Cream Connect winter 2013 by Cream Solutions

C CAL REA M ENDAR 6

{ Making ‘Extraordinary’, the New Salon Standard }

M ONTH IN SID E

CONNECT Issue 1: Winter 2013

Confessions of a ‘not-so-crash-hot’ Skin Girl: How I went from sinning to winning

The Phenomenon

Interview with Katherine Simpson

Defending, Restoring and Advancing Our Industry

Collaboratively restoring our industry profile

She’s Just Not That Into You

Knowing when to train them up or boot them out!

Missing the Point?

Reward Systems are underrated

No-Shows and Last-MinuteCancellations

They’re costing you more than you know

A welcome note from the Coach

s we go all guns blazing towards the new financial year, it gives me great pleasure to announce the launch of the first edition of our very own magazine, CREAM Connect. As CREAM continues to envisage, enable and drive successful training workshops for the beauty industry, it became apparent that there is a need to collate every bit of information, schedules, product reviews and strategy advice that CREAM has to offer salons, skin clinics and spas wherever they may be. The result – our own magazine, CREAM Connect We have a clear and focused three-fold vision for the magazine – 1. To provide our clients with a resource of coaching articles that are relevant, actionable and useful to the salon, skin clinic and spa owner. 2. We want a single point of reference that outlines all that CREAM has to offer over a six month period. You will read about our workshops and events, webinars, coaching and the other amazing things we have planned. 3. We will partner up with the best of the best suppliers in our industry. Each partner has been carefully hand-picked. The criteria are; that they share our passion in the industry, they show commitment to salons without falling into the cheap internet trap (more about that later) and they share our commitment to quality education and visible business growth. Sponsoring our events and our magazine is not something we advertised for, we chose our partners. It is our endeavor to align the magazine to the same objectives which CREAM started its operations in 2005, i.e. to enable salon, spa and beauty clinic owners to adopt strategies that create efficiencies in daily business, help achieve higher productivity, higher revenues, increased client base, hence increased profits. We help devise strong strategies that work well for your beauty business using convenient platforms such as webinars, blogs, training programs, workshops as well as, via our website. Our work does not end there. We ensure that you employ the necessary tools and methods to successfully implement the lessons into your daily work so that you can immediately see the positive benefits that our coaching imparts. There is NO quick fix. You will not hear us say idiotic things like “Learn the 7 secrets to make your therapists retail. Guaranteed”. No, we leave that to the cowboys*! We are serious business-builders. We teach you to build your business from the inside-out. Hard work at first, leading to sustainably, profitable benefits in the long-term. Whilst we have stayed true to our vision, evolving business practices and sometimes unethical ones, (through the offerings of

cheap internet products and discounted below-standard internet treatments via coupon companies), have prompted us to address the dramatic decline of our industry profile. As a united group of passionate professionals, I know that together we CAN and we WILL change this for the betterment of the beauty industry. (Be sure read the article on pages 10 to 12) This is now our ‘other’ vision and it NEEDS TO BE YOURS TOO.

About our Sponsors As you have already deduced, CREAM Solutions has not, does not and will never endorse or promote a particular product, equipment or company for any kind of commission or benefit in return. To do so would be to compromise our integrity and our ideals. To do so would erode the legitimacy of our opinions, which would defeat the very purpose of what we do. We must retain the freedom to talk about what we believe to be a great option for you, a great company to work with, a great product to sell, or a great piece of equipment. If what we love and believe in benefits a supplier in any way, then good luck to them, but that will be solely based on your judgment. So let me present to you, our (and your) sponsors in no particular order other than the order is based on how well their logo fits design-wise. (Our graphic designer is pedantic!)

A huge thanks to you all for believing in CREAM and its vision to help the beauty industry thrive through our well thought out business strategies. Your support has made it possible for us to produce this magazine that will be a single point of reference for everything that CREAM does and will be doing, to help salon owners be more productive, gain clients, increase sales and increase profits. I hope you enjoy reading this magazine as much as we’ve enjoyed producing it for you. Yours in productivity and profitability, Brigitte Benge

* The term “cowboy” is used to mean something like “reckless, wild, unreliable.”

www.creamsolutions.co

Contents

2 A Welcome note from the coach

18 Confessions of a ‘not-so-hot’ Skin Girl How I went from sinning to winning in five years

6 She’s Just Not That Into You

Knowing when to train them up or boot them out!

8 Have you any Idea what No-Shows or Last-Minute Cancellations are Costing Your Business? 10 Defending, Restoring and Advancing Our Industry

22 Missing the Point Reward systems are underrated

24 Brigitte’s Favourite Things 27 Our Upcoming Events Our event dates in summary

A secret exciting initiative revealed

14 The Groom Spa Phenomenon Interview with Katherine Simpson

Business Details

PO Box 2583 Caulfield Junction Vic 3161 Tel: 03 9523 9549 Enquires: shelley@creamsolutions.co www.creamsolutions.co

Like us on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/ creamsalonsolutions.brigitte

www.creamsolutions.co

Our Team

We’re not a huge organisation but gosh we’re good! Brigitte Benge

Combining a successful early career in the advertising industry, and later, a prosperous career as a salon owner, Brigitte Benge’s extensive knowledge of both industries has led her to become Australia’s leading Beauty Industry Coach. Brigitte began coaching beauty industry professionals in 2005. Today she has coached over 100 salons privately with many more attending workshops and events. Her delivery and content has impacted the working lives and business growth of hundreds of Australian beauty industry professionals. Brigitte coaches from an integral place. There are no filters between what she knows and what she shares. She’s a businesswoman who long ago identified the value of working ON one’s business and not just IN it. Whether it be in workshops, trainings, mentoring or private coaching, Brigitte’s style is simple and direct. Often amusing. She not only guides her clients but also provides them with all the tools and skill-sets they need to make their salon business successful. And to Brigitte, a successful salon is one that is not only profitable but also ultimately saleable.

Shelley Richards Having completed her Diploma in 2005, Shelley worked as a beauty therapist for 5 years. Wanting to further enhance her knowledge and skills, Shelley branched out and became involved in both sales and training with a skin care supplier company. It was at this point in her career that she really discovered her true passion for the industry. Daily, she worked with the elements of skin, ingredients and technologies as well as truly start to hone her training abilities - her knowledge began to skyrocket. Shelley first met Brigitte at a CREAM in-house training workshop. It was a total light bulb moment. Shelley realised CREAM’s vision – to make a difference to the beauty industry by making it strong, profitable and all it could possibly be. After every meeting with Brigitte, she was left hungry for more knowledge. As someone who appreciated the need for selfeducation, CREAM’s philosophy really resonated. Shelley brings a strong knowledge of the expectation of beauty therapists alongside experienced training skills and effective organisation skills. As such she is a great addition to the highly professional CREAM team and is thrilled to be a part of an organisation that is dedicated to genuinely lifting the standards of the beauty industry.

