Building a Budget
by Celeste Sepessy
Lead Fitness Writer, HFPN (Health Fitness Pro Network)

Building a budget is the essential foundation for any business. A well-prepared budget will create a path for fitness professionals to follow. But starting off on the right money-managing course can be difficult for a new business owner with little business experience. “Your average fitness trainer or health and wellness professional is quite often weak in business operations,” says Jaya Schillinger, owner of business coaching company Inspiration, Inc. “In a budget, you try to map out your vision into numbers.”

Since 2004, Inspiration, Inc. has created business plans and budgets for health and wellness businesses. Schillinger suggests first addressing your own relationship with money: setting a good service fee, asking for the sale, and collecting money.  “That’s one of the first obstacles most wellness professionals hit,” she says.

Give Yourself a Price Tag
Schillinger says people tend to undercharge for services. This is in part because, when you work for yourself, people tend to feel like they are selling themselves.  “You really need to be doing some personal development work around money and building your confidence when you first start out,” she says.

Pre-budget game plan

1. Before you start your budget, it’s crucial to have basic business skills and essentials figured out. Follow these steps to ensure a solid business foundation, courtesy of fitness business coach Jaya Schillinger.
2. Enroll in an entry-level business course.   Most colleges offer basic business classes, which will help prepare any business professional.
3. Conduct an informational interview. Schillinger suggests finding successful business owner to talk to. “Find out if the business is really what it looks like from the outside,” she says. Just make sure to talk to businesses outside of your demographic, or else they may be reluctant to share information with a competitor.  
4. Buy the basics. Secure your business name, license and Web site domain.  
5. Go to trade shows. You can make use of the included technique and business development classes included in the show fee. Plus, Schillinger says, “You get an idea of who your peers are.”

Build Your Budget
Next, it’s time to create a proper budget from scratch. Inspiration, Inc. provides a business feasibility service, in which a client can create a budget and discern whether it’s realistic. Budget services like this cost around $1,000. “It’s far smarter to actually work out your business finances in a mock-up scenario and crunch those numbers before you’re actually using real cash,” Schillinger says.

Oftentimes, business owners who have strayed from their budget can get back on track with some quick changes. Jaya Schillinger, owner of fitness coaching business Inspiration, Inc., provides some easy ways to scale back your expenses. Schillinger says owners can look for ways to cut overhead through scaling advertising, reducing staff, changing hours and having the owner work more. “If customers are on a plan for 10 sessions and you let that expire without rebooking it, or if there’s down time in between, you’re losing money,” Schillinger says. These cost nothing and can happen immediately. “That’s the quickest route to money,” Schillinger says.

For those tackling a budget on their own, there are two categories of expenditures to take into account:

First, recognize the size and scope of your business with your fixed costs. These expenses stay the same every month, like rent, utilities and insurance. “Getting the right sized space is very important,” Schillinger says. A small change can mean a significant amount of extra (or less) rent money each month.

Second, account for the variable costs. Variable costs are harder to navigate, like traveling to clients’ houses. “You’re going to have to pay gasoline, and that’s going to depend on how many clients you have, which is going to fluctuate,” Schillinger says. Businesses in the fitness industry encounter many one-time or yearly costs, like continuing education, certification and equipment costs, “little things that are easy to forget about,” Schillinger says. “People have a real common tendency to underestimate; it’s a guarantee that you’re going to forget things.”

Instead, be as detailed as possible, including every possible expense — even your own pay. “A lot of people don’t pay themselves in our field or they’ll say, ‘I’ll get paid later,’ ” Schillinger says. “We want to build that into your budget from the beginning so you don’t get caught short.” By planning a thorough budget, a potential business owner will be able to see the money it will cost them to run a business and, consequently, the money they need to make to support that.  “Can you do those numbers on the gross sale side?” Schillinger asks. If so, determine the number of clients and service rate to achieve the sales number.

Creating a budget is surely a time and (possibly) money commitment. But one must be prepared for business if they want to succeed, Schillinger says. “By preparing a budget, you can see if your business is going to fail before you even begin,” Schillinger says.

Quick fixes for cutting costs
Often times, business owners who have strayed from their budget can get back on track with some quick changes. Jaya Schillinger, owner of fitness coaching business Inspiration, Inc., provides some easy ways to scale back your expenses.

1. Stop wasting money. Schillinger says owners can look for ways to cut overhead through scaling advertising, reducing staff, changing hours and having the owner work more.
2. Recognize missed opportunities. “If customers are on a plan for 10 sessions and you let that expire without rebooking it, or if there’s down time in between, you’re losing money,” Schillinger says.
3. Ask for referrals. These cost nothing and can happen immediately. “That’s the quickest route to money,” Schillinger says.

