” There is no failure except in no longer trying.” – Elbert Hubbard

Owning your own business can be daunting especially after the holidays  during a slow economy.

Why is it that some salons thrive in a good and tough economy? Why is it that some salons are thriving while others are struggling just to survive?

There are many reasons, poor staff selection, poor planning, salon gossip and pettiness, lack of leadership skills, poor business management skills and the list goes on and on.

Unfortunately far too many salon owners are waiting for the economy to improve, while others are in denial, and refuse to develop their business management skills because it requires hard work and effort.

Nobody ever said owning your own business would be easy.

Here are a few tips that can help you overcome the after holiday slow downs:

Be innovative — put on your thinking cap and find ways to stand above the crowd to gain that all important competitive edge. What is your competitive edge? Why should I patronize your salon over all the others in the community? You may want to consider writing a blog post to increase visibility of your business.  Perhaps send a little personal message to your clients wishing them and their family a happy holiday season. Maybe renew your efforts at excelling at customer service.

Self-Improvement — a recent survey showed that 94% of all business failures were due to poor business skills on the part of the owner. Learn everything you can about the business aspect of salon ownership. Your probably a very good hairdresser, now learn how to be an astute business man or woman. Work hard to renew your passion to succeed. Make sure you attend Jon’s intensive business seminar when one is held near you.

Monitor Your Customer Return rate — all the adverting in the world will be useless if customers are unhappy and never come back. Losing just one customer and her family can be devastating to your salon’s growth and profitability. Negative word of mouth is the worst kind of advertising.

Get Help — learn from people who have experienced  the same struggles as you, but were able to survive and overcome the many challenges of salon ownership.

Learn the Power of Social Media — you spent much of your time developing your artistic skills. Now it’s time to learn how to increase salon traffic cost effectively. Just go to Google, type in facebook then tutorials, same for you tube, twitter etc. Learn the power of social media.

Educate Your Team — show your team how to double and triple their income. Educating your team will be the best investment you will make in growing your business. I will soon be releasing my schedule for my motivational personal growth success seminar for hairdressers.

Did You Make a Good Profit in 2011? — It is important that you review the customer return rate and referrals of your team. Review your profit and loss statement.  Did you know the easiest way to improve profits is by cutting expenses? Numbers don’t lie, that’s your real score card.

Renew Your Passion — develop a strong competitive spirit, and, never give up.

You’re not alone, help is available.

2012 will be a very challenging year for salon owners and hairdresser’s alike. I do hope that these few tips will be helpful especially during the slow period after the holidays.

I will be presenting my first all day business seminar in San Diego at the Town and Country Hotel Circle North on Monday,March 26,2012.Call me for for reservations and information. Make sure you follow me for ongoing information .Click here