Capturing the Essence of Your Salon Lease: A Visual Journey with Sola

Sola salons have become a popular choice for salon professionals looking for that one-person-show, independent type situation to practice their trade. In commercial real estate, I often review and negotiate leases that are between the land lord and a Sola Salon franchisee or independent operator. Once an operator gains possession of a space in the Sola Salon it is their responsibility to operate their business inside the space. This is where understanding the terms of your lease agreement is key. One may think that because Sola commonly uses the same form lease, all of the terms are the same or similar. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Each lease is individual, its an agreement between you and Sola that forms the foundation of your relationship with them.

Understanding the key elements of your lease agreement will put you in the best position to succeed as an independent operator inside of Sola’s collective four walls. This post is going to hash out the multiple layers of a lease, similar to how Demi O’Neill, owner of Stephanie Alison Photography explores the numerous layers of a single photograph. We’ll find beauty in the details. From start to finish we will get to the heart of the lease like Demi does with a “perfect shot”.

A lease is a contract, between you and Sola. They (Sola) determine the terms of the agreement and you must understand those terms to successfully operate your business. To best explain the depths of a lease agreement, Demi invites us into her studio/office. Where she illustrate’s, line by line, how each paragraph, section and term of a Sola Salon lease can be disposed of, or used to better understand the intricacies of an agreement. When we think of the photo element of the lease agreement, think of a photograph you have seen by Demi. After looking at the photo, you think to yourself, wow how did she take that? Then you start looking at it closer, maybe even put the focal point on the eyes and let your eyes dance around the rest of the photo. You look at it so long that eventually it starts to take shape and form… much like the lease, there are multiple layers of understanding to go through before the terms start to make sense.

The process of photographing someone by getting to know them and capturing their spirit through a through a lens, is much like negotiating a lease. Each one is individual, not two deals are the same. Demi talks about how she moves from “easy” to “difficult” as she gets deeper into understanding her clients. The same is true of a lease agreement, it may be easy reading at first then we come to a paragraph that really digs deep and one must go deeper to understand the meaning of that provision. We also go through a “screening” process, similar to the application process required by Sola. There are different questions aimed at getting to know you before you become one of our clients. The same is true for Sola who has a 13 question standard questionnaire they ask with the application.

Each paragraph, clause, section, article, letter and number of your lease agreement has been laid out for a reason. Just like every piece of art Demi creates is for a reason… each photo is telling a story. There are also terms and conditions to abide by that are similar to unspoken rules that some photographers have. Demi talks about how she wants you looking back at her when she photographs you, but she does not want you photographing her at the same time. We understand this concept with Sola, we’ve heard about horror stories where a client takes your photo in between your appointments and posts it on Instagram or FaceBook, and there you are in the photo next to their hair. We set ground rules up front and avoid this potential situation. There is also artistically, a way of acting and carrying yourself or creating a pose that is familiar among artists that is not necessarily written down, but spoken. Much like in a lease agreement, there are spoken and written rules of engagement.

There are also limitations in both photography and a lease agreement. Both are physical spaces, both spaces (photographers studio and Sola space) are shared with others, but with specific boundaries. We can think of Demi’s frame of a photograph. She will create her shot not only with you, but with the background, lighting, environment and other items within her reach. We can also think of the “perfect shot” that is displayed on Sola’s website. There is a certain feel to the way the store is created. A certain flow to the layout of the space and a certain ease of use created for the client changing from chair to chair during their visit.

Now we take a deep breath and begin to think about our calls to other people. With each call we measure what we say to the client and how we say it. We assess whether the call can be handled over the phone, or if we must do more research to calm their fears and better assist them. We imagine a “deal” being finalized at the end of our talks, much like Demi imagines a perfect client signing a contract at the end of each call, or you signing a lease agreement at the end of the process. We often begin our conversation with what we imagine as our end goal. Demi begins with a photo she want’s to take of her client, and she is going to make the photo and the client that stand out after the image is complete. Much like a new lease agreement, we want our client to feel great about entering into the deal of leasing a space or renting a studio.

We find beauty in the details, in the shape of a chair or the shade of light. We think about the angles of a shot or the frame of a photograph gone by. Each dimension plays a role in the outcome of the project before… much like a lease agreement. Each person who reviews your photography is going to have a different reaction to it, just like we do when we review the potential of entering into a lease with you. As your stylists to be, we are trying to learn about your business and what is important to you. For examples, do you work alone or have employees? How many customers do you see daily or weekly? What services are most popular among your clientele? Each of these questions is important to getting a picture of each customer.

There are so many layers to a picture, just as there are to a lease. Keep an open mind as to what is being said or shown to you. We don’t always see what is important to making a picture pop and that is normal. Don’t overlook, misinterpret, or tuck away from sight the layers and details of your lease agreement. Your lease is a contract between you and Sola, it is equally as important to understand as it is to understand that perfect shot.