A New Year brings new opportunities for your salon business – and maybe even a ‘new you’, too. While most of us have one or two personal targets for the coming year, business goals just never stop which is why we recommend to start offering new products and services.
However, a little lull in customer numbers at the start of the year, while everyone is recovering from Christmas and maybe concentrating on their own resolutions, gives business owners the chance to plan ahead. Here are a few ideas for you to consider this year.
Reward your returning clients
It does seem as though loyalty schemes are synonymous with products and services now. From coffee shops to airline flights, customers almost expect to be offered some form of incentive. This is exactly why such schemes become so successful.
Nobody particularly enjoys parting with money, so any enticement offered that at least appears to return a little to the purse becomes another goal that can be achieved over time.
Find out exactly what customers want
In some businesses, this would be called an ‘audit’ of your audience; developing an understanding of their needs and lifestyle.
Thankfully, you don’t really need to delve quite this deep. Instead, you can keep up with trends on women’s and Men’s Short Cuts by looking into ‘what’s going to be big in beauty’ in publications such as Cosmopolitan, and asking questions to your customers. You may look into the new trends related to hair extensions and hair styles. Then, do a little research into what other beauty salons in the area are providing. Work out what you can do that they can’t, and that your customers would like to see.
…and what they want to spend
Just as you’ve done a little research into how to improve your salon business, your customers will also be on the hunt for better services.
Often, this boils down to saving money, so you should get to grips with what sites such as Love Money are telling your audience, and keep an eye on your competitors advertising on Groupon and LivingSocial. While promoting offers in this way may not be right for your salon, it doesn’t mean you can’t surprise your customers with a similar offer – without looking like you need to do so.
Be prepared for the unexpected…
No matter the effort you put into improving your salon, there will inevitably be times where things go wrong. Accidents, mishaps and disgruntled customers can, as you know, cause all kinds of havoc, so you should take a look at your fire and health and safety policies, schedule sprinkler inspections on a regular basis, and check that you have the right level of insurance cover for your business.
Companies like Salon Gold provide cover for specialist and niche salon businesses, and tailor their packages for individual needs.
…but anticipate, to plan ahead
This last one is an idea that might not deliver results this year, but it could certainly do so in 2020 and beyond. Do you have an estimate of how many customers you expect to visit your salon this year, and what the average cost per visit is?
Coming up with these numbers should give you an idea of how much revenue you can anticipate making in the year ahead. By noting new and return customers along the way, you’ll begin to learn what works and what needs improving, and have a genuine target to work towards at the start of every New Year.
