Stress Relief For The Final 2009 Work Week

Are you feeling frazzled -- even frantic -- this time of year?

While I personally love the holiday season, there are so many expectations, so much to accomplish, and so many feelings all rolled together. A lot of it has to do with time -- just plain figuring out a way to fit in hours of extra stuff on top of the over-stuffed schedules that most of us keep these days. (Myself included.)

Here are a few ideas for taking control this last week of 2009:

Don't do it all: In fact, drop the obligation that you have to squeeze another client in. Just don't do it! If you really feel you must then have another stylist support you. That means “asking” for help. Maybe they could shampoo the client or finish the style for you. Just be creative and don’t be afraid to ask for help.

Limit the work: This year, I refuse to add more than an hour of extra work to my day -- with it's all being done in one hour doses and it's making me feel really, really sane because it allows me to take care of the rest of my life -- that would be work, friends, and keeping the house tidy. Those needs don't stop during the holiday rush.

Refuel: And no, not with booze. Try to do one thing a day that makes you feel grounded, relaxed, and healthy.

The Art Of Communication: Listen Up!

As a business coach in the salon and spa industry I am faced with the task of supporting my clients to work on implementing new systems, building better relationships and producing results with more ease!

While we spend a lot of time working on developing systems, the implementation and then follow through, I see time and again that the biggest opportunity for personal and professional growth lies in the Salon owner's ability to work on communication - rather and more importantly, listening!

Typically as a Salon owner you get so excited to get something in place, and want to take action quick, that you forget to remember a few very important points:

1. You are excited because you made a choice to change and improve your business. It is your choice. At the very beginning you are the only one on board, no one else is! In my years of coaching I often see people get so excited to get something off the ground only to be let down because their empoyees done't have the same level of excitement, passion or clarity to make it happen! Remember that they never will feel it the same way you do and that change takes time! They will come around eventually.

2. You do not listen to them! When I say listen I really mean observing them, taking in their reactions and their energetic response to what you introduce! In an earlier blog I wrote about the importance of asking questions. It is at a crucial time like this that you want to be prepared with some questions to ask to see if they see the same issue you see or that they see the importance of putting a new system in place to help the area you want to improve.

In a nutshell, start with listening to where your employees are, and once you are through checking the pulse you will know how to introduce what you need to in a way that they will receive - which will make your life much more easier!

Salon and Spa Owners - What would you rather do...Work More or Make More?

Are you are a busy Salon or Spa Owner in desperate need of making more money but you don’t have the time or the energy to do it yourself?
Do you feel that you are really close to grabbing the ‘brass’ ring only to find yourself unable to reach it yet again?
Are you frustrated by the lack of initiative, willingness and drive among your team members?
If you answered yes to one or all three of the above questions then take a moment, kick your feet up and read about how you can change your course to working less and making MORE. What I’m sharing isn’t rocket science, however, even the best of us could use a good swift ‘kick-in-the-pants’ every once in awhile to get ourselves back on track.
The three ways to making more are:
1. Understand the 80/20 Rule
In 1897 Pareto, an Italian Economist came up with the 80/20 rule. This rule in of itself revolutionized the way we think not only about wealth but about every area of our life. Applied to your business it can be said that 20% of your employees will produce 80% of your revenue. Many business leaders spend little if any of their time focusing on those areas of their business that can generate the most revenue. You’ve got to shift your focus and begin spending your valuable time on those areas that can generate the most revenue and thereby save you time.
So in any given situation the question to ask yourself what is the 80 percent and what is the 20 percent. In other words if you want to be wealthy ask yourself what is it that the 20 percent do differently that allows them to control 80 percent of the wealth. If you want your business to be more profitable ask yourself what is the 20 percent that is accounting for 80 percent of your profits and focus in on that.
2. Build it and they will come!
I love the move Field of Dreams! The movies theme serves as an excellent analogy for salon and spa owners struggling to make more. When I say, ‘build it and they will come’, I don’t mean go and build a brand new salon and spa I simply mean build a business.
Allow me to clarify. Most successful small business owners do one thing really well. They think like large businesses. Meaning they visualize themselves making it big, align themselves with individuals that can help them get big and systematically implement the necessary structures to be big.
You bought and opened a business, now act like a business! Success comes to those who plan for success. Planning begins with preparation. Establishing a clear vision and mission for your business, developing a realistic cash flow plan for profit and establishing the specific systems, policies and procedures in which you will operate your business. Even if you have only one employee you must prepare your business to receive. Preparing eliminates fear, procrastination and reduces turnover. It also provides power and positions you in the rightful seat of leader. If you feel behind the eight ball and that you are loosing traction in your own success. STOP! Take a vacation from working IN your business, hire a coach and go work ON your business. When you return you will be armed with the tools necessary to work less and make more. Not only will you save time but you will save money and quit possibly your sanity.
3. Serve your number one customer FIRST!
As a salon and/or spa business owner your number one customer is your team! Without a team you don’t own a business you own a job. Taking care of your team and serving them well is your key to success. Marcus Buckingham wrote a fantastic book called, The One Thing You Need to Know. In his book he writes that great leaders and managers have the ability to turn talent into performance. Read that again…turn talent into performance. To make more money in less time your job is to simply turn your talent (your team) into performance (producing revenue). He goes on to say that doing so is as simple as; finding their talents and strengths, trigger great performance and tailor their learning style.
Essential your job as their manager/leader is to get your team working on those activities in which they perform their best. Secondly, you must work to trigger great performance. You’ve got to consciously recognize and reinforce desirable behaviors. Get creative! This may be in the form of a personal thank you note, a public acknowledgement in front of the team or simply having an employee of the month board. Lastly, tailor the learning. Your job is to discover the best way in which each individual on your team learns and work to provide an environment that supports their learning preferences.
Although these three steps are simple they do require time and effort to implement. Remember, Rome wasn’t built in a day! Working less and making more can be done but you must be willing to make the necessary changes.