Don’t fudge the budget
Business coach Jaya Schillinger lists the top five mistakes fitness professionals make while budgeting for a business — and how you can avoid them.

1. Underestimating your actual expenses. “Even if you’re not going to do a proper budget, it would be a very smart idea to have a spreadsheet where you list out all of your expenses,” Schillinger says. “When you have those once a year things that people tend to forget about, make sure those things are on there. That way, when it does come time to make a budget, you’re being realistic.”
2. Not having a plan at all. Schillinger says flying blind is a surefire way to fail.
3. Forgetting about outsourced work. “Make sure that the rate you want to pay subcontractors fits what you can afford to pay them,” Schillinger says.
4. Selling services one session at a time. “Selling your services one session at a time, as opposed to having people buy larger packages is a common mistake people make in the beginning,” she says. “You’re always feeling like you never have enough money to cover your bills because you can’t count on income coming in the future. The bigger packages people buy, the more predictable your income gets.”
5. Neglecting to have a retail component. Schillinger said the best businesses always sell some retail. “If you’re a fitness trainer, you’re probably recommending your client work out with some weights at home as well, so they’re going to need to buy those dumbbells from someone, why not you?” she says. “I would suggest that you take control of that by choosing products that you really endorse and finding a way to make a revenue off of that, either commission or selling it yourself.”

Article Key Points:

• A well-prepared budget will create a path for fitness professionals to follow.
• Reconcile your relationship with money and charge appropriately for your talent and your services.
• When creating your business budget account for both fixed and variable costs.
• Be sure to pay yourself. This is a prime mistake many business owners make.

Click here to visit the HFPN website.

Do-it-yourself internet marketing will always give you the most bang for your buck because it's so much less expensive than traditional print advertising. Especially in this economy, you need to still be marketing, but in ways that are inexpensive and that also give you control to be flexible. These are some crazy, changing times! You've got to be able to adapt and change approaches on a dime. Internet marketing helps you do that. If you can learn to update your own website, blog, newsletter, and Twitter page--you've got tremendous power over your business.

 
For our website, I use InspirationalWebHosting. I've been on-line since 1999 and have tried various template-based ecommerce website services. Several years ago, after being very frustrated with Go Daddy's clunky website builder, I found Inspirational Web Hosting. I like them SO much, that I contracted a licensing deal with them and they are our official web hosting division. They handle all the back end support and billing. They have a design team, too. Although what I like best about them is that it's really easy to do yourself! It's very similar to Microsoft Word. There are a few things that are unique to website building that you'll learn along the way, but it's geared towards business owners, not techs. If you're curious, sign up for a free 10-day trial and bang around on it!

I've been using Typepad to build and host my blogs since 2006. They've gone through a few evolutions since then, but I find their platform to be easy to use and I don't have to hassle with uploading it onto my website servers. They let you use your own domain name. They have predesigned templates (so you can start right away) or you can create your own design. They've got good customer service via email. Some recent changes they've made make it nimble and efficient. I highly recommend them. They have a free trial, too.

Setting up your first blog template will take a few hours, mostly so you can learn to navigate through the different settings. Creating a custom banner (I use Picnik) and layout will take longer. I spent six hours starting up a new blog today, most of that time was spent obsessively tweaking my banner image and fonts (artistic fun for me.) It's a personal food & wine blog, although I think it would be wonderful to meet some new professional connections, too. The wine & hospitality industries are the heart & soul of my local community.

If you click through to Sonoma Bon Vivant, you'll see that I just have one post up (as of this writing.) I'm showing you my unfinished blog because sometimes people procrastinate, rather than just start getting the word out. Remember: You don't have to be perfect, you just have to start. Your first attempts might look rough at first. That's okay! Edit it later. Surely you've heard that same advice about writing, and blogging is no different. Rough draft first. Edit for a final draft later.

Building a blog or website is similar to painting the Golden Gate bridge. By the time you're finally, "finished," you're going to want to start over and update it. That's because your skills will have vastly improved along the way! You'll have to take my word on it, but by the time you've gone through the initial learning curve, it really starts to get fun. Those of you who are aesthetically-inclined will really gravitate towards it, once you learn how. Again, the important thing is to just get started.

The best getting started article (for the step-by-steps) is one I wrote previously: Geeky Like Me: How to Start Your Blog and Why. It's still the exact same set up that I personally use and it's been working for 3.5 years. Many people have emailed me to say that article held their hand enough that they were able to start blogging.

