Unlocking your potential: The Key to Successful Salon Planning

Planning is a crucial aspect of running a successful business; it is no different for salon owners. As a multi-award-winning salon owner, educator, and podcast guest, Emma understands the value of a well-thought-out plan. In this blog post, we will explore insights on planning and how it can contribute to the growth and success of a salon.

Embracing the Power of Planning

I’ll admit it: I was once a “lots of lists girl.” My office was adorned with brightly coloured Post-it notes, each representing various tasks and priorities. However, translating these lists into a cohesive plan that could drive my business forward proved challenging. Sometimes, the lack of planning would wake me at night with exciting ideas or things I had forgotten. But once I committed to planning, I had a lightbulb moment. I realised the power of unlocking time, strategy, cohesion, and, most importantly, results.

Starting Your Planning Journey

There’s no time like the present! Set aside some quiet time to reflect and strategise. Step away from the salon floor, make a cup of tea, grab your laptop, and dedicate focused attention to the planning process.

Evaluate the Current Year

Begin by evaluating the positives, negatives, and areas for improvement (PNI) from the current year. This reflection helps you identify and celebrate your successes, understand what worked well, pinpoint what didn’t, and determine what you can improve to make the next year even more successful. Conducting a staff or client survey can also provide valuable insights. What do they love about your salon? What improvements would they suggest? Gathering this feedback is crucial for refining your services, enhancing recruitment strategies, and improving salon marketing.

Conduct a SWOT Analysis

Next, conduct a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) analysis of your business. This analysis helps you better understand both internal and external factors affecting your salon. By identifying these elements, you can determine areas to work on, opportunities to maximise, and threats to mitigate.

Setting and Achieving Goals

Setting clear goals is essential for driving your salon forward. Consider both external and internal goals. While financial goals are vital, consider marketing, industry awards, and internal team development and training.

For example, if your goal is to win a coveted industry award, review the award criteria and work backwards to strategise ways to meet all the requirements. For internal goals, assess whether your current team can handle the salon’s demands or if recruitment and further training are needed. Continuous training is crucial to keep your team motivated, loyal, and ahead of the competition. As a salon owner, investing in your education through industry mentors or marketing courses can be highly beneficial.

Breaking Down Goals

Goals should be both short-term and long-term. Break down each goal into actionable business objectives. Ensure your objectives are measurable. Assign goal-related tasks to employees and consider incorporating them into a bonus scheme. For example, if you aim to increase social media followers, identify a team member who loves social media and can help or tap into local colleges for content creators looking for apprenticeships.

Establishing Robust Processes

Having effective processes in place is crucial to support your goals. Consider whether your website works hard or if implementing an online booking system could save time and money.

Creative Brainstorming

Get creative with your planning. Sometimes, thinking outside the box and exploring new ideas can create exciting opportunities. Consider hot topics and trends that interest your target customers. Think about your community and how you can get involved with local charities that resonate with your clients. Additionally, consider key calendar dates, such as holidays and famous events, to shape promotional campaigns and marketing initiatives.

Marketing Strategies

Marketing plays a significant role in meeting your goals. Build relationships with local media, participate in local events, and collaborate with like-minded businesses. Utilise social media effectively by creating posts and scheduling them in advance. Newsletters and emails are excellent tools for sharing targeted information.

Budget and Timeline

Always remember your budget during the planning process. Setting financial limits and allocating resources accordingly ensures your plan is realistic and achievable. Create a visual timeline to keep track of important dates, actions, goals, and progress. This timeline can be structured weekly, monthly, and yearly. Pin a copy to your staff room wall, so your team is in the loop and knows what’s coming up.

Sharing and Revisiting Your Plan

Share your hard work with your team to ensure they understand your plan, vision, and goals. This helps set expectations and ensures everyone is heading in the same direction. Revisit your goals regularly to celebrate successes and ensure you are on track.

Join the THB Academy Community

Good luck on your planning journey! Please share your experiences and let me know how you get on in our THB Academy Facebook group. You’ll find a supportive community with lots of industry knowledge, ready to help you unlock your potential.

By embracing planning, you can unlock a fresh new year filled with growth, success, and exciting opportunities for your salon. Happy planning!