The Art Of Communication: Ask! Don't Tell!

I once heard from a coach I worked with that, "the answers are in the questions."  At first I didn't know what this meant! She said, most managers spend too much time "telling" their employees where they need to improve or what they need to do, opposed to taking a minute to get them involved.

This wisdom has stuck with me over the years and I will tell you this, I can do a pretty good job of putting the cart before the horse or putting my big foot in my mouth for sure! However, by practicing this I have grown immeasurable and been able to help lots of salon and spa owners over the years grow as well.

It is really simple, when you want to make a point, coach someone on your team, or get people involved in a project - Instead of telling them what to do, think of questions you could ask them to find out what they know or don't know, what their point of view is, how they see it, and are they excited, etc.

In our industry, we are so used to doing things all day long! DO!DO!DO!DO!  We are so in the doing we forget to BE with our team! Practice this technique, come up with at least three questions you can ask them the next time you need to share something or coach them. They will feel respected and valued and you will save a ton of time by starting with what they know first ,so you know how to steer the conversation forward!

Try this and you will reap amazing benefits!

Feelings or Facts - Your Numbers Don't Lie!

Today I was on a coaching call with a client and something really great happened! My client showed up to the call feeling a bit down and stressed about a myriad of things. As we dug into our work together we began to look at the last two months of sales and compared them to the same two months from last year.

As we began to dig into the numbers, many things came to the surface. The business saw a drop in client visits of 81 from last year and ONLY saw a drop in total revenue of $285!!! This was due to the business having a combined average ticket of $11.84 per client more than last year!!!  Wow!!!

We also looked at her staff. When we reviewed one of her stylists average retail ticket we saw awesome growth. In the months of August & September combined the stylist had only 1 of 9 weeks where her average retail ticket was above $10.00 compared to 7 of 9 weeks above $10.00 for the combined months of October & November! Wow again!!!

As we looked at this the shift my client had was amazed! She went from being down to being completely fired up and she couldn't wait to share this with her team and acknowldege them! Can you imagine the boost her team is going to feel when she shares not only the results but her excitement and pride in them! This is what leadership is all about! Praise! Praise! Praise! This will only reinfoce practice, practice, practice!

It just goes to show you something we coaches at Milady are always harping on: Manage your buisness based on the facts, not your feelings!!! You may FEEL a certain way because you are having a bad day, someone is not following through, busines is slow on that given day, etc. However when you look at what the numbers are saying you can always find something truthful and positive to go with!

Make it a practice the next time something is getting to you to stop, pull up your sales numbers; look at past versus current sales, look at individual people on the team and what they are doing! There is nothing more empowering than having the truth, even when it shows sales being down or percentages being over budget. When you have the truth, you can lessen the gray areas and the feelings, get clear and continue to focus and drive towards your goals! It is just smart business!

Easy Steps You Can Implement NOW! to Plan for Success in 2010

Here we are moving into the second week of December and the Holiday season is in full swing! Sooner than you know it the season will come and go and we'll be in 2010. Now is the time to plan to have a successful next year before it's upon us! Here are some easy steps to ensure your success!

1. Unload Your Trunk: A new year always holds the promise of a fresh beginning. But before you can do this ask yourself, “What things do I need to be set free from in 2009?” Spend some time over the next month reflecting on your life & business. In the book, Transitions by William Bridges, he shares a simple yet profound concept, the idea of moving on or past “stuff” in life. He uses the analogy of a caterpillar who wants to become a butterfly. The caterpillar must go through certain stages or phases in order to have a successful transition. The four stages to support you in this process are:
   
   Take a blank piece of paper, your original written goals for 2009 and get into a quiet place. Review the goals you created for this year. What did you accomplish? What was the result and impact it had in your business? How did it feel to make that happen?
   
   Next, take a few minutes and write down the top three positive experiences you had in your business this past year. What did you learn about yourself from them?
   
   Continue with this theme by writing down your top 3 challenges this year. What did you learn about yourself? (This is a great opportunity to really let go of anything you may be left feeling about past failures or challenges. This will really help you get refreshed and ready to rock for 2010!)
   
   Finally, what did and who do you appreciate this past year! There are lots of things that happened that contributed to your successes and lots of people who have helped you. Taking a minute to write them down is not only humbling but healthy as it makes you aware of what you have and supports you to think more abundantly! This will make a difference in the next step.
   
   
2. Embrace the New!: Now that you are complete with last year, focus on this new coming year ahead! What do you want o accomplish in the areas of sales, marketing, finance and operations? What do you want to accomplish personally as a leader? What are goals you have in your personal life? What are the goals you want to accomplish with each person on your team?
   
