Jamie Brooks
BE AT THE TOP OF YOUR GAME
Brooks & Brooks, London
“We’ve seen clients’ habits change in the last few years since Covid and now there is a cost of living crisis; it seems life will never get back to ‘normal’. Everyone is looking at every penny they spend, so if they’re going to spend it with you, you have to make it worthwhile! Their visit to the salon needs to be something they look forward to even more. Clients may be stretching their appointments, but when they do come to you, the experience and service needs to be so great, they can’t wait to come again!The salon needs to be an escape from the outside world – no cost of living chit chat, impeccable service and an incredible experience.”
Martin Crean
PUT YOUR POSITIVE PANTS ON!
MODE Hair, Chipping Campden
“Stay away from social media and the general press – it’s full of doom and gloom and it’s hard to avoid feeling overwhelmed when you are reading stories of people’s businesses closing or people losing their homes. Try and stay positive as much as possible and look at what you have achieved. You’ve survived the pandemic and lockdowns and now you have a new challenge to face. It’s not ideal but while you have to be realistic and aware of what is happening, don’t let it dominate your every thought. January is notoriously quiet so why panic this year? Use the time to sit and re-evaluate your business – what do you do well and what could you do better?Look at your outgoings, your incomings and any savings you could make. Use this time to reboot the business, your goals and your team.”
Clive Collins
DO THE MATHS
HOB Salons
“Many of us have been looking at our costs for a few months, and while there are a lot of things that are out of our control, there are things we can do too. The most important thing is not to feel overwhelmed and to know you are not alone; every business is going through hard times, so take some time out and work out your incomings and outgoings. Stay calm and don’t panic if your numbers are looking troublesome. January is notoriously quiet so take time to stock check; stop ordering products that just sit on the shelf and focus on what you regularly need and use. Look at the deals you are getting from your product house, your utility Clive Collins company, or your rent. Just because you’ve always done it that way, doesn’t mean this has to be the way you move forward. Research what else is available out there. As well as your outgoing, also look at the money that is coming in. How can you improve your service menu, what can you drop or improve on? You need to be flexible and change things that are costing you money.”
Sean Hanna
IT’S A TEAM EFFORT
Seanhanna Salon Group for L’Oréal Professionnel
“You may have to make some tough management decisions to ensure the long-term safety of your business and your teams. So, while things are harder, it’s more important than ever to give your teams ongoing support. They will benefit from frequent coaching sessions, helping them to build and retain clients. Their success is your success. Remember that your younger stylists will have never had to work through a recession before. Many salons are reporting that it’s tough to recruit new stylists; so whilst salons are experiencing a reduction in sales, their individual team members might be busier than before. Great for them as they can earn increased commission, but many less-experienced stylists will feel the pressure of being extra busy…”
Find more business articles here
