What's the best thing you can do for your business and the industry in the next 30 minutes? Apply for the SALON TODAY 200! Here are 11 reasons why:

11. Flat is the new black!
If you've held your business steady, or weathered only minor setbacks in this economy, you deserve some kudos.

10. We just extended the deadline to September 15. Download the application or call Joyce Alverio at 847-634-2600 to request one.

9. There are 11 best-practice categories to enter. Pick one or as many as you like. 6. You've got the time. If you choose one category, you can easily enter in 30 minutes. Or pick a few and take a whole hour.

8. Growth is optional. It's still a category, but not required for the 10 others.

7. Your sales information stays private. We gather it for benchmarking and big picture overview, but only publish info for salons that enter the Growth category.

6. You've got the time. If you choose one category, you can easily enter in 30 minutes. Or pick a few and take a whole hour.

5.  It's good for business! Being named to the ST200 in January is something you can promote and leverage year-round-with clients, staff, recruits, the press. 

4. It's good for your industry. Owners helping owners by sharing real best practices and benchmarking info helps the entire professional beauty market raise standards and success.

3. The playing field has been leveled. Compete on your strengths and create your own ST200 experience!

2. It's a prestigious honor. And we've got some exciting surprises to share with honorees as we continue to evolve.

1. Nothing to lose, so much to gain!  ALL entrants earn special benefits from MODERN SALON Media and are automatically placed at the top of our editors' lists for future sources.

For more details, read on.

How to apply:
Download the application.

Or, you can request one by calling Joyce Alverio at 847-634-2600. If you have questions about the application process, please call Joyce or Stacey Soble at 805-709-1837. For eligibility, applications must be postmarked by September 15.

ENTER THE SALON TODAY 200!
FASTER & EASIER.
NEW CATEGORIES.
LEVEL PLAYING FIELD.
FLAT IS THE "NEW BLACK."

What's the best thing you can do for your business and the industry in the next 30 minutes? Apply for the SALON TODAY 200! The application process is easy, quick and this year you can improve your chances by focusing on your strengths. And, for the first time you don't have to post growth to be eligible. And, we're giving you more time-we've extended the deadline to September 15.

Even if your growth is down, you can still be in the NEW SALON TODAY 200.
Let's face it, flat is the new black! In the past few weeks, owners have shared their concerns about entering the ST200 this year because their sales were down or flat in 2008. For the first time, positive sales growth is not necessary to enter or win the ST200. That's because this year the competition offers 11 different best practice categories that salons can choose to compete within, including growth, salary and benefits, retention, customer service, recruitment and training, advanced education, marketing, environmental sustainability, inventory, retail, and technology. This allows salons to focus on their strengths and only compete on those strengths.

Sales information is only published for salons competing in growth.
While the application does ask for overall sales information for 2007 and 2008, that information will only be printed in the special January 2010 ST200 issue if a salon competes within the growth category. On the form, we ask all salons to share that information so that we can establish an overall collective look at growth figures for those years. But if they choose to compete in any of the other 10 categories, that information will not be published.

The application process is easier than ever before.
Other salons have expressed concern about applying because the application seems so long. While the application is longer, it is actually easier to apply that ever before. That's because even though the application includes questions on the 11 different categories, salons can choose to compete only in one category. Or they can compete in as many as they would like. If they chose to only compete in a few categories, salons actually answer fewer questions than in past years.

Salons can compete on their own strengths.
The new ST200 evens the playing field for competing salons. Since salons can choose the best practice categories they want to compete within, they can compete on their strengths and design their own ST200 experience.

Entering the ST200 is a great opportunity for publicity.
In addition to a certificate that can be hung on the salon wall, ST200 honorees also receive a publicity tool kit that helps them announce the honor to their local press, their staff members and their clients. Past winners have marketed their winning designation on their websites, in signage, in marketing materials, in advertising, and on their on-hold message systems. They've hosted celebration parties for their staff members and clients, and one even created a client loyalty program around the competition.

Entering the ST200 is good for your industry.
When you share your best business practices with the ST200 application, we share those great ideas with the industry. Information about the winning salons and their best practice ideas are published in the special ST200 January-February issue. In addition, we save all the application information and use it throughout the year to help identify sources for feature stories in the magazine and in our online newsletters. Perhaps even more important, the statistical information gathered from our applications is used to establish important benchmarking information. This information gives a collective view of our industry and provides owners with benchmarks with which they can measure their own businesses.

How to apply:
Download the application. Or, you can request one by calling Joyce Alverio at 847-634-2600. If you have questions about the application process, please call Joyce or Stacey Soble at 805-709-1837. For eligibility, applications must be postmarked by September 15.