Peter Walsh Well what can we say about Peter that everyone already doesn’t know? Peter..., is our ‘Back of House’ support with a wealth of business experience spanning Australia and overseas for the last 35 years. Peter manages our accounts and business administration, oversees our ‘e-Nerd’ requirements and additionally, he manages, plans and arranges all of our events associated logistics.

www.creamsolutions.co

• • • •

No third party online retailing No mass market channel Selective geographic distribution Australian made

• • • •

Generous trading terms - up to 124% mark up Innovative marketing strategy Low cost of treatments & high profitability Training & business development coaching

Medically Driven Research and Development Cutting Edge Science • Australian Made

To discover opportunities for key partnerships in your area contact us today Phone: 1800 355 890 • Email: sales@ultraceuticals.com.au • www.ultraceuticals.com

She’s Just Not That Into You

Knowing when to train them up or boot them out! I recently wrote an article on the difference between a right employee and a wrong one and I summed up what I believe a right employee to be as “honourable, productive, profitable, embraces her duty of care and a valuable member of the team”. Yep, that pretty much encapsulates everything the right employee NEEDS TO BE. Of course there are other requirements such as skilled, knowledgeable etc. YOUR Salon Vision should include what kind of employees you want representing you, your name and your reputation. No doubt you will agree that my definition of the right employee is pretty spot on and yet the wrong employee continues to be employed or continues to remain employed; unproductive and costly to the business. It’s no surprise that when asked “What’s your biggest challenge in your business?” most, if not all salon owners say “Staff”. This problem is not unique to the beauty industry however it’s most certainly prominent.

Great employees are not waiting to be employed They are waiting to be trained to be great I strongly believe this. The expectation that someone great is out there and all you have to do is post an ad and voila… you have a perfect employee, is simply unrealistic from so many angles. • When you reference her, you’ll find that someone else’s idea of a high performer may not be yours • When you reference her, you’ll find that someone else’s idea of a great attitude may not be yours • Surely in the past you’ve experienced for yourself that at interview, what was said by the prospect may not be reality • It’s important you ensure every team member in your

www.creamsolutions.co

salon operates according to YOUR vision, your standards, your processes at your integrity level. Nobody can arrive to you fully equipped for this • YOUR idea of duty of care may not be someone else’s idea of duty of care • Nor, great service, great teamwork, great ethics and the list goes on This is precisely why the ‘Probationary Period’ was invented!

estate, she’s taking up valuable space that can be filled by someone of value. The truth is, she’s just not that into you. She’s not that into your business, skincare, your clients or anything that is of any value to you and to continue to invest in her is just a waste of time, money and resources. Conversely, an employee who shows initiative, invests her own time in self-education, follows your processes, loves the skincare range you stock, cares about the skin outcomes of her clients is worth the investment of further training and of your time. Figure this out early in her employ. Getting rid of someone who is just not that into you during the probationary period is as easy as pie. After that, well you know!

pro•ba•tion [proh-bey-shuh n] noun 1. the act of testing. 2. the testing or trial of a person’s conduct, character, qualifications, or the like. 3. the state or period of such testing or trial.

This period of employ is SO important. Much attention needs to be paid to an employee during probation. Whether she’s going to fit into your organisation, work well with your existing team, be productive, retail, upsell, rebook, recall, sell courses, follow policies and procedures, have the right attitude with the right work ethics etc. etc. should all be worked out during this period. And if the probationary period is 3 months, this is way more time than you need. Sometimes, it actually takes as little as a few days to figure out the fit is not right. But what do most salons owners do? They continually keep unproductive, bad attitude, blood sucking employees until they either can’t take it anymore, blow up, terminate and end up in the middle of an unfair dismissal case or the bloodsucker leaves them at the most inopportune time possible. This is insane. Yet common! It’s so important to pick up when an employee is just not going to cut it and continuing to invest in her is simply poor judgement. Not only is nothing going to change, but like real

Join our Mailing List! www.creamsolutions.co

Since our aim is to keep you posted on various happenings around the business of beauty with this free magazine, our free Monday Morning Wake Up Call emails, preferred notice of our events, special pricings and so much more, none of this can be passed on to you without having you on our database. Go ahead and grab the juicy suggestions and free resources we have to offer. Join our mailing list by visiting www.creamsolutions.co and either sign up for our free E-Book or further down the Home page, sign up for our Monday Morning Wake Up Calls (or both actually!)

www.creamsolutions.co

Have you any idea what

No-Shows or LastMinute-Cancellations

are Costing Your Business? By Brigitte Benge

o-Shows and Last-Minute-Cancellations is one of the most common complaints salon owners have and yet it’s the very issue with the greatest resistance. No-shows and cancellations are costing you thousands of dollars a year. Brave up and do something about it.

Let me show you why NOT having a strict booking and cancellation policy is one of the biggest reasons you’re not being profitable, often seeking desperate measures such as heavy discounting or crazy coupons and your stress levels are through the roof. A while ago, I did a survey and asked salons to quantify the $$$ value of the no-shows or cancellations in a given week. The results were astounding. The majority who participated suffered greatly from this problem. Here’s one of the middle of the road examples. One salon had 15 cancellations and 5 no shows. The value of the 20 was $1,556. Even if they were rescheduled in the following weeks, the loss to that week was $1,556. In fact, the REAL loss was possibly far greater than that as the opportunity to retail to these 20 clients was taken away. I coach salons to aim at a treatment to retail ratio of 1:1. In other words, for every treatment dollar, another $1 needs to be retailed. So in this particular instance, the REAL loss could have very well been $3,112 to the business for that week. In as much as 1:1 is the EXPECTED ratio, most salons are not reaching this benchmark. So let’s be overly conservative and say for every $1 in treatments, 50cents retail could have been achieved. The REAL loss is still as high as $2334. Multiply that by 52 weeks, that’s a whopping loss of $121,368 in one year! Most likely, you’re afraid of putting a Bookings and Cancellations Policy in place. Perhaps you’re afraid that you will offend your clients, that they won’t return, that they will think you’re greedy, that they’ll go elsewhere. As much as all of these fears are valid, you MUST overcome them. Noshows and last-minute-cancellations are costing you money. Big time. So much more than what you’d lose if some clients decided not to return. Luckily for the late starters, it’s starting to become an industry norm. Many salons have taken the big step and most of them have not looked back. Enforcing such a policy is about asking your clients for respect and consideration. It’s about asking your clients to understand that you are running a timebased business and just a single no-show will impact your bottom line greatly.

Can you book a flight without paying in full in advance? Can you book a hotel without paying at the very least a deposit with the full amount due a couple of days prior? No you can’t. So why is it different for your business? Time is money. This is especially true for any time-based business. If time isn’t respected, money is lost. Simple. If a client is not prepared to pay a deposit for a booking she is making, then there is a part of her that is not fully committed, for if she was, pre-paying a part of her appointment value would be acceptable. If she had full intention of turning up to her appointment, showing her commitment through paying a deposit would not be a problem. And if something came up, surely she would know this within 24 hours and would respectfully let you know and if she couldn’t, she would respect that this is more her problem that it is yours.