   After you have your goals written the next step is to think into the future and visualize them being accomplished! What will it feel like for you? What will be happening? What will the energy be like? What will you know about yourself? How will you have grown because of it?

Once this is all complete the final step is to begin to take all of your goals and begin to put them into action and into your schedule! Then it’s all about follow through!

Follow this blue print and you can have a successful and prosperous new 2010!!!

Tis The Season To Be Social!

I have recently been researching different marketing campaigns and programs to support my clients to utilize for the holiday season.  I am amazed at what you can find out there on the web! In my studies, not only did I find different promotional ideas and gift cards, I also found websites that custom design promotions for you. All of this led me to think about how important it is for salon & spa professionals to continue to utilize the web as the resource it is!! I think what makes the most sense is to follow this golden rule: If you need something, look online first, then ask others for help! If you make this a practice you will trully take your knowledge to a whole new level in little to no time at no cost! Makes sense huh!

Another great resource online is using the web to expand your marketing and public relations through social media. Milady has recently increased our presence this way and it has a tremendous impact. In fact, if you are reading this very 'lil blog here you are connected to us via social media!

As a coach I have talked with many clients that have resisted this transition. I remind you all that your ability to move your business forward because you are being progressive and moving with the speed of technology will make all the difference in your future.
At the end of the day, get dialed in and use this vast resource, you'll be the better for it....

Steve Gomez, Milady Business Coach

Striving for an A+ Workforce = Increased Bottom-Line

Maybe I should have entitled this article STOP SPENDING YOUR MONEY ON MARKETING AND START TRAINING YOUR EMPLOYEES.

OK, not to confuse matters but I do think marketing your business is super important but if you are not training your employees you won’t be able to retain the clients you marketed to in the first place. Then it becomes this vicious cycle.

I can’t say it more, well-trained employees are vital to your salon or spa’s success. Studies have shown that the most successful, and productive employees are those who have received on-going training. They’re the cream of the crop, often having the strongest interest in the company’s future. In an ideal world, you would be able to hire people who already possess all the skills needed before coming to work for you. But I say, “That’s a pipe dream.”

So, that’s where training comes in. Not only does training arm your employees with needed professional and technical skills, but it also shows that you are invested in them and interested in bringing them with you into the company’s future. This helps keep workers motivated and involved.

The reason training is often considered optional at many salons & spas is because it is thought of as an expense rather than an investment. While it’s true that training can be costly, it's a long-term investment in the growth and development of your people - who ARE the ones bringing in the money.

To successfully gain an A+ workforce and increase your bottom-line follow these 5 helpful tips:

1. Determine your needs. As you probably don’t have unlimited time or funds to implement an employee training program, you should decide early on what the focus of your training program should be. Determine what skills are most pertinent to address current or future company needs or ones that will provide the biggest payback. Ask yourself, “How will this training eventually prove beneficial to the company?”
   
2. Promote a culture of learning. In today’s economy, if a salon or spa isn’t learning, it’s going to fall behind. Communicate your expectations that all employees should take the necessary steps to hone their skills and stay on top of their professions or fields of work. Make sure you support those efforts by providing the training needed to accomplish this goal.
   
3. Choose quality educators and materials. Who you select to conduct the training will make a major difference in the success of your efforts, whether it’s a professional educator or simply a knowledgeable staff member. Having the right training materials is also important — after the training is over, these materials become valuable resources for trainees.
   
4. Make it ongoing. Select a training time and space that’s conducive to learning. Choose a time that you can be consistent with, like before or after salon hours. And don’t limit training solely to new employees. Organized, ongoing training will maintain all employees’ skill levels, and continually motivate them to grow and improve professionally.
   
5. Measure results. Without measurable results, it’s almost impossible to view training as anything but an expense. Decide how you’re going to obtain an acceptable rate of return on your investment. Determine what kind of growth or other measure is a reasonable result of the training you provide. You’ll have an easier time budgeting funds for future training if you can demonstrate concrete results.

Rewarding employees through certification and other incentive programs, tying training directly to company objectives and choosing the right methods for training are key factors in ensuring that the investment you make in employee training actually contributes to your bottom-line results.

Take a look at your business- Are you doing your best to have a trained and able workforce?

Ana Loiselle, Milday Business Coach

Secrets To Becoming A Profitable Salon: Rev Up Your Retail!

One sure way to creating more profit is through retail sales in your salon or spa. This is no secret to anyone on a service level, however, we usually relate to this from the stand point of how can we grow retail sales to become more profitable.

Now this is important and most of the time we focus all of our energies here. This doesn’t necessarily mean more profit, it just means more sales!

The secret is three fold:

Create a retail marketing calendar for a 12 month period. This means you need to spend the time to research and get with your team so all of you come up with a plan over a 1 year period that you know will be sound and can highlight different parts of your retail business, always fluctuating and keeping it fresh. Keep in mind that once you create this plan it doesn’t mean you might not change it along the way and add any new or fresh approaches you may come across, the key point is to have the plan created.

Create a rigorous retail inventory tracking system. As a coach this is where most businesses I coach fail! We sell retail, market it but do not track our effectiveness. You have to be able to stay within a budget but most salons and spas do not. Your budget is 50%, meaning you sell, for example, $1,000 in retail; your budget to restock the shelves is $500. To really get more detail, you need to drive deeper, analyzing each line you carry and looking at each individual item, tracking your wholesale cost per item, your mark up cost and quantity purchased at wholesale versus quantity sold at retail. Go back over the past twelve months and really dig. You will be surprised at how many low performers you have.

