Project WORD: Find Businesses Online | Business Dictionary
define a keyword that links to your website - it costs £1 a word!
E.G if you search for FakeBake on the site it will link to my website - how cool is that!

I found another salon directory site and signed up with them for free. This is an example of their free listing, which I think is pretty good for a no cost one!
They took all the details from my website; I don't have to do anything except email all my clients asking them to leave feedback - this morning's job (inbetween clients!)
Calla Salon - Wahanda

Another way to get your name out there, which can only help your google rankings!

Really helpful links there lynne, thank you!

Hello Calla,

You've got some great ideas on here! Just wondering how you created a whole profile for your salon on Wahanda? I've tried doing it and it only seems to ask for details about me rather than my salon! xx

hi hon
thats a great idea, hope you get loads of business from it xx

I emailed them and asked to part of their site, gave them my website url and they did the rest. I approved what they had written and that was that!
You get two options - a free listing (which is what I have), or a paid for one. I've written the wahanda url down on my appointment cards and asked each client to give honest feedback about their experience with me.

Just got back from a 4networking meeting at the Hilton in Newbury, and very nice it was too!
You can go for 3 meetings before they want money out of you and I've got one firm booking already from it.

Here's the url for the organisation.

4Networking - Business networking the modern way

The more people know you, the more people you have as potential customers!

Calling all Basingstoke geeks - there is a Ladies who Latte meeting at Bizzy Lizzie's coffee shop in Chineham shopping centre this morning at 10.
I've attached a map
Maps of the world, street map search - powered by Multimap
It costs only the price of a coffee, and I've had a lot of business as a result of just one meeting!

Thanks for all your great advice Calla. Its really nice to see you sharing things you've worked hard to research and implement. Here's some great advice I found. I hope this helps you:

Low Cost Marketing

At its simplest, a marketing strategy is all about improving your chances of making sales – usually by making more potential purchasers aware of your products or services, or by making them aware of its desirable qualities (perhaps including its price). Marketing efforts don’t need to be hugely expensive, raising awareness

 Little and Often
Research has shown that the effects of advertising are short lived. Therefore, in order to optimise your budget, it makes sense to spend smaller amounts very regularly. This will ensure that your business is consistently at the forefront of customer’s minds.

 Word Of Mouth
Prospects in particular are more likely to become customers if your marketing efforts are complimented by a recommendation from a friend or family member. You can encourage your existing customers to attract new customers for you by undertaking a ‘recommend a friend’ as part of your promotional efforts. For example, you could send out an offer where your existing client and their friend will both receive a discount when they book a treatment together, or mention a promotional code when booking separately.

 Be Committed
You need to be aware that marketing efforts require careful planning and, in order to you assess your return on investment and effectively plan future marketing, you must keep a record of the sales generated as a result of your campaigns. Try and set some time aside each week for brainstorming new ideas or calculating your business growth.

 Capture Data
Build a mailing list. This will enable you to target your campaigns more effectively. Collecting the names is the hard part, so give your prospects a reason for them to provide you with their name and address – competitions, an emailed newsletter, the promise of advance information and discounts, maybe even a loyalty card. Work at keeping your list accurate and up to date. Try to get hold of email addresses as well as (or even in preference to) landmail contact details: email is cheaper and more versatile than postage.
 Maintaining customer relationships
This is especially important in the service industry. Once you have captured your client’s data, use it! Concentrate on customers more than prospects: they will be more valuable to you, both for repeat business and because they’ll act as a reference. It is estimated to be up to four times more expensive to attract a new customer than it is to maintain an existing customer. So be personal. Remember birthdays and anniversaries. Say "thank you” when they buy (if only by email). Offer them the chance to comment and criticise. Give them special offers not available to anyone else. Make sure they know that your Christmas ‘thank you’ gift is going to a selected few, and they’re in the group.

 Selling new treatments
Invite your regulars to check out new products or services: they appreciate being treated as special, and you will lower barriers to purchase because the risk associated with trial is lower and they will therefore be more likely to purchase the treatment in the future. Look at their past purchase history if possible, and tailor special promotions to them.
 Cheap and Easy Marketing
Postcards are cheap and easy to produce, especially if you use colour on one side only. They can be mailed to prospects and stacked in help-yourself dispensers. And you can use them for a variety of marketing messages – see our new product, gasp at our new prices or our short-term cut-price promotion, enter the competition or the free prize draw (and get two entries if you give us a friend’s name and address). A reply-paid licence makes it simple for someone to return the card; these are easy and economical to set up with the Post Office.

 Competitions
Run competitions. They are an excellent way to garner mailing list names while sending branding messages: the kind of contest your run implies the kind of company you are. A chance of winning hamper full of lovely products, chocolates and a bottle of Chardonnay could prove irresistible to customers for the mere exchange of their phone number and address.

 Rewarding Loyalty
The customer gets a good deal, you get a keen customer (and their contact details). A simple approach is to give customers a card that is marked after each purchase and results in a free or reduced-price offering after a specified number of regular-priced purchases.

Studio Tracker is a salon management software package which allows you to store, track and communicate with customers in one easy-to-use integrated system. Campaign templates are built into the system, which allow you to send out personalised messages, such as promotional offers or birthday messages, to customers via SMS. It can show you the purchase history of your clients allowing you target promotional material more effectively, as well as making cross and up selling easier. You can configure the system to offer loyalty rewards to your regular customer s. In addition, Studio Tracker monitors stock levels, enabling you to re-stock your bestselling products more quickly and preventing lost sales. Prices start from just £9 a week.

I would just like to say, that if anyone is going to survive this recession it is you!!! You seem to have so much drive and determination and the ideas just keep coming!!

One way to find new clients is to join a beauty gift voucher scheme.

There are a few around currently but the one I know all about is Lavish, which is the business I run.

The way it works is that people and companies buy Lavish vouchers at Lavish - Luxury beauty and spa gift vouchers across the UK as gifts for friends and family or staff. The vouchers are then gift wrapped and sent out to the recipient who browses the portfolio of salons and spas that will accept Lavish vouchers, chooses where to spend the voucher and makes an appointment directly. After the treatment Lavish then refunds the salon or spa for the value of the voucher minus a commission. It's a great way to gain new clients which you can wow into become loyal regulars!

We have hundreds of wonderful spas and salons listed with Lavish and are always looking to expand our portfolio...

There is some really great ideas on here. I am a new business only been open about 6 months. Was thinking the other day if i had done the right thing in the current climite but you have really inspired me with your ideas. Going to get on with some of things right away. Especially the free listings as i am in a rual area with not much passing trade.

Thanks for give me the kick up the bum I needed.

Kirsty

HI

I have been reading through your threads and love your ideas. Good luck.

Hiya

Just thought I'd add something to this - Im doing a sponsored wax in a couple of weeks time to raise funds for my little girls nursery and Ive got in touch with the local paper to see if they'd like to cover it! They are really interested! Plus its a bit of publicity for me and the nursery but gets my business name in the paper!! Im planning on doing a small paid ad in there on the same day they run the article (think it'll cost me £36 + VAT) so hopefully will get something from that too!

I noticed a lot of you have done sponsored waxing etc. so just thought this could be a little extra bit you could try!

xxxx

p.s. sorry if this isnt a new idea!

Hi Calla,
I've donated a few spray tan vouchers for schools raffle prizes over the last few months (with only one redeemed so far) but I've donated these free of charge as I assumed schools and nurseries relied on all their prizes being donated. I must investigate further if this isn't the case!!!