Client Retention Guidebook
Everything you need to know about client retention as a salon owner.
Navigating the Confusion Around PPP
While the PPP loans helped many owners through an unimaginable crisis, there still is a lot of confusion and frustration around the loans. Kopsa Otte's April McDaniel shares those frustrations and provides the latest document to address some of the concerns.
by April McDaniel, CPA, CRSP, Kopsa Otte
June 1, 2020
2 min to read
"We are in this together!" This has been a common theme during this Covid 19 pandemic, for sure.
As an accountant who typically spends my time helping salon owners understand their financials and save money on taxes, I’d never have guessed how I’d spend the Spring of 2020. I’m sure I share this feeling with all my friends in the beauty industry and those in the professional accounting/tax world.
Times are not normal. Our lives are not about tax savings and financial statements right now. It’s about surviving this crisis. It’s about pivoting and providing what our clients need us to do RIGHT NOW.
Right now, that’s dissecting and communicating the vague and late-coming guidance surrounding the Paycheck Protection Program – the dreaded PPP loans. I say dreaded because it’s SO complicated.
It was sold by many to be free money as long as you spend 75 percent on payroll. Well, we all know there are always rules that go along with any government program.
I have to give props to our fearless leaders in Washington D.C. for getting this program out so quickly. The challenge has been that guidance on these programs has followed too late.
My conversations with owners vary from ending in tears because there is no opening date to celebrating grand re-openings. My days are filled with walking through a forgiveness calculator with clients that changes weekly, sometimes daily.
For some, the risk of paying payroll without the rules is too much. To complicate things further, they can’t match what their team is getting on unemployment. Another big flaw.
Our role has been to provide guidance to our clients on what we do know and expose the risk associated with what we don’t know. And, I have to say I’m tired of saying “I don’t know!”
I’m hopeful that the 8-week period will be extended and that we get more clarification on the rules, but unfortunately for those who got their money early in the first round, the answers may come too late.
We will keep doing our best to help given the guidance and lack of guidance that we have. I’m proud to be part of the Kopsa Otte team & be surrounded by this wonderful industry.
Here are some links to some new, and not so new information, surrounding this topic:
Journal of Accountancy Article on the new Interim Final Rules, issued May 22.
The most up-to-date FAQ for the PPP Program
Subscribe to Our Newsletter
More Salon Management
Success Grown from Within
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.
by Stacey Soble
How Salon Leaders Can Process the Pain and Lead Forward When a Team Members Leaves Unethically
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.
How AI Is Closing Revenue Gaps for Salons and Spas
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
The Premium Talent Magnet: The Modern Salon Playbook for Attracting Six-Figure Stylists
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
Five Revenue Leaks Hiding in Your Salon
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
The Heartbeat of Zandi K's Success
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.
by Stacey Soble
Rethinking Retail in the Era of E-Commerce
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.
by Stacey Soble
The Harper Ellis Hair Co. Certification Program Teaches Stylists a Smarter, Safer Way to Install Extensions
The company's Concealed Bead Method is raising the bar for what professional extension education can deliver.
by Staff
The Micro-Salon Blueprint: How Kat Scott Quadrupled Income by Maximizing Her Suite
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.
by Staff
Competing for Revenue: Veteran Business Owner Shares a Framework for Growth
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."
by Staff
Built to Sell: How One Owner Turned Zero Salon Experience into a Multimillion-Dollar Exit
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.
Shedding Light on Solar Tax Credits for Your Beauty Business
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.
The Salon Ghost Report: Stop Wasting Hours Chasing Unqualified Applicants
Up to 40% of hair stylists ghost the salon interview stage, leaving owners trapped playing endless phone tag with uncommitted applicants. This data-driven report breaks down why traditional job boards create recruitment friction and reveals the modern messaging strategies high-growth salons use to get pre-qualified talent to actually show up. Learn how to transition from cold calling to high-conversion conversations that protect your time and fill your chairs.
Sponsored by Beautista
When the Client ISN'T Right!
Spit fests, hostile threats, and even an overachieving matchmaker--SALON TODAY readers share their craziest client tales and how their team handled these tough situations with professionalism and grace.
by Stacey Soble
2026 Beauty & Wellness Summer Marketing Calendar
Keeping your appointment book full when clients are in vacation mode takes more than a good Instagram post. It takes a plan. The 2026 Summer Marketing Calendar from Meevo gives salon, spa & med spa owners a month-by-month roadmap with sharp themes, key opportunity dates, and campaign ideas specifically designed for the beauty & wellness industry. Here’s to your summer season working as hard as you do!
Sponsored by Millennium Systems International
AI in Beauty: What It Means for Your Team, Your Clients, and Your Business
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.
Sponsored by Phorest