Category: Uncategorized
Setting Up Shop – The Basics of Salon Ownership
Step 1: Plan, Plan, Plan
Business Plan The point of a solid business plan is to figure out what your business is, how it will be successful, and how you’ll troubleshoot problems. If you need a little help getting started, here are some great resources for you including free business plan templates and business planning software called LivePlan that can get you on the right track. Funding Whether you’re borrowing money through a traditional bank loan or have teamed up with investors, you need to figure out how much money you need to get started, and where it will be coming from. Find a Mentor As you’re planning your business, it’s a great time to find a business mentor. It’s best to find someone in the salon industry that can answer questions for you as you start and grow your business. Accounting To keep track of your money, inventory and project growth, you’ll want to implement an accounting and inventory program. On the accounting side, you’ll need a program to track your revenue and expenses. You’ll also need to figure out how you’ll pay Uncle Sam. You should sit down and chat with an accountant to help you get started. Location The right location makes all of the difference in the world. You want to select a spot with good traffic and high visibility that is located where your target demographic shops or lives. Enlist a realtor for help or drive around and look for vacancies in areas you are considering. Know the Area Know the demographics, the local competitors, and think about how your customers will get to your salon. How is the parking situation? Is a construction project planned on your block? You want to know everything you can about the area before you select a place.Step 2: Implement
With the planning stages complete, you’ll move on to details of actually opening your salon. Design to Your Market Before you start painting the walls and picking out furniture, make sure that your design matches the kind of clientele you want to attract. If your customer base is the younger generation, go with fun, bold colors and furniture. For a higher-end vibe, go for a modern and sophisticated look. In other words, tailor your look to your intended client base. Customer Service Standards After you’ve created an environment that your clients will love, you have to follow through by offering excellent customer service, which will make them want to come back. Marketing To be successful, you need clients. To attract clients, you need a marketing plan, so set aside a budget to promote your business. Without it, you’ll struggle. Consider hosting an event like a ribbon cutting or a small charity event to attract more customers. For example, sponsor a school play or have the staff volunteer at a local baseball game. You want to get the word out about your salon, and getting involved in your community is a great way to do that. Web Presence Before you dive into a design for your website, take a look at the sites of your competitors and try to design something that sets your salon apart. Your site should be attractive, easy to navigate, and ideally include helpful information for your customers, such as hours, location, contact info, and pricing. If you have the money, hire a professional to create your site, but if you’re tight on cash, there are plenty of DIY website platforms to consider. Get Social Social media is an important component to your marketing plan. You can use as many platforms as you’d like, but make sure you post regularly and engage with your customers. Retail As an owner, you’ll need to select products to retail. Consider one to three lines that take care of all needs for your various clients. Don’t expect it to be a big moneymaker right up front, as you’ll need to buy inventory and it will take time to sell it, let alone you’ll need to reinvest in the next batch. Now that the planning stages are over, new salon owner, it’s time to get to work….A Revitalized Color Business
Salon Social Media Strategizing
Amazing Hair
Any time a client makes a major change, show it off with a before and after post. Same thing for really great cuts, color, special occasion styles, first haircuts, etc. If you find it of interest, your clients likely will too! Shoot it, brand it (your salon logo), tag it, post it!
Events and Happenings
Document events, happenings, classes, parties, etc. at your salon – Everything from your grand opening to any special occasion. Snap away and post accordingly, making sure to use appropriate hashtags, captions and tags.
Product Information
If your salon sells retail, consider posting highlight products. Pick a specific product and create a quick post about how to use it, what hair types it’s best for, etc. You can pull imagery and information from the manufacturer’s website and create your own customized artwork and post. Also, be sure you are following any brand that your salon carries on the manufacturer’s social media. That way you can share posts from their site: Product info, styling tips, collections, videos, etc. There’s a wealth of knowledge on these sites, so take advantage of what’s available.
Promotions and Special Offers
Always have some sort of promotion going on, that way you not only have something to talk about but it also helps sell through slower moving product or introduce new ones. The promotion can also be for services, either to help build newer stylists, or to increase add-on services, which is always good for the salon’s bottom line.
Giveaways
Nothing gains followers and engagement quite like giveaways. Consider offering an occasional giveaway for salon products or services or even assemble a gift basket for special occasions (Mother’s Day, Easter, Valentine’s Day, etc) and raffle them off for the highest amount of online referrals, etc.
Seasonal and other Trends
Since your salon is in the business of making others beautiful, your staff needs to always be on the forefront of trends. And as trendsetters, make occasional statements about what’s coming next with all asspects of cuts, color and styling. Show off the latest trends in fringes, layers for long hair, curling techniques, or even color and color placement for the season. The options really are endless!
Reviews
There are plug-ins and apps that can be added to some social media platforms that allow users to do reviews. Be sure you are taking advantage of these features. Also, be sure you have a Yelp presence, as you can post links to any of your salon’s reviews on social. It makes for highly credible content!
