As many of you know, I founded Be Inspired Salon in Madison, WI in 2010. During the first two years, my salon was doing good, but it really exploded in 2012 because of my amazing business coach! In 2012, I attended a business networking event, and listened to a speaker who was no B.S. Really, he was straight to the point, very serious, and I knew in my gut that I needed to work with him. 

After connecting with him, he shared with me the cost of his services, and it was going to be a big investment for me. Even though the cost scared me, I was more scared about not working with him because of everything that my team and I would be missing out on. I wanted to make sure that my team and I were successful, and that required a significant investment. But, being coached turned out to be a huge success and worth every dollar! Within the first year of working with my business coach, my salon’s profits increased by 838%! (No, that’s not a typo.) It was really a night and day difference, and we were able to double our salon space and expand our team.

Because of this experience, I’ve always had a heart for being coached and coaching others. “A Players” want to be coached because they know that is how they get better. As salon owners, we need to be A Players, otherwise our team won’t work for us. A Players will not work for B or C Players. So, how do you know when it’s time to make the investment and hire a salon business coach?

Here are three ways that you will know. 

1. When you’ve gotten your salon as far as you can on your own. This is what prompted me to hire a business coach. I knew that my strengths were in marketing, customer service, and building up my stylists. But, I also knew that I had my weaknesses, such as accounting and finance.

Maybe some of you can relate to this either in your professional or personal lives—I was really good at making money, but I was also really good at spending money. We all know what happens when you outspend your earnings, so it was vital to the success of my salon to have someone help me with finances. We all have strengths and we all have weaknesses, so hiring a salon business coach can help amplify your strengths and improve your weaknesses. 

2. When your revenue and/or profits have flat-lined. If you’ve had a couple of good years, but there’s no signs of future improvement, you should hire a salon business coach. Maybe you’ve gone up a little bit, then down a little bit, but there’s nothing especially notable. This means it is time for an outside professional to help you generate more revenue and become more profitable. 

3. When you’ve plateaued. This idea is similar to #2, but as it relates to your business overall. Consider the last time that you’ve reviewed or improved on your hiring process, training program, marketing, pricing, and so much more! Overall, does your business feel stagnant, or are there things falling through the cracks? Then, it’s time to hire a business coach. Think about your salon business coach as your accountability partner who is there to make sure you succeed and breathe new life into your business! 

If you’re still unsure whether hiring a salon business coach is the right choice for you, consider one of my favorite quotes, “If you don’t know where you’re going to be in five years, you’re already there.” Think about that. If everything in your business is staying the same, then you already know what your salon will be like in five years. The question is: are you okay with that? 

Many people are scared of hiring a business coach because they think someone will find out that you’re not doing what you should be doing. But, guess what? That’s okay! That is the purpose of business coaching, and your coach will not judge you! Their job is to make you as successful as you can be! Don’t allow your ego, pride, or insecurities to stand in the way of getting what you need to become better! 

Coaching Options

So, now you’re ready to hire a business coach, but where do you start? Well, Beyond the Technique offers business coaching that is specifically tailored to salon owners! We are in your corner and ready to help when you’re ready. Now, there are a few options for coaching at varying costs. The most expensive option is face-to-face coaching. This is where you and your coach meet face-to-face either at your location or theirs. I’m going to be honest with you, I spend $2,000/month on face-to-face business coaching - and it’s worth every penny. 

The second option is virtual coaching, where you and your coach connect via phone or Skype. This is still one-on-one, but it’s virtual. This is still quite an investment, but not as expensive as face-to-face. 

Finally, the last option for coaching is a group mastermind session. This is also through a virtual platform where you and other professionals share ideas, challenges, and questions, and we all work together to help one another. So, if someone wants help with recruiting, we will all share our experiences, challenges, and suggestions to come up with some great ideas. This might sound scary to share with others, but it isn’t, I promise! This is the most affordable option and also a great way to network with others. 

I wholeheartedly encourage you to look into salon business coaching, and reach out to us with any questions you have! It’s not a matter of should you hire a coach, it’s a matter of when you should hire a coach. Learn more about coaching on our services page; we look forward to connecting with you! 

Introducing Chelle Neff

Chelle has shared some amazing wisdom with Beyond the Technique, and we can’t wait to pass it on to all of you! But first let’s start with the basics. Chelle Neff is the founder of the award-winning Urban Betty Salon in Austin, TX. (One look at their website or Instagram, and you can tell why!) Chelle and her team of professionals have numerous accolades, but most recently they made it into Salon Today’s Top 200 salons in an impressive five categories: growth, referral and retention, salon culture, inventory management, and technology!

So, how did Chelle build the Urban Betty brand that we know today? Chelle’s journey to salon powerhouse actually began in high school where she earned her cosmetology license. Fresh out of high school, Chelle moved from Abilene, TX to Austin, TX and started working at SuperCuts. Slowly but surely, she moved up the ladder—moving to a mall salon, then to a higher end salon, and finally becoming a booth renter. Chelle explains that through all these moves, she was building confidence in both her technical skills as well as her self-esteem, which ultimately gave her the confidence to open her own salon in 2005! After 10 years in various sectors of the industry, Chelle opened Urban Betty Salon when she was only 27. Despite starting at what many people consider the bottom rung of the salon industry, Chelle says that all of her experiences have made her an even more appreciative and empathetic salon owner—in fact, she doesn’t regret any of them!

Urban Betty Salon: Past to Present

When you see pictures of Urban Betty today, it’s hard to imagine the journey to get there, but Chelle explains that it wasn’t always easy. In fact, Chelle admits that her “ignorance was bliss.” If she had known how much time and money it would take to run a successful salon, she would have run in the opposite direction! (This seems to be shared sentiment among many of the guests we interview!)

In the beginning of Chelle’s entrepreneurial journey, she only wanted contractors but quickly learned that running a profitable business required hiring employees. So, she slowly started to transition from booth-renters to employees, and it all began with the hiring of one assistant. With just one assistant, Chelle learned that managing employees wasn’t as hard as she thought it would be (albeit with some help from Quickbooks). After a year working under Chelle, the assistant became a full time stylist, but as an employee instead of a contractor. Soon after this transition, Chelle was able to see that she made more money from employees than booth-renters and her vision for Urban Betty began to shift.

Accompanying this change in her business model, Chelle explains that she had to change her mindset as well. Instead of being relatively hands-off with her fellow coworkers, Chelle had to step into the role of being a boss. For Chelle, this meant having enough confidence and self-worth to be someone’s mentor and leader. Eventually, Chelle realized that mentoring young women was her true calling, and that sometimes the thing you fear the most is what you’re most meant to do. With some trial and error, Chelle grew her salon from a handful of contractors to 22 stylists, 5 assistants, and a full front desk and managerial staff! That’s what we consider a success story!

Take Note

Of course, we were eager to ask Chelle for her top recommendations for salon owners to become girl bosses like her! Her first recommendation is structure. At Urban Betty Salon, Chelle decided to become a Summit Salon about three years ago, and it has been a game-changer for her team!  By becoming a Summit Salon, her salon now has an established level system for stylists. Instead of telling everyone to figure out their own prices, give themselves raises, and work when they want, this level system provides structure and an opportunity for real growth. Stylists can plan out what their retention rates need to be, how much retail they have to sell, how many pre-bookings they need, how many days to work etc. to reach their goals. Some of you may be rolling your eyes because this sounds “corporate,” but Chelle insists that it works! If you want to be a successful business owner, you need to run a business.

Second, Chelle insists on hiring a consultant or business coach. A business coach can help you see gaps where you can’t. They will help you learn your numbers, determine how much to spend on hair color, what your cap for rent should be, look at cash flow, and so much more! Unsure of where to look for a business coach? Lucky for you, this is a service that we provide at Beyond the Technique, and we specialize in salon business coaching! Get started here!

Third, Chelle emphasizes maintaining a real connection with your staff. Even though Chelle is no longer behind the chair, she hasn’t stepped away from her business. The fun and easy way that Chelle maintains a connection to her team is by scheduling individual “coffee dates” with her stylists every other month. At these dates, Chelle doesn’t talk numbers, she just talks about life—everything from puppies to boyfriends. By maintaining a connection, you see your employees as real people instead of numbers. If someone on your team has a bad month, you don’t have to get upset at them if you know that their grandfather is sick; this gives you a better perspective on your team and your business.

Why Urban Betty Salon?

To wrap up our conversation with Chelle, we asked why their clients choose Urban Betty Salon over the competition—what is their unique selling proposition? Chelle credits their strong social presence as a major contributor to their success. Anytime Chelle has an opportunity to put their brand in front of people—she takes it! Whether that is advertising on Google, Facebook, and Yelp, or donating to a local charity, Chelle is all in! She insists that you need to remain relevant and “stay in people’s faces” to be successful. Also, they have a ton of great reviews which definitely helps drive business.

