Wella RED - Building a Profitable & Resilient Salon with MySalonManager

How do you build a resilient, profitable salon during tough times and a changing world? 

To help guide you, founder of MySalonManager and Business Guru, Raymond Bottone, will be giving you the low down on some of his top (salon business) tips, including profitable pricing, handling requests for flexible working the smart way, and boosting profits in 2023. 

www.mysalonmanager.co
@my_salon_manager

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Transcript

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 Hello and welcome to Episode One of The Knowledge. Today we are joined by Raymond Bottone of My Salon Manager, Salon Management Consultancy. Raymond is a leading business consultant for hair salons, and today we are gonna be talking about how we can build a strong, resilient, and profitable salon business. We hope you enjoy the episode!

Welcome Raymond. 

Hello. 

How you doing? 

Really well. 

Thank you so much for joining us this evening. 

You're welcome.

I know you want to share some real positive energy with us tonight to give us those hints and tips and help us navigate through maybe those storms and those tough times. Perceiving that may be ahead of us. And I know something we, we get asked at Wella is, you know, salons are finding that costs are increasing.

You know, we, we know utility bills, et cetera, but we're also faced with the national living minimum wage increasing too. And you know, potentially there'll be other increases as we go through. So, are there any hints and tips or things that you can share with us to help beat these inflations and help salon owners achieve their goals that they're setting for 2023?

Yeah, of course. So I think the first thing is, if you sit reading the newspapers for too long, or even on social media, it's flooded with doom and gloom. And, you know, I started my salon business in 2009. We were really knee-deep in a recession, so I'm fortunate in a way that I've kind of been here before and really learned from it.

And I would say that I think the strength that got this, the new business that I created off the ground and working was to focus on the things that are actually in your control, and that's your environment, your salon or your salon group, rather than just completely focusing all of your attention on what's out of your control.

Things like energy costs and things like that. You know, the cost is the cost at the moment. There's not an awful lot we can do. I do think that one of the most important things that you can do right now is plan and look at where the business is at now. Where was it last year?  And really dig deep and understand how the business is performing and where you need to make adjustments to the business that are meaningful and will stimulate more profit or at least better results for your salon in how people feel about your business team and clients.

 As I said, profit as well. After all, we're not all here to not make any money. So, I think looking at the financial aspects of the business and also the quality of aspects of the business to how people feel about the business are both really, really good things to focus on so that you can make informed decisions about your business rather than sort of.

Taking a shot in the dark. Okay. Yeah, I think that's great. So, you know, what I'm hearing is there's an element of, it's all about the planning. You know, it's a good old saying, isn't it - fail to prepare, prepare to fail. So, you know, thinking ahead, start planning, thinking about your numbers, your data, be quite analytic with your business.

And to understand your pricing and make sure that you know you are charging correctly to be able to make your salon profitable and what's right for you and your salon, and then you're, isn't it? So I think some of the things to focus on and some of it just, you know, some of us really wanna dig deep on numbers, facts, and figures, and, and we have easy access to that.

Some of us don't, but I'd say if you don't just take like easy steps towards, under, you know, simple steps towards really starting to dig deep with the business. Cause I guarantee it will help you sleep at night and benefit the business and some of the things that. I think have helped me in the past is continual profit analysis, so actually using your account.

How is the business performing? You know, numbers, how much are we spending on heat versus turnover, how much are we spending on wages versus turnover? The really important things to understand about the business, so that you can make little cutbacks and you can make adjustments, to make things work.

I also think that you need to look at individual stylist performance versus your expectations and what they need to hit. Obviously reasonable expectations, not things that no one could ever achieve. And key performance indicators. Things like your rebooking, retention your amount, and the colour business, particularly if you're focused heavily on colour or specialist service like hair loss.

You know, you're doing a lot of Nioxin and things like that as I said, but also going to the quality of aspect. How do people feel about your business, sending out questionnaires to your clients and your team on how they feel about your business and the things that you do? I think they're really important because you blend the numbers with how people feel, which is quite important to make a decision and you bring it all together.

Fantastic. I think on that note. For you guys in the audience, we have the q and a button at the bottom or the top, depending on what equipment you're working with. And you've also got the chat and we'd love, absolutely love to have any questions but Raymond for the team here at Wella.

