The Miracle Hair Worker
I was so excited when my 16-year-old daughter Rachel tried out for and made the high school diving team. But two weeks after practice started, and she could no longer pull a comb through her hair, I was rethinking that decision. Two hour, daily practice sessions in a chlorine-saturated pool left her blonde strands tangled, dry, dull, gummy and a little green.
by Stacey Soble
Thoughts with Joplin, MO
I grew up in Tornado Alley, just 149 miles from Joplin, Missouri. Although I was fortunate to never have come too close to a tornado, I remember watching one from afar from my fourth-grade classroom as we assumed the 'position' long practiced in regular tornado drills. I remember many Spring nights spent in our basement listening for an all-clear announcement from the local radio station. And, I remember once touring a family friend's country home that was literally lifted off its foundation, rotated 180 degrees and set back down--leaving the back door where they front door used to be. Naturally, my thoughts are with the people of Joplin this week, and I'm not alone:
by Stacey Soble
What to Do When You Hired the Wrong Person!
She’s peppy, fun, she gets along with everyone at first meeting, and she’s smart! Nothing could go wrong with her—or, so you thought! After two months, she’s not as happy as the first couple of weeks of employment. Then, she starts telling everyone how “bored” she gets during the slow times at the desk. She even gets caught up in a few arguments with the stylists. Lately, she’s been booking appointments all wrong!
New Professional Appliance Study Shows Market Growth
Cyrus Bulsara, president of Professional Consultants & Resources, a leading U.S. salon industry strategic consulting, market intelligence and research data company, has just completed a comprehensive study of the 2010 Professional Salon Industry Appliances Market. This study was compiled utilizing the expert resources of veteran executives in the professional salon industry and salon appliances marketplace.
NAHA Announces MBA Finalists
With much fanfare, the Professional Beauty Association announced the much-anticipated finalists for the 2011 North American Hairstyling Awards! As of last year, NAHA, the most prestigious photo competition in North America, celebrates the business savvy of salon owners in addition to the artistry and skill of professional salon industry. PBA invites the entire industry to come together on July 31, at Mandalay Bay Resort in Las Vegas for the 2011 awards ceremony.
by Stacey Soble
Green Your School
When it comes to supporting your local schools, there are a lot of ways you can help. You can offer complimentary services to teachers, offer gift cards for school fund-raising efforts, or talk to interested high school students about careers in cosmetology. Now, thanks to Pureology and Global Green USA, there’s a great new green way you can help your local school.
by Stacey Soble
Front Desk Retail Knowledge Made Easy
Do your front desk professionals know enough about all the styling product carried in your salon? Can they name your top 10 retail sellers? If you asked them the benefits and gfeatures of their favorite styling agent, could they give them to you? If you answered 'no' to any of these questions, I have a few ideas for getting your front desk team involved in your salon's product knowledge.
Matrix's New Momentum
As SALON TODAY follows the leading manufacturing companies in the professional beauty industry, we’ve picked up on a new energy at Matrix. I recently had the opportunity to get to the bottom of that new momentum through a podcast interview with Colin Walsh, Matrix’s vice president general manager.
by Stacey Soble
Why Life is Good
When my daughter Rachel had her Bat Mitzvah a few years back, our party planner pushed us to come up with a theme. Rachel quickly rejected ideas the planner’s ideas of a disco, sports or 60s theme. Perplexed, we went to lunch with some friends. Filling them in on our quandary, the other mom looked at Rachel in her colorful T-shirt, and kiddingly suggested, “What about a ‘Life is Good’ theme? She’s a glass-always-full-kind-of girl.”
by Stacey Soble
Rocks on Your Hair
You may have heard the old idiom, "You've got rocks in your head!" which refers to someone with less that full intelligence. But has anyone ever told you, "You've got rocks on your hair!"
by Stacey Soble
Inspiring Thoughts from the 2011 ABS Business Forum
Presented by ABS, P&G Salon Professional and Salon Today The 2011 America’s Beauty Show Business Forum: Smart Thinking, Straight Talk delved deep into salon business practices and armed salon professionals with the necessary business and leadership skills they need to succeed. See what top beauty magazine editors and successful business owners had to say about their clients needs and wants.
Front Desk Meetings: Zeroing In for Success
Are your salon meetings zeroed in on the specific needs of your front desk? To have a top-notch front desk, I believe you need a meeting once a month with just the front desk team to discuss sales, growing the salon, building the providers’ clientele, and customer service.
The Change Agent
For more than a decade I enjoyed watching Patricia Owen, owner of Faces DaySpa in Hilton Head, South Carolina, grow her business. I've tapped her business savvy for features on building spa profitability, retailing and developing a an emergency preparedness plan—in her case, the threat was hurricanes. And, I've even had the pleasure of being a client in her spa—best reflexology foot massage I've ever had!
by Stacey Soble
How to Hire the Right Person for the Front Desk
Hiring someone to represent your salon at the front desk can be a daunting task. The front desk professional is the first person your clients see upon entering and last person they see before leaving your salon. Most importantly, they are the person your customers will interact with while booking their salon experience. Should any one of these interactions go wrong, you could lose a client and future business. So, how can you spot who will and who will not work out in this extremely important position? Here are a few hot tips on how to hire for front desk success!
5 Things I Learned About Vidal Sassoon
If you've worked in the hair industry for any length of time, you know that Vidal Sassoon is famous for his revolutionary five-point cut, for creating Mia Farrow's iconic look for Rosemary's Baby in front of press in a boxing ring, and for his wildly successful product line. And if you have some years on you like I do, you can even probably sing the "If You Don't Look Good, We Don't Look Good" jingle.
by Stacey Soble
Lead with No Compromise
Two habitually late stylists slink into the monthly staff meeting halfway through the agenda. As the meeting concludes, the owner asks the stylists to stay after a moment
by Stacey Soble
Digging Out From Blizzaster 2011!
As the Blizzaster of 2011 swept through the country, it left salon closings, client cancellations, staff absenteeism and even broken water pipes in its wake. While salon and spa sales are typically sluggish in January and February anyway, this wintery hiccup is causing a ripple of panic as owners study their monthly sales projections. But we've found many owners won't take it while sitting buried in the snow, and they're actively communicating with clients and extending hours and days to keep guests on schedule, developing special winter promotions and even helping guests dig out their cars. Follow this running blog, as owners share their stories, and owners and salon coaches offer suggestions for recouping lost sales.
by Stacey Soble