Part of planning for Christmas involves prepping against any New Year problems in the salon. It may seem unthinkable to plan for next year right now, but trust us – it will come around fast! So, we’ve put together five common New Year troubles and easy solutions to help you plan ahead.
1: A clear direction to avoid New Year problems in the salon
New Year, new you! It’s easy to come into January with no clear direction for the year yet, but that means you’re also coming into the New Year on the back foot. That’s why a salon business plan is important to make sure you hit the ground running. By analysing your business performance from the past year to put together a plan now, you can give yourself a clear direction for the New Year.
2: Attract new clients for the New Year
After the bustle of Christmas, it’s the snooze of January. Salons often face a quiet spell in January, but you can tackle this New Year problem in the salon with gift cards (of gift vouchers). These make a popular festive gift to a loved one, which is why it’s important to sell gift cards online for Christmas. That way, you can maximise their sale to bring in new clients wanting to use their gift in the New Year.
3: Tackle no-shows and cancellations
Many clients will be feeling the pinch come the New Year, undoubtedly leading to cancellations. That can create a New Year problem in the salon. The best way to fix this is to take a deposit for treatments, which is non-refundable if clients cancel shortly before their booking. You can make sure this is clear by updating your cancellation policy and informing clients, making sure to deter last-minute cancellations based on trivial reasons.
We also have more advice on how to reduce no-shows and cancellations to help, should you need it.
4: Motivate salon staff for the New Year
The New Year brings about the January blues after the Christmas celebrations, so it’s up to you to bring the energy back to your team! An easy way to do this is to set realistic targets based on each member of your team. That way, you inspire and motivate staff in the New Year by giving them something to strive towards.
5: Attract clients back with a refreshed menu
One last problem that many salons face is how to bring back existing clients for the start of the New Year. Well, this is your chance to refresh your offerings a bit!
A shiny new treatment or package, particularly one that tackles the perils of winter’s drying grasp, is likely to bring back clients with a renewed interest. Set up your new treatment menu, make sure to refresh your website with the details, and then you can market the new menu through email, SMS and social media! With the right software to help run your salon this New Year, this can be a breeze.
Salon by Premier Software® is the ideal solution. Not only can it run reports to measure your salon’s performance, but also set up deposits, gift cards, new treatments and help market them using email and SMS. To find out how Salon can help you, click the button below.
