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Better Business
June 1, 2007 By: American Salon Staff American Salon
FULLY ENGAGED
PARIS PARKER SALON & SPA
Business is personal at the Jefferson branch of Paris Parker Salons & Spas in Baton Rouge, LA. The salon's retail sales currently make up about 35 percent of its total business, more than double the industry average. Sharilyn Abbajay, executive vice president of Neill Corporation, which owns the salon and six other Paris Parker locations, says the key to its retail success is personalization and customization. "We fully engage our guests," she says, "by providing tables where they can try out new products, and we have a 'retail concierge' on staff who approaches each guest after an appointment with a basket of products recommended by the service provider."
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Themed guest education and appreciation nights also boost retail sales. At a recent Caribbean Therapy guest appreciation event, the salon was decorated in tropical style and guests were treated to services with Aveda's Caribbean Therapy products. "It's an authentic selling technique," says Abbajay. "It's good for business, but it's also an educational, fun and worthwhile experience for our guests." —C.W.
Q. What do you do to attract and retain top-notch staff?
"If you want your salon to stand out from the competition and attract stellar stylists, you've got to be visible in your community. We partner with charities to raise funds for causes like Ministry of Caring, which serves the poor and homeless. People see the good we're doing and want to be part of it. We also give back to our staff by orchestrating photo shoots to publicize their work and by providing them with ongoing education. Those efforts make recruiting much easier." —Randy Currie is owner of Currie Hair Skin Nails in Glen Mills and Kennett Square, PA.
 Randy Currie |
MONEY TALK
Everybody loves payday—well, everybody except for the person in charge of handling the paperwork and generating those tedious payroll reports. Luckily, SurePayroll, an online service that helps small businesses manage payroll processing, will take care of the dirty work for you. The company just launched a new version of its online payroll service with special features exclusively for salon owners. The service offers support for tips, plus it will calculate, file and deposit your local, state and federal payroll taxes with tax-filing guarantees. 877/954-SURE; surepayroll.com —C.W.
CHANGE AGENT
Taking a cue from celebrities, whose looks are always in flux, women are hip to change these days. Many salons are capitalizing on this trend by adding clip-in hair extensions to their retail offerings. In fact, more than 7,000 salons nationwide are now official providers of Hair U Wear's HairDo salon clip-in hair pieces. Unlike permanent extensions that require a long-term commitment, HairDo extensions are easy to pop on and off.
 Jessica Simpson sports HairDo clip-in extensions. |
Michael Kleinman, executive vice president of Hair U Wear, says HairDo becomes a service product as well as a retail item for salons because clients can have the pieces styled in the salon for everyday wear and also for special occasions. "It gives stylists the ultimate opportunity to be creative," he says, "and it keeps clients coming back to buy different colors and styles."
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