Things to Consider When Opening a Salon
In the business world, there are essentially two kinds of businesses: those on top of each and everything that their business is supposed to be doing and those literally flying by the seat of their pants, hoping things fall into place along the way.
The question simply then becomes, which kind of company are you? That can be a difficult question to answer when you are starting out in the beauty salon business, but you have to do your homework in order to get off on the right foot.
Simply put, you have to be on top of your sales each and every day, making sure you are not having any hiccups along the way.
Cashing in on sales
As part of opening up your salon, how will you oversee your sales efforts? Do you have a software program already in place to handle such needs? If not, do you plan on getting one?
The days of using old cash registers and piling up slips of paper with sales on them still exist in some corners of the business world, but more and more companies are using the latest in computer software to make the transaction process as smooth as possible. Whether you decide to go with a salon POS system or something similar, be sure to do some research to see which software vendor best suits your requirements.
In researching the vendor, look to see how long its have been in business, if its products and services are up-to-date in terms of the technology you need to succeed as a salon owner, if its customer service initiatives are where they should be and what kind of track record it has in the business community.
Marketing your brand to locals
Once you have a sales software system ready to roll, the next important piece of the puzzle is how you will advertise your new salon.
Given cash might be tight, advertising and marketing your salon on a budget is probably going to be a reality, not a choice. With that in mind, be sure to take advantage on several fronts, notably social media and networking with other businesses in town.
Social media is essentially free unless you hire someone or a company to do it for you. If you decide to handle it on your own, open accounts if you have not already on sites like Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. While most people know about how successful Facebook and Twitter have been over the years, Instagram has actually skyrocketed over the last year or so to become the second largest social site (only trailing Facebook). With a heavy emphasis on images, Instagram can be the perfect social medium for you to display a variety of hairstyles etc. Make sure your business website has its social media efforts noticeable on the homepage (i.e. icons for Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.).
As for networking with other businesses in town, it would behoove you to reach out to your local chamber of commerce, other businesses in town, etc. if you haven’t already. You can get listed in your local chamber’s directory, along with sharing networking opportunities with other business owners. Also consider sponsoring local events such as fairs, Little League teams, school fundraisers, etc. Whenever you have a chance to get your brand’s name out there, by all means do it.
When all is said and done, you want to be the salon that countless women (and some men perhaps too) end up calling home. Whether it is because you offer the best haircuts and styles around, customer service that is second-to-none or because you are seen as a leader in your field, make it all work for you at the end of the day.
Opening a business comes with some scary moments, so don’t expect it to be a breeze from the get-go. When you have a well-conditioned plan in place, your beauty salon has the potential to take flight and be airborne for many years to come. If that is the plan in store for you, you’ll end up a cut above the rest.
Article by Jessica Socheski
This article was written by the guest author listed at the end of the article.