SWM January/February, 2014

How to Get 500 New Clients in One Afternoon

January/February, 2014

Steps to Starting Your Own Salon or Spa

Top 10 Fresh and Fun Ideas for Salons and Spas

How to Get Clients to Remember Your Salon and Spa Concept

Price Hikes: When Your Salon Should Raise Its Prices

Work Less, Make More: It’s Your Choice $5.99 US

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Secrets To Becoming A Profitable Salon in 2014

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contents

issue 11

source: saloninteriordesign.co.uk On the Cover: Hairstyle: Jean-Marc Maniatis Color: Pamela Frangopoulos & Kim Moccand Photography: Frédéric Farré

Main Features Steps to Starting Your Own Salon or Spa Work Less, Make More: It‟s Your Choice Salon Spotlight

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How to Get Clients to Remember Your Salon and Spa Concept Price Hikes: When your Salon Should Raise Its Prices Top 10 Fresh and Fun Ideas for Salons and Spas

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How to Get 500 New Clients in One Afternoon

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Secrets to Becoming a Profitable Salon in 2014

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Photos or designs in this magazine are copyright of their respective owners.

We collect photos/images from other sites and search engines to use as ideas for our readers.

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Letter from the Editor Welcome to another exciting issue of Salon World Magazine!

With each issue, we still hold to our promise to highlight and publish some of the most promising emerging talent in the industry. Our mission is to share with you those that dare to create, to capture and wow us in the hair industry Within these pages you will behold the beauty of such creativity and style from their individual perspective We strive to continue to bring you the brightest, most talented and promising hairstylists from around the globe. From issue to issue you will see us grow Follow me on We would love to hear your thoughts and suggestions. Our columnists are eager to answer your questions and/or perhaps showcase your talent or tell your story We hope that you will enjoy every page of this issue Editor-In-Chief Laraine Turner Content Writers

Stay Beautiful

Jennifer Saenz Victoria Black Marcus White Barbara Koontz Belinda Meyer Steve Gomez Milady Salon Builder

Laraine Turner Editor-In-Chief

Hairdressingworld.com Special Content Recognition Pinterest Google CONNECT WITH US

Get your digital copy today „FREEâ€&#x; at www.salonworldusa.com

Steps to Starting Your Own Salon or Spa

By Salon Builder

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Steps to Starting Your Own Salon or Spa Beauty salon and spa business has grown rapidly over the past decade. Latest extrapolations from U.S. census data place the salon and spa service industry at over $35 billion annually. And that figure doesn't include the retail sale of professional beauty products which is at least another $7 billion annually. While traditional barbershops, hair salons and nail salons have experienced moderate growth, high end beauty salons and day spas have seen significant spikes of revenue in recent years.

Starting a Salon or Spa Business A basic hair salon can be started with light to moderate capitalization. More full service beauty salons and day spas may require more funding to get started. The first step in starting a salon or spa business is to define the extent of services and products that will be offered. Some of the most common services and products offered are hair cut, styling and trims, hair coloring, scalp treatments, perms and relaxers, body scrubs, massage and body wraps, etc.

Salon and Spa Business Start Up Requirements: The amount of capital needed to start a salon or spa business will vary depending on the type of services you will offer, the salon and spa equipment required, the basic fixtures and administrative equipment required, the opening inventory of products you will offer, and deposits for rent and utilities.

Salon or Spa Business Location: Location, location, location! For most hair salons, beauty salons and day spas, choosing a location will be one of the most important elements that will lead you down the path toward building a successful business. Of course, ultimately your ability so provide excellent services and have high customer satisfaction will be the key to your success. But having a good location will set you up to expose your business to new customers. If you are considering starting a small one or two chair salon, or home massage business, you may be able to do so with a 300-500 square foot room in your home, but you must also pay attention to commercial / residential zoning restrictions. For most hair, nail and beauty salons, and day spas, you will require 1000-2000 square feet or more. If you can find a location with parking available and a lot of daily foot traffic and car traffic, that is optimal. Strip malls and shopping malls are good because of the large amount of foot traffic. If you can find a smaller place that will save you rent in the beginning, with possibility for expansion as your business grows, that is also a plus. Retail rental rates vary widely across the country. For smaller cities, rent in commercial areas may be around $1.00 per square foot, but in larger metropolitan areas, rent may run as high as $2.50 per sq ft or even more in premium big city business areas.

