Author: Han

How to decide what policies to enforce in your salon

In my post today, I wanted to share some thoughts I had on creating salon policies that work for you in your business. A code of conduct if you like. Now this particular article highlights the policies for customers as opposed to staff. I will discuss staff policies in a separate post – so stay tuned for more!

Facebook, Apple and even McDonalds (to name but a few) have them, so if these big business tycoons have terms of use, why shouldn’t we follow suit and do the same?

As defined on Wikipedia a policy is a: ‘Statement of intent, and is implemented as a procedure or protocol’.

That being said, you need to look at two things before deciding what policies to enforce within your salon. The compulsory policies for example; patch testing. And the more lenient guidelines such as no pets. The latter are to be determined by you as a salon owner and what is most fitting for your business.

Why having clear cut policies in your salon are important

To illustrate how important it is to have these policies in place – let’s look at a hypothetical scenario that could take place in a salon…

A customer calls to make an appointment for her colour treatment and is booked in with one of your stylists. No visible problem yet right?

She arrives for her appointment and is seated to discuss her hair requirements with her assigned stylist. Again no issues?

But what I didn’t tell you is this customer has never had a colour treatment performed in your salon before.

She should have been asked at the time of booking the appointment IF she had in fact received a colour before with you. See where I’m going with this?

Where does the fault lie? With your receptionist for failing to remember to ask the correct questions? Or with the customer for not giving correct information?

What if we were to go one step further? Say your stylist HAD performed the colour service on the client and she had a bad reaction as a result? What would happen then? Where would the blame lie?

Now had a policy been in place to ensure every customer is asked when booking their appointment if they have had a colour treatment before, this scenario could have been avoided all together. Or if they are made aware on your website that if they have not had a patch test 48 hours prior to their colour treatment, they will be unable to have their service completed and may still be charged for the time as they were advised prior to the booking.

People don’t always tell you the full story or simply don’t foresee these things being a problem. That is until there IS a problem which = Bad hair day!

Only hairdressers have hair brains! So it is our job to ask the appropriate questions so we get the correct answers – to do the best with the information we have to work with.

I just wanted to highlight how important having legitimate policies in place are and why we need a set of rules to stick to as added protection for both sides.

If you have clear cut policies in place, their is no confusion and everyone should be well informed. Staff and clients alike. This should minimize any of these sorts of things happening in the first place.

What policies could/should you investigate

As I briefly touched on earlier, there are two kinds of policies within a salon. Compulsory and Discretionary.

If I split them up we can then look in more detail in a minute.

Compulsory. So these are policies that we should all adhere to, no matter who we are.

• Patch tests: Must be performed up to a minimum of 48 hours prior to the appointment.
• Strand tests: Must be taken for any new client OR if an existing client wishes to change their colour.
• 16 as the minimum age for any chemical treatment: You are not advised to colour any minor under the age of 16 as of 2015 as cited from Habia  and their new guideline. Please see here for more information.
• No smoking within the premises: This is the law here in the UK at least, please see here for more details. As of 2007 it is illegal to smoke inside any business premises. (Phew! No more gross smokey hair 🙂 )

Discretionary. These are policies that you can tailor to your own salon depending on your pain points.

• Allowing pets within the salon: Now I LOVE our four legged friends! However that is not a sentiment shared by everyone. You may wish to have a separate note regarding service animals however.
• Cancellations: Will you put in place a policy whereby you charge 100% of the appointment if cancelled with less than 24 hours notice?
• No shows: (3 x rule) If a customer is repeatedly not attending appointments, without prior notice, you have the right to refuse service after 3 consecutive times.
• Tardiness: You could put in place a 15 minute rule, if a client is any later than this they will have to reschedule at your earliest convenience.
• Time period on complaints: 2 weeks as a ballpark figure would be a fair time restraint for free corrections (at your discretion) I would say. Please see my post on ‘dealing with complaints’ right here!
• Returns: Do you accept returns on products? What does the supplier state?
• Deposits for bridal hair or substantial appointments: This is important. If you have a large bridal party and your whole morning booked out, it is good to have a deposit to secure their booking. You have some insurance if they do not turn up. This also applies for a colour correction or any long spanning appointment.
• If a client has not had a chemical service for a period of 3 months, they must have another patch/skin test: This is relevant because a client could have used a box colour in between salon visits, or been elsewhere where they use conflicting brands. It is always best to air on the side of caution when it has been a while between visits.
• Taking contact numbers: I can’t begin to tell you how vital this is to running your salon smoothly. Namely if a stylist is off, you have means of contacting their client to advise them of their options. Alternatively, you or another stylist may have a query about the booking in place? Trust me, this has been a lifesaver on a number of occasions. And avoided the client walking in and you having to notify them without prior warning when they have already made a trip out. Not good practice and a sure fire way to rile people!
• Payment methods: How do you accept payments? Do you accept cheques or online payments?

Some examples from other businesses

Above are just a few ideas to consider. Let’s look at a few case studies and see how they have implemented it in their business models.

Salon Buzz based across the pond in Chicago US, have a few policies that are clear, concise and to the point. They are split up into segments and detailed on their website.

For example their policy on appointments, goes on to say: ‘Please arrive 10 minutes prior to your appointment to ensure you receive your full service. We recommend you book your next appointment prior to leaving the salon so that we can be sure to accommodate your schedule’.

This is a great example of a policy that would be relevant to all salons where clients are made aware of the risks that ensue as a result of late arrival.

Another shining example of salon policies in operation are over at Sparks Salon based in beautiful Toronto, Canada. Featured is an extensive list of their policies with detailed acumen on each one.

They start off by asserting the need to sign a waiver for any new clients. This is an excellent introduction, and another good policy to consider in your own salons.

Cancellations, no shows and late arrivals are all mentioned. Again these are all applicable in your businesses today.

How to enforce them

Now you have decided WHAT policies you wish to impose within your salon. Now on to HOW you educate people on them. One of the best ways to disclose these policies are on your salon website. This way it is easier for your clients to view and therefore adhere to.

You will also need to ensure all of your staff are up to speed with said policies so they are reinforced as a set of terms.

Some policies may need to be articulated for telephone appointments. Informing clients about patch tests or your cancellation policy at the time of booking. This way you should minimise any backlash from clients as they should anticipate any shortcomings on their behalf. In other words, if they are charged for a missed appointment they have no comeback.

How do having these policies in place help you out as a salon owner?

Now this is the question that is most relevant. Having policies in place should keep everything running smoothly as there is a clear understanding of the consequences that ensue if they are not met correctly. Any mitigating circumstances must be cleared by the salon owner/manager if they continued to miss appointments.

It also helps take the guess work out of proceedings and makes it easier to find a solution. I found myself in a predicament in my own salon recently. One of my clients was repeatedly missing appointments and not calling in advance to cancel. I was at a loss as to how to proceed as there was no firm rules or policies in place. I checked in with management and they concurred that it was fair to inform the client at the time of their next booking, if they continued to miss appointments that they will only be able to book on the day they called. Only IF I had availability I would fit them in.

It got my cogs whirring..if we had policies already in place, it would have alleviated any uncertainty. So it derived my idea for this post to help you!

What problems do you face in your salon?

So to adjourn my piece today, I just want you to think about what problems/pains you face on a day to day basis in your salons.

Is there a way you could overcome these areas by enforcing a set of rules (policies)?

Could you stamp out these symptoms before they become an issue by simply offering some guidelines in your salon?

Please let me know your thoughts on my piece today in the comment section below! Thanks for stopping by 🙂

Do you have any policies in your salon that work well? Have you found them to be favourable over not having any?

Today I wanted to  show you how to write a complaints policy for your salon. And delve a little deeper into a topic that I covered in a previous post, on How to handle customer complaints.

This is because it is an unfortunate reality that we all have to face in one way or another, in dealing with the public. (It’s not all roses, contrary to popular belief!)

In my customer complaints post, I talk about how to best handle these gripes. Then how to minimize the dissatisfaction caused, with pointers on how to avoid them altogether. 

In this article I hope to inspire you to consider writing an official customer complaints policy if you haven’t already. And emphasise its importance within a successful salon.

What is a complaints policy?

A complaints policy is simply a document outlining a procedure to follow when/if a complaint arises. It helps protect both parties, and ensures that they are dealt with professionally and consistently. It also helps support your staff during a matter of contention, so be sure they understand the policy too.

An insurance in a way, to safeguard against wrongdoing and help manage expectations on both sides.

Why a complaints policy is an integral part of running a successful salon

You haven’t needed one to date, so why start now?

We are currently living in a litigious society. Therefore it is even more paramount to be ahead of the game when it comes to these situations. And have a complaints policy for your salon in place if the situation arises and you need to draw from it. 

We have almost all had someone displeased with some work we have produced within the salon. Be it justly or not, we need to come to some common ground with the unhappy customer that we are faced with. And come up with a foolproof plan moving forward.

What if they return 3 weeks after the appointment, picking fault at the service they received? Do you amend it for free at this point?

Or they decide a day later that they wish to have more cut off, in spite of your recommendation and their initial wishes. Do you charge them again?

It is these exact scenarios are when a complaints policy really comes into its own. Having a guideline to refer to and a physical document to hand.

Again as previously mentioned in ‘How to deal with complaints’. The first step to handle ANY complaint is with empathy and NOT jump the gun or get defensive.

Having these systems in place BEFORE any issues arise are critical. This way no one undermines authority and a solution can be met quickly and efficiently. Protecting both your salon’s reputation and that of your staff against bad reviews or worse, slander.

The legalities

According to the new consumer rights act which came into effect as of 1st October 2015 (In England and Wales) Our clients have new rights in accordance to these new laws, that we need to be fully aware of.

This makes having a complaints policy even more invaluable in your salon. Let’s look at what they include, as listed on the nhf website:

• Clients can ask you to repeat or fix a service that has not been carried out with reasonable care and skill. Or get some money back if you are unable to fix it.
• If no price has been agreed upfront, the service must be fairly priced in accordance with the clients requests.
• If you haven’t agree a time frame upfront, these need to be carried out within a reasonable time.

Complaints need to be resolved within 8 weeks. If the complaint has not been resolved going through the salons complaint procedure, you must provide the details of a certified Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) provider.

Alternative dispute resolution involves using a mediator as an alternative to taking expensive legal action. For example the client or the salon going to the small claims court.

The mediator is an impartial and independent third party who listens to both sides and helps the salon and client come to a fair and reasonable compromise which, if agreed, becomes legally binding.

Salons do not have to agree to using mediation, but you are obliged to tell clients who to go to and whether you would be willing to use the mediation as a tool to settle the dispute. However if you should choose NOT to use ADR, your refusal would have to be reasonable and justified.  

How to write one & what points need to be included?

Let’s look at an example of a policy sanctioned in KG salon, you could use this as a template for your own salon policy or as a guideline.

[INSERT YOUR SALON NAME] Complaints Policy

“Our aim is to provide the best service possible. While we always strive to achieve this, there will be times when the client is unhappy with the service. We aim to handle complaints quickly in an effective, fair and honest way.”

The policy aims to ensure that:

All members of the public know how to feed back to [Your salon name] and the process of making a complaint is simple;

All staff treat feedback seriously ad deal with it promptly, efficiently, courteously and keep the customer informed of the progress;

Improved customer relations are built by resolving feedback during the initial stages wherever possible.

All feedback is recorded and monitored so that we learn from it and take action to improve services.

The definition of a complaint

A complaint is as follows:

“An expression of dissatisfaction regarding [INSERT your salon name] standard of training, service, action or lack of action”

Please note a complaint is not ‘An initial request for a service to be delivered’.

Who can make a complaint?

Any member of the public or their representative, staff, businesses, public and voluntary bodies can make a complaint about [Insert salon name].