PEOPLE DO WHAT THEY DO BECAUSE THEY CAN..... BECAUSE SOMEONE LETS THEM.... BECAUSE YOU LET THEM

- Brigitte Benge

The more you let them, the more they’ll do it. It’s time you stopped letting them! If a client cancels without respectful notice or doesn’t show up and you say, ‘no problem’, she’ll know that this is an response she will receive in future, next time she wants to sleep in on a Saturday instead of attending her early appointment or she decides that a last minute invitation by a friend for lunch is more enticing that having hairs ripped from her legs by their roots! You need to understand that these clients, no matter how much they spent with you in the past, are not the kind of clients you want to encourage in the future and you should be prepared to risk losing them if they’re put out by your cancellation policy. For as much as they spend with you, the question you need to ask yourself is “how much loss have they caused you?”

www.creamsolutions.co

Defending, Restoring and Advancing our Industry Collaboratively restoring our industry profile By Brigitte Benge

ince retail skincare has been available directly to the consumer at heavily discounted prices, and coupon companies have exploited salon owners by convincing them to heavily discount treatments to the point of serious loss or worse, close down, our industry profile; (namely how consumers see our industry) has taken a great dive. So many of our consumers today, are unwilling to pay full price for anything, be it a homecare regime or treatments. Cheap internet sites, retail or treatment are mostly responsible for our industry decline. In-Salon retail sales have dropped dramatically, resulting in fewer orders to suppliers, which in turn means suppliers’ business also suffer. Treatment bookings have declined which means less revenue for the salon. This generates repercussions from therapists not getting enough hours and resigning, to salon owners reluctant to invest in training for their therapists, resulting in a decline in professionalism within their business. I actually could write a book about the problems and repercussions caused, but really this is not the objective of this article. Yet one thing is for certain. The internet is here to stay. In so many ways, the internet has done a lot for all of our businesses, but of course in the above two ways, it has not. There are two areas that need to be addressed to overcome these problems. This article concentrates on the latter. (1) Adapt to the internet. The key is learning to break the cycle, and stop doing what you’ve always done. Accept and

adapt to how things need to be done in the New Economy (the economy where the internet has affected buyer behaviour). (2) Educate the consumer. Your clients don’t know what they don’t know, and so they create belief systems around the limited knowledge they have, and then act upon what they THINK they know. The truth is, GOOD skincare does not belong on the internet. I know that. You know that. The consumer does NOT know that. And the consumer needs to learn why not. Let me just expand a little here. Even if the consumer is in the-know that ‘cosmeceuticals’ is the way to go when it comes to results, what she does not know is what is good for her particular skin concern. If she suffers from pigmentation and wants to address it, she’ll surf the net for a pigmentation product, purchase it and of course one of 3 things will most likely happen. (1) She may purchase the wrong product (2) She may purchase an inappropriate product whereby she reacts (3) She may purchase a product from the grey or black market, and of course it will not be the real thing One thing we do know for sure is that SHE WILL NOT GET THE RESULTS SHE’S AFTER! Not at all. Not even a little bit. Why? Because even if the product is the right one for the concern, doesn’t make her react and is the real thing, there’s no way

www.creamsolutions.co

it will do its job in isolation. A pigmentation product will not work on an unclean, unexfoliated, uncared-for skin. Great results are combined with great in-salon treatments. There’s no such thing as a single product that will fix a skin concern. A homecare regime is just that, a regime of products, not a single product. Clients actually don’t know that. And why don’t they know that? Because so many times they’ve taken the wrong advice, purchased the wrong products and the results were not as expected. The consumer is skeptical about skincare in general. A lot have yet to experience a full regime that actually does work and delivers THE PROMISE.

Did you know that only 5-10% of all skincare product transactions are actually made in a professional skincare salon? WE NEED TO CHANGE ALL THAT! And here’s the bigger truth. Let’s take an example of a potential client who has deep lines and wrinkles, pigmentation and lack of firmness. This client has absolutely no idea that with the right products and the right treatment plan, a HUGE difference can be made to the state of her skin. Personally in my own salon, years ago, and without treatment modalities such as skin needling and LED etc. we often successfully managed to take up to 10 years off people’s faces. Today, even more can be achieved. So back to the client. What do you think she would do if you showed her a case study of a REAL client that had been on a course of 4 Skin Needling treatments and a matching skin care regime, documented with photographs and commentary of the treatment, culminating with a final phenomenal result and the client looked at least 10 years younger? Furthermore, let’s say that we told the potential client that this journey (in it’s entirety) would cost her between $2,500 to $3,000 inclusive of products and treatment plan. With a legitimate case study expressing achievable and promising benefits, and the ability to assure the potential client that she would receive equally as impressive results, do you think that she would say ‘no’? Of course not! In the majority of cases the client would pull out her the credit card there and then! But here’s the deal breaker. The salon owner better be absolutely sure, without a shadow of a doubt, that the therapists in her employ are competent enough to diagnose a client’s skin and write up a strong product and treatment plan. The salon owner better be absolutely sure that the therapists are skilled enough to perform the treatment and know if or when necessary, that the treatment plan needed adjustment. The salon owner would have to have the utmost faith that the therapists are recalling the client and performing every aspect of their duty of care throughout the entire treatment time.

In other words, the salon owner would have no doubt in her mind that extraordinary therapists are treating her clients, delivering extraordinary service to every client at every visit, without exception. At this point, it’s no longer a deal breaker but rather a NO BRAINER for the client. The reason why this doesn’t happen every day is because salons are not this extraordinary, and even those who are, the consumers don’t know about it. There are many consumers out there that would be happy to pay good money for extraordinary service and extraordinary results. They just don’t believe it exists. So we need to change that perception. It’s important to note here the devastating role the coupons have played in the decline of the perception of salon services. It is more often the case than not, that the service and treatment outcomes of coupon treatments are at a standard less than acceptable. Most often than not, they’re performed by trainees, inexperienced therapists or therapists who have had enough of performing a 3-hour treatment package for pittance, no appreciation, no possibility of reaching any target and absolutely no possibility of a rebook. They get burntout to the point they cannot possibly perform to any kind of acceptable standard. Obviously this is not all coupons salons, but safe to say most. The net result? They have devalued and cheapened in-salon treatments. Trust is gone. Reputation shattered.

Enter CREAM’s Project Skin Industry Uplift. THE BIG IDEA It’s an initiative that I have been creating for a few months now. I believe that after thinking through the mechanics of it, collaboratively, we, as an Australian Industry can work together to succeed. But we can only do this collaboratively. This means that salons and suppliers have to work together. Without pulling this off, our industry growth and survival is in great jeopardy. I genuinely believe this. So here’s the plan for CREAM’s Project Skin Industry Uplift. At this point, it’s still in its infancy and development stage. As we said before, real success will come from participation and collaboration from industry players.

In general terms, it’s centered on a consumer education evening. Although it’s expected that attendees will be mostly women, a focus will also be placed getting men to the event. The education will be about what few know, what extraordinary skincare and extraordinary treatments from RESULTS cannot be extraordinary salons can actually do. self-prescribed on This is inclusive of taking years off the internet someone’s face, treat severe acne, treat scarring, pigmentation etc. The We need to let evening will focus on sending the consumers KNOW that client BACK to the salon for REAL results and great skin. Away from the internet, the supermarkets and the pharmacies. I, (Brigitte Benge) will be the main speaker. I will be completely independent as I neither own a salon, nor am I a product supplier. I am there to educate with no agenda of personal gain. My

www.creamsolutions.co

presentation would be centered on: • The importance of a strong daily skin care regime • The role of cosmeceuticals and what such advanced technology can do for skin ageing and other serious skin concerns • General talk on treatment modalities that are not invasive yet highly effective • WHY purchasing from the internet and self-prescribing is in fact detrimental to the health of their skin and invariably, their pocket • The presentation will feature real case studies, with real before and after shots, stating exactly what treatments were undertaken, what products were used, what was achieved and of course, what it all actually cost • I will also invite a skin expert to speak more specifically on treatment modalities such as skin needling, LED etc. • I will spend a considerable amount of time talking about ‘Salons of Choice’ and the Skincare Ranges of Choice Every attendee would receive a goody bag, which included a gift voucher from a Salon of Choice for a treatment that is focused around results. The treatment would either be one that did not require any prepping or if the client wanted to invest in prepping her skin, then an advanced treatment could be offered. Either way, it would have to be a ‘wow’ treatment indicating that further investment from the client would have the promise of a substantial positive skin outcome. Further consideration and discussion around this area is required.

all. I believe it can be done. I have been quietly surveying consumers about the idea and it has been brilliantly received. I have shown people a before an after photo of a couple of case studies with substantial skin changes and results and asked something like…”If you knew that you could achieve this result in 6 months for say $3,000 and then continue to invest in a skincare regime and treatments, would you do it?” And I’m overly excited to report that ALL said YES!!! ALL found it hard to believe. ALL did not know. So… We have to tell them……TOGETHER.

