From A-list celebrities to stay-at-home moms, there are thousands of women who regularly visit a salon for their hair, nails, and skincare needs. The personal care services industry is booming and analysts expect it to keep growing strongly in the near future.
That said, salon business owners must stay on top of new trends, not to mention incorporate the latest tools, training, and equipment into their business plan so that they can remain competitive.
Here are six ideas to help you grow your salon business.
1. Get Listed On Online Directories
“Did you know that more than 70 percent of the individuals looking for a service or a product will check online before stepping into the actual store? This means that your salon needs to show up in their search results. Using a phonebook is simply not going to get you new clients, but there are some more modern options that will.
- Google My Business – Since 83 percent of the searches are done using Google, being listed on Google My Business is important for marketing your salon.
- Yelp – Yelp is something that millennials are bound to check before visiting your salon, so being listed can help them find your salon with ease. Even a half of a star more than the salon down the block will help you get more customers. This makes having a strong Yelp profile very important.
- Facebook – This is another important directory that you want your business to be listed on so that local active Facebook users can find your salon.”
Source: Broadly
2. Become an Expert
“One way to grow your business is to offer something unique or to become an expert in a specific area. If you become the go-to person for a specific service, your business will naturally start to grow. For example, you may choose to focus on using organic products or perhaps you focus on beauty services for the elderly.”
Source: Next Insurance
3. Develop Long-Term Relationships With Your Customers
“Nowadays, customers want to feel connected to the products and services they receive. Great companies such as Apple, and Coca-Cola have mastered how to do this and your salon business can too. Instead of providing your customers with a short service that improves their beauty till the next time they need a hairdo, you can choose to develop a care program that starts with the service, then maintenance and enhancement by using products, followed by repeat visits to your salon.
Do not sell them products, but rather recommend a path for your customers to achieve their beauty goals and provide professional, but personalized guidance throughout the process. Look into homeopathic and holistic ways of communicating with your clients. Today’s salon client is yearning for expert advice and consultation, and giving them that invaluable service can help you develop meaningful relationships with them.”
Source: Zolmi
4. Collect Customer Emails and Other Information
“Collect basic customer information and emails for personalized email marketing. Use birthdays or appointment reminders to highlight special offers, new products, or treatments.
One essential part of the salon market is the power of referrals and you should use marketing emails and other communications to remind people to recommend friends, offering discounts or treats as a reward for the additional business.”
Source: SCORE
5. Solicit Customer Feedback
“A great way to improve your salon business is to conduct a survey. Find out what your clients want, what they like about your salon, and what they don’t care for.
For example, you might be thinking of bringing on a manicurist, but you aren’t sure it will work in your salon. You can either survey your customers informally or send out an email survey to your entire customer base.
Once you do get feedback, be sure to act on it and let your customers know how much you appreciate them taking the time to complete your survey and what actions you’ll take.
Soliciting feedback has a dual purpose:
– You learn accurately what your customers want.
– You make your customers feel good because you want their opinions.”
Source: ZoomShift
6. Find Out Other Sources of Revenue
“Join hands with reputed beauty brands and make a deal with them for selling their professional range of hair care products to you. You can also contact beauty experts and strategize in-house hair care products like shampoo, serum, hair masks, and oils. Tag those products as exclusive and promote them. Convince your buyers to try out those new products and incentivize the campaign with offers like buy 2 shampoos and get a free haircut.
Another source of income can be selling beauty magazines and guides that are exclusively available on your salon’s website. You can even film videos of hair treatments being done in your salon and upload them on YouTube. Opt for other ways of generating income like sponsoring local fashion events and college fests.”
Source: Picktime
Looking for Hair or Beauty Salon Business Funding?
We’d love to help you reenergize your hair or beauty salon. At First Union, we offer our merchant cash advances, lines of credit, and short-term loans that have worked wonders for a number of beauty-based businesses. Could you use some extra cash to boost your business above your competitors? Call 863-825-5626 today!