How a complaint can be made

• Verbally – To the tutor or head office
• Email – In the ‘contact us’ area of the site
• Letter – To the head office in [Insert location]

4 Salon Saviour

Salon Saviour road

United Kingdom

SSW 123

The complaints process

1. All complaints must be made to the customer service manager. A response should be made within 5 working days. This is regardless of how the complaint or expression of dissatisfaction is made.
2. If you feel the response to your complaint under stage one is unsatisfactory, the next stage is for the complaint to be referred to the Management Team who will investigate further and liaise with with any additional staff whose information may help resolve the complaint.
3. You will receive a response within 10 working days. If an interim reply is needed you will be given a timescale by which a full reply will be received.
4. If you feel the response to your complaint is still not satisfactory, you must advise us within one calendar month of the date of the response from stage 2 otherwise the case will be closed. The Chief Executive / or relevant Director will then conduct an Internal Review. A full response will normally be received within 15 days.

Confidentiality: All complaints are treated with confidentiality in mind. Only the customer service manager will be aware that a complaint has been received and is being dealt with. Where the complaint extends to the training service, while the tutor may be requested to provide information to satisfy the complaint, this will be handled appropriately as to not prejudice further training or assessments.

Anonymous complaints will be acted upon, however it is better to provide contact details so that the complainant can be informed of the outcome.

Aggressive or obsessive complaints

[Insert salon name] wants to deal fairly and honestly with complainants and ensure that other users, clients and staff do not suffer detriment from persons making vexatious complaints.

[Insert salon name] solicitors will write to vexatious complainants to inform them that their behaviour is considered to be unacceptable.

Complaints about products and manufacturers

[Insert salon name] recognises complaints regarding products and equipment supplied through ourselves, and any organisation contracted to work or supply [Insert salon name], and will seek to resolve such complaints.

[Insert salon name] will forward complaints received in respect of other organisations to the appropriate bodies.

Equalities statement

[Insert salon name] aims to handle all complaints fairly and honestly regardless of who makes the complaint. [Insert salon name] treats all members of the community equitably and will not show bias to any particular individual or group.

Matters that are outside the policy

The following matters are not included in this policy;

Complaints which are subject to legal proceedings

All Complaints must are logged, recorded and analysed as part of the customer satisfaction procedure.

Please note; this complaints policy has been lifted from KG salon website. Any legal advice must be sought from a professional that deals in this area, to ensure you and your salon are protected. 

To conclude

There you have it folks. Sorry this post has been particularly wordy today, but I’ve got your back and felt it was an essential topic to cover. I hope I have opened your eyes to the importance of having a complaints policy within your salon, and posed some questions as to why.

Don’t delay, get a salon complaints procedure written up for your salon if you haven’t already! It is imperative for the well being of your salon and for continued growth and development.

Just as a side note on this: Use your own discretion on each individual merit as they come. Most complaints rarely get to dispute stage. And as clients are our lifeblood as hairdressers and salon owners, bridges will be burned with these clients. Pick your battles carefully and decide how far you are willing to go with proceedings.

Do you have a complaints policy for your salon? What have you included in yours?

As always, I love to hear your feedback. So please drop me a line on what you thought of this post!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Disclaimer: Always seek legal advice when compiling any legal document. I am not a lawyer, just offering insight on this matter. Therefore negate any responsibility of any action taken against me as a result of any misdemeanour based on this advice.

 

Introduction

You’ve all seen the decorating programmes on the television. The upheaval, the tension, the time restraints and finally the grand unveiling where it becomes apparent that all of the above was well worth the stress endured for the fabulous outcome.

Of course, it does help that there has been a whole crew of people working day and night to make this happen – and they never seem to come across too many setbacks!

But what if you don’t have this resource? A team of people ready to get to work and a smiling presenter to walk you through the process. This is where I come in…

My goal is to create a resource with some of the best information available to help you when it comes to decorating a new/revamping your current salon.

The tip of the iceberg…

I know it is a scary proposition when you don’t even know where to begin. You have no design experience and have no idea where to get the correct equipment from. You are unsure of budget and don’t know where to find the right/reputable tradesman to carry out the job.

And all this feels like the tip of the iceberg.

It’s no wonder so many salon owners get a headache just thinking about what they need to get done.

I hope by reading this post, you will have a more rounded idea of cost, timescale and be inspired to put your plan into action.

First off, set your budget

Budget is probably the most important place to start. You need to have a clear understanding of how much money you have to spend on the design of your salon and where to control your costs.

Knowing your budget gives you a better understanding of where you should be looking for equipment and hired help (tradesmen). It also helps you figure out if there are things you can do yourself to cut costs if required.

Most salons can’t function without the basics: basins, chairs, mirrors etc. So it is likely you have taken this into account when working out a budget for this project. Don’t forget to set some money aside for any unforeseen costs. Hopefully, you won’t need to dip into this – but it is good practice to prepare for the worst-case scenario.

The most sound advice I can give you… is to buy the best you can afford. This should go without saying, but trying to cut corners with key pieces (eg flooring, chairs etc) can end up more costly in the long run. Don’t scrimp on these areas. Think of the usage of these pieces, the flooring – particularly around the basins are likely to get wet so need to be waterproof and hardy. The chairs are, again, used multiple times a day and need to be comfortable for the clients and practical for you – easy to wipe down and have the ability to lift/lower etc.

An area often forgotten but is one of the first places clients see upon entering your salon – is the entrance/reception. Ordinarily, salons have hard floors which can get slippery when wet so having a doormat is wise. This ideally needs to be secured to the floor so people don’t trip as they enter the premises. Again, they need to be robust but in fitting with your salon’s decor. Ensure this area is regularly vacuumed and swept – as, again, it is the first thing clients see upon entering your salon. 

Think about practicality as well as appearance. Coconut doormats may not be the best option.  They have a reputation of shedding, so with the number of people walking across it, you will be constantly sweeping to keep it looking tidy.

Salon Saviour tip: You could opt to have your salon’s logo printed on the doormat – this way you are making a high traffic and otherwise plain area, aesthetically pleasing.

Imagine yourself in your client’s shoes

They say you don’t know someone until you have walked a mile in their shoes…so taking this and applying it to our topic at hand. Put yourself in your client’s shoes and ask yourself; what would they like to see when they walk into your salon?

• A welcoming front desk
• A friendly open environment
• A light, bright area with plenty of natural light
• Fully stocked shelves with the latest products
• Comfortable basins to relax in
• Comfortable chairs when getting their treatments done
• Regularly stocked magazines both for hair inspiration and leisure

You also need to address your client base – whether you are new to this or revamping an existing space. What sort of clients do you want to attract? What clients do you already have? And what do they prefer as their ideal salon environment?

Remember, this is as much about them as it is you. They are also going to be spending a lot of time (hopefully) in this space, so make it appeal to them to keep their repeat custom.  

Things to consider when setting up

Before starting – consider these things:

• The size/floorplan of your salon – Are you limited for space? What can you do to maximize the area?
• Customer base – Who is your ideal customer? What would their ideal salon look like?
• Disabled access – Do you have access for disabled customers? Check out this link [https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/access-to-everyday-services] for more information on this.
• Location – Are there other salons in the area? Is there much competition? How can you set your salon apart from the others?
• Carbon footprint – Will you work in a more economically friendly way? Use reusable towels, renewable energy sources where possible, organic products etc. Check out these salons for some inspo! Ralph and Rice, Tabitha James Kraan, Cutting Crew. Finally, get some sustainable salon tips from Eco hair and beauty.
• Ease for cleaning – You want to maximize the amount of seating to increase revenue but not have so many you are crammed in and feel claustrophobic. A salon crowded with equipment and furniture is harder to keep clean & looks disorganised. Think less is more.
• Staff room and storage space –  You will need to consider a space for staff to go when they are not on the salon floor. This would usually comprise of the kitchen area as well as somewhere to make drinks for clients etc. Don’t forget all of your backup stock for products and colours will need to be stored somewhere too. This could be something as simple as shelving in your staffroom with labels on to house these items. Pinterest is a great source of inspiration for storage etc.
• Noise insulating flooring – Have you considered vinyl flooring? This can help minimise the noise created from hairdryers by absorbing the sound. Its other benefits include being affordable, durable and stain resistant.

Salon Saviour tip: Don’t forget the health and safety side. National Hairdressers Federation have put together a great guide outlining the health and safety requirements for your salon. 

Start with the basics…

Keeping with the ‘walk a mile in their shoes’ metaphor… here’s another one: ‘Don’t run before you can walk’.

By this I mean you must start off with the basics before jumping into the paint swatches. I know, I know, that’s the most fun part! But like with any new project, you need to start with the framework – the fundamentals before you go haring off 🙂 (Pun totally intended haha!)

• Wall construction – If you are considering having wall mounted dryers, you must first check out the wall construction. If it is only a partition wall – it may not be sufficient for your requirements. So you might need to rethink your options.
• Where are your water outlets located? – You may have the perfect spot for your basins, but ensure it fits in with where the water outlets are already located. Or you could be spending unnecessarily to move them.
• Water pressure checked – This can usually be done by your local water company. They should be able to take the pressure and flow measurements and determine where the problem lies to rectify it – if necessary. It can also be done yourself – check out this advice page to help determine what the problem is.

Retail and reception area

This is the first and last point of contact a client will have with your salon so make it count! Sometimes something as simple as an umbrella stand can make the all difference when taking care of customers.

• Will you have a computer system for your bookings or a more traditional appointment diary? You will need to consider this when you purchase your desk with regards to space needed.
• Another recommendation when shopping for reception desks is what payment method you are going to use within your salon. You will most likely need a cash register so take this into account when purchasing. Will you use an iPad for bookings and payments?
• Do you have room for a coat rack? Or will you have a separate area entirely for coats/bags?
• Do you sell much retail? You will need to take this into consideration when you decide how much space you dedicate to this potentially profitable area.
• Be mindful of where you display your retail too. Have it in an area that is easily accessible to people so they can browse freely. Is it possible for the retail to be near the waiting area?
• Think about your use of colour or split levels the help separate the different areas if you don’t have other rooms available.

Remember: Sometimes simpler is better. Have just the bare essentials on display – telephone, appointment system etc. Clear and concise.

Basin area

This area will be where the client’s treatment starts. It needs to be tranquil and feel relaxing. From experience – it is the favourite part of many clients visit to the salon. As mentioned before, the location of your basins depends on where your water outlets are located. But try and be aware of this when planning out this area.

• What type of basins will you choose? Again a lot of this boils down to costs. But if you choose basins where the chairs recline – be aware that you will need to allow enough room for this and for staff to move around safely.
• There will need to be a shelf or some storage for shampoos and towels etc to be used at the basin area.
• If you are able to have it in a different room – consider some gentle music for this part of the client’s treatment. Alternatively, are you able to put a screen or divider across this to segregate the area?
• Check out this site about water regulations and check your basins comply before purchasing. 
• Stick to this rule of thumb: a ratio of 1:3. basins to styling chairs are usually sufficient. 

Main salon area design tips 

If you have the budget for a salon designer to help you, this would be ideal. They should be able to work within your salon and maximise the space available to really optimize it for staff and clients. However, it is possible to come up with your own design and have it fitted without the extra cost. If you are considering going it alone, think about these points…

• Think about where your windows are located. This is important for two reasons: natural light is always the best lighting to work with for stylists to get the best reflection/likeness on colour results. And if you are considering positioning seating near windows – it might be an idea to have some privacy film fitted. So your clients don’t feel like they are in a fishbowl when getting their hair done!
• Mirrors are a staple for most salons. Use them to your advantage. Mirrors help give the illusion of space – so if you are working with a relatively small floor plan, think about the positioning of mirrors to enhance this.
• Consider the practicality of the salon space too. You will need shelves or storage for brushes and products used on the shop floor. Could you have the mirrors set forward, with shelving units just behind? Saving wall space for other things and keeping the salon more streamlined with less clutter.
• How do your team like to work? Remember there will need to be the use of trolleys for colouring and other services. So bear this in mind when working out how many units you can fit along one wall.
• Where will you have your colour station situated? Will you have it in plain sight of all the customers? In which case you will need to ensure it is in keeping with the rest of the salon decor and in a room that is well ventilated.
• If you are lucky enough to have space for multiple rooms – how will you divide it up? You could have a separate colour room where you have your colour station and products relating to this. It would also be the place to consider your best lighting options.
• Foil/colour trolleys and cutting stools can be bulky items to stow away – so, again, bear this in mind when planning your space. Is there a corner or alcove they could be tucked neatly away?

