Why you need to work on your business, even at Christmas.

Every year around about now, I hear business owners start giving excuses as to why they cant work on their business. If you mention work on your business, they’ll say things like:

I haven’t got time,
I’m too busy,
I need a holiday,
The salon is too busy,
I’ll tackle it when its quiet in February.

The list is endless.

Do you realise it is just a big fat excuse, because, let me give you a bit of insight here. Working on your business shouldn’t stop just because its Christmas. Christmas is one day of the year. One day! It comes and goes, just like every other day of the week. The only difference is that Christmas brings with it a spending flurry from clients, new and old, and what that does is create business for you and your staff. But, its short lived.

It has an end date, and after that end date, business resumes its normal pattern, which, for many salons is pretty dismal when it comes to January.

So why the mindset that you can’t or don’t want to pay attention to what’s happening in your business now, before Christmas?

When planning for business, we work in 90 day cycles, what you do today has an impact 90 days from now. If you stop marketing, or working on your business, come February/March, you’ll be the one complaining that its quiet and you don’t know what to do.

So I want to give you some pointers on things you can be looking out for even when its busy, because if your salon cant operate well under pressure, you could be losing clients hand over fist. I can’t tell you how many people have told me stories about salons not caring, or that make them feel rushed and processed this time of year. Its so important to work on your business, at all times.

Oh, and don’t even start me on the telephone manner I receive from some salon receptionists. They truly make you feel like you have to apologise for calling!

It certainly doesn’t inspire you to want to call back.

So 3 tips to watch out for to maintain your reputation and image over this busy few weeks.

1. Ensure your telephone is answered politely and all messages are returned within a 4 hour time frame if possible.

 

1. Do spot checks on your staff, their presentation, grooming, communication in the treatment room, how they meet and greet clients, as well as how they check a client out, their ability and enthusiasm to up sell and promote other services.

 

1. How well you are valuing your clients at Christmas. Are you gifting them something, offering a complimentary upgrade as a surprise, offering special christmas treats to have them remember you by. Show your gratitude to your clients for the business they have given you all year.

Observing the etiquette, communication and presentation of your salon and team now, can help you refine and improve how you go about business next year. How fabulous will you feel if you know you are working on these things now, ahead of your competition.

That’s what smart and successful salons do and what I have my clients do too.

If you want to get moving on your salon business now, and position it for high performance and profit from the start of 2015, I have the perfect solution for you. Its by application only, easy to fit into your busy schedule, and begins in December. Want to know more?

All you have to do email me back now, and I’ll be in touch to determine if you are the right fit.
Excellence is no accident. Take action now.

Wishing you salon brilliance and success