Where to go from here?

[Nicolacook]

Hi all, I am looking for some advice on how to keep the momentum in my business going?? I did a really popular promo for christmas - spray tan and gel nails for £25. I advertised in local hair salons and had a good response and most people returned for the same for new years eve. So i know people were happy with the service. Now its january and its so cold here I cannot imagine going for a spray tan. There is no point in doing another promotion now as there is nothing coming up for people to get tan and nails for. I also do waxing and make up application and I have a salon in my home. Should I enjoy this lull or how should I try to promote my services at this time of year? Any advice would be most welcome, thankyou in advance x

 

[xxclairexx]

Valentines isn't far away..... maybe you could work a promotion for that either with gift vouchers for the men to get the ladies or something to make the ladies look fab for their fellas. hth. Claire

 

[fiona wallace]

Hi all, I am looking for some advice on how to keep the momentum in my business going?? I did a really popular promo for christmas - spray tan and gel nails for £25.
TBH this seems far too cheap - have you worked out your profit? You should include your time, travel, product, electricity, etc.
I advertised in local hair salons and had a good response and most people returned for the same for new years eve. So i know people were happy with the service. Now its january and its so cold here I cannot imagine going for a spray tan.
It's not about YOU going for a spray tan, everyone is different, our salon did 7 spray tans today!
There is no point in doing another promotion now I'm sorry, but this is exactly the time you should be doing a promotion not when you're busy but when you are quiet!as there is nothing coming up for people to get tan and nails for what about just getting their nails done because they want to? The majority of our clients have been getting their nails done every 2 weeks for YEARS....not because there is anything 'special' coming up, but becausde they want to have beautiful nails!!!!
. I also do waxing and make up application and I have a salon in my home. Should I enjoy this lull well yes, if you don't need the business!!!!!!! how should I try to promote my services at this time of year? Right now most people feel bloated with all the overeating and drinking, fed up with the cold and dark and you should push 'feeling better about yourself', 'looking good for 2009', 'new year, new you', etc, etc. Any advice would be most welcome, thankyou in advance x

HTH x

 

[SKIZZIE1]

wow!! your are dead right fee, i am going to do the same you just motivated me :lol: now i have a full to do list!! :hug: seph xx

 

[rock chic]

Me too thanks fiona your a star! i'm dyin with the flu but as soon as i get on my feet again i will be doing up new leaflets. I too think that is really cheap too hun. i done a special for spray tan french polish fingers and toes and makeup for 35.

 

[ank]

Thanks Fiona, you have just got me motivated too x im in the middle of painting my nail room so will try and sort out some promotions before we finish x x

 

[hippy-chick]

January is notoriously quiet as people are recovering from christmas expense and waiting to get paid!
I was out in durham on Friday and it was really quiet.

but, people can also feel a bit 'down' so want to treat themselves.

you may also have a pile of gift vouchers that need redeeming.

I've not put any special offers out this month, just recommendations, BUT included a £5 voucher off any treatment booked for January.

I am also going to spend 'quiet times' sorting out my Valentines/Mothers day/Easter offers.

 

[number1kitty]

If you do makeups etc then there are loads of wedding fairs on at the minute so why not go to them and promote yourself with a stall. You can also then liase with other exhibitors so they recommend you.

Bridal work kicks off from april through to late october so you can potentially book up every weekend from weddings alone. And brides want waxing, nails and tans too so theres huge earning potential there!

Nails and tans etc are year round beauty staples as is waxing. If there are only 3 or 4 treatments that any salon could solely rely on its the ones your offering.

Your also offering services that clients become salon loyal with. If they are happy with your services and you they will return time and time again to YOU!

Why not call all the clients you did before xmas and see why they havent returned. If they have false nails then they will be due infills, so ask if they want to book in for one. Or if they no longer want there nails on offer to remove them free if they book a manicure to get there nails healthy again!

£25 for a tan and nails is very cheap and I suspect that unless you keep that price the clients you booked in may not be the sort of client to return weekly/Fortnightly etc!

If you can make a good profit on that price then thats great but I doubt even I could afford to do just nails for that price.

When you cut your prices so low to get clients you often get poor quality clients, the ones looking for a cheap treat! Its far better to offer say a set of nails for £30 and get a free spray tan. That way clients will see the tan as free, and then when they have to return to have their nails done then they won't feel ripped off. Clients think if you can offer them two treatments for £25 then you are ripping them off all year around!

I tried these sort of offers when I started out and although my client list was extensive few returned unless of course I did the same ridiculous offers! I stopped doing the offers and built up my stable clientelle whom were happy to pay full prices all of the time.

As they say its better to do one set of nails for £30 on one client that will return than 2 sets of clients paying only £15 whom won't. You may see it as having 2 new clients but if they won't return or recommend you then I would rather do 1 client.

Theres no golden rules, but what you need is an understanding that businesses take along time to build up. Its not an overnight success. If your good, the clients will come but expect to be doing this for 3 years before you can look at your appointment book and see it chocca!

xxx

 

[Nicolacook]

Hi thanks for the advice! Re wedding fairs - do you have to pay for your stall and if so any idea how much?
Thanks

 

[divalou]

If you do makeups etc then there are loads of wedding fairs on at the minute so why not go to them and promote yourself with a stall. You can also then liase with other exhibitors so they recommend you.