Need more help than that? I'm here for you. Now that I've got a good program that will let us both be on-line and screen-share remotely, it's easier for me to teach you. I'm of the "teach a man to fish," school of coaches. Happy to do some of the geek bits while you watch, what I really want to do is empower you to do this for yourself. We'll be using the same services I already use and that I know will work well for you. Together, we can get you trained and get your site done.

If you'd like me to personally work with you, I'm prepared to give you a competitively low price (what you'd pay for a web geek, not my usual consulting rate.) Email me so we can discuss your needs. I'm ready to roll up my shirt sleeves, if you are!

The early winds of change blew gently. I clung and strengthened my resolve. Another gust made me tremble, yet still, I did not move. Gale force winds now bring the impending fall I’ve been resisting. There is beauty in letting go gracefully.

Rather than cling to what is not working, today I choose to gently let go. Even though I don’t yet know where I’m landing, spirit will give me a soft place to fall.

[Meditations by Jaya Schillinger. Click here to see more.]

Do you sometimes have the need to be able to show someone a document or give step-by-step instructions to someone who's working on a different computer in a different location? I do! There are so many times when I need to teach someone how to do something on-line or in a software program, but it's hard to walk them through it by phone. I want them to be able to see my computer screen.

There are plenty of screen-sharing programs for sale. I've dabbled with a few of them, but found them to be either too clunky, too expensive, or in most cases, both--until now.

I just discovered Adobe's terrific free ConnectNow on-line software. Adobe? Terrific? Your first thought might be the same as mine, equating the Adobe brand with their painfully slow resource-hogging PDF's. There's nothing more annoying then accidentally clicking on a PDF link and having to stop whatever you were doing and wait for a PDF document (that you didn't want) to open. Yet sometimes negative expectations can set the stage for great surprises! Adobe's ConnectNow is easy, fast, and doesn't seem to slow my computer down at all. In fact, it's saving me a lot of time because rather than emailing documents back and forth, I'm able to collaborate with people in real time.

Here's how it works:

• You open a free account at http://www.adobe.com/acom/connectnow/
• Configure a few simple "meeting" preferences, such as do you want to use a web cam with microphone, use the free teleconference phone number Adobe gives you, or use the chat feature. 
• ConnectNow gives you a permanent custom URL as your meeting address.
• You send email invitations to people to join your meeting (up to 3 people can be in a meeting in this free version.)
• All attendees have to do is click on your link, dial the phone number you specified, and enter the meeting. They don't have to install anything. It's easy!
• As the host, you can choose to share a document, PowerPoint presentation, web page, even your entire computer screen with attendees. There's even a white board feature if you want to make visual notes.
• Does someone else need to share? You can assign them control (they will need to download a small application to use this feature.)
• Need to do a little remote tech support on their computer? They can give you control over their computer.
• One other blessing: it's cross platform, allowing PC's and Mac's to collaborate through the internet, so there doesn't (seem) to be any compatibility issues.

It's brilliant for trainers & consultants. The program has allowed me to do some hands-on tech work for my clients, but most importantly, teach them. Last week, I was able to help one client set up her blog and review another client's PowerPoint presentation with her live, as she clicked through and explained her slides. I'm just scratching the surface of what's possible.

This program would also be great for off-site managers, who want to review and discuss reports or help a new staff member learn something on the computer without having to come into the office. 

This program would also be fantastic for collaborating with your bookkeeper or accountant, without you needing to export a file as an email attachment.

Adobe ConnectNow also has a webinar-level service for groups at a monthly or pay-per-use fee. I've attended one webinar hosted on the Adobe service and it was the smoothest, easiest, best experience I've ever had. Next time I do a virtual class, I'll test it out and report on what's it like to use it to host one.

Hi Jaya:

I read your article on nail clients. I am wondering what the prevailing thought is about people who do nails? Specifically, manicurists who are habitually late and who answer the phone while they are doing your nails? I had an experience the other day with the woman I go to: Our appointment was for 10:30. She called and asked if I would change it to 11:00. I said O.K. I got there and she was not anywhere near done with a client at 11:00. I waited until 11:25 and realized she still had more to do with that client. I got up and told her I couldn't wait any longer.

She also wears a headset while she is doing nails and if the phone rings (and it does quite a lot) she answers it.

The thing is, she is not alone. I have been to at least three different people here in my town--all of whom are like this.

