I am pretty sure I can speak for a lot of us when I say we are happily welcoming in a New Year! 2020 was interesting, to say the least – and so what better time than the first month of 2021 to talk about how to give your salon a fresh start and be prepared to move forward and thrive!
I have always been a big believer in using inspiration boards to accomplish big projects. If I am going to throw a party or an event, I create a Pinterest board with ideas, recipes, design concepts, etc. This month, I challenge you to get inspired to create your perfect vision for 2021 and beyond.
Start small. Set quarterly business goals – they can be as simple as increasing your daily customer count by 10%, or increasing monthly lotion sales. I find that if you write it down, make a plan and a timeline, you will always keep execution of the plan in the forefront of your mind. Having an obtainable goal that you see every day will help to keep you on track, as well.
If you want your salon to bounce back and thrive in 2021, then there is no better time than the present to set goals and prepare.
I saw an inspiring quote recently that said, “You become what you constantly think about. It’s easy to spot a yellow car when you are always thinking about a yellow car. It’s easy to spot an opportunity when you are always thinking of opportunity. It’s easy to spot reasons to be mad when you are always thinking of being mad. You become what you constantly think about.” This is a reminder to be aware of your thoughts and fill your mind with only positive goals and plans. Keep in mind that without proper planning and execution, a vision is just a thought.
Include your staff. Sometimes, with staff, money isn’t everything; sometimes, they just want to feel valued, heard and appreciated. That is why I encourage you to involve your team in reaching your quarterly goals and allow them the freedom to set goals for themselves. If we all took the time to evaluate our progress at work, we’d all find things on which we can improve. Your staff probably already know where they fall short, so let them identify these issues for themselves and create a vision and a goal for how to improve. Then, find ways to reward them – maybe quarterly – if they show effort on what they set out to achieve. I have noticed that when operators allow staff to set personal goals, they actually tend to align very well with the salon’s overall ideals. Staff will generally choose goals like, “sign up more EFTs” or “sell more high-end lotions.” When they are able to set goals that reflect what they feel is in need of improvement in their daily work, you will see more of an effort to improve. After the quarter ends, make sure to reward their efforts. It doesn’t need to be something big, but a Starbucks gift card, a thoughtful card and some balloons, a simple gesture makes staff feel valued and appreciated.
Having the perfect vision is only the beginning – as Benjamin Franklin said, “Failing to prepare is preparing to fail.” Having a vision, setting a goal and working daily to reach it are keys to success; but outlining the “how” is just as important. If your goal is to gain more customers, HOW are you going to do it? If your goal is to increase your lotion sales, HOW are you going to do it? If your goal is to sell more upgrades, HOW will you make it happen? Do you see a trend here? The HOW is the crucial component in making your salon’s perfect vision come to life.
Whatever plans you create for the New Year, keep in mind that without proper planning and execution, a vision is just a thought. If you want your salon to bounce back and thrive in 2021, then there is no better time than the present to set goals and prepare, because no one wants to be in the same spot a year from now with regret that they didn’t try harder or do more!