Chelle’s path towards bigger and better success is far from over. This year, she is working on opening a second location and has already agreed to share her progress with us, so stay tuned! One final quote that Chelle wants to leave our readers with is “How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.” She encourages everyone to keep doing little things everyday to work towards your goal; if you keep the forward momentum you will get there!

If you want to hear even more about Chelle’s journey, listen to Episode 77 of Beyond the Technique podcast. Then, share your thoughts on our private Facebook group! We can’t wait to hear from you!

As you may know, I am the founder of Be Inspired Salon in Madison, WI. Be Inspired Salon is an upscale boutique salon, so we decided to serve alcohol many years ago to really maximize our guests’ experience. When you put yourself in a client’s shoes, having a drink at the end of a busy day at work can help you relax and associate the salon with only positive vibes! Before you start serving drinks, there are a few factors to consider: the product, the execution, and the cost. 

The Product

When guests check-in for their appointment at our salon, we actually hand them a small beverage menu. That’s right; instead of rattling off our options, a little menu displays our professionalism and array of options which include: water, coffee, tea, wine, and bourbon. 

As a local boutique salon with many community partners, we pride ourselves on serving locally sourced beverages. For instance, our coffee is from the Johnson Brothers Coffee Roasters, and our tea is from a local provider as well. Even our water is top-notch because it has gone through the process of reverse osmosis. In other words, all the bad stuff has been taken out and the good minerals are added back. By explaining this option on the menu, we are communicating that we are an upscale salon and provide the very best to our clientele!

When we decided to serve alcohol, we continued with our local options by serving wine from Wollersheim Winery and bourbon from Yahara Bay Distillery, which are both local staples. On the beverage menu, we indicate that there is a white wine option in the Spring and Summer (Prairie Fume) and a red wine option in the Fall and Winter (Prairie Sunburst). 

We make sure to choose wines that are pleasing to the majority of our guests. Even though you might love dry red wines at all times of the year, choose an option that is friendly to everybody - and save the really good stuff for home! Finally, for our bridal parties, we serve mimosas. 

The Execution

Now that you’ve decided on your product, you have to think about the logistics. Since I live in Wisconsin, I’m going to share the rules for my state. These same rules might be applicable to your state, but you need to check the rules for yourself to make sure! In Wisconsin, if you do not charge for alcohol, you do not need a liquor license to serve it; so we don’t need to bother with that. Also, you have to make sure that your guests enjoying this amenity are 21 or older. Now, you don’t have to go around carding everyone who walks through the door, but if someone looks young, you should ask if they’re old enough in a fun and friendly way. Lastly, you have to make sure that the employee who is serving the alcohol is at least 18 years old. 

Beyond the rules for your state, you should establish your own salon policies surrounding alcoholic beverages. For example, we only serve one alcoholic beverage per guest, and we measure the amount. For bourbon, we pour one shot into a whiskey glass and for wine, we pour four ounces. If a guest drinks her glass of wine, our stylists simply offer one of our other options: coffee, water, or tea. We do not offer refills for wine or bourbon. Usually, our guests are so appreciative for just one drink that they aren’t upset at not being offered a refill. Your salon may choose to add additional policies, but these are a good start! 

The Cost

You don’t need to use a distributor unless you manage a huge salon! For our salon, we utilize a local grocery store, similar to Costco, where we know that we’re getting the best price possible. To ensure you always have enough beverages to offer your guests, you simply need to plan ahead. For instance, we look at our bridal schedule a month in advance and buy enough champagne for the month. For wine and bourbon, we utilize a similar strategy. At first, you might want to use a week-by-week approach until you know an average for your salon. Similarly, we know that we go through more wine in the warmer months than the colder months, so we adjust for the seasons as well. 

For some salons, the cost of this added amenity might be a concern. However, I assure you that this will not break the bank! If you increase your costs for a haircut and color by just two dollars, it will more than pay for itself. For my salon, I’ve done all the math, and it comes out to just about two dollars per beverage. 

Hopefully this outline encourages you to take the next step to set yourself apart from the competition! Serving wine, bourbon, or beer is a swanky little extra that is a fun addition to your salon environment. Give it a try and share your thoughts with our community on our private Facebook group!  

I recently heard Keith Cunningham speak at the Business Excellence Forum in Houston, TX, and I was so inspired by his presentation that I’m sharing his insights with you! Keith shared with us The big 5 of “A players" - and they couldn’t be more applicable to the salon industry. These characteristics are a great tool to identify the "A Players" on your team, but also to think about whether or not you’re an A Player. Let’s see! 

The Big 5

1. A Players love the outcome. In other words, they love the “scorecard,” whether that's a quarterly report, commissions on payroll, or an annual goal. A Players love the result and want to know that they’re winners.
    
2. A Players have a high internal need to succeed. Again, A Players love to win! But, they don’t need to be constantly motivated and monitored by others, because they want to win for themselves. A Players don’t need external motivation; they have all they need inside themselves.
    
3. A Players love measurement and accountability. If you set goals for your A Players, they love it! A Players like to track progress and be accountable to others. They don’t shy away from a tough challenge, but will meet the requirements to get to the next level.
    
4. A Players have the technical chops. Basically, A Players know what they’re doing, and they’re amazing behind the chair. They get it, they got it, and they’re good! Not only do they want to succeed, but they have the technical skills to make it happen.
    
5. A Players love coaching. This one is my personal favorite. A Players always want to know how they can become better. Even when you give them a compliment, they’re asking for your advice to take it one step further.

Are You an A Player? 

I was once told that A Players don’t want to work for B Players, and I couldn’t agree more! If you have A Players on your team who aren’t inspired by leaders who are also A Players, you’re going to struggle to keep them on your team. A Players want a leader who motivates them, coaches them to become better, and holds them accountable. 

If you’re in a situation where you’re struggling to keep A Players, you need to ask yourself,  “How do I become an A Player for my team?” Reading this article is a great place to start, and the team at Beyond the Technique is ready to help you take it even further! We encourage you to check out our other services including our Mastermind Group and Business Coaching (remember, A Players love coaching!) This could be your first step towards kicking it into A Player level--there’s no limit on your success! 

Are you looking for some more accountability on your road to becoming an A Player? Or, do you want some advice on mentoring the A Players on your team? Then, check in with us on Instagram and our sister company’s private Facebook group! We will see you there!

Have you thought about hosting events at your salon, but weren’t exactly sure what to do or why bother? Hosting events offers tremendous benefits for your salon, and Beyond the Technique is excited to share Tena Pettis’ innovative ideas for the events that every salon should host!

Why Host Events?

Tena is the owner of Capture Salon in Stillwater, MN where she feels that her salon is literally a hidden gem. When Tena purchased Capture Salon from the previous owner, she found herself explaining their location by describing the two stores on either side of her building. Everyone knew those other two stores, but had no clue there was a salon between them—total bummer, right? Reflecting on this unpleasant reality, Tena quickly realized that they were simply missing out on people seeing their gorgeous space. (It is seriously gorgeous!) So, in Tena’s words: “events were a big no-brainer.” Just by getting people into the salon, you start to build a relationship. Long story short: events build exposure.

Celebration Events

Celebration events are probably the most obvious and widespread events for salons. One of the most common celebration events is hosting a party for your salon’s anniversary. For Capture Salon’s anniversary, Tena explains that they “go a little bit more out” by hiring a caterer, serving wine and beer, and hosting a musician!

Another creative celebration event is hosting a party for a new stylist on your team to welcome her on board! Tena explains that this event will be a little bit more private, and they plan to invite the new Stylist’s family, friends, and close clients. By hosting an event, past clients can easily find her and follow her to Capture Salon! Also, this is a great opportunity to fill her books (win-win!).

Because you can never run out of reasons to celebrate, Tena and her team thought of one more fun event: Top 100 Clients! Tena is going to pull a report of their Top 100 clients from the previous year and invite them to the salon for an exclusive event. Their plan for the night: “just LOVE on those Top 100 clients!” What client wouldn’t love to be appreciated and spoiled for a night?

Education Events

As industry professionals, we often think about educating Stylists and salon owners, but we also need to think about continuously educating our clientele. A recurring education event that Tena and Capture Salon host are Essential Oils classes. Right now, Essential Oils are really trendy and everyone is talking about them. To meet this demand, Tena hosts one or two classes a month where oiler newbies and pros can come to learn more and sell their product. Tena explains that those who attend are always walking away with tips and tricks as well as exposure to their salon.

While Essential Oils classes are a perfect fit for Capture Salon, Tena stresses that you can educate clients about anything! For example, Capture Salon is also hosting a Smokey Eye Class. This event will be a great way to promote the makeup lines sold at Capture Salon and get Tena’s Stylists really fired up about an event they can lead! Educational events assist in branding your salon as experts who clients can come to, follow, and learn from.

Collaboration Events

Just like education events, the opportunities for collaboration events are truly endless, and you can get as creative as you want! The aesthetician at Capture Salon is working with a local nutritionist to host events about health and wellness. Even as a collaboration event, this class will also educate their clients about a holistic approach to beauty and wellness.

