Interview on the support experience from Nagaoka Tax Accountant Office for the opening of hair salon JILL
Hair salon "JILL," which opened in Omori in December 2023. This salon, newly opened by owner Abe, who has over 23 years of experience in the beauty industry, is steadily building a customer base through community-focused service and reliable techniques. Owner Abe returned to Omori, where he took his first steps as a hairstylist, to launch his ideal salon, leveraging his many years of experience.
Opening a hair salon requires not only technical and customer service skills but also various specialized knowledge, such as business plan development, loan applications, and tax and accounting expertise. Nagaoka Tax Accountant Office provides comprehensive services to those aiming to open a hair salon, from preparation and loan applications to management support after opening. We possess know-how specifically for the hair salon industry and provide support from a professional perspective, including industry-specific expense processing and how to create business plans.
This time, we conducted an interview with owner Abe of our client, hair salon "JILL," about the background of the opening and his relationship with our office. We asked about the reality of opening a hair salon and how the support from our tax accountant office was helpful.
When did you open the salon? Also, could you tell us about your career in the beauty industry?
Officially, I opened on December 1st. It has been about four months now.
This year marks my 23rd or 24th year working in the beauty industry. At first, I worked for about 7 years at a large hair salon in Omori, the same place as now. After that, I worked for 5 to 6 years at a private shop in Ginza, 1 year at a shop without a physical location, and currently, I am operating this place (JILL in Omori) while working for about 3 years at a private-room hair salon in Ginza. I first started my career as a hairstylist here in Omori.
What was the reason for choosing the location in Omori?
Because the colleagues I work with originally worked near Omori, and I thought Omori was the best environment for the customers I serve to visit.
What was the most difficult part of opening the salon?
The most difficult part was definitely finding a property. Before finding this place, I looked at a lot of properties, but even when I thought one was good, it was hard to finalize.
I looked at over 20 properties. The competition for finding properties is fierce, and there were times when I lost out on good properties because large companies applied for them as well. Since the COVID-19 pandemic ended, it seems that people opening businesses are struggling significantly to find properties. I had heard that in the past, you could find one quickly after looking at 5 to 10, so I feel that it is a difficult situation now.
Did you have a target opening date? Also, at what stage did you start thinking about your business plan?
My goal was last August, or October at the latest, so a December opening was a very late start. Ideally, I wanted to be in a state where I was used to the basic flow and interactions of the shop before December arrived, but it felt like the opening just happened to coincide with December.
It was decided that I would work with the colleagues I would be running the hair salon with around February or March 2024, and as soon as it was decided, I started thinking about the specifications and size of the property. Initially, we talked about starting with about four people. Searching for a property and searching for colleagues were done in parallel.
\Total support for hair salon concerns "Hair Salon Mikata"\
What was the reason you chose Nagaoka Tax Accountant Office this time?
My wife found it on Instagram or the internet. After looking at several tax accountant offices, I contacted this one directly.
What was your impression when you first consulted with us?
I was impressed by how fast the response was. The replies to email exchanges were also very fast. I had contacted other offices, but there were times when I felt the response was slow. I was looking for a sense of speed, so the sense of speed at Nagaoka Tax Accountant Office matched my needs. It was very good that they handled things promptly.
What was particularly helpful about the support you received from Nagaoka Tax Accountant Office when opening your business?
They accompanied me to the loan interview. The tax accountant supplemented the parts where I was inarticulate and supported me so that things would proceed smoothly, which was extremely helpful. Just having them by my side gave me a sense of security. It was also helpful to have support in creating a business plan for the first time, and to receive advice on the ratio of self-funding and sales targets. I heard that recent financial institutions have come to place importance on personality and management plans when making loan decisions, so I think it was good that having the tax accountant present gave the impression that I was properly leaving things to a professional and also gave the bank a sense of trust.
What kind of support do you receive from Nagaoka Tax Accountant Office in your daily hair salon operations?
I ask questions via LINE about daily expenses, consultations on monthly expense status, and everyday questions. Besides expenses, I can ask about anything, including payroll calculations and related matters, and the replies are extremely fast.
Has the support from the tax accountant office allowed you to concentrate on your main business?
The support from Nagaoka Tax Accountant Office is incredibly useful, and it is truly significant that I can concentrate on my main business. By leaving it to the tax accountant office, I no longer have to do the end-of-month expense aggregation and data entry myself, allowing me to focus on my work. The vague anxiety and worries about having to enter expenses after returning home are gone, and it feels completely different in terms of my state of mind. I cannot serve customers while wondering what I did with a receipt, so it is very helpful.
\Total support for hair salon worries "Hair Salon's Ally"\
What kind of advice from Nagaoka Tax Accountant Office is useful?