It was such an interesting topic (and all-too-common story) that I decided to write another article in response to it:

Is a Good Manicurist Hard to Find? Changes in the Nail Salon Business

Some of the answers to the question about "good manicurists"--ones that provide excellent customer service, in addition to doing a good job on your nails--are found in cultural differences. I'm not just speaking of ethnic cultures (which sometimes have differing etiquette) but vocational and work cultures. The attitudes, beliefs, and values of people working in certain industries and organizations combine to create an overall business culture and standard of behavior. Then of course, each service provider has her/his own level of customer service that is acceptable (or not) to the business owner and most importantly--to you, the customer.

The nail industry has changed quite a bit since I first started managing salons in the 1980's. Back then, nail services were most often done in full-service beauty salons. Demand for acrylic and then-new gel nails was high. The required follow-up appointments for fills made customers fiercely loyal to their manicurists. It was a booming industry and good manicurists (and their steady, loyal clientele) were valuable assets to a business owner. For example, I remember paying one of the manicurists that worked for me a whopping 80% commission on services. With tips, she was taking home over $80,0000 a year. Paying her as much as we did, the salon didn't make any profits from her actual services, yet she was so adept at getting her customers to become hair and esthetic clients, we still benefited financially from her employment. Offering nail services as a loss-leader to increase clientele for other services was pretty typical back then.

In the late 80's to early 90's, we began seeing a different trend. Vietnamese immigrants began opening up family-run nail salons in the states. However the popularity of Vietnamese nail salons began in Europe. Post-war, the Vietnamese culture integrated with the French and Vietnamese women created successful manicurist careers for themselves in the European beauty industry. (Anyone else remember when French Manicures were "new" in the US? Europe has set our beauty treatment standards for ages.) Changes in US immigration laws sheltered waves of Vietnamese refugees, yet most were unable to find jobs in corporate America. Instead, Vietnamese families pursued the "American dream" by entering the small business sector, working together in low-overhead nail salons, where they could get by if just one or two workers could speak English and translate for the others.

By providing inexpensive services, along with good results, they were able to woo full-service salon clients, as well as make regular nail services accessible to a market of women that could previously not afford them. Cautious at first, American women put language and cultural differences aside and started embracing their new service providers. As Asian nail salons started booming, many (but not all) full-service salons started reporting losses in the manicuring department. Customers started choosing the lower-cost option. Manicurists who were previously earning high numbers, didn't want (or couldn't afford) to take a pay-cut to stay competitive. Other than members of family-owned nail salons, fewer people have been choosing manicuring as a career, which also makes good employees hard to find. Rare is a family member going to abandon their roots and seek outside employment. Many Asian family-owned nail salons have worked hard and succeeded. Meanwhile, many full-service salons & spas have conceded defeat and pulled the manicuring department out altogether. (As a consultant, I've often been the one to recommend pulling the plug.)

[Here's an article from a Vietnamese-American perspective:]
GETTING A TOEHOLD: Cleaning nails opens doors for many Vietnamese

The lower service prices in many nail salons has also affected service levels to some extent. Needing to squeeze as many appointments in as possible, along with a motivation to capture walk-in customers (and prevent them from going to another close-by nail salon) many nail salons habitually over-book and run late. While they want to serve clients that prefer to book appointments (steady, repeat business) they'll often take a last-minute client, even if it's a few minutes before your appointment time. Nail salons also experience what restaurants do--many people call to make reservations, but then don't show up. Nail salon customers tend to not plan ahead, unless it's hard to get in. Switching from one nail salon to another is more common now, too. Customers know they can get an appointment on a moment's notice (and service providers are fast to pick up the phone to say 'yes'--whether they are already booked or not.) There seems to be more of a divide in nail salon operations these days: some nail salons thrive by doing non-stop services without appointment, while others thrive by exploiting that difference and offering a higher level of customer service (and can charge a premium for that distinction!)

