Beauty Salon Business Plan Template: From Canada, there’s nothing like success to breed confidence…

New Inner Circle member Shola Olorunleke of Quinn’s World Salon in Canada – inspired and lifted by the instant results of her first ‘WSM-style’ marketing campaigns.

I’ve often pondered what the ‘real’ value of the Toolkit and the Inner Circle program is to struggling salons. And it’s clear, going by feedback like this from salon owners like Shola Olorunleke of Quinn’s World Salon in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan (Canada) that the real value is not so much the proven tools, templates and strategies the system provides, but the sense of motivation, direction and sheer inspiration that lifts the spirits of so many.

Here’s what she writes:

“Since our last coaching call some amazing things have been happening. I got the glamour package flyers printed (10,000 copies). I was lucky due to a promo at the printers, I got them printed for 2c each instead of 4c this cost $200.
I put everybody at the salon to work folding the flyers when they weren’t busy. We finished folding and bundling the 10,000 on Sunday. I dropped them off at Canada post distribution center for delivery on Tuesday morning before 11am. Wednesday morning our letter courier mentioned he had our flyers for delivery and before 12noon we had started getting calls and booking new clients.
It has been a week and we are still getting calls. So far we have 20 new clients booked from the flyer. The cost for getting the flers out was canada post 12c each = $1200 and printing 2c each= $200, this totaled $1400. From the bookings we have so far this cost is already paid for.
I just signed up with an online marketing firm that offers coupons to their subscribers as daily deals, before I wouldn’t have done this as I would think that I will be losing money. I jumped at this opportunity because I now underdstand the life-time value of the guest.
We are offering a winter hydrating package (haircut and hydrating treatment) a $65 value for $32. There is no out of pocket cost because the company designs the offer, sends out the emails to subscribers in Saskatoon, and sells the coupons.
I am also sending the poster to be printed for the Christmas gift certificate offer.
We have also started the Queen of referral program and I plan on doing a contest in the new year for our guests. The newsletter has been a hit with our guests.
But here’s the clincher. There’s no doubt that success breeds confidence. It’s amazing how so many members of the Inner Circle program suddenly develop backbone and resolve – to run their businesses with their heads for a change.
The morale in the salon is better, my 2 stylists are excited as they are busier.
I have also taken a firmer stand as I have one stylist who comes to work late and 2 Saturdays in a row didn’t show up for work. We were scrambling to take care of some of his clients and call the others to reschedule their appointment. I had a meeting with him and let him know that his behaviour will not be tolorated any longer (this is after 2 warning letters) and that if it happens again, he should just come in and get his stuff as I would assume he had quit.
I have already put an ad out for a hairstylist and will be interviewing 2 potential stylists in the next few days.
Before I joined WSM I was frustrated, stressed out and constantly worried but now I know what to do to get the results I want to take Quinn’s World to where it should be. It is a lot of work and a lot to take in and do but with the amazing materials in the Toolkit and online, the work is a piece of cake. I am more focussed and I cant wait for what the new year has in store as I know that this will be my best year yet.
THANKS TEAM WSM, Greg and my coach Alberto.
Shola Olorunleke
Quinn’s World Salon
Saskatoon

Successful Salon Business Plan Template: NZ Salon Superstar, Bedelia Shepherd of Nelson Beauty Therapy – “My Salon Has Grown 60% In Turnover In Just 12 Months Since Joining WSM!”

Fresh back from a week in the sunny Gold Coast in Australia, there was no better way to return than to find the email below from Inner Circle Member, Bedelia Shepherd of Nelson Beauty Therapy.

Bedelia Shepherd of Nelson Beauty Therapy

Bedelia joined the program and got her copy of the Essential Salon Owner’s Marketing Toolkit® in November 2009 and has seen her relatively small Nelson salon grow over 60% in turnover into a large purpose built Medispa.

And Bedelia’s email shows that even when you are getting fantastic results from the program, things still can and will go pear shaped from time to time.  But armed with knowledge and support, it’s a heck of a lot easier to get through!

And Bedelia even offers some advice to fellow salon owners who look to blame others when things arn’t quite going right…

Here’s what Bedelia had to say….

 

Hi Chris

Its 6.30am and I’m up bright and early today as we are moving into our new salon!

I’m over the moon and can’t believe it, that in exactly 12 months of joining WSM we have gone from a small beauty therapy business that was doing just ok, upstairs above a bar to our new purpose built medispa !

When I received my little pink box last November I knew it was going to change my life and it truly has!!

We have grown our sales by over 60%, we have a good profit margin, we have an 83% client retention rate, and all our new salon has been funded out of turnover not the bank!

At 2.30 this morning when I climbed into bed after a full day on the floor and then packing up my salon, I read Greg’s email and saw some of the negative comments from people about how it doesn’t work for everyone bla bla… I really laughed out loud!!

This does work, but salon owners need to understand it’s not the system that doesn’t work it’s how they use the system!

Now to the salon owners who find blame in others or situations, I’ll share a little something.