That we can help support you with. So please, please, please let, let's not make tonight just myself and Raymond. Please ask us as many questions as you possibly can. And also we're gonna ask you some, we're gonna put some polls as we go through the evening, just so that. We can make sure, like Raymond's just talked about there, that we actually ask our guests and our clients, well, you know, are we hitting the button in our salon?

We at Wella want to make sure that we're getting these sessions right for you. Like I said right at the beginning, we want to be able to put these sessions on every month and make, have different subjects as we go through the year, but make those subjects relevant and, and exactly right for you. 

So the first question is, do I need a computerised system for this information and where do I get it from? So again, when we're working on all this data and we're being quite analytic. I'm assuming the question is do we need a computer to do all of these? And maybe could you recommend any computer systems?

So, okay, so for the qualitative stuff, you obviously need access to a computer. You could use something like MailChimp or questionnaires, or a free survey. I think, I can't, I use our own sort of custom-built questionnaires that we send out to clients, but It's for client relationship management.

It's called a C R M. And if you are looking to understand how the business is performing you should absolutely be using a computerized system with no disrespect to any sounds that are using paper and pen still, but there's a limited, limited amount of information that you get from that. And you know, essentially you just know what time a client's coming in.

You have the ability to save yourself a lot of time and energy by having a salon software system. In terms of recommendations, I don't honestly like them, I'm just speaking honestly to Wella customers. I don't think that I could recommend one. We're all in a very different position. We have different needs, and for me, there are great software packages out there, but there's not a perfect one.

And I think shop around, get the right price, but make sure that the software delivers what it is that you need from it. But make sure that the reporting on whatever software you choose is really solid. You wanna know, as I said, re bookings, colour, business retention, and utilisation, so you can just pull up a report and see everything in a snapshot.

Saving you lots of time. Okay. Now in terms of finance, because I've mentioned profit analysis and everything, if you've got an accountant that uses zero or QuickBooks, Learn how to use it, and you can analyse your profit if you do reconciliation with a bookkeeper or even yourself. You can keep an eye on your profit every week, every month, every year.

That's what I do for my business, and it's led to making sure that I do price increases based on how the business is performing. Yeah, I mean, the next question was, can you do this manually and ticket? It's, it's, no, but you know, I'm sure it can be, but you know, From a time point of view a system might do things a little bit quicker for you.

Absolutely, and I, there have been times that just recently we, I actually noticed the floor in one of the software companies Won't say who. And it was reporting rebooking completely wrong. I've actually instructed the stylist at this salon they're currently writing down. When they rebook someone at the till, they just manually write a little tally.

So how many clients have we seen and how many of them rebooked? For me, rebooking is a really good thing to focus on. Clients that rebook, visit more often. They don't call up when they need their hair done. You haven't got any availability and ended up coming two or three weeks down the line. Great for attention, great for increasing average visits per year.

Really good to look ahead and see your diary pack ahead of time. And I think that the thing for me is to make sure you do analyse that data and you do use it, or it does become a very, very, very expensive appointment book. Yes, it does indeed. Yeah. On that note, someone's asked if I want to start tomorrow what would be the most important thing I would need to look at straight away?

So what do you know, from this and what would be the most important data that's gonna help me set myself up 2023? 

That's a very good question. Do you know what I think you would focus on if you've not, if you've got paper and pen diary. You need to focus on making sure that all of the data that you are putting in the names, the numbers and everything are absolutely bang on.

You'd be in a foundation stage where the software won't give you anything of value for months because it hasn't got enough data to rely on.  It hasn't got a history, has it? So the most important thing would be to make sure that names, numbers, date of birth. So you can send funky offers are out the client's favourite drink.

There are all sorts of cool things on these software packages. But making sure that data is correct, and accurate. And believe it or not, you've got all your vats set up right. Your products are easily scannable. Really master the system, and build the data. And then focus on looking at things like as I said, rebooking and, and all those things.

Key performance indicators, they're called and, you know, have a look at what's going on in your business. So the foundation is to make sure your data is right. Make sure you've got your client base up to date, and then the rest will follow. Right? We check reports. 

Most of the team is self-employed. How can you approach them to help increase revenue without setting direct targets as they're self-employed?

That's a great question, and I think, you know, a lot of salons as we're moving into 23 you know, some are becoming quite blended, aren't they? Some salons have employed staff, some salons have self-employed staff advice on how you can set targets for. You don't, and I think they kind of understand that because, at the end of that question, they're self-employed.

