In our last post, we guided you through the initial steps to get started with social media advertising for your suite salon business. Next up, we’ll discuss how to create copy + images for an ad that gets the attention of your clients and drives them to book a service or purchase a retail product.

The good news for small business owners is that advertising to potential customers is much easier and more affordable than it’s ever been - thanks to social media. Facebook and Instagram are probably platforms that you and your customers are very familiar with, so they’re a natural place to try advertising to promote your Suite business. Ads allow you to directly link customers to book an appointment, claim an offer or purchase a retail product. Even better, you can now use the same Facebook “Ads Manager” platform to set up, create and manage ads that will run on both Facebook and Instagram.

It always starts with a sudden flash of inspiration. Something you see, do, or hear, and the next thing you know you dive head first into the waters of business ownership. Sometimes the water is warm and you enjoy the fruits of your labor. Other times it can be a cold hard venture that either makes you stronger and ready to try again or seemingly scares you to the point of immobility. Either way it can be scary.

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.

As your business grows you will garner all the success that comes along with that growth.  And you will also gain some other important responsibilities, including dealing with the ever present business cycle of price increases of supplies and product.  At some point you will need to raise your prices, and that decision can be complex.  You will need to consider how, when and why to raise your prices to absorb your costs.  This issue is a part of all businesses and is integral to your continued success, so we have a few tips that will help you make these changes as smooth and stress free as possible.   

It’s true what they say that your eyes are the windows to your soul, but the skin around your eyes are also a window to your overall skin health. The skin around the eyes is the most vulnerable to damage and aging, and a common reason that people choose to come to see me for help.

The first thing that you should do is always wear sunglasses to protect yourself from UV Damage and wrinkling due to squinting. Secondly, make sure you are applying an eye cream twice daily. I recommend you always look for eye cream formulas containing your vitamins C and E, which are antioxidants that also protect from collagen breakdown. Beyond the basics, everyone has their burdens to bear when it comes to treating the skin around their eyes, and your choice of eye creams should reflect your unique set of circumstances. I have compiled a list of common eye care concerns and some of my favorite ingredients to help remedy them.

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.

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.

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. 

It is close to the end of December, you’re exhausted, and close to finishing your busiest time of year. The only thing on your mind is a vacation and a long winters nap. However, in just a few weeks, you may have more time on your hands than you want. Not only is this a great time to take a vacation but it is the perfect time to focus energy on those things that fall by the wayside during the year. We’ve listed 5 items to focus on in the upcoming weeks to ensure your business has continued success throughout the New Year.

In just over 30 days we will enter a new year.  Take this important time in your businesses’ life to look at your goals set last year, or make goals for the upcoming year.  When looking back, did you achieve your goals?  Did you achieve part of your goals or not at all?  Never be afraid to modify goals for the changing winds of your business.  Ensure you are on track to meet your goals in 2018 because believe it or not, there is an art form to setting and achieving goals.  Professionals have shared eight steps that have helped them, and we want to share them with you. 

December 31st is a little over a month away, which means it’s crunch time for small business owners to review the past year and ensure their salon suite business has everything in place before 2018 arrives. Now is a great time to review tips and strategies on how to save money on your taxes and improve your bottom line for next year. We recommend five key strategies to ensure the process is as painless as possible:

If you are a reader of the A Suite Salon blog you know that we strive to give you tools and knowledge that will help your business grow and be successful.  Some of our past blogs covered marketing strategies, communicating specials, new products, and new services.  We addressed the power of text and email marketing and ways you can use these tools.  We even dove into ways to ensure you save and reap the rewards of your hard work.  If you took the advice of one of our March blogs regarding robo-investing and saved just $20 per week, your account could be up to $1000-$1500 given the unprecedented run in the markets. 

These days all the talk is about advertising online or through social media.  And while it is true those are very powerful tools, there are other ways to get your name and your service offerings out to potential clients. Discovering these ways will take some creativity and a bit of time, but then again anything good for your business usually does.  To get your wheels turning, we have listed a few ‘outside the box’ ideas to get you started:

1. Put a ring on it: Do you know the best wedding planners in your area?  These are exceptional contacts to help generate bridal package sales, which can ultimately lead to future clientele. How many times have you been at a wedding and heard, “I love your hair or your hair looks amazing.” This becomes some of the most powerful marketing as it is free and by word of mouth. It is a good strategy to get your name, list of services, videos and photos of your work in front of wedding planners. Offer wedding planners a small, one time, discount to come and experience your services so they are confident in what they are recommending to their clients. Creating relationships with wedding planners is something to work toward as it is additional exposure for your business with limited or no financial investment.
2. Be an expert: Make connections with your local television and print media outlets and offer to author an article or segment relating to your area of expertise. Seek out high profile or well-trafficked websites in the health and beauty industry and offer to write them a blog. A winning combination is making someone else’s job easier and simultaneously promoting your business.
3. Post educational & tutorial video’s: This is self-explanatory, but the execution is important.  Use this as an opportunity to show your area of expertise, and give pointers that your clients can really use and appreciate. Take time to set up the production and find a quiet place to film.  Smart phones have great video cameras and even allow you to edit these videos.  A stand or tripod is helpful and will eliminate the need for another person to film.  Keep any video short and to the point.  Remember if you enjoy watching it, others will as well.  Love the camera.  If you do not like seeing your face on camera, zoom the frame closer to your hands or what you are focusing the video on.  Use videos to your advantage, distribute to clients, post them on your social media channels and website; incentivize clients to share the videos with their friends and family. 
4. Love your neighbor & get to know surrounding businesses: You know what they say…convenience is king. What could be better for potential clients than a one-stop location for their shopping and health & beauty needs? A Suite Salon has you covered as our locations are in very active, plazas with various retail outlets. Capitalize on building your client list with customers who already visit the plaza and patronize the surrounding businesses. Get to know the other business owners & managers, ask to leave cards or brochures for your services and offer referral rewards to the other business owners for sending in new clients.  With a manager’s permission, offer servers in local restaurants discounts on services so they can become living advertisements of your work.  Their customers will notice.    
5. Engage with your local community: Small business owners are an integral part of the communities in which they live and work.  There are countless opportunities to donate your time, talents or hard goods that will make a world of difference to others including the Elizabeth A. MacDonald Charitable Foundation, Warriors in Recovery and Wigs for Kids. Local shelters are also always in need of toiletries and welcome any excess inventory or unused samples from you or your distributors. You can also run a drive and have clients donate toiletries or supplies for shelters, military families, or any number of local causes.  Make the donation worth your client’s effort, ex. 15% off their product purchase if they donate items.  When you engage with your community you are not only marketing your business, but you are showing you genuinely care for the well-being of others.

