The Lost Art of Thank You

If my mom used a computer, she would be smiling. Her persistence in prodding me to write thank you notes as a child sunk in. Check out the NSI Nails web log for the latest post, Thank You

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.

Salons Kick Butt in a Tough Economy

Don't let the news reports get the best of you. Take a few pointers from the salon & spa industry and apply them to your own business.

Http://tinyurl.com/b452ek

With Our Compliments by (yours truly) Erin Snyder Dixon

While you are at it, renew your subscription to NAILS magazine (a Bobit Business Media publication) and show your support for the beauty industry.

Drop me a line and let me know what you are doing to beat this current trend in the economy. iNails at hotmail dot com. I would love to hear from you.

Salon Professionals: You do us all proud. Kudos.

The Writer's Life

Many of you know me as the manicurist behind the chair, or product educator on the stage. I love both of those lives as they guide me all over the world to meet so many fascinating people. Clients and fellow beauty professionals feed my soul with their stories.

This past weekend was all about nurturing the novelist in me. "whoa, hold up a minute," I hear you saying. "I knew you wrote technical articles for the trades and have books for the spas...but novels?"

For quite a while there has been a little voice in my head. No, I'm not crazy (I don't think...)but there is a novel just waiting to make it to paper. Not the paper from my printer either. I want it on a bona fide publishers paper stock.

I'm not ready to let you in on the details yet but you can bet it will have something to do with my first love, the world of beauty.

To get there, I've had to alter my course a bit. Learning some new tools and stretching outside my comfort zone seem to be a requisite part of the plan. I'm not giving up my pursuit of journalistic or technical endeavors. I'm just dipping my feet in the water of a long held dream.

On Sunday morning I boarded a jet bound for New York City. The weather threatened to foil the attempt and failed. Yay for me. Snow and icy, dangerous roads hampered the efforts of others too. In the end it turned out to be a small, cohesive group of writers from different backgrounds and headed in different directions. We would end up hanging on every word.

Mike Geffner (yes, the famous sports writer) and Marcela Landres (big time book editor) led the group with a frank discussion of what has to happen to get your word in print. Perhaps a sign should have been hung at the door: no wimps, whiners, or divas allowed.

That part I know. To get in print grow a thick skin. But, my career path has been a bit different than most, and at times I have been a bit all over the place with my efforts. While those efforts have given me much success and a nice living, something much more focused is needed for the long term project of a book.

After listening to Mike talk, it sunk in that I could have been doing so much more. There is an easier way. He gave us concrete, simple, and effective devices and systems to get our efforts in front of decision-making eyes. Wow! I should have been doing this stuff for the last 20 years.

Marcela drove home exactly where I need to be when my novel is ready for submission. Boy, do I have some work to do! It's tough to look at the road ahead all at once. For me, it's easier to break it into manageable bite-sized pieces. I got a lot to chew on. Over tea, Marcela had us jotting notes furiously. So many workshops and nobody had let us in on the secrets. In some ways I felt robbed of the money thrown away in the past. Every question I had, got answered. Honestly. What a change.

This is where those of you who know me will laugh. This is not the first workshop I have been to. "Yeah, you are right. But, I honestly believe that relevance of the material changes over time." So, yes this was the second and my friends are saying, "it won't be the last."

The techniques I learned in the last workshop were just the beginning. I would have shortchanged myself had I not gone back because there was so much more work to be done to take to the next meager level I want to conquer. You figure, I had to buy a plane ticket and get my frosty self through the winter weather to get there on my only day off. They priced the workshop at an affordable $99 dollars. It was a no-brainer. I spent a ton of money on college and while well worth it, it did not give me the skills to get well published. This will.



I came home with a laundry list of actionable items. I really think I can do this. And yes, I'll probably traipse back to the city when I've implemented what I've learned.

So, to everyone who may have butterflies in their stomach about who I'll be writing for...don't stress. I love what I do now and plan on doing it for a long time. Articles are my bread and butter. Perhaps not as much ghostwriting? Maybe some of my kind supporters in high places will let me share the byline? I'm hoping that those of you who have given me such wonderful opportunities over the years will continue to support me and herald my efforts. I need your support to make this happen. I need your encouragement and ongoing mentoring. Most of all I need your trust that I will continue to be frank and up-front with you--and yes, turn in my pieces on time. I love you all and hope this is a journey we can make together.