Get Set for the Silly Season

By Tamara Reid

It’s time to get set up before things ramp up. Get clients off your waitlist and in through the doors. And even make sure you never run out of vital stock again. So pull on your party pants, grab a glass and let’s show the silly season who’s boss this year.

Say goodbye to gaps in your bookings!

There’s nothing more satisfying than a full appointment book in the run up to the holidays. But with online booking, and clients choosing their own appointments, it can occasionally leave you with awkward gaps in your calendar. And nobody wants that in the silly season!

Turn on the ‘Minimise gaps’ feature in your software system and your clients will only see available time slots that fill up your calendar without those costly gaps.

Who’s making a (wait)list and checking it twice?

In the run up to Christmas, you’ve probably got a whole load of clients wishing they’d booked earlier. Trying to find them an available appointment and all the admin that causes is chaotic and time consuming.

If you haven’t already, switch on your waitlist feature and let it help you manage these clients, while making sure that as soon as space opens up on your calendar, you can fill it. Making your client’s day - and yours.

No time for time wasters.

There’s nothing like no shows and cancellations to put a damper on the holiday spirit. Not to mention your cashflow and profit. Using online payments, you can collect deposits when clients book online, which helps to reduce no shows and protect your income. they sell the idea of deposits to their clients as a benefit. It’s a way of spreading the cost of their treatment - paying a percentage when they book and the balance at their appointment.

Give your business the gift of Gift Vouchers.

Gift Vouchers are a brilliant way to make the festive season even more profitable for your business. With online payments, you can start selling Gift Vouchers online. Once you’re set up, let your system run itself and enable clients to purchase Gift Vouchers 24/7 online so you can make money in your sleep!

With all good online payments, you’ll have complete control over the details. Create a dollar amount voucher or a voucher for specific services such as an eyebrow tint or organic facial. Remember to let all your clients know you’re selling Gift Vouchers, and how easy it is for them to purchase.

‘Tis the season for Christmas Casuals.

In the busy festive period you may well need an extra pair of hands. Or two, or three! Now’s a good time to be thinking about how many additional casual staff you’re likely to need over the silly season and put a plan in place.

Christmas casual staff means more hands on deck, which often results in a better customer experience, tidier salons and more sales. Casual staff are often experienced in retail and flexible in the hours they can do, so they’re perfect for covering shifts and late nights. Get thinking about it now before all the good ones are gone!

Is your holiday roster sorted?

Your clients have probably already started booking for December and even January, so it’s time to get your roster sorted. We all know it’s going to be busy, so make sure you allow for late nights, early starts, extra shifts and additional staff.

Order plenty of stock in plenty of time.

Products can fly off the shelves in the holidays. Whether it’s a client treating themselves or picking up last minute gifts and stocking fillers, you need to make sure your shelves are glowing. This is not the time to be running out of stock!

So take some time now to check what your business can’t live without, and stock up on it pronto. If you haven’t already, download the Timely Stock app to manage your products like a pro and see stock levels at a glance.

Think activations, not promotions.

If the silly season is your busiest time and your appointment book is bursting with clients (not to mention your waitlist) then you don’t necessarily need to do discounts.

Instead of offering money off, think of ways to make more money - while you’ve got the clients just desperate to get through your doors. Activations can include things like ‘Spend $x and get y’. You’re aiming to increase client spend by offering them something they haven’t already got or bought.