You can't manage, you can't set targets, you can't tell them what to do. I mean, they can send someone else in their place if they don't want to come in one day. You know, you, you have no control over their business. And that's essentially what it is. You've got lots of little businesses operating within your premises.

You're a landlord. You know, and if your landlord doesn't set you targets, what you need to hear in. Net turnover in order to stay as a tenant in the building unless you're in you know, liberty or like a shopping, you know, concession arrangement. So I think steer clear of managing and setting expectations for self-employed people because it can blur the lines.

You know, you have no control over what they charge and what they do with the hours that they're in or rent a chair from you. I wouldn't do it personally. You can set guidelines, you could train them to understand how to make more from their business if you are, you know, proven successful selling over.

But I wouldn't be setting any expectations for them. Just with that also in mind, I know, we talked about some questions that we wanted to link and talk about today, but I'm gonna jump a couple if you don't mind, just whilst we're on the subject of recruitment. And on and staff questions we get asked an awful lot of time at Wella is, you know, finding great stylists isn't easy.

Yeah. Getting stylists that have the same ethos as you, that want to work very much like you within your business. Do you have any advice, hints, or tips on where we find these great?

The good ones out there aren't there. And you know, we want them. We all want them. Yeah, it's I think last year is what you refer to as a tight job market. Lots of salons struggling to find good quality stylists following covid and all of that magic. And you know, it's no surprise I think there was a statistic that was released by the recruitment and employment confederation, and I think out of all of the industries in the entire country, Hairdressing, exclusively hairdressing, not even beauty in hairdressing.

And barbering was responsible like they were 12% of job adverts in the UK in a week. I think it was in the middle of the year last year. You think about all the jobs, dentists, pilots, we were the second. Most advertised industry, in the middle of the year. And that's phenomenal. And that just shows you how desperate salons were, we're all trying to get these wonderfully talented hairdressers to come and work for us.

I think a lot of them disappeared. It was like Avengers, if you're a Marvel fan, someone clicked their finger and half of the hairdressers just disappeared. But I think actually, and we're talking about the future and the light. I've noticed that the job market is now loosening up and I think that there is now a chance where some of these people that did go self-employed, realise it's not for them, some of the perks of being employed are gone.

They're a bit bored of driving around to people's houses. Partners are frustrated that there's hair all over the kitchen all the time, and they're coming back to salons. I think there's some positivity there. If you are recruiting and you've designed this really great campaign to get really great stylists through your door, you've got great employee branding on Instagram and Facebook and you know, everywhere else, I think the first thing to do is to make sure there's not a hole in the bucket.

Because if you bring stylists in and you are losing stylists at the same time, you're just going to keep losing stylists. You need to make sure that the retention in the business is bang on. I've got a couple of steps, but I think there might have been a question to, to that just come in maybe.

So I don't wanna keep rambling. No. Yeah, I think it retaining staff. Yeah. Let's, you know, retain and train the ones that you, you actually do have. But yeah, a question has come in a lot of self-employed are returning to salons due to c. And I think you know, that's changed quite a few mindsets, hasn't it, on people.

 I guess so. I mean,  I can't speak for everyone.  I do think, obviously, it's no surprise that the end of normal personal self-assessments due at the end of January and there's an influx of self-employed stylists suddenly appeared, realizing that, you know, the tax is quite significant.

I think on personal, you know, once you're over it's about 40%, so it's, you know, a lot of money and suddenly the self-employed person realizes all the costs of the, for the salon owner are managers. Do you know, why? We don't give away insane amounts of turnover to the stylists when they're employed. IR 35 and things like that, IR 30 five more for the corporate entities at the moment, but the self-employed rules and guidelines have always been there.

They're not new. And there are, you know, many, many reasons to focus on that. If you're a salon owner. Salon owner renting chairs or doing commission splits. You should really think carefully about your arrangement with these chair renters. But yeah, talk about there, isn't it? It's a real mix. Yeah.

In terms of employed people. And even if you arehybrid, that's something you said about earlier. That hole in the bucket is something that's really important to fill before you even think about recruitment. And something we spoke about a moment ago is the importance of analysis.

And the need to understand the numbers and how the business is performing and how stylists are performing versus your expectations. When you do that, it gives you the position to confidently tell your team how to grow, making time to manage the team and make them feel like you're really listening and you care about them and their performance.