Once you indentify this you can research further, looking at why top performers are moving and why slow movers are not and you can then create a plan of attack to do something about it. This can have a tremendous impact on profit!

Manage your retail profit differently. Most salon and spa owners I coach and talk to throw all sales dollars into one account and also use all the monies generated to pay the bills! This takes profit out of your hands! Typically you have 50% of retail sales used to restock the shelves, 10% paid out in commissions and 40% left for profit. This 40% number needs to be tracked separately and a plan created to utilize this dollar amount for other purposes than paying monthly bills. This money, when used effectively can help you pay off debts & loans, do more effective marketing and education, implement 401K plans, etc. Before you implement this last strategy please consult one of our coaches so we can support you to do this the right way.

As you can see there are lots of different ways to make your retail more profitable for you other than just selling more of it! Take that next step and learn more about how to make this work to your advantage!

If You Can Lick A Stamp You Can Lick Your Employee Problems

Wondering what to do with a problem employee? You are not alone.

As a Business Coach I’m often asked how to deal with everything from an employee who just can’t get along with their co-workers, to someone who’s consistently late, to a willing but clueless new-be, or of course the all too famous, “attitude problem.”

To deal with them effectively, it’s essential to understand the nature of the problem – is it skills based, or is it behavioral? Once you understand this, it gets a lot easier!!!!

Skills based performance problems are those that can be typically addressed through training. This includes customer service skills, technical skills, and retail sales skills. If you’re hiring new talent right out of school, who have no previous experience in sales or customer service, (don’t kid yourself - they don’t), then you’d be wise NOT to underestimate the time and effort it will take on your part to train them. The rewards for this however, will be a happy, productive employee who is motivated to stay because they understand how to be successful and they feel like they are learning. Whenever in doubt, teach – learning is a very powerful motivator, especially for Generation Y employees.

Behavior based problems are more difficult to address and will not be fixed by training. A different approach is called for here. Many of you may go for the “3 strikes and you’re out” model of discipline, which might very well work for you as long as you stick to it! If an employee is on their 4th 5th or even 6th strike and they’re still around, then you’ve clearly sent a message that you tolerate bad behavior. (Lateness, rudeness, disrespect, a lack of ability to get along with co-workers and an “attitude problem” are all typical examples of bad behavior.)You have also, of course, sent that message not only to the offending employee, but to all your other employees.
Here is a 6 step process for dealing with a problem employee:

1. Meet with the employee and describe the his or her specific skill or behavior issues
   • Talk about the issues, not about the employee's poor effort.
   • Describe the results of the employee's performance.
2. Describe the expected standards of employee performance Be specific. Don't say you have a “poor” attitude; instead list specific occurrences that illustrate problematic behavior. 
3. Determine the cause of the issues
   • Does the employee lack training, skills, knowledge?
   • Is there a lack of motivation, incentive?
   • Are there external factors involved (family, financial, etc.)?
   • Are there factors beyond the employee's control affecting the performance? 
4. Ask the employee for solution(s) What could the employee do to improve this situation? 
5. Discuss each solution with the employee
   • How will this solution help with the employee's problem?
   • Discuss your solution(s).
   • Try to jointly improve upon the solutions. 
6. Agree on specific actions to be done and a time frame to implement them.Arrange for another meeting in the future to track the progress/results of the solution.

Believe it or not: fixing an existing problem is cheaper than recruiting, hiring, and training a replacement employee. A problem employee who is “rehabilitated” could become one of your Salon or Spa’s greatest assets one day.

Bottom line: The trick in dealing with problem employees is addressing the problem quickly and finding a solution to rectify the challenge -NOT putting a bandage on it or turning your back all together.

Ana Loiselle, Milady Business Coach

Salon & Spa Employee Training - The Best Investment You Can Make!

As a salon & spa owner you have to work less behind the chair and in the treatment room. The future success of your business hinges on it! One way to get there is your ability to create, implement and follow an effective training program for your team. Their ability to grow more rapidly in there confidence, communication and technique equates to sales growth! Period!!!!

There are four important areas to focus on to make this happen:

1. Technical Training: Be sure to have a set training day at least once a month where you block out 2-3 hours to train your team on technique. Some salons & spas I have worked with, in my career, get even more aggressive blocking out time once a week. Consistency is the answer here!
   
2. Business Training: Working with your team to train them to be a better professional in the areas of consultations, retail sales, and customer service helps them build their self-esteem and growth. Again establishing a set and consistent time for this with support you in your success.
   
3. Personal Development Training: To me the single most important way to develop an employee (and the most over looked) is to find out what personal goals they have and what they want to accomplish in their life. Finding ways to develop these desires through trainings, suggesting books to read, etc is an effective way of showing your employees you care and for building morale.
   
4. New Hire/Assistant Training: Develop a rock solid, scheduled training program for any assistant that supports them in getting out on the floor or in the treatment room quicker will not only assist you a growing a team but will help in the reduction of employee turn over. Also be sure that you have a set new hire training plan for any new-be, whether they are experienced or inexperienced. Be sure to get your team involved in leading these trainings, which will only make them more confident and foster an environment of perpetual growth!

