
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.
One of the most important concerns in a salon should be that is clean and clutter free.

Jeff Grissler, Amazon Best Selling Author, Consultant and Educator
There are many important things that you have to think about when owning a business. How you prioritize what is important and what can wait is a task in itself. One of the most important concerns in a salon should be that is clean and clutter free. Customers will not want to frequent a salon that does not seem to care about cleanliness. If your clients are aware of the high standards you set for cleanliness it reassures their confidence in you and your establishment.
While nobody wants to take out the trash, clean a bathroom or sweep the floor around their work station, every business needs someone to do these things. You have a choice to choose if that one of your employees is designated to do these daily chores or you hire a commercial cleaning service.
The first thing you must do is determine what is needed to be done on a daily basis or something that is done once a week or monthly as a deep clean. Other than the obvious dirt and grime, how can you tell if your salon is clean enough or customer ready?
Here is a guide that will assist you on putting your salon on the clean track:
Normal cleaning that you would do at home should be done daily at the salon. Sweeping, dusting and making sure the bathroom is spotless should be on your do list daily.
Clean after each customer. This is one of the most important things a salon must do for sanitary reasons. If you cut someone’s hair the worst thing you can do is bring a customer over to your station and have them walk through someone else’s hair. It’s also easy to slip on someone’s hair.
Different services and treatments require different sanitary measures. Let your clients know you cleaned the tools being used before the service.
Foots spas should be cleaned thoroughly and rinsed after each use. The manicuring area also must be sterilized after each use. Sanitizing the tools used for a manicure or pedicures protects the client and your manicurist from disease.
When applying makeup and creams make sure you wipe the entire area clean after each client to insure cross contamination. Lotions, make up products, wax pots are susceptible to bacteria. These areas should be cleaned right after each use.
Make sure garbage pales are empty. Clients do not like looking at other people’s trash. Empty 2 to 3 times in a course of a day.
Check the bathrooms every hour. You do not want a dirty bathroom in your beauty salon. Make sure the garbage pail is empty at all times.
All combs, brushes, and clips should be sanitized after each use.
Retail shelving and products must be dusted daily. Dust on retail means it isn’t selling. That will surely result in poor retailing in your salon. Keep this area spotless.
Clutter is a big mistake in the salon. Having your work station or stations covered with notes and pictures and social obligations is not the image you want in your salon. Your work space should be clean of clutter. There should be a place for everything and everything in its place.
Sanitizers should be placed in multiple locations for your staff and clients.
Your salon says exactly who you are and what type of establishment you are operating. It’s better to manage your salon with a bit of OCD, than one who is lax with keeping the salon tidy. People notice things, some more than others but for the ones that do they will feel good that when they know they come to your salon. The last thing you want is your customers feeling they have to go home, take a shower, throw their clothes in the wash after a visit in your salon.

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