 

“Remember: If you are hiring tradesman to carry out work – allow plenty of time to gather quotes and sufficient time for the work to be carried out.”

 

If you are considering using salon specialists for fitting, I have compiled a list for you to browse. This will give you a more rounded idea of prices and what they offer:

Salon design and fitting

• Salon Equipment Centre
• Reis Design
• REM Design
• Takara Belmont
• Signature Salon Design & Shopfit
• Salon Interior Design
• Salon Design – Complete Salon Solutions
• CBC Salon Design
• Be Positive Salons

Salon Saviour tip: Don’t forget to check all the electrical equipment is CE registered & PAT tested. PAT tests (Portable appliance testing) must be carried out subsequently. This also includes things like kettles and washing machines as well as hair dryers etc. The CE marking indicates that the manufacturer or supplier is compliant with the relevant EU legislation applicable to the product.

Check out this article from Hairdressers Journal for more information.

Salon furniture, lighting, mirrors…

Now onto the fun part! Once you have all the practical decisions made – here is where you can really let your artistic juices flow.

You should have an idea of your budget for furniture too. It is far too easy to get swept up like a kid in a candy shop. So you should know exactly how many of each item you need so you can decide how to spread the costs efficiently. Remember what I said earlier about buying the best you can afford AND spending a decent amount on high traffic areas – it will save you in the long run.

Here are some tips and words of wisdom…

• Create a mood board for inspiration. Gather cuttings of colours & styles that appeal & help give a more rounded picture of what you want your finished salon to look like. Alternatively, try apps such as Pinterest to collate your ideas somewhere centrally. 
• Be wary of high pigmented colours on walls. These can reflect on the hair and give unwanted tones on first appearances. Plus they can date rather quickly, your best bet would be to keep it neutral and let statement pieces do the talking.
• Think about the placement of lighting throughout the salon – both natural and artificial. You don’t want dazzling lights by the basins, blinding the clients when they are trying to relax. But you want your reception and retail area to be bright and inviting. Spotlights are usually the go-to option in this instance as you can easily change them and choose whether you want a warmer or cooler direction.
• Think about your lux levels for your lighting. This is the illuminance and luminous emittance and how far the light throws. Check out this article detailing tips to ensure efficient lighting for a hairdressing salon. 
• Do your research – look online at prices to get an idea but call stockists and make sure you read the small print. Don’t forget to take into account shipping costs, sometimes it is free if you spend over a certain amount.
• Check reviews of these online stockists. If something seems too good to be true, it usually it. Explore your options before blindly buying & thinking about how much you have saved. Sometimes cheaper isn’t always better.
• They have sales online too. Once you have decided on what equipment you like – hold fire & keeps your eyes peeled for any offers to shop around before buying. Often different websites sell the same brands. So do your research before adding to your basket.
• Mirror mirror on the wall – placement of mirrors is important, not just in the obvious places. Mirrors can create the illusion of space and lighten a dark room. Could you place one opposite a window to help reflect more natural light?

Check out these resources for salon equipment suppliers

Here I have compiled a list of US suppliers (Please note: some of these double up as UK suppliers too – I have listed them separately.)

• Sally Beauty
• Boss Beauty Supply
• Minerva Beauty
• Salon Centric
• United Salon Supplies
• U.S. Salon Supply

UK Salon Suppliers:

• Salons Direct
• Salon Services
• Salon Equipment Centre
• Capital Hair and Beauty
• Direct Salon Furniture
• Salon Supplies

Disclaimer: I have no affiliation or endorsement with any of these suppliers – they are to help illustrate what suppliers are available.

Salon Saviour tip: Don’t forget the grand unveiling of your new salon. You have worked tirelessly and now want the world to see it. Stay tuned for my post on ‘salon opening ideas’ for inspiration.

Tips for thrifty salon owners

• Change lighting to LED bulbs. LED lights consume less electricity and also have a longer operational lifetime than traditional bulbs. For more benefits on LED lighting – read this post!  
• When thinking about wall decor – you could display canvases with work carried out by your staff. They are a relatively low-cost way to way to decorate and a great way to further advertise your work.
• Want to make your salon look and feel like a high-end establishment but don’t have the bank balance to reflect this? Think about what scents can give this aura. The aroma of hair care products can build brand identity and provide a sense of relaxation. This can influence clients buying behaviour and boost sales. This article highlights the science of smell.
• Get back to nature. Having plants in the salon can also help with the ‘spa’ like feel you may be going for. Greenery can add a sense of calm AND they have the added bonus of being air purifying to help detoxify the air! Check out these images on Pinterest to give you some inspiration.

Roundup

Ultimately you want your salon space designed around your vision. One that works for business operation and allows maximum practicality for staff and customers too.

That’s it, folks! Don’t be put off by the amount of work that is required for a project as sizeable as this. Stick with it and you have the potential to grow your salon empire. This first step may one day be your flagship store… and be the first of many!

Hey Guys!

So today I ‘m going to delve into the world of ‘self-employment’. A phrase often shrouded in mystery and a little apprehension at times. Having spent many years as a self-employed stylist myself, I can fully endorse this system in the context as a hairdresser. But you’re interested in things from a salon owner’s perspective right?

Let’s dig in shall we?

I’ll start by looking into the different types of ‘self-employment’ and the distinguishing factors between each one:

1.        Rent a chair

This is where the stylist pays you a set amount determined at the time of their ‘employment’ (I use this term loosely throughout this post as they are of course not employed! But for the purposes of explaining, you get the gist! 🙂 ) So they are literally paying to rent their space within your salon, hence the name!

The plus point with this option is you know how much you will earn – as predetermined at the beginning. This is also a positive as you are ‘renting’ them a chair or a position in your salon. Consequently, if they are away for any reason – you will still earn money as a result.

This shifts the responsibility of client acquisition and retaining of new clients onto the hairdresser.

The downside with this is as a salon owner, you are ‘capping’ your earnings in a way. As you have already concluded with the stylist that they pay you ‘X’ amount so anything over and above, belongs to them.

2.     Percentage of earnings

This is where the stylist pays you a pre-arranged percentage of whatever goes through the till. Alternatively, as the salon owner, you can pay them a fixed percentage of their earnings. It works either way. You must also establish exactly what this amount covers. It could be the use of all products within the salon up to and including colours for example. It could also include the use of the junior apprentices and/or receptionist, brushes, electrical equipment… you get the idea! The list is endless and ultimately your decision.

The benefit of doing things this way is the increased earning potential that comes from having busy and productive stylists. The amount you can make is limited only by the amount of work each stylist can fit into their column.

In this instance, the responsibility of managing clients is shared between employer and employee, as both will benefit from increased business.

The negative side to this is unlike the ‘rent a chair’ where you will be paid a fee regardless of the stylist being there. Having a percentage of their earnings means if the stylist is off for any reason? You get zero!!

Although on the flip side, it does offer incentives to staff too. As aforementioned in my point before and how you won’t get paid if they don’t attend work, neither do they!

3. A mixture of the two

This approach combines both the ‘rent a chair’ with the ‘percentage earnings’.

Let me explain in more detail… so here you may charge a standard amount to use the salon premises say. Then charge a smaller amount for each service performed. For example, you may charge £150 as a weekly flat rate, then 40% of every colour treatment and 25% of cuts etc. Salon owners often request a smaller portion for cut and blow dry services, as it is usually only the stylists time and own equipment utilized here. Therefore it can be a more cost-effective approach to adopt a lower fee from them.

This option is definitely better for you as the salon owner. As you get the best of both worlds in effect. You have your guaranteed income allotted from the rent a chair. Then a bonus share of the money earned via the treatments. Again the division of the money generated is up to you and whether or not you provide the equipment or whether that is up to the stylist.

The management downside of this system is the complexity of administering it. Which in itself could be an obstacle.

The drawback is some staff feel opposed to this system as it does favour the salon owner. Which could be detrimental to your business, if staff feel undervalued.

A good way to combat this dilemma would be to ensure your amounts are a fair representation of the work they accomplish and is subsequently a win-win!!

So if you’re just starting out, which system is best?

Generally speaking, salons save money with freelance or in other words self-employed staff. Namely for these reasons:

• Not obligated to pay statutory sickness or maternity pay
• Holiday pay also comes under this umbrella
• National insurance: This is the responsibility of the stylist to pay themselves by filing a Self Assessment tax return.

They are not under contract as such, therefore you are not bound by the legalities in the same way. However, I would strongly advise some sort of contract to be put in place, as it gives you some control and protects both sides.

A few points to think about when getting a contract drawn up. You may wish to include…

• Length of contract. Will it span for 1,2, 3 years or less potentially?
• Dismissal. On what grounds can you dismiss the stylist if mandatory.
• When do they work for you? (Hours of operation) This is a tricky one to broach, as being self-employed technically means they are not paid for the number of hours worked much like a traditional job. Here you could state a minimum number of hours as obligatory perhaps? Or set days?
• What happens to their clients if they are off sick? Here you would need to state whose responsibility this is. Do they call their clients to rearrange? Or is it up to the salon?
• How do you deal with client payments? This depends on your setup and how you decide to ‘employ’ your staff. In my experience, I paid a percentage to the salon owner but also paid for the use of the card machine within the premises. All payments (cash & card) went directly to the owner and I had my wages paid into my account minus their allotted amount. If you accept cheques, do they get made out to you the salon owner? Or the stylist themselves? This all needs to be distinguished BEFOREHAND.
• Are you responsible for helping them obtain clients and marketing them? Again, this will be determined by how you choose to ‘employ’ them. Referring back to my point on the preceding topic. And if they are renting a chair or paying a percentage of earnings.
• Who provides the equipment? This would again depend on the type of employment you select and is your prerogative as a salon owner. A general set up would be the stylist provides all small equipment namely scissors, combs etc. And you might provide hair dryers, brushes and use of colours for example.
• Can they use the apprentices/receptionist? This is again dependent on your agreement from the start of their employment and the type of contract adopted.

 

Disclaimer: Always seek legal advice prior to any decisions regarding your salon and team. Get a trained lawyer to advise and review any document representing your salon. The National Hairdressers Federation offer proven contracts, specifically for rent a chair. https://www.nhf.info/benefits/chair-and-room-renting/ So do go check it out!!

Sorry folks, I know this has been a bit of a wordy post, but I feel it is important to give you the best information so you can make a more informed decision when it comes to your pride and joy!! I hope this has helped hold your hand somewhat through the minefield that is ‘self-employment’ and figure out the best fit for you and your salon moving forward.

Thanks for persevering, I would love to hear your thoughts below!

Do you have any self-employed members of staff? If not would you consider it after reading this post?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Intro:

Today I wanted to talk about…you guessed it! Music Licensing for salons.

Music is an integral part of a hairdressing salon, it creates the right ambience for your prospective customers and is proven to play a big role in what we buy.

Now imagine walking into your salon and the quiet hits you like a wall of silence…

You wouldn’t drive without a licence, so why risk your business and all your prospects for an oversight?

In this post, I am going to get into WHY it is vitally important to have one for your premises if you play ANY music at your salon. So on that note (haha) Let’s jump right into the first verse!

For those of you that are short on time there’s a short summary video below, but I would really advise taking the time to read the whole post to get all the information you need.

 

What is a music licence?

A music licence is much like a television licence, in that it is a requirement if you own a television and use it to watch or record live television.

If you play recorded music in public for example; a radio, CD or music channel on your business premises. You will need a PRS for music, to You and I that translates to a ‘Licence to play background music’.

This also allows you to play live music on your premises. Which would probably be more fitting for a Pub, Restaurant or Bar than a Salon? But hey, at least you have options!

PRS for Music collects and distributes money for the use of the musical composition and lyrics on behalf of authors, songwriters, composers and publishers.

As stated on the Gov.uk website, you will likely also need a PPL licence for your salon (Phonographic performance ltd licence in plain English)! This is needed to legally play recorded music in public. PPL collects and distributes money for the use of recorded music on behalf of record companies and performers.

Why do you need one in your salon?

You need to be licensed even if customers generally don’t visit your premises (hopefully this is not the case!) As employees or staff still count as members of the public for these purposes.