Building Improvements, Fixtures and Design: Depending on how recently the business location was built, and how well it has been kept, you may need to spend hundreds, to several thousand dollars to improve the building and utilities. If you are offering shampoos and conditioning, you will probably need to install plumbing for washing basins. Costs of building improvements aside, you should probably set aside between $500 and $3000 for interior layout and design, flooring, painting, window fixtures, indoor and outdoor signage and general decorations.

Salon and Spa Equipment: The equipment you need to buy depends on the services you will offer.

Steps to Starting Your Own Salon or Spa Administrative Equipment: In addition to the specific salon and spa equipment you will need some basic administrative equipment. You will probably need at least one cash register and computer, phones, basic office supplies, desks, and furniture as appropriate.

Keys to Running a Successful Salon or Spa Business Salon Customer Service and Satisfaction is the Key The success of your salon or day spa will be directly linked to your ability to satisfy your customers. There is no better way to retain existing customers than to have them leave happy on every visit. And word-of-mouth can be an extremely effective form of organically marketing your salon or spa. Customer service starts with a courteous and professionally trained staff.

Create a Comfortable, Clean and Safe Atmosphere for your Salon or Spa From the point that customers enter your salon or spa establishment to the point they exit they should be presented with an environment that is clean, safe, comfortable and relaxing. Salon and Spa customers expect cleanliness. Make sure that floors are swept in between customers. Make sure towels, trimmers and other equipment are washed and fresh for new customers. Install comfortable couches and furniture in waiting areas.

Offer magazines and/or coffee table books for reading. Anything you can do to make your salon or spa more comfortable and relaxing will help retain customers and gain new ones.

Salon and Spa Convenience One of the advantages to opening a more full service beauty salon is that it will be more convenient to your customers. If you offer hair, nail, beauty and spa services, then you present a one-stop solution for all your customers beauty needs. A client can schedule several services in one visit, rather than having to go to several establishments at different times. Also, offering a selection of salon and spa products to your clients is a convenience for them, and generates revenue for you.

Salon Marketing and Spa Marketing Marketing your salon or spa is as important to your business success as having a professional staff and competitive pricing! Every hair salon or spa owner knows that the most important element in retaining customers in their business is having a quality staff that ensures customer satisfaction on each and every visit.

But retaining your existing customer base is not enough if you wish to grow your business. You have to market your salon or spa to new customers!

Salon and Spa Marketing Development: 1. Basic Branding of Your Salon or Spa: Most likely you've already done some basic branding for your salon or spa:

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Steps to Starting Your Own Salon or Spa Create a compelling name for your salon or spa business Create a logo and 'style guide' for your salon. Having a nice quality logo and style guide for your salon is an important element of branding your salon's image in the public mind. Do you have a quality logo that represents the level of professionalism offered by your salon or spa? Does your color scheme invoke the correct type of visceral response in potential customer's minds, or is it a rainbow of randomness?

Create a slogan (or series of slogans) that defines the qualities your business has that may set it apart from the competition. Even if you don't publically advertise or use a slogan, its a good idea for you to develop one for internal use and focus. This might be part of a 'mission statement'. What are the key attributes of your business that set it apart from other similar businesses?

Install attractive signage on your building and around your business location. Try to put yourself in a third person perspective, and drive-by or walk-by your location. Does your business stand out, or does it blend into the surroundings? Do you have prominent, clear signage that identifies your core business as a salon or spa? If possible, consider posting additional permanent or temporary signage near your location to catch more eyes.

2. Create and Promote a Website for Your Salon or Spa: Latest U.S. census figures show that over 60% of U.S. households are now 'internet-connected', and that percentage is expected to continue to rise over coming years. The percentage is even higher for younger households, and households with over $50k annual income. More and more consumers are turning to the internet to find products and services, and locate businesses in their area. Creating and promoting a website for your salon or spa should be a key element of your business marketing strategy if you want to be competitive now and in coming years.

