A Partner in Business and in Life
At Janet St. Paul Studio for Hair and Beauty, Director of Operations Natasha McMillen helps bring her wife Janet St. Paul's vision to life, elevating every system from education to operations.
by Stacey Soble
Take Back Your Clients
At the Salon Business Success Forum at ABS, top salon owners offer invaluable peer-to-peer advice.
by Web Editor
July 10, 20113 min to read
At the Salon Business Success Forum at ABS, top salon
owners offer invaluable peer-to-peer advice.
At America's Beauty Show more than
300 salon owners and managers packed
the Salon Business Success Forum,
hosted by ABS and P&G Salon Professional
and powered by SALON TODAY. Reuben
Carranza, CEO of P&G Professional,
opened the forum by delving in the P&G
data vault and offering up information that
helps owners unravel the mysteries of today's
beauty consumer and shed light on
the non-salon competition.
Audience members brought their toughest management questions to the salon owner panel, moderated by SALON TODAY Editor Stacey Soble.
"Large retail stores, such as CVS, Target,
Walmart, and The Gap, have made mass
retailing success because of their pristine
displays. They have created an overall
environment where people can stop and
browse," Carranza told attendees. "It's
time for us to take back our salon client,
because she believes us first."
Over the next hour, three salon owners
took the stage, delivering powerful
examples of how they've transformed
their businesses.
Left: Eva Scrivo, owner of the Eva Scrivo Salon, suggests salons can make a lasting impression on their clients by educating and empowering
them. Right: Reuben Carranza, CEO of P&G Salon Professional, advises owners to be conscious of the buying behavior of the beauty enthusiast.
(Photos by Lauren Salapatek.)
• Deborah Schmidt, owner of the
chain of Mitchell's Salons and Spas in
Cincinnati, Ohio, walked attendees through
her process of understanding the target market
and developing a business concept that
lures them in. "Collect information on the
target you want and you'll begin to see patterns,"
she said. "Everything has to match
the image of your target client. Create a
culture that your client can feel."
• William George, owner of the James
Joseph Salons in Boston, stressed that in
addition to taking back your clients, you
need to take back your staff. "Keeping a
team together is tantamount to your success,"
he cautioned. "It is important that as
the salon's owner, you take control of each
and every meeting at your salon."
• Eva Scrivo, owner of the Eva Scrivo
Salon in New York, shared her strategy of
establishing herself as the beauty expert.
"Be the authority," she advised. "Show
your client exactly how to style their own
hair. When you teach, share and give, the
more you'll get back."
For the last hour of the forum, Frank
Gironda, president of Cosmetologists
Chicago and owner of the Frank Gironda
Salons and Day Spas in Naperville,
Illinois, and SALON TODAY 200 Honorees
Jason Hall, co-owner of RED 7 Salons
in Chicago, and Ginny Eramo, owner of
Interlocks Salon and Day Spa in Boston,
joined the speakers for a fast-paced panel
session moderated by Stacey Soble, editor
in chief of SALON TODAY.
Audience members fired away with
their toughest management challenges and
the panelists rose to the occasion, offering
their best advice to their peers.
"Be true to yourself," said Hall. "Your
business should be a reflection of you-
never waiver from that."
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