Although there are many reasons behind the changes in business culture and customer service levels, it still comes down to balancing the needs of the business with the needs of the customer. The disappointing part is that many business owners don't really take a stand for customer care. One high-end day spa experience I had illustrates the point. After working hard as a presenter at a spa business expo in Las Vegas, I had some pampering time scheduled upon my return. My massage therapist was fantastic. My esthetician was brusque and impersonal--she never even told me her name. My all-over pampering experience was sinking and my manicurist was the iceberg that sunk the Titanic. She "greeted" me in the quiet room with a half-eaten candy bar in her hand--the other half was in her mouth while she spoke, "You get nail?" Then she waved her half-eaten snack in gesture for me to walk towards the manicuring room. She continued to finish eating and also took a call on her cell phone while doing my pedicure. After she hung up the phone, she blurted, "That my other business. You should come there next time," and proceeded to fish some dirty business cards out of her handbag. Curious about her reaction, I replied, "But I'm a customer here." She explained how the spa I was at was inconvenient for her to drive to and that the other place was better for her. I thought about leaving mid-pedi, but instead picked up a magazine and actively ignored her as best I could. When I checked out, I told the assistant manager about her manners and also that she'd asked me to become a customer at the other place she worked. She replied, "I know, but we NEED her." Case closed. She'd heard it before and didn't care. Imagining that the spa director might want to know (I know my clients would!) I took the time to call the next day and got a similar response. Somehow, they thought they were still benefiting from having here there, even though they lost me as a customer (and my potential referrals) because of it. This puts a whole other spin on the term "loss leader" when it comes to the manicure department!

As a customer, you get to vote with your dollars and referrals. I understand the frustration my reader experienced from having tried 3 different manicurists and getting the same poor treatment by all of them. The bottom-line advice I have for her or anyone is to walk your pretty pedicured toes out the door and try another nail salon. Price isn't always an indicator of quality (I paid $80 for a mani/pedi at the spa I mentioned above) although sometimes paying a little more at a business with good management is really worth it. The best indicator of quality is usually word-of-mouth. Referrals from friends are great, but the internet is your best friend now, too. Yelp and CitySearch are rich with tell-it-like-it-is customer reviews. People that are motivated to write online reviews are usually either very satisfied or very dissatisfied. The overall range of experiences is what you want. The internet is a great place to hear the good, the bad, and the ugly about your local beauty businesses. Good (and great) manicurists are out there. The work in different types of nail salons. They speak different languages. Yet what they have in common is more than an operator's license; they truly care about their customers--and for some professionals, that will never change.

When you first join Twitter, you're given a choice of pre-designed templates to customize your profile page. They look nice enough, but that design space can be put to much better use with a custom design that reflects your company image. Also, since Twitter only gives you 140 characters to say what you're all about, creating a custom design gives you a chance to include more descriptive text and contact information.

How do you create a custom banner on Twitter? Here are the steps I took to create mine:

Step 1: Decide to DIY or Use a Service
I Googled and read several articles, this one being the best: "HOW TO: Create Custom Twitter Backgrounds." That article gives you the basic dimensions if you want to create a truly custom background and also gives you links to some free on-line background generators. I tried a couple of the generator services. While a lot of people like them, I didn't because I wanted more control over my design so it would match my brand better.

Step 2: Choose a Graphic Design Program
I'm not a graphic designer, I'm a coach. Yet I don't want to hire a professional every time I want something designed for my internet marketing. Two years ago, I found an affordable on-line image editing program I love called Picnik. Since then, they've continued to add amazing new features, too. Picnik is one of the few on-line programs that lets you add text over images and also lets you layer images on top of images--two features that you'll want for this project. (There is a free version of the program, but you need to pay for the advanced version. Well worth it! You'll use this program again and again.)

Step 3: Choose a Full Page or Left Column Banner Image
The dimensions for both are given in that article I linked to in step one. I wasted a lot of time trying to make a full page design work and don't recommend it for graphic design novices! Ultimately, I chose to go back to my original plan for a simple left-column banner that measures 229 pixels wide x 580 pixels tall. Simpler always looks better!

Step 4: Think About What You Want to Promote
You can't go wrong by including a logo, a few words about your company, your contact information, and an offer, but I think it's much more interesting when people include some personality tidbits. Twitter is supposed to be a social networking site. Make yourself known as a person, not just a marketer!

The top of my banner describes my expertise in working with holistic businesses and invites people to have an introductory consultation with me. On the bottom half, I decided to let people know about my passion for wild elephant conservation, going so far as to show a couple photos of me with elephants in Kenya and mentioning my Sacred Elephants blog. [Click image at left to enlarge]

Step 5: Design Your Banner in Picnik
Without getting too technical, here are some key steps I followed to make my Twitter banner in Picnik.

1. Started with a plain image the same color as my Twitter page background, so it would blend seamlessly into the background. (I used white, so it looks clean and bright like our website.) Although a contrasting color could look nice, too.
2. Using the "Picnik basket" feature, I imported our company logo and other images I wanted to use, then dragged them up onto the banner.
3. On Picnik's "Create" tab, I added geometric "Stickers" to create the colored rectangular text boxes. Then I went to the "Text" tab to add my text on top of them.
4. After several revisions, I clicked the option button to "Combine Everything," and then save the completed image.

