The Fine Art of Salon Management
Smart salon management is crucial in ensuring success. This can be quite a challenging task as hair stylists are quite infamous for their free spirit and independence. They are not corporate drones that can be dictated upon. They are unique and highly creative individuals who take pride in their work. As such, the approach has to be tailored to the situation.
Salon Management Responsibilities
Managers are similar to the conductor in an orchestra. They direct the flow of daily operations and make sure that each of the staff is doing their part. They also have to deal with the clients when they have questions, suggestions or complaints. This can be very stressful at times but it gets easier with experience. Managers handle product inventory, do the payroll, and find ways to boost sales. There are certainly lots to do but the environment is loose enough to keep things enjoyable. Stylists like a relaxed atmosphere as well so try to maintain it for everyone’s benefit.
A Balanced Approach
Managers need to be accessible to the staff. They must be on hand to listen to their needs and provide them with adequate support. The best ones know that rapport is everything so they are friendly with their staff and treat them with respect. In turn, the staff will become quite receptive to ideas and proposals. When there is something that needs to get done, they will offer their help. The working environment will be very pleasant and the morale will be high. Being a dictator is not a good style in salons as the staff will only become rebellious. Strive for a balance of closeness and firmness.
Keep It Light
Gather the staff for regular meetings to discuss the status of the business, provide projects updates, get feedback, and tackle pressing problems. Aim for a reasonable schedule such as once or twice a month. Don’t go overboard with frequent meetings as this eats up everyone’s time and can be rather unproductive. Make them something to look forward to instead of something to dread. Serve food, give out awards for top performers, and keep it as short as possible.
Maximize Partnerships
As part of their marketing strategy, cosmetic companies form partnerships with local salons to encourage the use of their products. Managers can make the most out of these partnerships by asking their representatives to come over and do product demos. This serves as a sort of free continuing education for the staff. The company’s reps typically bring free samples and everybody loves those. It breaks the monotony of daily operations and gives the staff the chance to learn new skills. It is a great way of improving the business through creative salon management.
