If you have had hopes of becoming successful in the beauty salon business, then this piece is what you need to go through.
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Beauty salon business is one of those businesses that can thrive irrespective of the economic situation of the country. Previous investigations had revealed that recession hardly had an effect on how the population take care of their hair and other personal hygiene. Industry analysts in the United Kingdom actually claim that beauty salons have performed well during the country’s recession; a 2009 report found out that only one in 10 women had stopped going to the salon to save money during the downturn.
In Nigeria here, women still adorn different hairstyles every week, children either boys or girls including men eqaully visit salon from time to time. Furthermore a number of recent trends, notably the increasing number of men seeking specialist health and beauty treatment, have provided real benefit to salons. This means that operators will always be in demand and that proves unending flow of income.
Running a beauty salon goes beyond hairstyling, it cuts across manicure, pedicure, spa, facial treatment, beauty treatment and you can also have a department where you can sell all the products that your clients need. More like operating a one stop shop services, it can be quite lucrative. Generally, with the trend in fashion statements nowadays, operators are usually busy.
Although it is good if you have some basic training and experience, but this is also one of the businesses you can do even without experience. However, If you do not have a beauty background, all you need is to ensure the staff you take on are sufficiently qualified, you will need to employ a beauty therapist as a day-to-day manager to make up for any shortfalls in specialist knowledge.
You can have a unisex salon under one roof, where you can cater for both men and women including children. You can get hands from the neighbouring country in Benin Republic, they are very good in weaving and braids,
place them on salary or commission and you are good to go.
Below are some essential tips you will find invaluable as you plan your salon:
1. Business plan
No business can function properly without a plan. You need a roadmap, a document that will guide your business to success. It doesn’t have to be a long drawn out process. In fact, you’ve probably already put together a lot of the information mentally, or even scribbled a few notes on paper. The point of a solid business plan is to figure out what your business is, how it will be successful, and how you’ll solve problems.
2. Funding
You need to figure out how much money you need to get started, and where it will be coming from. Is it from a personal saving, a loan from relatives or bank?
3. Mentor is important
As you’re planning your business, it’s a great time to find a business mentor. It’s best to find someone in the salon industry that can answer questions for you as you start and grow your business.
4. Accounting and inventory
To keep track of your money and project growth, you’ll want to implement an accounting and inventory program. On the accounting side, you’ll need a program to track your revenue and expenses. You can seek help from an accountant to get started.
5. Location
The right location is the difference between success and failure. You want to select a spot with good traffic, high visibility, and is located where your target demographic shops or lives. Be fussy about your location, it is very important. Equally if you have space in your compund, you can actually start from home as well.
6. Opening your salon
With the planning stages complete, you’ll move on to the nitty-gritty details of actually opening your salon.
7. Design your salon around your clients
As well as providing top-notch beauty treatments, you have to put effort into making your salon a place people want to go to unwind, and be prepared to offer great customer service to make everyone feel welcome. So before you start painting the walls and picking out furniture, make sure that your design matches the kind of clientele you want to attract. If your customer base is the younger generation, go with fun, bold colors and furniture. For a higher-end vibe, go for a modern and sophisticated look. In other words, tailor your look to your intended client base.
8. Marketing
To be successful, you need clients. To attract clients, you need a marketing plan. You need to set aside some money to market your business. Without it, you’ll struggle.
Create a killer website: For starters, you need a good website. If you have the money, hire a professional to create your website. Your site should be attractive, easy to navigate, and ideally include helpful information for your customers, such as hours, location, contact info, and pricing. Setting up an online booking system is also a good thing to look into.
Before you dive into a design, take a look at the sites of your competitors and try to design something that sets your salon apart.
Find creative, low-cost marketing ideas: Consider supporting a nearby school inter-house sport competition or a small charity event to attract more customers. You want to get the word out about your salon, and getting involved in your community is a great way to do that.
Social media accounts: Social media is an important component to your marketing plan, facebook, instagram, and others, but make sure you post regularly and engage with your customer
9. Continue marketing efforts
When a customer finds a stylist he or she likes, they usually become repeat clients. However, this doesn’t mean you should let up on your marketing efforts. Even if you have a steady stream of customers, you should build on the marketing efforts that you’re already using.
10. Check for ways to save
When you first open your doors, you may have splurged on a few things that you thought you needed, but really don’t. With your business established, review your inventory and see if you can make any changes or cuts to save money.
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