Have Christmas wrapped up - and get FREE Gift Vouchers!

You know with the credit crunch and the recession every single penny you spend this Christmas will have to be spent as wisely as possible. Which is why, you can get your hands on some FREE Christmas gift vouchers!

Here’s the deal: Our Christmas on-line vouchers are on offer in £10 amounts. For every £20 you spend on vouchers we’ll give you another £10 voucher FREE. So, if you spend say £60 we’ll give you £30 FREE. Simple. Easy.

So that you won’t miss out each FREE £10 voucher is valid until the end of February only and is redeemable against any single treatment over £35.

But this offer is strictly limited so call XXX XXXXX today.

What could you do with the extra vouchers? Well, the sky is the limit. You could .. keep them for yourself (after all you’re worth it aren’t you?), give them to another friend and spread the joy of Christmas, add them to the vouchers you’re giving away making you look super generous!

So, don’t wait. Grab your phone and call XXX XXXX today to order your vouchers.

Ordering couldn’t be simpler

If you’ve got a credit or debit card have it handy when you make your call. We can charge the vouchers to it. Then you can either:

1. Come in and pick up the vouchers yourself.
2. Tell us to post them on to you
3. Give us the names and addresses of the people they are for and we’ll mail them directly (With an appropriate card and message)

Imagine … you could cover all your Christmas gift headaches in one simple FREE call AND have something special for yourself thrown in. Luxury.

Now, what would you spend those vouchers on …. A luxury stress busting massage, the makeover you’ve always promised yourself, hair extensions for the instant long hair look …

Why is this offer just so great? It looks like you’re giving away £10 doesn’t it? And that is how your clients will see it. But look again. The FREE vouchers are for treatments over £35 only AND must be used in January or February only. Typically a quiet time. So in actual fact you’re gaining a minimum of £15 in extra sales that you wouldn’t have. Plus the chance of turning that person into a regular client. It’s a win-win!

Post from: Beauty Salon Marketing UK

Christmas Promotions - Salon gift vouchers

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You know that when you start a new salon finding your first clients can prove to be the most difficult task. Just how do you attract those first fee paying clients? And how can you do it for almost FREE. Yes that’s FREE advertising ideas. Certainly if you want to make a quick start then the phrase ‘Charity begins at Home’ really does ring true.

Your First Clients

Why? Because your first clients can be your family and your friends. You will have to use these people in ways you never thought possible. These people can help you to quickly and effectively build your client database.

Setting up a Salon

Write a list of as many of your friends and family as you can that will help you in your quest to build your salon business. OK now you’re armed with your list you can do either/or both of these ideas:

Salon Start Up idea No. 1.

Give each person on the list 4 special invite cards with their names on. These cards are to be given to their friends. They allow their friends a special treatment worth £ XX when they book in for a treatment worth over £ XX. These cards also expire on XX/XX/XX. (That way you can repeat the deal at a later time!)

Now, if all 4 cards are redeemed each person gets a special treatment worth £ XX FREE (DO NOT make this the treatment the person normally has - that would be taking money out of YOUR till) The treatment should be something they don’t usually have - that way if they like it they might come back and buy one later.

So, lets say you have 15 friends on your list. That’s 15×4=60 vouchers. If just 20 are redeemed that’s 20 more clients. And you can keep on repeating this time and time again.

Salon Start Up idea no 2.

Can any of these friends hold a “pamper party” for you? You know the idea. Each person holds a party. You do mini taster-treatments at the party offering them incentives to book in for a full treatment at a later date. The party host then gets a FREE treatment worth £xx for their troubles.

HINT: At these parties you MUST get everyone’s names, addresses, phone numbers and emails. These are the people you’ll be marketing to in the near future.

Free Advertising

A word of warning. When you’re giving your friends or family treatments you’re doing just that. At that point in time they are your clients and deserve to be treated as such.

Starting up

Hopefully these two concepts can be adapted to work in your salon. The great thing about them is that they’re almost FREE to do and the results should speak for themselves.

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Post from: Beauty Salon Marketing UK

Starting a Salon - Getting your first clients

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Certainly if they re-book then they have a degree of satisfaction. However, how certain are you that they are really totally satisfied? Are there any, however minor, areas that you could potentially improve upon? And if there are how do you go around finding this out?

How do you know what your salon customers think?

One salon owner I spoke to recently said that they had done a customer satisfaction survey. They’d agonised long and hard over the questions they were going to ask their clients. They’d given their questionnaire structure. Had them nicely printed. All very well and good.

