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SEARCHIn the salon business, your fundamental services are the equivalent of the “little black dress.” Cut, color, texture and retail are your beauty basics. If nails are your focus, it’s the mani/pedi. Skin care? All about the facial. No matter your expertise, you develop your skills in core areas, and count on them to make you—and your clients—look good.
Growing your business is back in fashion, and the
formula for success is simple: offering more services
= more money in your pocket.
IN FASHION, it's all about the little black dress.
It's the perennial wardrobe essential, the foundation
to build upon and accessorize to match
any trend.
Sportmax, firstview.com
In the salon business, your fundamental services are
the equivalent of the "little black dress." Cut, color, texture
and retail are your beauty basics. If nails are your focus,
it's the mani/pedi. Skin care? All about the facial.
No matter your expertise, you develop your
skills in core areas, and count on them to
make you-and your clients-look good.
But what are you doing to "dress up"
these services? How are you accessorizing
and expanding your basics to keep what
you have to offer fresh and relevant to clients?
Most important, how are you taking
advantage of easy new opportunities to offer
and do MORE services and make
MORE money?
Back in Fashion
The economy has been challenging, no
doubt. But positive changes in consumer
habits are happening. Salon
professionals who have worked smarter
and harder are seeing client spending-
and appointment frequency-pick
up. Appointment books and personal
P&L's are shifting from red
(negative/empty) to black (positively
profitable)!
But to keep your business moving
in the right direction, you need to
know the whole trend story. In this new
era, your personal success as a beauty professional depends
more than ever on how well you anticipate your clients'
redefined needs and how directly you connect them
with the right service options and extras.
Because something is different.
Nielsen, Brand Keys and popular forecasters of marketplace
habits use words like value, restraint, meaning and
authenticity to describe the change.
Other trendcasters speculate that while
consumers are starting to spend again, they
are more low-key. They wince at waste and
crave comfort. At the same time, they are
demanding "instant" experiences, change
and "connection." Generosity, social concerns
and "embedded giving" are important. Many
value a contemporary, urban vibe and seek to
put their personal stamp on sophistication.
(See last page of this section for a snapshot and
more of these trends.)
Some analysts refer to this interesting but
complex consumer landscape as the "new
normal." Are you ready for it?
Yes, you are! Because the salon industry's
leading companies have done their homework
to create the "fuel" (literally, in one brand's
case) to help you take the best care of your
clients and your own bottom line.
This special Trend Report will prep you
to take advantage of the hottest new service
and add-on opportunities. It will also help
you "do the math," with simple formulas
detailing the actual extra dollars you earn by
adding these revenue drivers to your tickets
each week.
Based on consumer trends and industry innovations, these categories can really boost your income this year:
CONDITIONING TREATMENTS AND REGIMENS. Always lecturing clients who aren't diligent
about keeping their hair healthy? They're finally listening. Clients will want their hair to keep its integrity
as much as you do.
TEXTURE-CHANGING PRODUCTS, TOOLS AND SERVICES. Clients now take for granted that
they can change their texture. They will be open to any technology that offers improvement in speed,
effectiveness or damage-control.
HAIR COLOR: Spring is flirting with summer, and blonde is back. Clients may not go for three shades
of highlights and big differences in levels, but they will ask to go lighter and insist on shine and dimension.
Your product must be versatile and top quality to retain this color client. They also still want
long-lasting results and "options" that minimize or eliminate regrowth challenges.
FACIAL WAXING. This may be the easiest upsell of all. Clients really do want the "total look." Those
who stretched their eyebrow shaping appointments or put up with lip fuzz will get back on course,
while your hair-only clients will need just a gentle reminder to polish their appearance.
OTHER CATEGORIES TO WATCH? These product and
service segments also offer client solutions sure to be in-demand,
on-trend, profit boosters:
• Faster, simpler nail enhancements
• Men's hair color: simple, fast, discreet
• Easy-kit lash enhancements
• Thinning hair treatments and products
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.
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.
The former CFO of Perdue Farms and owner of Hardy Seafood, Terry Owens delivers a wealth of wisdom and strategies for entrepreneurs in his new book, "Business is Simple."
After scaling her single-location salon business, SALON TODAY 200 Honoree Amy Pal recently sold her six-location Whip Salon for seven figures. Using the six Ps for maximizing a business's value, she's ready to help her peers do the same.
Buried inside the One Big Beautiful Bill Act are federal solar tax credit changes that deserve your attention now. Two of the credits that matter most to commercial property owners, the Investment Tax Credit and the Production Tax Credit, are still available, but only if you move fast. A third, the Commercial Building Energy Efficiency Deduction, has a hard termination date that is closer than most people realize.
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Sponsored by Millennium Systems International
AI is transforming the beauty and wellness industry, and the future is about empowering people, not replacing them. Discover how Phorest AI helps salons, spas, and med spas across North America respond faster, personalize every visit, and keep human connection at the heart of the client experience.
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Owner Michaella Blissett-Williams credits her General Manager Gloria Hortua with [salon] 718's year-over-year, double-digit growth and says she's been able to scale the company to eight locations because she can rely on Hortua to manage daily operations.
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Elyse Rogers is an uplifting presence at The Headroom who makes the team feel heard even in stressful situations. Owner Danielle Cherewyk sings her praises in this installment of Meet the Manager.
Despite a slight and predictable decline in client traffic for Q1, resilient pricing power is driving year-over-year revenue growth in salons. The KIM Report's Alain Audet reviews the data and what it's telling us about the state of professional beauty.
Same-store revenue grew just 2% for the second straight year—and new guest visits declined across every segment of the industry. The 2026 Benchmark Report reveals where growth is actually happening, which verticals are pulling ahead, and what the data says about where your business stands right now.
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Hair restoration is entering a new era driven by regenerative science. This paper explores how Exosome technology is transforming treatment outcomes by targeting hair loss at a cellular level. Discover why EXOGROW is leading this shift.
Sponsored by Dermapenworld
A salon brand is much more than a logo. In this thought-provoking blog, Leon Alexander, Ph.D., walks you through the difference. SALON TODAY suggests sharing this article with your team and leading a discussion at your next huddle, asking the team to define your business's brand.
