7 Steps to Success
Whether you are just starting to think about transitioning to a salon suite as an independent beauty professional or have been independent for awhile now, these 7 Steps to success should help give you some ideas on how to build or improve your business.
Our mission is to help beauty professionals like you to experience the freedom of salon ownership by taking action and being confident in your income potential! Follow this roadmap to success to help start and scale your business starting today:
Get in the Right Mindset
The first thing to understand is that you’re only going to be as successful as your mindset allows you to be. For example, If you catch yourself thinking “That is too hard for me” instead empower yourself with “If they can do it, I can do it.”
If you can retrain your mind to see opportunities as clearly as you see problems, you can do anything! Your feelings and thoughts will ultimately lead to action.
Image: BossBabe
2. Find your Niche
Image: BossBabe
The next step is to determine how you will stand out from the crowd. What do you love to do? What are you good at? This doesn’t have to be just ONE thing, but it shouldn’t be ALL the things. Competition is fierce and it’s always good practice to carve out a section of the industry you are in and do it really well. Finding a niche also gives you the opportunity to grow your business as well as provide direction for your marketing efforts and direction for future business goals!
3. Build your Clientele
In order to make profit, you need clients. The first step to building the clientele you want is to understand who your ideal client is and how to communicate with them. There are lots of great ways to attract new clients including advertising online, posting photos of your work on social media, and creating referral programs. In addition to getting new clients, one of the most important things you can do is to keep your current clients coming back. One of the best ways to do this is to make sure that every person who comes to see you has a good experience. It also doesn’t hurt to schedule their next appointment ahead of time to ensure your schedule stays booked!
4. Determine Pricing and Revenue
One of the biggest mistakes independent beauty professionals will make is not charging enough for their services and giving out emotional discounts. The process of determining what to charge is actually quite simple. Consider your expenses, local economy, target demographic, the time required to perform each service, and the material costs. Once that’s done, evaluate the output and use those factors—skill, education, exclusivity, technique difficulty, etc.—to determine whether your pricing needs to be adjusted. In addition to ensuring your pricing is set correctly, be sure to monitor your product costs and ensure that waste is kept to a minimum. Every ounce counts, charge an extra fee for those clients that require more product and make sure that every service is priced to ensure you keep your profit margins healthy.
5. Scale your Business
Where in your business could you be automating the repetitive tasks you do? Take advantage of the various systems available to beauty professionals to help make your job easier. Here are some of our favorite systems and apps for beauty professionals:
6. Step up your Social Media Marketing
Committing to a set amount of time each day for marketing your business can help you grow your client base and continue to build a name for yourself. Be sure to set up your social media accounts (focus on Instagram). It’s important to consistently post photos of your work. Keep in mind, your accounts and your posts should all be public when you have a business account. You’ll have a bigger reach that way, and you won’t exclude any potential customers. Take some time to envision what you want your brand to look like. Keep this overall aesthetic in mind as you choose photos to post and build your reputation. Last but not least, do not forget to take that before photo!
7. Focus on Growth
Focus on personal as well as professional development. Consider investing in educational classes to help improve your skills and perfect your craft. It is important for beauty professionals to stay up to date on the latest trends and techniques. In addition to professional development, you should also consider working on your personal growth and well being as well. Make sure you are taking time out to focus on yourself and your mental health. Working in beauty industry can be physically and mentally draining at times. Remember, your business can only grow as much as you do!
Takeaway: At the end of the day, you are in control of you business and how well it does! As @jessdeehair stated “There is always more you can do! Are you unhappy with your profit? Raise your prices. Not fully booked? Market yourself more. Not putting out the best possible product? Take a class. Take 10. Then, take 10 more. Don’t have enough content? Start doing some free hair. You’re not helpless. In fact, quite the opposite. You are in control! “