They’d used a satisfaction rating. 1 being dissatisfied and 5 being totally satisfied. Nothing wrong in that. The salon owner’s chest swelled with pride when they told me that they’d scored ‘5’s for everything. Fantastic!

Learned Anything?

But what had that unfortunate soul, after all their efforts, actually learned? That their client base was totally satisfied? Perhaps. But what, armed with this vital information that had cost them so much, were they going to change in their business? Nothing!

Now, I’m not saying that the exercise was totally worthless. What I am saying is that if they had done the exercise in another way they’d have gleaned far more useful, actionable information. This is how I would recommend you carry out your customer satisfaction surveys:

How to Do Your Salon Customer Satisfaction Survey

Firstly you print out your questionnaires. To avoid the issue of what to ask, you keep it simple. Ask just two questions:

1. Name 5 things that you love about my salon.

2. Name 5 things that you dislike about my salon.

Then, at the bottom of the questionnaire, there is a tear off strip which reads something like: “Thank you for taking the time to complete this questionnaire. Please accept this as a £5 voucher off your next treatment.”

You then get, say, 50 of your clients to complete their questionnaires. The timing of which is really up to you, before or after the treatment or by post, etc.

If each of your 50 clients respond you’ll have 50×5 = 250 each of good and bad comments. (Actually, typically, most clients will be able to name 5 things they like and will probably only be able to name 2 or 3 things they dislike)

Type each of these answers into ‘Word’ as a paragraph for each answer. Then print them out. Next cut each paragraph or answer into a strip of paper. So, you have a strip of paper per answer.

The good bit

Now, here comes the good bit. Clear a large space (Personally I always use the floor) and start to group your answers. (Believe me they will actually group) So, for example:

“I always like the fact that there is water constantly available”

And

“Your refreshments are great”

Would go together under “Drinks”. Keep doing this. A natural pattern will start to develop before your very eyes. These groups are what is called your Critical to Quality factors. You can now see exactly what people like about you AND the things that they think you can improve upon.

Simple. Easy. And, possibly, illuminating!

This approach works if you run a multimillion pound/dollar salon, or your business is just you. It is great because you don’t have to think long and hard about questionnaire structure. It is quick, easy and you can get it done tomorrow.

Post from: Beauty Salon Marketing UK

Salon Marketing - Customer Satisfaction Questionnaires

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How to choose Salon Software

It is the old adage ‘Horses for courses’. There is absolutely no point in buying a fully operational “super salon software system” if you’re only going to use it as an appointments software system. Similarly, buying the cheapest system you can and expecting it to perform multiple operations will only end in tears. Working through these 7 steps should help you to choose the software that’s right for you.

Step 1. The Salon Software scope

First things first. Take a reality check. Where are you with your salon and where would you like to be in, say, five years time? This is easier said than done for most salon owners. But getting this bit right can be crucial.

Next, look at the systems you’ve already got in place in your salon. Using the following as broad headings should help you:

• Stock: stock control, stock ordering, stock recording etc.
• Staff: staff wages, bonuses, holidays, etc,
• Clients: record cards, appointments, handling no shows (Urgh!), new clients, old clients, lost/lapsed clients, advertising for new clients, customer satisfaction surveys, complaints, etc
• Administration: booking keeping (Urgh!), insurance, rent and rates etc.

All, and more, of the above can be covered by salon software. Plus, you’re now in a position where you’ve scoped out your software parameters. You now have some idea of where you want the software to help you now, and in the future.

Step 2. The all important budget

For any new software you might need new hardware to run it on. You’ll also need to be trained on how to get the best from the salon software.

Typically most software providers will charge you a one-off fee to purchase the software. Then a yearly or monthly amount to provide you with support. You also may need to budget for installation.

Either way set yourself a budget for the project that has a one-off charge and then a monthly payment.

Step 3. Narrowing the field

It is now quite possible that some of the salon (or spa) software vendors will, at this point, immediately de-select themselves. This could either be due to too high a price, or too low specifications. That is to say that they are either beyond your budget or do not offer the functionality needed.

Beware! Some software companies may offer a lower price if you opt out of telephone or actual product support. I would urge you not to even consider this option. After all this product will, eventually, become the central platform to your entire business. And, should this fail in any way, without support, you’re left without a business.

Having completed this step you’re now down to the semi-finalists.

Step 4. Now it’s time to evaluate the semi finalists

Now you need to start assessing which salon software programs most closely match your needs. Which ones fall just short of the mark?