Beyond the Technique founder, Kati Whitledge, is also the owner of Be Inspired Salon in Madison, WI where they host an annual collaboration event. Kati explains that every year, Be Inspired Salon hosts a charity Cut-A-Thon. 100% of the proceeds from that event are donated to a local charity which is voted on by their clients. Kati explains that this is a great way for her Stylists to give back and create a great community feeling.

Planning Your Event

Budgeting. Tena explains that every month, she sits down with their bookkeeper to create a budget for food, wine, and beer for events. Typically, their monthly event budget is $250. While they don’t always use the full $250, putting this money aside creates a buffer for the months when they want to host a larger event. Also, Tena suggests that when hosting collaboration events, you try to solicit a small contribution from your partner since you are providing the space. Salon events can be as low-key or glamorous as your creativity and budget allow!

The Logistics. Planning ahead is crucial for a salon event to be successful! A tip that Tena recommends is printing a paper calendar for the year to map out your events. Being able to plan for the full year allows you to visualize the times of the year when it makes the most sense to host certain events. For example, you may choose to host your Top 100 event in February because the month is associated with love and host your charity Cut-A-Thon in October when things are a little slower. When you start seeing your events on paper and actually planning it out, the whole process seems a lot easier!  

Marketing. Did we mention Tena is also the founder of a social media and graphic design firm? (Yes, she is a rockstar!) For this reason, we couldn’t wait to ask Tena how she markets her events. Tena’s answer: “We are pretty aggressive with our Facebook events.” Tena offers some insider advice about Facebook events. For example, she notes that it is important to post in the event everyday to give people little updates, entice them to the event, and make sure that they don’t forget! Also, Tena explains that you can message everyone in a Facebook event, but the message appears to be personalized. In other words, no one knows that it was a mass message. Tena suggests sending a message similar to: “Will I see your beautiful face on Saturday?” or “So excited to see you at our event on Friday!” It is a little bit intricate and Tena explains that you can only do this on a mobile phone; if you want to try it out, here are some directions.

Stylist Buy-In. A really important piece for Tena is making sure that her Stylists have bought into the idea of hosting salon events. Maybe you can relate to Stylists who are great behind the chair, but look at events and think: “Ugh, this is just another thing that I have to do.” To address this challenge, Tena makes time for a team debrief following an event. At this meeting, she will ask her team how the event went, what happened, and who they met. Tena finds that her Stylists often explain appointments they booked or new connections they made. Being able to reflect on the positive benefits of the event allows her team to understand the opportunities to get new clients in the chair!

We hope that Tena’s insights spark your own creativity and leads to a productive, profitable, and eventful year! To get more industry advice, make sure to follow Beyond the Technique and listen to our weekly podcast!  

Craving more innovative ideas from Tena? Check out her website to get connected with her community and listen to her podcasts!

Listen to the full interview with Tena Pettis on Episode 65 of Beyond the Technique’s podcast.

Do you have a mindset of scarcity or abundance? If you’ve heard my previous podcast on struggling with food addiction, I used to have the mindset that I had to eat the last four brownies that were left. I did this because I was scared that if I didn’t do it now, that I wouldn’t have the opportunity to have that taste, that feeling, that experience again, and I’d regret missing out on it. That is the scarcity mentality, where you constantly fear that the thing you really want will be gone tomorrow. 

Now, I want to translate that fear mentality into profits. I believe that some of us are discounting what we have to offer because we are scared that if we don’t offer the best deal, someone else is going to offer a better deal, and we’ll lose out on business. Or, we are afraid to charge what we believe we’re worth because we’re afraid to lose a client because of it.

But I want to tell you that profits are yours for the taking. You don’t have to be afraid of the “what-ifs.” I think sometimes we make things up in our minds that don’t even exist. We create these irrational fears. That’s natural. But, how can we train ourselves to think differently? And, how do we adjust to have an abundance mentality instead?

What is money?

Money is an idea backed by confidence in its exchangeability. I’ll say it again: we’re in business together. We’re entrepreneurs. There is a difference between rich people and wealthy people. Rich people have money. Wealthy people have time and money. What would you do if you had unlimited time? If money wasn’t an issue?

Don’t you want to get to that point? You can create that type of life for yourself if you have an abundance mentality.

Here’s the truth of it: historically we’ve proven that we don’t run out of resources. We won’t ever run out. When we’ve lost our way or we’ve come to a crossroads and needed to find a new path, historically we have always figured it out.

An author I recommend is Paul Zane Pilzner who wrote a book called Unlimited Wealth. In it, he explains that the essence of economics is alchemy. In our history, we’ve figured out how to create something from nothing. We can look at Benjamin Franklin and his discovery of electricity, or Thomas Edison creating the light bulb. We can look at Andrew Carnegie figuring out how to manufacture steel for skyscrapers using an efficient process with an affordable cost. There’s Rockefeller, converting crude oil into kerosene and then kerosene into gasoline. If we fast-forward to more recent times we could talk about artificial insemination or cloning. We have a legacy of figuring things out. Why? Because we are innovative problem solvers.

Innovation as a Means for Success

Confrontation leads to innovation. When you’re searching for a method or solution, establish a group of people who don’t necessarily agree with each other, but have a common goal. That’s the beauty of creating a team. You have a problem and you figure it out, through innovation and teamwork, with differing insights available.

What are the reoccurring themes of your own self-talk? Are you worried? Fear is just false expectations appearing as real. The first step is to recognize whether you have a scarcity mentality or an abundance mentality. If you lean more to the scarcity side, that’s okay. But consider adjusting your viewpoint to see the potential and abundance all around you. Money is everywhere and it’s available for the taking.  It all comes down to how you choose to look at it.

If I could leave you with one other resource today, I’d recommend a book called Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki. It asks questions about how you grew up looking at money, viewing money, and how you can recognize and acknowledge these aspects.

How will you change or expand your current beliefs so that you aren’t sitting back and worrying about making profits, but that you recognize that profits are all around you? There are so many creative ways to have profits come to you… they are yours for the taking.

Do you have more tips for developing an abundance mentality? Or, do you want some more help leaving behind your scarcity mentality? Share with us on our Instagram and in our sister company's private Facebook group! We will see you there! 

What Is Guerilla Marketing?

Are you familiar with guerilla marketing? If you’re not, you should be. Entrepreneur defines guerilla marketing as an unconventional way of performing marketing activities on a very low budget. It can be a great business strategy for salons, especially new ones! In this post, I’m going to tell you how I used guerilla marketing to grow my business, and provide you with five simple steps to help you start a guerilla marketing program for your own salon.

First things first – why try guerilla marketing? One good reason is that it can be done on a shoe-string budget. Money can be tight for many new salon owners, and guerilla marketing (if done right) can be efficient and cost-effective. And due to the nature of guerilla marketing, it’s a great way to build brand awareness in your community AND build local partnerships, which can be another powerful tool.

So, with those benefits in mind, I decided to try it out for my own salon! When I started Be Inspired Salon no one in my community knew about us. So, my team and I started to go around to neighboring businesses and talk to members of the community. We gave away brochures and gift cards, NOT discounts (you all know how I feel about discounts). It was a risk to give away gift cards, but we knew that if we could get them in the door it would be a game changer.

That tactic worked, but we needed to step it up a notch. We decided to attend local networking events with the goal of building relationships, not selling services. But here’s the thing, we got a little bold with our new strategy. We attended these events dressed like cocktail waitresses. We had on nice Be Inspired Salon branded shirts and professional name tags, and we carried around trays with free product samples and whiskey glasses to collect business cards. (I said we were bold!)

We definitely drew attention, but in a good way! And don’t worry, we didn’t get in trouble. The hosts of the events thought it was a very clever idea. Anyways, it was a great way to start conversations and get to know the people in our community. We would tell them about the salon, offer a product and ask them to enter their business card for a chance to win a prize. We would alter the prize based on the audience, but usually it switched between a free hair cut or a product bundle.

Take a guess as to who won? Everyone! That’s right. When I first started guerilla marketing, I made everyone a winner. We were new, and we had plenty of openings. And it turned out to be a great success! We started getting new, paying clientele in the door.

Five Steps to Guerilla Marketing

But there’s a little more detail to how I made it happen. Here are the five simple steps you can follow to repeat what I did for your business.

1. Find events. I’m very lucky to live in a professionally driven community. There are always networking events going on. But if you are looking for ideas, check your local business chamber or search for local organizations on LinkedIn. It’s also a good idea to check out Business Networking International (BNI) – they have chapters across the US.

2. Set a strategy. Networking can be intimidating, so it’s a good idea to have a plan before you go to events. First, set a goal of how many people you want to meet and/or cards you want to collect at each event. I started out with 10. Then, decide what you are giving away, and like I mentioned before, personalize it to the crowd. Finally, brand the heck out of everything you give away! I had little stickers made that included my salon logo, address, and website and put them on everything my team gave away. It’s a simple and affordable way to grow brand awareness.

