
The Constant
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.
Introducing the 2014 SALON TODAY honorees for Planned Profitabililty.
Generating growing revenues is one measure of success for salon and spa business, but how much does the business and owner retain once all the costs are deduced. Profitability is the true measure of an owner’s business acumen. We asked ST200 applicants to prepare a presentation to fellow salon owners that outlined their long-term strategies for growing a sustainable business and cultivating a profit. Extra credit was awarded to salons and spas that proved they had clear-cut systems for both projecting and meeting their profit goals.
As You Like It
Bonita Springs, FL
asyoulikeitsalonaveda.com
Corinne Kleinberger
SQUARE FEET: 960
TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 3
2012 PROFITABILITY: 58%
AVERAGE CUT & STYLE: $63
BEST SELLING RETAIL: Aveda
COLOR: Aveda
TECH SUPPORT: SalonBiz, Constant Contact
“The best long-term strategy for sustainability and profitability is to develop a salon culture of systems and operations geared to increase revenue, while benefiting the guest and stylist at the same time.
Centre Salon & Spa, Westminster
Westminster, CO
centresalon.com
James F. Pacifico and Cathy Schafer
SQUARE FEET: 3048
TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 25
2012 PROFITABILITY: 14%
AVERAGE CUT & STYLE: $39
BEST SELLING RETAIL: Aveda
COLOR: Aveda
TECH SUPPORT: SalonBiz, Spa Biz, Demandforce
“We track four salon initiatives daily: retail per service ticket, pre-booking, retention of existing and new guests, and percentage of guests purchasing product. The benchmarks give us a clear picture of the habits of our employees and a hands-on approach to coaching.”
Mango Salon
Richmond, VA
www.mangosalon.com
Patrick Heaney & Roberta Heaney
SQUARE FEET: 4000, 2000
TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 90
2012 PROFITABILITY: 3%
AVERAGE CUT & STYLE: $74
BEST SELLING RETAIL: Aveda, Bumble and bumble
COLOR: Aveda
TECH SUPPORT: Millennium, Demandforce, Survey Monkey, Constant Contact
ASSOCIATIONS: PBA
“The concept for our system was conceived from completing the Salon Management Program through the UCLA Anderson School of Business. We combined that concept of ‘key result areas’ with Neil Ducoff’s No-Compromise Leadership to design our performance management system.”
Metro FOR MEN
Irvine, CA
metroformen.com
Krista Martin
SQUARE FEET: 1,900
TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 16
2012 SUSTAINABILITY: 20%
AVERAGE CUT & STYLE: $42, $55
BEST SELLING RETAIL: M by metro FOR MEN, Nioxin, Aveda
COLOR: Goldwell, Aveda
TECH SUPPORT: Millennium, Demandforce, Google Adwords
ASSOCIATIONS: PBA
“I attended a webinar in 2007 that provided benchmarks in the salon industry regarding percentage of income each expense should be within. I instantly pulled my P&L and what an eye-opener. I made a commitment to lower all my expenses by 10 percent and what a difference.”
Modern Salon and Spa
Charlotte, NC
modernsalonandspa.com
Arsalan and Arezo Hafezi
SQUARE FEET: 6200, 6000, 5200, 3500
TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 130
2012 PROFITABILITY: 6%
AVERAGE CUT & STYLE: $56
BEST SELLING RETAIL: Aveda
COLOR: Aveda
TECH SUPPORT: SpaBiz, Constant Contact, Demandforce
ASSOCIATIONS: PBA
“Having goals and budgets has put all of our locations managers on heightened awareness of how the actions in their locations affect the bottom line.. By giving managers ownership of inventory, this has made them vested in what they are ordering, shrinkage and waste.”
Randolph's Salon
White Lake, MI
randolphssalon.com
Mary and Scott Randolph
SQUARE FEET: 1700, 2300
TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 55
PROFITABILITY: 22%
AVERAGE CUT & STYLE: $42
BEST SELLING RETAIL: Redken, Pureology
COLOR: Redken
TECH SUPPORT: Envision
ASSOCIATIONS: Summit Salons, 2 to 10 Project
“Profitability is broken down into monthly increments, comparing last year to the current year and setting goals on growth percentages based on our history. Every month, we meet with our salon directors to examine these numbers, celebrate wins, brainstorm shortages and set up a game plan for next month.”
Salon 124 - Genesis Salons
Grayson, GA
Brian Perdue
SQUARE FEET: 2400, 2400, 2400, 3000, 3000, 1900, 1900
TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 220
2012 PROFITABILITY: 11%
AVERAGE CUT & STYLE: $45
BEST SELLING RETAIL: Redken, Pureology, Moroccanoil, Evo
COLOR: Redken
TECH SUPPORT: Millennium, Demandforce
ASSOCIATIONS: ISBN, NCA, 2 to 10
“To closely track how much we are spending, we began to use a cost-per-chemical calculation instead of a percentage of sales because we use different brands of product and it is a more accurate way to track.”
Salon Soca
Chicago, IL
salonsoca.com
Brigette Sobus
SQUARE FEET: 1500
TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 18
2012 PROFITABILITY: 16%
AVERAGE CUT & STYLE: $60,
BEST SELLING RETAIL: Aveda
COLOR: Aveda
TECH SUPPORT: Millennium, Demandforce
ASSOCIATIONS: Cosmetologists Chicago, PBA, ABN
“One of the most valuable things I have learned is how to lead, coach and manage people. My team is my greatest asset, and with them, even in a down economy I have a growth of 5-15 percent per year.”
Shear Art Salon and Spa
Tampa, FL
www.shearart.com
Joanne Powers, Heather Bagby, Laura Dominick, Valerie Gardner, Terri Thomas, Cathy Arce and Tina McIntosh
SQUARE FEET: 3,000
TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 46
2012 PROFITABILITY: 10%
AVERAGE CUT & STYLE: $56
BEST SELLING RETAIL: Redken, Pureology
COLOR: Redken
TECH SUPPORT: Envision, Demandforce
ASSOCIATIONS: Other PBA, The Beauty Industry Council, Summit Salon
“Two of our original owners don’t perform services, but the salon remains profitable because we exercise our business acumen and complete an extensive budget process on an annual basis.”
Signatures Salon
Lake Charles, LA
signaturessalon.biz
Wendy White McCown
SQUARE FEET: 1500
TOTAL EMPLOYEES: 18
PROFITABILITY: 17%
AVERAGE CUT & STYLE: $40
BEST SELLING RETAIL: Bumble and bumble, Intelligent Nutrients
COLOR: Wella Koleston Perfect, Wella Color Touch
TECH SUPPORT: SalonBiz, DemandForce
Additional Honorees
Aveda Institute New Mexico, Alburquerque, NM
Bell Tower Salon, Medi-Spa and Store, Wyomissing, PA
Ginger Bay Salon & Spa, St. Louis, MO
Josephine’s Day Spa and Salon, Houston, TX
Paul Kenneth Salon & Spa, Woburn, MA
The Hair Company, Leonardtown, MD
Warmsprings Salon & Spa, Chambersburg, PA

