MENU
SEARCHDon’t pay premium wages for dead-end tasks.
The most crippling expense for any salon is its people, and with minimum wage increases being implemented across almost half the country in 2022, that cost will only go up. Yet thousands of hours are spent by trainee and qualified cosmetologists doing the most menial tasks—like laundry—that do not generate income. In today’s climate, finding ways to cut back on those unproductive jobs has become a priority.
According to a report published by USA Today from the National Employment Law Project, by 2026 about 40 percent of the US workforce will be on a minimum hourly wage of $15. The same report revealed in 2022, 25 states and 56 localities lifted their pay floors, although not to $15/hour—not yet.
Perhaps only a few salons will be forced to comply as the mandates are mostly focused on larger employers, however the trickle-down effect will be felt. In an industry struggling to attract talent, salons will have to increase wages or lose out on new recruits tempted into other, higher-paying sectors.
But if you are forced to pay up to $15 an hour to attract recruits, then you don’t want them stuck sorting laundry or cutting up foils when they could be looking after guests and contributing revenue to the business.
“We’ve really focused on modernizing systems and procedures to minimize costs," says James Alba, co-owner of B-Hive in Hillsdale, New Jersey, and founder of The Salon Movement. "For us that meant jettisoning cotton towels in favor of disposable, biodegradable towels from Scrummi. Getting rid of cotton towels is more sustainable as our highly trained team no longer waste time on the laundry, folding and tidying them away once washed and dried.”
For Alba, the disposable towels had to be made from a natural, biodegradable material as well as absorbent, easy to use and comfortable for the client.
“Scrummi have been around for more than a decade, and besides having a long track record of reliability they had the highest sustainability credibility, being the only disposable towel with full accreditation,” says Alba. “We had little pushback from the team. They were just so delighted to escape the laundry short-straw but they’ve also recognized the improvement the towels mean to our service. Meanwhile, we are no longer paying premium wages for menial tasks, saving us money, especially as these
disposable towels cost around the same or less than laundering cotton towels.”
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.
Sponsored by Beautista
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
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.
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.
