I am sorry it has been a while since I last wrote, but I have been busy in the salon and with home life. I am trying to sort out a Facebook page, but as yet I have not been too successful, anyway here is something you may find useful.
I hope 2011 is going to be a better year than 2010, and how you “Set your stall out”, is an important part of your hairdressing business.I would like to share my views with you, on how to have a prosperous 2011.
There are in the main 3 sets of hairdressing businesses;The one’s that have “no plan” , the ones that have an “offer plan” and the one’s that have a “service plan” .
The salons or individuals who have “no plan” , speaks for itself, these businesses just amble along and react to what ever gets thrown at them.
The salons or individuals that have an “offer plan” work on coming up with different offers each month, to attract new business, and this will work very well for some salons, however I always feel that you are discounting your daily work rate to people who would come to your salon any way.
The “service plan” salons or individuals, concentrate on the service they are giving, and look to give value for the money they charge. You do not have to be inexpensive to do this, but sometimes, go the extra mile, to make your service stand out from others or your nearest competition.
In times of hardship, and I have got my business through 3 recessions now, I always tell myself and staff to make sure you have done your best for the client and get them to rebook for there next appointment, if you do this the people who enter your salon will return and give you a good basis to build a good clientele. If client’s are not happy and you lose them to other salons, life will get harder very quickly.
Another pointer for your business which may help you is to “block the colander”, just for you that have not heard of a colander, it is a strainer or sieve that you wash or rinse food in. I look at business as generating a cliental stream of clients that walk into your business, this is the flow of water pouring into your colander.
Your job is now to block the holes in that colander so it overflows rather than just runs out through the colander. An overflowing colander is like an overflowing business. You can do this by looking at the waste of products within your business or getting the best rates for your gas and electricity, another big saving is the correct ratio of staff to clients.
Employing staff who do little in the salon or generate little in monetary terms, are an expense that will not be able to afford for long. Staff can be your largest payout.I hope these pointers will help you in some way to get the most out of your business and have a prosperous 2011.
Many thanks.
Enjoy your hairdressing.
John Mc Loughlin
