Dear Readers,
Most everyone in the U.S. is sad to see the days get shorter and the temperatures falling … unless they’re in the tan biz!
We had a great summer here in Michigan and even though we had lots of sunny days and very little inclement weather, my salon chain did better than expected. Why? Because we prepared for the season by educating our team and learning from our history.
It’s no secret – one huge challenge of running a small business today is finding dependable help, and understanding the work ethic of the Millennial generation. Beginning in January, IST will begin a series of articles exploring the dynamic of this “entitled” generation and how to effectively manage these young people on your team. One challenge is related to the wages expected by Millennial workers – read Jerry Deveney’s article, “Minimum Wage = Maximum Rage”.
One way to create a quality salon staff is to educate them – I can attest to the fact that investing in training and certification brings exponential gains. Our Sun is Life® program now offers you a full year of training and certification for only $99 – train up to ten employees for less than $10 per employee, per year. SIL’s decades of salon input has determined that for the average salon, proper training results in less turnover. Great training creates a winning team, no matter what the sport. If all players know their position and the important role they play on the company “team,” that company will win. If you think you can go another season without certifying your team, you will lose.
IST’s contributing writers know the value of education – they provide plenty of valuable info in every issue. Our goal is to help you succeed! This month, you will find articles about diversifying your service menu, great sales tips, retaining your current customers, spray-tan guidelines and so much more. Joe Schuster offers info about protecting your business, and his take on some recent “UV news” of interest – he’s always got his ear to the ground. If you or your staff read only one article from these industry experts, your time was VERY well spent.
Of course, November is the time for our annual “New Product Preview” – check it out. Our industry never disappoints! That’s evidenced by the volume of votes cast in our Industry Choice Awards. The list of 2016 Nominees is here. Winners will be announced next month.
Perhaps by the time you read this, we will all have cast our votes for a new President of the United States. At this writing, I’m hopeful that the governmental overreach that has decimated our industry will soon end and that there are better days ahead for all of us. God Bless America!
Thanks for making IST the industry’s No. 1 magazine.
Vince
