2815 meridian street - bellingham, wa 98225 - Stylist and Salon ...

More documents

Recommendations

Info

In this issue... 9 7 11 Blue Highways While branding alone does not guarantee success, having an identifiable brand does differentiate you or your business in the beauty marketplace. Jerry Tyler explains how branding establishes who you are and where you are placed in the market landscape. Better Business Preparing for the holidays requires planning if you want to reap all the benefits a successful holiday season can offer. Neil Ducoff offers tips to make the most of the holiday rush. Beauty Business Buzz From where to advertise to how much to spend, Shannon Wells takes a look at some of the keys to success when creating an advertising plan and what you need to know to make sure you’re getting the most bang for your advertising buck. Know When to Grow . . . . . . . . 5 Marketing Solutions. . . . . . . . . 6 Better Business . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 The Nail Extension . . . . . . . . . . 8 Blue Highways . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Esthetic Endeavors . . . . . . . . 10 Beauty Business Buzz . . . . . . . 11 Oregon Board News. . . . . . . . 13 Washington Board News . . . . . 14 Classifieds . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-17 Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 What’s New in the Market . . . . 19 On the cover... Photo Courtesy of EUFORA INTL. Hairstylists: Don Bewley and Dee Fortier Photographer: Bonnie Holland Marketing is Still the Most Important Ingredient in Your Business From the Editor Lisa Kind No matter how great you are, if people can’t find your salon or spa, you’ll never get to prove it. This month’s Stylist focuses on marketing to help you find ways to bring people into your place of business. Suppose you own a spa and you’ve been struggling to build that perfect service menu that’ll bring droves of people to experience the wonderful pampering you offer. Would you like some help putting the menu together? If so, check out Judith Culp’s article on page 10 “Creating Your Perfect Menu.” Marketing knowledge is essential this time of year to plan your holiday strategy. And bear in mind the holidays are trucking toward us full throttle. We all know our businesses need to grab as much of the holiday plenty as we can. Thumb over to page 7 and let Neil Ducoff tell you all about “Creating a Holiday Crush.” He’ll tell you how to compare your historical performance to your goals, and create a winning strategy to fulfill those goals. Planning ahead is the topic of “Prepping Your Salon and Staff for Holiday Traffic” on page 6, and you’ll be reminded of the importance of doing a little up-selling that not only helps everyone look extra festive this season but also helps your bottom line. Getting people into your establishment is easier and return customers more often if your business stands for something. What is your brand known for? Are your customers aware of your philosophy? For help in using this approach to help your business, we have a couple wonderful articles for you. Jerry Tyler’s “Branding” article on page 9 will help you see how having a clear picture of what you stand for and determining what motivates people to become faithful clients can help you create a real brand awareness. Reading his probing questions, and consider how you answer can make a real difference in helping you create an image people will identify with and seek out. Then let Vicki Peters’ article blow your mind by telling you a brief story about Mac computers and iPods. Trust me; it all makes sense once she finishes explaining. She helps you see how some of the biggest names out there helped all of us identify what their name means, what they stand for. Then she’ll give you some great ideas for how you can do it too. You’ll find her article on page 8 under the headline “Are You Branded?” Then there’s the ever-confusing world of advertising. Have you ever wished you knew “The Who, What, When, Where and Why of Advertising”? Under that headline on page 11, you’ll find Shannon Wells’ discussion of the secrets of not just throwing your money at a bottomless advertising pit, but careful planning your financial strategy of an advertising well. She’ll remind you of not only the necessity of advertising, but also the importance of knowing and using some key factors in advertising. So you’ve mastered your marketing and advertising plan and your salon is full to it’s capacity. Have you ever considered opening a second location? Get some advice from those in the know by reading How to Know When the Time is Right to Grow on page 5. Industry leaders from the International Salon Spa Business Network share their insights, experience and advice. This issue has more in store for you than what I have mentioned. Although the focus of this month’s Stylist is a little more nitty-gritty deep thinking about a heady subject, we still tried to keep it fun and engaging. I hope you enjoy the whole issue, and I am interested in any comments