Check out the PRS for music site for more information. It states that purchasing a PRS for music licence helps you legally use or play music. Listed on their site under this category is hair and beauty salons.  

You may also be surprised to hear that you even need a music licence for music played on the phone to customers while they are on hold.

What are the consequences of NOT purchasing a music licence?

As purported on the official Gov.uk website, you are infringing copyright and could be sued for damages if you play recorded, copyrighted music in public without a licence. Not really worth the risk if you ask me!

So how do you acquire one?

You can easily apply for a PRS licence online directly from their website. To elaborate, they provide bespoke licences tailored to your needs by discussing your position so give them a call. They even have a detailed section stemming from ‘playing music at work’ just for hair and beauty salons. Alternatively, you can drop them a line and they will be in touch.

How much does it cost?

PRS offers simple and effective licensing and even conduct a consultation on the charging structure used to license the use of copyrighted music within the hair and beauty sector.

The scope of the proposed tariff will cover; Hairdressers, Barbers, Beauticians, Nail Bars, Tanning Salons and all other establishments offering similar services.

This tariff will allow customers to purchase the use of background music irrespective of the number of devices instead of the current charge of per device.

The price ranges from £79 right to £350 depending on the size of your salon and how many chairs you retain. (Please note: These prices are lifted from the PRS hair and beauty consultation PDF and are exclusive of VAT indicative based on 2015 figures and will be adjusted annually in line with inflation).

It is an annual fee like with most of these things and covers unlimited use of background music throughout the year with a flat fee dependent on the total number of stylist chairs/treatment tables.

The removal of charging per device, allows premises to use multiple devices (radio, computer system etc) whilst the charge for background music remains unaffected. Therefore creating a ‘future proof’ tariff that allows premises to change, add or remove devices to suit their individual needs. For more information please see here.

The Outro…

So to conclude this piece, seriously look into this if you are starting out in the hair salon world. Or if you are already immersed and have not already got yourself a music licence, please consider your options and choose wisely my friends! For any more information on music licencing please see here for help and FAQ on this topic.

I hope this article has been helpful to you, please let me know your thoughts in the comment section below!

Do you have a music licence for your salon premises? Would you consider one after reading this post?

Thanks again,

Welcome back! To part two of my ultimate guide to salon marketing. In this post, I want to examine how social media can play an important role in how you market your salon. And how this can benefit your business and take you from strength to strength. If you missed my first post, to begin this guide, check it out here!

I hope to have covered most boards when it comes to social media platforms, so feel free to browse through this comprehensive guide and get out of it what you will.

So if you are new to this, or need some direction for your salon business get scrolling – because there will be something in here for you for sure!

Hope you ‘like’ it 😉

 

How Social Media marketing can help your business

Social media, we cant get away from it can we? Instead of fighting the status quo, why not embrace it and all it has to offer us and our businesses?

Let look at some of the positives aspects:

• It is free to use and gives us a platform to outreach further than we ever would traditionally.
• It gives us a virtual voice to speak freely and get our thoughts expressed – to the benefit of our businesses.
• It enables us to communicate and engage with our customers online.
• It boosts the visibility of your company to solidify your brand and salon message.

Read more about these benefits plus much more below!

 

Utilise social media platforms 

To get the most out of social media platforms, you first need to work out how to properly use them to be the best fit for your business.

In business, we mainly use social media avenues to further outreach and boost the visibility of your company. So it’s only logical to utilize most if not all of the major platforms available to us. This will maximize reach results for your salon.

Which outlets will likely benefit your salon the most do you think? Think in terms of outreach and how you do business?

Hairdressing is a mainly visual industry when it comes to sharing content. So platforms such as Instagram and Pinterest which have some of the highest growth rates would be a great place to start!

Check out Forbes lowdown on how to properly use social media to fit your own business strategy.

They recommend using management tools such as HootSuite, as they allow you to plan posts in advance and select the specific channels through which you would like a particular message to be shared.

Another great example of how social media marketing can be a powerful tool for businesses is from Wordstream. They put together a nifty guide, social media marketing 101, which provides you with an introduction to social media marketing, and some starter tips to improve your business’s social presence.

The bottom line is, good use of these platforms should be impacting your revenue and profit figures.

 

Create great social media content 

You already know you need to create content for your various social media platforms. But how do you create great content?

The power of good content is its ability to build your brand and authority in your niche.

Learn how to build an unstoppable social media content strategy in 5 simple steps with help from Entrepreneur.

And download a free template from CoSchedule blog, and learn how to develop a winning social media content strategy.

Even consider outsourcing content development if needed. There is a lot to think of while maintaining a social media presence. Can your business keep up with the massive undertaking that is associated with this?

Things like reading and sharing good content, responding to users comments, asking questions to help engage your audience. Click here for more on outsourcing.

Social media examiner have some great tips and more on this topic, so be sure to check them out!

Don’t try to be a martyr and spread yourself too thin. If your attention lies elsewhere within your business, there is no shame in outsourcing some of your social media campaigns…What is that saying? ‘…Jack of all trades, master of none’.

 

Post content on social media that will intrigue your target customer 

People get bored quickly, our attention span is waning after just a few minutes if the content is nothing but riveting, our butterfly brain is off again.

How long do you sit and scroll for before something grabs your attention? Unless it holds your awareness immediately, it is increasingly harder to concentrate and stay focused.

You need to think outside the box my friends, give people a reason to engage with your brand and ‘like’ your posts. Don’t be a mindless drone just regurgitating old material, inject some fun into it and post good valuable content.

I stumbled upon a great post by Neil Patel, that highlights the 6 types of social media content that will give you the greatest value. This also includes a free guide including challenges. Check it out here!

Need some inspiration for some content for your social media? Look no further! The team at HootSuite have come up with a cheat sheet 10 content ideas to get you out of the rut.

And remember, get brainstorming and put a fresh spin on it. What will resonate with your audience most?

 

Create a Facebook local business page

We have already established that having an online presence on the many social media platforms available today is paramount.

Now you need to know how to do it and what are the benefits to your salon? In a nutshell: It connects you with your customers, markets your business for free and brings traffic to your website and store. Click here for the fitsmallbusiness ultimate guide on how to create a small business Facebook page. I like this one because it gives detailed steps with images for each stage from creating the account and what to expect when you reach each one.

Another great guide is from Post planner with their beginner’s guide. Which offers some insightful information that will be useful to apply. Such as ‘How to create great status updates for your business’ and ‘Determining your advertising objectives’.

By following these guides, you should be building relationships and engaging with current and future clients. Furthermore, getting local exposure for your salon on Facebook.

 

Promote your salon on Facebook

Now you understand the importance social media plays in marketing your salon. You need to know the best methods to follow up with!

Facebook is about more than just scrolling, liking and stalking (Come on you guys, don’t play coy with me 😉 ) There is a whole other side to it, one that can open up your salon business to the world.

Using Facebook as a marketing strategy can help you gain online recognition for your salon, hike interest levels and increase sales. Do you want to promote your salon? Facebook has a tool for that!

Once on the Facebook business page, you have the option to ‘Find a marketing tool for your goal’. 

This gives you 6 different options ranging from ‘Drive discovery’ to ‘Boost sales’.

As we are looking to promote your salon today, we still stick with ‘Create awareness’. This will help people discover your business.  

You are able to tell your story with formats that capture attention and reach the people who are most likely to be interested in your business by connecting with people who are similar to your existing customers.

 

Using these 3 top strategies:

 

Page engagement: To find the people likely to like your page posts. Boosting your post turns your post into an advert so that you can share your posts beyond your page.

Brand awareness: Tell your story to the right people. Brand awareness adverts help you tell people about your business, product or campaign.

Video views: Put your brand in motion. As people watch more videos online, video adverts are a compelling way to tell a story about your business, brand or products.

They make use of case studies for each example with stats for each one as a result of using each tool.

So get promoting and get your salon ‘reacted to’ through Facebook business today.

 

Run a Facebook competition 

By running a Facebook competition or contest, you increase your chances of audience engagement than just regular posts. You can easily do this by posting a status update and manage your salon contest in the news feed.

Here are some ideas for competitions you could run on your page:

• Like this post to win a free haircut at the salon.
• Want a free haircut? Like this post and comment on why you should win. We will pick a winner at random.
• Post a picture of your new hairstyles by our salon, and win a free blow-dry and style.
• WIN! A month of free blow-drys by answering this question; what year did the salon open?

The latter is a particularly clever ploy to get people to pay attention to your salon because participants will be eager to upload their photo for the chance to win. Whilst giving your salon free publicity, double whammy 🙂

Over at post planner, they show you the easiest way to run a Facebook timeline competition for free.

 

 

Run targeted Facebook ads 

If you have ever used Facebook before, you have most definitely experienced targeted Facebook ads. If you have ever been susceptible to these ads, you know just how effective they can be. Now try putting the shoe on the other foot.

Using Facebook advertising yourself to promote your salon. It works by seeking out audiences that are likely to be interested in what you are selling. So they become a fan or customer to grow your base. You can choose to target specific audiences to get the most desirable results according to your ad choices and parameters. A few examples are location, demographics, interests, and behaviours.

‘Reach the right people, every day, everywhere, to get more traffic and sales to your website.’ Through Facebook business

Click here to find out how to do this!

Use Twitter as a marketing tool 

We have all heard of Twitter as a means of communication (sometimes for the wrong reasons when a celebrity goes on a Twitter rant!)

It allows you to send out messages (up to 280 characters to be exact), follow people of interest and have them follow you.

However, you want to know how this is going to help your salon right?!

This is a great attention grabber in today’s distracted world. You have heard of principle ‘keeping it short and sweet’ right?! Well, this is Twitter’s MO!

Write a short description of any new products you are using. Or use the opportunity to give one last push for Christmas appointments? Something along the lines of ‘Last slots remaining before the big day…be sure to schedule your festive dos’ so your hair is party ready for the celebrations’. You could include a link to your online booking system or salon website for ease of use.

Your tweets can also include a link to any web content, a photograph or video. Any helpful information that can be actioned, for example, hair care tips, styling ideas, how-to guides. Helpful being the operative word here.

No one likes a narcissist, so focus on what your followers want to hear, not what you want to tell them. Give people a reason to follow you.

Find out more about how to use Twitter to further your business here. And to be even more specific here.

 

Create an Instagram profile 

With over 300 million active users, Instagram is most definitely a platform you should be utilizing for your salon businesses.

Sharing photos (and more recently, videos) is what Instagram is all about.

As a business, you are able to paint a picture of who you are, what you represent and your brand through this medium.

Instagram perfectly compliments the other social media platforms you are using, so is a great one to add to the mix for ease of cross-posting content.

OutboundEngine specialists in marketing automation, show your HOW to strategically use Instagram for business. This will help you build your brand’s identity on Instagram and grow your follower count.

Already have a personal account on Instagram that you want to convert to a business one? No problem! Click here for a step by step guide.

 

Market your salon on Instagram using professional photos

Now, this could be photographs of your salon and interior itself and/or photographs of the work produced by you and your team.

Use it as a business card, to publish images that are less formal than on your salon’s website. Take advantage and give your audience a candid look at what your brand is about to make it a more personal experience for customers.

Don’t have the latest DSLR camera equipment? Don’t stress! With smartphones having replaced traditional cameras though, we all have the resources to be ‘photographers’ in a sense.

If you are on a budget, you don’t need to shell out to have expensive professional photos taken to upload to your Instagram account. Learn how to edit your Instagram photos like a pro right here!

Create beautiful visuals for your feed to help differentiate you from the competition. And don’t forget to #hashtag!

 

Create a Snapchat profile 

Want to be ‘down with the kids?’ (Sorry, I just cringed when I wrote that!) Then you need to view Snapchat as more than just a way of viewing/sharing pictures but as a business opportunity.

Joking aside, 71% of Snapchat’s US users fall into the 18-34 age range as cited from Social media examiner. So it is another avenue worth exploring to market to this key demographic.

I don’t know if you are a fan of Snapchat. But if you have scrolled through their feed recently it is becoming more apparent that brands are utilizing this platform to appeal to the younger audience aforementioned, by producing daily stories that are current and captivating.