Step 6: Insert Your Banner Into Twitter
On your Twitter page, select "Settings" from the top menu. Choose the tab for "Design" not picture (or you'll accidentally delete your avatar.) Select "Change background image," then browse, upload, and save your new image.

Step 7: Coordinate Your Twitter Design Colors
You can further customize your page by selecting "Change background colors" (also on the Design tab.) Experiment with font, link, and background shades to make it all come together. Limiting yourself to 2-4 colors will make your page look the most professional.

It was pretty easy! If you've got some basic design skills, such as having created a flyer in Microsoft Word or Publisher before, you'll be able to quickly learn how to create a Twitter banner in Picnik. Be sure to show me yours when you're done!

Follow me on Twitter: http://twitter.com/JayaSchillinger

Here's a photo I took of one of the babies getting his bottle. Even though he's big, relative to our size, that's a milk-dependent infant about one year old.

After I got home from that trip, I continued to ask myself, "What can I do to help elephants?" Although I have some greater ambitions, I decided to start by doing what I already know how to do: Write. In 2006, I started a blog called Sacred Elephants.

Several publishers have been contacting me there (which makes my elephant-loving ears wiggle!) One of them is Tilbury House, an independent publisher that has two books by Carol Buckley, co-founder of the Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee.

Tilbury House asked me to participate in a virtual book tour, September 1-9, 2009. How it works is that each day, a different blog will be featuring a post about Tilbury House's elephant books. There are contests for readers who make blog comments or twitter about the tour. You can win free elephant books!

Additionally, the publisher will be tracking book sales through the end of 2009 and making a donation pledge to the Elephant Sanctuary.

I have both of the books being promoted:

• Travels with Tarra
• Just for Elephants

...and they're absolutely wonderful picture books, with a minimum of text that can be read in a few minutes. I think they'd be really nice for a waiting room, especially if you'd like something besides advertisement-filled magazines for a change!

Here's the link to the Sacred Elephants Trunk Sale & Virtual Book Tour (my date is 9/2/09.) Please take a moment to read about the books being promoted. Also, be sure to enter the contest to win a free book by commenting at the bottom of the blog post! The contest ends September 9th. Winners will be announced September 10th.)

Thank you for checking out the virtual book tour and joining me in my efforts to save elephants!

By Allie Johnson. Illustrations by Naoko Matsunaga. Nail Art by Elaine Watson.

NailPro Magazine, February 2009.

Think about all of the clients who come in to get their nails done on a given day—the bubbly college student, the soccer mom, the corporate CEO-and you'll realize that they're so different, they may as well come from separate planets. This means that each one wants something unique from her nail salon experience.

"Not everyone comes in just to get their nails done," says Tina Canada, owner of Tina Canada and Company in San Mateo, California. Canada has been doing nails for 20 years and also provides consulting services to other salon owners. Try to pay more attention to each client's personality, communicate with her openly and pick up on nonverbal cues. This way you'll have a better shot at retaining each new client.

The first step is to ask a new client exactly what she wants, then tailor the services accordingly. "The consultation is truly where it all begins," says Lisa Arnold, owner of

Salon and Spa Solutions in Gibsonia, Pennsylvania. "Always put an extra 15 minutes in the book; don't be cheap about that." The consultation should be written and verbal; ask open-ended questions on a form, then ask more in-depth questions in a follow-up conversation.

Store this information for future reference by using an index card in a recipe box or high tech salon management software-either way, it's vital to your success. Jaya Schillinger from Inspiration Inc., a company specializing in coaching and consulting for holistic businesses, teaches a class on personally profiling salon clients as part of her Power Up! business classes for spa and salon professionals. "If you want to have a successful service business, you need to be able to establish a rapport where you are able to make someone else feel comfortable with you," she says. "If you understand personality types, you will be able to get along with a wider range of people."

To help you better understand some general personality types and how to use this information to your benefit, here's a handy field guide to the different sorts of clients you're likely to spot in a day's work:

The Trendy Tina

Description: This client is hip, young (or young at heart) and expresses her personal flair through her hair, clothes and, of course, her nails. "A big part of it for her is fun-that's tied into the whole experience," says Schillinger, who calls this type a Creative. "She wants to know what the hot colors of the season will be-are we going gray on the nails, or plum, or metallic?-and she wants to try them all. You need to keep her stimulated."

Arnold agrees: "She's always looking for the latest and greatest. If she gets bored, she won't come back." But if you play it right, this type can become one of your best clients-she'll visit you as frequently as she changes her stylish, perfectly coordinated clothes.

