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
50 Life Lessons Through Noëlle
If your service menu features body treatments, massages or facials, some credit is due to Noel DiCaprio, who frequently is credited as the Mother of the day spa movement. Although the great Noel lost her battle with cancer more than a decade ago, the business she founded stands strong and celebrates 50 years this year.
by Stacey Soble
Take Back Your Clients!
Tired of watching your clients stretch their appointments further and further apart? Hate hearing how they're trimming their ends and touching up their roots at home? Wish they'd fill their counters with products off of your shelves? Well, join the rallying cry that's being voiced around the country—Take Back Our Salon Clients!
by Stacey Soble
TV Time
When I went to journalism school at the University of Missouri many years ago, we were required to pick a focus of study. Many of my friends chose the broadcasting sequence, but I had grown up in a newspaper family—in fact, my parents still own a community newspaper. While I wanted to do something different, I still found myself drawn to the written word, so I chose the magazine sequence. Over the years though, I enjoyed watching the careers of my broadcasting comrades blossom, first at the university-affiliated television station then at networks where they landed their first jobs.
by Stacey Soble
Raising Skincare Standards
A few months back I received a call from Susanne Warfield, the executive director of the National Coalition of Estheticians, Manufacturers/Distributors & Associations, or more easily referred to as the NCEA. Although Susanne and I had worked together on skincare-related feature stories for SALON TODAY in the past, I honestly admitted to her I knew little about the coalition, its mission or its political initiatives.
by Stacey Soble
Down to Business
There's no doubt that today's salon and spa owners are more focused on business than ever before. As evidence, Neill Corporation's Serious Business 2010 witnessed one of its largest attendance records, with more than 1,000 owners and managers rolling up their black sleeves and diving into business topics headfirst.
by Stacey Soble
Strut Your Stuff!
FEBRUARY 1—the deadline for the SALONS OF THE YEAR for 2010 is fast approaching! Those with their fingers on the pulse of the decor market feel that renovations and remodels were down in 2009, so that may improve your chances.
by Stacey Soble
Bruno's New Purpose
After the death of his brother Guy, Bruno Mascolo embarked an a personal journey which is leading him to re-engineer TONI&GUY into the Couture of Hairdressing
by Stacey Soble
More Love for Haiti
Within 24 hours of the devastating earthquake in Haiti, I began receiving e-mails from owners, first asking advice on how they could help victims, then sharing stories of what they were doing. This is a story that continues to evolve daily, so I've been keeping a running a post of how those in our industry are reaching out. Don't have time to read a story this long? Then simply scroll down and feel the love:
by Stacey Soble
Quietly Lead by Example
On a whim, I hit the after-holiday sales table at my local Barnes and Noble and picked up a half-priced jigsaw puzzle. My kids made faces and my husband piped in with a Grandma joke at my expense, but I just smiled and bought it anyway.
by Stacey Soble
Turning Our Attention to SOTY
This week, the entire SALON TODAY editorial staff breathed a sigh of relief and felt the glow of satisfaction as we shipped the 13th Annual SALON TODAY 200 issue to the printer. Expanding the competition beyond growth to focus on a variety of business practices added multiple new dimensions to what was already a strong competition. I trust the additional statistics and owner ideas will fuel salon plans around the country throughout 2010.
by Stacey Soble
Do You Have What It Takes to be an ST200 Salon?
In a just few short weeks, the January issue of SALON TODAY will honor 200 salons for their growth and their best practices. But that dream of becoming a top salon lies within many of us. Knowing that owning a salon isn't an easy or quick route to success is good, but actually becoming one of the ST200 salons is a bit tougher. What follows is a list of entrepreneurial traits common in many of the ST200 owners.