3. Follow-up. This is the most important step to make your program successful. How many times have you had a conversation that ended with, “We should meet up sometime!” Only to never have that happen? The same goes with business networking. After my events, I like to find them on social channels, usually LinkedIn, and I send them a quick note. Something like, “Hey! It was nice to meet you last night. I want to connect.” And if you don’t feel comfortable using a social platform, email is another great option.

4. Set a schedule. Frequency is another key to success. When I first started, my team and I were going once a week. And if you’re thinking I’m crazy, you’re not wrong. It was a lot, but it did lead to results. But I know that everyone doesn’t have that kind of time, so at a minimum, I would suggest going once a month.

Once business picked up, I thought I didn’t need guerilla marketing anymore. I was wrong. I rode the first great wave of new business, and after about six months of no networking, business slowed down. I couldn’t figure out why. I talked to my business coach, and he pointed out that the only thing I stopped doing was guerilla marketing. So, the lesson here is that even when business picks up, you can’t stop networking. You need to keep a consistent frequency, even if it’s once a month.

5. Get your team involved. You don’t have to do it all by yourself. I recruited my Stylists to help for several reasons. First, it can be scary to go to an event by yourself, so the buddy system is never a bad way to go! Second, I wanted them to be more invested in the business. I started to notice that if I met someone at an event, and they came to my salon, they expected to see or work with me. As I got busier, that wasn’t possible, so it was important to have my Stylists at events as well.

We have an event sign-up at the salon with the expectation that at least two people have to go to ONE event per month. This way you don’t have to go every month, but your salon is still being represented in the community.

If done well and done consistently, guerilla marketing can help you grow your salon business! If you’re looking for more detail on how to get your program started, check out “Episode #74  - Have You Been Guerilla Marketing?” on the Beyond The Technique podcast!

The Third Way to Manage Stress: Find Your Breath

We breathe all day, every day, but never really take the time to think about it. Spend a moment now breathing deeply and make note of your body’s reaction.

Taking a few deep breaths should be your immediate reaction to stress, anxiety, anger, or worry in your day-to-day life. In those moments, taking the time to step away briefly and breathe can be highly beneficial when you’re ready to return to the situation and resolve the issues you’re facing.

Many of us are in stress mode all day and never give ourselves the chance to slow down and breathe. If you’re looking in the mirror and trying to breathe properly, it should look like your stomach is blowing up into a balloon, rather than your shoulders are lifting up towards your ears. Keep your shoulders relaxed and neutral. Instead, expand and contract your stomach as you breathe deeply.

This style of breathing works your diaphragm properly. It’s also the way that musicians breathe in order to effectively support the dynamics of their song. This strategy is so important to implement because it can offer immediate stress relief!

Yoga is also an incredible way to learn about breathing! I used to be against yoga, because I thought it would be boring. But once I found the right yoga studio for me, I discovered how much I loved it, and now my body needs yoga. Sometimes the things we don’t want to do are actually things we need the most. For me, that was yoga.

Yogis call yoga a “practice” because it really does takes time to master, and you won’t be amazing at it on your first attempt. I try to attend one yoga class per week, but the breathing part of the class is still one of my greatest challenges. It’s not the moves I struggle with, but making sure I’m not always holding my breath and keeping all the tension in is challenging.

The bottom line is that breathing will help to alleviate your stress! Your main goal should be to find easy ways to manage stress, because it’s not just going to stop being a part of your life. Instead of wishing stress away, you need to become more resilient to it, and find ways to cope with it. If you find positive outlets for stress, I believe you’ll be less likely to make decisions that will harm you in the long run.

I used to look to food as a source of stress relief--something that would make me feel good immediately. I also used to have wine every night after the salon closed. I was at the salon all day working like a crazy person, and I’d be so busy that I wouldn’t eat much throughout the day. Then I would go home and drink about a bottle of wine every night to relax and unwind from the day. That type of habit didn’t set me up for long term success. Yes, it was instant gratification, but those negative choices will eventually catch up with you. If you have positive outlets instead for when you’re stressed, tired, or anxious, you’re setting yourself up for much greater success!

Do you want to share your stress-relief tips with other industry professionals? Check out our sister company’s private Facebook group to interact with like-minded professionals! We can’t wait to see you there!

As beauty industry professionals, it’s so important for us to think in ways that give us the outcomes we desire. When you’ve been standing on your feet for eight hours, working with numerous personality types, and taking the last walk-in appointment, you definitely need to put mind over matter and focus on positive thoughts! Today, Shana Dee—Master Stylist based in DC with over 16 years of beauty industry experience—is sharing three mind shifts that will put you in control of your own life and your money!

#1 Eliminate Competition

Shana’s first tip is to eliminate competition. You might be thinking: how do I get rid of competition when there is a salon on every other corner? Friends, Shana Dee reminds us that your only competitor is your own mind.

Let’s start with a short story to show you what we’re talking about and how you can eliminate competition! There is a successful salon in the Midwest that has been passed down through four generations. It is a strong community staple, but then a chain salon opened and started offering $6 haircuts. When this chain salon opened, the owner got nervous and approached his son worried, “What are we going to do? Our ‘competition’ is offering $6 haircuts. We can’t compete with that! We’re going to go out of business!”

Instead of panicking, the son said to his dad, “What would it take for us to make more money than last year? Let’s each write down three ideas that can help our business succeed.”

Guess what they came up with? They developed a new slogan: We Fix $6 Haircuts. How perfect, right? In that year, not only did they thrive, but they made more money in that year than any year prior!

Shana Dee explains that when you start viewing other salons and even your coworkers as competition, you kill your creativity. You may be wondering, where does this scarcity thinking even come from? As kids, we were taught that you can’t have another piece of the cake because that means someone else won’t have a piece. But, we live in an environment where you can create an even bigger cake, and eat it too! Instead of thinking about what you lack, think in abundance.

How do you change your mindset to one of abundance? Shana suggests that you start with gratitude. For instance, say something like, “I’m so grateful that I have a full schedule and I’m always attracting new clients.” Or try, “I work with so many talented hair stylists, and I receive a lot of inspiration from them. I love that we collaborate and are always lifting each other up!” Positive affirmations and expressing gratitude are the quickest ways to bring creativity and abundance to your life.

#2 Be an Expert

Shana Dee reminds us that in every industry, the expert is always paid the most. A CEO is paid more than the intern and a lawyer is paid more than a paralegal. So, why do so few people become experts in their chosen field? It’s all about what you know and what you do.

When you go home from work, what are you doing to increase your knowledge about being a hair stylist? The opportunities to increase your knowledge are truly endless! You can learn how to edit videos, use Photoshop, take advanced color and cutting classes, read business books, and listen to podcasts! Shana stresses that becoming an expert separates you from the herd and makes you stand out!

How do you separate the expert from a novice? Shana Dee uses one simple question: are you confident or certain? Let’s say that you absolutely love hair color, and you’ve decided to become an expert. When you’re in the middle of a color correction appointment, are you confident that you know how to fix it, or are you certain? Are you running to the back to ask another stylist for advice or do you know every required step to get from A to B? There is a big difference between being confident and being certain—this is the difference that will make you an expert. Pick a craft that really lights you up and become an expert!

#3 Mind Over Money

We’ve all been there before when we look at our schedule and our jaw hits the floor! You think, “OMG, I have no clients!” Then the stress hits you and you start worrying about money. It’s easy for you to start blaming your surroundings and think, “If only I were at a different salon, I would have more clients.” Shana Dee explains that these thoughts place you in a state of desperation and jealousy. Trust us, money will not come from these thoughts!

The difference between stylists who are booked with a steady stream of clients and the ones who are worrying about money is how they are thinking. The more successful stylist is thinking different thoughts; she is thinking, “I love being so busy!” and “I am so grateful that clients choose me to be their stylist—I’m providing them a great service!” Shana emphasizes that these positive thoughts also spill into other aspects of your life, and you go home pumped up and ready to become an expert! You start spending more time mastering your craft and building your following. Start thinking positive thoughts and the money will follow!

What’s Next?

Now that you know the three money mind shifts, you need to set some goals for yourself. Your goal could be to post one Instagram picture or video every day, or you plan to get five new clients in a week. Whatever your goals are, Shana reminds us that you really have to set clear goals and go for it! You don’t have to know every single step along the way, you just have to take the first step—you will get closer every day!

Do you want to share your goals with other industry pros who can keep you accountable and give you confidence? Check out our sister company’s private Facebook group! We can’t wait to see you there!

Are you a salon owner or manager looking to improve your business? From my experience as an owner and salon business coach, I’ve come to realize that truly successful salons have five things in common. And today I’m going to share those with you!