It’s going to take an extraordinary and passionate bunch to move this mountain; both salons and suppliers. I know you’re out there. I know we can do it.

In addition, every attendee would receive a hero product from one of the ‘Suppliers of Choice’. Of course this would have to be a general product that would be benefit any skin type. It would be a corrector, SPF, mask etc. Again, it would need to be a ‘wow’ product. The consumer will be provided with an opportunity to get a taste of ‘positive skin change’, providing her with ‘proof’ so to speak, that investment in the right product, the right treatment and the right salon is going to provide her with the skin outcome she more than likely never believed was possible.

Salons of Choice CREAM Solutions would have to be confident that a recommended Salon Of Choice is actually going to deliver the service and results as indicated by my presentation. In order for us to feel this confidence, salons wanting to participate and be included would need to pass certain criteria (yet to be finalised).

Supplier of Choice Supplier of Choice would include a participating supplier whose range provides exceptional results and does NOT supply to the cheap internet sites.

Media Support We plan for this initiative to be big, no HUGE. We will be inviting the media to attend, participate and cover the events. Educating the consumer on what this industry is REALLY capable of offering is big news. Important news.

How Many and Where? I envisage either trialling such an evening in Melbourne or if enough participation from salon and suppliers is raised from the major cities, we’ll take this concept on the road. We’re aiming at having 200-400 in attendance at each event. Now I know that this is a big undertaking. But it’s big undertakings that make us brave, stand up for what we believe in and force moves toward positive change for

www.creamsolutions.co

COSMECEUTICAL SKINCARE WITHOUT TRAUMA

Aspect Extreme C 20

Day 0 Actual age 48 years

Day 84 Perceived age reduction 5.6 years

Day 247* Perceived age reduction 7.2 years

• High octane cosmeceutical correctives • Chirally correct skincare • Maximum clinical results without unnecessary irritation or trauma

A division of Device Technologies

AU | A Unit 8 Keysborough Close, Fiveways Business Centre, Keysborough VIC 3173 | P 1800 648 851 | W www.advskin.com.au NZ | A 47 Arrenway Drive, Albany Auckland 0632 | P 0800 238 754 | W www.advskin.co.nz

The

Groom Spa

Phenomenon By Brigitte Benge

t’s no secret Katherine Simpson, founder, creator and driving force behind the Groom Spa salons is a close friend of mine. But that’s where the relationship is at now, and not at all where it started. I first spotted this salon business-dynamo at a supplier training in 2009. Although I had been coaching for over 4 years, I was there just as she was, as a salon owner looking for any opportunity to add to anything I already knew. Katherine sat a couple of tables down from me and the first time I heard her speak, my ears pricked up high! How eloquent, how intelligent and how passionate this business woman came across. She had me mesmerised and I waited patiently for every opportunity to listen for Katherine to share her views during the trainer’s conversation. Our relationship has come a long way since then. Although we’re great friends, you can’t get us together without us sharing our passion for the industry we equally adore. I admire and respect my great friend so much that I wanted to give you an insight into who this woman, phenomena and inspiration to many, really is, through this revealing and insightful interview. Brigitte: Welcome Katherine to CREAM Connect and thank you for sharing a morsel of your great story with us Katherine: Thanks B, I’m delighted for the opportunity. Brigitte: Can we start off with a little of your personal background. Yours is a great story; one I’m sure few people know Katherine: Ok, well, I started out my beauty career in 1989 after completing my Diploma and shortly gained my first job as a therapist at a salon in Adelaide. I quickly developed my

professional skills and realised pretty quickly that I wanted more than to just do therapy. As much as I loved it, the thirst for the business side was too strong to ignore and within a few short years I became joint salon owner of an Ella Bache Salon. I successfully ran the business until selling in 1996. I then moved into the corporate side of the beauty world to further develop my operational and general management skills. Four years on, after working hard to learn everything I could about the operational and strategic side of things, I relocated to London to become Director of Spas for the prestigious Amida Spa brand. With all of the knowledge that I had gained over the last four years I was able to identify emerging trends, inspire staff, and co-ordinate large scale projects for Amida. This then put me on the radar and I was soon offered the position of Global Operations Manager for the ultra hip Cowshed brand, part of the high profile Soho House Group. During my many years at Cowshed, I was responsible for the overall operation of its stores and spas across London, New York, Los Angeles, Ireland, Scotland and Asia. My highlights included working with Virgin Atlantic to develop the Cowshed brand and Bumble and Bumble hair salon in its Upper Class Lounge at Heathrow airport; organising concept spas for the Hollywood Oscars, Cannes & Edinburgh Film Festival; and a joint venture with Jimmy Choo at the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) Awards. Ready to return to Australia with my husband Lawrence and young daughter Tiffany, I made the career move that would eventually lead to my Groom brand. Accepting the role as General Manager for Pure Indulgence Australia, I applied almost twenty

www.creamsolutions.co

Reception and pedicure area at Southland

Communal area at Fountain Gate

years of experience across roles, clientele and continents to reshape the business to operate effectively at strategic, tactical and operational levels. After playing an integral role in the company’s Enterprise Bargaining Agreement being accepted through Fair Work Australia and smashing sales and attendance records in Victoria and Queensland, in 2010, I identified the opportunity to bring my dream spa concept to reality. Using business acumen and negotiation skills that I had learnt through my many roles I secured the purchase of all the Pure Indulgence salons in Victoria. These sites, were ideally positioned in major metropolitan shopping centres including Southland, Chadstone, Doncaster and Highpoint. Brigitte: Katherine, what are your industry and business qualifications? Katherine: Other than all of my Beauty Qualifications I don’t have any formal business qualifications. In fact I did not even finish my high school years. Everything that I have learnt has been through sheer blood, sweat and tears. I am a great believer that life experience counts for a lot and I am testament to anyone out there that it can be done. There are really two things that will help you to succeed, and that’s (1) absolute passion; you must truly love what you do and (2) you must under all circumstances believe in yourself as there will be many times where people will tell you that it can’t be done and you must have an unwavering

commitment to yourself as the road is long and hard, and at times you will be the only person that believes in what you are doing. Brigitte: Katherine, what you’ve just said is the truest statement for success. Without passion and belief, anything else you do to grow your business is just a waste of time. Growth and success cannot come without passion and a relentless belief in yourself and your vision.  Groom Spa, wasn’t just an idea you came up with overnight. Where did this dream start and how did it come to life? Katherine: With many years spent immersed in the beauty industry, including launching brands in London and New York, and listening to what clients really wanted, I identified a gap in the market. Groom was an accumulation of many experiences over many years. I realised that clients craved a place to go with friends where they could experience impeccable service and leave their stress and cares at the door. They wanted somewhere they could spend an hour or half a day – whatever their schedule allowed, where they felt welcome and deservedly pampered but at all times still being very social. And so Groom was born… The ultimate feeling of Groom’s new concept spa is that you have just entered your best friend’s New York apartment, so come in, enjoy and stay awhile and if you like it, invite your friends round too… Brigitte: I have to share here that during the year before the

