The 2021 Business Checklist

Marisa DiMiTriaDis of The Spa Professionals Guild provides valuable guidance on how salons and spas can plan out their year for success

I would like you to think back to a time when you received, or started, something new. Perhaps a new car, perhaps when you went to university or college for the first time, or perhaps when you started your business. Can you describe the feelings and your mindset at the time? Excited, happy, a little nervous, full of ideas, explorative, eager, open to learning and so many more words that we could use to describe how you felt. So, as you read this Business Checklist, I would like you to take yourself back to one of those ‘new’ moments in your life because, as we venture into a new year, how you begin the year, as well as your mindset, will play a critical role in how your year will roll out. Something else that I want you to remember is that business is constantly evolving so, in order for your business to survive and grow you will need to evolve. Build on what is working and evolve or adapt where you see opportunity. Don’t close your mind to new things; now more than ever is the time to have an open mind and experiment with change. Below you will find a simple checklist where you can measure how you are doing monthly.

1. Set revenue targets (retail and services) for the year

If you don’t have a goalpost how will you score a goal? Targets or goals are there to give direction and purpose. Everyone NEEDS direction and purpose!

2. Daily Business Analysis

If you are not measuring your business daily with this simple tool, how do you know how to steer the ship? It is impossible to have clear direction and know where to go without daily analysis. This is a MUST.

3. Marketing Plan for the Year

This should have been done by September last year already but better late than never. Start with the biggest spend days of the year and holiday seasons and then fill in your gaps. So, Mother’s Day, Valentine’s Day, Father’s Day, etc. Work with your brand partners to create ‘promotions bundles’ to boost revenue.

4. Training Plan for the Year

This is an absolutely critical management tool that has the ability to triple revenue if you run it correctly and carefully. Training inhouse should happen weekly for at least two hours. Product training should happen at least once a month per brand that you stock, whether online or inhouse done by an external trainer. If your training times and dates are set and planned, they will happen and you will see the results.

5. Staff Daily Huddles and Weekly Meetings

These are not negotiable. Run effective, quick daily huddles and structured weekly meetings to yield huge results.

YES NO DEADLINE

Another tool to ensure staff are focused and planning for success. Key here is consistency and creativity to get the planners from being good to being brilliant

7. Brand Partner Strategy Meeting

Meeting with your brand partners to discuss a 6-month strategy, staff incentives and training. Your brand partners are the second most important to the success of your business after your staff, so don’t take this for granted and ensure you are getting the service, ideas and margins you need to grow.

8. Invest in growth

Consumers are looking for quicker and more instant results with no downtime. Ensure your growth investment can yield a return within six months, or don’t invest.

9. Create experiences in your treatment offering

Consumers are looking for experiences and memories, not just treatments. Look at where you can enhance your current treatment offering to create memorable experiences.

10.Is your ONLINE presence growing?

Don’t take your foot off the pedal with online. It is the future. Online vouchers should be contributing 20% of your monthly revenue and online product sales another 20%. If not, relook at your strategy and focus on this.

11. Invest in your growth and learning

Are you currently, as manager or owner or therapist, learning anything new and enrolled in any course? When last did you do a business course? Or a management course? Or a sales course?

12. Social Media Strategy Plan

The world of social media is so powerful but can also be useless to your business if not used correctly and efficiently. Ensure you have a social media partner, or enroll for a course specific to the beauty industry social media.

13. Client Survey Time

There is no better way to get feedback on where you doing great and where you need to do better than to ask your clients. Make the survey easy and quick to complete with just clicks and not too much writing. Drive the survey responses by running a competition. Surveys are necessary and super powerful if you analyse the results and act on them.

If you have not completed any of the checklist items yet then BE ACCOUNTABLE and give yourself a deadline to complete it. I would advise not longer than two months as that will take you into the second quarter of the year already. If you want to see results from this, start sooner, implement quickly and measure daily.

My wish for you is that you embrace change and invest in learning for 2021.

Marisa Dimitriadis is the founder of The Spa Consultants and co-founder of The Spa Professionals Guild, a training network for the industry. Email marisa@thespaconsultants.co.za