Single therapist businesses - how do you cope with being extremely busy?

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WaxGirl

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Hi

would love to hear advice and tips from those who work on their own and have became extremely busy

How do you manage the phonecalls, texts, emails, call ins, facebooks messages bookings and run the salon and do your treatments to a high standard?

Are there any strategies, plans, ways of working, techniques that you have found help you manage it all better?

Would like some practical tips

Do you stick to your set hours, do you take a lunch break?

We work so so hard to get busy and then we get busy and its intense!

At the moment I'm not getting any breaks and yesterday in salon I was that tired I just wanted to lie down on the floor and go to sleep lol the phone was ringing had customers everywhere my mobile was going and Im trying to stay focused and be entertaining and do amazing treatments

I'm turning away customers and could work to all hours yesterday did 11 hours customers back to back no breaks

I had to go out running at 10pm last night to try and stop the buzzing in my head and it worked was fabulous

I don't want to take on staff but would love to hear from those who have experienced it and any tips I could learn from
 
I haves thread on here about how busy I've been and have been commenting along with other techs/therapists

A few weeks ago I fell I'll twice due to being run down and working TOO hard without breaks so I changed my working hours, I now have an hour booked for lunch, I don't always get the whole hour but found if I booked half hour I wasn't getting anything!! Clients message on Facebook to book in which has made things easier, can reply anytime, I let answer machine click in And call back at lunch or end of day....last night it was 7.30 and I was ringing back!! I make sure I eat a decent lunch and breakfast now, plenty of carbs and protein , I make dinner in the mornings and put in. Slow cooker so I have that to come home to.

I've taken on staff but on a commission basis at moment so that I don't have so much paperwork or responsibility for them and am going to rent out my beauty room a few days as well as I'm busy with nails every day
 
Nice to hear it is going so well ( even though it can be stressful!).

I was once told if you are very busy and turning people away - put your prices up! You may loose a few customers ( but if you can't always fit everyone in there is no difference ). You will be better off, less stressed and valued by the customers that stay.

The idea is that 'disappointed customers' who can't get bookings aren't good for business, nor is it if you get tired and rushed.

Why not employ a 'virtual' receptionist, who picks up your call for you when you are busy?
 
I should have put that I'm putting my prices up in the next month or so x
 
It's great you're busy but you don't HAVE to work 11 hours back to back with no breaks. Give yourself an hour's break each day that is blocked out of the diary and take it, no questions.

See if you can invest in virtual receptionist software and insist that there is only one way to make bookings - by phone. All the platforms are confusing.

Then give yourself a set time to do admin every day, say 6-8 pm. That's when you respond to facebook message and emails, catch up on industry news, and so on.

You're the boss so you have all the power to set the boundaries :D

xx
 
I trialled a few virtual receptionists, this made me feel much better about missing calls, and made it more manageable...but... It was expensive.

Having said that, much cheaper than employing a receptionist.

Some of them will take bookings etc for you too.
 
For many years I worked whenever the client wanted to book in but now I work set hours but I never ever have a gap in between clients, so I work very hard. I have waiting lists of people waiting for a cancellation and they could offer me £1,000 for a Brazilian and I won't work after the hours that I've decided. I need an hour after I finish to clean right through the salon and yes, I could get a cleaner but they never do it how I like it.

My clients can only book by text, so I reply to the texts in the evening or early morning when I get in the salon to turn the wax on. I used to reply to texts that came in late at night but now I just glance at it and think 'I'll reply to that in the morning'. You need to be strict with yourself.

I only take 30 mins lunch break but you must have a set time blocked out in your diary for this. It's a proven fact that successful people always take a lunch break.

Be strict with yourself and your clients; they'll respect you for it. We love our clients but some would let us work until midnight if it suited them. You'll still only get the same number of clients if you work a 40hr weeks or a 60 hour week………..they'll just have more times to choose from.

Start now by deciding on set day/s off each week and don't budge from it. Then decide on your working hours and late nights if any and stick to that. So if for example you work until 8pm on a Thursday and your client needs a 45min appt, book them in for 7.15.

So to re-cap:-

1. Don't reply to clients text/calls.emails after say 8pm (get back to them in the morning). You have to switch off.

2. Have set days off and work set hours and don't feel guilty about not fitting people in. They'll learn to pre- book.

3. Plan your working diary to suit you……….you'll be amazed how flexible your clients can be once they know they won't be able to get an appointment with you otherwise.

4. Take a lunch break. It'll re-charge your batteries.

5. Go through your diary every January and block out holiday weeks and make sure that you take them.

:hug:
 
Last edited:
I wish I had a separate business line kim- but I didn't think I would be very busy lol! It's hard not reply texts or to switch it off!!!!
 
Kim Lawless you are so wise I love reading your stuff on here :)
 
I agree with everything Kim suggested! I've been a lot more strict with days off and appointment times now than I was in the begining (I was like you working too hard) the customers do get used it, I've now got a junior from a company called ACT they pay them while they do their level one it's amazing how much easier it is when you can delegate the little tasks that take time away from your clients (like sweeping cleaning dishes answering the phone etc) I'm still in the process of giving myself a structured lunch break but I feel so much better in the after noon if I do stop for lunch, well done on managing so well so far on your own! Defo follow Kim's advice tho it'll help you x
 
I find it difficult to find the balance of work, home / family and switching off.
I work everyday, we close on Wednrsdays( old fashioned area that still shuts down) and do every other Saturday.
I work from 8.30-5.00.
No late nights unless by request and notice needed.
I do not take a 'lunch break- but while nails are soaking I eat.

