The Stylist’s Toolbox.com

Have you  ever had one of those days at the salon when you feel like you’re herding cats?

Yes, these people are your tribe and they are like family.

But some days they are like your dear Aunt Millie and other days they remind you much more of your crazy Uncle Shirley. And that’s just one stylist.

With some people you never know which of their many personalities is going to show up for work on any given day. And in a salon you’ve got a lot of personalities to work with. Trying to get everybody moving in the same direction sometimes like…. herding cats.

Herding cats has it’s upside. Everyday is different. Sometimes exciting. Always interesting to watch.

But it can be rough on your business. And on your state of mind. If everybody is running in different directions, its difficult to move forward. So mostly, you stay in the same place. Albeit, a little bit frantically.

What if you could get your whole salon moving in the same direction? What could that do for your business? Stop for a second and consider the possibilities.

I see the pain and hardship so many of you go through on a daily basis.

You have responsibility but no control. One rogue booth renter can turn your nice salon into a living hell.

And in an effort to change the dynamics in the salon,  salon owners need a contract.

But there are a couple of problems with most contracts. They are a one-size-fits-all legal document that doesn’t address the problems in your salon. They are also sort of a punishment for bad behavior.

I saw a need for a different kind a contract. A tool to bring your salon together to set goals, create standards and define expectations as a group.

When you involve people in making the rules they are going to live by, you will have less conflict and a happier staff. The rules in the agreement will be reasonable and to everybody’s benefit – not some crazy thing you dreamed up to punish them.

The result is a living, breathing document that addresses the unique issues and concerns in your salon. And because everyone had a say in the decisions, nobody can come back later and tell you that they don’t agree with the contract.

The guide walks you step-by-step through the process of working with your staff to write the agreement that your salon needs. It includes an owner’s handbook, easy to follow instructions, worksheets and a sample contract.

This guide to crafting a polite, effective booth rental contract will:

*Teach you creative problem solving, resolving conflict and future conflict prevention techniques.

*Show you how to bring your entire salon to the table to work together to craft standards and expectations. Everyone contributes their ideas and  is involved in the process, so there can be no dispute over the terms of the contract.

*Address the major concerns and pitfalls concerning most salons, including dress code, appointments, conduct, retail, meeting attendance, cleaning, and the front desk.

*Help you present the idea of a contract to the salon in a friendly, non-threatening way.

The easy-to-use handbook for creating your own contract:

*Guides you through the process of working with your salon to craft a contract with easy to use, step-by-step instructions.

*Shows you how to quickly and easily write your own contract with a sample contract filled with easy to duplicate phrases.

*Covers the important issues without getting bogged down in legalese.  This contract isn’t filled with mumbo-jumbo that nobody can read. It’s user friendly and designed to address the issues your individual salon cares about.

*Starts discussions and uncovers potential conflict. Small problems are resolved before they become hot button issues.

An agreement that is really about accountability:

*Bring your staff together to agree on standards of conduct for the good of the whole salon. It’s not a punishment.

*Make everyone from the receptionist to the booth renters to the salon owner responsible for their actions. Clearly defined terms let everyone know why they should abide by the contract and what the consequences of not following them are.

*Conflicts between stylists will no longer be problems the entire salon as to deal with. Gossip and backstabbing will be eliminated.

*Gives salons and stylists an out when the contract isn’t followed.  Sometimes someone has to leave, either by their choice or by the choice of the salon. This contract helps the salon to decide how and when the separation should take place. No one has to be the bad guy.

Create a team that works together to set goals and take your salon to the next level:

*Get clear on your salon’s vision, mission and values and move forward. A group working towards a common goal is far more effective than a bunch of people all in pursuit of their own goals.

*Provide a direction and framework for the salon to grow. Move beyond petty hassles and arguments into making the salon the profitable place of your dreams.

*Use the contract as a recruiting tool. Attract the successful, ambitious booth renters you really want!

Start turning your salon into the kind of place you’ve always imagined it could be today.

Order your own copy of Restore Your Peace and Sanity & Create the Salon of Your Dreams – The Savvy Salon Owner’s Guide to Writing a Polite,  Effective Booth Rental Contract.

