September - Stylist and Salon Newspapers

Point, Click, Color
Modern Technology Takes Off at the Color Bar
by Debbie Miller
Industry statistics tell us that 54 percent
of all women in the United States over the
age of 25 are altering the natural pigment of
their hair.
These statistics also tell us that “color”
service is now the most requested service in
all professional hair salons.
Today, 80 percent of the salon’s technical
work is related to haircolor, making it the
premier service ticket driver.
By the close of 2010, the number of teens
in the United States will grow to a staggering
35 million, with the average teenager spending
$80 each week on themselves. The data
also points out that in the span of 2006-2016,
a growth of 47 percent of 55 plus boomers
will go into the workforce and stay well into
their retirement years.
Considering all these statistics, we must
begin to recognize
how much opportunity
the color category
offers, as well
as figure out how to
take advantage of it.
Some salons
have made costly
changes building
a state of the art
“color bar” showcasing the salon professional
mixing a color formula, but, for the most
part, that is where the technology stops.
The cost of maintaining a color inventory
has escalated over 300 percent over the past
15 years. Color once priced at $1.50 per two
ounces is now approximately $5.50 for the
same two ounces.
The average eight-stylist salon will perform
approximately 9,600 color services per
year and the cost of color (two ounce tubes
averaging $5.50 each) can average $52,800
(color only -- no developer, shampoo, conditioner,
gloves or foils). Results of the “Fishbowl
Exercise”* tell us that approximately 25
percent, or one ounce of the color formula
mixed is poured down the drain.
Cleaning up the waste in the color bar
could be a click away by applying technology
in three important areas:
• Digital scales connected to salon software
• Controlling the developer
• Security for the owner
Digital Scales Connected to Salon
Software — Traditional methods of measuring
color are inefficient and costly. Pouring a
cream developer and transferring to a bowl
leaves an average of half an ounce of developer
“clinging” to the beaker for inaccurate
measurements, and wastes an average of 25
percent of the formula.
When adding color from a tube, one is
Statistics have shown that, over the past 18
months, 15 percent of existing color clients
chose to color their own hair, but kept the professional
cut. Gaining back that lost 15 percent
of color business (1440 clients year x $50 per
service) for a salon that sees 800 clients per
month could be as much as $72,000 found.
prompted to “squeeze to a line,” thus making
it impossible to identify smaller amounts,
such as a quarter ounce. Furthermore, an
independent study found that the best efforts
using tube markings were only accurate to +
/ - 50 percent.
Controlling the Developer — Controlling
the developer also means controlling
the cost. Using computer-guided software
that supports the ratio of colorant to developer
will automatically re-calculate batch
sizes with correct proportions of multiple
shades. Downsizing batches by one ounce
per retouch can save the owner an average of
$13,440 per year.
Controlling the dispensing of the
developer allows the stylists to be creative
and artistic in color choice, and provides a
tracking system for the owner. Through the
reporting capabilities of software today, the
inventory can be
easily ramped up
for busy seasons
and promotions,
or scaled down for
slower periods.
Security for
the Owner — A
high-tech, savvy
color bar protects
inventory from “disappearing” and can access
detailed reports of all color activity with one
click. This provides security for the inventory
and important data that will be useful when
coaching and mentoring the salon team on
growing their color business.
Understanding Your Color Business
Unfortunately, many salons experience
25 percent of color waste and 15 percent of
shrink with the total loss as high as $950 per
month. Understanding how the inventory is
moving “tells the story of the numbers.” It is
imperative that the salon owner have all the
information available to shift an inefficient
color room into a lucrative profit center.
If you think the cost of technological advancement
is high, then wait until you get the
bill for hanging on to the good ole’ days. If
your clients are choosing to be more careful
how and when they spend their money, what
are you doing as a business owner to encourage
them to spend it with you? How are you
letting your clients know that you can take
better care of them than someone else can?
Debbie Miller is a salon professional from the Midwest who as a Global Performing
Business Artist for Redken Fifth Avenue has created and developed
several successful business programs such as Power Booking, The Business
Connection and The Assistant Training Program. For more information on
“the Fishbowl Exercise”* and applying modern technology to your color
visit www.suretint.com . SOURCES: http:/blogs.hairboutique.com/index.php
haircolor debunking popular myths; humanforsale.com/hair-color.asp; CBS
Business Network mediacentral.com.
1.888.892.6382
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OHIO STYLIST & SALON | SEPTEMBER 2010 | 15