Identifying traits: This client wears designer jeans, the latest sensation in jewelry and sports a stylish haircut "She'll have lots of bling," Schillinger says.

Natural habitat: Shopping for designer bargains online.

How to wow her: Alert her to a new trend she somehow didn't know about.

The upsell: Nail art, jewels, a trendy enhancement shape—anything new.

The Blissed-Out Brenda

Description: The results of any given treatment-smoother hands or heels and pretty nails-are a secondary concern for this client. For her, it's all about the experience. Getting her nails done is a way for her to pamper herself and take a rejuvenating break from work, rush hour traffic and other daily stresses. To help this client unwind, take a few deep breaths and make sure that you're not transmitting your harried energy to her with quick movements or a grating voice. Speak softly, be warm and gracious and keep conversation to a minimum. Check in with her periodically to make sure she's comfortable. For example: Is the temperature of the water OK? Does she know that the chair reclines and features massage and heat settings? And little extras always help- think aromatherapy candles, ambient music or a few extra minutes of massage. "This type won't spend as much on beauty, but she will spend on holistic wellness," says Schillinger, who calls this client a Visionary. "Throw in some flower petals and she's hooked."

Identifying traits: She wears loose, flowing clothing, possibly with sandals.

Natural habitat: On her mat at the yoga studio.

How to wow her: Schillinger suggests throwing a sprig of rosemary into the pedicure bowl or offering her a mug of herbal tea.

The upsell: Aromatherapy-but only with 100% natural oils-or reflexology.

The Practical Peggy

Description: This type of client is most likely coming in because she has a gift certificate-maybe her husband or best friend thought she could use some pampering-and she's making sure to use it before it expires. While she likes to look neat and clean, she's also very money-conscious, so she's not likely to make salon or spa visits a cornerstone of her life. This type might work in an analytical or high-tech environment and just doesn't spend much time thinking about beauty. She's no muss, no fuss. "Style isn't an issue for this type," Schillinger says, so don't expect her to become a regular. "She doesn't like to spend money on fluff."

Identifying traits: Her look is plain—think T-shirts and jeans or slacks with a simple chain around her neck.

Natural habitat: Her kids' soccer practice or picking up takeout.

How to wow her: Keep things simple-she'll get overwhelmed if you give her too many options and recommend a few muted polish colors that you think would flatter her skin tone.

The upsell: It's probably not happening. "About the best you can do is get her to tell a friend," Schillinger says. But if you don't fuss over her too much and provide her with a straightforward service, you never know-she could turn up again when a special occasion arises.

The Chatty Cathy

Description: If you're too quiet and laid-back, this client will think there's something wrong. She considers any silence awkward and wants to ask you questions-but mostly tell you all sorts of details about herself: traffic was horrible on the way to her appointment; her 10-year class reunion is coming up and it'll be the first time she's seen some of her friends since graduation; she's had really bad morning sickness since she got pregnant. And if you're the type who wants to talk about your husband's job or the practical jokes your kids like to play on each other, it'll just make this client feel connected to you, which is, of course, great for business. "When you're holding someone's hands or touching their feet, it's a very personal service," Canada says. "So there has to be some sort of bond there."

Identifying traits: She tells you something very personal on her first visit There'll undoubtedly be more to come.

Natural habitat: Chatting up the next customer in line at the post office, or the grocery store, or the coffeehouse.

How to wow her: Ask about her kids, her job or her dog, and really listen to her answer. Then memorize it "I try to remember everything [my clients] share with me, especially if it's something personal," Canada says.

The upsell: Anything that you can personally recommend.

The Workaholic Wanda

Description: Efficiency is key here since this client might be squeezing in the service on her lunch break. Don't keep her waiting; be professional and courteous. And don't be offended if she's writing a speech, buying plane tickets for her next business trip or sending email from her BlackBerry while you work. Even if this client doesn't have a job in the traditional sense, she's likely involved in her community and probably serves on boards or organizes charity events. She can be one of your best clients if you help make her busy life a little easier. "She values tradition and .. consistency," says Schillinger, who calls this type a Builder. "When it comes to getting her hair and nails done, she wants the same thing every time." This client might be especially demanding-she wants her nails to look perfect. If you impress this type, you've got a client for life because she books appointments like clockwork and doesn't like change.

Identifying traits: She likes nice things, perhaps driving a Mercedes and carrying a Louis Vuitton bag.

Natural habitat: Ducking into Starbucks on the way to work or a board meeting.

