Salons/Stylist jobs in San Francisco (Oakland, Walnut Creek: price, moving to, cosmetology)

[JacKal45]

My gf and I are thinking about moving to San Francisco together. I am a software developer, and am pretty sure I would have no problem finding some work there. However, my gf is a talented stylist/colorist/cosmotologist/etc and she's wondering about if San Fran is too expensive. It seems like a cultural place, so I assume there should be lots of ways to make money doing beauty things there right?

[sonarrat]

As I understand it, cosmetology is a very low-paying profession, like under $10K a year average nationwide. If you could find a way to start your own salon, then you might be getting somewhere.

[Tallysmom]

Originally Posted by sonarrat

As I understand it, cosmetology is a very low-paying profession, like under $10K a year average nationwide. If you could find a way to start your own salon, then you might be getting somewhere.

I beg to differ -- if she's really a good talent, she'll do well. Women go crazy for people that do a good job with their hair. I am not alone in traveling 40 miles (to and from Walnut Creek from Oakland) to go to my haircutter and paying her 65 bucks. At that price she's cheap.

Her hard part will be finding clientele. There was a guy who used to cut my hair and he was great. He started at Supercuts, when Supercuts was 8 bucks a cut. Every one he cut he had them fill out a contact card. He called you back to see if you liked your hair, he asked if you would ask for him when you came back in.

Four months later he moved up the salon chain. I know because he called everyone on his contact list and told them to follow him. He priced at 15 bucks a cut.... same thing..... five months later, he moved up again -- this time 60 bucks a cut.... at the time I thought that was an outragous price to pay, but I paid it a few times, till he moved up again to a price point where I couldn't afford him. But called when he moved up again to an even higher price point.

He was REALLY good....