The phone and walk ins I have are a problem. Clients are texting appointments which I do not mind, have stressed that if they want an immediate response to they need to ring. Text and facebook inbox messages will not be responded to until the end of the day. Clients get irate about this. Not sure what else I can do. I am very busy with a waiting list. Getting the balance is hard when your also a mum with 3 teenage children.x
 
I find it difficult to find the balance of work, home / family and switching off.
I work everyday, we close on Wednrsdays( old fashioned area that still shuts down) and do every other Saturday.
I work from 8.30-5.00.
No late nights unless by request and notice needed.
I do not take a 'lunch break- but while nails are soaking I eat.

The phone and walk ins I have are a problem. Clients are texting appointments which I do not mind, have stressed that if they want an immediate response to they need to ring. Text and facebook inbox messages will not be responded to until the end of the day. Clients get irate about this. Not sure what else I can do. I am very busy with a waiting list. Getting the balance is hard when your also a mum with 3 teenage children.x
Have you thought about taking on a junior who can answer the phones and do soak off's? She could also respond to Facebook and text's. That would lighten the load for you a great deal and let you concentrate on your job.

It's the small things that break us.
 
For many years I worked whenever the client wanted to book in but now I work set hours but I never ever have a gap in between clients, so I work very hard. I have waiting lists of people waiting for a cancellation and they could offer me £1,000 for a Brazilian and I won't work after the hours that I've decided. I need an hour after I finish to clean right through the salon and yes, I could get a cleaner but they never do it how I like it.

My clients can only book by text, so I reply to the texts in the evening or early morning when I get in the salon to turn the wax on. I used to reply to texts that came in late at night but now I just glance at it and think 'I'll reply to that in the morning'. You need to be strict with yourself.

I only take 30 mins lunch break but you must have a set time blocked out in your diary for this. It's a proven fact that successful people always take a lunch break.

Be strict with yourself and your clients; they'll respect you for it. We love our clients but some would let us work until midnight if it suited them. You'll still only get the same number of clients if you work a 40hr weeks or a 60 hour week………..they'll just have more times to choose from.

Start now by deciding on set day/s off each week and don't budge from it. Then decide on your working hours and late nights if any and stick to that. So if for example you work until 8pm on a Thursday and your client needs a 45min appt, book them in for 7.15.

So to re-cap:-

1. Don't reply to clients text/calls.emails after say 8pm (get back to them in the morning). You have to switch off.

2. Have set days off and work set hours and don't feel guilty about not fitting people in. They'll learn to pre- book.

3. Plan your working diary to suit you……….you'll be amazed how flexible your clients can be once they know they won't be able to get an appointment with you otherwise.

4. Take a lunch break. It'll re-charge your batteries.

5. Go through your diary every January and block out holiday weeks and make sure that you take them.

:hug:

thanku - love this practical advice!!!

im going to do it and be firmer

I want to keep lovin what I do
 
Have you thought about taking on a junior who can answer the phones and do soak off's? She could also respond to Facebook and text's. That would lighten the load for you a great deal and let you concentrate on your job.

It's the small things that break us.

Hi Kim, yes that's my next step. In the next half term holidays as a trial to see how it goes I have got my teenage daughter to come in. We have agreed a 'deal', she has to tick them off the diary, wrap and soak nails while I finish my ladies off, make tea, fan me and feed me grapes! If this works better having a junior then I will be looking at taking on a full time member.x
 
Not sure where your based, but the UK has some good incentive schemes for employers:

Wage incentives - DWP

Young people often get a bad wrap, but there are some committed youngsters out there if given the right chance.

that's good to know!

ive tried employing etc but im obsessive about customer service things being done to a high standard and find its simpler to do it myself

however I am looking at options to lighten the load

eg hiring someone to look after the website, getting extra cleaning help and I may look at options for answering phone etc


I have just went through my diary and put in 'LUNCH' .... lol!

Felt very liberating
 
Hi, I'm quite new to the site. I am a single therapist and I have done exactly what Kim has suggested. It's about having a good work life balance. I work set hours and have a lunch break. It's sometimes good to not be able to fit people in straight away as people then realise how good you are and realise they have to pre book. Hope you balance yourself out soon :) x
 
i really need to do this.. Im a totally workaholic I teach on a monday 2-9 then work in the salon tue,wed,sat 9-7 thurs, fri 9-8 and sunday 11-5.
The bags under my eyes are gross. I talk to my partner about taking someone on to help me and hes response is you knew this would be hard when you took it on.. can you afford it.. I cant afford to be ill but have no idea where to even start with taking anyone on.. help fellow geeks
thanks in advance
 
i really need to do this.. Im a totally workaholic I teach on a monday 2-9 then work in the salon tue,wed,sat 9-7 thurs, fri 9-8 and sunday 11-5.
The bags under my eyes are gross. I talk to my partner about taking someone on to help me and hes response is you knew this would be hard when you took it on.. can you afford it.. I cant afford to be ill but have no idea where to even start with taking anyone on.. help fellow geeks
thanks in advance

Have you thought about taking on an apprentice? From what Ive been told, they have to work a minimum 19hrs per week, you pay them the minimum wage of £2.68 per hour ( which you get back ) and you get to train them up how you see fit. They can do reception duties, make clients drinks, tidy up and do small treatments. Leaving you with a bit of breathing space! (Hopefully!)
 
With most training providers these days you don't even have to pay them (apprentice/junior) for the time their training towards their level 1 it's usually when they go onto level 2 you pay them, it's a no lose situation I believe! I've got 2 girls with me at the moment it's really good for me as I haven't long opened and am not yet making enough to pay them wages contact your local jobcentre or Carreras office they'll tell you what's available :)
 

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