How Do You Measure Success and Happiness?

  People measure success and happiness in many ways. Your challenge is to carefully define your own unique guidelines to your own happiness. For example many measure success by wealth alone, to many people this is important, but we all know there are many other factors on how to measure success and happiness. Personally I never measure success and happiness based on money ,  I measure wealth by family, peace of mind, good health, fulfillment and helping others. Of course we all know that money [Click here to read full article...]

2017-03-12T12:31:39-07:00March 12th, 2017|

Financial Planning —- Start Now!

" A big part of financial freedom is having your heart and mind free of worry about the what-ifs of life." ---Suze Orman A New Year is an excellent time to develop an action plan for securing your financial independence and financial planning. I think you’ll all agree that the cost of living keeps escalating, and with the way things are going, you may have to wait to retire until age 70 before claiming social security benefits. Another challenge that’s confronting hairdressers is the rising [Click here to read full article...]

2017-01-31T09:15:59-08:00January 30th, 2017|

A New Beginning: New Year Resolutions for 2018

     A New Beginning: New Year Resolutions for 2017 "Happiness is that particular sensation you encounter when you're just too busy to feel miserable." - Jon Gonzales I do hope you all enjoyed a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Now that the holiday season is behind us, let's plan and prepare for a new and successful year for your salon and team.  Although many salon owners had a difficult time making a profit sadly and many more failed. As rising business costs [Click here to read full article...]

2017-12-21T11:02:13-08:00January 3rd, 2017|

Developing an Effective Customer Communication Strategy

  "If you are unable to get your message across about the benefits of your services and products,your marketing efforts won't work." Salon owners that know how to develop effective communication strategies with their current customers and know how to connect with future customers for maximum effect will instantly improve their bottom line by keeping their clients informed. Salons that not only connect with their customers but also strive to cement  long time relationships that are long lasting and beneficial to both will clearly stand [Click here to read full article...]

2017-11-07T17:42:23-08:00November 6th, 2016|

When a Good Worker Goes Bad

"I personally do not believe some hairdressers perform poorly on purpose; they just did not receive proper guidance and education." - Jon Gonzales "He seemed like the right choice when I hired him. Now he refuses to be part of my team or follow our salon’s employee handbook and contribute to my salon's  team culture. He is always the ring leader in negativity, salon gossip, and pettiness." Do you fire him? The answer may surprise you. You probably have faced this challenge at one time [Click here to read full article...]

2017-01-26T09:44:46-08:00September 18th, 2016|

Are You Really Making a Profit?

"The easiest way to increase profits is to cut overhead costs."  Combating Rising Business Costs: The cost of owning your own business will continue to escalate. Rising  business costs, rising taxes, fees, new minimum wage and overtime mandates, price and commission wars, the list goes on and on. As business costs rise, your profit margin will continue to be lower. This coupled with your personal living expenses, rising costs of living, costs such as food, gas, etc, will also escalate. Your challenge is to find [Click here to read full article...]

2016-09-04T09:32:46-07:00September 4th, 2016|

Employee Training

"A team that learns together grows together."  Jon Gonzales In the absence of an apprenticeship or intern program, salon owners will have to develop their own educational program of employee training. The foundation to building a successful team employee training and development begins with you, the owner. The first 6 months of employee training is a critical time in making sure your new staff member shares your vision, goals, and educational quality control systems. A 6 month probationary period will help you measure their performance. [Click here to read full article...]

2016-08-28T13:45:29-07:00August 28th, 2016|

Compensation Guidelines

"It is not how much you earn that matters,it's what you do with what you earn." Jon Gonzales Compensation Guidelines As I travel throughout the United States and Canada meeting salon owners and managers, I am often asked about compensation. Suffice to say that if you are a salon owner, your view on this topic is probably opposite that of many hairdressers, and vice versa. Unfortunately there is a lot of misunderstanding about compensation, especially with hairdressers. This article will attempt to help guide [Click here to read full article...]

2022-04-12T11:33:18-07:00August 21st, 2016|

Your Road Map to Financial Independence

"Two ways to get rich ---spend less than what you make and make more than what you spend."  Jon Gonzales Your Road map to Financial Independence. I know this is a topic that most people in the beauty profession ignores;but in my opinion, this is  topic that is critically important,a topic usually ignored in the beauty profession One of the pitfalls we face as hairdressers and salon owners is that, more often than not, our jobs do not provide us with pension plans, medical insurance, [Click here to read full article...]

2016-06-24T01:16:58-07:00June 26th, 2016|

Excelling at Customer Service

"High end and well managed salons place a high priority on customer service."  Jon Gonzales Your Competitive Edge Top salons set a high priority on excelling at  customer service. Salon owners and hairdressers  know that excelling at customer service gives them a competitive edge. Think about your own experiences when you patronize a business. Have you ever ever experienced poor customer service experiences at a clothing store, bank, grocery store, or restaurant? If so, you probably decided not to patronize that business again based on [Click here to read full article...]

2016-06-19T11:37:32-07:00June 19th, 2016|

Booth Rental:Is It Right For You?