Here are some more ideas:
Show off how the salon is decorated for any holiday Announce new hires or new salon services Ask for referrals / Ask followers to invite others Offer quick styling tips and techniques Give seasonal hair care advice (moisturizing in the winter, etc)
Have any social media strategies that have worked well for you? Do tell!Happy Holidays From Hairdresser Power
Motivational Quotes – Part 1
“All progress takes place outside the comfort zone. “~Michael John Bobak
“It is better to fail in originality than to succeed in imitation.” ~Herman Melville
“Success is walking from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm.” ~Winston Churchill
“If you want to achieve greatness stop asking for permission.” ~Anonymous
“Things work out best for those who make the best of how things work out.” ~John Wooden
“To live a creative life, we must lose our fear of being wrong.” ~Anonymous
“If you are not willing to risk the usual you will have to settle for the ordinary.” ~Jim Rohn
“Opportunities don’t happen – you create them.” ~Chris Grosser
“Try not to become a person of success, but rather try to become a person of value.” ~Albert Einstein
“The ones who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.” ~Anonymous
What are some of your favorite motivational and success-driven quotes? Please share!Dealing with Perpetually Late Clients
Avoiding Cancellations and No-Shows
Influences From Fashion Week
The Gift of Confidence
Your Circle of Influence
PREMIERE ORLANDO
Building Our Future
Beauty Changes Lives Foundation LIVE in Chicago!
Written by: Doug Smith Photo’s: Courtesy of the Beauty Changes Lives FoundationI was thrilled to attend the Beauty Changes Lives Foundation event at the America’s Beauty Show in Chicago last month. The goal of the event was to provide a glimpse of what the future could hold for the attending students. As expected, Beauty Changes Lives over delivered on their promise and did more than support future industry stars, they reminded us all how beauty has changed lives on a global level.
Here are a few “stand out” moments from the show The event opened with a short video featuring Johnny Wright – Michelle Obama’s hairdresser. His message was brief, but powerful:“We have the power of yes! Be open to growth, stay focused and learn your craft. Find the best mentor you can and you’ll succeed.”
– Johnny Wright
As I watched the video, I was reminded how important it is to never forget to learn, grow and find our power of yes. I was instantly transported back to a comment made to me early in my career. A mentor stated that beauty is journey without an ending. If you feel like you’ve achieved everything you can, then take a class! Those were powerful words of wisdom that I’ve never forgotten. Next, industry veterans including Kim Vo and Charles Marcus shared their life stories and how beauty changed their lives.“I was a refugee and came to America with very little money or promise for the future – then I entered this wonderful profession and Beauty Changed My Life!”
– Kim Vo
“I grew up in England with a debilitating speech impediment and was teased and treated as an outcast by the other children in my class. Then I discovered beauty, and the community welcomed me with open arms – I was in heaven! After school, I was lucky enough to get a job as an assistant at Vidal Sassoon. Shortly after I started, Vidal himself came to the salon for a visit. As he greeted the other assistants and asked them about their inspiration I was terrified! I knew I would embarrass myself with my terrible stutter. When he came to me, I couldn’t get my name out and hung my head in shame. Mr. Sassoon then took my hand, held his mouth very close to my ear and gently said – “don’t worry, I have all day.”
It was at that moment I realized that life is not about the number of breaths you take, its’ about the moments that take your breath away! I am a hairdresser and Beauty Changed My Life!”
– Charles Marcus
Peter Coppola also shared words of encouragement.“You have the power to change someone’s life. When a client sits in your chair and asks you to “Make Them Feel Beautiful,” you touch them in a much deeper way than simply styling their hair.”
– Peter Coppola
Fabio Sementilli, VP of Education at Wella, shared a powerful quote form Martin Luther King Jr.“I want to suggest some of the things that should begin your life’s blueprint. Number one should be a deep belief in your own dignity, your worth and your own somebodiness. Secondly, you must have as a basic principle the determination to achieve excellence in your endeavor. You’re going to be deciding what your life’s work will be. Set out to do it well.”
– Martin Luther King Jr.*
Jan Arnold, Co-Founder and Style Director of CND, eloquently spoke of global beauty and excellent customer care.“As cosmetologists, you can do it all! Total beauty! A hair, skin and nail color consultation for a client is the ultimate service!”
– Jan Arnold
There were many more amazing moments of inspiration designed to encourage and acknowledge the students in attendance. What most impressed me is the necessity of every working beauty professional to remain humble and reflective of our journey and how beauty has truly changed our lives. That said, the most important gift we can give is to serve as a mentor to the many new professionals in our industry. Be a part of Changing Their Life. Give back the Beauty That Has Changed Your Life and keep our profession unified in growth and support. That is where HAIRDRESSERPOWER comes from, and that is what will keep us all moving forward. To learn more about the Beauty Changes Lives Foundation and to get involved, visit http://www.beautychangeslives.org/ *To read the entire Martin Luther King Jr. “What Is Your Life’s Blueprint?” speech, go to: http://mhvpus.weebly.com/3/post/2010/01/martin-luther-king-jr-what-is-your-lifes-blueprint.html