It's an advantage. It's something that's gonna help you fill, that bucket up. I think managing them to suit the individual and their performance as well. If someone's performing and you're trying to meet with 'em every day, telling them how to do their job, that's micromanagement and they just switch off.

You know, those people, performers need to be kind of left alone a little bit, a little bit of kind of maybe once a month chat with them, see how things are going. Here's your performance. How do you think you've done? Those non-performers are the people that need the help. They need to understand how to, how they can get the most from the time, sorry, how to get the most from their time in your salon and, you know, understand your expectations and how to perform better.

I also think that you know, these stylists that are going self-employed are going self-employed because sometimes they reach a ceiling, you know, they can't accommodate any more clients. They've already, you know, done wonderful training. Where next and they just sort of get frozen. They're left there and when there's a ceiling on our development, we get bored and we think, well, what's next?

Yeah. And inevitably, some hairdressers will just think I'm setting a shed up in my back garden. And that's not necessarily a growth opportunity for those that are, brilliant, and I'm sure you're absolutely doing well. But there are so many other ways to grow, and I think for a salon owner to be aware that there is no ceiling.

Remove the ceiling and give everybody a chance to grow within your business.  I was just gonna say that there's probably an absolutely perfect link to another question that's come through here. 

Right. Honestly, we haven't paid the audience, to feed these questions, but this is a perfect link to it and it's what is a good way to start a new employee or current employees to better commission structure?

Okay. I think just in general that the salon industry is typically based stylist targets of three times the basic wage. Right. Then what they do is, and in many situations, more often than not, they'll pay a fixed wage. And they'll pay, say, 10% of the stylist's net or gross takings depending on the salon. So after that or before that, everybody does something different. With that sort of split, the issue is that when the stylist performs better as they go along and they take lots more money their actual commission split because the majority of their wage is always fixed at the basic wage and you're just topping it out with 10%.

The percentage that they get of what they're taking gradually reduces over time. So when they were taking, for example, 5k,  a month and you were paying them, they might have been getting 45% of what they're taking. Right. But then when they're taking 10 grand, they're only getting like 25, 30% and they think I'm taking 10 grand a month and I get two grand out of that.

What? What do they do next? Self-employed. So I think that what we say at my salon manager is that you have time targets that are based on the prices that you charge and the time that the services take and the hours that the stylist work. So, ultimately, what do the prices you charge have to do with the wage?

 Mm. Yeah. 

 In most cases, some salons have got a really cool, rigid, you know, this is why we charge this rate wage factored into it. But a lot of salons don't. And you know, if you're basing the target on the prices, you charge, you haven't lifted your prices. Yeah. But the wages have gone up. We've got a problem.

Again, feeding onto something that I'd written down. So the next question is what if I want to put my prices up? Yeah. Everything else is going up. We're worried that our guests they're feeling the pinch just like everybody else, and it's like, do we really fight the bullet to increase our prices within the salons?

What are your thoughts? 

Okay. I'm, I'm going. Can I rewind just because I wanted to before the question come in, I wanted to say one more thing. Apprentices and people that are learning, we're talking about retaining. You've got an apprentice who shows a lot of promise and you've spent two years training them, or maybe a year fast track or whatever.

Make sure that there's a transition plan for them to effectively move onto the shop floor. Again, removing a ceiling and development, there are so many apprentices that get stuck being an apprentice. They're the future. They could be the future of your business and they're often the cheapest and most effective person to providing their an asset and an advocate of your brand.

And you know everything you are, they're great, they're great for business. They get your culture. They know what you're about. And, just make sure that there's a transition plan. I'll go back to pricing. So I just wanted to say that cause question, need.

Because everybody else is putting their prices up, it's that fear of if I put my prices up, am I potentially going to lose guests or clients visiting you? Yeah, absolutely. I get it. I really do. And as a salon owner, it's something that even my team share a concern about. Every time Raymond comes in and says prices are going up I think look, slight story, we had a member join us at My Salon Manager who wants to really improve their business.

Wonderful talent. Incredible. And they haven't lifted their prices in two years. And I said, okay, that's fine. And I, and they don't wanna lift their prices this year. They want to find other ways to do it. Cool. The issue is that they've not lifted the prices for two years, and in that two years, there are 20% more wages.

So last year was almost 10%. This year is 10%. So you've had a 20% increase in your basic wages and you haven't lifted your prices. That feels to me that could be an issue, right? Well, could be run at a loss now. Couldn't we? Could be a running loss. And I think the other thing is that everybody else has been lifting their prices and you know, I think you should definitely think about it.

