Pushy or Gaining Loyalty Points?

The Game Changer.

 READ THIS!!!  (Yes, you!)

My best business tool for KEEPING my new client is pre-booking. Make the appointment before they go and then call or text confirmations.  Or better yet,  let SCHEDULE'em call them or text them for you.

Oh,  no!  You don't want to be pushy?

You feel uncomfortable asking them to plan ahead?

You just can't wait to sweep hair?

Okay, let's just think about other "pushy folks" doing the same thing...: Have you ever left the Dr.or dentist without a follow up appointment being made? Do you feel pressured that they are making sure you don't have to call back? Aren't you glad they at least offered?  Do you think the Dr. would keep that receptionist working for him if she dropped the ball and let you leave without making sure that you had everything you needed? Asking your clients to make another return appointment amounts to making sure your client gets the appointment she prefers to have when she wants it.

You're so thoughtful!

I challenge you to ask every customer today.  If you approach that uncomfortable question with confidence and make the "Lets set up your next appointment before you go" sound routine, then even the dude that prefers to just walk in will see that you truly want to see him again.  Loyalty takes a measure of audacity.

With Love, Anonymous

Over the years it has been my privilege to work for clients staying at hospitals, home bound clients, and even gift a salon service at no cost as a surprise to someone going through a rough time.  

 It must be the unqualified pre-requisite trait of our industry to have tender hearts and hard working feet.  

Recently, a business mentor challenged me to choose a philanthropic cause to support as part of my business plan.  She insisted that sharing my hard earned wages with a worthy cause would actually buoy my income in both tangible and financial growth.  

So, I admit, I stalled on this one. My thoughts follow this line of thinking :  I have bills to pay, dreams of my own to pursue and my income is pretty committed right now! I'm just not sure about contributing even a small part of my income to anyone else when I work hard to earn my living.  ...Maybe I should sign up to be someone else's cause? :)

But the advice just couldn't be ignored.  I have been reflecting on opportunities given in my own life,  big and small, volunteering to be part of charities, and organizations set up to serve people and communities that are facing struggles and I have sincerely, SINCERELY been touched!

There are two experiences that have special weight in my heart tonight.  There is a story of a well-respected man that did business in a country that was deeply impoverished.  As he left, he gifted the shoes on his own feet to a man he had met there.

The other story was one of my own projects.  We were doing a bake sale to raise money for a cause close to my family.  Near the end of the event, one of the uncles slipped some cash discreetly into the hands of one of our helpers and walked away with some of his favorite home baked choices.  His donation would have bought every item on the tables and more. Because of him, we were delighted to exceed our lofty goals for raising a certain amount from a small bake sale.

Now, I can assure you that both of these individuals have the resources to direct large sums of money into any charity of their choice.  It is known that each man is already heavily involved in their own projects and endeavors.  But it was the seemingly small gesture that they chose that is so endearing to me. I doubt either of them woke up that morning and said, to themselves Who can I give my shoes to today?  How much cash should I carry in my wallet? It is a practice that I KNOW they just do daily, readily, and easily.  How would it be to exist in a world that there is always a whisper to their ears prompting simple gestures such as these?

It is those examples that touch my heart. That is I what I will set my goals to reflect.

tonight, I accept my mentors' challenge.  

I will wake up each day with this little prayer in my heart: As Oprah did, I will ask each morning:  "Use me, God, use me."   I want to be able sustain a profitable business with enough actual gain to make a small difference in my little corner of the world through small and simple gifts and acts of kindness.  I will make the world a more beautiful place not only one head at time, but through small and sincere contributions to someone else along the way.

How will you contribute today?

SCHEDULE'em Life Hack # 2

Since we are all in this mess together, I just have to tell you what I just figured out.

You know those countless donated hours of fun time (or not) working for family or on trades?  You definitely don't want to have those appointments show on your books as income collected, yet you need to properly book time on your schedule, then adjust the ticket to reflect no money was accepted.  

<Click, click, adjust, click, click, enter.>

So here is what I rigged today on my account to make my schedule smoothly flow and show that.

Under the services tab, make a new service labeled "No Charge", "Trade" or "Donation" or even "Party In My Head" and pre-program the time it should block your schedule for a minimum service time. Then in the cost field, leave it at "0".

Programing a new service on SCHEDULE'em.com

Now you can schedule your next appointment with dear old dad for "trade". (He probably paid your beauty school tuition and needs to be repaid in free haircuts.) This will effectively lay out your schedule without adding income to your bottom line that you will then need to edit out.  Now adjust the amount of time you need to do the service for that lucky person and you have fewer clicks to slide that appointment into the checked out report. WAH-lah!!!!!

I just love shortcuts!  

My programmer is rolling his eyes right now, but he is also thankful that I didn't write another TO DO LIST for him.-- What????  It works and it makes sense.  Get back to work!

Any project 87% done is quite the accomplishment in my world, but in the case of managing my daily numbers, if I slack checking out my customers for that day, guess what?  Yeah, that happens.  

I often just check everyone out at the end of the day as part of my days end cleaning up.  

At some point, I have to give up on my 

Hairy Fairy coming to my rescue 

and mop everything up before going home.  

The IMperfect Day.

IMperfect day.

IMpossible dream.

What if tomorrow when I wake up, my fairy Godmother has waved her magic wand and I rise to find myself immersed in my long awaited, hard fought for "The Dream of Amazing Success"?

