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SEARCHBuilding a strong culture requires constant cultivation by the salon owner. The Salon Code's Kelley Swing walks you through a number of areas you need to consider.
Kelley Swing, founder of The Salon Code.
The team from Head Case Hair Studio in a moment of celebration
The following is an except from SALON TODAY's Coaches, Consultants and Business Resources Directory. Visit it for more helpful business guidance and to learn more about Kelley Swing, owner of Head Case Hair Studio and founder of The Salon Code.
Building a strong and loyal salon culture begins with a clear vision and shared values. Your team must understand the "why" behind your business—what you stand for, your goals and the experience you want to deliver. A clearly defined mission and core values will serve as a foundation for unity and purpose, ensuring everyone is aligned toward a common goal.
As a salon owner or leader, your actions and mindset determine the tone. Show up with integrity, positivity, and consistency. Demonstrate behaviors and attitudes you want to see in your team. When your team sees you embodying the salon's values, they will likely follow suit. Don't forget to be vulnerable and empathetic.
Open, honest and frequent communication is essential for building trust and loyalty. Create a safe space where team members feel heard and valued. Hold regular meetings to share updates, celebrate wins and address challenges. Encourage feedback and show that their input matters by taking actionable steps when possible.
Investing in your team's development enhances their skills and strengthens their loyalty. Offer ongoing education, training, and opportunities for advancement. Create clear career paths and mentor your team members to help them reach their goals. Employees who see you're invested in their success will be more committed to your salon.
A positive and supportive workplace is the cornerstone of a strong culture. Celebrate achievements, both big and small, and recognize individual contributions. Foster relationships among your staff to encourage collaboration and teamwork. Address conflicts promptly and fairly to maintain harmony.
Empower your team by giving them ownership of their roles and trusting them to make decisions within their scope of work. This builds confidence and fosters loyalty. Encourage creativity and innovation by inviting fresh ideas and collaborating on decisions, big and small. This approach sparks valuable insights you may not have considered and ensures your team feels invested in driving positive change.
Promote work-life balance to show that you value your team's well-being. Offer flexible schedules when possible and encourage self-care. A team that feels cared for is more likely to stay committed.
Creating traditions unique to your salon helps build a sense of belonging. Celebrate birthdays, work anniversaries and salon achievements. Host team-building events or participate in community service projects together. These shared experiences strengthen bonds and create lasting memories.
Incorporating a cause or purpose into your salon's culture can inspire loyalty. Whether sustainability, community involvement or mental health advocacy, showing your salon stands for something meaningful attracts like-minded team members and clients.
A strong and loyal salon culture doesn't happen overnight—it's built through intentional actions, consistent leadership and a genuine commitment to your team's well-being and growth. By fostering trust, collaboration and a shared sense of purpose, you'll create a culture where your team feels valued and will thrive.
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.
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.