I recommend that you take some time in the next 2 weeks to look ahead to 2010 and plan out your training calendar. Make sure you rotate in the above four areas consistently to support your team to keep growing and prospering in the coming year. In the end, the more you train, the more they grow and the more time you have to focus on your future path!

Steve Gomez, Milady Business Coach

Can You Pass the Salon Leader Vs Manager Test?

Did you know there is a difference between leadership and management?

A commonly coined phrase says that leadership is “doing the right thing” and management is “doing things right.” This shows how the two skill sets need to work together. In order to be fully rounded, you MUST have the ability to manage the day- to-day tasks of your salon or spa, while seeing the opportunity for change and the big picture. Demonstrating good leadership skills without the management skills to support it, will leave you with an inability to execute on your vision. Likewise, being a good manager without good leadership skills will cause continual challenges in motivating your team and producing the results you are trying to manage to. Being able to blend these two styles is truly a unique skill set.

I recently came across an excellent book by Warren Bennis called "On Becoming a Leader." In his book he describes his view of the differences between managers and leaders as follows:

• The manager administers; the leader innovates. 
• The manager is a copy; the leader is an original. 
• The manager maintains; the leader develops. 
• The manager focuses on systems and structure; the leader focuses on people. 
• The manager relies on control; the leader inspires trust. 
• The manager accepts reality; the leader investigates it. 
• The manager has a short-range view; the leader has a long-range perspective. 
• The manager asks how and when; the leader asks what and why. 
• The manager has his or her eye always on the bottom line; the leader has his or her eye on the horizon. 
• The manager imitates; the leader originates. 
• The manager accepts the status quo; the leader challenges it. 
• The manager is the classic good soldier; the leader is his or her own person. 
• The manager does things right; the leader does the right thing.
  

This is a great list and should cause you to pause and reflect on your behavior and ask, "Where am I spending most of my time? Doing the left hand tasks or doing the right hand tasks?" Which one am I stronger in? Weaker in? Which one do I want to be? Or do I want to do both?"

Understanding the differences between leadership and management can ensure that you know when and how to apply each set of characteristics for given processes in your salon or spa.

Ana Loiselle, Milady Business Coach

Salon and Spa Owners...Work Less & Make More

• Are you are a busy Salon or Spa Owner in desperate need of making more money but you don’t have the time or the energy to do it yourself?
• Do you feel that you are really close to grabbing the ‘brass’ ring only to find yourself unable to reach it yet again?
• Are you frustrated by the lack of initiative, willingness and drive among your team members?

If you answered "Yes" to one or all three of the above questions then take a moment, kick your feet up and read about how you can change your course to working less and making MORE. What I’m sharing isn’t rocket science, however, even the best of us could use a good swift ‘kick-in-the-pants’ every once in awhile to get ourselves back on track.

The three ways to making more are:

1. Understand the 80/20 Rule
In 1897 Pareto, an Italian Economist came up with the 80/20 rule. This rule in of itself revolutionized the way we think not only about wealth but about every area of our life. Applied to your business it can be said that 20% of your employees will produce 80% of your revenue. Many business leaders spend little if any of their time focusing on those areas of their business that can generate the most revenue. You’ve got to shift your focus and begin spending your valuable time on those areas that can generate the most revenue and thereby save you time.

In any given situation the question to ask yourself what is the 80 percent and what is the 20 percent. In other words if you want to be wealthy ask yourself what is it that the 20 percent do differently that allows them to control 80 percent of the wealth. If you want your business to be more profitable ask yourself what is the 20 percent that is accounting for 80 percent of your profits and focus in on that.

2. Build it and they will come!
I love the movie Field of Dreams! The theme serves as an excellent analogy for salon and spa owners struggling to make more. When I say, ‘build it and they will come’, I don’t mean go out and build a brand new salon and spa, I simply mean build a business. Allow me to clarify. Most successful small business owners do one thing really well. They think like large businesses. Meaning they visualize themselves making it big, align themselves with individuals that can help them get big and systematically implement the necessary structures to be big.

You bought and opened a business, now act like a business! Success comes to those who plan for success. Planning begins with preparation. Establishing a clear vision and mission for your business, developing a realistic cash flow plan for profit and establishing the specific systems, policies and procedures in which you will operate your business. Even if you have only one employee you must prepare your business to receive. Preparing eliminates fear, procrastination and reduces turnover. It also provides power and positions you in the rightful seat of leader. If you feel behind the eight ball and that you are loosing traction in your own success. STOP! Take a vacation from working IN your business, hire a coach and go work ON your business. When you return you will be armed with the tools necessary to work less and make more. Not only will you save time but you will save money and quit possibly your sanity.

3. Serve your number one customer FIRST!
As a salon and/or spa business owner your number one customer is your team! Without a team you don’t own a business you own a job. Taking care of your team and serving them well is your key to success. Marcus Buckingham wrote a fantastic book called, The One Thing You Need to Know. In his book he writes that great leaders and managers have the ability to turn talent into performance. Read that again…turn talent into performance. To make more money in less time your job is to simply turn your talent (your team) into performance (producing revenue). He goes on to say that doing so is as simple as; finding their talents and strengths, trigger great performance and tailor their learning style.

