Should I raise my prices?

Today is  April 15.

If your like me you kind af avoid your bottom line report, because the more I worry about the bottom line, the less bottom line there is.  Once a day or week is all I like to check in.  I'm afraid.  Need to be in a happy spot.  Always.   I do this job for fun, not income......... right?

So I go to my Schedule'em reports.  And I stare at the bottom line.  And I see it there in black and white.  And it causes me to think about how this last year went.

I think:
Are you kidding me.

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..............
So now that we are coming to terms with that end of year number our next assessment is whether or not to accept it for the year to come.  Its a good time to consider everything that we are doing right. And what we are no longer going to accept.

Its a good time to consider changing our prices.

This should make us all a bit nervous.  In this industry we are often advised that you should only raise your prices if you want to lose clients.  Ouch.  But that reality means we keep clients that value our experience.  Those clients love the way we work and will send us more clients if we ask them to.  Just don't forget to ask!!!  Put that Send your friends! sign right next to our new price list that is going into effect on April 16!

And we will continue to impress our valuable clientele and let the mediocre ones step it up or slip away at their own choice making room for more amazing choice clientele. 

Have a little faith. 

Next:  Charge according to your price list.  Don't dismiss that last $5 worth of product you used on her today.  Every time you dip into that inventory is another time you need to adjust what you are charging.  If you decide you are going to gift it to that client, say so.  "My treat today" is so great to hear!  Then they won't worry if the charge is different next time.

Then: Up Sell.  Don't walk away from and opportunity to earn extra money while she is sitting there with a purse and free time.  Do something new to upgrade her ticket.  Deep condition. An extra shade of color.  Paint nails.  Eyebrow waxing. 

Are you ready to change your prices?
What factors lead you to this choice?
How will you inform your customers?
What can you do to retain everyone, even though your prices just changed?

You can do this.

Awkward or fashion?

I guess it simply boils down to how you sell it.  What Hollywood pens as the ever fashionable "The Lob"  Has always been "the awkward stage" in my chair. 

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Still, its good to know that there is a name for those of us too chicken to go Anne Hathaway short still have a fashion niche.

To be or not to be....

I just had lunch with two former employees.  They both are still in the industry, so I asked them the standard "How is life in the salon?"

One lit up and shared a funny experience with a client I remembered seeing in her chair three years ago.  The other shrugged and admitted that she was thinking of changing jobs.



 

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As I  left there that day I thought to myself about their talent and why each had come to this place in their careers.  The difference between these two professionals is that one developed deep experience through trial and error, success and celebration, and the other simply repeated their 1st year over and over again.

Always be willing to learn, try something new, ask questions and improve.  Keep the skills and people that are working well for you and give everything else the boot.  Resist mediocrity.

Youtube.  Sales consultants.  Product education. Hair shows.  Observe the chair next to you.  Use your free time in your schedule to hone a skill that will continue to make your chisr the best place your clients have been yet.

What do you do to keep your skills fresh and up to date?


 

 

Keep the passion for your job alive by learning something new today.

The simplest trick to grow your business and save time

Pre book.
It is such a simple but overlooked process for making your books bulge with happy clients!
Look at every mentor you have.  Their loyal clients always know when the next time they are scheduled.  Busy stylists generate that success by making sure that each and every client that sits in their chair knows they will be back.  Here is how some talented people build their practice.

Here is a great note about the importance of re-booking from the Massage Toolbox:  http://www.massagetoolbox.com/2011/04/05/ideas-for-re-booking-clients/
Re-booking clients at the time of service allows you to:

• Be efficient with your time.
  • The more people who re-book when leaving, the less time you have to spend booking them later in the week or month.
  • This frees up your business day to attend to new clients who will be booking via phone, text or e-mail (depending on your scheduling allowances).
• Encourage the client to establish a habit of regular appointments.
• Fill your day with people who are genuinely interested in the work you provide.
• Decrease no-shows.
  • Which, subsequently, allows for you to see more clients who may be in need of your services in a given week.

