HAPPY NEW YEAR... 2011 here we come!!

January is a great month for salons to review and refresh business. I hope you have all managed to generate some good income over this holiday period and will come back to your businesses with energy, passion and a fresh plan to tidy-up any failing areas and increase sales!

Let's get it done in 2011! We are here to help...

Happy New Year!
Ego, Margaret, Bethany & all the Miss Salon Associates xxx

Why are specialist salons a good idea?

There are two points of view here, the salons and the clients. There are also two types of specialist salons to consider: the ‘one type of treatment’ ones and the ‘one type of client’ ones. I am a big fan of the salons that specialise in one type of client. These are the businesses that have taken the time to figure out what need they are trying to fulfil.

From the salons point of view, specialising in one type of client helps to create focus. Focus is crucial for marketing. Marketing is crucial for success. How many salon owners will answer the question “Who is your salon for?” with the answer “Everybody!” This is a mistake. I strongly believe that creating a business, a salon business, that caters for a specific need is a crucial key to success. A specific need could be to ‘look like Jordan or Pamela Anderson’ or to be able to combine a lunch meeting with a pedicure or to unwind. The first one would specialise in hair extensions, fillers, false eyelashes, eyebrows and nail extensions. The second one would be a city salon specialising in high quality speedy combination treatments in open spaces. The third would be located out of town specialising in massages and detoxifying treatments. They are all salons but they focus on different and very specific markets through their treatment menu, locations, price points and premises. Doing this makes finding and marketing to ‘the client’ a lot more straight forward with a higher chance of success then planning for ‘everybody’ to come in.

From the clients point of view there should be a sense of familiarity, almost joy at being ‘where you belong’. “Yes, this salon is for me!” This is what happens when you spot your favourite brand on the supermarket shelf. Choosing is made easier and as long as the experience is all that was expected will continue to be made.

Something to think about...

Merry Christmas,
Ego

How To Make Profit In Your Salon EVERYDAY!... The Miss Salon presentation at Professional Beauty Manchester 2010

Bethany McBrearty presented the Miss Salon Masterclass on How To Make Profit In Your Salon Everyday at Professional Beauty Manchester 2010. It was a huge success and with Margaret Mensah's help we sold out of all the Kick Start Your Salon Into Profit booklets we had on stage.

You can download a free copy of the presentation and slide show right here right now!

HOW TO MAKE PROFIT MISS SALON PRESENTATION
HOW TO MAKE PROFIT EVERYDAY MISS SALON SLIDE SHOW
(Please note the presentation contains the main content, the slide show is a supplement to the presentation... so best to get both!)

We look forward to your feedback, questions and comments. Write to us at misssalon@misssalon.com

...be successful!
Ego Iwegbu-Daley

We have been busy busy BUSY! :-)

Just finished the one week River Island Style Event and student Shop-in with Bourjois makeup and Models Own It nail polish!

5 UK Cities - London Cardiff Manchester Liverpool Newcastle
20 Miss Salon Associates!
We were busy busy BUSY!!! Click here to see more pictures on facebook

Raving Fans...

When I opened my first nail salon I wanted it to be all about the customer. If our service was about nails then we were going to do it all! Whatever a customer wanted we did it; gel, acrylic, fast manicures, slow manicures, nail art, French polish, American French, fiberglass, airbrushing, super fast drying top coats, slow drying but super shiny topcoats, nourishing cuticle oils, quick fixes, pedicures, the lot! As I became more experienced in the business I realized I had taken on a huge task. Having such a wide range of services, requiring so many different skills from a technician, meant that we were constantly in training. Applying fiberglass is a very different process from gel, airbrushing is very different from free-style hand painted nail art. But there wasn’t necessarily a market for ‘every’ service so why was I investing so much in training the team to airbrush nail art for example when most ladies in the area wanted straight plan French manicures?

Offering a huge variety of services in your salon may be nice but tailoring your service to your market is a lot more cost effective, profitable and most importantly ensures that you do a great job for every client, every time! This was the beginning of me properly implementing a marketing idea in order to attract new customers and create raving fans.

Attracting customers is a marketing function which requires thought and persistence. With most salon owners working on the shop-floor, caught-up in the day-to-day operations and staffing issues of the business; there always seems little time at the end of the day to think creatively about what needs to be done to ensure a continuous flow of clients. This means that many salon owners do not actively or effectively market their businesses; seeing it as a luxury and not a necessity and therefore never giving, this all-important function, the time and thought it needs. If you are guilty of this, stop today and make a decision to start marketing your salon properly, as it is one of the most important things you can do for your business.

Here are 3 ways to start actively trying to attract customers to your salon:-

• Text all your clients whenever you have availability for a specific treatment or service they’d enjoy; for example – Hello Maureen, just a quick text to let you know that we are available today to give you that cut and colour you’ve been thinking about. Give us a call.

• Create eye-catching headlines for you client mail-shots, A-boards, window signs and leaflets; for example – Did you eat and drink too much over Christmas? Come in for a free skinny hot chocolate and some hot tips for a detox. Or, Wish you could have a hair makeover like on TV? Come in today to meet our expert makeover team! Or, Dry feet? Chilly toes? Enjoy a hot softening foot soak plus perfect polish pedicure for just £25... it's what you have been waiting for!

• Have a party; invite past clients, passers-by and local offices to enjoy a drink and meet the 2009 A-Team!

Once in the door, you and your team must be geared up to providing these potential clients with as much information as possible in the friendliest and most welcoming manner! Then of course it is absolutely paramount that you deliver on your offer and your promise; give them the best treatment they’ve ever had! They’ll have no choice but to come back to you… why would they want to waste their precious money anywhere else!

Ego Iwegbu-Daley

Check out our Miss Salon™ Associates! Makeup Artists Salma and Jessie...

Miss Salon™ Associates: Salma & Jessie
Our client: BOURJOIS Cosmetics
Venue: River Island Store in Leeds
Event: 'Casting Call' for Company Magazine

Happy New Decade!

Miss Salon™ would like to wish all of our clients, friends, supporters, fans, would-be salon owners and hardworking salon owners a truly prosperous new decade!

Keep on keeping on, we are here to support you all the way!

MISS SALON™ xxx