
You Don't Own a Salon. You Own A Business.
In his latest blog, Leon Alexander Ph.D., challenges industry conventional thinking to help owners add more to their bottom lines.
Annastasia Salon in Portland, Oregon, designs new leadership roles for top-performing stylists, creating more hands-on, peer-to-peer coaching opportunities.

The management team at Annastasia Salon in Portland, Oregon.
With the desire of making last year one of empowerment for the entire team, Luke Huffstutter, Toni Carlson and Caitlin Layton, owners of Annastasia Salon in Portland, Oregon, created new leadership roles for top performing service providers. (See the salon's profile in the Salon Today 200.)
“Not only did we believe that this would positively impact the loyalty of top team members, we also believe that peer-to-peer coaching gives each team member quality guidance, resulting in even better performance,” Huffstutter says.
For this management strategy, Annastasia Salon instituted three new ideas:
Tribes: Tribes include smaller groups of service providers that include a Tribe leader who is in charge of monthly one-on-ones, mentorship and support. There are four tribe leaders and each shift has a tribe leader present to be the touch point for concerns or to handle any other in-house situation.
Management Structure: In addition, the salon hired a full-time manager and an assistant front desk manager who help handle any concerns. Issues are now solved in a timely manner and good teamwork and accomplishments are acknowledged and rewarded.
Training: The owners understand that leadership is more than just a fancy title, and they put their new leaders through a leadership development course that includes conflict management, one-on-one coaching, associate coaching, and technical training.

In his latest blog, Leon Alexander Ph.D., challenges industry conventional thinking to help owners add more to their bottom lines.

In her latest blog, Amy Pal helps you develop your own clear guidelines around complimentary free employee services.

From managing air traffic on busy days to handling frustrated guests' complaints, your front desk team often serves as the salon's emotional shock absorber. From a customer service lesson from the DMV to a list of strategies for caring for your front line, our experts offer ideas for alleviating stress, celebrating wins, and setting goals.

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.

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Sponsored by Phorest Salon Software

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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.