They consult with me on various things, but for example, they give me advice on the timing of incorporation based on the situation of sales over a one-to-three-month span and the forecast for the year. Also, when thinking about employee salaries, it is very grateful to be told about the average salary of hairdressers in Tokyo and nationwide, and my position when compared to the situation of my own shop. I heard that data held by banks and the like is often biased toward large-scale hair salons, but Nagaoka Tax Accountant Office has many small and medium-sized hair salon clients, so I feel it is easier to compare because they provide more detailed information.
How do you feel about the hair salon expertise of Nagaoka Tax Accountant Office?
Compared to when I asked a local tax accountant before, I feel they have an understanding of detailed expense categorization and expense recording based on the actual business conditions of hair salons. Since they understand the work content of a hair salon, they properly categorize even the fine details, saying things like, "This can be an expense." I have heard that there are tax accountants in some places who start the conversation from "What is Hot Pepper?", but here, they understand immediately even when looking at purchases and materials, and it is very easy to work with them because we can start in a state where knowledge is shared. They also asked about the situation regarding advertising at the beginning.
If you were to recommend Nagaoka Tax Accountant Office to other hair salon owners, what points would you recommend?
In the case of community-based or individually managed hair salons, I think there are many cases where you are curious about information such as the sales and customer base of surrounding shops, but I think the point that Nagaoka Tax Accountant Office provides such information is good. They provide statistical data of hair salons that are their clients, so I can compare it with my own shop or use it as a reference. Many people who want to open a hair salon have closed information, and the information that can be obtained from acquaintances is limited, but I think it is a good point that worries about purchases and labor costs can be solved by the tax accountant office disclosing it as statistical data.
Could you tell us about your future business development?
First, at this Omori store, I would like to develop a community-based business centered on housewives who have children attending the local elementary school. I want to make it a shop where not only housewives but also their husbands and children can visit for a long time as a family. In parallel, I would like to focus on staff education at an early stage. I want to create a fulfilling salon while raising people, not just sales. Also, I am currently operating at two bases, Omori and Ginza, but in 2 to 3 years, I would like to open another store in Ginza with the same scale as Omori. I would like to proceed while rotating staff so that they can feel the difference in the environment between the community-based type like Omori and the metropolitan area like Ginza. Ultimately, I am aiming for a 3-store system. I would like to proceed with money consultations at that time while consulting with Nagaoka Tax Accountant Office.
\For hair salon opening loan support\
What kind of customers do you want to provide what kind of services to?
What I am thinking about most right now is mothers who have children attending the local elementary school. I am aiming to attract customers who can spend a luxurious time casually in the neighborhood, who have no time for themselves due to daily fatigue and dealing with their children. For that purpose, I have also prepared private rooms and provide an environment where they can relax without worrying about their surroundings.
Could you tell us about the shop's top recommendations and recommended treatment menus?
Currently, we are recommending a service called "Toshin-yoku" (head bath). It is a special service offered by only a limited number of hair salons in this area, and we are the only salon on the west side of Omori Station to offer it, so we invite anyone interested to please visit us. We also specialize in treatments for customers who have concerns about hair changes due to aging, lack of shine, or general hair care and want to make their hair beautiful. I feel that awareness of hair care has become established in society over the last 10 years, and I want to satisfy our customers with reliable techniques and hospitality that can meet their expectations.
If you are a customer carrying daily fatigue or stress, I would love for you to come and enjoy a head spa or a luxurious time just for yourself.
The benefits of a tax accountant office specializing in hair salon management
Thank you for agreeing to this interview. For the opening and management of a hair salon, industry-specific knowledge and prompt support are essential. At Nagaoka Tax Accountant Office, we leverage our expertise in "hair salon openings" to support the creation of an environment where salon owners can focus on their core business, including attending loan interviews, assisting with business plan creation, and handling daily expense processing. In particular, our understanding of hair salon-specific expense items (such as advertising costs for Hot Pepper, hair products, etc.) and management advice based on industry data are a great help in making management decisions.
Consistent support from opening to growth
Opening a hair salon involves various challenges, starting from finding a property to formulating a business plan, applying for loans, and managing the business after opening. Our office provides support from a long-term perspective, from opening preparations to future business expansion. We provide financial backing for hair salons like Owner Abe of JILL, who are moving toward realizing future visions such as multi-store expansion and human resource development.
If you are thinking of opening a hair salon, receiving professional support will enable a smoother opening and sustainable management. Nagaoka Tax Accountant Office supports your journey to opening and successfully managing your hair salon with professional knowledge and a proven track record. Please feel free to consult with us first.
\Total support for hair salon concerns "Hair Salon's Ally"/
\For hair salon opening loan support/