August 8, 2017

Suite Success Secret #74

​8 Musts for Making the Jump from Stylist to Successful Salon Suite Owner 

THOUGHT PROCESS
So you want to become a Salon Suite owner, now what? You know your work life is going to change and you want to be ready to hit the ground running.
 
ACTION STEPS
Plan for the day you open your Salon Suite and transition from stylist to business owner by keeping these stylist-to-Salon-Suite-owner musts in mind.
 
If you’re ready to make the move from stylist to Salon Suite owner or will be sometime in the future, the work you do to prepare yourself mentally and professionally will affect how quickly your Salon Suite grows once your doors are open. Knowledge is power; here are the things you need to be ready for. 

​8 Things to Remember When Going from Stylist to Salon Suite Owner 

s​1. You don’t know what you don’t know.
 
Unless you’ve run your own business before, chances are that things are going to arise during the course of any given business day that you haven’t had to deal with before. When this happens, take a deep breath and:

  • Cut yourself some slack – remember, you’ve never done this before.
  • Take advantage of the unique resources MY SALON Suite provides to Salon Suite owners in the member-only app.
  • Tap into your new network! The experienced colleagues and franchise leaders at your location may have the answers you’re looking for.

 
2. Defining the client experience.
 
The client experience – including both what occurs and where it occurs – is what sets your Salon Suite apart and gives it a unique FLAIR in the client’s perception. In effect, this is where your Salon Suite brand is created and sustained.
 
If you’ve worked in another business previously (whether it was a salon environment or some other type of business) you have probably observed customer experiences that were great – or not so great – and made mental notes about the customer experience you would create in your own business. Now is the time for you to think through every aspect of the experience you will provide to clients from the moment they book an appointment and arrive at your Salon Suite through to the end of the appointment.
 
In addition to “what” will happen during the client experience, as a Salon Suite owner you now have the pleasure of designing the environment where it will occur. You can infuse your own personality into your Salon Suite’s interior colors, décor and ambience in order to transform the environment to enhance the client experience.
 
3. Setting business standards and operating policies.
 
Now that you’re in charge of your own business, it’s up to you to decide how things will work. What hours you will be open, how appointments will be booked and so on. Once determined, you’ll want to put this information on your website and make sure that your colleagues are aware of when your Salon Suite will be open.
 
4. Setting your Salon Suite up for retail as well as service success.
 
No matter how much in demand your services are you can only sell your time once. But by setting your Salon Suite up for retail success you can increase revenues and drive up average sales-per-appointment. Since retail products also require a monetary investment on your part, think carefully about your client base and the types of professional retail products that many are likely to need.
 
As you make retail sales, make sure you set aside a portion of proceeds to replenish retail inventory, or even expand it with seasonal point-of-sale displays, professional tools, accessories and impulse buy items.
 
5. Keeping track of the money.
 
Basic accounting software that integrates with your card processor and mobile or stationary payment platform is a must for any Salon Suite business owner. The better you track and account for all of the money coming into or going out of your Salon Suite’s funds, the easier it will be to proactively manage your finances, pay taxes, reinvest for growth and work toward your financial goals.
 
6. Promoting your Salon Suite business.
 
Marketing is one of the most important aspects of succeeding as a small business owner in any industry. To succeed, you need to have a good idea of the type of client you want to attract as well as a marketing plan that helps you reach them, engage them and motivates them to take action (booking an appointment with you!) MY SALON Suite provides its Salon Suite owners with dozens of marketing tools and resources in its member-only app, including marketing calendars that offer daily ideas for promoting a Salon Suite.
 
7. Continuing your education.
 
In some states continuing education is mandatory for every stylist to maintain their license. Whether or not this is true in the state where you live, you probably don’t need for this to be mandated – you probably love taking classes, perfecting and learning skills on a regular basis. Decide how much money you need to set aside from your Salon Suite’s proceeds so you can take the classes and/or attend the conferences and events you’re interested in every year.
 
8. Setting specific goals and measuring progress.
 
Without specific, measurable and achievable goals, many business owners fail to thrive. You can take advantage of the clear Path to $100K success that is laid out by MY SALON Suite for its members to grow your Salon Suite to the revenue level you need to thrive as a beauty professional – and beyond. The tools are all here for you!
 

Back to blog