#1: Opportunities for Growth

Successful salons offer their employees ample opportunities for professional growth. For example, a level system, or a way for a Stylist fresh out of school to get from where they are now to a master level. Having programs in place provides your team with benchmarks they need to hit to continually move up the ladder at your establishment.

#2: Offers Education

Education is key. The most successful salons have training and education built into their culture. And it should be offered to your Stylists at every level. When a new Stylist starts at your salon, do you have a program in place to help them become more developed? What about your seasoned pros? Do you have programs in place to help drive their continued success? It’s important to provide educational opportunities that will empower and inspire your Stylists to become better!

#3: Provides Structure

Deep down, most humans desire structure. While you may have some employees that will always want to do their own thing, this shouldn’t stop you from providing structure at your salon. Structure encompasses a lot of different things including boundaries, expectations and accountability.

An easy way to implement more structure into your work environment is to provide your employees with a handbook or “playbook.” This would include the rules your Stylists needs to play by to be a part of your team. This could also include important information around boundaries. For example, what are your vacation and compensation programs? Are there rules around whether your Stylists can purchase equipment? Or do you provide equipment? Topics like these can be outlined, and boundaries can be set with clear communication and a tool such as a playbook.

You can also use that playbook as a good starting point for setting expectations and accountability. This ties in well with providing opportunities for growth. A successful salon will outline what is expected from a Stylist fresh out of school versus someone who’s been at the salon for a few years. This can include things such as the skill level you expect them to be at, to the attitude and behavior you expect them to bring into your salon. And when you have your structure documented, it helps everyone stay accountable.

#4: Strong Collaborative Marketing

This is a great tactic and one that is a win-win. Successful salons take a collaborative approach to promote not only their amazing salon, but their talented Stylists. It’s a strong effort to help build your Stylists’ clientele while building your business.

Meet Your Stylist is a great customer retention tool to help you do just that, but with little effort and big return. This tool helps you match new clients with the Stylist at your salon that is the best fit for them! And the best part is, you are empowering your Stylists by providing them the opportunity to work with clients that fit in their wheel house of expertise.

If you aren’t using a tool or you don’t have a strong collaborative marketing program in place – you need to make sure you are getting the word out about your Stylists’ talent and help build their clientele! Your business will benefit from the collaboration.

#5: Creates a Team Environment

A strong team environment means there is a strong team effort. There is a parallel between working in a salon and being on a basketball team. When you have a team mentality, your goal is to make sure the team wins – it doesn’t mean you’re the point guard who scores all the points. A great team has a common goal in mind they are all working towards. It’s not about “me and my clients,” it’s about “US and OUR clientele” as a salon. Successful salons don’t compete internally, they work together to compete against other local salons! Successful salons have a team effort that’s constantly trying to build each other up to get to that next level and achieve the bigger vision.

With that being said, do you have a bigger vision for your salon? Have you shared this goal with your team? Before you can create a team environment, you need to make sure everyone at your salon is on board!

So, how do you start implementing these five things? The first step is putting it out there to your team. Call a team meeting and go over your vision, your new playbook, or your new education program - whatever it may be. Make sure to listen to your team’s feedback, they might have an awesome idea for collaborative marketing or a conference they think would be useful to attend. There might also be some resistance, but that’s okay. Don’t let that fear stop you from implementing new things, because in the end, having these five tactics in place will help you become a more successful salon!

If you are looking for more business tips and beauty industry advice, make sure to follow Beyond The Technique, listen to our weekly podcast, and join our private Facebook group.

I’m going to be honest: there are actually seven ways. I have seven secrets to help you increase your Instagram followers by 500%. To give credit where it’s due, our sister company: Meet Your Stylist has this amazing guide called Seven Secrets on How to Increase Your Instagram Following by Over 500%. That’s where I got the ideas for this post. But I’m going to focus in on three of those ways in particular.

First, I want to ask: why do you want to do this? Why increase your Instagram followers? Here’s one good reason: in 2015 only 27.6% of the U.S. population used it. Now, in 2016, we have 89.4 million users a month in the United States, and worldwide there are 300 million users per day. To put it plainly, Instagram is blowing up! Because millennials are the main users of social media, particularly Instagram, it’s essential to consider that demographic when trying to increase your Insta following.

Step 1: Define Your Unique Selling Proposition

What does that mean? It means asking yourself what sets your salon apart from others in your area. Let’s imagine that you specialize in crazy hair color; blues, greens, pinks, reds, orange. If that’s your specialty, create an Instagram stream around that, and you’ll start attracting individuals who are drawn to that type of service. Defining your salon’s unique selling proposition will differentiate your Instagram posts from those of other salons. It will increase interest from your target market.

Are there services or products that you provide that others don’t? Do you specialize in certain haircuts or hair coloring services? Maybe you offer a guarantee that no one else does.

Your Instagram shouldn’t cover every single aspect of your salon, but should hone in on some of your top unique attributes and services, and use those to gain a community of interested followers.

Step 2: Frequency and Consistency

Frequency is important, but consistency matters even more. If you don’t have time to start an Instagram page for your salon, wait until you know you can commit to it. If you’re not ready for it, who could potentially help you? If you do choose to have someone else run your account, however, I would choose someone who already works at your salon and has a knack for Instagram.

Frequency matters. You don’t want your current followers and potential audience to miss the opportunity to engage with you. I recommend posting consistently each day, but that can vary between each salon. You may post morning, afternoon, and evening every day or you may start with just once per day at first. Just be consistent! To make it easier, I would highly recommend using a social media scheduling program. A couple that we’ve used are Mass Planner and Hootsuite (which is cloud based and can be accessed anywhere). With these options you can spend some time one day of the week and schedule your Instagram posts for the entire week and then get right back to work.

Step 3: Use Hashtags

There are a ton of people searching specific hashtags on Twitter and Instagram. It’s definitely in your best interest to use them on every post. Hashtags are essentially keywords that Instagram users can search to find related and interesting posts and pages. Therefore, it’s important to include hashtags that are relatable to your target market in every single post. The more hashtags you use, the greater chance of increasing your followers. You’ll also want to have some specific branded hashtags just for your salon.

These are just three of the ways to increase your Instagram followers, but the rest of the list can be found by entering your email at MeetYourStylist.com. I know these steps work, because they definitely worked for us. When we implemented these seven strategies we actually did increase our following by over 500%. There are four other secrets left that I didn’t cover in this post, but they’re all equally as helpful, so I certainly recommend checking out the link to the full strategy list.

Being actively present on social media, giving value to your followers, and creating a community is an extremely cool and important part of owning your salon. Even if your followers don’t become clients, they are becoming your advocates, and in a social presence that is a huge asset for the positive reputation of your business.

Share your Instagram ideas with other industry professionals by joining our sister company's private Facebook group. We all work together to empower others and build one another! We can't wait to meet you!

I love exercise--it’s definitely my favorite way to manage stress. It’s incredible to notice exercise boosting your endorphins. For example, you’ve probably heard that people who are avid runners can get a runner’s high each time they work out. This is because there are neurotransmitters in your brain that pump out good feelings when you work out.

Exercise can also be a great escape. A great workout takes your mind off of whatever might be happening this week or morning, because your body is focusing on movement rather than stress. Additionally, exercise helps you sleep better, which is a proven stress reducer. Sleep is incredibly important for the body, because it helps increase your mood and self-confidence, and lowers symptoms associated with stress and anxiety.

However, there are also a few rules I have for great, productive exercise.

#1 It should be challenging

I’m not saying every workout needs to be extremely challenging, because going for a walk or doing some yoga is also very beneficial for your body. Not all exercise has to be challenging, but most should be. You’ve heard the saying, “If it doesn’t challenge you, it doesn’t change you.” and that is very true for me. Your heart has to be pumping, and you have to put some effort in for your most successful workout.

#2 It should be fun

If you don’t have fun, you probably won’t stick with it. You’ve all probably tried exercises and activities before that you thought were awful. For me, this was swimming. As much as I would love to pretend by buying a Speedo suit and putting swimming into my exercise plan, I just don’t have fun with it. I’ll lay on a raft and get some sun, but swimming is not personally enjoyable for me as cardio exercise. The most important thing is to find what’s fun for you, and try lots of new things until you do.

#3) It should be regular

In my opinion, you should exercise a minimum of four days per week. Typically, I do five or six days each week, because I really do love it and love the benefits. You have seven days a week to work with and I think four days is a good middle ground, and a realistic option for most of us. Not only will you feel better and be less stressed, but you’ll look better too. But if you don’t exercise regularly, those benefits also won’t happen regularly.

#4) It should become your lifestyle

I know some of us tend to give up after we start, but it’s important that you become an active and healthy person. You need to be able to look in the mirror and say, “I’m active and healthy” without your mind disagreeing with you. Start by saying that you’re in the process of becoming active and healthy so your mind believes you, and you’re able to achieve it. Once you have 30 successful days under your belt you can change up your verbiage and say, “I am active and healthy!” It takes a long time for anything to become a habit. It needs to be a lifestyle for it to really stick and become real. You can’t stop after the thirty days; you just have to keep going. In order to avoid having an “end date” to your fitness, you need to make it a part of your everyday lifestyle.