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If you aren’t used to re-booking clients, you may have to get comfortable with this.  Here are some skills that I find work for me.
1. Talk about their next visit today.  "I won't have so many questions next time I see you..."
2. Talk about their LAST visit today.  "Last time you were here we tried ____ .  How did that work for you?" 
3.  Use the NOTES in your client file to write down some things that will help you next visit like the formula, what you did for the cut, and anything you learned.  This will build trust that you are consistent, and can meet their needs next visit too.
4.  Write notes about what you talked about, things that interest them.  A relationship with you as their hairstylist makes them more loyal.
5.  ALWAYS OFFER to re book their next appointment before they go.  They may turn you down, but may be that they have never tried regular appointments before. 
6.  Genuinely coax then into making time for themselves. "You like having your hair done every six weeks.  Lets make that appointment now.  If you can't make this appointment, all you need to do is let me know if you need a change.  I'll be here."
7.  Deliver the invitation to rebook as if it is standard operating procedure.   (Because starting today, it is!  Right?) Invoke the confidence of knowing that you will be here when they need you.

So lets get started right now.  Today you need to ask every person that you work for to make a follow up appointment.  Make yourself a sign that you see as you take their money at the end of the service.  Put up a visible sign asking your valued clients to make their next appointment before they go.  Consider making it a promotion that they will receive a savings of $X for making and KEEPING the appointment to help them make a habit with you.

What have you successfully done to build business?

Before long, your client won't let YOU forget.  They need you!

Keeping it all together

Today is the first day back from a long weekend away. I know everything was stitched up when I left, but as I walked in today, I wasn't sure where to begin. Some how the place in a mess, there are a dozen phone calls to return, catch up on inventory and place an order, and if I'm lucky at least one minute to take care of some errands for things I need at home.

My whole day will me a mess if I don't focus. I find sanity in pre-planning my day to day business up keep. Blocking time in my schedule to tackle the routine business to do list keep me on top of everything in my shop. When I see time dedicated to completing the tasks on my to do list, they get done. That leaves me the rest of the time to do the work I love to do, clients!

 

Schedule'em online software has a feature for scheduling these things in your online calendar. Keeping focused on your business by organizing each day's work will help ensure that you don't get behind on essentials that make you money.

 

What are your strategies for keeping it all together while you are away?

 

Its never too much or too often if you are taking time to do something that really matters today.

Its Simple.

Schedule'em knows your time is valuable. We created the Online Calender systems to be simple and specific.

You don't have know a lot about computers.
You don't have to spend a lot of time putting in information.
You don't need to be an expert at marketing to understand how organizing your clients will grow your business.

Schedule'em Online calender is the simplest way to keep you and your team organized.

I have worked in salons where the salon software will do everything but tie your shoes. They are  amazing tools with lots of charts, reports, and sophisticated lists...  if you need them.  My friends starting out on their own needed something a little less complex and a lot more affordable!

Schedule'em is designed for the simple direct need of a busy person who needs to keep organized.  No big lists.  No major time invested.  No complicated reports.

Its just the basics.

For now.

What do you like about Schedule'em?

K.I.S.S.  Keep it Simple Silly!

A few good books for building your business.

Growing a business is not as easy as you thought when you set off to conquer the world, is it? Every day presents new challenges.

Schedule'em Online Calender for Small Businesses.

I find myself leaning on the "experts." Reading books, or in my case, listening to an audio version of it while I exercise, drive, or clean because I have much to accomplish each day, will give you answers from people who have already successfully jumped similar hurdles.

Here is a helpful list of books, I love the opening line of the article "Great leasers learn everyday":

http://www.linkedin.com/today/post/article/20130211165231-15077789-9-business-books-that-will-change-your-life

While applying advice given by highly successful business people can be difficult to down-size for your own needs, keeping a focus and mimicking others' valuable experience will pay off.

Schedule'em Online Calendar is designed for Small Business like yours. Whether you are an individual or a team, we know little things make a big difference.

What books have you read that you would recommend for building a better business?

 

Happy reading! Have an amazing day