Every Salon Needs a Back-up Plan

When the Lights Go Out

Winter snowstorms and the heat of summer have a few things in common. One thing is the potential for power outages. I was reminded of this recently. A seemingly small snowfall left the salon without power and phones.

Fortunately, we’ve done this drill before—after a hurricane. The lessons we learned then proved helpful this time around. We fired up the generator and had all the salon calls transferred to a cell phone. Disposable cell phones allowed us to make outgoing calls without tying up the incoming line. The thing we could have done better was our backup plans for Internet service. Tethering the cell phone to a computer turned out not as reliable as we had hoped. An aircard from our local wireless carrier is now our plan C.

When you operate a salon, things will happen. Sometimes they are little and other times, well, they can shut you down completely. The idea is to control the little things and have backup plans in place.

If you depend on certain utilities, what would happen if they ceased to work properly? What’s the worst-case scenario and what would you do?

If the power goes out- Consider installing a generator for backup power.

If the phones go out- Keep a salon cell phone and a couple disposable cell phones for emergencies. Make sure you have cell phone numbers for clients and staff members.

If the water is shut down- Keep emergency bottled water on hand to get you through the clients you have and to flush toilets.

If the gas is shut off- Have an alternate means to heat the salon.
If the Internet service is out- Aircards and tethering can be done through your wireless company.

The difference between staying in business and losing out on income may boil down to how prepared your salon is. What’s your backup plan? And your backup plan for the backup plan?

Note

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The Nitty Gritty

Okay, it’s here. Whether we want to admit it or not, clients are starting to express concern over the economy. We are lucky in our industry. We make people feel and look good. When they have a bad day, they want to see us even more!

However, it may have you a bit nervous as well. What’s a salon owner or nail professional to do? It’s time to be conscious of our needs while we continue to provide for the needs and wants of others. Be alert for the knee-jerk reaction that can come on. When we overreact to the situation and tighten our belts excessively we hurt the overall economy and spur a snowball that could be sustained by fear alone. We also run the risk of hurting our own businesses through our actions or attitude.

Remember, our economy is based on spending. Yep, I sure do my part.

At the same time, I am looking at expenses and deciding which ones fuel my business and which ones, well, just drain it. I am currently looking at things like how many phone lines I need and whether the help of a virtual assistant could be used for some tasks. You may find it odd that right now I am increasing exposure through advertising and participation in social media. It is incredibly important for clients to feel you are here for the long haul. Find new ways to connect with them. Get to know them and add products and services to the lineup that give them a boost without draining the bank.

It is odd. In a time when I would expect to see the numbers a bit flat, they are not. In fact, nail art is in higher demand than I have seen in years! Could it be because I am wearing it daily? Maybe. It may also be that when someone needs a pick-me-up and doesn’t want to spend $300 on a pair of new shoes, they will still have some nail art done to spice things up.

Be vigilant as you make decisions on business expenses. Some expenses are needed to make money—without them, you hurt your bottom line. Talk with clients before cutting things they have grown to love. Some expenses should never be cut and only you can make those decisions. Areas that are ripe for expense reductions are things such as energy consumption and water consumption. Now is the time to think about options that can reduce usage. Your tax advisor can help you understand the tax advantages of the improvements. These types of improvements are also great news for clients as they help the salon become a little greener.

Be realistic. Don’t let others’ circumstance guide the decisions for your business. Look at your own numbers and do it frequently.