I’m always on the lookout for ways small business owners can increase their profits or remove stress. It doesn’t have to be ground-breaking – big or small it all adds up. As Gary Vaynerchuk says “1 is greater than 0”. I love that saying by the way…. when you feel like what you’re doing isn’t enough or your business isn’t where you want it to be, it gives you reassurance to keep going.
So here are my 3 money tips for salon owners.
Gift certificates
Do you track the gift certificates you give out? Not tracking them leaves you open to fraud. Tracking them gives you an opportunity to help your clients out if they lose a voucher – you can easily confirm the date, amount and client name.
You can manually track them by giving each one a unique number and noting the number and details in a notebook or spreadsheet. Even better, track them in your salon software. Using your software makes it easy to find valuable information – such as which services are most commonly purchased using gift vouchers.
Discounts
If you give discounts, do you know how much they’re costing your salon? Do you have guidelines for yourself and your staff as to how much is acceptable or is it dependant on how generous you’re feeling that day? You might think you’re only missing out on a couple of hundred dollars a year, but in reality it could be a lot more. If you do your usual amazing job with these clients, do you think they would mind if you stopped giving discounts? Start keeping track for a set period of time – say 3 months. Times this figure by 4 to see how much you could be out of pocket over the course of a year. Could this money be better spent on marketing to bring new clients in the door or on training a staff member up in a new service offering?
Online bookings
Let clients make their own bookings using online scheduling software, so that you and your staff spend less time running back and forth to the phone. A common way to manage online bookings is to have your calendar linked to a booking button on your website or business Facebook page. I interviewed salon owner Silvana of Silvana’s Beauty Salon recently – she uses Timely appointment scheduling software. Using this software for her online bookings has resulted in an increase in business. It’s a win-win situation for both her and her clients. Businesses that aren’t embracing automation risk being left behind and are missing out on opportunities to save time and money. You can read the interview here: Timely Software – A Salon Owner’s Perspective
One of my favourite business books is called The Naked Salon by Lisa Conway. Salon owners – if you have a chance to get your hands on a copy, you won’t regret it – whether you’re just starting out or have been in business for years.
For more information on Timely online appointment scheduling software, you can find their website here. The website also has a great blog with salon owner interviews, tips and industry news.
Happy bookkeeping…
Sarina
Looking for similar business tips? Try these:
- Tip for small business – Better Cashflow #1
- When’s the right time to hire a bookkeeper?
- Top 5 Bookkeeping Tips
The savvy bookkeeping blog 
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