The business model for Maine’s Mint Salon Block is a twist on suite rentals for independents but with many of the best perks of a commission salon. Booth renters have individual salon suites and complete ownership of their businesses. But they also have business and customer service support, a staffed reception, and a breakroom and education center to encourage camaraderie and professional growth.
We had the opportunity to chat with Mint Salon Block Owner Jean Bradshaw and inquire about how she runs her two-location business and supports her renters.
What business model are most of the salons in your area?
Jean: It’s a combination of booth rental salons and some commission salons.
Are salon suites popular?
Jean: No. They’re not as prevalent here.
How long ago did you open each location?
Jean: The first one was built in 2016, and the second opened in 2022.
Tell us a little bit about your business model.
Jean: I wanted to build a salon that would attract the best stylists in the area and a salon that I would want to work at. I was a stylist for 30 years, and I really liked the idea of salon studios where everybody has their own separate space. Where they can play their own music, have private conversations, decorate how they would like, lock up their space so people can’t borrow their things, and all of those perks of a salon studio. I wanted them to feel like they worked in a salon where they still had a lot of support and weren’t just running a business alone.
I also wanted it to feel like a full-service salon for clients. It was essential to me to have a full-service front desk area with beverages, and professionals could feel comfortable knowing somebody was there to greet their clients, offer them a beverage, and help them pick out retail. So, when they’re busy, they can focus on the client they have (in front of them) and not worry about the next person coming in.
So, that’s what I wanted in a salon to work at. I figured if I wanted that, then probably other people did too! So, I just decided to build that.
You mentioned that you have worked in a rental salon at some point. Was that always the case when you were behind the chair?
Jean: I started my first salon with my sister when I was 23, and we owned an employee salon. We sold that, and I worked for the person we sold the salon to for a little while before taking some time off.
I have done different things. I owned a one-person salon, where I owned the building with an ice cream shop in the back. I worked by myself as a stylist, and that was where I came up with the idea of doing this because I really liked coming in each morning and having everything look exactly how I had left it the night before. That’s when I said to myself, “Oh, that would be really cool to have a salon that was set up kind like a doctor’s office, so everybody has their own space, and nobody’s messing up their space – we’ve all worked with messy hairdressers.” That was when I came up with the idea. Then, I moved to southern Maine, where I was a partner in a booth rental salon. I also rented a booth after that for a little bit while while building my salon.
So I’ve done all of it. I know what it’s like to booth rent. I know what it’s like to own a booth rental. I know what it’s like to be an employee. I know it’s what it’s like to own an employee salon.
How was it in the beginning with Mint?
Jean: For the first year, I did both (hair and managed the salon). I had a small studio, which was also my office. More people wanted to move in, so I gave away my clients and moved my office to my house. Now, I have an office at my second location, which is nice to have.
What’s the check-in and checkout process like?
Jean: Clients check in at the front desk. However, if somebody has their own booking system, the client will still tell the receptionist they’re there, and the receptionist will let the stylist know. All clients check out in-studio, and they pay the stylists directly. They only check out with us if they buy retail.
What is the culture like in both of your locations?
Jean: It’s really awesome. It’s honestly amazing and better than anyone would even expect. You hear about a lot of drama in salons, and my number one goal when I built my salon was to create a positive environment where everybody looks forward to going to work every day.
When we opened in Falmouth, I would buy a birthday cake for every person’s birthday; there were almost forty people there, so we had birthday parties all the time. Those stopped with Covid. Now, they usually coordinate their own parties. This year, we did Taco Tuesday Thanksgiving week because it’s the busiest week of the year, and they are all there for many hours. It brings people together and makes working more fun.
We also have education; we have an education room at our new location. We try to make it feel like people aren’t alone. It’s like you’re working for yourself but not by yourself. And even though you have complete control over how you want to run your business, there’s so much community there, and people are laughing and having a good time. You constantly see people in other people’s rooms or hanging out at the desk chatting or in the break room, and it’s a fun environment. My most important focus was to make it really fun and enjoyable, and it has worked. We’ve had so many reviews from clients and people saying, “The energy in here is so good. You can feel it the minute you walk in! People are happy, and everybody’s smiling, and it’s just a friendly, fun environment.”
