
The Constant
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.
Client referral programs, retail incentives, working with assistants, and employee bonus programs--SALON TODAY recommends a list of stories that all aim to bring more profit to the bottom line.

A consistency in coaching regarding the service/retail conversation with clients yields a higher average retail ticket in the Tangerine Salons.
SALON TODAY provides best practices and a community for owners so they can run more efficient, more profitable businesses. This month, we spotlight four trending stories on how to drive profits through your staff, retail, referrals and motivational techniques. See recaps of each story below and corresponding links.
To enhance your business education even more, visit avedameansbusiness.com for articles and tips on growing your salon
Motivators that Work: Healthy Competition and Bonus Clubs
Salon owners explore new methods to motivate their stylists. The result? A bigger bottom line.
At Bella Style Salon in Slidell, Louisiana, owner Jen Baudier created a six-figure club for stylists who hit $100k in services in one year.
“I offered a $1,000 bonus on the spot when a service provider reached $100k in annual services,” she says.
Baudier attributes her staff’s success and motivation to reach this goal to her intense focus on individual growth.
“I broke it down to the day and told them, you need to add a person here, or three conditioning treatments there—I was really specific.”
Assistants Drive Profit, Period.
Owner Ricky Blount isn’t interested in growing his assistants into stylists. His salon is too small to support any more stylists. Instead, assistants join Ricky and his wife Ginny with the clear understanding they will receive amazing experience and will be able to move on to the salon of their choice when they’re ready.
This system allows the Blounts to see 30-32 clients per day, five days a week, between the hours of 7:45 am-6:30 pm.
Learn more about this profitable couple and their small, but mighty business.
Stylist Adds $25k, Books Out Salon
When John Souza of M Salon Experience at the Loop participated in a referral contest, in his wildest dreams he didn’t think he’d end up with so many clients he needed to give some to his colleagues.
“It got to the point where I would just do a consult and give the client to someone else,” he says.
Ultimately, Souza’s success benefited the whole business.
M Salon owner Allison Agresta says, “We grew our services by $101,655 from 2015-2016, and our retail numbers by $23,477. That’s a total of $125,132 in growth for the entire year.”
Full Circle: The Retail Conversation from Consultation to Checkout
Salon owners share the strategic retail conversations they have with clients throughout the entire appointment.
At Tangerine Salons in the Dallas area, consistency in coaching the service/retail conversation has yielded an average retail ticket above $12 in each of its five locations, with one location hitting $18-20.
“It has become a culture thing,” Tangerine Operations Director Lauren Radoncic says. “Everyone can see where they rank in retail on our board and know if they need to step it up.”

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.

Pagoda, a new AI-native operating system for scheduling, payments, patient records, marketing, and client communications, launches at Skinovatio Medical Spa in Arlington Heights, Illinois.

At a panel discussion hosted by L’Oréal Professionnel in Paris in early July, French Philosopher Sophie Galabru explored the cultural shift where women are increasingly choosing natural, personalized color results over traditional grey coverage. In an exclusive interview with SALON TODAY, Galabru and L’Oréal Professionnel Colorist Pierrick Beringer discuss this shift and how salons and colorists respond.

At Salon Blonde, Director of Operations treats the staff as the salon's most important guests, while her wonderful 'nerdy' side, loves data, systems, and numbers. Find out how she makes Salon Blonde tick.

In an exclusive interview with SALON TODAY, Salon Owner Salvatore Minardi reflects on his past 18 months as Intercoiffure America Canada's World Talent Exchange Ambassador and how his experiences will help encourage cultural and artistic exchange and support greater engagement between ICA and the global organization Intercoiffure Mondial.

Everything you need to know about client retention as a salon owner.

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.

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.

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
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.
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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.
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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.

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.

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.