Do you have any fun exercise ideas or other stress management advice?  Share your tips with us on our Instagram and in our sister company's private Facebook group! We will see you there! 

Do you remember your best, “Aha!” moments in life? One of mine came while watching the Oprah Winfrey Show a few years back. I will never forget this, she said, (and I’m paraphrasing here) “When you say no to others, you are saying yes to yourself.” I’m a bit of an overachiever in life, and I’m completely guilty of biting off more than I can chew, but I’ve come to realize that success isn’t what you do, it’s what you don’t do. I’ve learned that it’s OKAY to say no. Especially if you have specific career or life goals. It can be difficult to make progress when your time and energy is pulled in a lot of different directions.

Unfortunately, you can’t start saying no to everything. It’s important to make sure you are saying no to the right things that will give you back time and energy to focus on your goals, whether that be growing your salon business, going back to school, or simply living a happier life with a little less stress. Lucky for you, I’ve narrowed down three important things you need to start saying no to.

#1: Say No to Actives/Events/Tasks That Drain Your Energy

The first you need to say no to are any activities, events or tasks that DRAIN your energy. There are a lot of great things you can be a part of, but if it drains your energy to be there, then you are hurting the people you aren’t giving 100 percent to. Also, you’re hurting yourself by not spending that energy on things that could really use your attention.

For example, maybe you are a part of a local professional organization or chapter. You joined a few years back to network and learn, but you really aren’t getting anything out of it anymore. Maybe the meetings are farther away than you would like, or maybe they run too long, but you have been involved for so long you feel super guilty leaving. I’m here to tell you – it’s okay to walk away, it might involve a difficult conversation, but if it will take a little stress off you and give you back some time to focus on your business or personal life – start saying no.

#2: Say No to Actives/Events/Tasks That Aren’t Important to You

It doesn’t make you a bad person if you don’t want to donate to every charity you come across, or even if you don’t want to volunteer at your church’s bake sale. We all cannot be a part of every single charity organization that’s out there. Even if you could, your time, money, and effort wouldn’t be as impactful as it would be if you put all your effort into one thing that was very important to you. I give you permission to say no to book club and spend your time listening to business podcasts that will help your salon grow or book another client to fill that time.

#3 Say No to Actives/Events/Tasks That You Won’t Be 100% Present

I talked about this earlier, but if you aren’t giving it your all when you participate in an event, you’re not helping anyone out. You need to show up to what’s important to you or find a way to make those activities or tasks more enjoyable, so you do give it 100 percent. Say you find it hard to focus on bills and answering emails when you are at the office, because of this you procrastinate on the task. Then, when you are forced to do it, you dread it even more. Now you can’t avoid paying your bills, but you could take a day to go work at a coffee shop or library. That way it shakes up your routine, gets you in a new place, and makes you more excited to take on the task. The key is to be mindful of what and how you choose to spend your time.

How to Start Saying No

Of course, all of this is easier said than done – but it’s not impossible. So here is how I’m going to help you learn to say no to those three things.

First, look back at the last six months of your calendar and make a list of any activity, event or task you had to do that was draining to your energy and took away time to focus on your goals and dreams. This could be something as futile as doing laundry. I know that sounds crazy, everyone must do laundry – but do you really?

I’ve talked with a lot of business owners about farming tasks out. If there is a task that drains you, that’s taking up time you could be using to write your first book or take on an extra client—it’s worth asking if it’s possible to not do it. For me, it was worth paying someone $10 or $15 to do my laundry so that I could go to the salon and earn an extra $40/hour – I’m still coming out on top. This is just an example, but if you really evaluate where you spend your time, you’d be surprised how you can rearrange your life to make room for things that will help you reach your goals.

Once you’ve decided what you are going to give up, you need to stick to your decision. Even if that means you are going to have to have some uncomfortable conversions – it will be worth it.

Next, hone in on your goals! You will have more time and energy – so don’t waste it. And don’t refill your time with things that don’t matter. As humans, we tend to fill up our time as soon as we have it. Be picky with things you choose to do with your time. Remember, when you say no to others, you are saying yes to yourself.

Are you still struggling with saying no? Share your struggles and ideas with other industry professionals by joining our sister company's private Facebook group. We all work together to empower others and build one another! We can't wait to meet you!

This topic is a bit touchy. Many of us may have fired clients before, or have always wanted to, but struggle with having that uncomfortable conversation and don’t know how to begin or what to say.

What makes a bad client?

First, it may be time to fire a client if they are consistently disrespectful. Everyone has bad days from time to time, but you know there are also the clients that seem to be having a bad day every day. It’s a little difficult for me to think of a personal example, and I think that’s because I have a very strong personality and people know not to treat me poorly. But I have had other Stylists who are more timid and loving, whom clients seem to consistently take advantage of and be disrespectful to.

They might say rude things about the stylist when others are around. For example, “The last time was just awful, my hair did not look good.” They go out of their way to put others down. Besides the attitude, they’re often the people who don’t really respect your time. For example, the clients who are always canceling or rescheduling and who assume that you’ll automatically come in whenever they need you. You might also have clients that don’t reschedule regularly, but get upset with you when you can’t schedule around their very particular schedule. I know plenty of Stylists who will do anything for their clients, but that is not a good give and take relationship. You deserve respect just as much as they do.

There are also the clients who consistently return the products you recommended. We had a woman who came to our salon, who would always buy products, try them out, and then return them. It was getting to the point where she’d try to return products she’d been using for five months, which was ridiculous. Eventually, I looked at her purchasing history and noticed her pattern and told her that since the products didn’t seem to be a good fit for her, my team didn’t feel comfortable selling her products any longer and we discontinued that service for her. She replied angrily, and it was definitely not a comfortable conversation.

But you really need to decide if it’s worth the effort to continue with a frustrating client when you could be focusing on all of your other amazing clients. There are just some clients who may need to be fired, because they’re never satisfied or they have a bad attitude.

Most of this can be prevented if your consultations are precise and confident. Consider having consultations as an entire salon, so that you’ll all be on the same page and there is no lack of clarity for the expectations of each visit.

But if you’re really struggling, it may be time to break up with the clients who are disrespectful, always canceling, always returning products, and never happy with their results.

Identify and Categorize Types of Clients

I’ll use A, B, C, and D as our example clients. “A” clients are the ones who totally love you, the experience, everyone there, and your products, and they’re probably the ones that set up a full year of appointments in advance. They trust you and get you tons of referrals.

Your “B” clients are consistent. They continually re-book and buy products here and there. They’re awesome to work with and you’re always excited to see them. They’re cordial and easy to get along with. They may not be buying as often, but they’re still involved and they’re generally great clients.

The “C” clients are the ones that visit two or three times per year and don’t often buy products from you. They don’t usually rebook, but they probably tell you that they might book again. They’re the clients who you enjoy during their appointments, but you haven’t really been able to build an intimate relationship with. You’re not thinking about them all the time, but they do fill in the blanks of your schedule.

Finally, your “D” clients are the ones who are never on time, always reschedule, return products, are never happy, aren’t friendly, and make everyone unhappy when they’re around.

What if you were to completely let go of all the D clients? What would happen? I believe you’d then have more time and energy to give to your A, B, and C clients. I’d recommend putting 80% of your time and energy into your A clients, because they buy everything and refer everyone. They are the best possible clients, so they deserve the majority of your time. B clients should also get your time because you may be able to turn them into A clients. Therefore, 15% of your time should go to B clients, and that last 5% should go into your C clients.

But that really means you have to get rid of the D clients, because they take away the opportunity for you to book more A and B clients.  

Be Assertive and Make the Tough Decisions

Try making a list and categorizing all of your clients. Then communicate with your D clients, via email, on the phone, or face to face. It’s always nice to meet in person, but they might not respect your time enough for that to be a good option for you.

You have the right to be assertive. I strongly suggest that you stand up for your rights without infringing on the rights of others. I realize that some of you put up with the D clients because you need the customers and don’t have enough. I encourage you to make the right decision for you, whatever that may be.

But ideally, you want to have a solid clientele, so you can avoid putting up with the people who aren’t making you feel great about your job.

Remember that you may lose a little bit of money by getting rid of your D clients, but you should focus on how you’ll be able to replace those clients--with better clients, or other productive work.

When it’s time to let them go, an email could say something like this, “Hi [name here], I’m writing to let you know that I am no longer going to be able to take care of your services. I wish you the very best. Take care.”

It doesn’t have to be a big defensive argument. Just be honest and let them know that you don’t think it’s the right fit. Some clients might get angry, but at least you won’t have to deal with their consistent negativity in your business anymore.

Your best clients deserve more of your time. I understand that this can be uncomfortable, but think of it this way: you’re saying “no” to the bad clients, so that you can say “yes” to the amazing clients!

