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SEARCHBefore you grab your glass of champagne to toast 2012, make sure you set your business goals for the coming year. Salon today invited Strategies’ Eric Ducoff to help you get started by recommending 12 resolutions for the new year:
Have a Plan.
Is 2012 the year you make more money, work smarter and take the business to the heights you dreamed of when you opened the doors? If you don’t have a detailed plan of how you’re going to get there (right now), next year isn’t going to look any different from years past.
Lead by Example.
Getting to work on time, pre-booking clients, offering your help in whatever way is needed, limiting your cell phone usage—you can’t expect your team members to follow guidelines if you don’t follow them yourself.
Celebrate Wins.
One of the easiest and most rewarding ways to improve team morale is to celebrate wins. Did Sally hit her client-retention rate goal? Did Sam upsell more than anyone this week? Let them know it’s appreciated!
Set the Systems.
Systems are the backbone of consistency. Get yours in place today. Systems will increase your levels of productivity, efficiency and client loyalty, everything that’s part of the plan.
Think Outside the Box.
The recent “blowout” success of blow-dry bars wasn’t spurred by an idea to open a business just like every other salon on the block. What made it a success was that it was different, but it still filled a need in the marketplace. What can you do differently in your business? How can you market it?
If It’s Not Working, Stop It!
Not making money on nail services? Not putting any money on the bottom line because your payroll is too high? Not getting results from a long-time manager? Then it’s time for a change! Your business cannot wait. No compromise.
Get Social.
If your business isn’t actively embracing the juggernaut that is social media marketing (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc.) then you are drastically behind your competition. It’s free, it’s powerful and it’s a necessity.
Stop Using the Economyas an Excuse.
The economy continues to weed out poorly managed and over-extended businesses. If your company has what it takes to compete, stop making excuses, buckle down, and prove why you deserve to be here.
Get to Know Your Numbers.
You can’t play the game if you don’t know the score. If you and your team don’t have a firm understanding of where you are and where you need to go, you’re driving blind. Remember what we said about the economy eating up the poorly managed? Learn to read and understand your numbers. It’s easier than you think.
Increase Pre-booking Rates.
Before you start dishing out huge advertising dollars to bring new clients in the door, run a report to find out how many existing clients are walking out without another appointment on the books. Get systems in place to ensure that no one leaves without a future appointment. If you increase their frequency of return, you’ll watch your revenues skyrocket—with no advertising costs.
Know Your “It.”
What makes your business better than the rest? Once you’ve determined your “it” factor—it shouldn’t take you long to figure out what it is—then it’s time to take a step back and ask yourself whether or not you’re giving your “it” the time, attention and promotion that it deserves.
Keep Staff“In the Know.”
When a football team takes the field, there’s no mystery to the goal (put more points on the scoreboard than the opponent) or destination (the end zone). Your business should be no different. The only way your staff can reach goals or complete a project is through communication. Huddles and scoreboards are the best place to start.
According to the KIM Report, top-line salon revenue appears steady or slightly up, but that growth is driven primarily by service price increases. Beneath the surface, retail performance and client visit frequency (appointment drift) are under real pressure. In his latest blog, Alain Audet offers strategies for keeping your salon's retail sales strong.
Putting your family to work in the salon offers some real tax benefits, but you have you have to play by the rules of the tax code to claim them. Azarvand Tax Law's Leticia Skrabut, Esq., shows you how.
Discover how to create a true “WOW experience” for every client by first building a culture where your team feels engaged, empowered, and inspired. Drawing on Calvin Stovall’s Iconic Framework, this blog explores how salon, spa, and clinic leaders can strengthen culture, elevate customer experience, and build a business that stands out for the long term.
Sponsored by Phorest Salon Software
The wellness industry is growing fast, and salons and barbershops already are an important part of it. In her first blog, Tracy Rado shares where the wellness dollars are heading, and how salon's can grow with this movement.
While salon sales are increasing, owners often feel they're working harder for the same or less profit. Leverage Q2 data from The KIM Report, Alain Audet reveals some of the structural changes that are dampening your growth and why your region and your salon size matters.
Weaknesses in your business are amplified during the Holiday Season. Spark Pro Global's Lucy Randall shows you five things to do now to have the strongest holiday season yet.
In Kati Whitledge's latest blog, she shares how salons have moved away from dress codes and embraced appearance standards. But by removing strict dress codes, some businesses may have unintentionally lowered their appearance standards. Whitledge helps you explain to your team why an appearance standard is important and how to smoothly implement a new appearance policy.
The Small Business Health Care Tax Credit is a non-refundable tax credit for for-profit businesses that provides a financial incentive for eligible employers who offer health insurance coverage to their employees. Leticia Skrabut, Esq., walks you through how to claim that credit.
Developing strong work habits early in one's career supports long-term success in the salon industry. Jesse Linares offers new stylists his top five tips.
Most salon owners have no idea what these numbers are. You can hit record sales and still have a profit problem. The difference comes down to four numbers almost nobody was taught to track.
Sponsored by Strata Salon Systems™
A five-area audit every owner-dependent salon needs to run. You built something that looks successful. Now find out if it can survive without you.
Sponsored by Strata Salon Systems™
Every month you put off fixing the problem, it gets bigger, more expensive, and harder to solve.
Sponsored by Strata Salon Systems™
At Janet St. Paul Studio for Hair and Beauty, Director of Operations Natasha McMillen helps bring her wife Janet St. Paul's vision to life, elevating every system from education to operations.
Expand your color service menu with the Pinstripe technique. Brooks and Brooks' Marlon Hawkins walks you through the technique.
The strongest salons, spas, and med spas know which numbers tell the real story of their business. In this practical guide, Phorest breaks down the five essential KPIs every business should track to improve retention, boost revenue, and make smarter decisions with confidence.
Sponsored by Phorest
At Bella Style Salon in Slidell, Louisiana, Director of Operations Angela Meyer tackles inventory, team management, and guest relations. Read all about her in our latest Meet the Manager.
Starting at Impressions front desk in 2006 when he was 19 years old, General Manager Paul Petrowsky is a seasoned professional who owner Sarah Taylor says is responsible for much of her own success.