Booth Rental: Is It Right For You? I'm sure many people, especially those of you who are booth renters or salon owners who rent booths will not agree with article,but with over 49 years experiences as an salon owner, educator,business consultant, motivational speaker, seminar leader, and author , I feel I have earned the right to voice my opinion  and  speak out on this  very controversial topic. If honesty and integrity is wrong, then I plead guilty. There is no substitute for basic honesty and [Click here to read full article...]

2018-05-18T10:39:21-07:00May 22nd, 2016|

Tips on Avoiding Staff Turnover

Avoiding staff turnover is a major challenge to building and growing a profitable salon No salon or day spa can maintain continued growth and profitability with a constant merry-go-round of staff turnover and business instability. How can you expect to raise prices and build a high end business in this environment? With so many salon owners finding it difficult to find quality hairdressers, staff turnover will always be a cloud that hangs over your head. In my 43 years of real world experiences, I have [Click here to read full article...]

2022-04-12T08:25:38-07:00May 15th, 2016|

Tips on Growing Your Business

" Progress begins with getting a clear understanding of your obstacles." Jon Gonzales As many of you are aware, the beauty industry has changed dramatically these last few years,salon owners are facing many challenges; the costs of owning your own business will continue to escalate; new wage and overtime regulations,many of our beauty schools are being either shut down or being targeted by the department of education and the department of labor.  Proposed government and state tax increases, government  targeting the beauty industry for audits,and [Click here to read full article...]

2019-05-30T08:46:57-07:00April 3rd, 2016|

Staff Retention Tips

 "A trial and error approach to staff retention is just costly!" The following guidelines will help you address this very critical business challenge: Poor Hiring Decisions --- is  one of the leading causes of staff turnover and internal salon challenges facing salon owners? Make sure you develop your staff development program to minimize making hiring mistakes. My book Creating Your Salon will help you tremendously. Click here No Educational Guidelines --- how can you expect your staff to perform if they do not know what [Click here to read full article...]

2016-04-22T13:34:02-07:00March 27th, 2016|

Balancing Your Life and Business

“Tomorrow will be a better day if we begin today to improve it” Salon owners, do you sometimes feel overwhelmed by the pressures and challenges of owning your own business? Are you combating burnout? Is your business affecting your personal life? Is stress affecting your health? Do you manage your business or does your business manage you. Do you manage your staff or do they manage you? I think you know what I’m talking about. I’m sure everything that has happened to you has happened [Click here to read full article...]

2016-11-28T10:13:46-08:00March 13th, 2016|

Seven Business Mistakes Salon Owners Must Avoid

"Some of the best lessons we ever learned,we learned from our mistakes and failures." The beauty industry is rapidly changing. Business costs continue to rise, it seems like it is getting more difficult to find quality hairdressers, an economy that is struggling, staff turnover, price and commission wars, and the list goes on and on. With the abrupt closing of 56 beauty schools by the Dept.of Education due to alleged fraud and other violations,which I feel is just the beginning, beauty schools are jeopardizing the [Click here to read full article...]

2016-03-10T11:55:46-08:00February 14th, 2016|

Time Management Tips for Salon/Spa Owners

" Money, I can only gain or lose. But time I can only use. So I must spend my time carefully."  Unknown author Time management is a critical skill salon owners must develop in today's tough economy. One of your leading challenges will depend on your ability to find more time developing your business management skills. How do you find time to work long hours a day behind the chair and meet all the challenges of owning a success and profitable business? One of the [Click here to read full article...]

2016-04-22T13:31:24-07:00January 17th, 2016|

How am I Performing as Your Boss?

"Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echos are truly endless" -Mother Teresa As I travel throughout the United States and Canada, meeting thousands of hairdressers and salon owners, there seems to be a wide gap between hairdressers and salon owners understanding and communicating with each others business and educational needs. Some of these complaints are justified, while others are not. The questions I’m always asked by salon owners are always the same, how do I combat salon gossip, negativity and [Click here to read full article...]

2016-04-22T13:33:25-07:00January 10th, 2016|

New Year Resolutions for Salon Owners — A New Beginning!

New Year Resolutions for 2017 --- A New Beginning! I do hope that all of you enjoyed a Very Merry Xmas and Happy New Year. Now that the holiday season is behind us, let us plan and prepare for a new and successful year for your salon and team. 2017 is expected to be a difficult and challenging year for both hairdressers and salon owners, due to an uncertain economy and rising business costs. There will be a lot of doom and gloom, especially during [Click here to read full article...]

2016-11-28T10:24:09-08:00January 4th, 2016|

Keys to Improving Staff Performance and Productivity

"I do not believe hairdressers perform poorly on purpose;they just have not been properly educated."  Jon Gonzales Assuming that you have taken the time to hire the right people who share your vision, goals, and educational concepts; your next step to improving your salon's greatest asset will be in educating and leading your staff to higher levels of performance and productivity. This will require strong leadership skills on your part as leader,mentor, and coach of your team. Your challenge is to  earn the trust and [Click here to read full article...]

2015-12-12T20:27:01-08:00December 13th, 2015|

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