Are you struggling with letting go of some clients? Share your struggles and ideas with other industry professionals by joining our sister company's private Facebook group. We all work together to empower others and build one another! We can't wait to meet you!

If you are a salon owner, manager, aspiring business person or entrepreneur, then you need to consider joining a mastermind group. What exactly is a mastermind group? Great question! A mastermind group is a group of professionals who come together to help each other improve their business skills by sharing ideas and challenges and then brainstorming solutions.

There are many benefits that come from being involved in a mastermind group, but only if you are a part of a group set up to succeed. So today, I’m going to walk you through the benefits of being a part of a mastermind group and how to find one that will be worth your time.

Benefits of Joining a Mastermind Group

People who join mastermind groups are serious about their careers. It’s a great way to connect with other success-driven professionals to share ideas and challenges. I’ve personally been a part of mastermind groups for years. I find them to be invaluable. Other members have gone through challenges I haven’t and can help shed light on new ideas I have, or problems I’m facing with my business. It’s a wonderful resource when you have a new idea - you can bring it to the table and other successful people can add to it, give feedback, and basically help you learn to work smarter, not harder. So with that, here are my top five benefits from joining a mastermind group.

• You will have a group of people to share new ideas, strategies and challenges with. These people will help you think through your business problems and brainstorm viable solutions.
• You will become part of a community of supportive colleagues who will keep you accountable to your professional goals.
• You don’t just get, you give. You will get to help other people through their business (or personal) journey. It’s a great way to help others out – you have insight and wisdom to share!
• You will learn so many new things! You don’t know what you don’t know. Being a part of a mastermind group has saved me money. I’ve had great ideas (or I thought they were) and I’ve brought them to the group only to discover many have tried these great ideas with not so great results. But I wasn’t made to feel discouraged, I was able to learn from others’ mistakes and take away new ideas that have proven results.
• You will grow your professional network. Now, mastermind groups aren’t meant to be your typical “networking” event, in fact, most groups don’t allow self-promotional talk. However, you will meet new people, most likely in your industry, and you will establish strong relationships, which will be useful in the future outside of the group.

What Makes a Good Mastermind Group?

As with many things in life, you are only going to get back what you put in. Mastermind groups only work if people are serious and committed. You need the members of the group to participate, because it’s the open, raw dialogue that will provide the great insight. If you’re new to a group, you don’t need to share your life story at the first meeting, you can definitely ease in. But if you have no intention of truly participating, then a mastermind group might not be for you. Other than group participation, I’ve outlined the three things you should look for in a mastermind group.

Size. Size does matter when it comes to mastermind groups. Make sure it’s a relatively small group, 8-12 people is usually a good size. Too many people can lead to less productive meetings. You want enough people to share advice, but not too many where people don’t get the chance to participate at a deep level.

Structure. Find a group that’s organized. Everyone is busy and no one wants to have their time wasted. Join a group with a set agenda for each meeting. This will help keep the group focused and on schedule. In addition to an agenda, you want a group that requires action items at the end of each session. This will keep the group accountable.

Commitment. To really get the most out of a mastermind group, you want members that are committed. Committed to showing up (and showing up prepared) and committed to participating.

Are you interested in joining a mastermind group for salon owners and professionals? Good news! Beyond The Technique has a mastermind group! Our groups meet monthly for a 90-minute video conference with open dialogue focused on growth and development for your salon business. To learn more, visit our Group Mastermind Sessions page.

If you aren’t ready to commit to a mastermind group yet, but you still want to connect with other professionals to share ideas and tips, send a request to join our sister company’s private Facebook group. You can also follow our weekly podcast for more professional and beauty industry advice!

This topic is the first in a five part series on various ways to manage your stress. This first tip for stress management is sleep!

Are you getting enough sleep?

We’re often told that 7-10 hours of sleep is ideal, but I would say that the amount of sleep you need depends on how much stress you have.

Stress can appear a lot of different ways. You can be stressed even if you have a lot of awesome things going on and you’re feeling happy. Even if you’re overloaded by work you love, your body still reacts to stress the same way. You can also be stressed if you’re dealing with employees leaving, a loss of profits, or stressful clients.

No matter the type of stress you’re experiencing, your body still needs recovery so that you are able to manage your life better and healthier.

What does this look like for you?

I recently read a great article on Health.com about a study done at Stanford University. This study showed that football players who slept 10 hours a night for 7-8 weeks improved their average sprint time, had less daytime fatigue, and more stamina. Of course we’re not professional or college football players, but we are business owners, business professionals, and stylists--all with a lot going on. A lot of us put in many hours behind the chair, working with a lot of different personality types between our clients and our colleagues.

The big point is that if you’re tremendously overloaded and working at a higher capacity, you may need more sleep to continue your success.

Why do you need more sleep? There are significant benefits to being well-rested, one of the biggest being emotional stability. In that same Health.com article, the doctor explains that lack of sleep can contribute to depression and that a good night sleep can truly help to decrease anxiety. We get overwhelmed. That’s very natural. Sometimes, it even helps to take a quick nap.

Another huge benefit of sleep is that it curbs inflammation. Getting enough sleep decreased inflammation, which is important because that’s one of the big things that causes chronic illness. These can be things like heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and arthritis. In the beauty industry, one of the worst things can be premature aging. I’m sure a lot of you agree that you’d like to avoid that. Getting enough sleep is one way to do it.

Another big strategy is clean eating. Definitely avoid things like sugar, alcohol, and caffeine close to bedtime so that you aren’t abruptly woken up. When I have had drinks in the past too close to bed I often wake up after only 5 hours of sleep, and I just can’t sleep anymore. I think it’s because of the sugar. Some of you may have experienced the same things.

Getting enough sleep is also helpful for losing or maintaining weight. In that same article, the researchers explained that sleep and metabolism are controlled by the same sectors of the brain. So, depending on when you need to wake up, figure out a time to go to sleep that will give you those 7-10 hours, and see if it leaves you feeling more rested, and less stressed. Whether your daily demands are positive or negative, stress can always affect your body negatively. Sleep is one of the best ways to combat that stress and stay healthy.

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What can you do today to help prepare for a more positive sleeping environment and consistency with your sleep? Share your tips with us on our Instagram and in our sister company's private Facebook group! We will see you there! 

Before you can be a leader who inspires greatness in others, you must be working towards greatness yourself. You truly have to practice what you preach and show your team that you’re going to continue to grow and learn alongside of them! Once you have committed to continuously learning, you must encourage, see, acknowledge, and support others on your team.

Encourage others to be great. It is nearly impossible to inspire others if you are a pessimistic person with a negative attitude. Instead, you should be your team’s biggest cheerleader! As a leader, you should be enthusiastic, encouraging, and positive. When you approach the day with a positive attitude, others will follow your lead!

See. You need to be actively looking for moments of greatness in your team. As a leader, you are often looking for the downfalls and thinking of ways to correct or prevent them. When you have the mindset to only look for improvements, you often overlook moments of greatness. Continuously remind yourself to see greatness in others!

Acknowledge. Once you have seen a noteworthy accomplishment, you must acknowledge that occurrence. We recommend acknowledging these moments by speaking that person’s love language. How do you know someone’s love language? Observe how they treat others. Is your receptionist someone who always brings others a birthday coffee? Their love language is gifts. Is your salon manager always complimenting others work or clothing? Their love language is positive affirmations. Get it? Good! No matter the love language, you want to show your team member that you appreciate their hard work!

Support. You must be willing to support others to advance their greatness. For instance, if you know that one of your Stylists really enjoys curly haircutting and has continuously been working to get better at it, you can pay for her to receive advanced education in curly cutting. If you know that someone on your team has a desire to go after something, be the one to support that. In the end, we all rise when we lift each other.

If you are lucky enough to be in a leadership position, keep encouraging and supporting your team—we all need great leaders! To get more industry advice to grow yourself and your team, make sure to follow Beyond the Technique and listen to the weekly podcast!  

Do you have other ideas, thoughts, and questions about being a salon leader? Check out our sister company's private Facebook group to bounce your ideas off of other industry pros--we will see you there!

If you aren’t sure, bartering refers to making trades. An example in our industry would be trading free haircuts for other products or services, rather than receiving payment. Without being overly discouraging, I want to say that my short answer is no, bartering isn’t worth it. I believe people find a higher value in the things that they actually spend money on.

I used to barter, so I know some of the main challenges of it that you should think about before deciding to barter. If you’re already bartering and it’s working well for you, I don’t want this article to be discouraging for you. But for those of you considering starting to barter at your business, these are some of my suggestions to consider before you do.

Challenges of Bartering

My experience has been that sometimes when you barter with a person or a company, they don’t value your time. They may show up late or cancel last minute, because when you’ve already bent the rules for them, they start to think that rules don’t apply.

Be mindful of this. If you feel like your deal isn’t being valued, take a second look at what’s going on. It might be time to reposition or re-strategize the deal.