Essential to your job as their manager/leader is to get your team working on those activities in which they perform their best. Secondly, you must work to trigger great performance. You’ve got to consciously recognize and reinforce desirable behaviors. Get creative! This may be in the form of a personal thank you note, a public acknowledgement in front of the team or simply having an employee of the month board. Lastly, tailor the learning. Your job is to discover the best way in which each individual on your team learns and work to provide an environment that supports their learning preferences.

Although these three steps are simple they do require time and effort to implement. Remember, Rome wasn’t built in a day! Working less and making more can be done but you must be willing to make the necessary changes.

For more help email me at julie.shepperly@cengage.com

Create Your Business Day! Time Management for Working On Your Business!

So, you want to make the leap and start working “On” your business, not just work behind the chair. Good For You!!!

You might be asking yourself, “Now what?” What do I do?” HELP!

As a coach I have supported many salon and spa owners successfully through this transition. As you start this new structure of running your business you will be on a major learning curve, so here are four tips to help you along:

1. Be Patient: Being that you are on a learning curve, you have to be patient with this process! You are so used to having to “do” something, every minute you are in your salon, it will feel strange at first to not be “doing” what you are used to. Curve balls will come your way and at first you will be tempted by last minute client requests, etc. Do not get sucked in.

2. Your Business; Your Most Important Client: Your salon or spa needs your attention! Shift your thinking to your business as your most important client; because it is! Remember this when you walk into your salon or spa for your business day! Be prepared and shift your mindset.

3. Coach Your Team: Coaching your team to understand that you are not available for clients at all and to not interrupt you is crucial. If you do not set this up they will be all over you. They need to understand what you are doing, why you are doing it and the benefit it will have for them in the long run. Without this knowledge you may have people on your team confused and wondering why you are not “working”.

4. Plan Your Day: Write out a set schedule from 9-5, including breaks and a lunch and HONOR YOUR SCHEDULE! Set the example to your team and stay fresh.

Here is a sample list of items you should be doing On Your Business Day:
- Return messages and emails
- Open mail and pay bills
- Reschedule when you meet with your distributors so they meet with you on your business day so you have time for them
- Project time: Each week on your business day schedule two hours where you will be looking specifically at one area of your business broken into four areas: Sales, Operations, Marketing & Finance. Take this block time to research and analyze current systems and figures, look at results, research trends and use this as time for you to study, read and understand these crucial areas in your business.
- Schedule all interviews on your business day and block out time in your schedule for this. If you come to this part of your day and no one is scheduled you just got another hour or two to work on other things.
- Always schedule time on your business day for observation and being on the floor, watching the customer service experience from a fresh perspective, listening to your teams interactions with their customers and assessing their technical ability
- Schedule all meetings, reviews, education and one on ones with your team on your business day so you are fresh, prepared and ready to lead!

As you can see there are so many important components that you need to focus on to run a successful salon or spa business. Take the time you need and get organized, invest in your business to grow and it will improve at a pace you wouldn’t have thought possible!

Milady Business Coach, Steve Gomez

How a “Regular Gal” from Massachusetts Ran a Successful Salon - All While Three Thousand Miles Away!

Well, let me tell you how I did it - because I'm that “regular gal” from Massachusetts that owned and operated a successful salon from three thousand miles away.

After owning my salon for 8 months I decided to start researching business support in the salon/spa industry, and landed myself in Vegas at a conference where I sat in a business class called 10 Profit Points. The class was amazing; the speaker was nailing everything on the head - it was like my prayers had been answered.

It was then I knew I could bring my ideas and my excitement of having a successful salon to fruition - all I needed was a plan, and that was the tough part. How do I take everything that has been swirling around in my head for 8 months and create a plan? What do I do first, what is most important, ugh, where do I start?! Somebody help me, please!!!!! Well, I took the time to sit with a Salon/Spa Business Coach from Milady at the conference. She listened to what I wanted, my challenges and my desire to get there quicker, faster. She assured me that my dream could be realized by creating a plan.

I made a decision to began business coaching and learned about the four critical areas of focus needed to have a successful business:

1. business planning and management,


2. sales and finance,


3. marketing; and lastly
   
4. operations

I quickly learned that any successful business has a game plan for these four areas and I began working on them in my business and with my team.

First We determined what was working

Second We took a good hard look at what was not working

Third We created actions to correct what was not working

Forth We prioritized the action steps we created

All said and done, we created our business initiatives for the year and now knew where we were going, why we were going there and how we were going to do it.

So how did this allow me to run and operate my business from three thousand miles away? Implementing systems, structures, accountabilities, responsibilities, incentives, and coaching my team created my success and allowed me to step out from behind the chair to work on my business not in it. I was able to manage the systems we had in place leading my team to their own success which gave me the freedom to take on the next venture of my career - becoming a Business Coach and Trainer for Milady. (that's a whole other story, I will have share another time)

It was my commitment & support from my business coach/mentor in learning what was needed to run a successful salon as well as the commitment from my team that gave me the foundation to operate my business from three thousand miles away!

What’s your step out from behind the chair struggles and success? I’d love to hear.

Kim Lento, Milady Business Coach

Your Leadership Edge - Knowing Yourself

How well do you know yourself?

A good sense of self is the foundation for the construction of life, and for being a stable Salon & Spa leader. Yet a strong sense of self is not about selfishness, or self-absorption. A sense of self recognizes not only one's strength, but one's weaknesses. The objective isn't to "be yourself." The challenge is to "be your best self." That requires recognizing and eliminating or improving your vices and weaknesses.