The environment that you offer to clients, the location and the demographic of people that you want to attract to the sale, as well as if you're an existing salon, the retention of clients. But you need to really make sure that you convince people that you are an expert. And if it's too cheap, people question it.

You know, 20 pounds for a cut and blow dry for 45 minutes, depending on where you are, that might be the commercial rate. But where I'm based just outside of London, I myself, as a client would be like, okay, that's not for me. That's gonna, you know, there's such a thing, reassuringly expensive and I'm not advocating that all Wella's salons suddenly start charging lots of money for their services.

Do what feels right. But use the data to your advantage, but definitely don't let emotions get the better of you. Rewind to the beginning of what I said earlier. Qualitative and quantitative information will reassure you and give you the ability to move that, and remove that fear. If you know your retention, good clients are rebooking.

They love your salon in numbers. If you send the feedback out, how'd you feel about the salon? How was the music? How was your haircut? How was your consultation? Do you love the Wella products that we have available for you? Find out how people feel about your business. Of course, they do. They love it, and you use that information to get rid of that little dude sitting on your shoulder saying, no, don't put your prices up.

Yeah, I think you are so right and it. Strangely enough, the person that actually asked the question and when he said, why not said, 'cause I haven't done it for two years. I haven't actually put my prices up for two years. Ok. and so everything you've just said, isn't it, you know, we haven't done it for so long, so it it's time.

Yeah. And like somebody else has said, it is that chip on my shoulder, that little chimp saying you can't do something when you've done your analysis and you've. You've done that evaluation from your data, then you actually understand you can, and it's right too. Yeah, a hundred per cent. And it just, if your targets are based on the wages, wages have gone up effectively, and your prices have gone down versus the wages.

Mm-hmm. So now you've got targets that could potentially over-award your stylist, or when they hit the target, doesn't really give them anything. Yeah, you have to work really hard to make it worth their while. Incentives. Incentives and rewards are incredibly important for motivation and obviously retaining your team.

Even the stylists that are on commission and earning commission on there, you know, their wages, they're gonna want to, if they're gonna wanna see an increase to their wages in April and beyond, because ultimately, a thousand pound last this year is worth less than a thousand pounds. Last year. Yeah.

Inflation, we were at like, what, at 14% or something like that. The wild figure could be between 11 and 14. Don't quote me on that. I got a bit lost on over 10. I was just like, wow. Just sounds like a lot in general. So but yeah, definitely, definitely, definitely give yourself the confidence, dig deep on the numbers and then that allows you to make critical decisions, good decisions based on the data.

Yeah. Another question's come in from Ben, which is great. Cause it's, it's very similar to another question that, hi Ben, we talked about is what's an acceptable percentage increase on pricing in the current climate? No percentage increase. You need to be very specific. You need to look at the services that you're providing, the time that you expect your team to complete the services.

Look at what that's bringing in per hour is my advice. Any weak services, lift them up. Make sure you are, you're profitable. Think about it like this as well. If you if you're doing 70% color, 30% cuts. And you lift cutting in April, it's not gonna stimulate that much more profit for your business. So focus on color in April and then maybe lift cutting in September so you don't get that double whammy increase from April that has clients like, whoa, what's going on?

Like, this is expensive, gradual transitional increases through the year that allow you to, you know, To, to to to grow the prices gradually, but definitely don't do a percentage increase. Because you end up with, if you've got a root tint for 35 pounds and you increase by, you know, 5%, it's not, it's not gonna do anything.

You really need to do some analysis on your pricing. And look, shameless plug, of course you mentioned power. You know, some really good background knowledge on how to do that. And look, if, if you can't afford it, I'm sure you can, you know, some great salon owners that use Wella. I'm sure you can work it out based on what I've said, but the time it takes how much you're charging.

Look at the weak spots. Get rid of them. That's my advice. Yeah, because like said, the public is also expecting a rise due to, I know your numbers and price for profit. Yeah, absolutely. Yeah. They'll be anticipating it. And I think you've sort of touched on it there a little bit, but how should you do it?

And I think you mentioned it there a little bit as in, don't just go across your blanket price list. You were talking about staggering your prices. Any sort of hints and tips on that?

So strategic price increasing as opposed to you know, just lifting up one or two quid on services or whatever you choose to look at each service.