……… Being the new careful planer I am, I had all my new staff arranged early for the new salon, as we have gone from 2 ½  to 5 ½.  10 days ago my new therapist started, within 2 days the poor lady had to fly to the UK as her husband had very suddenly passed away while on holiday, so of course she had to go, my other new therapist then decided that gosh, do we really work past 5pm!.. and she didn’t even start, but that was ok I thought I’ll manage this week with the 2 therapists I have and my new receptionist.

Ha … at 5.30 on Tuesday of this week one of my long term therapist said to me ” I’m quitting today”, I had about 10 mins of thinking Oh S..t what am I going to do now, but hey I’ve survived the week, looked after my own clients as well as the ones that she left high and dry, run 3 marketing campaigns, signed off 3 of our big Christmas adds, dealt with builders, painters, songwriters and website designers and I’m still in one piece, so you can see why at 2.00 a.m. this morning I was laughing my head off!

WSM gives you all the tools you need to run a successful salon, from the marketing to planning to how to overcome obstacles like I’ve had this week, it teaches you long term life skills to use within your business, I always feel like there is a gentle hand guiding me in the right direction.

Chris and Greg, I can’t thank you enough, if I’ve done this in a year imagine what the next 12 months will bring!

Kind wishes

Bedelia

Profitable Salon Templates: Lynette Rogers, LA Hair & Beauty, Tanilba Bay, New South Wales

IC member Lynette Rogers of LA Hair & Beauty in NSW – 100% growth in her salon in 6 months since getting her Toolkit

“When I joined the Inner Circle program and got my Toolkit I only had 4 staff, now have 6 staff, soon to have 8 or 9 staff…..what does this say 🙂  Super-excited Lynnie! Since I started sending out the newsletter 4 months ago, income has increase $2000 – $3000 just from newsletters. Staff are doing 20% retail and 50% re-booking, getting there!!

Thank u thank u thank u!!! And there is still more and more and more to do!

(Oh I put on another full time senior hairdresser today, she starts tomorrow! OMG! That’s 7 staff and in a few more weeks another apprentice!! Thank you again for everything.)

I recently spoke to another salon owner at a Delorenzo conference, who had your program and she said she had not seen any results! I basically told her she was crazy and lazy and to open the damn thing up and get to work!! With my salon with over 100% increase since March, what a goose! I later heard her husband telling her off and she came later for more advise! Just wanted to let you know of that experience I had and how dumbfounded by the conversation I was…lol

All the best and keep up the great work.

xxoo

Lynette Rogers

PS: I’m going to get myself a nice new shiny car and go over to South Africa in the new year!! with all my success why not 🙂

LA Hair and Beauty
Shop 10 Tanilba Bay
Shopping Centre
Tanilba Bay NSW 2319″ntire system, including the Toolkit.

Beauty Salon Marketing: Success breeds Success – see how UK member Clare Cockell is taking Massive Action

IC member Clare Cockell of The Reef in Kent, UK. Excitement breeds excitement…

Yet more evidence – if any were needed – that losers whine about the economy, while winners create their own economy.

Almost every UK salon owner who applies for Membership of the Inner Circle Premium program complains bitterly about how they ‘can’t afford it because the UK economy is so bad…’

Well, don’t tell Inner Circle Premium member (4 years) Clare Cockell that. Clare, who owns The Reef in Maidstone, Kent, is living proof that there really is truth in the old saying about ‘shaking the tree and seeing what falls out…’

Read Clare’s email from last week, and watch the video below…

Hi Greg,

I hope you’re well?

Just thought I’d let you know about my recent marketing responses. We’ve just had the ‘Winter Warmer’ and a BOGOF (Buy One Get One Free) early bird Christmas gift voucher day…
The Winter Warmer was sent out in an email to our database of 2500 clients (approximately 500 people opened the email), sent by post to our top 200 clients and put on our website – so far we have had 56 bookings and I’m sure there will be more as it’s available until the end of November. So far that is £2,184 that we wouldn’t have taken!

Quite a few of the bookings were also from new people, or current clients bringing friends who hadn’t visited before, and a couple even rebooked to have it again a week later! All in all very good and we will definitely repeat it next year! the team is also buzzing as it’s keeping them busy and giving them something new to do and focus on.

We advertised our buy one get one free Xmas voucher day in the local paper, again sent it to out top 200 clients, put a poster and balloons in the window, gave out approx 500 leaflets in town and sent out 2 emails to our database of clients (with approximately 500 people opening the first email, 394 opening the second with 170 people clicking through to our website to see what vouchers would be available).

On the day there was a great atmosphere! We sold approximately £9,000 worth of BOGOF vouchers online and in salon (I don’t know exact numbers as it only ended 17 hours ago and I haven’t added it all up to the exact amount yet).