The other big challenge I noticed when bartering is that my talents also weren’t valued. Psychologically, if something is free, it’s really not worth as much to you. At one point we decided to stop bartering with a business, and as soon as we told them, they let us know they’d never be returning to our salon. This was completely shocking to me, because I thought we had a great relationship. But as soon as we asked them to pay for our services, we weren’t worth anything to them.

Anyone you’re bartering with also tends to not be the best referral source. How can they say,  “It’s worth every penny” when they don’t actually pay for it? They don’t know how much you charge for services and therefore it’s difficult for them to do any word-of-mouth advertising for you. Your best clients--the ones who are rebooking appointments and buying merchandise from you--are a far better source for referrals. I would always recommend gaining more of those type of clients because they’ll happily pay your prices, and be immensely satisfied with the results. Those are the clients who will help you achieve long-term success.

Bartering with the Roles Reversed

On the flipside, there are also challenges and considerations when the roles are reversed and you’re the client bartering with the business.  

When I was the client, I found that some businesses wouldn’t put in as much effort because they saw me as a non-paying client that needed to be in and out quickly. It was very clear that they gave paying clients a higher priority. But if I didn’t get the best outcome I would feel bad saying anything because the service was free.

In this case, you might sometimes settle for less because you aren’t paying for the service. But at the end of the day are you getting enough value out of this bartering relationship? Is it an unfair relationship where someone is getting more value than the other? This doesn’t just refer to cost; I’m also talking about time and energy. I would seriously weigh the outcomes and run the numbers and notice the differences between paying full price and a bartering system.

If you ever get to a point where you’re losing money, time or energy, I would encourage you to start a conversation to begin paying for your services rather than exchanging them.  Consider offering an alternative for people that you want to have this special relationship with.

A possible example would be to give them a VIP membership in exchange for their business. At my salon we have a great relationship with a plastic surgery office. When their clients visit us they have an automatic VIP membership with us and vice versa, which gives us both perks without giving away all of our services. This is a great way to have a unique relationship with another company without infringing on your time or profit.

If you’re also at a point where you’re focused on building your success, consider these issues and the facts to evaluate whether bartering is right for you and your business.

Do you have other questions about bartering? Check out our sister company's private Facebook group to bounce your ideas off of other industry pros--we will see you there!

What is the number one marketing mistake that salons across the US are making? Humor yourself by taking a guess…have your guess ready? The number one marketing mistake is: giving discounts!

This marketing tactic is so prevalent across the US that it’s almost hard to believe, right? Discounts are offered left and right, and we see them all. the. time. You know what we are talking about: “$10-Off Tuesdays” “$20 Off Your First Visit!” “Re-Book Today and Get 20% Off!” We have two words for you: Stop It!

Discounts Devalue

Any verbiage with the word “off” is a marketing mistake that you need to stop making and the reason is psychological. The word “off” actually devalues the services that you are offering. When your salon offers a discount, you are teaching clients that your products and services are worth less. The bottom line: discounts devalue.

Everyone Wants More

Are there ways to build a huge following and clientele without offering discounts? YES!

Instead of devaluing your services, focus on adding value because everyone wants more.

Here are a couple strategies to try at your salon:

• Offer a complementary treatment with a client’s first haircut. This is a great added value for your client and costs very little overhead. Doesn’t a complementary service sound better than giving 50% off? We know it does, and your clients will notice too!
• Gift color protection shampoo and conditioner after a client’s first hair color. As a stylist, you want your clients to use color protection shampoo. To ensure that they do, offer it as a gift! You can even follow-up with the client when they are running low to re-stock (double-win!).

Earn Your Worth

Position your salon to attract the type of clients who you want to work with! To do so, you need to stop competing on price. If you complete on price, you are always going to be a small fish in a big pond. Instead, start earning what you are truly worth. Build your clientele with the slow and steady approach, and you will gain a remarkable following. Today, make a promise to yourself that you will no longer make this marketing mistake and start thinking of innovative ways to gain and retain clients!

To get more industry advice, make sure to follow Beyond the Technique and listen to the weekly podcast--we will see you there!

Let’s start with a quick question: what’s the first thing you do before visiting a new restaurant? Google it, of course! If you’re like me, you want to look at the menu, scroll through some pictures, and read the reviews. This is no different for the beauty industry which is why your online reputation is crucial for the success of your business! Plain and simple, reviews matter.

We all love reading the positive reviews that our clients share, but even the best salons can’t avoid a negative review. Even though the negative comments make you want to pull your hair out, you must know how to respond to them with professionalism and grace.

All Reviews Are Created Equally

Since customer reviews are so important in shaping your reputation, I am super fired up to share that my salon has a 4.7/5 rating with over 200 unique reviews! I have yet to find another salon in the U.S. who has an abundant and positive reputation on Google as we do. If you find one, please let me know! Our overwhelming amount of positive reviews adds a tremendous amount of credibility when clients are searching for a salon in the area—it is a huge selling point, and your salon can do it too!

Before we dive into some examples, I want to share my personal philosophy about handling the good, the bad, and the ugly reviews. Whether positive or negative, you must respond to all of your reviews. Yes, this will take time to become a habit, but it’s worth it! By responding to all reviews, you are showing future customers that you care about your clients, you’re responsive to their comments, and you’re willing to apologize when necessary.

Pro Tip: When responding to a client review, try to include their first name in your response. This small step adds a personal touch to your message that doesn’t go unnoticed!

Example #1: Positive Review

Review: 5/5 Demi did an amazing job cutting my short hair! She listened to what I wanted and was patient while I showed her some pictures that I liked. She also did a great job at suggesting a hair color and showing me swatches of different colors to help me make my decision. Demi even followed up with me to make sure I was still loving my look! Overall, Demi & the Be Inspired Salon team were very professional, and I had a great experience! –Meghan

Response: Awesome Meghan! Thank you so much for sharing your feedback here. We appreciate you very much and look forward to seeing you soon! XO ~Be Inspired Salon

How simple, right? This quick response shows a new client that we appreciate her feedback and her business!

Example #2: Negative Review

Review: 1/5 I called for an appointment, and I was put on hold. That is fine. I understand salons can be busy. I was on hold for 10 minutes. No one picked up the phone, I decided I would hang up and call again. I called 20 minutes later, I was put on hold again. Waited another 10-15 minutes and hung up. I am a new client, and I am searching for a new hair salon, but this will not be the one if I cannot even make an appointment.” –John Doe (Yes, he actually created an account and used the name John Doe.)

When I saw this review, I was not happy! So, I called my team to investigate what was happening in the salon that night. After reviewing the situation, I responded with the following (truthful!) message:

Response: John Doe, our apologies! We use a new VoIP (voice over IP) phone system, and it was not working properly last night. I am looking into this as we speak. As you can definitely see from our online reputation, this is NOT like us. Would you be willing to give us another chance? We can call you directly this morning if you’re comfortable emailing us your contact info? Our email is frontdesk@beinspiredsalon.com. Again, we are so sorry that this happened and so irritated with this new cloud phone system. ~ Be Inspired Salon

Even though this wasn’t a fun conversation to have with a potential client, we acknowledged our error, offered a sincere apology, and suggested a way to correct the situation. Ultimately, we did our best to correct an unfortunate situation, and that is all you can do!

Example #3: Be Bold

Review: 1/5 Worst, most unprofessional salon experience I have ever had. Went in on the first day to get natural looking caramel highlights in my brown hair and left with hair the exact same color as it was before. I went in the next day for a color correction and after waiting 45 minutes past my appointment time, I was finally seated. She made my hair go from one extreme to the other. The entire bottom half of my hair was died vividly blonde with streaks of blonde going through the top. Nothing like the subtle caramel highlights I had originally asked for. I tried to make peace with the color, but couldn’t stand the way it looked. After giving the stylist two chances to properly die my hair and ending up increasingly dissatisfied results each time, I do not trust the stylist to die my hair properly. –Sally

As I do with every negative review, I researched the situation to uncover exactly what happened with this client. In this case, it seemed like we would never make the client happy. Have you had clients like that? Ultimately, it came down to trusting my team, and I knew that we were not at fault. I couldn’t allow this client to take us through the wringer, so I needed to be bold in my response.

Response: Sally, we are very disheartened to receive this review from you. Why did you tell us that you loved your hair if you were truly displeased? We did our best to work with you, so you would be absolutely thrilled with your hair color. It is unfortunate that you do not perceive it to be so. Best wishes to you. ~Be Inspired Salon.

You might be thinking “Wow! That’s bold!” But, I believe in trusting my team and cutting ties with a client when necessary. I wasn’t afraid to stand up for my team because we have an overwhelming amount of positive feedback, and that speaks volumes about our business!

I know that responding to bad reviews isn’t easy, but there will be times when you can’t avoid it. If you ever want to bounce some ideas off other industry professionals—like how to respond to a bad review—check out our private Facebook group! We will work together to empower each other and build one another!