I am in the process of setting up my own hair salon. I have never run a salon before! Full of good ideas, i found the premises and have spent months preparing to launch my business- or so i thought!!!!

A chance meeting with an old friend has really knocked the wind out of my sails... With a background in marketing the friend started asking me lots of questions like...

Who are your clients going to be?
Are you aiming at the ladies that lunch or the wage earners?
What is your budget for launching your marketing campaign?
Is your idea of offering an opening day price of 1p haircuts really going to entice the sort of clients you think you want?...

Now left feeling that I've got this completely wrong, I don't know what i'm doing!?!

I hadn't really thought of discriminating against any woman coming into my salon and worry that targeting my marketing at a particular group will limit my possibility of taking on clients.

Can any of you offer any help or direction?

Many thanks

And what does your friend know about hairdressing?

I know she's trying to help, but they are typical marketing questions. Just give it your all and do what feels right for you and your clients. Once the dust settles, then you can make firm plans about who you want to target etc. get the clients through the door first. Good luck. xxx

Her questions are good ones to consider, but at the end of it, it's your salon and you run it the way you want it and the way that it maximises profits for you.

I do worry that 1p haircuts is selling yourself a bit short - what if you do 10 amazing haircuts onyour first day and at the end of it have 10 1ps to show in your till? I'd find that a bit disheartening. I admire your idea and think that it'll be great for enticing people into the salon but whether or not it will retain them?

I agree. 1p haircuts will only attract tight people who have no intention of being regular clients. No, don't do any discounts. Maybe a discount off their second apointment (if you really have to). Set your sites high.

Thanks guys, you've really cheered me up already.

I think you're right, the 1p haircut was a bit crap! I have taken on board what you said about getting clients through the door. Will get my head down to some serious marketing strategies! Do any of you have experience of leaflet dropping local area and if it's been effective. My friends are all wanting to help me get going and thought this might be an effective way of getting them involved???

My experience of marketing professionals has always been that they live on a different planet from those of us that actually deal with clients!
They expect to work with giant budjets while we go leaflet dropping ourselves!
I agree with the others re the 1p haircuts. Please never discount your work!
Anyway if you do the maths, one 40 quid cut and blow dry is worth 4000 1p ones.
Best of luck for your opening x

I think that if done correctly, this could work out in your favour. To get their mega deal haircut they would need to have a colour and/or highlights.

That way thay are paying quite a bit of money already & if you don't have m/any clients to begin with, all you are really giving away is your time.

I've gained many regular clients over the years by doing freebies

In my opinion - sorry - but I don't think the 1p haircuts would work for the above reasons. To a client it could be percieved as to how much you value your service and time. It could have the opposite effect from the obvious and put potential clients off. I wish you good luck with your salon

Anyway, some people like to show off about their own jobs, hence the silly questions about your marketing strategy. Nobody starting a first salon has a bloody marketing budget!!
Quite often in the past, IT people have made me feel stupid and thick. They do it to show off and belittle. Bet they can't cut an inverted bob to the levels of perfection that I can!!
So open your salon, enjoy the experience, iron out any difficulties and imperfections, then go for growth.
Its no good having a 100 people turn up on your first day if your hot water goes kaput or a similar problem. far better to ease in a touch slower.

Thanks for all your replies but I still didn't sleep last night!!! I think this may be the shape of things to come until we open in 6 weeks!! Definitely scrapping the 1p scheme in favour of loyalty type scheme. SO NERVE RACKING this business!

I accept all that has been said but keeping a marketing strategy in mind when you open can only help you. Too many people waste too much money on random pieces of marketing that seems like a good idea at the time but doesn't target the right customers or fit the the brand/image of the business.

I'm assuming that you're creating a 'style' for your salon, and working out which target market your salon will appeal to will help you target your marketing effectively, even if that is only which areas of town to leaflet drop!! Also, not all marketing has to be expensive. Building a brand pays off in teh long-term, make sure all your signage, literature, advertising, decor, towels etc tie in to a colour scheme. Keeping a consistent brand image will help make your advertising more effective.

