This informal CPD article 10 Effective Ways for Beauty Businesses to Breeze Through the Festive Season was provided by Tatiana Vorontsova, director at Pro-Age Aesthetics Academy, a wellness and beauty education clinic in London.
As we near the end of the year, everyone begins to stress about holidays. Regardless of whether you are stay-at-home Mum, a CEO, entrepreneur, or in a paid employment – none of us is immune to the stresses of the holiday season.
"“It’s the most wonderful time of the year . . . It’s the happiest season of all.” So says a classic song of the holiday season. But is it?"
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For spa or salon owners this whole experience can be extremely challenging and overwhelming. Most of us chose this path because we are givers, we love connecting with our clients, we thrive when we serve others, we get inspired by the meaningful difference our job can do for them. Festive season – as much as we love the revenue it brings – also brings the challenges that go with it – the demands and expectations from our clients, the urgency, stock issues, cancellations, or longer-than-usual work hours. Couple that with our personal life demands and stresses, the impossible to-do lists and you get a perfect recipe for burnout.
So, what are the typical areas for spa/salon business owners which can be affected by stress:
And let’s be honest here – more often than not we are good at helping others and giving advice, but struggle to receive help ourselves. Now it’s a good time to change it.
1. Plan everything ahead. Get your bookings sorted by investing into a quality automated software – this step alone can really boost your productivity and help you avoid a lot of lost hours. Set up reminders everywhere you can. Pre-record autoresponders when you are busy, but make sure to call back!
2. Have a heart-to-heart conversation with your staff and lay out realistic expectations for this season. You are in it together! Be ready to listen but maintain your boundaries. Consider quality over quantity – Christmas is not the time to cut corners. Providing substandard service during this special time of the year might be the last time you see those clients, so make it the best experience that will leave them wanting more.
3. Sort out your stock in advance. Take your historical sales data and plan your sales considering safe projections and any promotional activities you have planned.
4. Brainstorm your holiday season promotional campaign and try to diversify your services and goods offers. Be creative! Don’t get stuck in boring discount offers – sell value instead of cheap prices! Organise your Festive Vouchers and gift wrapping in advance – these can go a long way as an add on service! Lucky dips, Christmas VIP nights, mini gift packs for your regulars or special clients – make them feel special and come back to you over and over again. Offer express services for guests with busy schedules, and have them as adds on. Or “Mommy and me” packages for busy mums who can only come with their kids.
5. Plan your social media content accordingly. Allocate a specific day to get it sorted - write, shoot, edit your social media materials for the month ahead and use Instagram scheduler to do your posts. It will save you heaps of nerves when it comes to the crazy pre-Christmas rush. Or get a part-time assistant to help you while you do what you know best – looking after your clients.
6. Outsource any tasks that you hate and bad at to the experts. Your business will be more productive, and you will keep your peace during these hectic times. Your cool is everything! It translates not only to your business colleagues, but mostly to your clients – they are the very reason your business exists!
7. Make your business hours clear. Many clients expect you to work extended hours during festive season, so if that is not something you are prepared to do – it’s best to have clear boundaries to avoid conflicts and unrealistic expectations.
8. Keep generic information readily available and easy to spot – client memos, pre-and post- treatment cards, after-care advice, visit reminders – use these right and you will win trust of your clients over and over again.
9. Delight yourself and your guests with a magical ambiance and beautiful atmosphere. Decorate your salon, play some festive music, diffuse Christmas aromas, offer some healthy treats and thank you cards to express gratitude to your clients for their loyalty and make them feel special.
10. Launch new high-ticket item to your spa menu and test for response – it’s a perfect time to wow your clients with new treatment that delivers great results.
If you don’t want to scream these words by the Christmas tree while everyone around enjoys get-togetherness, don’t put yourself in the backseat! Take regular short breaks throughout the day – get out and breathe for a few minutes while enjoying fresh air, a wind on your skin, or a sunshine on your face. Replace coffee with herbal tea or fruit water. Stretch your body between sessions.
Avoid gossiping, bad thoughts and negative talks – they drain a lot of your vital energy. Do some regular physical activity – whatever it is for you – yoga, jogging, swimming, dancing… And don’t forget to generate pleasure moments which build you up – a massage; a walk by the beach, or a forest; a quite movie night, a book by the fire – whatever it is you enjoy! Life is not happening after Christmas or New Year. Life is happening now.
We hope this article was helpful. For more information from Pro-Age Aesthetics Academy, please visit their CPD Member Directory page. Alternatively please visit the CPD Industry Hubs for more CPD articles, courses and events relevant to your Continuing Professional Development requirements.
For more information from Pro-Age Aesthetics Academy, please visit their CPD Member Directory page. Alternatively please visit the CPD Industry Hubs for more CPD articles, courses and events relevant to your Continuing Professional Development requirements.
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