Making a list

As we are in the fourth quarter of the year, now is the time to plan for the Christmas trade and ensure you have a great finish to the year, advises salon business expert Liz McKeon

Keeping the energy high and the drive going can be a challenge as we head into this last all-important quarter of 2021. You are probably tired, as you have worked very hard all year long to meet your targets, excel at your goals, and ensure that your bottom lines are strong and healthy.

This is the quarter that not only determines how strong you will start next year, but when most of your competitors are likely to take their foot off the gas.

Success in the salon business is about finding the opportunity and then capitalising on it. The actions, plans and sales expectations you prepare for in the fourth quarter will be the single biggest determining factor in how much business you do during this period, and possibly all of next year.

Sales and business growth start long before they hit your bottom line. If you want to finish strong, you need to start now.

Strategies to finish strong

1. Review and re-evaluate your business goals. Now is a great time to check in on the goals you set for your salon earlier in the year, to see how things have gone so far. Goals continually change, so use this time to re-evaluate the goals you may have set earlier to confirm if these still fit with your business. If they do, make sure you hustle to make it happen. If not, then scrap them and find better goals.

2. Get real about your numbers. If you need help with this, check in with your accountant, as Q4 is a great time to review your progress in areas such as revenue so far this year, projections until the end of the year, running costs, productivity and end-of-year taxes.

3. Make a plan. Commit to making this quarter your strongest sales period of the year. Work with your team to analyse your clients’ spending patterns. Be clear about what you are going to accomplish, who is going to be involved and how you are going to do it.

Prepare now

With Christmas being the peak services and retail period of the year, preparation must start now. There’s lots of work to do if you want to get the best revenue results. The key issue is timing – the date for Christmas does not change, and by 24 December your Christmas business is done, so plan backwards, with the following checklist:

■ What are the peak number of clients, appointments, retail orders and gift vouchers you can handle each day?

■ Do you have adequate staff in place for all roles?

■ Do you have back-up staff trained and on-call?

■ How much retail stock will you need?

■ Are you ready to reach out to your clients and host pre-Christmas events, promotions and sales? If not, get planning, as you don’t want to miss an opportunity.

■ Do you have Christmas gift cards, gift wrapping materials and space?

■ What is your plan to maximise gift voucher sales?

■ What is your follow-up plan to ensure vouchers are redeemed in January and February, ensuring a healthy and positive start to 2022?

■ Is your online store ready or do you need to clean up old content and replace with festive details? Do you have the products to sell organised? Do you have a safe checkout and delivery process? Make sure to have specific advice about returns and refunds to avoid problems in the New Year.

■ Do you need to plan your Christmas marketing campaign now?

■ Can you give your salon a Christmas theme, train all your staff to upsell services, vouchers and retail gifts?

Make sure Christmas is a fun time in your salon.

Take time to be prepared for the festive selling season and your sales figures will reflect your hard efforts – practice and preparation will make it all happen!