As an opening promotion have you thought about using your local paper? If you run a competition with the prize of cut/colur/blow dry and then offer a small freebie to those who bring the voucher from the paper to their first appointment, you will gain a profile quite quickly.

Also, only take paid advertising in the local paper if they will give you editorial alongside it - you'll have to ask for that, they wont offer it!!

Anyway, I hope that helps you. I'm sorry your friend made you feel inadequate, some of us with a marketing background want to help others!

Who are your clients going to be?
Good Question! Who are you going to market too? Its a case of will young girls visit your salon - are you that sort of trendy place or you attracting a maturer clientelle. Do you treat men? Knowing this before hand saves money on adverts that reach the wrong demographics. However saying this sometimes once your open you realise this may alter altogether.
Are you aiming at the ladies that lunch or the wage earners?
Again good question so you know who your marketing to.
What is your budget for launching your marketing campaign?
This is a bottomless pit - set your self aside an amount or a percentage a month of your takings so you don't spend more than you can afford.
Is your idea of offering an opening day price of 1p haircuts really going to entice the sort of clients you think you want?...
I would say no! There hardly going to be clients for life are they? However if its merely a publicity stunt it will get your name in the paper - but then if your after a high end image it will cheapen your image and you will alianate certain clients.

Now left feeling that I've got this completely wrong, I don't know what i'm doing!?!
Who does when they first start out! I made £10,000 of mistakes in my first year of business. So listen to everyone you can and put play what they tell you, especially if thats there area of expertese. Does not mean you are any less of a business woman or a failure if anything it will make you more of a success. All top business people take advice from other experts in particular fields they are not acquantied in. Your a Hairdresser - your accountant would not talk his friend through doing a perm would he? He would refer her to you and so on.

I hadn't really thought of discriminating against any woman coming into my salon and worry that targeting my marketing at a particular group will limit my possibility of taking on clients.
You don't limit anyone. Its a key sector who will be your most consistent clientelle. If you target young clients for example students with little free cash you may waste your money especially if your out of there price range. Target your mid 30's+ Female sector, then theres a fair chance they have disposable income to afford a hair cut every six weeks.


There are many ways to market your business and ways which get you noticed. Organise a mini fashion show at your local shopping centre and concentrate on Xmas party wear. If you organise it - you sponser it and you do the hair! Give out balloons and sweets to kids out the front of the shop to raise exposure. Offer free children cuts with an adult cut. This does not cheapen you, but means mums like me can have a hair cut and save a few quid. It also means we can have a guilt free hair cut...

If you want to bounce more ideas about PM me. And Good Luck xxxx

I was in a bit of a rush last night when I posted so didn't really explain myself very well.

I'm not suggesting you give out free haircuts willynilly but as I already mentioned, if done correctly can work very well. At the very least you should be able to generate some FREE publicity for your salon, meaning you get clients in paying for other services to get their freebie, which means they are more likely to re-book again, having already parted with their dosh. Make it time limited & I do think it could work.

I know of 1 or 2 salons who offer free children's haircuts when you have your own done. Works really, really well for them.

The competition is a great idea & is 1 I've used many a time & is a way of getting lots of clients very inexpensively.

As long as your salon interior & branding looks top notch I don't see why doing some cleverly thoughtout promos should 'cheapen' you. Why do the same old, same old as everybody else? Be different, be memorable.

Good luck with it all.

Sounds like a good practical idea.
Then you can take it from there re 'target market' .
Don't let your friend put you off with paralysis by analysis, as I call it. After all, YOU are the one taking the plunge and starting up your own business, not her.
All the very best of luck with it x

Tog

Just to go off the subject for a second...I just had a quick look at your website, I love the tag line on the gift vouchers...for the woman who has everything, including a moustache, cellulite etc...hilarious...hahahahahahah