COLUMN CHRIS FOSTER Innovate to make money in a pandemic

COLUMN CHRIS FOSTER INNOVATE

TO MAKE MONEY DURNG A PANDEMIC

If, like me, your livelihood consists of shaving, fading, and colouring hair, a lot is going on in your mind right now. I could make a lengthy list, but a lot of it has to do with losing clients and [subsequently] money. You are wondering if your business is going to withstand the impact of this covid-19 pandemic. Well, we’ve all seen sunnier days for sure!

I know you miss the interaction with customers. You chose a business that is ill-built for quarantine, lockdown, and social distancing. We could call it a ‘chatty’ industry. You miss speaking with your workmates and the fulfilment of doing someone’s hair. While this pandemic has not been kind to anybody, barbers and other hair service providers have arguably been the worst hit.

On the bright side, none of this will last forever. At some point, it’s going to be business as usual, and when that time comes, people will need their hair done more than ever before (yay!).

In the meantime, you need to be a little innovative to stay afloat in these difficult times. There are bills to pay, and the cash has to keep flowing somehow. The following strategies should help you make some money and keep you going in these tough economic times. Extraordinary times call for exceptional measures!

Go digital The first and most apparent strategy is taking your business online. There is plenty of scope for you to be innovative when it comes to using online space to grow your business. Creating a WhatsApp group for your regular customers is one of the steps you can take. That can help you post short ‘how-to’ videos, regularly engage the customers who are due a visit to your shop, answering their questions, and such.

That may not make you money immediately, but seeing their shaggy manes will convince you of brighter days ahead! In any case, you don’t want to lose your customers post-Covid. Keeping in contact not only shows empathy but also helps you remain relevant.

Still, on keeping your clients a single, happy family, you could consider opening up a YouTube channel. Here you can share your value-based content, including tutorials, demos, and such. Remember, your customers will be the ones consuming your content and will be more than happy to share it across multiple [social media] platforms. The potential to make money out of this is immense. Consider providing affiliate links to your product recommendations. Also, you could offer one–on–one advice on platforms like Facebook or Zoom. This could be helping your clients do their colour and making it a less complicated process for them or anything related.

Make your business visible online Still, on using digital platforms to grow your business, you may have noticed that nowadays, people are more glued to their computer and smartphone screens than they hold actual conversations. Most of them are looking for entertainment and ways of shopping online. In these challenging times, how can you use that to your advantage? Well, this is the time to be visible online. Use SEO strategies to claw Google’s search engine results pages.

Don’t allow your business to retreat into its shell when there are limitless possibilities online. This is time to strategically place your business online as you anticipate the bounce back surge. You may even be able to make huge sums from your website. However, keep in mind that all good things take time.

Home deliveries If you are a competent barber, then you surely know the needs of your customers. They may not be able to come to your barbershop right now, depending on the restrictions wherever you are, but who says you can’t go to them? Your experience in the beauty industry means you know all the hair merchandise your clients need, and you could be the one delivering them to their doorsteps. They trust you and your services and won’t hesitate to give you orders. Convince them to purchase merchandise from you instead of another retailer.

And who says home deliveries have to be about hair and grooming products? You can also assist the elderly with their grocery shopping or contribute to local food banks. This will massively help you build your brand. People need support and interaction in these isolated times, and if you can use your business position to do it, why not?

Socially distanced haircuts? Possible! Being a barber, you are used to interacting with your customers from very close quarters. It is practically impossible to social distance while doing a haircut, right? Wrong! There is always room for innovation. You can construct a special booth for you, which will act as a partition between you and the customer, minimizing contact and the risk of infection. Again, this depends on how strict the Covid regulations are in your country. Most importantly, let your customers know the sanitary practices you have taken to guarantee their health. This will build trust and translate to more business for you.

Special offers and loyalty programs These are uncertain times for everyone, so it would be good of you to show support to your customers. You can do this by offering them a subscription service that will keep your revenues flowing.

Extraordinary times call for exceptional measures!

You can also try creating loyalty programs, aka rewards/referral program. These will help you keep old clients and attract new ones. Incentivise your clients and encourage them to come back again for your services. Create a loyalty program that is unique to your shop and your clients. Remember, you are looking for a way to retain old customers seamlessly. Technically, you need to create something that ‘benefits’ you more than the client.

Chris Foster – ‘the profile guy’!

More information www.eliteprofileacademy.com