In The Know
An Ah-ha Moment at the DMV
I truly loathe those necessary trips to California's Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). When I moved to this state two years ago, it required three separate trips and a total of six hours of waiting in line to get our family's three cars registered. But, it was the seemingly unfriendly, uncaring attitudes of the DMV staff that sent me over the edge. Realizing that another long wait, a written test and more crankiness was in my future, I've been resisting going in to get my actual driver's license changed.
by Stacey Soble
Will Your Face Grace Our Cover?
Over the past year, the SALON TODAY team has had multiple opportunities to interact face to face with salon owners, including Serious Business, ISSE, America's Beauty Show, the Premiere Orlando Beauty Event, and most recently the Harms Millennium UGC. Each time, we've solicited feedback from owners regarding the big changes we made to the SALON TODAY 200, and we addressed questions from owners about how the can improve their chances. In an effort of fairness, I wanted to share my advice with everyone!
by Stacey Soble
A Front Desk Dream Come True
Have you ever wished your front desk team would try harder to upgrade the client's phone appointment by making additional service offerings? Do you find yourself wondering how they could miss great opportunities to offer gift cards or wishing they were more focused on closing the retail sale?
Keeping it Personal with Technology
The personal time and attention you give your clients is what keeps them coming back. You know their likes and dislikes (the more blonde the better!), their triumphs and failures, and even their plans for the weekend. The client-stylist bond is sacrosanct.
by Meg McCall
Walking in Your Shoes
When it comes to solid business education, financial gurus, motivating consultants, and even iconic stylists are great. But sometimes, the best business education comes from other owners just like you--those who fight the same daily struggle to continue to build and grow a successful salon business. Owners, who have developed their own little area of expertise along the way, simply by experimenting, sometimes failing, and eventually perfecting an idea.
by Stacey Soble
Bipartisan Legislation Introduced that would Provide Tax Fairness and Savings for Salon Industry
As part of "National Small Business Week," Senator Olympia Snowe (R-ME) introduced the Small Business Tax Equalization and Compliance Act, which would allow the salon industry to enjoy the same tax rules on tips paid to employees as is ...
by Stacey Soble
The Pulse of the Industry
I had the opportunity to help kick off the recent International SalonSpa Business Network (ISBN) Conference by doing what I do everyday—asking industry thought leaders for their opinions on a variety of topics. But, this time I did it live and in front of an audience, as I was invited to moderate the conference's State of the Industry Panel.
by Stacey Soble
Doing Business with Heart
A few weeks after Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast, I interviewed about a dozen salon owners, service providers, and industry leaders who lived and worked in the region—many of whom had lost their businesses and their homes. The feature, which I wrote for MODERN SALON, focused on the positive—on how salon owners and stylists, who were typically competitors, were stepping in and helping one other out. I'll never forget any of those interviews—they were the most intense, passionate, and heartfelt conversations I've ever experienced, and I believe the resulting story exposed the true beauty of this caring industry.
by Stacey Soble
Why Your Salon Needs a Website
When was the last time you picked up the Yellow Pages to search for the number of a local business? OK, when was the last time one of your young staff members accessed the Yellow Pages? Do they even know what they are?
by Stacey Soble
Inspiration from the Doves
It's always a pleasure to interview the Doves. Their artistry is legendary, their work is sure to inspire, they always have a marketing tip handy, and yeah, I always get swept away by those great British accents. Now you can, too, as you listen to my audio interview with Sonya and Christopher Dove, owners of the Doves Studio in Santa Monica, California, and the creative directors for the North American division of Wella.
by Stacey Soble
What You Can Learn from a Pole Dancer
Want a more successful salon? Borrow a page from the book of your local yoga instructor or pole dancing teacher.
by Meg McCall
A Passion for Business
For years, I've watched Robert Cromeans educate and inspire stylists from the stage. With his fabulous artistry, sexy Scottish brogue, unique rockstar sense of fashion, and 'I walk your walk' attitude, he really rocks their worlds. But, each time I sit down with this JPMS global artistic director and owner of five salons and two schools, it's his intense passion for business that really rocks mine.
by Stacey Soble
How to be an Effective Leader
Being an effective leader is crucial to the success of any business. In the salon industry, it's of paramount importance because of the differing personalities involved and the appearance that many job functions operate independently. But while stylist may have their own clients, nail techs keep their own appointment books and management has its own goals and agendas, each salon position is part of a complex interaction of communication and interdependence that must be understood for a salon to realize its full potential.
E-mail Engagement
As we started gathering examples of how salon businesses should engage their customers in new and unique ways for the cover story of SALON TODAY, I started thinking about how the businesses I patronize engage with me. There's one business I feel strongly connected to and engaged by, and ironically, I've never set foot on their property, never met one of their employees, never even spoken to one of them on the phone.
by Stacey Soble
10 Ways to Go Green
Operating a green salon or spa not only is good for the environment, but it can be good for your bottom line, because conserving resources and cutting down on waste saves money! Want to make your business an eco-friendly, profitable powerhouse? Here's 10 tips:
Effective Team Building
The term 'team building' has been so misunderstood over the years that it often conjures up images of tug-of-war exercises and awkward group outings. The real concept of building a team, however, is critical to every business, especially those in the salon industry, where each member of the team must work independently—and in unison—to allow the salon to reach its full potential. The goal is to create an effective, strong team environment—without drama, disruptions or misunderstandings.
Top Strategies from Successful Salon Owners
In my opinion, the best part of a business conference is the expert panel session--it's interactive, informative, and because of its spontaneous nature, it's usually highly entertaining. Simply assemble a group of experts with a diverse range of backgrounds and experiences, collect a stack of thoughtful questions from their audience of peers, and grab a notebook so you can start jotting down the great ideas and strategies that start flying around the room.
by Stacey Soble