Work smarter, not harder in your salon

You are not alone. Many salon owners love what they do but want to spend more time running their businesses, instead of their business running them! That’s what this guide can help you do.

We are releasing the second edition of our popular guide ‘Work Smarter Not Harder: The A-Z Guide to Salon Success.’ To keep it super simple, Larissa Macleman, Jose Mathias, and the rest of the team at Timely have written down 26 mini goals to improve your business over the course of 12 months.

Since there are 52 weeks in a year, if you implement these tips to reach one of these mini goals every two weeks, you’ll be running a bigger and better business by the end of the year. Less stress, anyone?

These tips are based on bigger goals around how to make the most of your time, how to elevate your salon to the next level, and how to look after yourself and your staff while doing it. The best part is, you can download all these juicy tips for free right now.

Download the guide here. 

Here are the first three tips you’ll find in the guide:

Automation

The first goal is to get the most out of your time. One simple way to do this is to eliminate the need to repeat tasks that you do every day. Technology has made it possible to automate many daily business tasks at a cost-effective rate that saves a lot of time.

Automating routine jobs means less mistakes and a smoother running salon, without the need for constant work.

Tips on automation:

• Set up your email marketing to bring clients back. Things like birthdays, regular promos and reminders should all be automated so it just happens.
• Instead of texting or calling every client from your phone before appointments, your booking software should automatically send SMS reminders to prevent no-shows.
• Record client histories to help build your customer relationships. Use an iPad during the consultation and add in notes, colour formulas and recommendations while you chat to save you having to come back later to type in your notes.
• Stop your phone interrupting you by setting up online booking. Your clients can then make their own appointments and payments in their own time. The big plus is that you don’t need to available for this to happen.
• Sync your appointment book with your mobile devices so you can manage your work and home life from anywhere at any time.

Balance

Achieving work / life balance is important for your health and the health of your business. If you work too hard for too long you’ll burn out before you achieve long-lasting success. Remember business is a marathon, not a sprint.

Technology may save time and money through automation, but it can also make it harder to escape work. With notifications chasing you wherever you go, you need to make a distinction between when you’re at work and when you aren’t.

Once you’ve drawn up your rules, stick by them. When you’re at work, be at work. When you’re with the family, having a ladies’ night out, or taking some alone time, turn off your devices. Make sure your staff know what to do in case of emergencies so you don’t always have to be switched on.

Communicate

The foundation of a successful business is communication. Your team need to share your vision and goals, and doing this will allow them to feel the satisfaction you feel when your business is successful. It’s important to inspire your team by being effective about the way you communicate.

Tips on communication:

• Involve your team in your long term goals. Talk to them about where your business is heading and how you will get there together.
• Meeting regularly with your team is the perfect time to communicate with them. Daily meetings can cover the day’s tasks, but don’t forget to have regular staff meetings that contribute to achieving your goals.
• Set up a private Facebook Group for your workplace discussions. You can keep your staff updated by simply posting messages there. Facebook Groups are a great tool for this as everyone already has an account.
• Make a space in your staff room for notes and announcements. Hang up a pin up board so even those who start later in the day can be informed of what is going on.

Enjoyed the first four tips? To read the rest of our A-Z guide, download the e-Book now.