Part of its appeal is the fast-moving, ever-changing nature of the app as embodied by its very name.

Here are 5 ways from Social Media Examiner –  in which to use Snapchat for your business. They also share 10 more ways to use Snapchat for business. It’s nice to be nice.

 

Create a Youtube channel for your salon 

Youtube is the second biggest search engine, which boasts over a billion users. That’s almost one-third of all people on the internet.

As I have been banging on about getting your salon ranked up there on Google, you guessed it, you will need to mirror your efforts on Youtube.

Get a slice of the action for your salon business by creating your own Youtube channel.

There is a whole video world out there that has untapped potential to grow your salon from the click of a button. (Recording button that is!)

Check out Buffer social to find out how to create your own channel.

Why you should be marketing your salon on Youtube:

Like with many successful businesses nowadays, you expect to see a social media presence right across the board, and you my friend, are no exception.

This is because when used correctly, your level of authority in your industry is elevated. It is another great platform for customer interaction.

There is a reason people love watching puppy videos or people falling over…because it is entertaining! Make sure your videos uphold some entertainment value and provide a unique insight into your brand that traditional marketing is unable to do.

For more on why you should be marketing on Youtube, click here.

Take some inspiration from these salon Youtube channels for some inspo. Check out Redken videos on YouTube too.

 

Pre-roll ad videos on YouTube

What are Pre-roll ads?

You know the annoying adverts you have to sit through preceding the video you have set out to watch originally? And you can’t discard them until the timer has counted down?

Let’s look to turn that negative into a positive. Adverts are a thing in modern day society, it is how Mark Zuckerberg made his fortune on Facebook, they are on most channels we watch on television (even on catch up!) So we accept them as a part of everyday life. Why not make this work for your business?

Getting in front of the average customer is no mean feat. But experimenting with Youtube as a platform to gain exposure to your salon brand, could open up a world of opportunity.

I found this great post from Viewbix on ‘How to set up a killer Youtube pre-roll Ad campaign’. It details more on what they are and how to create your pre-roll ad video.

Idea Rocket also features a great article on ‘YouTube Pre-roll Ad targeting: How it works and what it costs. Chech it out here.

 

Create a Pinterest profile

Pinterest is a platform for inspiration and to discover and catalogue your ideas.

So how does this fit into your business? Let’s start with the basics…

Well, first of all, you need to make sure you open a business account as opposed to a personal one. This is because business accounts give you access to Pinterest analytics amongst other great tools.

These will help you understand how users interact and engage with your content which is a useful resource to have.

It also allows you to create ads by promoting your pins. This works very much like the Facebook ads scheme (which I touched on above) you pay to have them seen by more people.

So how does Pinterest work?

The basic component of Pinterest is…surprise, surprise, THE PINS! They are images that link to a website, blog or shop.

You can create boards according to how you wish to arrange your pins. For example, you could have a board for ‘Hairstyles’.

Here you would assign all your hair ‘pins’ to this board to organize complimentary pins together. Boards can be published as public or private so you have full control as to who sees what.

For an excellent guide from seer interactive: ‘Pinterest: A guide for Marketers’. Click here!

Pinterest can play a leading role in promoting your salon brand if used correctly. Uploading images of your salon and hair creations, can introduce users to your brand, linking back to your website so they can find out more!

Get your salon noticed and exhibit your work to the millions of users today. Find out how to set up your Pinterest business account here.

 

Create a Flickr account 

The syndicate of Yahoo may have been shadowed by some of the major players in social media of late. Don’t let their reserved nature fool you, Flickr is a pioneer of its time. And as a photo sharing medium can prove to be an invaluable marketing avenue to explore for growing businesses.

It is worth noting that it is against the terms of use of the Flickr/Yahoo service to: ‘exploit for any commercial purposes’.

However, you can get indirect marketing exposure from Flickr by actively contributing and serving their audience in a way that benefits you both.

Learn more about using Flickr for business purposes here where they also show you how to set up a Flickr account.

Another great post on ‘how to market on Flickr’ gives great advice on best practices as well as what not to do. Avoid the pitfalls by reading this article!

Flickr is the stage on which you can present your salon, through images and tags. So go ahead, pull back that velvet rope & raise the curtain…your audience awaits.

Learn more about how to use Flickr to help your small business right here!

 

Post regularly to these platforms

‘Timing is everything’.

Never is this more applicable than when it comes to posting regularly on your salon’s social media platforms. The most successful businesses stick to this mantra, and you should too.

There are different social media platforms for a reason, this is because they are all different. Therefore, we should alter our content creation with this in mind. For example, people go on Instagram because they want to see interesting pictures.

The frequency of which your content is posted and the time of day that it goes ‘live’ can make or break your salon’s social media marketing success.

Here is everything you need to know about perfectly timing your posts on some of the most popular social media platforms.

 

Create something viral 

So what does it mean to go viral online? Viral in an online sense means a piece of content that has been shared and appealed to the masses.

If you can create a piece of viral content, you can get a lot of exposure in a small amount of time without much continual effort.

There is no ‘magic number’ of shares, likes, retweets or reblogs that constitute a claim to ‘viral status’.

Social networking has made it much easier to share such content with a call to action with just the click of a button. Click here to explore more on how content goes viral on the web.

Now, unfortunately, I don’t have the secret formula for creating viral content. I do, however, have some tips on behalf of Lifewire. A site specialising in getting the most out of your technology, to help enhance your chances of success.

It’s not easy, but it’s not impossible!

Here are a few to get you started, but read the whole article for a more detailed read.

• • Focus on current events or trends – If something is current, you have a better chance of getting your content viewed because people are searching for it. So what’s new in the hairdressing industry? What’s a fresh new style?
  • Make a really great video – If you upload a video to YouTube, Vimeo or Facebook, you could be discovered. People who share your content because they like it, do all the promotion for you. Consider uploading a video of your salon tour or your team doing something funny. Think Flashmob.
  • Be mindful of keywords and tags – This is important for your content to get exposed to the right audience. People are typing in keywords and phrases to search for stuff, so you want your content to show up in the results.

A hashtag with your salon name and stylist who completed the work, for example, are great ways to be seen. Along with #hairstyles, #ontrend and #blondebombshell are just a few examples to get you started.  

 

Post photos on all your social media pages 

You could upload all your pictures manually to each of your social media platforms. But if you are time-pressed as a busy salon owner, why not consider a tool like HootSuite? or Everypost?

These are social media publishing tools which curate and schedule content, saving you time to get on with what you do best! This is because you are able to respond to messages promptly and automate content scheduling across all your socials all through a single dashboard.

Marketed as: ‘The complete social media marketing solution’. HootSuite enables you to manage multiple social networks, connect with customers and grow your brand on social media.

Find out the top fifteen social media tools from SearchEngineJournal, Hootsuite & Postplanner are featured in this list.

 

Post before and after photographs

It is no secret that before and after photos are a persuasive tool. We have all been victim to them on an infomercial, laying claim to change your life if you buy [insert product] now!  

For decades the fitness industry have implicitly used this tool as a way of winning us over and profiting from our need for perfection. So why not muscle in on some of the action? (Like what I did there?! :-))

They are a driving factor behind customers purchasing decisions and usually convert well to sales. The pictures help your customers decide whether your product or service is able to deliver the results required by them.

How does this translate to the hairdressing industry? Taking a picture of your customer’s hair before their treatment in your salon. Then one after the service has been completed, can work as a portfolio showing the transformative value of your work.

What is that saying, a picture speaks a thousand words? You could use it as a platform to show your latest work, a portfolio if you like.

Learn more about before and after picture and their effect on sales here!

 

Have a selfie station inside your salon with your salon’s hashtag

Hands up if you still hear those catchy lyrics ‘Let me take a selfie’ from Chainsmokers, #Selfie hit that was EVERYWHERE a few years back? Please tell me I’m not the only one?!

A selfie has fast become how we document our endeavours, holidays and major events in our lives. And who can forget the invention of the selfie stick?!

I have noticed it being used in environments such as weddings, graduations and other special occasions as a means of capturing emotions and feeding our desire for vanity.

The power of the selfie.

So how does all this translate to your salon?

Let’s be honest here, how many of us have taken a selfie when you feel you look your best?! Before a night out, when you have just had your nails did, and so on.

Consequently, many clients will take a photo of their new hairstyle and publish it on their OWN social media profile when they get home. This is where you [insert salon name] come in. Add this as part of your marketing strategy and get exposure for your salon!

I cannot stress enough how client testimonials can underpin your salon brand. Who better to advocate for your salon than the very clients that make your business what it is?!

To echo a great point I read from Beautymark marketing is to add a decal sticker of your business name or hashtag on a mirror (or all of them) to encourage selfies taken in the salon.

For more on this, please click here.

They have an excellent post on ‘how to create a selfie station in your salon’. As quoted from their site: ‘Take advantage of the ‘selfie trend’ – it’s a fun part of our culture that translates to a purely organic form of salon advertising that should be added to your marketing strategy.’

Seriously?! I’ve only just got that song out of my head! ‘Can you guys help me pick a filter?!’ #SELFIE

 

Work with local bloggers

Reaching out to local bloggers is good for your business for two reasons: It can help build relationships with local influential people to boost your search rankings and it gives your brand authority. Not only are you raving about your services, you have someone else doing it for you by generating high-quality leads.

Niched micro-influencers can really help give your salon the push it needs to take it to the next step, so consider partnering up.

Examples of bloggers you could reach out to for your salon are local fashion writers, local business bloggers or if you are lucky a hair blogging specialist in your area.

You could offer a free treatment at your salon and ask them to consider writing about your salon in return.

In this article, you’ll discover five ways in which influencers can boost your digital marketing efforts. Along with some great examples, you can pull ideas from.

 

Contribute to top salon blogs

We just looked at how having an influential blogger to review your salon can grow your business. But let’s switch roles and consider YOU contributing to salon blogs to help establish relationships and engage a new audience through the process to make a lasting impression on consumers.

First, you need to identify the influential bloggers in the hairdressing industry that you want to build relationships with and whose networks you want to tap into. Find out how here! 

Then determine your guest blogging goals. Here is the ultimate guide to guest blogging from Kissmetrics.

 

Monitor your salon on social media

Now we all love a bit of online stalking at times. (Whats going on with Tom from high school these days?!)

This is perfect for you super sleuths out there, because monitoring your salon online means digging deep to see what is being said about you AND your competitors.

This way you can make improvements according to the feedback you have sought out. What are people saying about your competition? Could you enhance what they are doing in any way to entice clients to your salon instead? Could it be negative comments? In which case you need to strike while the iron is hot and draw the attention to your business, whilst ensuring the negative experience is not repeated in your own salon.

Click here to find out 8 ways in which social listening can benefit your business. 

 

Social media has transformed the way we market our businesses. In spite of our best efforts to show our services and products in the best light possible, unfortunately, we can’t control everything everyone says about our businesses all the time. Now more than ever, clients turn to social media to express their experiences and share it with the world.  

You must ensure you have a social media ‘listening’ strategy in place to attain the best information to help your salon grow. There are many tools available to put ears out there in the realms of social media.

Find out some of these tools available by clicking here, to view business.coms article on the importance of social media monitoring and the wealth of benefits it presents.

Listening in on social media is a great way to get ahead of your competitors and keep your customers coming back for more.

 

Get hair ideas shared on social media

We work in the fashion industry, so it is ever important to stay up to date and be seen as current if you want to be a successful salon. Now that we have been blessed with even more opportunity to advertise for free on social media, we need to embrace it.

Instagram and Pinterest are top contenders given their visual nature and outreach ability.

Bplans have come up with the ultimate guide to Instagram for hair salons, why not check it out! 

The more you share across the board, the more reach you can potentially attain. Clients are now coming in with pictures from their own social media feed, so why not use this opportunity to cash in on the growing trend by adding pictures to your salon’s profile.

With very little effort or cost on your part, shared content can boost your reach to new audiences and help build your brand by establishing your expertise and leadership within an industry.

It, therefore, validates your content and by extension your business.

Check out these 5 tips from HuffPost on how to increase your chances of online shares.

 

Solve a problem through content

What problems do your client base encounter?

