7 Upgrades You Need In Your Beauty Salon Business

Is your salon lagging behind the competition in terms of online traffic, aesthetic appeal, talent acquisition, and/or revenue generation? Well, what the salon needs is a fresh start. You will be happy to know that revamping your salon doesn’t have to be expensive or disruptive. You don’t have to move it to a new location, buy all new equipment, or upgrade your décor from scratch for a fresh start. All you need to do is focus on improving the customer experience and then identify the right investments to make towards that purpose.

There is a ton of upgrades that you can make in your salon to streamline operations, get new clients, and optimize revenue. Choosing which ones are right for you can be daunting. That’s why we have narrowed down the choices for you to just 7 wholesome salon upgrades worth trying:

1. Upgrade your team regularly

Your salon is only as outstanding as your best employees. It is important that you bring in new and better talents regularly. How can you attract the industry’s best talents to your salon? Some of the strategies that you can try include:

• Dedicate one of your website’s pages to hiring and onboarding in order to create the impression that your salon is hiring at all times. This allows you to have one eye on the job market and to react the quickest in case an interesting resume is in play.
• Ask your best employees for video testimonials and then post them on your salon’s social profiles. Ensure that the testimonials are authentic and truthful.
• Open up to the idea of spending a little extra to make your current employees happy. Make your salon attractive to top talents by offering better salaries and benefits, better commissions, better amenities at the workplace, and a better work-life balance.

Hiring top talents is one thing, maintaining a top team is a whole different ballgame. You have to constantly help the talents you hire to grow their skills if they are to stay at the top of their game. You can achieve this by:

• Sponsor your stylists for as many short refresher courses as possible. Ensure that everyone in your team is up to date with the trending styling techniques and beauty products. That will not only boost their skill sets but also increase their enthusiasm and productivity at work.
• Pay for team members to attend hair and beauty shows. They will benefit from the wide range of educational forums and seminars that such shows offer.
• Beauty products’ manufacturers regularly organize product education workshops where they teach best salon practices and other relevant classes. You and your team should attend as many of those workshops as possible.
• Regularly involve salon coaches and consultants when retraining your staff.

2. Upgrade your furniture

Your clients spend hours in your salon. The least you can do for them is to ensure that they are optimally comfortable and safe while there. Ensure that all your salon furniture is designed with the contour of the human back in mind in order to protect customers from back pains. Also, ensure that the aesthetics of your furniture matches with the rest of the salon’s interior décor.

Your furniture may be comfortable, but is it well organized? If the arrangement feels off, here are a few pointers on how you can shake things up:

• Ensure that your reception station isn’t too big that it overpowers the rest of the reception area, but it is not too small to the point of being ineffective.
• Set up your reception desk in a way that conceals clutter- the trash can especially.
• Ensure that styling stations aren’t overcrowded. A space of 3-4 feet between stations would be great.
• Set up styling stations a few feet from the walls and/or windows. It’s classier that way.
• Create one wash station for every three styling positions in your shampoo area.

3. Invest in new (or upgrade existing) software

Do you have salon software? If you don’t, you are already behind schedule. Get one ASAP. If you do, transform how you schedule clients and run your salon by upgrading the existing system.

Consider investing in modern appointment software for small business needs to make it easier for clients to book appointments from anywhere, at any time. Or, if you are in a larger salon, consider getting an advanced POS system.

Why do you need to invest in salon software?

• It helps you to create and maintain accurate client and business records.
• You can use it to streamline your day-to-day operations or even to automate repetitive tasks, e.g. payment processing and inventory management.
• Most importantly, you can use this software to digitize scheduling and appointments.

4. Refresh your interior décor

Interior décor can be overwhelming, but everything becomes easier when you lean into your space. You don’t have to overhaul everything; just improve on what you already have. That could be repainting some walls, repairing broken furniture, or installing a new rug- you name it!

Other ways to refresh your salon décor include:

• Ensure that your salon equipment matches your vibe and that it aligns with the rest of the interior décor.
• Improve your lighting by installing more mirrors, bigger windows, and standing lamps. When shopping for your new mirrors, choose framed mirrors if you want to go for a homier aesthetic or naked mirrors if you crave a sleeker look. You can also substitute your cool bulbs with warm tones in order to improve the image quality that clients see when looking in the mirror.
• Ensure that your entire salon design feels cohesive; carry the scheme you chose for the entryway throughout your space.
• Go for functionality when designing your layout. Which station comes after which and where does a client go after what service? Ensure that the flow from one station to the other is smooth and self-explanatory. After all, you don’t want your new décor to precipitate unwanted confusion.
• Repaint your cabinets to spruce them up.
• Bring in houseplants for a greener, livelier space.
• Redesign your outdated signage, maybe look at adding clear business stickers for storefront windows with your logo on to make the window more eye-catching.
• Put up new art on the walls.
• Put up new art on the walls.
• Add a few elegant magazine racks at the reception.
• Declutter to let in more fresh air. Deep clean the entire space while at it.
• Improve the salon’s ambiance with scented candles. You can also create a signature scent with essential oils.

5. Update your salon website

Is your salon website elegant, clean, minimal, and modern enough for today’s online searchers? It’s time you spice things up a little. Some of the necessary upgrades include:

• Improve the quality of your visual content by working with professional photographers.
• Hire a reputable SEO company to help your website rank on Google.
• You can improve your site’s conversion rates by adding visible, attractive, catchy, and descriptive call-to-action buttons.
• Make it easy for customers to navigate your hair care product catalog and place their orders.
• Ensure that your website is mobile-friendly.
• Archive old blog posts and update more captivating news releases.
• Remove any redundant or obsolete content that clutters and slows down your website.
• Ensure that your salon location, contacts, and pricing are clear, accurate, and easy to find on the website.
• Start guest-posting on (and getting backlinks from) high-authority hair and beauty websites.
• Switch up your website themes.
• Create a new, more professional logo and tagline

6. Update your services and products

A minor tweak in your routine can significantly increase the number of services and/or products sold per a client’s appointment. Here are some of the things you can do to convince customers to spend more per visit:

• Offer add-on services such as color glossing service, nose wax service, or deep care treatment to your hair styling customers. These services are quick and affordable, so most customers won’t mind staying a little longer and spending a little more.
• Diversify your retail assortment. Have different care products with similar benefits but competing price ranges so that there is something for everyone. It also helps to have products that complement each other in your portfolio.
• Introduce higher-priced services and products and encourage customers to buy them over the basic, low-cost ones.

7. The internet, particularly Wi-Fi

You are late to the party if you haven’t done this already. People live on the internet nowadays; a minute without checking their social profiles will make many feel like they are trapped in a black hole. Besides, you want customers to take selfies and videos (user-generated content) in your salon and post them online. They’ll need strong Wi-Fi for that.

Conclusion

Upgrading your salon can be hectic and time-consuming, but it is important and rewarding for your business. Just remember to be creative and consistent in every upgrade you go for. This post gives you an idea of where to begin, now fly away and keep the energy flowing.