Further you may wish to consider which packages offer a scaleable solution? Perhaps you can start with a basic salon program pack and build up to the ‘gold’ edition of the software?

How will your existing data (if you have any) be ‘sucked’ into the new system? What will this cost and how effective will it be?

Can you negotiate a good position if you agree to evaluate new editions?

Step 5. Selecting your finalists

Most salon software companies will either send you, or make available to you, evaluation copies of their software. This enables you to look at their interfaces and see just how useable and effective their software will be to you.

Remember you’re not the only one who will be using this software program. Get input from all the people who will be interfacing with the program. Receptionists especially.

Look for good design. Look for intuitive, logical functionality. How flexible is the package, especially with regard to reporting?

You should, at this stage, be able to narrow your list down to two or three products. The other salon programs should eliminate themselves due to under- or over-qualification.

Step 6. Get everything in place to make your final decision

Don’t forget, with purchasing software, you’re not just buying the product. You’re entering into a whole new business relationship so evaluate this as well. The salon software’s sales person - do you get on with them? Ask to put a call into the help desk. How efficient and effective are they? Were you left on hold listening to very annoying music for just too long?

Ask to speak to another salon that is running the software. Do they have any issues?

How quickly, and more importantly when, can staff be fully trained in the new software? Get the software vendors to draw up time-line proposals including training and data migration.

Evaluate the impact the system will have on your entire business. What will be the expected return on your investment in terms of revenues, extra bookings, workflow, time saved and so on.

Can the vendor offer any guarantees for their salon or spa software? Plus, if you wanted at any time to end the relationship (Heaven forbid after all the work you’ve just done!) what would the situation be?

And lastly what exactly are the payment terms? Can payments be spread over time?

Step 7. Make your Salon Software choice and agree your timelines

Take a huge intake of breath and look at everything in front of you. Evaluate every nuance of information at your disposal. Explore all the areas where the salon software will dovetail into your existing requirements. Then, make your choice.

Once the choice is made, begin the project roll out. Oh, and don’t forget to give the project a name. This will give it impetus as well as an identity of its own!

And remember implementing salon software, either hair salon software or beauty salon software, is all about gaining performance advantage. Performance advantage that can either: save time, save money, provide knowledge, make more revenue or generally make your business perform better.

Post from: Beauty Salon Marketing UK

Salon Software - 7 steps to successful salon software

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Should you have a credit card processing machine in your salon or spa?

Very often people ask me if they should have a credit card machine in their salon. Of course the answer is …. It depends! No, really, it does depend on several factors, such as:

• The type of treatments you do. If, say, you run a salon where you do lots of little treatments for small amounts of cash (Nothing wrong in this) then processing credit cards will seriously damage your revenues. If however, you sell large ticket items then you’ll struggle to survive without a processing machine.
• Your clientele. If your clientele do/don’t have a credit card (in the majority of cases) then you should/shouldn’t have a machine.
• The amount of retail products you sell. If selling retail really isn’t your ‘thing’ then a machine will be less important to you.
• The type of person you are and want to be. If taking over the world with a global salon presence really isn’t on your ‘radar’ and you’re more than happy with your lot in life (And again absolutely nothing wrong in that) then, perhaps, a machine isn’t for you.

However, what I would say, is that if you want to expand sales. If you want to maximise retail opportunities. If you want to earn every single penny you can then you simply must have a credit card processing machine. Period. End of.

Why you need a credit card processing machine

Remember: when you hand over your credit card to pay for something, well, it’s just not the same as handing over the cash is it? Lets face it, you’d probably think about your purchases just that little bit more if you’d have to hand over cash rather than your credit card. Wouldn’t you?

Now, if you think in that way then - you’ve guessed it - so do your clients. Your clients will spend more money with you if you can process their credit cards rather than simply accepting cash.

What does a credit card processing machine cost?

Most typically, you’ll be expected to pay a set up charge for getting a credit card processing machine. Typically this can be expected to be around the £200/ US$320 mark.

You’ll then be charged a monthly amount for the machine and the connection. Again this is around the £20/US$32 per month. Then (as if all of that isn’t enough!) you’ll then be charged per transaction. This will depend on the type of card presented to you. Typically charges vary from a flat rate to a percentage of the sale.

Using the machine could really not be easier. Full training should be supplied, coupled to a very user friendly manual.

