From communicating with new clients to staying on budget as you build your business, here are the quick, and easy ways to keep on learning, no matter where your salon is located.
Developing a clear vision for education in your salon is a key component to keeping your team creatively engaged. “You have to share everything,” says James Abu-Ulba, owner of Spa Utopia & Salon in Surrey, B.C. “They will come back the next time because you shared everything, and it pushes us to keep experimenting and discovering new things we can share with them. This way, everyone is moving forward. We’re not staying stagnant. It forces the industry to move forward.”
Along with the technical training your team needs, there’s so much more to education, that will help salon owners and hairstylists elevate the skills that are needed at every stage of your career. We connected with salon training professionals for some of their best advice to help you and your team stay ahead of the curve.
Number Crunching
“Hairstylists don’t have time to read the numbers,” says Crystal Zakaluzny, a Mind Body consultant in Moosejaw Saskatchewan, “but there are dashboards to see the appointments, the revenue and you can have an idea of the types of appointments. “No matter what system you’re using in your salon, using weekly and monthly statistics is a learning opportunity for everyone on your team.
As a business owner, this is your opportunity to find out more about your team’s performance and identify where they may need to focus their education. For example, if some hairstylist aare having a difficult time reaching retail targets, then it may be time to offer your team training in areas of sales, or even customer service. Zakaluzny suggests dedicating an hour or two on a weekly basis to learning more about the retail and service statistics as a way to enhance the planning needs of your education and training.
Money Matters
When you signed up to be a hairstylist you didn’t necessarily think about owning a business one day. That means getting up to speed on business finances, hiring staff and how to deal with payroll. Government programs such as Community Futures are complimentary programs that offer education and training to small business owners on everything from loan application to dealing with staffing issues. These programs employ education teams with professionals in the areas of finances that are central to growing a successful business. In addition, some national banks also offer online training resources that can assist business owners by tapping in to the best ways to manage your finances, allowing you to successfully navigate your business growth.
Learn to Listen
According Robert Cromeans, global artistic director and education expert with John Paul Mitchel Systems, hairstylists could do well to boost their communication skills. “Communication is so key, yet 85% of salon guests will say that they don’t feel listened to by their stylist,” says Cromeans adding that one of the most important things service providers can do is develop better listening skills. When it comes to becoming a better listener, Cromeans suggests hairstylists practice with one another, in order to develop a better understanding of what different people may be saying. In addition, Cromeans challenges hairstylists to have a list the questions that get their clients talking, right from the consultation.
Tech It Out
As a business consultant Zakalusny can see first-hand the benefit of having at least one or two hairstylists on your team with a strong understanding of technology. Most applications offer the ability to become certified in the software platform which can be a big timesaver and benefit your whole salon. From running email campaigns to using the booking component to send reminders to clients with a designated team member having a more in depth understanding of the features of your salon’s software platform will help ensure you’re making the most of everyone’s time in the salon.
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