Fountain gate store

www.creamsolutions.co

opening of Southland, Groom’s first concept store, Katherine and I had many conversations about her boundless visions for her concept. Katherine shared every minute detail of every aspect, from how it would look to how it would feel. From the light fittings to the communal dining table. From the iPads to the individual television screens. She shared protocols from how each client would be greeted to just exactly how a pedicure should be perfectly set up. The detail was extraordinary. The passion in her voice was intoxicating. When those doors opened in August 2011 I was gobsmacked. Every SINGLE detail came to life. Nothing left out, only greater dreams and strategies were added as the journey to this incredible dream unraveled. Ok, Katherine, let’s get down to business. What do you believe to be the single most important area of business all salon owners must educate themselves in? Katherine: I believe that people need to get real about their

Sounds like a strong and healthy team culture is paramount to your success. Can you tell us a bit more on this? Katherine: I have a fair but firm management approach and an unwavering commitment to my staff. Culture is everything. Along with attitude, we are very firm about the type of person that should work at Groom. Groom really is a way of life and not just a job. Indeed, we do demand a lot from our staff, but in return we believe we give a lot back. We are extremely serious about our staff selection process and make no apologies for this. We only want the best. That said, our employees love working for us because we value their ability and have a solid training program in place to bring out their best – and we look after them. I am actively involved in mentoring, and am passionate about providing professional development opportunities for my staff. We have high expectations about the quality of our service, our environment and our treatments. Our

Fountain Gate Pedicure Area

business, in other words get commercial! Too many people run their business like a hobby and just get by. To do well you need to understand the following: 1.You need to know your figures intimately– I was told very early on that cash-flow is reality and turnover is fantasy, nothing has rung more true. 2. Define your goals. Do you want financial independence, eventually selling your business? Do you want something small and sustainable, that you love doing and want to derive a steady income from? These are the things that are good to know very early on. One of the biggest problems most people face it that they go from being a therapist one day to an owner the next and they are not prepared for what they might face. To know where you are going you need a map, most importantly, a financial one. 3. A business plan – this is vital as it outlines your business journey, no matter how big or small. Brigitte: I couldn’t agree more. I’m saddened as to how many salons don’t understand and appreciate how figures play such an important role in growth and success. Monitoring and massaging the figures should be a daily to-do by all salons. If salon owners spent more time understanding the figures, where the money is coming from, where it’s going, much of their frustrations and fears would be alleviated.

ongoing challenge is to ensure we meet our own high expectations – and exceed them – to delight our clients every time they visit. A sense of humour is a ‘must’ for all of our Groomers, along with a fun personality and meticulous work ethic. You only have to walk into a Groom spa and you know that you are somewhere special. Everyone has a smile on their face and is willing to lend a helping hand. Brigitte: Thank you so much Katherine for sharing your story with us. No doubt many of the readers will derive great inspiration and motivation from reading it. To the reader: As Katherine rightly says and as I have preached to many of you, understanding your figures should be your top priority. No one does it better than Katherine Simpson which is why I have invited her to co-host a series of 4 webinars with me where Katherine will not only share her wisdom in this area but she will make available the Excel worksheets for purchase. Read about this webinar series on page 30 starting in August. Only a limited amount of places will be available on this exclusive webinar. To miss it would be a mistake!!

www.creamsolutions.co

1300 4 (NIMUE) 64 683

NEW Polymeric Peel Systems

Advanced professional peeling systems for stubborn, hyperpigmented skin or problematic, congested & oily skin conditions

Impress your clients when they experience something really effective and next generation in your salon. The non-invasive Polymeric Peeling System (in a course of 8 treatments) is scientifically developed for stunning results on hyperpigmented or problematic skin, without the sensation of peels.

for advanced correction

- a progressive skin peeling treatment

Which dissolves dead skin cells and decongests problematic skin resulting in a smoother, more refined complexion.

- an intense enzymatic exfoliating system

Based on lipase and protease enzymes with stabilized papain, bromelain and botanical hyaluronic acid to prepare the skin ensuring maximum efficacyand optimum results. Ingredients are in a polymeric delivery system that capture actives for slow release and enhanced results.

- the penta salaic peel

A professional treatment providing a superficial peel for problematic skin. Selection of active ingredients in the polymeric system are salicylic acid, azelaic acid, pyruvic acid, willow bark extract and amphoteric glycolic acid.

before

after

* Nimue is not sold online globally * Nimue never has / never will be sold in Pharmacies or Dept. chains

www.nimueskin.com.au

YOUR TICKET

Conference 2014, EUROPE

Confessions,

of a ‘not-so-crash-hot’ Skin Girl:

How I went from sinning to winning

in five years By Shelley Richards

was everything salon owners dislike about beauty therapists.

Developing those habits was certainly never my intention, nor was it what I signed up for when I chose to become a beauty therapist. But being young and naïve, with virtually no guidance or training beyond beauty school, my path was a dim one. In short, I ended up being one of those therapists that put in very little, and expected a lot in return. Self entitlement is never a good look on anyone. So, after 5 years of being a leach of an employee, I realised I had to make a change. My confessions… Conversations in treatments were constantly centered on personal or irrelevant chit-chat. All my clients knew I loved my footy and didn’t much like doing massages. It was a rarity to talk about skin or products, not that I had the knowledge to sustain a discussion. To be honest, I didn’t know what to say. I was never taught to write a prescription or how to sell a full regime of homecare. I look back now and think ‘whose fault was this?’ I could have blamed myself, as this was the career path I chose, and perhaps could have asked more questions, showed more interest, and taken more care. I could have blamed the salon owner, but then again she sent us to endless product schools. Yet in spite of all of this, I had no mentor who held me accountable and made me understand

the expectations I should have risen to. I think it was both of our faults. As a consequence of the absence of consultations, we never knew why a client was having a treatment in the first place or thought about contraindications. I personally took skin off 2 waxing clients who never told me they were on Roaccutane. To me, it was entirely their fault, they should have told me. Of course I never asked. When the owner wasn’t around, we used to sit and read the newspaper ‘out the back’ during ‘downtime’. If we weren’t reading a newspaper or magazine we were texting or doing things that were totally unrelated to the business. On our boss’ time! Whilst our clients had tint on their eyelashes or eyebrows, we left them. We even left them whilst the mask or steamer was on, simply because we could hang ‘out the back’ without consequence. And here is the worst of them all. Something I hate to admit, yet is important to say, is that we secretly hoped some clients wouldn’t show to an appointment so we didn’t have to work, or so we could go home early. We even made bogus appointments at the end of the day, which of course were cancelled. As I write this, I feel terrible and guilty as I did not appreciate and understand the effects this would have on the

