Today we’d like to introduce you to Niki Feldkamp.
Hi Niki, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I have been a hair stylist for 25 years and worked in a variety of different types of salons including commission, chair rent and owning my own salon. Over the past decade, I realized that the concept of salon suites would become the new, evolving trend in the beauty professional industry. My husband and I researched many different franchises of salon suites and felt connected to the community of franchise owners at Sola Salons. We opened our thirty-three suite salon officially in 2021 and have been celebrating the success of new business owners since.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
No, although it has been rewarding, it has come with stress, uncertainty and issues that are hard to predict. First, the concept was very new in the Grand Rapids area prior to opening in 2021. We not only had to educate our clients of the business model but prospective beauty professionals were unsure of the concept of suite ownership and self-employment.
Other challenges have been dealing with Covid during our buildout and the delays that come in the construction phase, multiple floods from random incidents and unexpected attrition.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
At Sola Salons Alpine Summit, we have 33 suites that range in three different sizes and allows hair stylists, estheticians, nail technicians, massage therapists, injectors and body waxers to run their own business and build their brand. Those type of services are just a few examples!
These business owners have 24 hours, 7 day a week access to their space and can set their own hours, prices and services. We have a variety of Sola pros that have different motivations. Some Sola Pros wanted the flexibility of setting their own hours to spend more free their families and loved ones, some enjoyed having the privacy for one one conversations with their clients and others want to build their own brand and ultimately open their own brick and mortar store front. Whatever motivation is, we completely support their vision.
Sola’s motto has always been “be in business for yourself, but not by yourself”. My husband and I have taken that to heart. We try and provide all the tools necessary to succeed. That includes informing prospective beauty professionals if we don’t feel they are ready. It takes a strong, loyal client base that you are confident will follow you from your previous location. It also helps to have a strong social media presence to help you if you are looking to build your clientele.
Any big plans?
We are hoping soon to have all of our suites filled. This would allow us more time to help our Sola Professionals with their business and educational needs. The first five years have gone so fast, we are looking forward to the next five years and helping to support the evolving landscape of the salon suite industry. If there are opportunities to scale and grow with a few more locations, we would love to explore that as well.
If you are interested in learning more about Sola or would like more information, please contact me at 616-293-8812 or visit our website. www.solasalonstudios.com/locations/alpinesummit. If you are looking for a new beauty professional, our talented Sola Professionals are all listed on our website with their services, biographies, hours and prices.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.solasalonstudios.com/locations/alpinesummit
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/solaalpinesummit/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SolaAlpineSummit/
