The beauty industry has long ceased to be just a “service industry.” It is a high-risk business. Here, your assets (client base) are in the hands of hired employees every day. Here, a reputation is built over years and destroyed in one fell swoop.
The SENSE team and lawyer Ivan Byedny explain why a legal audit of a beauty salon is not bureaucracy, but the foundation of survival.
Personnel security: when a master becomes a competitor
This is the main fear of any owner: you invest money in advertising and training, and the master quits, takes the client base and opens an office in the next entrance. “Gentlemen’s agreements” do not work here. Only the law works.
SENSE solution:
- Non-compete agreement (NCA): A clear commitment not to provide similar services for a certain period of time in a certain territory after dismissal.
- Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA): Your customer base, suppliers, internal protocols are your trade secrets. Their disclosure should be costly (penalties).
- Official registration: If the master works “in the black”, he does not owe you anything. Moreover, he can blackmail you with a complaint to the State Labor Service.
Consumer extremism: protection against “terrorist customers”
“I don’t like the color – return the money and pay for moral damages.” Sound familiar? Without signed documents, you are defenseless against manipulation.
How to protect yourself:
- Public offer: A document that specifies the rules for providing services, guarantees, and refund terms.
- Informed consent: Written confirmation from the client that he is familiar with the contraindications and possible consequences of the procedure (especially for cosmetology).
- Conflict protocol: A clear algorithm of actions for the administrator in case of a complaint.
Intellectual Property: Instagram is not property
You can invest thousands of dollars in promoting a name. But if it is not registered as a trademark (TM), you do not legally own it. Competitors can register your name and through the courts prohibit you from using it, blocking your Instagram page and sign.
What needs to be protected:
- Salon name and logo.
- Unique author’s methods and course titles.
- Own merch and cosmetics lines.
Rent and premises: so you don’t get evicted during the “season”
A lease agreement is often signed without looking. And then it turns out that the landlord can double the price without warning or terminate the contract a week after you have just finished expensive renovations. Legal audit of the lease agreement is insurance for your investment in renovations and location.
SENSE conclusion
A beauty lawyer is not a firefighter who puts out conflicts. He is an architect who builds walls that cannot be broken through. You build a business to make money, not to sue.
Would you like to receive an express security audit of your salon from SENSE? We will check your contracts with staff and brand security. Use the feedback form, write to me about your case at i.biednyi@sense.ua or call +38 097 327 9212.