www.creamsolutions.co

business. I have no intention for one minute to defend our behavior, but sadly we went un-reprimanded. Our phones were never on silent. All day there were beeps and songs coming loudly from the back room. We would take personal calls whilst waxing someone, or doing a manicure or pedicure. We were however considerate enough not to do this during massage or facials! We decided $300 was a realistic weekly retail expectation for a full timer, and $40 was a fair bonus for reaching such a ‘difficult’ target. Of course since being employed at CREAM Solutions, I have been taught to break everything down and now realize just how absolutely absurd and disrespectful that really was. We would turn down ‘walk in’ clients for a lip or eyebrow wax, even though we had the time. We would often extend the time it took to do a particular service. We just didn’t want to work that hard. We always did our personal waxing during work time. Sometimes during our breaks but if one of us was going on holidays and needed lots of waxing done, we would simply book out the time in the computer for 2 therapists to be unavailable. If one of the girls slept wrong during the night and had a sore neck, half an hour would be marked out so she could have a massage complete with oils and a hot towel. We would file our nails at the manicure table, and ask the client to take a seat and wait because they are early and we are fixing our nails. (I’m cringing as I write this!) I had Fair Work Australia’s number in my mobile and would call them at every chance, to make sure I was getting paid every cent correctly. Looking back now, I realised I hadn’t even ‘earned’ what I was being paid in the first place. Don’t even ask what products we were using on our own skin. We would blatantly lie to clients about our skin care regime and again as Brigitte puts it, there was no integrity in what we were doing. Even though some of us did have a good regime at home, we had no idea on how to sell it to the clients. So we didn’t.

And here’s the piece de résistance! If the client wasn’t very hairy and we managed to complete her services quickly, ‘we decided’ we were ripping the client off and would give her a discount. This could be up to 20% and some even got a free lip, eye brow or bikini wax. “It only took me 2 minutes, I can’t charge her.” Oh and if she purchased 3 retail products at once she definitely deserved a discount off her services or better yet, a free peel. I decided that making that decision was my right. Today I realise that none of it was mine to give away. Even though I knew clients and employers deserved better, I was a naïve and young therapist who was very impressionable. After five years, I realised that there was an invisible cancer in the salon and that things would never change as long as the same culture remained, and as long as the owner didn’t make her team accountable for their behavior and their productivity. So how come I know as much as I do now? Even throughout all of this, I always educated myself. To be honest, I was always interested in the skin. I was forever on Google, and so my knowledge was good, but I lacked the skills to put it into practice. My last position as a rep, exposed me to how some good salons are meant to be run and how a decent employee is meant to work. I was also held accountable in my position and couldn’t get away with any downtime. Once I joined CREAM Solutions, I soon learned what integrity, respect and duty of care meant. I also learned the valuable lesson of what it means to give 100% and the amazing satisfaction that it brings. As I write this, I feel remorse for the things I did and didn’t do. Even though I didn’t have a great leader to guide me; I was an adult, supposedly with a conscious, yet my team and I continued to behave in ways that showed no integrity or respect for the person who paid my wages, or the clients who paid for treatments and products expecting results. Knowing what I know now, I would have thrived inside a salon that held their therapists accountable and imbued their staff with the passion and drive to reach high targets and even higher results. Self-education will only take you so far. It’s all hearsay until you put it into practice. So enter Shelley Richards, reformed ex-therapist, passionate industry advocate, and indeed still a footy supporter. Luckily for me, a great opportunity has come my way here at CREAM Solutions. I have my own personal goals, which include being part of a company who not only raises the bar for the industry, but strives for innovation over adequacy. And that is indeed what makes me the best girl for the job. I’ve been there before, and will work with therapists to acknowledge their own confessions and turn over a new leaf. A word from Brigitte…. I commend Shelley for writing this candid article. As difficult as it was, she knew it was important to share something she sees still happening in salons around her. We had long discussions after I read the article. It highlights the role of both the salon owner and the employee. Everyone has a role to play and all must play it with dignity and integrity. The owner must be a strong leader with a vision for her business and she must have the skills to lead and inspire her team. The team needs to trust and follow their leader as well as embrace her vision, whatever it may be. Accountability and responsibility from both sides is equally as important.

www.creamsolutions.co

In living colour -

the launch of our latest platform

www.creamsolutions.co June 2013 will mark the unveiling of the much anticipated Cream Solutions website Apart from showcasing our new look logo and colours, this state of the art website will house our CREAM Business Online School Programme, as well as everything else we have on offer. Membership to the CREAM Business Online School Programme will be automated with the new programme including coaching and training videos for you and your team. Armed with a unique username and password, club members will have exclusive access to interactive digital media like never before.

Frequently updated, you can book webinars and workshops, purchase products and even jump in on Brigitteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s blog, which promises to be informative, if not amusing! This exciting new website will allow us to further develop our services to you, and take your business to the next level.

www.creamsolutions.co

Missing the Point

Reward systems are underrated By Brigitte Benge

or those who don’t have a rewards programme or haven’t experienced the great value in them, I have just one question for you - Are you missing the point of just how powerful reward programmes are in your business?

Loyal clients represent a huge chunk of the goodwill of a business and are an invaluable, intangible asset that actually add value to your balance sheet and to the sale price of a business. Have you ever tried to calculate the annual value of your loyal clients? At the end of this article I have included a conservative valuation of 4 kinds of clients; the Loyal Wax Client, the Basic Loyal Facial Client, the Savvy Loyal Facial Client and the Salon Addict! When you actually break it all down on paper, you’ll be amazed at the actual annual value of any kind of loyal client. Here’s the summary of it Loyal wax client

Basic Loyal Facial Client

Savvy Loyal Facial Client

Salon Addict

Treatment value

$1,585

$2,635

$3,505

$6,565

Retail value

$540

$2,150

$2,480

$2,700

Value per year

$2,125

$4,785

$5,985

$9,265

Breaking it down further, you can see that having a business strategy that concentrates on placing the focus on ‘loyal clients’ is extremely valuable. 2 Salon Addicts

$18,530

10 Savvy Loyal Facial Clients

$59,850

15 Basic Loyal Facial Clients

$71,775

30 Loyal Wax Clients

$63,750 $213,905

When focusing on creating this kind of loyalty, only 57 clients could very well represent a sizeable chunk of your annual turnover. Nowadays, it’s more challenging to create loyalty in your business, especially when your latest competitor, the internet, in the form of cheap online retail and cheap online treatments via coupons is strong on taking your business away from you. Today’s clients have more choice, are better informed and are more demanding of value and return for their spending dollars. They look not only for the products and services that meet their needs at the price they are willing to pay, but for the salon that recognises, appreciates and rewards their business.

So what is beyond price, convenience and service? How do you keep clients coming back? How do you create fiercely loyal clients who will turn a blind eye to your competitors?