So, to sum up: you need to ensure that, if you’re going to have a credit card processing machine, you’re going to use it. You need to ensure that the costs associated with the credit card machine will be covered within your pricing structure. (You don’t want to be making a loss from accepting credit cards) And, lastly, all your staff (and you) are fully trained on how to use your credit card machine.

Post from: Beauty Salon Marketing UK

Salon Management - Credit card processing machines

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I just couldn’t keep this one to myself. You see my friend Henry Baker is giving away hours of video on how to double your salon or spa profits.

Without complicated marketing, without spending lots of money and without taking up your time.

I’m serious. People are totally flipping out about this (and for good reason).

You can get the videos here - http://tinyurl.com/y8skewd

No need to do anything special, just go there and register. Henry needs you to register because he’s not letting just anyone see the videos.

Quite frankly what he reveals he could easily sell for thousands.

You can watch all the videos free. No need to buy anything.

If you’re in need of good ideas to beat the recession, make 2010 your best ever, or just want to have some more free time for yourself, you need these videos.

http://tinyurl.com/y8skewd

I’m not sure how long Henry can keep them available. He’s only letting select partners offer the videos and wants to keep this as quiet as possible. But, I’ve twisted him arm. Cajoled and (if I’m honest) bullied him a little to let me put this on our blog.

So register for the Salon & Spa Wealth Series Now

The only way to be sure you can the videos is to register right now. You just need to enter your name and email address to register.

There’s nothing for sale at that site right now. All you have to do is go there and get the videos, free!

I’m sure they’ll help you.

This link is already being passed around like crazy - and it’s all over the forums. I know Henry wants to keep this quiet (even though I’ve bugged him so much) so I’d get access now before he takes the videos down.

http://tinyurl.com/y8skewd

Post from: Beauty Salon Marketing UK

Salon Marketing - Free salon marketing video training

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Almost every (good) salon has one - a loyalty programme. BUT how many actually work at putting money IN your till?

What happens at the moment -

You’ve got a loyalty programme. Let’s say the client has a card. Each time they have a facial the card is stamped. By the time they get to their, say 10th, facial they qualify for a FREE facial. Sounds familiar?

Here’s the rub though. That facial they’re not paying for is money that is NOT going into your till. Because they’d have paid for it anyway right? There is the sound of cash NOT being put into your till.

Also, are they really that excited about their FREE facial? Ask yourself, would you be? Probably not!

There just HAS to be a better way

Of course there has. And this is what the savvy salon owners do. The programme works in exactly the same way BUT instead of the client getting their usual treatment FREE they get a treatment the salon owner wants to give them FREE, worth £XX. Why? Because there is just a chance that the client will love the new treatment sooo much that they’ll want to book AND pay for another one next time!

Plus, getting a mystery FREE treatment worth £XX sounds far more exciting than merely getting their usual treatment FREE doesn’t it?

Or, do it another way. Each time they get 10 stamps on their card they get a £10 voucher (For treatments over £35) to give to their friend for FREE. These can be saved up and given away at Christmas time. So each friend now comes in and has the capability of becoming a client. Kerching! You can almost hear the cash going INTO your till.

Plus this is a way that your client can be saving towards Christmas. How great does that sound? Certainly better than a free facial.

Now, lets get trixy

If you really want to turbo charge those salon loyalty cards, do this. Make the target 12 treatments. BUT when you first had the card over to the client make sure the first two slots are already filled in. And say something like:

“Here is your loyalty card. Each time you have a treatment we’ll give your card a stamp. When you reach 12 stamps you’ll qualify for (whatever you’re going to give away). And, just to get you going, we’ve given you the first two stamps FREE.”

So, in essence, the scheme works in exactly the same way as before. I.e. the client still needs 10 treatments to qualify BUT you’ve given them a head start! This works well on two levels.

Firstly you’re seen as generous. After all you’ve given them two stamps on their card for nothing! But what have these stamps cost you? Nothing! This is a great example of adding massive value to the client at little or no cost to you!

Secondly studies have shown that loyalty schemes where you give the client a head start are far more likely to be completed than those without! Truly a win-win situation.

Post from: Beauty Salon Marketing UK

Salon Marketing - Salon loyalty programmes

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But, in these times of spiralling compensation claims, what types insurance do you actually need? Further, which ones could you actually do without?