"Before I seek to change or motivate others I must first learn to change and motivate myself. I must first become the change I wish to see in others."

In our rushed and busy life we often neglect taking the time out to strengthen our personal leadership practice. How often do you take time out to focus on the development of yourself and take the time to reflect on the personal impact that you’re making on your employees and customers. AND, the consequences of not strengthening your personal leadership?
Whether you think you know yourself well or not, it’s very helpful to use various techniques and resources to self assess where you are at as a leader, what style you have and what skills or capabilities you need to put priority attention to for improvement.

There are hundreds of surveys available online, or in books, that you can take to help evaluate your Leadership Edge.

Click Here to take survey

To The (Wo)Men Who Will Settle For Nothing Less Than Building a Great Salon or Spa - 7 Essential Keys Needed

1. Leadership: First of all, you need to be a good leader. Great leaders raise the aspirations of their followers; they make people more confident, energetic and enthusiastic. People, who are motivated by great leaders, dream big, make sacrifices and achieve miracles.

“Leadership is lifting a person's vision to higher sights, the raising of a person's performance to a higher standard, the building of a personality beyond its normal limitations.” — Peter F. Drucker

2. Vision: You have to create a grand, noble vision which elevates the energy, enthusiasm and self-esteem of everyone in the company while ensuring that everybody sees a benefit in following the vision. This is something that only the leader can do. Only the leader can think about the future and plan for the future each day.

3. Mission: You must have a clear articulated mission of how your company is going to reach its vision. Without this you are sail boat drifting in the wind.

4. Shared Values: A great Salon or Spa practices an enduring value system, and follows the finest system of accountability. Without this, your business can get itself into real trouble.

5. Benchmarking: Your Salon or Spa has to benchmark itself in key areas including service & retail sales, customer service, new customers, client retention and client frequency.

6. Measuring To Improve: A great Salon or Spa continuously measures and improves the following attributes: technical service, customer service, retail sales, new customer acquisition, client retention, and client frequency.

Ana Loiselle, Milady Salon & Spa Business Coach

10 Hot Skills to Empower Your Salon or Spa Employees

First, ask yourself...
Would you like to be able to empower your employees to be more productive and make decisions on their own?

From superior customer service to a healthy bottom line, empowered Salon & Spa employees will make your business stronger and more successful. The following 10 skills will help you make sure your employees feel empowered:

1.Create an Inspiring Vision & Shared Values - Your Vision & Values are key tactical assets as the foundation of your business. A strong sense of motivation results from a person adopting the values and beliefs of a group. When people have made these values and beliefs their own, they become the source of their own motivation.

2. Lead by Example - There is no point in demanding high standards of you staff but failing to exhibit them yourself. Demonstrate your own skills of teamwork, pro-activity and generosity and others will follow your example.

3. Train, Train and Train - Invest in your employees’ knowledge, skills, and ability. Failure to train is shortsighted. Training will not only enable your employees to handle the work but also contribute to increased self-esteem, which will make employees more comfortable with greater responsibility.

4. Empower - The three general rules for empowering your employees, is appreciation, approval, and attention. Voice your thanks and gratitude to them on every occasion. Praise them for every accomplishment. And pay close attention to them when they talk and want to interact with you. These three behaviors alone will make you a master of human interaction and will greatly empower the people around you

5. Communicate Openly - Ongoing communication is vital so you and your employees are always in sync. Whether it's an upcoming company expansion, installation of new equipment or the introduction of a new product, don't hold back information which will keep everyone informed. People on the job want to be in the know. You must make sure they get the story.

6. Listen - Active listening assures the other party you understand him or her. It is a necessary part of any exchange if you hope to motivate others. Active listening involves feeding back the information you have been given along with the feelings that have been expressed. Not only is it a clarifying act, it shows empathy.

7. Involve Everyone, Use Team Approach - One of the best ways to generate enthusiasm and job satisfaction is to get people to actively participate in creating new goals/projects. The project is usually kicked off by the forming of a committee which sets a goal and takes steps to reach it. The most interesting and attention-getting goals are: reviewing and updating performance standards, increasing retail sale, improving customer relations and arranging employee activities and parties.

8. Coach, Bring Out The Best In Your People - Empowerment alone is not enough. You must train and coach your people to enhance their learning ability and performance. Coaching is the key to unlocking the potential of your people, your organization, and yourself. It increases your effectiveness as a leader. As a coach, you must help your people grow and achieve more by inspiring them, asking effective questions and providing feedback.

9. Encourage Group Decisions - Solicit opinions and ideas. Ask employees to suggest better ways to do jobs and solve problems.

10. Monitor Progress, But Don’t Micromanage - Recognize employees who do a good job. Do this with verbal or written acknowledgement or give rewards. Avoid micromanaging and show confidence in your staff members’ abilities to perform their jobs well.

Ana Loiselle - Business Coach/Trainer

Who Else Wants To Make Money Not Working Behind The Chair? Part II

In Part I of “Who Else Wants To Make Money Not Working Behind The Chair?” by Ana Loiselle you were introduced to the idea of how to work ON your business. Now, I’m going to take it a step further and give you the how to’s.