Promote your Business with a SalonSeeker.com Listing SalonSeeker is the largest specialized directory in the USA for Personal Care Service Businesses, including salons, spas, health and beauty. Make sure your business is listed on SalonSeeker.com. Basic listings are free, featured listings start at $79/year. Increase your customer base through the web! This is a great option for mobile service providers and individual booth renters as well. Click here to check if your business is listed on SalonSeeker. Click here to add a new business listing to SalonSeeker.

Promote your Website through Organic Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Organic search engine optimization improves your websites position in all the major search engines, such as Google, Yahoo, MSN, AOL, InfoSeek, Altavista, Ask Jeeves, and others. Organic Search Engine Optimization compromises all the tricks of saavy web design that get you 'free exposure' through the regular results of the search engines.

3. Increase your Salon or Spa Client Base through Regular Advertising Methods: Here are some standard ways to advertise your salon: Pay-Per-Click Local/Regional Web Advertising, Direct Mail Advertising, Yellow Page Advertising and Radio or TV Advertising 4. Extended Branding of your Salon or Spa: Branding your salon or spa is a crucial part of your business development for medium to long term success

Steps to Starting Your Own Salon or Spa So, what does branding really mean? Branding is the proprietary visual, emotional, and rational image associated with your company. Branding is communicating your businesses core attributes and qualities, and creating a simple but visceral association of those qualities in the minds of your potential customers. For example, if you want a strong, tough pickup truck, you probably think of Ford... Toyota, Dodge, and Nissan all build tough pickup trucks, but Ford is the company that has put the most effort into branding their pickup trucks as 'tough'... "Built Ford Tough". If you want a quick and cheap haircut, you may think of Supercuts or Fantastic Sams. These examples are large budget, widespread branding efforts, but smaller businesses brand their image as well. The name of your salon or spa is the first step. Creating a slogan that communicates the qualities of your business might be a second means of branding. Does your spa offer premium styling and coloring services that costs a bit more for the quality, or does your salon offer inexpensive, fast service. The purpose of having people remember the brand name and have positive associations with that brand is to make their selection easier and enhance the value and satisfaction they get.

Salon Recruiting and Human Resources THE QUESTION: HOW DO YOU FIND THAT "PERFECT EMPLOYEE"?

This is a question that virtually every salon and spa has asked time and time again.

THE ANSWER: WHEREVER THEY ARE! They graduate from an academy, leave another employer or re-enter the workforce, and one of the first places they look is THE INTERNET! This new medium is perhaps the first destination for job seekers in virtually every industry. The Internet is the "virtual job fair" matching employers and employees with no restrictions of time and distance.

For more information, please visit the following

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Work Less

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It’s Your

Make More

Choice

by

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Are you are a busy Salon or Spa Owner in desperate need of making more money but you don‟t have the time or the energy to do it yourself?

Do you feel that you are really close to grabbing the „brass‟ ring only to find yourself unable to reach it yet again?

Allow me to clarify. Most successful small business owners do one thing really well. They think like large businesses. Meaning they visualize themselves making it big, align themselves with individuals that can help them get big and systematically implement the necessary structures to be big.

Are you frustrated by the lack of initiative, willingness and drive among your team members?

You bought and opened a business, now act like a business! Success comes to those who plan for success.

Planning begins with preparation. Establishing a clear vision and mission for your business, developing a realistic cash flow plan for profit and establishing the specific systems, policies and procedures in which you will operate your business. Even if you have only one employee you must prepare your business to receive.

Preparing eliminates fear, procrastination and reduces turnover. It also provides power and positions you in the rightful seat of leader. If you feel behind the eight ball and that you are loosing traction in your own success.

STOP! Take a vacation from working IN your business, hire a coach and go work ON your business. When you return you will be armed with the tools necessary to work less and make more. Not only will you save time but you will save money and quit possibly your sanity.

If you answered yes to one or all three of the above questions then take a moment, kick your feet up and read about how you can change your course to working less and making MORE. What I‟m sharing isn‟t rocket science, however, even the best of us could use a good swift „kick-in-the-pants‟ every once in awhile to get ourselves back on track.