Most of our Suite Salon professionals tell us they dreamed of owning their own businesses for a long time before they acted. So, how do you know when it’s the right time to make the leap? Here are 5 signs that you’re ready to be your own boss:

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. 

Your talent, skills and relationship building skills with your clients have made you a successful salon suite owner and entrepreneur. Clients are coming to you because you are great at what you do and they love the way they look and feel after visiting you. Now, you can turn your focus to growing your income. A great way to do this is selling retail products to your clients. Nobody likes pushy salespeople, so a lot of stylists can be uncomfortable when they start selling products. Here are a few ideas to help you get comfortable selling retail in your suite:

1. Be Helpful: Show your clients that you genuinely want to help them look and feel great with the products you sell. Make a conscious effort after each client’s service to make short notes using your about your client’s hair and styling struggles, their lifestyle, upcoming events, etc. Prior to seeing your client again, use these notes to refresh your memory and pick out a few products that you think they will love and that will make their lives easier.  This shows clients that you care and value them, and sets the groundwork for trust, which is essential to selling clients the products you suggest. 
2. Educate Yourself: Learn all the hottest and hardest to find products and the pricing of competitive retailers. Know all you can about the products you carry and know the pros and cons of each item. Your understanding of the product should be deep enough that you can compare your products to cheaper and more expensive brands. This knowledge will not only help you decide which products to carry, but will make you a better sales person because you can truly show client’s what product is right for them.
3. Ask Open-Ended Questions: People love to talk about themselves. Ask your client’s questions that really get to the heart of why they are using X product or why they style their hair a particular way. This will give you the knowledge to understand your client’s behavior and opens the door for you to solve their problem. For example: your client wears pony tails because she feels her hair starts to look greasy after a couple hours of being down. This is a great opportunity to suggest dry shampoo or a product that might be less heavy on her hair. 
4. Share Samples: For your top clients, put together a small gift bag with samples of product you think would be beneficial to them. After a few days follow up with the client to see how they liked the sample & make note of what they liked. If they liked the sample, on their next service offer a 10% discount on the product. Ensure you are working with your distributor to get samples you can offer clients, or buy small containers and make your own samples for clients. 
5. Display Beautifully: Product displays are a science. National retailers spend millions on displays and product placement. Ensure displays are accessible, clean and orderly. Place related products next to one another, for example place shampoos together and conditioners together to avoid confusion. Labels should always face out. Have testers, if applicable, for clients to try.  Ensure simple, consistent pricing.  Display products as close to eye level as possible, people instinctively reach for what is right in front of them.
6. Use the Backwash Bowl to Your Advantage: This is the perfect opportunity to talk to your client about the product you are using. As you are giving them the perfect, relaxing head massage, talk to them about what the shampoo and conditioner you are using can do for their hair. 
7. Teach Your Clients: One of the greatest gifts you can give your clients is teaching them simple tricks they can do at home to style their hair. As you are teaching these tricks you are also showing them how to use styling products to achieve the style.
8. Be Smart about Inventory: Be sure to maintain and manage your inventory.  If one particular product seems to sell better than other, be sure to have sufficient supplies.  Watch trends for possible changes in what clients will purchase. Don’t buy into all specials from suppliers, if is a great deal, typically that means they cannot sell it. Note past trends and your sales history for when a product sold well during certain times of the year and ensure you are sufficiently supplied when that period comes again. Maintaining good inventory records can save you money and allow you to strategize your displays. If you need a crash course on inventory control, talk to A Suite Salon, we can give you some more pointers. 
9. Price Competitively: In the end, you should make money off the product you carry.  You spend the money to purchase and display the products, so get paid for that effort.  When establishing a margin (the difference between what you pay and what you sell it for) do not try to gouge your clients, primarily because they will be insulted if they see it elsewhere for significantly less. Consider your carry cost and the convenience that a client can purchase everything they need to maintain their great new style in the ease of your suite rather than having to travel to a retail location. Typically, a 20-30% markup is customary on products.  This will take a bit of homework on your part but it is important to find out what other salons or retail stores charge for the same product, this can set a price point for you to follow. You do not have to be cheaper, but be competitive. If you need help calculating your margins click on this on line calculator.

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.

Sometimes no matter how good you are your skin just has a freak-out. These are most common causes for a last minute panic call to your esthetician and some suggestions for how you can help make it better.