If you are a salon owner or a spa owner ask yourself this: How many days each week do you work in your business? Of those days how many of them are you working either behind the chair or in your treatment room with customers? As a business coach for salon and spa owners I see that typically most salon and spa owners work 4 to 5 days each week with customers and account for between 38-45% of their salon or spa’s total sales!

If you are in this scenario right now that means that your business owns you, you don’t own it!

As a salon or spa owner you have to be able to change this trend. You have to be able to dedicate at least two days each week to work on your business as a salon or spa owner instead of being a busy technician.

Here is how to get started:

Analyze your current sales. Come up with what you average each day. For example, if you average $150 a day working 5 days a week you would be bringing in $750 a week, you would need to grow your overall weekly sales by $150 which would bring your sales to $900 a week. However, once you consistently average this you can take one day less and invest it in your business which would then have you bringing in $750 in four days instead of 5 days. This means you have to track your sales and work on your consultation systems increasing add on sales and retail to make this happen. It takes discipline and if you follow through you can make this happen in 30-60 days. As a coach I support salon and spa owners I work with to do this in that time period.

Create your business day schedule. Make a list of all of your tasks that you have to do once a day, once a week and once a month. You can then put them into a set schedule on your business day to maximize your effectiveness.

Move around your business appointments to support your business day. Reschedule distributor visits, team meetings, education, interviewing, one-on-one’s etc to all happen on this day when you can focus your energies to them and you are fresh, relaxed and not rushed.

Be disciplined and follow your schedule. Most salon or spa owners I support through this transition struggle initially with following their set schedule, allowing their team to interrupt them or putting out emergencies or fires. You may even find that you have a natural pull to want to do this because you have been doing this for so long it is what you know. STOP!!! Honor your schedule. On your business day you have to be accessible to your business, not the reactions of others. This will take you retraining your team and yourself so people understand that you spending time as a salon or spa owner working on the business is crucial to the future path!

In closing, take a day or two, make it happen over the next 4-6 months and your business growth and personal growth will astound you! You will feel and be a powerful salon or spa owner!

Steve Gomez, Business Coach/Trainer

The 10 Quickest Ways To Financial Freedom For Your Salon or Spa

Are you up to your eyeballs in debt?
Do you wonder what your budgets are or should be?
Are you consumed with the thought of….will there be enough money at the end of the month?
Are you living paycheck to paycheck?
Do you want to be financially FREE?

If you answered yes to any of these questions and are ready to do what it takes to get to financial freedom then read on!

Often times we set goals for how we want our businesses to grow and how much money we want the business to produce. Ultimately, unless we are financially responsible in all areas we will not obtain the resources to have the successes we so desire. One begets the other.

Over 70% of all salons in our industry are not profitable! What this tells me is that 70% of all people in our industry are not financially free. The first step to financial freedom is to take responsibility for the fact that you caused the circumstance you are in. The second step is to set parameters. Before you can do that you have to first know where you stand financially.

1) Get committed to financial freedom
2) Get your financial house in order
3) Cancel unnecessary credit cards
4) Pay yourself first! (Invest something! Even if its 3% of income or $5 a day start somewhere!)
5) Consolidate debt
6) Chuck it up! Each month pay as much as you can to reduce debt!
7) Track it! For the next 30 days write down everything you spend your money on.
8) Begin the 24-hour wait game. If you want something now, force yourself to wait 24 hours before you purchase. 9 times out of 10 you’ll wake up and realize that you don’t really need it! This helps to eliminate unnecessary purchases.
9) Reward yourself when you hit milestones!
10) If you need help, get it!

Who Else Wants To Make Money Not Working Behind The Chair? Part I

I Do!!

When I first opened up my salon and spa I knew I wanted to own a business that 1)made me money!!! 2) I didn't have to work everyday at and 3) would provide jobs for other people. Well, knowing I wanted it and knowing how to make all that happen were two different things. At some point I realized I was consumed by the business –and maybe the possibility of losing it. This fear compounded by the fact that I had to do every important thing myself, because I didn't have the necessary infrastructure, was driving me to the point of exhaustion.

If this is where you are – you need to change the way you’re looking at your world. You don’t own a business – you own a job!

Then I was introduced to the concept of working “on your business, not in it.” It belongs to Michael Gerber, who wrote about it in his best-selling book The E-Myth Revisited. I’ll touch on the concept here, but I strongly suggest you read the book -you’ll never look at your business the same again!

The ultimate goal of working ON your salon or spa should be to have it function as well as possible without you. In other words, it’s an investment! If you do, you will own something that is valuable to someone else and you the have the option to sell it. If all you own is a job, don’t expect people to line up at your door to buy it.

Your objective should be:

1) To get your salon or spa to the point where it is NOT dependent on you!
2) Develop your employees to do things without your involvement.
3) Figure out how to give your customers what they want, without having to go through you.
4) Have your employees take care of the day-to-day tasks, freeing you to focus on the more strategic issues.
5) Build a model for your business that ensures things get done right at the first point of contact.

Getting your salon or spa to this point is not going to happen overnight; it takes a conscious, sustained effort and time. But, I am here to tell you I did it!!!! I put the concepts into place and grew my business in the dream I had for it and I was ULTIMATELY able to sell it for a nice profit!! Woo-Hoo

YOU CAN DO IT TOO! If you want to make it happen you have to put the processes in place to support it. - Stay tuned for more!!

Ana Loiselle, Milady Business Coach & Trainer

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