June - Stylist and Salon Newspapers

Are “The Good Old Days” Gone?
Beauty
Business Buzz
Charlene Abretske
I stood in line last week at the department
store with an armful of clothes, when I came
in for one simple shirt. I asked myself, “Are
the rest of these items needs or wants?”
As I made those choices and narrowed
down my purchases based on my budget, I
couldn’t help thinking about items I would
have easily purchased completely and totally
thoughtlessly two years ago, paid with on the
credit card, and not really given it a second
thought.
Those days for most of us are gone, and
part of me says, “Good riddance” to it. As
consumers we are more cautious now and
this is a great thing, although the means for
learning how to be smarter consumers and
business owners was a much tougher lesson
than we would have liked.
In what I hear many refer to as, “The
Good Old Days,” prior to the economic
meltdown and the effect it had in our salons
and spas; we like to think business was booming
and for some it was. In fact, it has always
been difficult to start and grow a successful
salon just by flying by the steel of our shears.
It has always taken careful planning and
execution just to stay in business, let alone
grow and flourish. The majority of our
customers had more money to spend per
visit, and if they didn’t come back someone
else would take their place. In the past, we
all knew what we “should” or “someday”
get around to doing and didn’t act upon it
because we were too caught up in the day-today
living to get it done.
Around four years ago, I remember calling
all of my salon clients on a monthly basis
to check in and would ask what they needed
help with and if there were any areas they
needed my support with. There were always
a few salons who consistently month after
month would tell me, “Everything is great” or
“I am too busy to get into it right now, I’ll call
you later” and then didn’t.
I was saddened and dismayed two years
ago when the credit crunch hit and many
times those salons who seemed to be doing so
well or were so busy that they couldn’t seek
out help for the issues they needed cleared
up, were no longer in business. It hurt to
know that people were too busy or didn’t
know how to ask for help and had to suffer
major consequences.
There were many salon owners who were
not going down without a fight. They took
quick action in the face of the challenging
economy and, by taking control of what they
could, changed the course of their business
forever. I began to receive calls asking me for
assistance to help them get in gear and tackle
their “should” or “someday” lists immediately.
I like to call these the “thrivers.” They
have not only survived, but also thrived.
There were four big differences “thrivers”
made that led to their success in maintaining
and growing their salons and spas in one of
the worst economies in modern history.
Try, try again: There is no one-size-fits-all
for salon success; what works for some does
not always work for everyone. Trying new
things, even if it meant possible failure, was
key to their success. Many had to change the
way things were done in the past in order to
keep their doors open. When the first thing
they tried didn’t work, they went back to the
drawing board until they found something
that did.
Utilizing your Human Resources:
Many owners who may have had difficulty
getting support from their employees in the
past, found these same employees jumped
on board for changes immediately when they
saw slower days and smaller paychecks. The
best way for a boss to improve morale among
employees is to ensure them they are being
heard, appreciated for their skills and able to
contribute when needed.
Geek is Chic: Many salons that avoided
it in the past were now ready to embrace
technology and harness it. Whether it was e-
marketing, texting, online booking, or social
media, their use became essential. The popularity
of social media and technology gave the
platform to clients to spread the word like
wildfire about the salon experience.
Cutting Expenses: It is a lot easier to
spend money when you know you have a
large credit line. Many of us woke up to the
fact that we really had to find a different way
to run our businesses and fast.
Clients don’t come because your salon
has the most expensive shampoo bowls in
town. Clients come back because of excellent
service, great retail products and because your
staff knows how to rebook them.
As we are beginning to see some signs of
early recovery in the economy, we know “The
Good Old Days,” as we referred to them, may
truly be long gone. There will always be room
for existing and new salons that can adapt
quickly to a changing economy and the needs
of their clients in new and creative ways.
Charlene Abretske is a business advisor with YBNLive and supports
salons and spas with growing their businesses through on-demand back
office tools designed for beauty professionals. For more information call
(888)391-3360 or email charlene@ybnlive.com.
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OHIO STYLIST & SALON | JUNE 2010 |