What do I say and do to people around me?
What am I wearing?
Who is my first client?
What do we talk about?
How does the appointment go?
How do I FEEL?
What is different that day from the day I had yesterday?

Seriously.  Answer each question.  What is YOUR answer?

now.

And then... just for kicks and giggles, have a day just like that.
Act out that "PERFECT" day.
What if every person you came across today assumed you were that Amazing Dream Person because you walked the walk, and talked the talk?

What if, just think, WHAT IF? 

What if you are the only person in the room who doesn't already see the amazing talent you are?  What if starting tomorrow you truly are Your IMperfect Self?

I say, what is it gonna hurt to honor yourself by treating yourself as if you have already arrived.  Because, my friend, is so many ways you really have.

Live today as if you are already "There".

Seriously?

Get Serious.
Have some serious fun.
Make money.

The only thing that is constant is change, so why resist? I've heard it said: "…To be successful, you must have an honest to goodness desire to succeed, and most people don’t.” If you are unhappy with the way things are going for you in business, there are a number of things you can change.

Get serious about your current clients. You are the professional and your clients come to you because they value your service and expertise. Try this, if your clients visit your salon every six weeks, rebook more often by explaining that you need to see them every five weeks to keep their look fresh. If a client visits at six-week intervals and spends an average of $75 per visit, you receive eight visits and $600 per year from this client. By rebooking at five-week intervals instead, you receive ten visits and $750 per year from this same client. By doing this with your entire client base, your pockets will see a difference for sure.

Don't we all feel this way?

Get serious about making money.  Now THAT'S fun!

The fabled "Hairy-Fairy" Dream

After a family cut-a-thon, the youngest grabbed my broom and began to sweep the nearly knee-deep hair under the chair.  His mom instructed, "Let's go, Markie!  She can do that better when we all get out of the way."  He determinedly dug in stating:  "I'm the Hairy-Fairy." and calmly swept every fiber from every crevice of my space as the group of us appreciatively walked to the door.  By the time, I collected funds and made new appointments I was headed back to my freshly serviced chair delighted and charmed by his thoughtful and helpful gesture.

Little did I know how much this small boy's effort that has caused me to reflect on how I do business.  Turns out,  I'm much better at making messes. I don't really like cleaning up. But I am definitely happier and more productive in a neat and tidy environment.

So, what does this little reflection have to do with successful business?  Two thoughts: 1. Who can I hire to pick up after me (since my mother isn't currently looking for anything new to do...) and 2. What things in my daily business routine are bogging me down and keeping me from the reason I showed up for work today? (Schedule'em has definitely improved my mess of numbers lying around, but it doesn't fetch my client a drink and shampoo hair - YET!)

SCHEDULE'em Online Appointment Books: Keeping the Numbers swept up... and me on track.

Growing your business is necessary and it is work, but remember that you chose to be a hairstylist because of the joy and passion it brings. It easy to find things about ANY job that makes it "hard work".  Your business is your responsibility, and whether you rent the chair or own the entire salon, you can still make the best of any business situation, including mundane tasks like cleaning up after yourself.

Something to consider:  Maybe it is time to hire an assistant to smooth out these tasks out for you?  How much more productive would you be as a two-man team if your assistant kept everyone humming along while you did your specialty?  Certainly, you would be able to provide superior customer service with your trainee at hand.

I can't wait.

(Anyone wanna mop up this mess around here while I have a little more fun and get paid for it?)

Maybe it's not just a dream.  

My "WHY"

Recently a new friend shared a TED TALK by Simon Sinek in 2009 on his version of the Golden Circle.
This TEDtalk the inspiration to clarify my own "WHY".Watch this.

As you know, you start off  a business by focusing on what the benefits or solutions of your product.   The next step focuses on how you do what you do. The one often overlooked step is WHY you do what you do.

WHY would I develop online booking software that is available in so many similar versions today?

WHY is mine better for you?

WHY do I invest in my otherwise free time to build my business?

WHY do I stay inspired and motivated me to develop Schedule'em?

When I first started developing Schedule'em with my friend,  I knew that I had a passion for being an Independent Hairdresser, yet was bogged down by the non-creative side of business management. I had mentored many newer stylists who struggled with the very basic business principles so much that many of them did not stay within this industry!  In spite of their amazing talent, they simply could not make the financial end of it work for them.   I knew I had to help people like me get the basic, simple and fundamental help to make self-employment less of a challenge.

I BELIEVE that Independent Contractors naturally do a better job at their craft when they can focus on the client.

I BELIEVE that the more time we creative folks spend "managing the business" the less the actual "BUSINE$$" gets done!

I BELIEVE that every Independent Contractor needs a personal/business assistant, a "mini-me" to keep all the necessary nuts and bolts orderly so that they can do what they showed up at work today to do:  Do awesome hair and ...  read this:  MAKE MONEY!!!!

I BELIEVE that "Schedule'em is so simple even a hairstylist can do it!" :)

It's here baby.  I've used it for my own business every day.  Yes, I could design it to turn a few different tricks nearly every day, but I won't spin my programmers wheels with a fluffy to do list.  Keeping it simple is why we are here.  You will see your bottom line slip quietly and effortlessly into its programmed place while your clients sing your praise. We are gonna survive after all.  Simply.

 It is a job worth showing up for today.