Too busy to now too quiet

[nixnewcastle]

Hey geeks we're needing a teeny bit of advice.
We've gone from the salon being so unbelievably busy where we can't physically book the work in even with us extending our already long opening hours to the salon being that quiet I'm panicking about paying wages etc.
Have you found this?
Somewhere in the middle of this work load would be good but I'm finding it's all or nothing
Any advice anyone could offer would be greatly appreciated xx

 

[Bluerinse]

Do you not close your books after a certain capacity is reached and push the work into the following week/month ?

 

[nixnewcastle]

We can't as when clients want their treatments done they want them now now now!
Clients are sometimes getting their treatments done for a special occasion so if you don't have when they want available then you either make time or lose the work

 

[Sam81]

It does tend to be a quieter time of year, lots of people have been on their holidays already or mums paying out for school kit etc. Coming up towards Christmas you'll see it pick up again. Could you send an offer out to existing clients, something like 10% off if you book £xx amount worth of treatments, or offer added extras to tempt people in, free hand and arm massage with every nail paint, free eyebrow shape with every facial, something like that? Other than that next time you're really busy just save save save so you can get through the quieter times financially speaking.

 

[Hayley865]

I'm excatly the same gone from working all hours late at night to verrrry quiet! Can't work it out. Hope it picks up soon x

 

[Verve Designs]

It's the very nature of self-employment and something that takes a while to get used to. Especially if you've been used to a "steady" job.

I used to panic about both- being mega-busy has it's own stresses, and being quiet makes you question the viability of your business!

All I can say is take the rough with the smooth and prepare yourself for both eventualities. On the busy weeks/months , it might be worth taking a percentage of your income and putting it in a seperate bank account (this is all easily done with online banking) for when its less busy.

 

[pinkeedee]

I'm the same. Last month i was booked up fully most days and had to work late to fit clients in and this week i've got about 8 appointments booked in total for the week

 

[Carlalouise]

Same thing happened to me, up until last month I was rushed off my feet, now it's very slow, hence the reason I've been on here so much!!

I'm introducing a couple of new treatments and sent out some "miss you" cards, fingers crossed.

 

[Becki2003]

I'm quiet too. Had a busy "summer" now I'm dead - just about breaking even. I've just done my first year of trading so it's still a learning curve. But I was beginning to question if I was the problem but no, I think as others have said, it's just back to school and money is tight again xx

 

[mrslargelashes]

Beauty always peaks and wanes throughout the year, personally I find November, Febuary and July the quietest. December, september and October is just mental, and the rest of the year nice and steady. You just need to stash your cash away in the busier times, to get you through the quieter times. xx

 

[souz]

im the same, busy all summer and now pretty quiet!!im just making the most of having some quiet time xx

 

[MisstyB]

Oh thank god its not just me!!!
x

 

[Elaine143a]

I always found sept and the beginning of oct very quiet in salon. Not only do parents have school uniforms etc to pay out, the credit card bills from summer hols have arrived, and xmas is just around the corner - (SORRY to use the C word already, but it's true lol). I think clients also use these few weeks to catch up on other things after a hectic summer schedule (ie spring-cleaning house which has been a bit neglected whilst kids are off school, tidying garden ready for winter etc ....).

I used to find that the first few weeks in Oct were busy on the build up to half term (end of Oct usually), then quiet again during half term (except clients that work in education), quiet during November and picking up again in December. Funnily enough though, we were always busy in January, which for most salons seems to be a quiet month.

All salons / areas are different, and after a few years' trading, you will get to know your area and can financially plan accordingly.

hth

 

[weeleelee112]

For me this year has been manic not complaining .... Then the first two weeks after schools went back it was quiet and i thought to my self September is going to remain quiet how wrong was I last 2 weeks manic and next week manic this is my third year of self employed and I've learnt to take the good with the bad .... And save for the bad ... I'm sure u will all busy up soon get some promotions on and market ur self in these times xxx