Altspc, an online booking platform, is revolutionising the beauty industry by connecting salon owners with unused space to professionals looking for a room to rent.
Altspc founder and managing director, Tim Elwin, says the company, which opened for business in 2016, enables freelancers and other beauty professionals to find a “room of their own” by putting existing salon’s unused space to use.
He explains that other professionals have benefited from space-sharing services for many years and it was now time for the beauty industry to reap the benefits as well.
“If you are starting a business and need a desk to do it from, there are countless co-working spaces scattered across this country to book one in, but what if you are starting a business that requires something different?
“What if you’re a beauty therapist requiring a beauty room a few days a week in Paddington, or a hairdresser looking for a chair to use in Parramatta, or a massage therapist looking for a table in St. Kilda?
“On the other side, what do you do when you have set up a small business, say an eight-station salon, and currently only have a staff of four?”
Altspc lists spaces for an almost unlimited number of professions and industries, but according to Tim the platform is particularly useful for the beauty industry.
It helps salon owners “generate additional revenues through monetising empty space in their salon” and equally importantly provides many opportunities, financial and otherwise, to freelancers and would-be salon owners.
“A large number of freelancers [hairdressers, makeup artists and beauty therapists] float around trying to look professional out of their homes or their client’s homes but they now have the option to rent a chair or treatment room by the hour, day, week or month so they can show their skills in a professional environment, in the buzz of an active salon.”
“Likewise one of the biggest barriers to entry for any new business is the ridiculous cost of securing a salon,” he says.
“This has driven a large number of beauty professionals to halt their dreams of starting their own business until they have saved up enough for bonds, legal fees and advanced rent etc.
“However with Altspc they can do away with all that and just rent a chair or beauty/treatment room by the hour, day, week or month in a location that suits them, at the price that suits them, for as long as it suits.”
Altspc currently represents over $36 million worth of commercial spaces across Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.
Tim says its “100 percent free to join, search, enquire or list a space”.
“There are no monthly memberships or subscriptions costs. Users only pay a small 10 percent service fee if they’re a guest or a 10 percent service fee if they’re a host.”