The three ways to making more are: 1. Understand the 80/20 Rule

In 1897 Pareto, an Italian Economist came up with the 80/20 rule. This rule in of itself revolutionized the way we think not only about wealth but about every area of our life. Applied to your business it can be said that 20% of your employees will produce 80% of your revenue. Many business leaders spend little if any of their time focusing on those areas of their business that can generate the most revenue. You‟ve got to shift your focus and begin spending your valuable time on those areas that can generate the most revenue and thereby save you time.

So in any given situation the question to ask yourself what is the 80 percent and what is the 20 percent. In other words if you want to be wealthy ask yourself what is it that the 20 percent do differently that allows them to control 80 percent of the wealth. If you want your business to be more profitable ask yourself what is the 20 percent that is accounting for 80 percent of your profits and focus in on that.

2. Build it and they will come!

I love the movie Field of Dreams! The movies theme serves as an excellent analogy for salon and spa owners struggling to make more. When I say, „build it and they will come‟, I don‟t mean go and build a brand new salon and spa I simply mean build a business.

3. Serve your number one customer FIRST! As a salon and/or spa business owner your number one customer is your team! Without a team you don‟t own a business you own a job. Taking care of your team and serving them well is your key to success. Marcus Buckingham wrote a fantastic book called, The One Thing You Need to Know. In his book he writes that great leaders and managers have the ability to turn talent into performance. Read that again…turn talent into performance. To make more money in less time your job is to simply turn your talent (your team) into performance (producing revenue). He goes on to say that doing so is as simple as; finding their talents and strengths, trigger great performance and tailor their learning style.

Essential your job as their manager/leader is to get your team working on those activities in which they perform their best. Secondly, you must work to trigger great performance. You‟ve got to consciously recognize and reinforce desirable behaviors. Get creative! This may be in the form of a personal thank you note, a public acknowledgement in front of the team or simply having an employee of the month board. Lastly, tailor the learning.

Your job is to discover the best way in which each individual on your team learns and work to provide an environment that supports their learning preferences .

Although these three steps are simple they do require time and effort to implement.

Remember, Rome wasnâ€&#x;t built in a day!

Working less and making more can be done but you must be willing to make the necessary changes.

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How to Get Clients to Remember Your Salon and Spa Concept

By Belinda Meyer

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Everyone has a business name, but not everyone has a powerful business tag line. If you want to stand out from the crowd and leave an impression on your clients, then write a red hot tag line and incorporate it into all your promotional material.

Think of it this way: Your salon identity and branding is your business personality. It is what people remember. Peter Drucker, the guru of modern business, says that marketing is what your business is as seen through the eyes of your clients.

Clients will perceive you to be professional and established, even if you‟re just starting out. Why? Because the big companies „just do it!‟ and they‟re „loving‟ it‟! A perception of professionalism and permanence will inspire trust from your clients. Brainstorm any keywords related to your concept to develop your catchphrase to precisely state what you do in a persuasive manner.

So what do your clients see when they look at your business?

Keep your tag line to ten words or less, avoid clichés, keep it simple but not boring and finally, be scintillating with wording only if it doesn‟t interfere with your message.

You Inc.

Create Buzz Create Buzz by creating the next big idea and get Press Releases, advertising campaigns, email marketing, online directories and involve your staff and clients. New is exciting and gets people talking. Word of mouth is free advertising. Word of mouth is the most effective form of advertising. When you create something new, it is easy to get press coverage. Your local newspaper is always looking for local news, innovation and interesting stories.

Salon of Distinction

Personal branding is when you and your salon become a brand concept. Develop a personal brand to help you clearly define and communicate who you are, your character and who your clients are. Why did you choose to dedicate your working life to beauty therapy?

Personal branding goes beyond what you do – it is you! The one and only you. What is your specialty? What specific problem do you solve? What are the results? Self-expression makes you a unique individual and it can be incorporated into your business as an authentic and memorable strategy to build meaningful connections and offer personal service. Branding is about declaring your strengths, your skills and expertise. What makes you unique? Why should potential clients choose you? Be bold and expressive.

No need to be modest.

To uncover new ideas, employ breakthrough marketing, new systems and technique.