Through Reward Programmes Now ‘creating’ a reward programme is the easy part. So easy that your computer POS programme does it for you. It’s able to calculate how many points you want to give your clients for a particular spend. Great. Easy. Automated. So what’s the problem? Why do so many salons report that reward programmes don’t work? Well, like everything else, nothing works unless you WORK IT. Reward programmes don’t just work magically on their own. It takes effort from both the owner and the employees to make it a big part of how the salon ticks. Once a reward programme is created, it needs to be consistently communicated to the client. Posters need to be put up in every treatment room and front area. The team have to be formally briefed on what the programme is about, how it works, all of the conditions and how to best communicate and bring attention of the programme to the clients. If your computer programme prints out point balances on the receipt, every team member should be trained to staple the receipt ON TOP of the EFTPOS or credit card receipt, hand it to the client, drawing her attention to the points balance whilst saying something like:

“Amanda, you have 78 points, which entitles you to a complimentary pedicure. Why don’t we book this pedicure with your next peel on August 23rd?” OR “Sharon, I can see you have 98 points. At next month’s waxing, you’ll receive another 7 points, which means that with 105 points, you can have the Clearing Facial we’ve been talking about, complimentary. Shall we book it in with your next wax? This must be done, to every client, at every visit, without exception – WORKING IT. Newsletters need to feature the existence of the programme as well as reward points based promotions ie. ‘It’s double the points, every Tuesday this month’ or

even ‘Receive quadruple points on every serum purchased this month’. The possibilities are endless. This must be done consistently – WORKING IT As the client is consistently reminded that loyalty is rewarded at your business, it’s easy to fend off competition, getting new clients through their education on a programme that you offer that the competition doesn’t, retaining existing clients and improving your bottom line. Not only do loyal clients impact your bottom line positively, but they are able to provide a comfortable ‘consistency’ and predictability to your revenue. Let’s not forget that loyal clients are raving fans; happy to share with their friends and bring referral business to your salon. Developing the right reward programme is not just about using the feature on your POS system. There’s so much more to it and if you develop the right strategies and put in the hard work, the benefits you’ll reap are amazing.

Client Value for 12 months Loyal Waxing Client Treatments

Single Price

Total Spend

12 Monthly 1/2 Leg and extended bikini

$65.00

$780.00

6 Full Arm waxes every second month

$35.00

$210.00

17 Eyebrow tidy and lip wax every 3 weeks

$35.00

$595.00

Total treatments Retail

$1,585.00 Single Price Total Spend

Loyal Savvy Facial Client Treatments

Single Price

Total Spend

3 Regular facial every second month

$120.00

$360.00

6 Advanced facial every second month

$165.00

$990.00

1 Course of Micros once a year

$600.00

1 Course of Oxygen treatments once a year

$600.00

12 File Buff/Polish hands

$30.00

$360.00

17 Eyebrow tidy and lip wax every 3 weeks

$35.00

$595.00

Total treatments Retail 4 Cleansers per year 2 Exfoliants per year 4 Eye Creams per year

$3,505.00 Single Price

Total Spend

$85.00

$340.00

$65.00

$130.00

$120.00

$480.00

2 Eye Masks

$60.00

$120.00

4 Moisturisers per year

$120.00

$480.00

4 Correctors per year

$120.00

$480.00

3 Masks per year

$70.00

$210.00

4 SPF30+ per year

$60.00

$240.00

Total retail

$2,480.00

Annual Value of a Loyal Savvy Facial Client

$5,985.00

Loyal Salon Addict Treatments 3 Regular facial every second month

Single Price Total Spend $120.00

$360.00

3 Body Moisturisers per year

$60.00

$180.00

6 Advanced facial every second month

$165.00

$990.00

2 Body Exfoliants per year

$60.00

$120.00

1 Course of Micros once a year

$600.00

2 Body Loofah mits

$20.00

$40.00

1 Course of Oxygen treatments once a year

$600.00

4 SPF30+ per year

$50.00

$200.00

17 Eyebrow tidy and lip wax every 3 weeks

$35.00

$595.00

$540.00

6 Full Body Massage every second month

$80.00

$480.00

12 Monthly Manicure

$40.00

$960.00

12 Monthly Pedicure

$85.00

$1.020.00

Total retail Annual Value of a Loyal Waxing Client

$2,125.00

12 File Buff/Polish hands Purchases 6 Gift Vouchers throughout the year ($100 ea)

Loyal Basic Client Treatments 12 Regular facial every second month 1 Course of Micros once a year 17 Eyebrow tidy and lip wax every 3 weeks

Single Price Total Spend $120.00

$1.440.00

$600.00

$35.00

$595.00

Total treatments Retail 4 Cleansers per year 4 Serums per year 2 Exfoliants per year

$2,635.00

$30.00

$360.00

$100.00

$600.00

Total treatments

Retail

$6,565.00

Single Price Total Spend

4 Cleansers per year

$85.00

$340.00

4 Exfoliants per year

$65.00

$130.00

4 Eye Creams per year

$120.00

$480.00

4 Moisturisers per year

$120.00

$480.00

$340.00

4 Correctors per year

$120.00

$480.00

$120.00

$480.00

3 Masks per year

$70.00

$210.00

$65.00

$130.00

4 SPF30+ per year

$60.00

$240.00

$60.00

$180.00 $120.00

Single Price Total Spend $85.00

4 Eye Creams per year

$120.00

$480.00

3 Body Moisturisers per year

4 Moisturisers per year

$120.00

$480.00

2 Body Exfoliants per year

$60.00

4 SPF30+ per year

$60.00

$240.00

2 Body Loofah mits

$20.00

$40.00

Total retail

$2,150.00

Total retail

$2,700.00

Annual Value of a Loyal Basic Facial Client

$4,785.00

Annual Value of a Loyal Salon Addict

$9,265.00

www.creamsolutions.co

Brigitte’s

FAVOURITE If you know me, then you know I’m a skincare junkie. I make no apologies for the fact that my skincare bag is always bigger than my carry-on luggage, and I would sooner sell my first-born than leave my makeup on overnight! (Of course I’m kidding, I’d never leave my makeup on). For over 35 years, I have had a complete skincare regime going at home. ‘Ageing gracefully’ is an oxymoron to me, so I’m not really interested in that. There’s nothing graceful about ageing. Doesn’t make sense to me. I’m a strong believer that you can age youthfully by preserving what you have without ANYTHING invasive. We have the technology. We have the ingredients and we have the know-how. Here are just a few of my favourite things. Ultraceuticals B2 Hydrating Serum I was lucky enough to get one of the first bottles produced. The label wasn’t even the official label but a makeshift for the special few! It was like winning Wonka’s Golden Ticket without the added calories! Seriously, a double wammy of Vitamin B; B3 and B2. Along with Hyaluronic Acid, the B2 Hydrating Serum is a huge hydration boost to any skin. It’s my third serum, just before my moisturiser both in the morning and at night. Leaves my skin feeling soft, plump and dewy. It’s become my ‘don’t leave home without applying it product’.

Aspect Hydrating Mask One of my favourite at-home rituals is mask night every Wednesday night. I start with exfoliating my skin and then proceed to apply 3 masks in a row. Usually an anti-ageing mask, a refining mask and then my all time favourite, the Aspect Hydrating Mask. I leave the hydrating mask till last as it’s one of the few masks you can leave on. After applying a generous amount all over my face and neck, then leaving it on for 10-15mins, I massage the rest in and sleep with it. In the morning my skin feels sensational. It’s like a double shot espresso for your face! I have preached this very routine to hundreds of therapists when selling masks. The results speak for themselves. Every time.