Look at how much it takes, look at if it's an in-demand service and the cost associated with providing that service. And I think you should consider the required skill level as well. You know, no disrespect to those that love doing a root tint, but clients can do it at home. That's why it's on the shelves at Boots and wherever.

No, it's no secret. They could bang it on if they want. Balayage. Completely different ballgame. And you should not be, you know, pricing your balayage services at an hourly rate that you price your root tins at. They're also two different markets. Root tint clients, they'll come more often. Typically, maybe an older client.

Balayage can be older clients, but typically it's an age group. But they come every four to six months. Mate, your moolah. Charge more for the skills that you've invested in at Wella and, you know, Wella Academy and Master Colour Degree. You know, you really make money from what you are great at. If the colour's a big thing to you, if it's cutting, then of the same thing, you know, wet cuts are, oh, I can't stand them, you know personally or express cuts to, to just, I said focus on the weak areas, your price list.

Be strategic lift twice a year. If there is an exception to the rule though, when you don't lift your prices, Do you wanna know more? Yeah. It's just. Definitely, I feel like I'm rambling on normally.

No, no. We wanna know more. Absolutely. We're intrigued. 

Ben, I loved your question. If you wanna throw another one in, go for it.

But there are some exceptions to actually lifting your prices as a strategy. Let's say, you know, recruitment as you, you've really recruited hard. You've got a team of 10, two of them are, are regular, you know, people that have been there for two years or more. Everybody else is new. The issue is that everybody else that's new is building clients.

So if you lift the prices, that could put you in a less competitive position versus you know, other people in the area. So the thing to look at then is to increase your prices based on proven success and assurance. So you promote your start, those two that have been there for a while, or if it's free for whatever, but promote them, lift their prices, leave the others to a degree where you can afford to leave them.

But enhance those where you have an assurance that they're gonna be retaining clients, rebooking clients, proven track rock, yield for success, promote them. That's your price increase. You might consider doing the two-in-the-year promotion and lifting prices, but don't do 'em close together because clients will really get nervous.

Yeah.  I'm a, I'm a big believer in actually playing in on strengths. Often we can end up focusing on the things we're not great at, but there's a reason why we're not great at them. And I mean,  I think if, if you wanna improve on something I as an individual and as a salon providing you know what you want, what the stylists want, and what the salon's looking to achieve, marry, then yeah, go and improve on the weaknesses.

That's part of growth and it's fantastic, but you know, if you are really great at colour, make more of that. Like don't just focus on what you're rubbish at and you know, or you feel like you want to be better at. Grow the thing that you love and that you are naturally great at. You know, don't, don't focus too much on the weaknesses.

Any thoughts, or any ideas on gaining new guests? Raymond? 

Consistent and strong marketing is always my go-to. Having a plan, making sure you know the demographic of clientele that you're trying to attract. I'm going to get it via a consistent strategy. 

Oh, I like these percentages. This is lovely.

Yay. 

So I think part of something I did a couple of years ago and was very lucky. Picked up an award and someone thought it was good. Must have been drunk. I'm joking. My thing was that our industry has slowly made a bit of a boo-boo in thinking that Instagram is marketing our business. It's a part of marketing our business to a specific demographic, I think.

But it is so much more than that. You know, it's email blogs, tips and advice, and recommendations. Instagram, of course, Google. In community events, embedding yourself in the community, doing good things, you know, haircuts for people, free haircuts on a day for less fortunate people in the area, people that can't afford it.

Underprivileged charity events. You know, really embedding yourself in the community has always been something that, that I've enjoyed doing, but also, Has attracted clients cuz the community responds by, wow, that's, that's incredible what that salon is doing. You know, there are so many different aspects to marketing and I think the first thing you do is, what do I want?

Who do I want? How do I get it? Go get it and, and do it consistently. Don't do something for, you know, once and it didn't work. Do it constantly. Hair tips, evening, bring people in. We've got a new KP product coming out. We've got new Nioxin, we've got new colours available. Make a song and a dance about it.

 If it's like four new shades, they're the hottest colours this season. Come in, and learn from one of our stylists - how to blow dry your hairstyles that compliment this brilliant new shade, and stuff like that. Hair tips for the summer, you know, all that kind of thing. Consistent all the time, and you'll build a strong demand of the clientele.