Consider your design and image. Keep your theme simple and professional. Pay attention to detail. Ambiance, luxury finishes, quality design and accessories are all part of the atmosphere and experience you create. Spas are developing new ideas in everything from health, fitness, and beauty, to architecture, design and cuisine. Custom Treatments and operations will give you the exclusive edge.

You will be the provider of exclusive beauty secrets that everyone must try. As you incrementally increase the quality of every action and get better and better, your business concept will transform into a unique and individual experience. Commit yourself to performing at a higher level. You may aim for better sales results, better income, better standards, better sales scripts etc. Beating your best is a worthwhile goal because it is for you and about you. It is about building a better you.

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Price Hikes: When your Salon Should Raise Its Prices

Why an annual price increase may make good business sense!

Do you agonize over when to raise your prices? by

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“Do you find that some clients are charged one price while others another?”

“Has it been well over a year since you raised your prices?”

“Are you afraid you will lose too much business?”

“Does the economy have you reluctant to raise your prices?”

If you answered yes to one or all of those questions rest assured that you are not the only one. Price increases are often synonymous with a visit to the dentist; often dreaded and painful. However, when you learn to step away from the emotion and look at the facts you can often muster the strength to raise your prices.

Make no mistake; raising your prices isn‟t something that you do arbitrarily. You must have a method or system for when and why you raise your prices. We often find that owners and technicians are unsure or even fearful of what they should be charging for their services. Instinctively and logically, you probably are aware that price points are dictated by an analysis of the overall expense to run your business as well as a consideration of supply and demand. However, due to fear or a lack of understanding, completing a comprehensive price analysis is often skipped. Plus, many of us will avoid the overwhelming feeling of “not knowing” and therefore skip the necessary work. Often, the result is falling back on the simpler method of establishing pricing by calling the competition. Unfortunately, there are some major flaws to this system.

What should my prices be and when should I raise them?

When you are setting your prices, you should determine your pricing based FIRST and foremost on what the business requires to be profitable and SECOND on supply versus demand. Ultimately, what you charge is secondary to the experience that accompanies the price. Customers buy two things: good feelings and solutions. You must consistently provide an experience that elicits pleasant feelings as well as solving the client‟s challenges. The trick is consistency! Customers will gladly pay the price if their expectations are continuously met and/or exceeded. Remember, customer service begins when, and does not begin until; you‟ve exceeded the client‟s expectations. Be sure that your systems for service match your price, and pricing concerns will become obsolete.

If you are not at the profit level that you want or need to be, you‟re confident that you provide consistent service experiences and your repeat business is consistent (meaning you are pre-booking at 75% or more) then you can rest assured that an annual price increase minimally is necessary if you ever want to increase your profitability. For many salons and spas the minimum price isn‟t set high enough to even reach profitability. Raising prices annually can sometimes be the only option to reaching profitability. For more information on how to set pricing for profit check out Milady‟s Financial Analysis and Coaching Tools (FACT) CD-ROM for a workbook and spreadsheets designed to help you increase profitability.

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Top 10 Fresh and Fun Ideas for

Salons and Spas

By Belinda Meyer

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Top 10 Fresh and Fun Ideas for Salons and Spas 1. Incubate and Hatch your Ideas “Learn to pause, or nothing worthwhile will catch up to you.” -Doug King.

New ideas need time to develop. When we work things too hard using our left brain, or more logical side, we can stifle our right, more creative side of our brain. So, when you feel stuck, tired, or like you are losing some steam, step away from your ideas and let it incubate. Ask your subconscious mind to come up with something different. Remember that greatness takes time. “There is a moment of conception and a moment of birth, but between them, there is a long period of gestation.” Jonas Salk.

2. Personal Power "Conscious power," says Mellès "exists within the mind of every one. Sometimes its existence is unrealized, but it is there. It is there to be developed and brought forth, like the culture of that obstinate but beautiful flower, the orchid. To allow it to remain dormant is to place one's self in obscurity, to trample on one's ambition, to smother one's faculties. To develop it is to individualize all that is best within you, and give it to the world. It is by an absolute knowledge of yourself, the proper estimate of your own value." So, let your ideas incubate, your brilliance is waiting.