THINGS

Danne Montague King Foamy Lift

Foamy Lift is the first part of my Wednesday night ritual. Hand-hand with the Exoderma Peel, it’s is an exceptional exfoliating mask/at-home peel. You really know something is happening when you use Foamy Lift. Incredibly firming, it dries, VERY DRY and cracks if you just blink! So multi-functional. Not just an extraordinary exfoliator but it brightens the skin, lifts and firms. It’s the quickest way to firm up without a staple gun and steady hand! Love it before a special night out.

O Cosmedics Mineral Pro SPF30+ Those who know me well, know that I try everything on my children first and Mineral Pro SPF 30+ was no exception. Nope. They didn’t burn! Ahhhhh…..only kidding. Containing one of my favourite antioxidants, Resveratrol, Mineral Pro is not only a true broad sprectrum protection but it’s a fabulous primer under makeup. We all know we need to wear sun protection every day. Finding the one that works beautifully with your makeup is a challenge. This one’s a goodie.

Botanical Extracts Cleanser Prep Fave, fave, fave. Cleanser Prep is my first cleanse every evening. It’s a water soluble oil makeup remover. It so gently removes every trace of makeup (and I wear liquid foundation) effortlessly and effectively. And the smell is……sensational!! The second cleanse, using a milk cleanser often proves not required. But I do it anyway!

AWE Cosmeceuticals Renewal System Lotion What a precious find AWE Cosmeceuticals has turned out to be. An Australian owned and made small range of cosmeceuticals, the company offered me their products to try. At a brilliant price point, the range really is something to take notice of. I love their Renewal System Lotion. A gentle Vitamin A Retinol. Serious corrector. Seriously fab.

Eye Contour Gel with ATP With the amount of travelling I do, this product is the bomb. It’s an instant pickme-up after the plane and my ins and outs of heating or airconditioning takes a toll on my jet-lagged eyes. Bags (and I mean handbags) and dark circles are miraculously diminished and my eye feels fresh and presentable.

Our Upcoming Events Workshops City

Date/s

Time

Venue

Melbourne

Leadership and Accountability

Monday June 17th and Tuesday June 18th

9:30am registration to 5pm

The Como Hotel – South Yarra

Sydney

Leadership and Accountability

Monday June 24th and Tuesday June 25th

9:30am registration to 5pm

The Vibe Hotel – Milsons Point

Sydney

Team Member Development Programme

Monday July 8th and Tuesday July 9th

9am registration to 5:30pm

The Vibe Hotel Rushcutters Bay

Melbourne

Team Member Development Programme

Monday July 15th and Tuesday July 16th

9am registration to 5pm

The Como Hotel – South Yarra

Melbourne

A Profitable Christmas and Monday September 2nd and a Record New Year Tuesday September 3rd

9:30am registration to 5pm

The Como Hotel – South Yarra

Sydney

A Profitable Christmas and Monday September 9th and a Record New Year Tuesday September 10th

9:30am registration to 5pm

The Vibe Hotel Rushcutters Bay

Webinars Webinar

Date

Length

Time (all Melbourne Time)

Filling in Slow Books at the Last Minute

Wednesday June 12th

1 hour + 15mins questions

10am to 11:15am

Effectively Bringing Back Lapsed Clients

Monday July 29th

1 hour + 15mins questions

10am to 11:15am

Financially Viable Business Series (4)

Thursday August 8th Thursday August 15th Thursday August 22nd Thursday August 29th

Allow 2 hours

10am start

Garbage in - Garbage Out. What you put Thursday September 12th into your database is what you get out

1 hour + 15mins

10am to 11:15am

Developing and Implementing Internal Training

Monday October 21st

1 hour + 15mins questions

11am to 12:15pm

Bookings to Win. Effectively scheduling appointments

Monday November 11th

1 hour + 15mins questions

11am to 12:15pm

Are You on Track with Christmas?

Monday November 25th

1 hour + 15mins questions

11am to 12:15pm

Our Events Booking and Cancellation Policy CREAM will provide a refund or credit for any booking cancellation received in writing 72 working hours (excludes Saturday, Sunday and Public Holidays) prior to the event date. No refund or credit will be made available for cancellations made within a lesser time period. CREAM reserves the right to cancel, alter or change any event or venue from time to time. Should an event be cancelled by CREAM, a full credit or refund will be provided. CREAM will not be liable for any other costs other than the event paid price.

Need to know something? If you have any questions about our events, programmes, products or coaching, call Shelley Richards on 03 9523 9549 or alternatively email shelley@creamsolutions.co

www.creamsolutions.co

CREAM Ahhhh, e-learning…

What a treat!

No makeup, no heels.

You can even stay in your PJs if you like!! Recent studies have shown that virtual events (webinars) are the most popular channel for learning. At CREAM, we believe in bringing the best of technology into our daily operations. The result – effective web based workshops that assist you improve your salon operations, productivity and growth. All you need is a computer, an internet connection and you’re good-to-go!

Key advantages

of CREAM Webinars

Convenient: Participate right from the comfort of your own home or salon. No travelling time or costs. It’s a fabulous option for interstate and international salons as you get to attend from anywhere in the world

Easy: It’s so easy to register and attend our webinars. If you’re new to webinars, don’t fret. All we can say is, if you know how to read, you can attend a webinar! Our registration email details all you need to know

3 4

Actionable: Because webinars are by nature short, there are no generalities with our workshops! Only specific and immediately actionable presentations Great tools: Most of our webinars will be recorded and available for purchase, which makes them a great tool for inhouse training. We also email a hard copy of the presentation

5 6

Cost-effective: CREAM helps provide and productive learning without the costs of a conventional classroom workshop

Interactive: At the end of every webinar, the presenter will answer any specific questions. And sometimes may even ask for participation during the webinar!

Webinars Webinar Attendance $29 Recording Purchase by attendees $20 Recording Purchase by non-attendees $49 JUNE 2013

OCTOBER 2013

Filling in Slow Books at the Last Minute – Wednesday June 12th 10am to 11:15am

Developing and Implementing Internal Training – Monday October 1st 11am to 12:15pm

Addressing short-term problems by creating long-term ones is just plain reactive. When your books are slow, there are strategies to intelligently do something about it. This webinar is a must. Learn the proactive, not reactive way of addressing the problem.

Are you incessantly training team members on the fly, hoping some great miracle is going to happen post training? There is a way to reduce the amount of training you do whilst increasing the productivity resulting from each training. Learn how in this webinar

JULY 2013

NOVEMBER 2013

Effectively Bringing Back Lapsed Clients – Monday July 29th 10am to 11:15am

Bookings to Win. Effectively Scheduling Appointments – Monday November 11th 11am to 12pm

Losing clients is a serious problem and learning how to win them back is equally as serious. This webinar will take you through the entire process of who, how, why and when. SEPTEMBER 2013 Garbage In – Garbage Out – Thursday September 12th 10am to 11:15am If you feed your computer with garbage, that’s exactly what’s going to come out. You didn’t invest a bucket-load into an intelligent computer system only for the reports and the client data to be as useful as garbage. Book into this one RIGHT NOW! Sponsored by AWE Cosmeceuticals

Do you have a booking strategy that everyone follows? You should. This webinar will guide you through how to effectively book appointments, maximize time, pre book and make sure every phone call leads to a positive outcome. Are You on Track with Christmas? – Monday November 25th 11am to 12:15pm No sense in crying over spilt milk. This vital webinar will help you make sure that Christmas productivity is kept right on track and if it slips off, what you can do about it before it’s too late.