Beauty Business operating within another Business

[skinisin]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Pennsylvania

I have a skin care business and I sub lease 2 treatment rooms from the owner of a large hair salon. I have a commercial sublease agreement and a non-compete agreement signed. I utilize his front desk staff to schedule appointments and accept payment after services are rendered. This is all in our agreement and all is working smoothly. My issue is that the owner of the hair salon, (which is the man that I have the sublease agreement with) continues to "interupt" in the skin care business operations. He complains about my staff, the specials that we run, he has told us to cease operations of certain small services that we provide, such as eyelash tinting. Saying that we are competing with him, even though the services that we offer are not the same as any services that he offers. He even went as far as having his front desk staff call my clients and cancel there pre-booked eyelash tinting services with out my consent. I have angry clients and the girls that work for me are afraid of him. Our business is doing great financially and we pay him a % of our total sales...we are all making money. He just seems to want to sabotage my business. What can I do??? Can he legally call my clients? Can he tell me what serivces I can or can not perform? Any help is appreciated!What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)?

[Stevef]

Originally Posted by skinisin

the services that we offer are not the same as any services that he offers.

That statement sounds intentionally vague. Even though they are not the same services, they may still compete with his services. If a customer would have no reason to buy his services because they bought some different service from you, that could be considered competing. For example, if he offers hair coloring, and you offer head shaving, you could be competing with his business because your customer with the shaved head no longer has any need for his hair coloring.

He even went as far as having his front desk staff call my clients and cancel there pre-booked eyelash tinting services with out my consent.

But you are utilizing his front desk services. It could be construed as his duty to prevent you from violating your contract.

Why don't you simply move?

[skinisin]

The establishment has over 100 clients a day walking in for hair services, we have a captive audience. We never really have to advertise. They come upstairs to us for waxing facials, etc...It would be very difficult to do the business we do $20k-25k a month unless we are under his roof. He just seems to continually get on our backs about silly things, he has accused us of stealing towels, not charging enough for our services, just constantly rattling the cage. I handle it OK, but my employees are having a difficult time with moral and it is affecting performance. It it his right to constantly critique us? Maybe that is the price we pay for the business?