3. Exact Detailed Examination Examine in intense detail the way you run your business and the way you perform your treatment, how you treat your clients, how you advice on skin care and how you recommend products, how you ask for referrals and how you market yourself and your services. Play the Game of “Why?” and “What if?” Use the provocative answers you find as stepping stones to new ideas. Although the likelihood that any given “what if” question will lead to a practical idea isn‟t high the more often you practice this activity, the more likely you‟ll come up with an innovative idea.

Try looking at the world through more inquisitive eyes; try getting ideas in motion; try asking the allimportant: "Why and What if?“

4. Change your Perspective What can we do better? What would our clients like to see us offering? Ask yourself, "What is possible?" and not, "what is somebody else doing?" Switch roles: Rather than being a beauty therapist, take on the role of client. Change your perspective. Probing, questioning questions ask: What does that mean? What was the point of this question? Why do you think I asked this question? Question everything about what you are trying to accomplish. Start with why, what, how, when, what if, so what, where and so on. Ask broader or narrower questions. Ask the question of a metaphor. Ask opposite questions and inside-out questions. Ask precedence and consequence questions. Ask ridiculous questions, and don„t forget to ask the ―Real question. Question the merits and even ask how you can make the innovation worse or fail. The more questions you ask and the more answers you try to find, the more innovative ways you would come across in trying to find a way to create a new way or solve a problem.

5. Keep an Ideas Journal Use a journal to put down your thoughts visually to allow you to think about your ideas from various angles,

Top 10 Fresh and Fun Ideas for Salons and Spas and create clarity of thought. Wherever possible, doodle. Do drawings of processes, tasks, relationships.

Connect the dots or let them flow from one to another. Create a habit to write down key ideas. It has been psychologically proven that you get more of what you reinforce. This is because our brains are physically made up of a super-complex web of neural networks that build and reinforce themselves each time you perform an activity. This means that whenever an idea pops into your mind and you reinforce it by writing it down or typing it out, you are actually reinforcing the act of getting ideas. By failing to write or type it down, you are telling your mind that they are not that important to you and you consequently become less creative. This is why I suggest that you keep a concept/ideas journal. Often you get a great idea and think that you will remember it. When you try to recall it at a later time, it has often disappeared out of your consciousness. By keeping a journal, you will develop a powerful storehouse of all your ideas and concepts.

This will allow you to choose which ones are the best and most profitable and you can begin to develop them further.

6. Random Stimuli Exposure to random stimuli triggers more thoughts in the brain, which improves creative thinking ability. An environment that contains many objects and textures is much more favorable to lateral thinking. Encourage the crossing of boundaries and the unexpected, illogical and unpredictable. Take your main product or service and force fit a connection with each item on a list of random products, services or objects.

7. Exposure to a wide range of information Exposure to a wide range of information has been proven to intensify “out of the box� thinking abilities.

Exposure to lots of unrelated information has a very positive impact on getting the creative juices flowing.

Exposure to random stimuli triggers thoughts which improve creative ability. Watch a movie with a questioning mind and notice the characters, underlying messages and meaning. Allow your mind to wander about aimlessly and see what related and unrelated ideas or notions are triggered.

8. Hooray for crazy ideas Do you have a crazy idea, which you think would not work? Many crazy ideas are embraced and become a huge success. Who would have thought massaging with hot rocks would be popular? How about a cream with sea weed broth? (Creme de la mer) Wrapping a client in mud or seaweed, sounds pretty crazy. But these concepts have stories with explanations, benefits and finesse which takes them to a level of newness, freshness and a new market is created. People have an insatiable hunger for something brand new to sink their teeth into. Just relax, and let ideas come in any form. Let you mind run wild. You can always discard them later. Crazy ideas may come from unconscious places that are trying to show us something important or insightful.

9. Mind Mapping Technique You'll need some large sheets of paper and some colour pens (or you could use mind-mapping software programs). In the centre of your paper, you write down your starting thought, key idea or creative challenge.

Now, you have a choice you can either systematically explore sub-ideas or you can just let your mind free flow and use your mind map to keep track of the ideas as they pop into your head. I recommend you do both

Top 10 Fresh and Fun Ideas for Salons and Spas at different times.

