A Suite Salon Blog

You are the proud owner of an A Suite Salon studio.  The location is perfect, there are windows everywhere, the finishes and equipment are reminiscent of grand resorts and eateries in New York or LA, and now you have a chance to really let your businesses personality come to life through your own personal design. Over the years, we have compiled some of the best design and décor tips and hints from both our designers and professionals, so we must share.

We’ll let you in on a little secret the retail industry has known for decades – gift cards are an important source of profit for three reasons. 1. Clients with gift cards spend more. Studies show they spend an average of $20 dollars beyond the value of the gift card. 2. They are more likely to choose your salon for a service because they have a gift card. 3. Many gift cards go unredeemed. The statistics vary widely business to business, but it’s safe to say that a significant portion of purchased gift cards are never redeemed which means “free money” for the business.

If you are one of the fortunate salon professionals that have snatched that dream of operating your own business, you want to ensure that it flourishes for years to come.  A big part of that is marketing your business effectively and maintaining a good influx of new customers.  In some cases this part of the business can be more difficult than servicing your existing clients.

We shampoo, dry, and style our hair without giving much thought to how certain habits can affect our shining crown of glory. But how nice our tresses look depends upon what we eat, our lifestyle, and how we treat our hair. And there are some myths still circulating today regarding hair health that can do more harm than good.

As salon suite owners, we often know what our clients like and why they continue to make appointment after appointment. You have been in the industry for years and are very good at what you do. However, unless you are booked solid for months in advance, it might be worth taking a quick refresher and hear from clients on reasons why they stay loyal and book that next appointment. 

There are two things all salon suite owners have in common, they all have an entrepreneurs spirit and are undoubtedly great at their craft. It is key to remember…. You’re in business for yourself, but not by yourself. Working in an environment where there are many other salon owners, it is key to soak up the wisdom of a salon mentor. Identify someone who is successful and inspiring to you. Ask outright if they’ll mentor you. Finding a mentor is one of the best investments you can make in yourself and your career. Along your entrepreneurial journey you will need advice from someone who has been where you are headed and can challenge and inspire you.

Life can be stressful, especially if you’re a salon suite owner. To decrease your stress levels, you might find yourself overwhelmed and looking for relief. That’s where self-care comes in. Many people are afraid to regularly practice self-care lest they seem “selfish,” but the reality is that self-care is absolutely vital to your health. Here are 10 must-haves you can add to your self-care routine today.

As you move into your new suite there are many opportunities that are now open to you; flexibility of schedule, offering of services, selling product, and more profit.  Even if you have been at A Suite Salon for several years you may be ready for a bit of a refresh.  Whatever your tenure as a suite owner your brand and branding is a major part of your business and the set up of this branding can be a very exciting process.  A big key is to remember that this process should be fun.  So in an effort to save you some stress, we broke down the branding process into some simple steps.

Summer can bring a slow down for a beauty professionals schedule. With holidays, vacation plans and kids out of school, you may find that your salon suite isn’t earning the income you want during June, July and August. We wanted to share few ideas to help bring in clients and increase sales to keep your summer book hot: 

The excitement of operating your own salon suite can be so exciting it is hard to think of anything else.  The idea of owning a salon, making your own schedule, offering the services you want, selling product you like to use, being the boss, and the best part, keeping the profits are all thoughts swirling around in your head and most likely keeping you awake at night. 

We’ll let you in on a little secret the retail industry has known for decades – gift cards are an important source of profit for three reasons. 1. Clients with gift cards spend more. Studies show they spend an average of $20 dollars beyond the value of the gift card. 2. They are more likely to choose your salon for a service because they have a gift card. 3. Many gift cards go unredeemed. The statistics vary widely business to business, but it’s safe to say that a significant portion of purchased gift cards are never redeemed which means “free money” for the business.

Sometimes its hard to understand the difference between the skincare products given to you by your dermatologist or your licensed esthetician, and the products available in national boutiques, department stores or the drugstore. I mean really, what’s the difference? It’s a big one.

If you are like most small business owners, you know there is no shortage of reminders that tax season is just around the corner. While you are crunching numbers, we are here to help you keep as many dollars in your pocket as possible. We have complied a list of some of the most common tax-deductions for Salon Suite Owners.

Email marketing is often overlooked by salon suite owners but makes a huge difference and can generate enormous return on investment.

Groupon and Living Social type sites are a popular way for salon owners and other service providers to market their businesses and attract new customers. The idea is a good one – give people who are looking for your service a reason to try your business. They’ll love it and you’ll have a bunch of new customers. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t. Let’s run through the advantages and drawbacks to help you make a decision on whether or not a discount site is right for your salon suite business.

We all care about hair. We all spend time tending to our hair and paying money for cuts, color, blowouts, and more, as a means of personal expression and beauty. But what does our hair really say about us and our health? What does the shininess, texture, and volume of our hair say about what kind of lifestyle we live and how we take care of ourselves? The answer is ALOT. See the following five factors below that help shape and determine the state of our manes.

Social media can be fun, but if you’re spending a lot of time and money on social media marketing – you need it to be successful. Is it helping you keep your current customers and attract new ones? Read on for tips to turn followers into clients:

How much time are you spending in your day talking to customers via chat platforms like Facebook Messenger?

Now that you are making money at A Suite Salon, it is time to start thinking about putting some money away for a rainy day.  You hear commercials every day from any number of companies promoting hundreds of different products to save for retirement, college, or medical emergencies.  Very quickly this process of saving for you and your family’s future can become so daunting, that inevitably you throw up your hands and go another several years without saving a dime.

Goals, if you want to have a strong and successful business, you need to set goals. Goals give you focus and direction. Goal setting allows you to take control of your business and provides you a benchmark for determining your success. Believe it or not, there is an art form to setting and achieving goals.  Professionals have shared six steps that have helped them and we want to share them with you.