It sounds like the best of both worlds: the camaraderie of a commission salon but the privacy of a salon suite.
Jean: Yes, but it’s a lot more work. There are a lot of developers who own salon studios, and they don’t know anything about the hair industry. They’re landlords who just want to rent space and collect checks. I work a lot – it’s a big job, honestly. I hired an assistant in May because I really needed extra help to do as good of a job as I wanted to do.
Besides the space they rent, what else do renters get?
Jean: Everything is included. We have the salon website (that lists all of the professionals by type of service) with online booking if they choose. We have retail incentives. We have an annual party at a restaurant in the winter, so we treat it like it’s a company, not just a rental space. There’s so much more to it than that. (Mint is) a lot different than typical salon suites from what I’ve seen. It’s a lot different.
We have some other communication apps, but we just like to keep our professionals up-to-date on whatever’s going on: who might be new, who moved in, anything that’s happening, anything they should know about like education, retail sales, etc. We send a newsletter every few months to keep people updated on what’s happening.
One of the perks is that you supply the scheduling software for your renters. Why was that important?
Jean: I had been to a salon studio as a customer in Florida and found that you could only make an appointment through somebody if you knew the individual people. So that’s why I wanted a booking system where everybody could be in charge of their own (scheduling and checkout), but at the same time, we can book appointments for people who want new clients. And we can check their clients in. We know their clients’ names and can reschedule their appointments if they call and can’t make that time. We can really add a lot of assistance to the professionals who work there, and they’re not trying to do everything by themselves and provide the services at the same time. It is a lot when you’re working for yourself, and you have to do everything. So, having that desk support is huge.
If you’re running late, you can just say to Guest Services, “Hey, can you call my client? Tell them I’m going to be ten minutes late.” You know, all those little things make the clients happy. Make the professionals happy. So our job – and this is what I always tell Guest Services is – we’re here, everybody’s our clients, and we’re trying to make everybody happy. We’re trying to make the professionals happy, and we’re also trying to make their clients happy because if their clients are happy, they’re going to be happy. It’s a lot, but it’s not just a typical salon suite.
What are some of the most beneficial software features that have helped your business model?
Jean: During COVID, when Rosy came out with the check-in text (Curbside Check-in) for clients, that was really nice. The fact that the clients could check in from outside the building – a lot of them still use that now. Before COVID, when the client checked in, the stylist didn’t get a text. So they only knew their client was there if we told them, and that was a lot of work for the receptionist. Now, the professionals get a text when their client checks in, and it has been really helpful. The stylist can send a message back; that way, Guest Services knows if they’re ready without having to go look. That has been the single most helpful part of Rosy.
I also use the reports. We use reports quite a bit for retail sales, and my bookkeeper uses them to do my books.
The gift cards are also nice because we can run them through Rosy. It’s all connected, so we can look up somebody’s gift card, which is helpful.
How much staff do you have between the two locations?
Jean: We have eight receptionists. I have an assistant. My husband is now our facilities manager because we have two buildings. I used to manage the buildings by myself. I mean, he helped out, but now he’s taken that on, so he stays pretty busy. There’s always something going on, whether dealing with snow, a leak, HVAC issues, etc.
What are your long-term goals with your business?
Jean: I might do a third location, but I haven’t decided. I want to make sure everything is running perfectly and that people at both locations are being well taken care of before I do another location. I think a lot of bigger businesses make a mistake by growing too fast, and then they lose quality. I built my whole business on quality, and I don’t want to lose that because that would be a mistake.
Would you do it all again just the way you have right now?
Jean: Yes, it’s been really fun, actually.
Photos: Leah’s Lens Photography & Bronson Guimond
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