Not enough time in the morning to style their hair? Not sure how to care for their hair in between salon visits? The condition of their hair is shot to pieces? Are they experiencing colour fade?

These are just a few of the many problems your clients could be facing. If you post content with these problems in mind and find a solution for people, you can win customers over and convert new ones!

Focus on giving actionable advice so that your readers can walk away with at least one thing that they can improve on, try or do better. This will aid in giving you credibility and authority in your niche.

You could even conduct a small survey on Facebook and ask people to respond with an everyday problem they face with their hair, then source these problems to feed your content.

Try it out yourselves! I googled ‘hair problems’ and this is what came up! Some great examples to sink your teeth into. So get brainstorming and finding those solutions!

 

Create a marketing calendar

Calendars are around to create order in our lives, so we don’t bypass big events and can plan ahead. They create structure, which is what you need to assist your marketing efforts. It is all very well coming up with these great marketing events to assist in growing your brand. But if you leave it to the last minute, all these efforts will be wasted and therefore not give you the returns you had hoped.

Planning is key in every aspect of a business before you start out you create a business plan. A template from which you can refer and amend accordingly.

It serves as a sort of blueprint and helps identify what messaging you will use and through what channels you will distribute it.

Start by brainstorming every occasion throughout the year that you might want to offer deals. For starters in February we have Valentine’s day, March is Mother’s Day, Easter and so on. Now you need to decide what offers/deals you are going to promote, and how far in advance you are going to need to advertise to make your clients aware.

Once you have decided this, input all this into your calendar and see how creating a salon marketing calendar can boost your business this year.

Don’t worry if you are reading this and it is not January 1st! It is never too late to put into place a marketing calendar. Better late than never!

Read about the benefits of creating a marketing calendar here!

Check out this guide from b the balance and learn how to create and use a marketing calendar.

 

Create A Valentine’s day campaign

Love is in the air! But February can be a slow month in the hairdressing industry. Christmas & New Year has been and gone (along with our wallets) and customers are careful not to overspend unnecessarily.

Que Valentine’s day! Have customers fall in love with your brand, give them an excuse to splash out and use this ‘Hallmark holiday’ to bring new clients to your business and appreciate your existing following.

Here is a couple to get you started:

• Replace your ‘recommend a friend’ loyalty card momentarily, why not ask them to ‘give to someone you love’.
• Two for one offer – On Valentine’s day bookings only – have this offer available.

 

Check out Lockhart Meyers awesome marketing ideas for hair salons for endless inspiration   

 

Create an international women’s day campaign 

“Celebrating all the women, salute, salute!” (As sung by Little Mix)

March 8th is celebrated as International Women’s Day around the world. This special day is dedicated to focusing on issues such as gender equality and female empowerment.

To pay homage to all your goddesses out there and show appreciation, why not use this day to spread to word and highlight some great deals in your salon.

Create a call to action and offer a discount on a service or product placed before March 8th (International women’s day)

Target your male client demographic to remind them to celebrate the women in their lives by informing them of your up and coming deals/services.

Why not offer all your female clients a free glass of bubbly as they enter the salon. Or donate your tips to a charity helping to fight for equality or a local cause campaigning for women?

Want some more ideas for marketing your salon in time for International women’s day? Check this article out!

 

Create a Mother’s Day campaign 

What better way to show how much you care than celebrate Mums everywhere with a special salon campaign dedicated to mothers?

That’s good news for you salon owners as it encourages a spring spike in sales. Try and think outside the box a little and plan ahead. Launch your campaign at least two weeks before, this gives time to build momentum and gage as much interest from clients as possible.

According to research from Experian Hitwise, shoppers spend a million hours searching for mothers day gifts online. This is your opportune moment to get in front of these consumers and have them come to you for Mother’s Day inspiration.

Ensure you have your gift cards displayed by your till and any offers posted on your social media profile in advance.

Check out Phorests salon Mother’s Day marketing ideas to help you stand out this March 

 

Create a Father’s Day campaign

Don’t forget about the guys when it comes to creating successful salon marketing campaigns! It couldn’t come at a better time too as June can be hit and miss for sales as it is the start of summer holiday season for many.

To mark Father’s day in your salon, why not extend it to Fathers week as this gives you more potential reach. (Plus many salons are closed on Sundays) You would do well to remember that it is usually women who buy for Father’s Day so they are your target promotional audience, gear your marketing efforts towards them and you are on to a winner.

You could create some ‘men’s themed packages’ in your retail area. Focus on your male best sellers and bring them to the forefront. Make them easy to buy by creating service and product packages at price points for all budgets.

For more great tips on Father’s day marketing ideas for salons, check out Lockhart Meyer.

Beautymark marketing has created a great ebook on “How to plan the Daddy of all Father’s Day promotions”.

 

 

Create a Prom campaign

Prom hair is big business and has become even bigger over the coming years. Marketing to the millennial client can be tricky, you have got to grab the attention of the tech-savvy millennial market.

To win their business you need to utilize your salon social media accounts, offer prom-themed package deals and plan ahead like with many campaigns to achieve the most out of this great little earner.

Remember as well, that is most likely going to be parents that are footing the bill here, so a great Insta profile isn’t necessarily going to win them over. Deals and referrals will most likely have more weight in this instance.

Get prom prepped and ready in your salon with these top tips to grow prom season business

Build the prom season into your marketing calendar every year to seize the opportunity to turn a prom appointment to a loyal client.

Doing this can really boost your earnings as a salon because millennials are often more adventurous with styles and want to experiment with colour according to the latest fashions. They are far more clued up on their hair requirements, therefore will want it done professionally like their Insta idols. Parents are generally accommodating in this situation, as they would rather pay a professional to carry out the work than compromise the integrity of their child’s hair.

 

Create a Halloween campaign

Halloween is fast becoming a contender for the ‘Hallmark holiday hotspot’ with shops preparing for pumpkin sales and costumes aplenty.

It doesn’t have to be a scary affair and in our industry, we hope it isn’t! We don’t want any shrieks coming from within our salon walls!

But why not get involved and think outside the box a bit to use it as a method to promote your services and products.

For example, you could endorse your stronghold hairsprays for fancy-dress do’s or get in some temporary colour/glitter spray for the kids.

Play around with words for your social media marketing platforms and offer ‘frighteningly good deals, freakishly good hair or hair so bad, it looks good’.

Or use this as an opportunity to get your creative juices flowing and offer some ‘Halloween themed hair ups’. People are all too happy to get dressed up and the hair is an all-important part of the costume, but often it is that that lets them down as they are unable to perfect it themselves.

You could offer Halloween hair tutorials or take bookings for them to boost your profits this Autumn.

For more ideas on how to attract more clients with unique Halloween salon marketing ideas click here. 

Don’t forget your window displays, dress your window for the occasion to attract more customers, see here!

 

Create a Black Friday campaign

We have been hearing about Black Friday increasingly in the last few years in the UK at least. Of course in the US it marks the first day of Christmas shopping after Thanksgiving. Which comes at a good time for us in the hair industry as November can be a patchy month, clients are holding off for their Christmas cuts etc.

Take advantage of this new marketing fixture and boost your books for November to avoid the slump.

There are endless possibilities put in place to jump on board the ‘Black Friday train’. Check out Phorests fun marketing ideas to boost black Friday retail sales. If you have overlooked this great marketing opportunity in the past, be sure to grab it with both hands and witness your November profits increase like never before.

Haven’t planned ahead this year for Black Friday in your salon? Don’t despair, why not have a flash sale and advertise it on social media that day?

Have some fun with it, play around with the meaning, why not call it Pink Friday? or Blonde Friday? To make it more hair oriented and differentiate from all other businesses cashing in on the hype.

Changing the name could also create some buzz around your salon, as it will tempt people unaware of the event to click and find out more! To read more about this idea, check out my post on ‘How to Capitalize on Black Friday’.

 

Create a Christmas campaign

“It’s the most wonderful time of the year”. It is also the busiest time of year for us salon workers. But it is what gets us through the slump in January, so we need to make the most of this festive period.  

The key here is to plan ahead, we all know how chaotic December can be so don’t leave all your promotions to the last minute. (Please see create a marketing calendar paragraph)

Having a Christmas marketing plan allows you to anticipate and eliminate potential problems over the challenging month. Easing you into organised chaos!

For the ultimate Christmas Marketing plan for salons and spas look no further than here! 

Remember it is a time for giving, so reflect this in your offers, promotions and reward clients loyalty to your business.

For 27 more Christmas marketing ideas click here! 

 

Create a New Year campaign

New Year, New You seems to be the prevalent message pitched to us every January.

We are in the perfect position as hairdressers to make this colloquialism a reality for many. But how do we promote this message and spread the word particularly when people are tightening their purse strings after the festive season?

Embrace the January Sale and banish those winter blues to keep your January cash flow positive.

New Year’s Eve is another great occasion to market your salon’s availability to assist in the ‘New Year, New You’ culture.

How about a workshop offering tips to put your hair up to show off the perfect New Years outfit? Jump on the New Year’s resolution bandwagon and encourage clients to make their hair a priority for the coming year. Offer a free service after so many visits to provoke their booking habits and solidify their custom.

For more inspiring ideas to boost your New Year bookings check out Lockhart Meyers tips right here. 

 

Share your promotions on social media

Running a promotion in your salon currently? How have you set about promoting it? Word of mouth? An ‘A’ board outside your salon?

Before I go on..let me let you into a little secret. Sharing your promotions on social media will not only encourage more sales, it is a powerful source of social proof. This is because you can ask for clients to comment on promotions they have received via your salon or post pictures of their ‘free blow-dry’ or ‘complimentary conditioner’ to help spread the word.

As mentioned before, there will be some social media strategies that prove to be more powerful in promoting your salon than others. This is all dependant on your key customer demographics as to which promotional avenue you choose.

Here are a few routes from Thrivehive to get you started:

 

Promote a daily deal

Now, this doesn’t need to be as scary as it sounds. It doesn’t have to be a daily deal EVERY day of the week. You could pick out the weeks or days in your calendar that appear to have a depreciation in your books.

For example, if Tuesdays can be a bit slow, promote half-price blow-drys before 12 noon. This way you can fill in your blank slots and it encourages people who were perhaps on the cusp of booking. You fill slots that would have remained vacant and a loss of earnings for your salon by putting a restriction on the time, creating a sense of urgency. If clients miss out on the deals for that time allotment, encourage them to check back for your other services on offers coming up.

Make sure you highlight the offers on your social media profiles and notify your clients in advance to enhance your booking potential.

You could also go down the route of one of the coupon sites, Groupon, LivingSocial etc. They are a great way of finding new customers because they only cost you if you someone actually uses them. Check out Entrepreneurs post on how to make daily deals pay off for your business.

 

Hold a contest for clients

Everyone loves a contest right?! The chance to win and a competitive edge rears its head in most of us. Well, then why not use this as a tool to build your online presence?

By posting the competition on your social media feed, you are opening up the gateway to engage your audience and increase likes which boosts your salon’s online visibility

They also provide a rich source of data because participants are prepared to share more information with you as a means of entering the contest. Read more about this here! 

Now you are aware of the benefits to your salon growth, you need to settle on what you are going to ask people and what the prize giveaway is.  

You could hold a selfie contest and encourage clients after their service to snap a picture, upload it to your chosen social media platform and the picture with the most likes wins 20% of their next service with you.

Or, ‘like this post for a chance to win a free blowdry at our salon winner selected at random’. The options are endless!

On your marks…Get set…GO!

 

Gift certificate/card promotions

Gift certificates are the new tender for retail. Have you noticed them everywhere?! They are always by the tills in stores for that reason. Patrons pick them up as present ideas for loved ones and let’s face it, who doesn’t like receiving a gift certificate for your favourite store? They are easy to give and easy to use.

They are a great extra to add to your retail as they don’t cut into your profits, as usually, consumers spend more than the face value of the gift card. They generate revenue in advance of sales and immediately improve cash flow because you are paid in advance for any products or services rendered. And they can introduce new customers to your salon.

Click here to read about 7 benefits of gift cards for your business. 

