5 Steps to Become a $1 Million Salon!

Being a Salon Owner is not always sunshine and rainbows… the reality of running a salon is tough, and success doesn’t happen overnight. As a Salon Owner, you probably have dreams of building a Rockstar Team, achieving a life of freedom and profit, and having strong relationships with clients.

 

I know, from experience, that this is all possible, but the HOW isn’t always clear.

 

 remember so many moments, early on in my Salon Ownership, where things wouldn’t go right. A team member would leave, clients wouldn’t rebook, retail sales were dwindling, I really could go on! It was tough and defeating wondering if that successful moment would ever arrive. 

For me, success meant becoming a Million Dollar Salon. This was my goal... something tangible upon which I could actually measure my Salon's achievements. Making this happen, however, during that time, was another story...

Skip forward a few years, and I had achieved my goal. Finally, when I looked at the Salon's monthly results, they were numbers that would actually add up to a Million Dollar Year. I remember it like it was yesterday!

 

I was relieved and surprised, but not surprised at the same time... because I always knew it was possible.

 

Now, I want the same for you. Knowing how to achieve my goal of a Million Dollar Salon from the beginning, would have saved me a lot of heartache along the way- and now it's your turn to achieve that (hopefully without the added heartache!). I have 5 key strategies that I believe will help you achieve the dream of true success, just as I did.

Let's take a look...

#1 Attract Ideal Clients:

Now, I know the goal with Salon Marketing is to promote your salon so you can get bookings flooding in… so, therefore, we aim to market ourselves everywhere and to everyone. BUT I believe niching down is much more effective in the long run. Focus on targeting your ideal client. This is someone who raves about your business and is incredibly loyal. That type of client every salon needs to be a success. Ideal clients are like friend groups.

When it comes to my friends, I’m much more of a quality over quantity person. I’d rather have fewer friends who care about me than a whole bunch of meaningless connections; the ones who care are going to support my growth. And, so, guess what? The same applies when it comes to your salon!

Instead of trying to connect with a larger clientele, focus on fewer.  This means you will have more energy and time to invest in those special clients which will make the relationship even stronger. As a salon owner, you want strong relationships with clients as that’s what will not only keep them rebooking, but will also entice them to share their amazing experiences with others.

When it comes to your Salon's Marketing, ensure it has a strong and clear message that's targeted towards your Ideal Client. You should be speaking 'to her', all the time, every time.

 

 

 

#2 Be The Expert

The second thing you'll need to nail if YOU want to be a million-dollar salon is being the expert. Now that you’ve niched down and attracted your ideal client, you want them to choose YOU over all the other salons out there. Not just because there were no other Salons left to go to, but because you were the known expert in your area of specialty. The goal is for your ideal client to know that you are the best in the biz, at what you do (whatever that may be).

So how do you let them know this? Well, the answer is to be clear on what you offer and how it matches the client’s desires. Talk them through this to reassure them that they are in the right hands.

At the end of the day, people want:

1. To trust your skills and expertise
2. Know you can look after THEM

If you can show people that they can both trust you and that you can look after them, then it should be easy for them to decide if you are the right salon for them.

 

 

#3 Hero Service

Now that your client knows who you are and you know who she is, choose that special service specifically for HER… this is your hero service.

You should have 1 Hero Service that is going to make the client trust and LOVE you even more! If you're having trouble knowing what your Hero Service should be, then think of it this way:

Your Hero Service should take everything that your Ideal Client wants and needs, and then make it come true for her in one service, leaving her assured that you can provide the results she loves, each and every time she visits you. Because your Hero Service is designed specifically around your Ideal client, you can feel confident that it's going to attract more of this type of client... the one you know and love.

Here are 3 things a hero or signature service needs to be

1. Easy to teach your team 
2. More people doing it without years of training
3. Your Ideal Client wants and needs it

So, what will you pick as your signature service?

 

 

#4 Follow The Ideal Employee Pathway

It’s time to attend to your team. Your team are the ones who may be looking after your clients, so you need to choose them wisely. The question is… how do you create the ideal team for your Salon? 

1. When you can’t find qualified staff, grow your own! Yes, I'm talking about training them yourself.
2. Get clear on WHO you want in your team. Don’t make them all the same as you, differences will challenge you and be good for the growth of your business.
3. Employ those that you can train from some sort of basic grounding. Don’t employ people who you have to train how to be a basic human, but ones who are capable of reaching your standards!
4. Employ in advance. Advertising and inductions take time so always consider this when looking to grow your team. Often Salon Owners are hiring too late, you should be hiring before the pain of "we need another team member asap!" kicks in

 

 

#5 Progression plan

My last strategy to become a $1 million salon is to have a progression plan for every team member. A super clear pathway from the beginning to the end so your team knows where they are going.  

You want your team to have your Salon at the center of their future. So, be a step ahead of them and lay things out so they have a clear vision for the future with your salon, rather than having doubt in their minds. Take care of your team and show them you consider their futures! 

Creating this environment will make them eager to upskill and progress; it will give them the career clarity that they won't get at the salon down the road. After all, if you want to build a rockstar team, you have to pave the way for them to shine.

 

So, now I want you to take these 5 strategies and NAIL them before trying anything else in your Salon. 

 

Hold tight… if you need something new and exciting to work on, then rearrange the furniture in your house, don’t take it out on your Salon (I know we are all guilty of this).

When you get to the million-dollar mark, then I give you permission to go and do whatever else you like.