The systematic approach to mind mapping involves creating branches out from your central idea, labeled with sub-ideas that relate to the central idea. So if you were mind mapping on the subject of, say, facials... your central circle would say Facials, then you would branch off with sub-ideas such as Skin types, Cleansing, Massage Techniques, Equipment, Tools, Products, Therapeutic Concept ideas, Facial Approach/Procedure, Marketing etc. This systematic approach can often end up being simply a way of creating a map of your knowledge of a subject -- but just seeing it in this format frees your mind to think creatively, laterally, dynamically on the subject. You start with your central idea on the mind map and you see what comes to mind next and you add that to the map with a branch line from the central idea to the new idea with a circle around the new idea. If that idea sparks other thoughts, you add lines and circles from the new idea to note down the other thoughts too. If you reach a dead end, you may go back to the central idea or to any other sub-idea that has occurred to you.

While Tony Buzan encourages the use of colour pens and little drawings as well as words on the mind map, you'll find which approach works best for you. Mind mapping is an extremely adaptable and useful tool for creative thinking.

10. Adapt and Develop Current Concepts Be aware, curious and creative. Creativity is really a way of getting rid of old thinking, and old ideas.

Creativity is a valuable skill in your beauty business. Creativity doesn‟t necessarily mean originality. Even the greatest artists learned from their masters and adapted their work from various styles and techniques to create their own original work.

As a beauty therapist you can adapt your various skills and talents to your particular beauty and wellness niche. The English language has only 26 letters; however there are thousands of different fonts. Bodywork, beauty therapy, health techniques and the wellness industry have thousands of variations and different nuances. New techniques are constantly developed as skills from a variety of modalities are integrated into advanced solutions. With imagination new options are explored. For example the ancient art of massage has been adapted and varied in alternative therapies from massage with essential oils. (Aromatherapy) to deep Rolfing (deep tissue) or Bowen therapy to therapists who use wooden toggles, rollers and hot stones to massage therapies with ultra sonic machines.

Focused thinking can turn a good idea into a great idea. W.Clement Stone says, “Keep your mind off the things you don‟t want by, keeping it on the things you do want.”

Our ability to create new value is only limited by our imagination. A critical step to success is to recognize that you are not in the business to provide services, but to create value. For example clients don‟t buy skin care products they buy the hope of a more youthful skin.

Develop integrated value. Integrate products and treatments for better results. It adds to your competitive value when you initiate new concepts and methods.

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How to Get

By Hairdressingworld.com

New Clients in One Afternoon

38

You know that your hairdressing skills are top notch; and you know that your hair salon is the best in your area right? So, how would you feel getting up to 500 new clients for one afternoon\'s work and an outlay of as little as $50? We\'re about to show you how in our easy to follow step by step guide!

This task will be fun, creative and profitable. You and your team should enjoy it and make the most of every new client. Make sure your team and salon is prepared for the aftermath of new clients BEFORE you do this.

What you will need to complete this task: 1. One full day where you can close your salon/spa (hey you‟ll be getting 500 new clients, so don‟t worry) 2. A microphone and speaker or a megaphone 3. Printed T-Shirts with your salon/spa logo, address and telephone number on the front. You will need twice as many t-shirts as you have members in your team 4. Some salon/spa appointment cards 5. Some slips with your salon/spa logo and space for a name, address, email address and telephone number 6. A box with a hole cut into the top for the slips to be posted into 7. One model for each stylist in your team (could be a family member or a friend)

Step 1 In the morning, each of your stylists will be given 2 and a half hours to prepare their model. Each stylist must produce the best, most fashionable, cutting edge yet commercial work they are capable of producing with their designated model. If you have make-up artists, beauticians, nail technicians etc they should get involved too.

The stylists will be competing against each other in the afternoon for a salon promotion to the title of "Artistic Director" so it's important they put their heart and soul into their competition entry.

blank piece of A4 sized paper onto the back of each model\'s t-shirt and write down in big letters the name of the stylist who created the look. Your stylists should also put on their name badges!

“Are you ready for the FUN PART???