You could offer different types, such as a gift card for retail or for specific services as well as the standard value denominations. This way clients that are on a budget can pick one according to the limit they wish to spend. Alternatively, customers can pick out a specific service card. For example ‘One blow-dry’ etc.

Finally don’t forget to get promoting those little cards – in salon, social media, your website and your email marketing campaigns

So try expanding your retail to accommodate gift cards today and see how your salon retail profits grow.

 

Experiment with these ideas in your own salons to feel the full force of social media from a business perspective. So if you only take away one of these tips to action or choose to work through them as a series of lessons, the aim is to make small improvements to help grow your salon business. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Its official, the Christmas countdown has begun. So you know what that means???

 

Black Friday.

 

What do those two words conjure up for you?

Scrabbling masses in the shops? Queues for miles waiting for the stores to open?

For me they scream: Salon marketing opportunity.

This is because in recent years it has become a growing phenomenon in the UK, when businesses realised they could cash in on this marketing ploy. Historically it comes after Thanksgiving in the US but it has crossed the pond and we are able to share in this American tradition and grow our businesses anywhere.

 

How will this help grow my salon?

 

If you have never participated in any Black Friday events for your salon, I understand your skepticism.

‘I haven’t used Black Friday for marketing before, why start now?’

Well stick with me, as I hope to convince you of the benefit to your salon business in my post.

You only have to switch on the television at this time of year or scroll through your social media feed to see how Black Friday has catapulted to the forefront for marketing in November.

Traditionally, November can be a bit of a slow month for salons. As clients hold out for that all important Christmas appointment. But with a little forward thinking and planning ahead, there is no reason November can’t be as successful as December with Black Friday on the horizon.

Here are my top tips on how to make to most of Black Friday for your salon business:

 

Extend your opening hours

 

This is a nice and easy one to start off with. It doesn’t require much effort, just some willing staff and you are good to go!

Again, extended opening hours are common place on the lead up to the festive season. Retailers are trying to squeeze every last penny out of consumers before the big day and opening earlier/later than your standard times, is often more convenient for customers.

If you are unsure, try it for just Black Friday itself, extend your day by an hour to start. That way, if the bookings are not ample, you can finish at your regular time.

Be sure to promote this though as you can’t expect people to be mind readers. If they are aware of a change in schedule, they are far more likely to comply.

Which leads me nicely to my next point…

Get promoting on social media

 

Get the word out there and let people know about your Black Friday deals, whatever they may be.

You want to create as much hype as possible, so be sure to promote before the big event, as well as on the Friday itself. This way you can capture more interest and generate more sales in advance, rather than waiting for the day of the event.

Think about Christmas in this way, we don’t wait until Christmas Eve or even Christmas Day to begin thinking about Christmas.

Take this approach when promoting on your social and whip up a frenzy, to get people excited to visit your salon and benefit from the bargains!

 

Get rid of surplus stock

 

Have you checked your old stock recently?

We are all guilty of harboring old stock in the back, it didn’t sell then so you hang on to it because it still came at a cost to you. Well get sorting and dust off those obsolete cans (you know the ones ;-))

Try putting it in a discount basket on your front desk marked ‘Black Friday deals’ and encourage your receptionist to ask clients to have a rummage before they leave.

This is prime time to get promoting Christmas gift ideas. People are desperately hunting for the ‘perfect gift’ and your products might be exactly what they are looking for. Bonus, you have shifted your unwanted stock and they have found the perfect present.

Price the items individually, displaying the RRP and your discount to make it easier for people to determine the savings.

Get creative with campaign names

 

 

As hairdressers we work in a creative environment, so why not extend this into other areas when thinking of marketing solutions?

You could play around with the wording and call it ‘Pink Friday’ for any of your Nicki Minaj fans out there! Or ‘Blonde Friday’? By switching up the campaign title, it will pique interest and encourage clients to find out more.

Stand out from the crowd and inspire your team and clients with a punchy twist on a ‘Black Friday’ campaign.

 

Sell gift cards

 

Black Friday poses a great platform to start selling Christmas gift ideas…

Enter Gift cards.

Gift cards are the perfect solution to gift giving for those people who have everything (We all know them, heck we may even BE one of them!) Plus they boost the cash flow to your business in a commonly quiet month.

But we are not just selling gift cards at the face value on the card, people are looking for a deal after all.

Here are some promotional ideas:

Why not throw in 25% extra on Black Friday gift card purchases only? Or a ‘Buy one get one free’ special. Where a spend of £100 receives a £25 gift card for salon services?

The marketing angle on these gift cards are these can only be used in January/February. As these are traditionally our slower months as everyone is spent up after the festive season.

 

Show your appreciation

 

How often are we told we are appreciated by businesses?

Not that often in my experience. How often are we rewarded for our loyalty?

Again, not that often. Usually it is more beneficial to switch providers as all the best offers come to newcomers.

Hairdressing is such a personal industry and we need to render this in business as salon owners.

We should treat our loyal clients to extras or freebies to show our appreciation and gratitude for their support. After all without them, we wouldn’t have a business.

For example, any regular booked in on Black Friday can receive a complimentary conditioning treatment on top of their regular service at no extra cost to them

The marketing angle on this tip is upselling a service gives a client the opportunity to try a service they perhaps wouldn’t before, which opens up an avenue for more business in the future. Additionally word of mouth when you have had a good experience, goes a long way…

 

Make use of last minute offers

 

We all love a last minute offer, particularly if the savings are more as a result.

Having a date which is finite, also create a sense of urgency which encourages sales in your salon.

Reach out to your salon database to notify them of your last minute deals and create a call to action. Clients then have two options, miss out on the offer or go for it! This prevents dithering and boosts sales on the day.

You could also create a Black Friday countdown, to raise awareness and encourage shares on your social media for more exposure.

 

Host a product demo day

 

This is great if you have a new product line just out. You could invite clients to come along to a ‘try before you buy’ event. Then have a members of your team use the products on clients to demonstrate their use, then discount if purchased on Black Friday only.

Again this creates a call to action, if clients see the results and are pleased with them, they are more likely to purchase and continue to do so. It’s a win win.

Plus with Christmas coming up, people are starting to think about gift ideas…that’s where you come in!

Create a ‘Big Spender’ programme

 

 

Hey big spender!

Encourage Black Friday sales by advertising when spending ‘X’ amount on products, clients will receive a complimentary service as a result.

Be mindful of what you give away, you want to spur your sales, not become bankrupt!

So a simple formula would be; you want the ‘free service’ to be worth no more than 20-25% of the total bill.

For example, if a client purchases £150 worth of products, the treatment received needs to be around the £30-40 mark. You would then adjust this in accordance to the amount spent.

This is a great marketing opportunity because people are incentivised to buy, on the basis they are receiving a free service.

Use this opportunity to generate new custom

 

Black Friday is a time where people are searching for deals and have come to expect them somewhat in some cases.

Use this to capitalise on savvy shoppers looking for a bargain, to generate some new customers for your salon.

I know your appointment system is probably groaning at the thought of squeezing another client in before the Christmas rush. Especially a new one.

But riddle me this…if your Black Friday deal for new customers encouraged them to book in before Black Friday, then RETURN in January and they will receive ‘X’.

You are giving them a reason to return (apart from the amazing skills they witnessed on their first visit of course! ;-)) in an otherwise quiet period.  

Summary

 

So pencil Black Friday in diary and make it a staple for years to come in your marketing calendars.

I hope this article has given you some food for thought. You don’t need to implement all these ideas at once as there is quite a bit to get through. Just pick what is most fitting for your salon and team to make the most of this marketing campaign for the best returns.

 

What will you call your Black Friday campaign this year? Have you tried any of these methods in your salon?

 

As always, I love to hear your feedback, so please comment below with your thoughts or come visit me on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Today I wanted to cover a topic that has been very widely covered, but I’m not just going to regurgitate old tips, instead I want to infuse some of my own ideas and communicate it with a little Salon Saviour twist!

Marketing in any business nowadays is an integral part of being a business owner. So in my post today, I hope to encourage you to implement these tried and tested methods for assured salon success.  

I have scoured the net (so you don’t have to!) to bring what I feel to be, a great source to help you promote your salon businesses and take it to the next level. I have referenced all my online sources and included them in here so you can go on to read in more depth if you wish.

I have taken the liberty of breaking it down into sub-sections, allowing you to browse at your convenience or hone in on a specific category that interests or is applicable to you.

So whether you are just starting out and need a bit of guidance on marketing your new venture. Or are a veteran in the game and need a few fresh ideas to revive your business, I hope there is something for everyone here!

 

How marketing strategies can help your business:

Trust is the real currency in marketing, without it your clients do not develop brand loyalty. Salons that aren’t trusted can crank out the best services going, but still never grow.

No customer loyalty = Failing salon, unfortunately.

So marketing your salon can dramatically help aid your business growth. This is because it builds awareness, generates leads, attracts new customers and makes your business stand out from the crowd.

It is no longer sufficient to ‘just be good at your job’, for your salon to be successful, you need to reach consumers in a way that inspires trust and establishes a long term relationship.

Without further ado let’s dig into the first section…

 

FREE Online Marketing Ideas: 

I wanted to ensure my divisions (or chapters) were split fairly and not heavily reliant on big budgets for marketing, particularly if you are new to this.

Therefore I wanted to begin with the online marketing strategies that are completely FREE and available to just about anyone, anywhere with access to a computer, tablet or mobile!

(These tips don’t necessarily need to be to completed in the order I have written them, I just tried to structure them in a way that would make the most sense in terms of reading and would flow more naturally.)

 

Define your business brand

This is really the first step in your marketing strategy. You want to build a brand experience that will drive customer loyalty and differentiate yourself from other leading salons. Define what you stand for and the types of products and services your clients can learn expect from you.

For a more in depth marketing plan to define your business click here.

 

Watch your competitors marketing

I’m going to go out on a whim here and assume you have all heard of the saying ‘Keep your friends close and your enemies closer’? Well this analogy works in a business sense too, particularly digital marketing. I am not insinuating your competitors are enemies, but you get the gist. And a bit of healthy competition never hurt anyone right?!

Keeping a close eye on what other brands in your sector are doing – websites, social media profiles, blogs paid ad campaigns, email marketing sends, PR coverage – can do more that just tell you what you are up against, it can actually help you formulate your own killer marketing strategy.

Take a look at Brand24 blog, where there is a cracking article on ‘5 reasons to watch your competitors online marketing’. Take note, as there are some compelling points to try out.

Another readable article is from Mannixmarketing.com which gives you suggestions on how to always be one step ahead of your competitors.

And finally, a brilliant blog Kissmetrics gives away some gold with ‘25 sneaky online tools and gadgets to help you spy on your competitors’. Listing the tools used, what they are for and how to implement them. Stating that many of the tools used can help you monitor your own web performance and can also help you gather data on your competition. Really good stuff so check it out!

Which leads me nicely on to my next point.

 

Measure all your marketing activity 

As formerly mentioned in my paragraph above, it is not only important to measure your industry competitors to gage where you stand. But to measure your own marketing activities as well to become the best.

You have heard of the term ‘Return On Investment’ right? Well this is never been more applicable than in terms of online or offline marketing. As we are focusing on online marketing today, I will elaborate.

It is important to measure and test the written and visual content you place to ensure its success. Over at Hyped marketing, a blog about content marketing, they talk about the metrics to measure online marketing campaigns.

With Gems such as: ‘Website metrics to watch’, ‘Social media metrics ’ and ‘Email metrics’.

All necessary stuff when on the quest to run a successful salon. Check it out!

 

Add your business to Google my business

Entice new customers to your salon with the help of Google listing. When people are searching for your salon, or businesses like yours, on Google search or maps for example – your salon should appear in the search listings. You can easily create and update your listing on Google My Business – so you can stand out from the crowd and bring new customers in.

Take charge of what people see when they search for your salon, as well as managing how customers view your business online. To get started in one easy step today click here!

 

 

 

Learn about SEO

I know, I know you guys…this stuff is way over my head too. But its important to grasp, your online salon success depends on it!

What is SEO?

Search engine optimization is essentially how search engines grow your visibility in non-paid search (organic). This means it increases awareness of your site in search engines, drives traffic and improves where your salon comes up in a search (ranking). In other words gets you seen in the big online abyss.

