Salon Business

Better Business

March 1, 2008 By: American Salon Staff American Salon

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Use quality educators. Whether you bring educators in or have them on staff, make sure they're highly trained so that they can deliver education that will grow your business and your staff. A facilitator who's not motivating and inspiring can actually decrease a team's morale and their desire to learn.

Leverage your resources. Call your distributors and contact the manufacturers of the brands you carry in your salon; most offer top-notch education. Set up a year of educational sessions with them or find out if they have information you can use to offset or even cover your training needs.

Education should be viewed as an investment. Ongoing education will allow stylists to advance their careers and entice them to want to stay, which will ultimately help you grow your business. —Contact Patrick McIvor at patrickm_colorstudio@mac.com.

Make the Prime Time

If you're the owner of a small salon, you probably think that the cost of producing and airing a TV commercial is out of your budget. "Not so," says Michael Schuh, CEO of Michael's Salon and Day Spa in Dayton, OH. Schuh created a multimedia company called The Media Group at Michael's that has produced commercials for salons in Georgia, Michigan and New York, and can film and edit high-quality TV spots at prices comparable to newspaper ads. "Because of the technology available today, companies like ours can offer much lower rates than big advertising agencies," Schuh says. "After production, we suggest that clients go through a local cable company rather than a major network to get their ads on the air. They usually offer costs that are much less than major networks." Local networks can also help put together schedules to target salon clients, adds Schuh. That way, you can run your ad strictly alongside shows on beauty and fashion. —C.W.

WEB BROWSER

TECH SAVVY SALONS

Successful salon owners share what makes their Web sites a hit.

The statement "less is more" isn't just for makeup and fashion, it's for Web sites, too. Adambroderick.com, b2vsalon.com and pashah.com serve as excellent examples of what to do. What do all three salon owners say made their sites successful? Simplicity and easy navigability is key.

Adam Broderick, owner of two salons by the same name in Connecticut, took inspiration from Gucci, Tiffany and Co. and Cartier sites to make his feel luxurious and classy. His gift card page is particularly a hit. On Christmas Day alone, he raked in $9,000 in gift card sales; in fact, online gift card sales far exceed sales at the salon. The ability to add a message to the card and print it out at home makes it easy for last-minute shoppers to give a personalized gift. "Even if they don't stay on the site for very long, if they had a good experience, they're likely to come back," Broderick says.

Pashah invites clients in with a chic home page

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