But similar to recruitment, you need to close any holes in the bucket. So there's no use in bringing all these new clients in and they never come back. You need a strong retention strategy, rebooking considered but a fantastic service and skill that makes people want to revisit, tell all their friends.

And keep coming back, spending more money when they're coming as well. Yeah. I just want 'em coming back. 

And we have got another question come through, and funny enough, I've had this question asked on numerous occasions, 

Sure. 

In that, some salons are specialising in key things. So you might have a salon that is ultimately a Balayage salon. Yes. Or a long hair salon, a bridal salon. What are your thoughts? Because to, you know it basically, the question is, is it worth becoming a specialist salon? That's the question. And but balancing it through with a lot of things that I get asked is the fear of, are you isolating a lot of guests to visit your salon? If you market your salon as a specific specialist salon in one genre, forget the word. 

No, I don't think so. It gives you a unique value. Something that you do differently, something that enables you to communicate effectively to your target audience. I think when you just say we're good at everything, no one comes because it's just like a jack of all trades.

You know, you, you don't convey strongly. What are we looking for? You know, my business is focused on colour. We get lots of value. It's mental very fortunate. I think we're in an area where that is in demand. So again, it comes back to the target audience. The environment that you offer, you know, the level of service you're providing and, and really thinking about market trends and, and what's popular If he was a wedding specialist in Covid, not that great.

You know, like think about think services that make your business resilient with Balayage clients. I would focus on if you are strong on colour, strong on Balayage. Think about things that make come spend more money at one. Visit Wella Plex. Take away home products because you enable more profitability. In one visit, you know, how do we make more money from our clients?

Will we sell them lots more things? You can make more money from one person as opposed to trying to bring lots in your new clients, or stylists because of your max capacity. But I believe, a unique value proposition is very, very important. And there's nothing wrong with being a specialist salon on really spending.

60% of your time marketing what you are aspiring to become and want to be 40% of the time, making sure that you don't lose sight of core services that pay your bread and butter. You know, but don't you know, there are no haircuts on my salon's Instagram, not one. 

Mm-hmm. 

No. I focus on shades, colours, hues. That's it. Salon stylist, 65% colour versus cutting. 

Wow. Yeah. That's incredible. Yeah. Brilliant, brilliant. Well, honestly, Raymond, you've, you've given us some, some amazing, amazing food for thought and tonight has been about, you know, setting ourselves up for 2023 and, you know, just give us the hints the tips and the ammunition to, to be resilient to create a more profitable salon and really navigate ourselves with a way through these toughen, forever changing times that we, or turbulent times that we may have ahead of ourselves.

And you know, for me, I'm taking, it is all about the planning. It's all about knowing your data, knowing your guests. Analyse your business correctly, work with the team that you've got, build a great team through apprentices coming through and new staff recruitment, and make sure that you're pricing correctly and don't undervalue your worth.

But do you have any final lasting thoughts that you can share with everybody for us? 

So, we said at the beginning about there being a liar at the end of the tunnel. But as I said, I've been through this before and it can be tough. It can be a lonely place for a salon owner. This year is and can, could be challenging for you, your business and the people in it.

Just know, I think we're a resilient industry. We're always the one that bounces back, like you said, putting smiles on people's faces and our own and we will thrive past this challenge. I've no doubt about that. You'll thrive past it if you focus on your business and maybe change some of your habits, some of the things that you're not doing in your business.

But the most important thing is that typically salon owners aren't typically hidden away in an office at the top of the building. You're in the mix. You are with your stylists, you're with your apprentices, and you're with your clients. Don't burn out. Take some time for yourself. I know it's a bit cliche, but like well-being mindset, is absolutely important for you.

You know, you need to make time for yourself. Make time to disconnect from all of this doom, gloom, and everything else. And from the salon, don't burn out because ultimately you can't hide away in an office hiding how you feel. And if you burn out your team and your clients will feel it, and it will have a negative effect on your business. So take some time for yourself. Remember to take control of the things that you can control and remain positive about what's going on outside as best you can. But look after yourself. Be selfish. To a degree. 

Absolutely. These are just great final thoughts. Absolutely.

Thank you so, so, so much for your insights, your openness, and your honesty. As always, thank you so, so much for joining us tonight. Enjoy the rest of your evening and we hope to see you very, very soon.

Thank you for listening to this episode of Wella Professionals, The Knowledge. So that you never miss an episode, like follow and subscribe to the Knowledge on your favourite podcast platform.