Why does your website need it?

The bulk of web traffic is driven by the major commercial search engines (Google, Bing, Yahoo). Social media and other types of traffic also play a part and can generate visits to your website too.

When people are looking for what you have to offer search engines provide targeted traffic your website, the pathways if you like, that make this happen. You will miss out on an unbelievable amount of traffic if they cannot find or add content to your site. So swat up on your SEO skills to increase your online presence and grow your salon from within.

To read on, click here for the beginners guide to SEO. Which provides an in-depth tutorial on how search engines work and the fundamental strategies to make your website search engine -friendly.

 

Get links back to your website – Link acquisition

Getting links back to your site help generate web traffic, which in turn should convert these eyes into customers!

You have got to earn them!

A link is how Google, in essence, recommends your website. The more links you receive the higher you rank in the search results.

The popularity of a website is a good indicator of the value placed on it, in Googles eyes. What constitutes popularity in an online sense? (Its not wearing Pink on Wednesdays I’m afraid guys!) It is backlinks from other sites pointing to yours from the search engines perspective – is a pretty weighty confidence vote in your favour.

Click here to find 14 easy places to build back links to your website.

Also the ‘Daily Egg’ blog have come up with 6 smart ways to get quality backlinks for SEO, check out the article here!

Track your salon on google search results

Where does your salon appear on Google search results?

It is important to keep track of your Google search listing position. Not only are you vying for the number one spot here, you need to monitor your organic search. That way you are viewing what clients see, and can determine if you need to adjust your marketing tactics – for example paid search, to generate more site traffic.

Without rank tracking, as a salon owner, you simply cannot know what works and what doesn’t. Applying the same tactics to session work… we wouldn’t simply guess what colour to administer.

We carry out a proper consultation and from this conclude what action to take next. Take the guess work out of your Google listing, see where the inefficiencies are, and improve upon them.

For a great guide on measuring and tracking success online click here! 

Which leads me nicely onto my next point…

Add your website to local/good quality internet directories

The purpose of creating local listings is to make your business visible online. Your chances of being found online are increased by every new listing you create. Many of the local businesses indexes share information, so the more places your business is listed the more visibility you have online.

By doing this you have also indirectly increased your chances of ranking well in local searches, because the indexes trust the accuracy of your business data.

Companies are connecting with new clients on a daily basis thanks to local business directories online. While the majority of people will head to a search engine, there’s still a lot of exposure that comes from being listed in local business directories.

Putting your salon business in a local directory is a great way to connect with clients who are searching for your services online.

For more information on how to find the best business directories check out this article from the balance. They have some great insider information, including submission tools and tips.

For more definitive information on how to add your website to local online directories, please see here!

Another helpful link, is this one right here! Which lists the top 20 places your business needs to be listed online, and what you need to include within your listing to get the best results.

Add or claim your business on Yelp

Yelp was founded in 2004 to help people find great local businesses like dentists, hairstylists (we are even featured in the description here guys!) and mechanics. It had a monthly average of 28 million unique visitors who visited via the Yelp app.

Now who wouldn’t want to get in front of this size audience?! And you guessed it is totally free to sign up so what are you waiting for?

Here’s a handy link for a super easy guide for you.

Add or claim your business on Bing places

Bing is a search engine owned and operated by tech giant, Microsoft. While not as popular as its counterpart, Google, it is still favourable to many – as Bing is often the default search engine for newer computers, tablets and mobile devices running Windows OS.

As a salon owner your business has a physical location, therefore it would be advantageous to list your business on this search engine too. It has enormous potential for raising your online visibility as well as giving you the ability to manage how your salon appears publicly. This is done by uploading content such as photos, your services and opening times etc.

By spreading your salon across multiple search engines and internet directories your outreach will be that much further.

They offer 3 options to start out depending on your situation, these are the categories under which you can list your business: Local or small businesses with a storefront, Chain businesses with multiple locations or Businesses offering services at customer locations.

Join the millions of businesses who have already added their businesses to Bing by clicking here.

Engage with your customers online

Technology today provides us the with the opportunity for client interaction anytime and remotely. With this luxury available to us, we should look to take full advantage of this progressive trend.

Building trust is an integral part of being a salon owner and building your brand. So engaging with customers online as well as in person, of course, seems the subsequent step to take here.

Have a read of the article here to read 7 creative ways to engage with your customers online.

Engaging with customers online, assures them that their voice is heard and you really care for their comments and feedback. So many companies do not hold themselves accountable and make customers feel under valued and misrepresented.

Pride yourself on engaging with your customers and you will continue to strengthen your connection with them for long lasting relationships.

Ask customers to leave reviews

This is a great tool to use and social proof for other potential clients. Ask/Encourage satisfied customers to write a short review on their experience in your salon and the service received.

Not only will it help reinforce in their mind why they choose your salon but it costs you absolutely nothing!

Think about it this way – consumers trust recommendations from a third party, more often than a brand (that’s you) itself. Of course we are going to tell clients how amazing we are as a salon and why they should choose us, but someone impartial giving the same information becomes the mutual friend connecting your brand with your target customers.

It also enables you to gain access to all important feedback on their experience at your salon. Have a read of Lockhart Meyers post on ‘Why salon reviews are marketing dynamite & how to get them’. In this, Alice also attests to the best review websites that I mention here in my guide, to get your hair and beauty business noticed.

Publish a case study

Case studies are a brilliant way of demonstrating what you do well, generating leads and building brand awareness.

So how can a case study be used as a marketing tool for your salon you may ask?

A case study, that is a well written one, in a relevant publication can showcase your salon’s capabilities and encourage more customers to buy your products and services. It is essentially a real life success story about your business.

It should set out a specific problem in your niche and then show how your organisation has helped to solve it, before focusing on the benefits it has for your clients. It is a great way of demonstrating a ‘can do’ attitude and how you quickly respond to problems as they arise.

A great tip: is to quote a client on their experience. This helps make the benefits you are delivering much more authentic as it has come directly from a customer and is therefore automatically more credible.

Have a look here at a great case study template to help prompt you with your own. This website also houses some interesting insights and some food for thought.

Another engaging site for more information if you were interested in writing a case study for your own salon is this.

It has some actionable tips for creating your own, listing the components necessary for a successful one. Why not check it out!

Read online trade magazines

Reading or even subscribing to an online or physical paper copy of a trade magazine can give endless inspiration for your business.

Because they are frequently updated (usually monthly) they reflect today’s multi-faceted hair industry and appeal to the ever changing needs of salon owners.

Featuring up to-date information about industry topics and business boosting ideas usually from leading expert contributors.

Here are a few great examples to get you started:

The Salon Magazine

Salon Business

Salon Today 

 

Create unique content as a way to market your salon

Creating content that is unique is a sure fire way of setting your salon apart from the crowd and being taken seriously as an authoritative figure.

Do you often get clients asking, ‘How do you do your hair like that?’ or ‘I wish I could do mine like that…you make it look so easy!’

On that note, why not create a ‘how to’ photo series or upload video tutorials on your website, or your salon blog to showcase your talents! Think bigger, and create a You Tube profile for your salon and make it a regular segment. You could develop a vlog and give the inside scoop on your salon or answer FAQ’s pitched by your clients? Become ‘Insta-famous’ and create your own profile uploading pictures and videos to encourage interest in your brand. The options are endless so let your imagination run wild!

Not only will it be good publicity for your skill set as a salon but it solves a problem in the process! You could even categorize by type or occasion; for example ‘festival ready hair’ or ‘special occasions’. 

I found this wonderful blog, a beautiful mess created by two sisters Elsie and Emma. It is a women’s lifestyle company and focuses on various areas of interest, such as home decor and recipes. But I was intrigued by their hair tutorials section.

They create charming photo series of hairstyles, capture stunning pictures for each stage with a brief but thorough description of how to do it. 

Easy right! Check out some of their work right here! for some inspiration. Like this colourful flower braid, or this no fuss fishtail tutorial. 

Gosh, I could spend hours looking through these and have serious hair envy from the beautifully set out images!

Another great blog with some fab examples is Hair Romance. Again, this displays lovely images detailing step by step guides and even has a ‘what you need’ section listing the supplies used to create the look. What more do YOU need to get going on your own projects?

So there you have it folks, create some ‘how to’ tutorials, add a caption with a brief description and upload! Jobs a good’un 🙂

 

My Final Thoughts…

Phew! There is a lot of information to digest through guys, so take your time going through this and if you take away only one thing from this guide remember… Rome wasn’t built in a day.

This is the first of a number of posts I am currently working on to build a larger guide to bring to you, to help with your salon success stories. So stay tuned, I hope you have enjoyed this introduction to what I hope to be, the first definitive guide to salon marketing!

Thank you for reading today, as always I would love to hear your thoughts and value your input. Please comment below and let me know if this has helped you 🙂

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Picture this, it’s a busy Saturday morning and you have been running around like a headless chicken since your feet touched the ground on arrival. You look at the clock and your 10.30 am appointment has not yet arrived?

‘That’s unusual’ you think to yourself? Time ticks on and it’s now 10.45 am, it appears they are either late or not coming at all!

‘Did I book them in correctly when they last left? Are they running late? Have they simply forgot?’

11 am strikes and your next appointment walks through the door, deeming your previous client a ‘No Show’!

Sound familiar?

If you are anything like me, this is an all too relatable and irritating occurrence!! No shows cost the salon money and/or the stylist if you are self employed. So it is essential to minimize them where possible.

In this post I am going to show you a few ideas you can easily implement to try and reduce those annoying no shows and keep your salon running at maximum profitability and efficiency.

How can we solve this frustrating issue?

Now aside from dragging people into the salon yourself, we cannot control the actions of others unfortunately.

However, there are a few things you can do to help combat this problem for your salon!!

1.        Call, text or email the client ahead of the allotted appointment.

This is the easiest to put into practice as it only takes a minute and can be very effective. Dentists, doctors and plenty of other service industries use this method.

An easy template (if you don’t have salon software to do this for you!) would be something along these lines:

“Hi Jane, Just a quick reminder for your hair appointment on Wednesday 6th July at 10.00am. Hope to see you then, any problems please don’t hesitate to contact us on…Kind regards

2.        A call or text AFTER allotted appointment.

Now this may seem counter intuitive as these are tips on prevention. But a quick call after a client has failed to show up for their slot, reinforces that you have missed them. I guess a ‘Sorry we missed you’ kind of take?

This is just a courtesy call to check in if they are a regular, that they are okay, and there hasn’t been some sort of mix up? Usually it’s the latter or they have completely forgotten. From personal experience, they are usually mortified that they let you down and never do it again!!

And for those new clients that do it, and perhaps still forgot but don’t have the same sentiment. Its also a bit of a nudge in their direction just to say ‘Hey, I noticed you missed your appointment today.’ Hopefully they will refrain from this in future as it has not gone ‘unnoticed’!

3.       Charge a nominal amount and tag it onto their next bill.

Again, you would have to call or inform the client before doing so. Or if they call to rearrange the missed appointment inform them that this policy was in force. But having a 10 GBP fee for example, for missed appointments, can help claw back some money lost for having the slot unfilled and discourage it happening again in future.

You should have this policy clearly stated in plain sight of customers and ensure it is outlined on your website too. A simple notice on the sections and/or on the front desk stating the policy will suffice.

This is somewhat tricky to enforce more so than the other two suggestions, as people could go elsewhere in future with it not being a nation wide system in place.

However most hairdressers have a good relationship with clients and they would understand the fee attained and be obliging to pay up!

You may choose to waive the fee for regulars and one off occurrences? Really this method could be more of a deterrent than anything else, but repeat ‘offenders’ (you know the ones 😉 ) must comply to the set fee.

Although this is probably the most difficult to invoke, it is probably the most effective in that clients will only do it once!

 

I hope these pointers will be applicable and helpful to you guys! I for one have found since implementing these strategies, it has most certainly cut down on pesky no shows!!

I would love to hear your comments and thoughts on this issue! Please let me know what you think in the comments below!

What do you do to prevent this from happening? Do you have any tried and tested methods you use in your salon?