you may have on how the advice you find here works out for you. Email me at lisa@stylistnewspapers.com. Northwest Stylist & Salon Volume XXIV, Number 11, Issue 283 October 15 - November 15, 2008 Founded 1984 by David Porter Published monthly by Holland Graphics, Inc. 1750 SW Skyline Blvd., Suite 24 Portland OR 97221 Toll-free (888) 297-7010 or (503) 297-7010 Fax (503) 297-7022 E-mail: editor@nwstylist.com Web site: www.nwstylist.com Publisher Managing Editor Copy Editor Production Manager Advertising Director Art Director Classified Sales Linda Holland Lisa Kind James Giddings Joel Holland Marcy Avenson Erica Gibson Kelly Smith Contributing Writers: Judy Culp, Jerry Tyler, Vicki Peters, Shannon Wells, Neil Ducoff, Adam Lucas, Jayne Morehouse Oregon Board of Cosmetology Kraig Bohot, Communications Officer Washington State Advisory Board Trudie Touchette, Administrator Susan Colard, Assistant Administrator NW STYLIST & SALON is mailed free of charge to licensed salons and barbershops, booth renters and beauty schools in Oregon, Washington and Idaho. Circulation is restricted to members of the beauty and barber profession, its suppliers and students. CONTRIBUTIONS OF PHOTOS, ARTICLES, etc., are welcome. Payment offered only when arrangements are made in writing in advance with the editor/ publisher. ALL MATERIAL COPYRIGHT 2008 by Holland Graphics, Inc. and/or the bylined authors or photographers. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher. OPINIONS AND ENDORSEMENTS herein are the sole responsibility of the writers or advertisers and do not necessarily represent the opinions of the publisher or the State Boards of each state. Publication of advertising contained herein does not constitute endorsement. Columns are the opinions of the writers and not those of the publisher. NW Stylist & Salon assumes no responsibility for the claims of any advertiser in their paid advertising nor in the promotional material they provide either orally or in writing. Advertising does not imply that the paper will provide any editorial coverage, photos, calendar mention, or any other space or consideration other than actual space purchased. All advertising must be paid in advance of publication in lieu of prior arrangements. Invoices paid after terms will be subject to a 2.5% per month service charge. Delinquent invoices may be subject to a handling fee of 25%. Published rates are net. Agencies add 15% for gross cost. No Agency discounts. In the event a suit or action is brought to collect amounts due NW Stylist & Salon shall be entitled to recover attorney fees and costs incurred. ADDITIONAL OR OUT-OF-STATE SUBSCRIP- TIONS: For a one year subscription, send name, address and zip with check for $20 payable to HOL- LAND GRAPHICS, INC. to Subscriptions, NW Stylist & Salon, 1750 SW Skyline Blvd., Suite 24, Portland, OR 97221. Address changes require old mailing label. 4 | OCTOBER 2008 | NORTHWEST STYLIST & SALON
How to Know When the Time is Right to Grow By Jayne Morehouse If you’re a salon or spa owner, have you considered opening a second location? If so, perhaps you’ve had questions. How do you know when the time is right? What are the reasons to grow into additional locations, as opposed to adding on to your existing space? To get some answers from the pros who have been there and done that, we asked some of the leaders of the International Salon Spa Business Network—formerly known as the International Chain Salon Association—to share their insights, experience and advice. “It’s time to consider growing when you’ve reached a couple of milestones. First, when you are at maximum capacity at your existing location and second, when you have the cash flow to support a second unit,” explained Charles Penzone, chairman of Charles Penzone, Inc. in Columbus, Ohio, and secretary for the network. “That means you need to look carefully at how many hours a week your chairs are occupied and producing revenue. Look at the dollars you are generating per square foot and how much more you could generate if you double shifted your stations. If you’re close to maximum earning potential and occupancy for most chairs for most of the hours you are open, then it might be time to consider opening another location.” Added Bob Floreak of Acuity Human Resources LLC, a company that consults with members of the network, including Philip Pelusi Salons, “When you’ve decided to grow, it’s critical to focus on your culture. The biggest issue that affects growth as salons move from one or two locations to multiple locations is that they start to lose the small business culture. ...What that means is the burden of more employees creates the increased likelihood of additional employee relations issues, turnover and even legal challenges, because it becomes more difficult to manage a large number of employees. To improve the potential for success and to mitigate the possibility of employee relations and [human resources] issues, companies need to train their managers on the basics of performance management and labor compliance