Step 3 Everyone needs to leave the salon and head straight to the busiest place you know. It might be your local mall or high street. Perhaps it\'s outside your local supermarket? Wherever it is, there needs to be lots of members of the public passing by. Unless your salon is inside a busy mall, you will not be able to just do this outside of your salon.

Once you've arrived at your location, you need to organize your team.

Step 4 Line up your models so that everybody can see them. Give the stylists 5 minutes to fix any last minute alterations and then let the fun begin.

One of you needs to take charge of the microphone/megaphone whilst the rest of the team approach the public.

Your aim is simple: You ask members of the public passing by to vote which stylist's model they like best. Once the passer by has identified which model they like best, you ask the model to turn around to show the name of the stylist who did the work, and give the passer-by a voting form and pen to fill in her nomination, along with her name and address etc. She then posts this nomination slip into the box for a chance to win a free make-over at your salon.

Step 5

Step 2

Use the microphone or megaphone to keep reminding passers that your team (dressed in salon tshirts) are giving away a FREE makeover worth $200 today. Just vote for which hairstyle they like and they will be entered into a drawing for a chance to win

When the models are finished, each of them must put on a salon t-shirt along with the rest of the team. Pin a

Let your stylists get out there and talk to people. If members of the public ask what the winning stylist

gets, let the stylist tell them!

Make sure that every passer by who votes for a model, gets given a salon appointment card with the name of the stylist they voted for written on the back Make sure that if any of your stylists or models need to snack or smoke, that they do so away from where you are promoting the competition and with a coat covering up your salon t-shirt Take some umbrellas if you are outside just incase it rains.

Step 6 By the end of the day you should have at least 500 new names and addresses for your client database.

Follow this up by sending out a letter to each new client telling them who won the makeover and also include a $5 gift voucher as a thank you for voting.

In the following 3 weeks you can prepare to be literally bowled over with up to 500 new clients and you will have a new "Artistic Director" in your salon too!

Secrets to Becoming a

Profitable Salon in 2014 One sure way to creating more profit is through retail sales in your salon or spa. This is no secret to anyone on a service level, however, we usually relate to this from the stand point of how can we grow retail sales to become more profitable.

Now this is important and most of the time we focus all of our energies here. This doesnâ€&#x;t necessarily mean more profit, it just means more sales!

By Steve Gomez

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The secret is three fold: Create a retail marketing calendar for a 12 month period.

This means you need to spend the time to research and get with your team so all of you come up with a plan over a 1 year period that you know will be sound and can highlight different parts of your retail business, always fluctuating and keeping it fresh. Keep in mind that once you create this plan it doesnâ€&#x;t mean you might not change it along the way and add any new or fresh approaches you may come across, the key point is to have the plan created.

Create a rigorous retail inventory tracking system.

As a coach this is where most businesses I coach fail! We sell retail, market it but do not track our effectiveness. You have to be able to stay within a budget but most salons and spas do not. Your budget is 50%, meaning you sell, for example, $1,000 in retail; your budget to restock the shelves is $500. To really get more detail, you need to drive deeper, analyzing each line you carry and looking at each individual item, tracking your wholesale cost per item, your mark up cost and quantity purchased at wholesale versus quantity sold at retail. Go back over the past twelve months and really dig. You will be surprised at how many low performers you have.

Once you indentify this you can research further, looking at why top performers are moving and why slow movers are not and you can then create a plan of attack to do something about it. This can have a tremendous impact on profit!

Manage your retail profit differently.

Most salon and spa owners I coach and talk to throw all sales dollars into one account and also use all the monies generated to pay the bills! This takes profit out of your hands!

Typically you have 50% of retail sales used to restock the shelves, 10% paid out in commissions and 40% left for profit. This 40% number needs to be tracked separately and a plan created to utilize this dollar amount for other purposes than paying monthly bills. This money, when used effectively can help you pay off debts & loans, do more effective marketing and education, implement 401K plans, etc. Before you implement this last strategy please consult one of our coaches so we can support you to do this the right way.

As you can see there are lots of different ways to make your retail more profitable for you other than just selling more of it! Take that next step and learn more about how to make this work to your advantage!

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