How much business increase in December?

[pussycatbeech]

Hi,
This is our first year in business as a nail bar and we are trying to plan staffing levels for December. Can anyone help me by giving me an idea of how much business increases by in December? Sep seems to have been quiet , I don't know if anyone else is finding this?
Thanks very much

 

[xxJackiexx]

Hi,
This is our first year in business as a nail bar and we are trying to plan staffing levels for December. Can anyone help me by giving me an idea of how much business increases by in December? Sep seems to have been quiet , I don't know if anyone else is finding this?
Thanks very much

September has been on the quiet side for me too compared to August . Im just starting to pick up again now this week x

 

[pussycatbeech]

Thanks Jacqui, any ideas why? is Sep usually quiet? X

 

[xxJackiexx]

Thanks Jacqui, any ideas why? is Sep usually quiet? X

Ive been alittle on the skint side myself this month from paying out for school uniforms etc and im still recovering from the expensive 6 week school holidays a few of my clients have said similar .

 

[pussycatbeech]

Good point

 

[Cat.]

My september has been a little quieter than usual to be honest as for xmas i already fully booked 9-7/8 the week running up to it so for me it is much much busier.. I do work for myself and rent a room but when i worked in a salon we all used to be in the day before xmas (4 of us) and be really busy when normall there was only 2 of us in at a time..!! For me its usually the 2 weeks running up to xmas that are a bit manic.. Good luck with your first xmas

 

[pussycatbeech]

Thanks Cat! So you don't find it's the whole of Dec, just the 2 weeks before Xmas? And are you busy between Xmas and new year?

 

[MissOwen]

I find mid Nov through to new year has an increase of one off type of clients. Staff do's and xmas parties are spread out over Nov and Dec so the pampering can start a little earlier.

I try and arrange all my regulars into their normal slots well before christmas though, that way i know how many one off clients i can take on without losing my regulars because of it. Try not to squish everyone into the week before christmas in a mad dash because you will find it impacts on the following months when everyone is due for rebalance in the same week

 

[pussycatbeech]

Thanks miss Owen that's great advice x

 

[Zooks]

Good post Cat.

I'm interested in the same being new and all.

I havent found Sept too bad, def quieter than august but not too quiet.

Starting to think about those Xmas promos etc. Scary stuff.

 

[Cat.]

Thanks Cat! So you don't find it's the whole of Dec, just the 2 weeks before Xmas? And are you busy between Xmas and new year?

Hi

I find im generally fully booked 1-2 weeks in advance now all yr round (**touch wood** lol) but september has required a few more special offers lol .. December is always a pretty busy month because of xmas parties etc. but i would say the two weeks before xmas are deffinetly my busiest weeks, they tend to be very manic as everyone wants things done for xmas .. Last year i was busy but not as busy as the weeks before xmas inbetween xmas and new year.. And this year as i am a little more established i am only working two days inbetween, they will however be extra long days to fit in the clients who are wanting things for new year rather than xmas..
From my salon experience however it was generally just the two weeks running up to it that were much much busier but they wernt hot on promoting and retail etc. where as i do alot more of that now, but they were an established salon so they were fairly busy all yr round anyway

 

[Cat.]

Good post Cat.

I'm interested in the same being new and all.

I havent found Sept too bad, def quieter than august but not too quiet.

Starting to think about those Xmas promos etc. Scary stuff.

Glad it was a help

I know, scary stuff.. Ive got 3 boxes of xmas retail stuff sat in my bedroom right now with another two/three orders on there way.. Madnuss.. I do love all the xmas excitement thow..

 

[Elaine143a]

Difficult question to answer as I think each area is very different. When I had my salon it was always fairly quiet in Sept / Oct (uniform payments and summer credit card bills being paid, together with "spring" cleaning after kids returned to school). The only December week we were ever really busy was the xmas week itself. I always closed for a few days between xmas and new year (depending on which day of week xmas fell) but those days we were open were fairly busy (if those days ever became fully-booked, I would open up another day). However, I always had quite a good January - go figure lol! Could be because a lot of corporations now hold their xmas parties in January due to cost implications?

Two bits of definate advice I would give though: book your regular clients in NOW. Tell them you are giving them the opportunity to book their appointments before you open your book to one-off clients, or "outsiders" (as one of my regulars described them lol). Secondly, any "outsiders" that do book for xmas week - take a non-refundable deposit!

hth

 

[pussycatbeech]

Thanks Elaine, that's a big help! Did you manage to retain any of your one off clients?!

 

[MissOwen]

Good post Cat.

I'm interested in the same being new and all.

I haven't found Sept too bad, def quieter than august but not too quiet.

Starting to think about those Xmas promos etc. Scary stuff.

Don't do offers for the christmas period. It should be a busier time of year even if you've recently started out and the one time of the yr when offers wont be needed. Save them for Jan/Feb time when money is tight and clients are feeling the pinch from Christmas.

Christmas cards with a money off for something in January always worked well for me, especially for trying to encourage the ladies who had had a set of nails just for a special occasion. An offer to try and encourage them back again in the new yr was good.

My clients (even the more sensible and subdued ones) really love festive nails and tend to have them in a christmassy theme. Reds, golds and sparkles are out in force. Worth having a play for christmas designs to try and sell a bit of simple christmas nail art too if thats something you do.

 

[pussycatbeech]

Thanks miss owen, we are getting some nice gift vouchers made up to sell as Xmas gifts... I agree, we don't wanting to be discounting at that time! I think we will def be focusing on up selling additives, nail art and crystals when we do enhancements and shellac. I like the look of the two new ltd edition cols of shellac... Perfect for a tasteful festive look!