Jim Shaw of Toni&Guy, Billericay, offers some advice on how to make sure you are fully prepped for the new year.
2022 is only a month away and it’s important that we are prepared for the New Year in order to get it off to a smooth and successful start.
- Think about your service menu – are there any additional men’s services you could be offering? Men no longer just want to come into the salon/barbershop for a haircut anymore, they want to come for a pampering experience, which may include having a facial or manicure or even just adding some additional hair or beard treatments. Talk to your clients now about what services they would like to see in the salon, do some research and offering something exciting to your loyal clients for the New Year, which may also attract new clients into the salon too if you’re offering something that your competitors aren’t.
- Put in plans to motivate your team – coming back from time off during the Christmas period can be hard and you want your team to be as motivated a possible to be able to deliver the very best services to your clients. Start to look now at training sessions that may be available at the start of the New Year. Training could be via yourself, another industry men’s hairdresser or barber, or even a men’s haircare brand. Keep your team inspired to allow them to ensure they want to deliver their very best when they come to work.
- Communicate with your clients – clients are the key to our success and we should always be communicating with them to encourage them to come back to our salons/barbershops and to show them that we care. It’s a good idea to put into action a plan on how to better communicate with clients in the New Year, be this via social media, newsletters or text messages. Tell your clients what you have been working on and also inform them of anything new happening in your salon or barbershop. This could be new products, new services, new team members or also any offers or discounts you are offering that may encourage them to come in in the New Year.
- Keep your salon/barbershop looking its best – Covid has been around for some time now and it’s not going away anywhere anytime soon. Client’s want to feel comfortable and at ease visiting your space and know that your cleanliness and safety measures are of a high standard. Take some time during the Festive period to have a clean and to ensure all safety measures are up to scratch. Take photos of your space looking as gleaming as ever to help attract clients in the New Year.
- Think about the quieter months of January/February now – It’s a great idea to encourage clients to come book into the salon/barbershop for their January/February appointments now to try and fill spaces in these quieter months as much as possible. In December, talk to your clients about booking in for their next appointment in January/December and also try to encourage clients to book gift vouchers as Christmas gifts that their loved ones can enjoy in the New Year. You may also want to look into some offers you can promote in January/February to attract clients to make bookings. Promote these now to get as much return as possible. You can also think of fun ideas such as handing out cards to your clients who come in during December with a discount if they book in January or February. This is also a nice little way to say thank you to your clients.