It includes everything you need to get started – the owner’s handbook, worksheets and a sample contract. You’ll be on the fast track to a better, more productive and profitable relationship with the booth renters in your salon, all for just $47. Think about what your peace of mind is worth. For the tiny, little price of $47, you can have the salon that will be the envy of your friends and family. You’ll be living the dream of salon ownership you always imagined.

In fact, take a full year (365 days!) to read and work through this handbook with your booth renters.

If you aren’t satisfied for any reason – if  the handbook and guide doesn’t live up to your expectations or the process of crafting a booth rental contract and implementing the changes you’ve agreed to as a group hasn’t achieved the changes in your salon that you’ve dreamed of, just return it anytime within the year and I’ll refund your entire payment.

To get started on the building the salon of your dreams, just click on the “Add to Cart” button and instantly download your own copy.

A salon owner’s life is hard.

You had a vision for your salon.

But instead of creating the salon of your dreams,you spend your days refereeing disputes and arguing with stylists about folding towels, sweeping hair and selling retail.

This isn’t what you signed up for.

Did you know that there are salons where the booth renters and the salon owners happily work together to achieve goals for the common good of the salon?

Wouldn’t you like to join this select group of happy, prosperous and serene salon owners?

To have a healthy and productive relationship with your booth renters?

To spend your days working to grow your business, not just trying to hold it together?

You need a contract.

Last Impressions Count

Has this ever happened to you? You’ve got an appointment for a massage at a new place. You walk in, a little unsure of yourself because you’ve never been there before. You sit down and nervously smile while you wait for someone to tell you what to do.

When your massage therapist comes out, she smiles, comes over and shakes your hand, welcoming you to the spa. You and she hit it off right away and as she’s leading you back, she’s telling you about all of the wonderful scented oils you can choose from and how you can customize the music during your service. You smile and relax, knowing that you are in for the massage of your life with this great therapist that really understands you. You’ve really connected with her.

Do you know what makes a great gift?

Not something useful or needed or even extravagant. No, the secret to giving a really good gift is to find something that demonstrates that you’ve noticed some small thing about the recipient that most of the world misses.

Something that shows that you really get them.

This idea of really getting it applies to your salon biz as well.

Think about yourself as a stylist for a moment. What business are you in? The easy answer is that you are in the salon business. And you are, BUT -

Have you thought about using email to stay in touch with  your clients, but  haven’t gotten started yet? Does putting it together seem too complicated? You are not alone. The vast majority of hair stylists are not emailing or texting to their clients, missing out on this great opportunity to market for free! But it’s not too late for you.  In fact, email could help you make a lot more money this year!

Here’s why –

How many businesses send you emails? A bunch, I bet.  A quick glance at my inbox would show you email from American Airlines, Off-Broadway Show Warehouse, Restaurants.com, ITunes, Pizza Hut and Gourmet Magazine as well as a number of newsletters from different groups I belong to. Why do they do this? It’s an inexpensive way to stay in touch with me with great offers and details of upcoming events. Even if I don’t read them all, I see their name every time I open my email. It’s useful information that is cheap for them to distribute and easy for me to read.

How can this work for you?

2008 is finally over. It was a tough year – fewer customers, spending less money, buying less retail and waiting longer between appointments. But now that it is finally gone, let’s look ahead to 2009. In the spirit of improvement and changes, I’ve got a few resolutions for the new year that can revolutionize your business:

Is your salon selling gift certificates? You should be. Gift certificates can be the biggest money making opportunity your salon has this holiday season. Easy to use and give, gift certificates can do wonders to grow your salon business.

Photo by Bracketeer

Too often I hear about salons with 8 empty chairs that have tried EVERYTHING they can think of to fill them. New salons open and are magically full of booth renters and stylists – Why does that happen? I hope this isn’t going to be too painful, but let’s look at why some salons attract booth renters and others don’t.

It’s that time of year again when you need to start thinking about Christmas favors for your clients. This has become a pricy tradition, one where each year you end up spending $3 a piece for a chinzy ½ oz bottle of berry flavored lotion. You don’t really feel like you can opt out, since you have always given your clients something at Christmas, and you know that soon they will start appearing with gifts, bottles of wine and baked goods in hand. So you have been pouring over the catalogs desperately looking for that wonderful client “Thank You” gift that will show your appreciation, look impressive and still cost you less than a dollar each.