Tips For a Successful Hair Salon

It’s never too soon to start thinking about some of the functioning issues that will impact and contribute to the success of your business. To begin with, you must consider your hours of operation carefully so you can accommodate the maximum number of clients during a typical business day.

You undoubtedly already know the beauty business isn’t a 9 to 5 kind of industry. Typically, hair salons in Miami are open from 10am to 9pm seven days a week and from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. in smaller communities. By design, Sunday and holiday hours often are the same as those of local retailers like malls and department stores, and generally run from noon to 5 p.m. Lunch hours and early evening hours tend to be the busiest times for salons. You also may need to have hours to accommodate special needs. For example, if you do a lot of wedding work, you’ll probably have to be open earlier on Saturday mornings, say at 7 a.m., for brides who have to get to church for an early service.

Salon owners who manage their time in a way that enhances their money making ability will find their business will grow and prosper faster. As a new owner, you’ll be tempted to try to do it all yourself like working behind the chair, to managing the books and overseeing your staff. Instead, hire skilled staff (both business and salon professionals) to handle the back breaking work, then delegate responsibilities so you can devote yourself to tasks that can help you grow the business and make more money.

Another important part of your salon development plan is the appropriate pricing of your services. Your location will also determine your price,some services in Miami would be different compared to prices in Ft. Lauderdale. If you set prices too high, and you’ll limit the number of people who can afford them; set them too low and you’ll limit your profit potential and possibly put the business at risk. Setting prices requires more than visiting other salons in your target market, collecting service menus, and pricing your own services so they’re competitive. If you set up a salon in Miami then checking the prices of every salon in that area can better determine your price Rather, you must consider the three factors that will influence your prices: labor and supplies, overhead, and profit.

Here are 8 tips when starting a Hair salon:

1. Create a profitable front desk. Train your staff to rebook clients for their next session. Teach your front desk what services to cross-sell and up-sell. Adding on a shampoo or conditioner a customer may need to maintain her hair style.
2. Set up a selfie station with your salon’s hashtag. Set up a mirror in front of your chair, so clients can take a selfie and post it to social media. This is free advertising for you.
3. Create a new, catchy hairstyle that clients will love. Differentiate yourself from the traditional salon.
4. Carry exclusive products. A great way to differentiate yourself from the competition is to carry products other hair salons don’t and are only distributed to salons. It will keep clients coming back.
5. Develop a relationship. Developing a long term relationship with a client will undeniably help make a connection and win you a ‘lifetime’ guest who will also recommend your product. Some people only trust that one person to do their eyebrows or perm their hair.
6. Be price savvy. Price your services and products too low, and you’ll lose money. Price them too high, and you’ll lose clients. Be concise about your pricing. Offer 20% discount for friends and family (great way to market within the salon itself).
7. Be your own model. No one will want to get a haircut from someone with a bad one. Take time in the morning to make your hair look best. If you’re the face of the salon then you should always look your best.
8. Throw a contest. Let all your clients and their friends know that you are running a contest, where you’ll award the customer who sends the most referrals your way. The choice of the gift is yours. Offer add-on services. Ask your guest if they would like to try a hot oil treatment, in addition to the service they already booked. This is called upselling. If they’re already in your chair it’s a great way to convince them of what they may need.

Marketing Online

1. Focus on social media. Post pictures of your work to your salon’s Facebook, Instagram and Twitter pages. Engage with fans and provide exclusive deals to those who follow you on social media avenues.
2. Boost online reviews. Ask your VIP clients to leave you a review online. At least 70 percent of potential clients search for online reviews before trying out a new salon.
3. Google Adwords. This concept is pretty simple. People search for salons on Google, in your local market, and you pay for them to click on your ad. They head over to your website, and fill out a contact form or call you. That’s a lead.
4. Magazine ads. Advertise in your local salon magazine. If they have a decent amount of followers, you may choose to advertise on their website as well, if possible. If you can’t have a display ad, ask to write a content piece for their blog and get coverage that way.
5. Start a blog. If you don’t have one, set one up. If you do, continue writing quality content for your readers. It will pay off in the long run. Content marketing is one of the best ways to convert new clients.
6. Contribute to top salon blogs. Write guest posts on popular salon publications. Should they accept your content piece, you’ll enjoy free traffic to your website and coverage for your salon.
7. Publish a case study. Conduct a survey or research that’s relevant to the salon industry. Show that you are a leader by evoking general discussion with other salons.
8. Run a contest. This type of promotion can work best on your Facebook page. Run a contest such as: “First 500 people to like and share our page will be entered to win a free salon service package valued at $100. One lucky winner will be announced on Friday.” Many businesses have done this effectively to drive traffic into their store.