Business, Hair Salon, Salon Memo
Overcome the Early Winter Business Slump – Ideas for Surviving and Thriving During the Slower Beginning of the New Year
Jan
The early months of the year might see some clients seeking new looks to fulfill their resolutions but typically business slows for a time after the holiday season. Whether they are tightening purse-strings to make up for holiday spending or they’re being more budget conscious for other reasons, people tend to spend less time in salons or seek longer lasting lower maintenance treatments. As a salon owner this can be a stressful time, but there are ways to boost business and keep a steady income without inflating prices.
OFFER NEW ITEMS OR SERVICES
Use the slow period to evaluate sales of your retail products to determine what moves and what doesn’t. Consider removing the low earners and replacing them with new product lines to see how they fare by comparison.
Evaluate the industry and social media trends to consider the same thing with services. Sometimes chasing a new trend can lead to a boost in business. It can also be a way to target any untapped demographics that you might be missing out on.
SPRUCE UP YOUR SPACE
Slower periods can give you an opportunity to evaluate your current space to see if there is anything that you can do to optimize or otherwise rearrange. Sometimes a change of scenery can make your business more inviting, and the slower periods can allow for better planning for seasonal décor or other changes.
Looks and impressions are essential in the beauty industry and keeping your retail and workspace looking sharp goes a long way toward impressing your clients.
OFFER INCENTIVES TO REBOOK
If your salon doesn’t have a loyalty program this might be a good time to consider starting one. Incentivizing rebooking by offering points toward discounts, freebies, or special extras during their routine treatments can be a great way to not only encourage your clients to return but to also feel valued.
Pampering your clients can help keep them coming back but also make them feel special and can also lead to them spreading the word about your services, products, and offerings.
OPTIMIZE SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING PLAN
A slow period is the perfect time to evaluate the effectiveness of your marketing plans and to find areas on which to improve. Checking out current trends can help you to consider new services and how to show them off to your clients or potential clients. Contacting local influencers and forging partnerships with them can be a great way to spread the word and show off your work.
See what others are doing to promote their business and take note of what appears to be working for them and what doesn’t. This can give you an edge over the competition.
The slower months at the beginning of the year don’t have to mean doom and gloom. There are many ways to help boost your business and to keep clients returning, but it can also be a perfect opportunity to improve your business model, tap into new demographics, or to even improve upon your existing skills. Along with the above mentioned tips, using the slower period to research new methods or invest in classes can help your business in the long run.
