BUSINESS FOUNDATIONS TO TAKE YOUR SALON FROM ALRIGHT TO AMAZING. By Rebecca Miller, The Zing Project
Owning a salon over the past few years has been no mean feat! The strength, resilience, and determination we’ve needed to come out the other side is second-to-none so as we enter a new financial year, make sure you take a moment to celebrate all the wins, lessons learnt, the wisdom gained from the challenges and all those little magical moments in between.
If your salon business has just been going through the motions, now is a great time to take stock of the way you’re operating. You can be unshakeable & unstoppable and in flow & alignment when you surround yourself with the right people, systems and of course, the mindset to match. Heartfelt leadership is the key and right now our industry needs more inspirational leaders to leave their legacy behind for our future emerging leaders. Throughout the article, I’ll ask you questions. Write down your answers and use this as a guide to see where you have gaps in your business.
FOUNDATIONS
Your purpose, mission and values play an essential role in your business. Without them, it's almost impossible to align your team with your strategic goals, enhance team collaboration and culture or empower your team to be the best version of themselves. When we create an environment where our team can truly feel our purpose, we’re delivering a space of inspiration, motivation, and empowerment.
PURPOSE
It all begins with your WHY. Your purpose is the reason that you jump out of bed every day, this is your calling, the reason you step into your business and why you do what you do. Having clarity on your purpose and articulating your why in such an inspiring way others want to follow. It’s your cause, the legacy you leave behind and it’s the reason your business exists. Can you articulate your purpose (WHY) right now?
MISSION
This is your 5-to-10-year big hairy audacious goal (BHAG),so you and your team understand where you are now and where you want to be and know they are a part of something bigger than themselves. Your mission is a commercialisation of your PURPOSE and I encourage you to think about the impact and value you want to create and bring into the world. Clarity is key so think BIG… If you can think it, you can create it! A great mission is clear & compelling and will serve as a catalyst for growth and inspiration. What is your 5-to-10-year BHAG? 112
Hair Biz Year 16 Issue 4
VALUES
Your company values are the heartbeat of your business, the DNA. In essence, your company values are the beliefs, philosophies, guiding principles and behaviours that drive your business. They impact your team's experience you deliver, as well as the relationships you develop with your customers and the companies you partner with. Your cultural values are your company's DNA. That's why you can't make any important business decisions without having them in mind. Having a clear set of values helps your team understand what you as a business stand for. Your company values also give them guidance for their work and provide a sense of meaning. Well-defined values provide a moral direction to guide you and your team in difficult times. As a result, you’re more likely to make the right decisions — the decisions that help you all achieve the company's vision and goals. Your core values support the company's vision and shape its culture. That's why every single business decision should be aligned with these values. How can you build great teams, deliver excellent customer service and foster innovation if you haven't defined and found your company values as a team? Yes, include the team! Are your team aware of, connected to and living your business core values? Do you use your values to make decisions in your business?
PLANNING
If you’re still feeling like a hamster on a wheel, you’re not embodying the greatness of your purpose! Let’s get you off that wheel and
embracing the power of planning. It’s the secret sauce of every successful salon business after all. Planning goes beyond your day-to-day and looks towards the year ahead and what needs to happen to achieve everyone’s personal and professional goals. Planning means creating your future in advance. So, is your planning setting you up for success in the coming financial year?
NEEDLE-MOVING BUSINESS ACTIVITIES
One of the biggest mistakes I see salon owners make is not allocating time each week to work on their business rather than in their business. If growth and scaling is one of your business goals, it’s imperative that you block time off in your diary for the needle-moving business activities. These are the activities that are going to propel your business. Do you have regular allocated time for working on your business?
TEAM PATHWAYS
As leaders, it is our job is to create more leaders and generate opportunities for our team to evolve and feel empowered by new skills, knowledge, and experiences. Every team member should have a personalised pathway established that includes opportunities to work on their professional and personal goals. Do each of your team members have a pathway for success for the new financial year?
CELEBRATE THE SMALL STUFF
An integral part of maintaining an engaged
