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SEARCHBusiness is always changing and salon owners need to know the next best practices if they don’t want to be left in the dust. Aveda Means Business has been sharing articles on the ways business is shifting between you and your staff, as well as you and your clients. These are the discussions to be involved in to stay ahead of the curve.
Business is always changing and salon owners need to know the next best practices if they don’t want to be left in the dust. Aveda Means Business has been sharing articles on the ways business is shifting between you and your staff, as well as you and your clients. These are the discussions to be involved in to stay ahead of the curve.
1. The Solo Artist Decision
Many stylists are considering leaving the traditional salon setting and turning to a career as an independent contractor. They believe that by becoming a Solo Artist they will be able to make more money, have a more flexible schedule and be able to work with more creative freedom. However, in this article from Aveda Means Business, stylist Bebea Hanna tried the Solo Artist life and decided that it was not right for her. It was a learning experience that has now made her better understand the financial constraints that salon owners deal with, and also made her realize that the business side of beauty was not what she wanted to focus on. For more on making the Solo Artist decision, read the Aveda Means Business article “The Price of Independence: The Truth About Booth Rentals.”
2. Social Media is King
In an Aveda Means Business article on the importance of social media marketing, Gerard Scarpaci of Hairbrained breaks down the three simple but vital lessons of maximizing social media outreach. He stresses the importance of creating content as often as possible. “If you have a Facebook account, a mobile phone and a little charisma, you can reach huge amounts of people,” Scarpaci says. It’s also necessary to curate your content, ensuring that most posts are relevant and interesting to your target audience. Finally, engaging with clients and other business in the community are great ways to make sure that your business stays top of feed and top of mind. For more on being a social media marketing master, read the Aveda Means Business article “Social Studies: 3 Ways To Win At salon Social Media Marketing.
3. Experiential Shopping is the New Way to Retail
Gramercy Salon owner Kristin Nelson has found the secret to huge retail growth: creating hands-on experiences. Nelson brought on a new team member in her Boca Raton Aveda Lifestyle salon, an Aveda Advisory, who is an expert on products and Aveda rituals. She trained the whole team on implementing these rituals and now at least two out of a list of six rituals are offered to each client. They include a makeup touch-up, hair consultation, skin care consultation, sensory journey with chakra cards, hand ritual and scalp treatment/massage. In an article from Aveda Means Business, Nelson describes how these rituals have made guests feel well-cared for in the salon and has dramatically increased retail sales. For more on experiential shopping, read the Aveda Means Business article, “Want To Rock Your Retail Sales? Get Hands-On.”
4. Educate Staff on Numbers, Not Just Techniques
Aveda Means Business talked with Bonnie Conte and Shyla Samel-Kurnick, owners of Avalon Salon and Day Spa in Deer Park, Illinois, to learn more about how education has gotten their staff more engaged in salon goals. The whole salon team is privy to the salon’s stats (retail, prebooking, service), goals and retention rates, and this transparency has strengthened culture. Stylists are more engaged in retail because they know how to track it. When goals are announced, the staff is told where money will be going, such as to redo flooring, so they are motivated to achieve the objective as a part of the team. For more, read the Aveda Means Business article “Business Basics: Educating Your Staff.”
5. Maximize Productivity With Multiple Shifts and Extended Hours
Scott Buchanan, owner of four Scott J. Salons in Manhattan and Brooklyn, talked with Aveda Means Business on the ways that he has upped productivity in his salons. He analyzed his business, looking at the days and times when he was most busy, discovering that evenings and weekends were prime time for appointments and walk-ins. Rather than only giving them the option of one late night a week, Buchanan keeps his salons open seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. and keeps his chairs busy all week long. His clients love the flexibility these hours offer and his stylists are happy, too. Working shifts allows stylists to choose between three 12-hour days, four 10-hour days, or five 6-to-8-hour days per week. For more on this system, read the Aveda Means Business article “Shift Your Thinking: A Master Class In Productivity.”
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.
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
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.
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 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
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.
Shine Time: Aluram’s High Shine Line Delivers Moisture and Shine with Clean Ingredients
Sponsored by Aluram
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.
Sponsored by Zenoti
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.
