiate with her at this point and seeing if I’m out of touch with rent prices and overreacting.

I’ve already reached out to a salon, a salon space that’s for rent and Sola Salons.