How to wow her: Be ultra efficient. Get her in and out quickly, and remember exactly how she likes her nails done. "She . will get annoyed if, when she walks in, you ask her what length or shape she wants," Schillinger says. "She wants you to keep track of the details."

The upsell: Book appointments with this client more frequently, maybe weekly instead of every two weeks.

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It may be an employers job market right now, but it's important to your company's reputation to treat all prospective employees with respect. Not only do you want to keep a good applicant interested while you sort through your list, but applicants who initially feel excited about working for you are going to update friends and family about their job application status, thereby affecting your overall business reputation. No one wants to patronize a company that treated their job-seeking friend poorly!

Sometimes busy clients hire me to process their job applicants for them. So I know first-hand how overwhelming it can be when the job market is flooded with qualifed, but also highly unqualified applicants. Yet there are several quick and easy ways you can manage responses while also managing your company's excellent reputation. Here are some of my recommendations:

STEP 1. Create a special email alias just for applicants such as jobs@yourcompany.com

STEP 2. Create an email inbox subfolder just for jobs and a filtering rule so that all emails sent to that address bypass your regular inbox and go straight into that folder.

STEP 3. Create a courtesy auto-reply that immediately gets sent to ALL new job applicants, acknowleding that you've received their resume and telling them what to expect next. Here is an example that you can modify and use:

Dear Applicant,

Thank you for sending us your resume. We look forward to reading it!

Our advertisement is drawing a large response, so we can't respond to each applicant personally at this time. However, we want you to know what to expect at each stage of our interview process:

1. We will be doing call-backs for interviews within the next 10 days. If you don't hear from us by then, it means that you weren't selected as a candidate.
2. If you are chosen, we will telephone you for a short preliminary discussion and decide if we should schedule an in-person interview.
3. Candidates that progess through the in-person interview process may be invited to perform a practical skills examination and additional interviews.
4. We hope to make a final decision and have the position filled by (insert date here.)

Thank you again for including us in your list of prospective employers! Sorry, but we cannot accept phone calls about the job, as we need to keep our lines open for customers. If you should have any additional questions, please email us at jobs@yourcompany.com

Sincerely,

Hiring manager's name
Your company's name
Contact information specific to the hiring dept.

STEP 4. Create subfolders in your "jobs" folder to sort leads after you've read their resume. I use a simple 3-folder system: Hot, Warm, Cold:

OPTIONAL EXTRAS:

After you've filled the position, send out a courtesy letter or email letting applicants know. Thank them again for applying and wish them well. Remember, they are going to update their friends on how their job application went and you want them to speak favorably of you!

You might also use this as a marketing opportunity. You could offer them a coupon or other special offer they can use if they'd like to become a customer. If your business provides beauty or stress-reduction services, you have an easy tie-in. People who are going on job interviews want to look their best and could certainly use some relaxation!

I like to practice "campground rules," when interviewing: Leave things (in this case people) as good or better than when you found them. Even if those applicants don't end up being your employee, they're going to be someone else's employee. Treat them right!

One of the first things I noticed after joining Twitter is that my email in-box started getting flooded with notifications about new Twitter followers and DM's (direct messages.) Rather than turn off notification emails altogether, I decided to practice a little Outlook Kung Fu and have Twitter emails automatically sort themselves into a special folder. 

I also created a special rule, so that when new Twitter mail arrives, I'm alerted by the cute (and not too distracting) sound of twittering birds. Sweet! (or is that tweet?!)

Here's how I did it (using Microsoft Outlook 2003 on Windows XP)

1. Right-click on the subject line of a Twitter email in my in-box preview pane.
2. Choose: Create Rule.
3. Select: Subject Contains.
4. Edit the subject so it just says "Twitter"
5. Select: Play a Selected Sound.
6. Choose: Browse. It should open your Windows Media folder. 
7. Choose: Jungle Open
8. Press the play (arrow) button to test the sound.
   If you don't have Jungle Open, you can try other pre-installed sounds or download a similar sound off the internet and save it in your media folder.
9. Select: Move email to folder.
10. Choose: Select Folder.
11. Highlight: In-box, then choose New Folder. Name it Twitter, then choose OK.
12. Click OK to save your rule.

If your rule is working properly (and you have your speakers turned on) you'll hear the twittering sound when new Twitter mail arrives, then see unread mail in the Twitter sub-folder in your Outlook in-box. Best of all, your real email won't be cluttered up with notifications and you can get batch your Twitter tasks for a later time!

Follow me on Twitter: http://twitter.com/JayaSchillinger

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