as well as adopt defined [human resources] policies and procedures.” Once you do decide to grow, Gordon Logan, president of the International Salon Spa Business Network and CEO of Sport Clips, a Georgetown, Texas-based sports themed If you’re close to maximum earning potential and occupancy for most chairs for most of the hours you are open, then it might be time to consider opening another location. company offering salons for men and boys with more than 500 units across the country, offers these steps to success: 1. Develop a thorough business plan. Excel spreadsheets are great for this, since you can change the assumptions to see what impact client counts, average service tickets, retail sales, etc. have on your bottom line. Factor in additional costs of two locations: communications, training, etc. Be realistic about build-out costs, you don’t want to under-estimate the cost to open. Improvements to the space, equipment, store front sign, supplies, inventory for resale, marketing costs to get the word out, ... etc. all have to taken into consideration. “Banks loan to those who have a realistic business plan that is not overly optimistic. Develop worst-case best-case scenarios to see what happens if everything doesn’t go just like you hope it will. Be prepared for setbacks by factoring some cushion into your working capital allowances.” 2. Once you finish your business plan, talk to your banker. Don’t be discouraged if he says no. Many times, you have to talk to several lenders before you find one who understands our industry and has faith in your ability to operate multiple locations. Check into Small Business Administration loans. They are perfect for owner-operators, are usually easier to obtain unless you have a substantial net worth. 3. Make sure you have a management system in place. Running two or more locations is more complicated than just one. You can’t replicate yourself, so you have to have systems in place and you need to document them well, so someone else can do it in your place. 4. Train your manager to run the new location. If you don’t have someone in your salon that is capable of running your next salon, you need to hire someone or develop someone presently on your team. Invest in outside seminars on leadership and management, building a team, coaching and counseling, etc. Attend workshops at hair shows on management. Have your manager-to-be run your existing location for a few weeks to see if they are capable and like being in a leadership role, before taking the reins full time. 5. Join trade associations, like the International Salon Spa Business Network, where you can learn from and network with others who have opened new locations. 6. Have a strong point-of-sale computer system, so you can monitor performance and inventory, etc. at any time from your home office and your new manager can use the performance reports to coach and counsel the team. 7. Develop a stylist recruiting program. You will have more stations to fill with new locations. Talk to school owners to let them know you are planning a new location. 8. Organize your training. You can’t do it all one-on-one by yourself any more. Use outside resources, like product manufacturers, distributors, etc., to supplement your in-house resources. 9. Be prepared to work harder than ever until you get everything under control and cash flow positive. Expect it to be harder than you ever imagined. Concluded Penzone, “Carefully studying your numbers will give you the best roadmap. Putting a location in just so you can grow isn’t always the best move to make. In fact, sometime if you already have multiple locations, you’ll become more efficient and more profitable by reducing your number of locations. Growing can be terrific, but downsizing might be the most prudent decision, depending on your financial position. Remember, over the long run, profitability is what matters.” Jayne Morehouse is public relations director for the International Salon Spa Business Network. For more information, call 866-444-4272, visit www. salonspanetwork.org or join the network’s next conference on May 31-June 2, 2009 at The Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Amelia Island, Florida. A “MUST HAVE” FOR YOUR SALON! $50 OFF! Limited Offer Ends 11/30/08 from Patent #5,205,013 Order online now at www.backscratchers.com or call 1-800-832-5577 for more information. Mention this ad and use promotional code SV1008. NORTHWEST STYLIST & SALON | OCTOBER 2008 | 5
Page 2 and 3: 2815 MERIDIAN STREET - BELLINGHAM,
Page 6 and 7: ADVERTISERS xIncrease x Your Exposu
Page 8 and 9: Professional Body Sugaring Products
Page 10 and 11: Creating the Perfect Menu for Your
Page 12 and 13: Offers Expire November 15th, 2008 o
Page 14 and 15: Department of Licensing Ruling on U
Page 16 and 17: NW PORTLAND Full or part-time lease
Page 18 and 19: October 2008 12-13: Premiere Birmi
Page 20: ISSE09_CAstylist_v1.indd 2 9/10/08

2815 meridian street - bellingham, wa 98225 - Stylist and Salon ...

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?