Bridal work kicks off from april through to late october so you can potentially book up every weekend from weddings alone. And brides want waxing, nails and tans too so theres huge earning potential there!

Nails and tans etc are year round beauty staples as is waxing. If there are only 3 or 4 treatments that any salon could solely rely on its the ones your offering.

Your also offering services that clients become salon loyal with. If they are happy with your services and you they will return time and time again to YOU!

Why not call all the clients you did before xmas and see why they havent returned. If they have false nails then they will be due infills, so ask if they want to book in for one. Or if they no longer want there nails on offer to remove them free if they book a manicure to get there nails healthy again!

£25 for a tan and nails is very cheap and I suspect that unless you keep that price the clients you booked in may not be the sort of client to return weekly/Fortnightly etc!

If you can make a good profit on that price then thats great but I doubt even I could afford to do just nails for that price.

When you cut your prices so low to get clients you often get poor quality clients, the ones looking for a cheap treat! Its far better to offer say a set of nails for £30 and get a free spray tan. That way clients will see the tan as free, and then when they have to return to have their nails done then they won't feel ripped off. Clients think if you can offer them two treatments for £25 then you are ripping them off all year around!

I tried these sort of offers when I started out and although my client list was extensive few returned unless of course I did the same ridiculous offers! I stopped doing the offers and built up my stable clientelle whom were happy to pay full prices all of the time.

As they say its better to do one set of nails for £30 on one client that will return than 2 sets of clients paying only £15 whom won't. You may see it as having 2 new clients but if they won't return or recommend you then I would rather do 1 client.

Theres no golden rules, but what you need is an understanding that businesses take along time to build up. Its not an overnight success. If your good, the clients will come but expect to be doing this for 3 years before you can look at your appointment book and see it chocca!

xxx

I completely agree with you, at my salon, the beauty has really dropped off atm, including spray tans, so I think the Pay Full Price for one thing and Get Another Thing Free, is a good idea. Im going to steal it hehe. x

 

[hippy-chick]

you don't get loyalty from people who come for cheap appointments very often.

For example:
I do a 30 min back massage for £18. A few months ago, I did a special offer for one week at £10. I had about 6 new clients.

They didn't return.

I am now offering £5 off for this month, and one of them said, that they had got it for £10 before and wasn't willing to pay the extra £3. See, that client had put a value on my back massage, which is £10 and he will not come back again unless I put it on at £10. I wouldn't care, but, he's a successful business man and is not short of a penny.

 

[rock chic]

Interesting hippy chick just shows you though i will be bearing that in mind before i do my flyers thanks:hug::hug:

 

[number1kitty]

Wedding fairs usually cost anywhere from £50-£200. Best thing is to call the local papers up as they often run them and see if they can link a deal with adverts, last minute calls to them usually means you get a huge discount so they can sell empty stands!

Add it up in value though if you get a couple of brides you have covered your costs.

Do an offer that if they book on the day they will get two bridesmaids makeups free of charge (cost it into your basic price so technically its not free!) but only if they book on the day and pay the deposit.

When people call you up ask about where they heard about you as people can contact you months after an event.

When booking an event ask them about previous shows and see how many people visited to see if its worth your visit.

You can also use this as a chance to build up a database, run a comp for the bride to win a free make up for her wedding and you can include a tan and nails etc if you can afford to and collect names and addresses, also ask for mobile numbers and e-mails (as you can email them and save money on stamps) and at the bottom ask if they mind or not whether you contact them in the future with other offers.

If they say no they destroy there number after the draw, if they don't tick the box then you can send them regular newsletters etc. Putting your name constantly under there nose will make them think of you when they need a treatment.

I would also ask them for the date of there wedding too so you can canvas them 3 months before to see if they would be interested in your services.

kate

 

[RedAdmiral]

I think its time you revised your prices!

Do some leaflets up and get going around the town in my early days that's all I ever seemed to do and it worked

 

[beauty4you]

If you look st doing wedding fayres in local hotels you will be looking at paying anything from £100 now and when you go to example Glasgow royal concert hall £400 + SECC £550 + for a small stand. You might get this discounted a little but not much and you need to add VAT onto these prices.

I have been quoted prices for wedding Fayres before.

A friends friend booked at one of the major scottish shows and paind about £400 ish for the stall sold some retail offered lash extension trial and got quite a few bookings and has booked for next year so can be worth it.

HTH

 

[crystaltash]

Hey hun,
I'm doing a Winter Warmer Treat promotion at the min where if the client books and pays for an Eve Taylor facial (£30), they get a free hot stone back massage and eyelash tint. I've had 6 people book for it so far.

The massage doesn't really cost me anything to do and a I'm the only one in the town who does it, so people will be able to try it and if they like it, tell their mates!! Offering the eyelash tint will introduce customers to the wonders of tinting, and when it starts to fade, they will hopefully come back to have it done again and possibly give their eyebrows a go too!!!

I've learned from this site that it's all about added value. People love to feel that they are getting a bargain. But be careful that you're not going to run the promotion at a loss and DON'T DISCOUNT YOUR PRICES - your work is worth more than that.

HTH,
xxxx