The holiday season is typically a bustling time for salons, with clients eager to look their best for family gatherings, holiday work parties, and festive celebrations. For salon owners and managers, preparing for the busy holiday season well in advance is crucial to ensuring that the salon runs smoothly, clients are satisfied, and revenue goals are met (or, better yet, exceeded). Plus, it gives you a competitive edge and enables you to allocate resources and budget effectively for the holiday season.
Implement the strategies below to prepare for your best holiday season yet:
Optimize Resources
A successful holiday season starts with effectively managing your resources to ensure every workstation and treatment room is filled to its potential. If possible, stagger your service provider schedules and double up part-timers so they can split stations.
Extend Business Hours
Many people look for convenient appointment times during the holidays. Consider temporarily extending your salon hours to accommodate more clients and meet with each team member about schedule availability and holiday goals to meet their capacity. These simple steps can increase your revenue and boost staff morale as they see the direct impact of their efforts.
NOTE: Add your holiday hours to your website and all online listings to keep your clients informed.
Staff Well
Your staff is not just a resource but an integral part of your salon’s success, and their role is crucial in making clients feel special.
Evaluate your staffing needs based on last year’s busy season and hire additional staff to help handle the expected traffic. Hire early to ensure you have a well-trained team to provide excellent service to a higher volume of clients.
Up Your Training
In addition to training new employees and preparing your team to deliver stellar customer service, plan ahead for your service providers. Provide education before the busy season hits so the team can deliver the season’s holiday parties and events styles.
Team Wellness
Consider how you will support your team’s wellness during the busy (and germy) holiday season. Think group yoga or sound bath sessions, on-site chair massages, lunches, power snacks, and more.
Schedule Early
Remind clients to book appointments in advance starting in the early fall and encourage them to use online booking. By promoting and facilitating early online booking, you can effectively manage appointment schedules, minimize client wait times, and optimize your allocation of staff resources.
Stock up
Inventory management is also critical for salons preparing for the busy holiday season. By stocking up on popular products and ensuring adequate supplies, you can avoid stock shortages and meet the increased demand during the holiday rush. Start early to assess your inventory needs, place orders, and ensure you have everything you need well ahead of time. Then, plan to regroup for reorders as needed. The first week of December is an excellent time to take stock and restock.
Cleaning
With added hours and increased client capacity comes the need for additional cleaning services. First, increase your cleaning crew’s frequency each week and schedule regular deep cleans. During business hours, ask assistants to monitor and resupply restrooms and changing areas, plus keep the shampoo area tidy with an ample supply of clean towels. If you have on-site laundry, train your team to maintain a continuous flow of clean smocks and towels; otherwise, increase your laundry service deliveries.
Get Festive
Creating a festive and welcoming atmosphere in the salon is not just a step but a crucial marketing tactic to preparefor the holiday season. Ambiance plays a significant role in getting clients into the holiday spirit and enhancing their overall experience. In your own unique way, make the holidays a memorable time for everyone, and let the season’s excitement fill your salon. We all know that sometimes, getting ready for an event is more fun than the event itself!
Stay Engaged
Well before the holidays, plan your marketing and social media strategy for the season. Start by sending a newsletter to clients to let them know about any holiday promotions and gift ideas, holiday hours, check-in instructions, etc. Next, create any needed artwork and craft communications, and then schedule in advance so you can concentrate on clients during the busy season. Staying engaged with your clients through regular updates and promotions will keep them coming back during the holidays and set the stage for a prosperous new year.
Keep the Momentum
The holidays are the perfect time to prepare your salon for success in the new year, especially during the slower months of January and February. Encourage and even incentivize rebooking as clients checkout during their holiday appointments by offering discounts on future services or added rewards points.
Start Early
Starting early and preparing in advance is essential for positioning your salon as the go-to destination for holiday beauty and grooming needs. By implementing the strategies above and launching your efforts in the early fall, you can set your salon up for success during the holiday rush.