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.

Planning is in full swing for the most anticipated events and promotions for the 2026 holidays. As owners share their favorite ways to celebrate, they prove that a carefully planned event can also build culture, increase client loyalty, boost sales, and set a business up for a successful 2027.

When things run amok at Mane Attraction Salon, Owners Chris and Jenny Knudsen say General Manager Sami Hernandez is their go-to resource and ultimate sounding board. Meet Sami in this installment of Meet the Manager.

Pagoda, a new AI-native operating system for scheduling, payments, patient records, marketing, and client communications, launches at Skinovatio Medical Spa in Arlington Heights, Illinois.

At a panel discussion hosted by L’Oréal Professionnel in Paris in early July, French Philosopher Sophie Galabru explored the cultural shift where women are increasingly choosing natural, personalized color results over traditional grey coverage. In an exclusive interview with SALON TODAY, Galabru and L’Oréal Professionnel Colorist Pierrick Beringer discuss this shift and how salons and colorists respond.

At Salon Blonde, Director of Operations treats the staff as the salon's most important guests, while her wonderful 'nerdy' side, loves data, systems, and numbers. Find out how she makes Salon Blonde tick.

In an exclusive interview with SALON TODAY, Salon Owner Salvatore Minardi reflects on his past 18 months as Intercoiffure America Canada's World Talent Exchange Ambassador and how his experiences will help encourage cultural and artistic exchange and support greater engagement between ICA and the global organization Intercoiffure Mondial.

Everything you need to know about client retention as a salon owner.

Owner Shelby Bills says her general manager, Sydney Osborne, reminds her of the power of leading with heart. Find out how Osborne became a great leader in our lastest installment of Meet the Manager.

In her latest blog, Kati Whitledge identifies the five stages salon owners go through when a team member leaves the salon unethically, offering advice for each stage.

The beauty and wellness businesses pulling ahead aren’t just working harder—they’re using AI to capture demand, personalize pricing, and convert more of every guest interaction into revenue. Here’s what the benchmark data reveals about the growing gap between AI adopters and everyone else.
Sponsored by Zenoti
Stop chasing recruitment ghosts on generic job boards and start curating an elite team. Discover the framework that top-tier salons use to bypass phone tag, automate visual portfolio vetting, and attract high-earning, culture-first beauty professionals directly through real-time messaging. Turn your recruitment process into an exclusive brand invitation that keeps your highest-ticket chairs permanently filled.
Sponsored by Beautista
Your calendar looks full, but is all of that demand actually converting to revenue? From phantom rebookings to underpriced peak hours, the 2026 Benchmark Report exposes five revenue leaks that most beauty and wellness businesses don’t even know they have.
Sponsored by Zenoti

After moving to Colorado and teaching at a cosmetology school, Allison Stock joined Zandi K as a stylist, eventually becoming part of the Leadership Team, Education Team and Master Bridal Team. Today, as Director of Operation, Stock is Owner Nicki Wenz's right hand, managing human resources and operations, education and career development, and coaching and culture.

In a world dominated by e-commerce, salon owners push back with proven strategies to increase retail sales while motivating team members to educate their clientele and delighting clients with retail-themed events and clever merchandising displays.

The company's Concealed Bead Method is raising the bar for what professional extension education can deliver.

Scott maximized her micro-salon by transitioning from stylist to strategic owner, focusing on recruiting and station-sharing. By prioritizing her ownership role over behind-the-chair work, she grew her team to six stylists within the two-chair, 150-square-foot space before eventually moving to a larger facility.