How to maximize the next 8 weeks to fill your Salon book and your pockets
It’s back-to-school time and I don’t know about you, but it always feels refreshing. Growing up in the north (midwest), we always went back to school the day after Labor Day. So it feels like a time when there’s a return to normalcy. Things tend to get on a regular schedule and it’s a great time to look ahead at the rest of the year, as well as create a plan to make the most of the year ahead and to make sure the beginning of 2023 is busy, as well.
As you well know, once the holidays hit, it’s going to be very busy. This month and next are the perfect time to get prepared to maximize the busy season. In addition, for many it gets slow once the holidays have passed, people have partied, bought gifts and spent their money. When January and February hit things can slow down. If you don’t prepare now to be busy, then you may find that you have a hole to dig out of by the time March hits.
One of the keys to my former Salon and Day Spa being named one of the ‘200 Fastest Growing Salons in the Country’ by Salon Today Magazine, for 3 years in a row, was that we ran a very strategic promotion to get clients in January and February. So our revenue was almost as high in those months as it was in the peak holiday months! That meant we started each year with a new highpoint of sales that was our springboard to launch a spectacular next year. I will share more particulars on our promotion in the next week or two, so stay tuned.
In the meantime, here are 4 things that I recommend adding to your ‘to-do’ list and to your schedule, to make time to plan and execute each one before it gets too busy.
Thanksgiving and Christmas Plan - this is a great time of the year to say thank you to your clients. Also, it’s typically a busy time of the year, so there’s no need to discount. What kind of gifts, gift cards, promotions or retail would your clients appreciate? Spend a little time brainstorming. If it involves products, physical gifts or even personalized (to your salon) Holiday cards, it’s best to order now, before the vendors get swamped or back-ordered.
First of the Year Plan - As I mentioned, in many parts of the country, after Christmas and New Year’s the salon can become a ghost town. Maybe it’s a good time to plan a break or getaway for yourself. And I’d encourage you to think of a couple of services that your clients would enjoy (and would get them back into the salon) after the first of the year. This is a great time to think about simple, low-cost, high perceived value ‘add-on’ services or retail products. Also, services that aren’t too product intensive.
Rebook all your clients til the end of the year - Typically during the holidays you will see people you’ve barely seen all year and I want to make sure that ‘every so often folks’ don’t crowd out your regular clients. So, I recommend reaching out to all of your regulars, or on their next visit, making sure that they have all of their appointments scheduled at least through the end of the year, if not through the end of February 2023. That way they will already be on the books before the ‘holiday rush’ folks show up. Before you start scheduling clients, make sure to check with your family and your own personal calendar to make sure of your availability through the end of the year.
Raise Your Prices - In fact, I just spoke to someone who is planning to raise their prices at the beginning of the year. I know some people do this and it works for them, but I personally think it’s the worst time of the year to raise your prices! As I mentioned, in many parts of the country, it’s cold and bleak, people will just put their hair in a ponytail and put a hat on, so they don’t come in until spring. Others are receiving those after-Christmas credit card bills and wondering how they got so carried away - and what they can cut back on to get back on track. Often those early months of the year aren’t packed with events and activities where you need to look great or dress to impress, so people don’t worry as much about their hair. So how could a time when people aren’t trying to spend money (or even come outside) be the best time to raise your prices? Can you spell pushback? So when is the best time to raise your prices, Miki? My favorite, if you haven’t recently raised them, is before the holidays. People have places to go, people to impress and they’re in a spending money mood anyway (think Black Friday, lol). Most people are not going to skip getting their hair done during that time just because it went up. And by the time January gets here, they will have already forgotten.
Because it is such a great time, I’m offering a VIP Group Coaching Masterclass for FREE to those who join The Luxury Hairstylist Blueprint before Sunday, September 18th will have the opportunity to explode their growth (think doubling your income, working only 3 days a week) and be supported by like-minded Hair Stylists who are doing the same.
Miki Wright, founder of www.BeautySuperStars.com and host of the Beauty SuperStars Talk Podcast, is respected as a leader in the Beauty Industry. Wright, a Salon Business Coach and Pricing Strategist, has been a long time Educator at many of the top Hair Shows in the country. She continues to share her knowledge to help Beauty Pros create the clientele, income and lifestyle they desire with her FREE Webinar, Level Up! The Salon Pricing Masterclass and other online classes.
Beauty SuperStars Talk gives beauty enthusiasts a backstage pass to ‘Experts in Beauty’ and offers interviews that celebrate Black Beauty Bosses who are excelling in the Beauty Industry. Follow her on https://youtube.com/mikiwright
Wright is the former Owner of Fabulous Finishes Salon and Day Spa, which was one of the first African-American owned spa facilities in the country! In addition, her salon was selected by Salon Today Magazine as one of the “200 Fastest Growing Salons” in the country, for three consecutive years! Be sure to grab your FREE copy of the Hairstylist's Power Pricing Workbook at https://www.beautysuperstars.com/pricing