In no particular order of importance, and with apologies for any situations omitted, the insurance cover should include -

• Accidental failure of any supplies - water, gas or electric. Obviously failure of any of these supplies could effectively close you down*
• Accidental failure of telephone lines - imagine the amount of business you’d lose without your phone!
  Cover for contents and stock - imagine the cost of replacing everything inside your salon. This should also include coverage for seasonal increases in stock
• Public and employer’s liability insurance - probably THE major coverage you’ll need
• Compensation for court appearances - courts can take their time over making decisions. That time means lost revenue.
• Stolen or lost keys compensation - employees (or even you!) can walk off with the keys or lose them. This element protects you from this.
• Movement of stock and/or contents cover - particularly if you’re mobile
• Full exhibition cover - if you regularly do exhibitions you’ll need cover for both you and the delegates
• Beauty/hairdressing treatment liability cover - just in case everything goes very horribly wrong
• Fully comprehensive money cover - you don’t want to see your hard earned takings being taken without cover

Plus you’ll probably want some kind of 24 hour call centre help lines whether this is legal or crisis support. As well as the all important monthly payment by instalments.

For a great UK insurance quote click here

You may find that the insurance you’re offered covers all of the above and more. Or even that you can have a ‘pick and mix’ approach to your insurance. Either way, what is important is that you do have hair salon insurance or beauty salon insurance.

* Back in the 1970’s my mum ran a hair salon from home. When the electricity power cuts came it should have closed her salon. But, being ever inventive, she made a hair drying ‘room’ with a gas heater, clothes-horse and large towels. As the gas heater had no flue (you didn’t need one in those days) how she never killed anyone is a mystery!

Post from: Beauty Salon Marketing UK

Beauty Salon Insurance or Hair Salon Insurance

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Do You Struggle with No Shows?

For any salon owner a ‘no show’ can be really debilitating. After all, that hour slot that you thought was filled and is now empty will now never be turned into cash. It is lost, forever.

But how can you make sure that this doesn’t happen to you? Luckily a great book,  “Yes! 50 Secrets from the Science of Persuasion” gives us two small, but important, techniques that could help.

Technique 1.

When the booking is made, probably at the counter, you’ll write an appointment card and give it to the client with the date and time of the appointment right? It happens all the time. What the authors of the book suggest is that you get the client to write out the card themselves. The reason being is that if they write the card themselves they’ll be far more likely to keep the appointment. Amazing but true!

Technique 2.

If the booking is made on the telephone, or indeed in person at the desk. Ensure that the following is said

“Most people, who find that they suddenly can’t make the appointment, will call us at their first opportunity to let us know. Should you find yourself in that position, you will ring us won’t you?”

This works on two levels. Firstly people want to be in the majority (on the whole) and the sentence ‘Most people’ helps them to join that group.

On the other level getting them to agree to the statement gives them a moral obligation to respond. An obligation that most will keep.

But, just in case you find yourself with no shows what can you do to fill the gap? One salon owner I was working with kept a list of potential people who could come at a moment’s notice. Should she have a no show she’d get the list out and start calling them, stopping once the vacancy was filled.

However, there is a slightly less cumbersome way of achieving the same aims. Maintain the same list BUT make it a list of mobile (cell phone) numbers. Then, when the vacancy arises text a message like:

“Stop press! Due to cancellation, treatment available at <<your Salon>> from 3-4pm. Massive 50% discount. First to text back gets the appointment. Reply NOW!”

I know which approach is the easiest, quickest, cheapest and most effective!

Post from: Beauty Salon Marketing UK

Salon Management - How to stop “No Shows”

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“The UK health and beauty market is set to grow by 2.7 per cent in 2009, despite the fact that the there has been a slight decline in the overall retail segment.
The figures prove the industry to be one of the most resilient during the current economic downturn, showing that growth is still possible despite the fact that many other segments are reporting plummeting sales figures.

Accordingly the market should be valued at £16.3bn (€18.84bn) by the end of the year, according to a new report from Research and Markets entitled UK Health & Beauty Retailers 2009.

The figures are particularly good when contrasted with an overall decline for retail sales figures in the UK of approximately 0.6 per cent, a figure that is largely accounted for by the significant economic downturn in the UK.”

Though cheaper supermarket “own brands” are taking some of the market share from established names like L’Oreal, the overall growth prediction is a good sign. And if your salon is not yet offering products or services for men, you may want to read this paragraph -

“…the men’s grooming segment is also tipped as having significant potential, with the report highlighting the fact that sales in this category increased by 7.5 per cent in 2008 to reach over £1bn.”

Post from: Beauty Salon Marketing UK

UK Health and Beauty Market to Grow in 2009

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