We had some new customers bought vouchers, lots bought for people who have never been to us, a couple of people popped in for treatments from us being out leafleting, the salon was busy so more people stopped to look while passing or came in, and word of mouth was great (one guy came in and said I hear you’ve got buy on get one free vouchers today, I want to get some for my mums birthday in December, when he found out they weren’t valid until after Christmas he paid for 2 at full price!). Again the team loved helping organize and it kept everyone motivated and excited!

We’ve also noticed because of these two promotions that our general normal priced bookings have increased, obviously because we got people talking and our name out there again. If you want to look at the emails sent, let me know.

Thank you for the regular emails, for keeping me motivated and my mind ticking!

Have a great weekend (I know I will!)

Clare

Clare Cockell
Spa Manager

The Reef
22 Gabriels Hill
Maidstone
Kent ME15 6JG
www.thereefsalonandspa.com

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Day Spa Business Plan Template: Mystery Shopper Reveals Why Salons Are Losing Thousands Of $$$….Could This Be Happening In Your Salon Too?

Imagine being invited to someone’s house, having a really great time and then never being invited back again…you’d feel pretty hurt, right?

Well, two months ago I was asked to be a mystery shopper for one of Auckland’s top Day Spas and that’s exactly how I felt when I left the Spa….totally hurt that I hadn’t been invited back.

Now for obvious confidentially reasons, this Spa (who is not an Inner Circle member) shall remain nameless, but I wanted to share my experience with you and show how a failure to ask simple questions or do any follow up marketing could be costing YOUR salon a bucket load of money every year.

Before you read on, this story is not to bad mouth this Day Spa.  In fact, I have to say that the service I received prior to and during the treatment was up there with some  of the best I have ever experienced when visiting a Salon or Spa.  But that’s what makes it so bad. They have spent so much time putting systems and procedures in place to ensure the customers have this amazing experience, but it’s then let down by complete neglect at the back end.

From the moment I made the booking on the phone the receptionist sounded delightful, asked all the right questions and took my credit card, explaining their 24 hour cancellation policy – a sure way to prevent those frustrating no shows!

When arriving at the Day Spa I was greeted and shown to a lounge where I was given a consultation and then shown the facilities available to me while I was at the Spa which included a sauna, steam room and gym.  Everything was done down to the finest detail, even matching the tea I drank to the type of treatment I requested through my consultation.

Before being taken through to the treatment room I was taken to a relaxation room and introduced to my therapist, as well as another therapist.  From the time I walked in the Spa I had met 4 different people, who all knew me by name and made me feel incredibly special.  I felt like a valued client of the Spa, and not just one therapist!

The treatment itself was also excellent, with music and lighting tailored to my mood and post treatment I was taken to a separate room to relax even further, drink some more tea and fill out a satisfaction survey.

I think you get the picture, overall the WOW factor was huge!

So you can understand my disappointment that I was NOT ONCE asked if I wanted to rebook another appointment.  It was pretty evident that I had really enjoyed my visit to the Spa, so as a guest to the Spa, why wasn’t I invited back?…HOW RUDE!!!

Please Let Me Come back To Your Spa…PLEASE!

Maybe I was missing something, was I meant to get down on my hands and knees and beg to come back?

One simple question would have turned a $140 sale, into at least a $1700 – $2000 client over 12 months, because you know what, if they’d asked me to come back, I would have said YES!

“Okay Chris, we would LOVE to see you back here at (salon name) again, so let’s make that next appointment for you now because we do get booked up very quickly and I don’t want you to miss out on the time that suits you best….how does 3pm on (date) or 10am on (date) suit?”

Now obviously I am just one client, so can you imagine how much money this Spa is losing if clients are not being re-booked…it’s scary!  But that’s the difference between a great salon/spa and an average salon/spa.  Members of our Inner Circle program understand the value of a customer, they don’t look at each client as a one-off sale, rather as a customer for life who will be worth thousands of $$$.

The next thing here was that I was not offered the professional products to go away with and use until my next appointment.  It’s a fact that 70% of clients who are NOT sold retail will go down the road and buy it from a chemist or supermarket (a salons biggest rival) within 24 hours, the products will be crap and the client won’t be a happy camper!  Who are they going to blame first…that’s right, the salon/therapist!  So they will never return.  How sad!

Maybe they didn’t ask me because I am a guy or some other lame excuse like that – whatever it was, it wasn’t good enough and will be costing the salon a fortune!

*If you have never heard about former Schwarzkopf CEO John Lee’s 1000 hour customer care policy, you should Google it, learn it and apply it to your salon!

Finally, the reason for me writing this story some 2 months after my visit to the Spa was to at least see if they did some follow up marketing.  A welcome letter perhaps, with a voucher to use off my next booking or an email with their latest offers…did it ever happen?….Nope!

After my visit to the Spa, I filled out a lengthy mystery shopper questionnaire making specific reference to these issues and how all the positive aspects of my visit had gone to waste because of the failure to rebook or retail to me.  I even made special mention that I would look forward to receiving follow up marketing from them as I REALLY wanted to come back.

I suppose I’ll NEVER know if they fixed any of these issues because I am still waiting to be invited back.