Trimming your Expenses
I recently polled the community of top salon and spa owners about how they are trimming their expenses without affecting the quality of their services. Here's what they had to say:
The Right Target
Maybe the very idea of dealing with clients who are eager to spend seems foreign to you—right up there with aliens from outer space dropping by for afternoon tea or unicorns grazing in your backyard. But I assure you, these 'eager to spend, premium-price customers' are out there in great and growing abundance.
Flood Control
Now that we've dealt with the initial shock of the flood damage, it's time to roll up our sleeves and work on getting this salon up and running. For me, that means dealing with insurance and solving the flooring issue. Check out my journal entries from days four through seven.
My Lesson from the Daymaker
A few weeks ago, I interviewed JUUT Salonspa Owner David Wagner regarding his battle with lymphoma and his Faces of Cancer project for our Business Builders e-newsletter. Our staff was really happy to learn a few days ago that initial tests show that David's cancer is in remission, and we hope the positive reports continue. But, I can't stop thinking about something David told me during that interview.
by Stacey Soble
Zona Part 2: Interior Space Planning
After receiving the green light for the façade & signage renovation from both the building owner & city hall, Frank & I began another series of discussions on the requirements of the finished space. He cited hard facts: 6 stylists, 3 shampoo chairs, process area, Aveda retail area, etc. From this information, we began a “space plan” that weaved together function and physiognomy relationships of these activities. Often, my questions of the space planning are the same as the client’s, yet the answers are different. Why? Because I use the psychology of space, walls, lighting & color to physically solve the identity of the space.
Surviving the Flood
What happens when you find almost three inches of water in your almost-new salon? That's what happened to me, and this blog shares my day-by-day experience from notifying customers to working through insurance agencies to reopening our doors, better than ever.
Share the Good News!
When journalists Euna Lee and Laura Ling were pardoned by the North Korean government and allowed to come home, I immediately turned on the morning news programs. I wanted to see the homecoming, hear the excited voices of their friends and feel the joy in the welcoming embraces from their families. I needed and craved the good news.
by Stacey Soble
Designing for a Brand
As an architect and interior designer I am constantly aware of my surroundings, so it wasn’t surprising after my first hair cut back in 2002 at Zona Salon in Norwell, Massachusetts, that I would give a candid reply about design on their questionnaire. I simply stated, “Your salon interior does not reflect the quality of your haircut.”
Adrienne Rogers = Patrick McIvor's Picasso
How do you stay motivated, even after all these years?
The Dress Dilemma: Customer Service in Action
We have all heard stories of Nordstrom's legendary customer service. After shopping for a cocktail dress for Cosmoprof North America, I got to witness that stellar service in action.
by Stacey Soble
The Social Network Addiction
For months, my family, friends and colleagues have prodded me to set up a Facebook account. I'll admit it—I've been resisting. Not because it intimidated me, but rather because I know myself way too well.
by Stacey Soble
The Power of Your Words
I'm furious with my mother-in-law's stylist, yet I've never even met her. Although it was unintentional, her careless compliment unraveled six months of pleading, cajoling and persuading on our family's behalf.
by Stacey Soble
Turning the Tables
As an editor and writer, I’m usually the one asking the questions. But last Friday, Nedra Rhone, a reporter from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, called me looking for a national perspective on a story she was working on about salons in the new economy.
by Stacey Soble
Create Your Own Cult Following
Even in this tough economy, yoga/lifestyle clothing manufacturer LuLuLemon is making a killing selling $50 tank tops and $90 leggings. How so? Because they’ve strategically cultivated their own cult following.
by Stacey Soble
Advertising for the Season
Did you remember to set aside a few extra dollars in your advertising budget for the holidays?