Salon Business

Better Business

November 1, 2007 By: American Salon Staff American Salon

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Q How do you stay ahead in a competitive market?

I place great emphasis on personal attention and ensure that everyone from celebrities to first-time clients feels at home in my salon. I only hire stylists who are successful, talented and innovative, and who have an understanding of people. They must be able to converse with clients about their families and work, understand their needs and not be afraid to cater to them. —Nick Chavez is owner of Nick Chavez Salon in Beverly Hills, CA.

Nick Chavez

Beverly hills style

NELSON J SALON

Beverly Hills is home to beautiful people, stylish boutiques and restaurants, and now, thanks to Nelson Chan, a sparkling gem of a hair salon. The serene, 2,500-square-foot, nine-chair oasis, in the midst of the bustle of Beverly Hills, offers some of the best cuts and haircolor, hair straightening, makeup services, head and neck massages, manicures and pedicures in town. There are two VIP rooms where longtime clients like Alicia Silverstone, Leah Remini, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Heather Graham, Devon Aoki and Maggie Q get their tresses tended to, but Chan is quick to point out that everyone gets one-on-one VIP attention at Nelson J Salon. The salon's stable of signature services includes the popular 20-minute, $50, 100-percent natural Nelson J Treatment, a soothing deep-conditioning service for those afflicted with overly curly, frizzy, dry, untamable or chemically damaged hair. Good-for-you ingredients like coconut and sunflower oils, shea butter, jojoba, soy and wheat proteins are generously applied to hair and processed under heat for five minutes to speed penetration and create smooth-as-silk strands. The salon also features a signature haircare line—Nelson J—that's free of parabens, sulfates, gluten and casein. "But all this attention to detail wouldn't matter without a great staff," Chan says. "The most important thing for me was finding a great team who care about their clients as much as their careers." —K.D.

IT'S IN THE CARDS

O'HAIR SALON AND SPA in Gaithersburg, MD, maintains a conservatively contemporary image, so Salon Director Domenic Cicala designed O'Hair's business card to reflect it. The card features black ink overlaid on copper paper, which Cicala says he chose because it was "unusual and edgy," but it was so expensive that it had to be bought in bulk. Cicala shot and edited the photo of a past client and used Futura Light, a font that O'Hair has been working with for about 27 years, in addition to one called "Chiller." —A.L.

IMPULSE SHOPPING

COUNTER INTELLIGENCE

As the holidays approach, it's time to start thinking about how to merchandise your salon in order to move as much product as possible during the busy gift-giving season. When considering your displays, don't forget the potential for impulse purchases. These are lower-priced items that are great for hostess gifts, stocking stuffers or much-needed, last-minute gifts. When merchandising your salon with impulse purchase items, consider the following:

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