Boost Holiday Business – 5 Tips to Thrive

It seems that every year it gets earlier and earlier and this holiday season is no different. Stepping into any retail store and their holiday offers are everywhere. Is your salon ready for the holiday rush? It doesn’t have to feel RUSHED with a little planning. Heading into the holidays with a solid plan in place can help drive sales and maximize profit while also making your clients happy. Holidays are some of the busiest times of the year for all businesses, especially salons with the appointment books filled.

A holiday plan does not have to be complicated to be successful and here we will offer some ideas for how to approach the rush with less fuss.

Plan inventory accordingly

Keeping abreast of current hairstyle trends and what your clients are looking for is key to ensuring that your salon has the proper accessories and products available for the holiday season. What moved last year and what didn’t? Don’t get yourself bogged down in bringing in a lot of inventory if your client demographic or even interests won’t support the sell through. No one wants dead inventory blowouts in January and the loss of margin. Pay close attention to what your clients want and need and anticipate increased demand so that you have adequate inventory on hand to meet that demand.

Market early to drive engagement

During the holiday season your business will likely be busy enough that promoting it will be one of the last things on your mind. Marketing your business through social media and email early can do a lot of legwork for you if you schedule those activities in advance. Word of mouth can be great, but highlighting promotions and sharing stories from happy clients on social media in the month of November can help keep business thriving through the month of December. Start building your social calendar NOW so it runs on autopilot when you are at your busiest.

Host or attend a holiday event

Throwing or participating in a local holiday event can be a great way to engage with clients and possibly attract new business. Providing small gifts during Small Business Saturday to attendees in the form of product samples, coupons, and the like could help people to feel engaged and draw positive attention to your salon.

Decorate for the season

An attractive storefront can turn heads, and a festive environment can be welcoming and inviting to regular clients and potential new business. Themed décor and attractive, festive product displays can make the salon experience more fun and can help people to feel more comfortable and welcome. But take the opportunity to make the theme one that fits your vibe, energy, as well as your branding. Get creative! Showcase vintage holiday styles on mannequin heads or create a small holiday scene. Make it fun and people will stop and ideally, step inside.

Show appreciation to clients

Perhaps the most important thing of all is to show your clients that you care and appreciate their business and that you want to be engaged with them during the holiday season. Sending cards can provide a wonderful personal touch that can create a stronger connection with your clients; these can be sent through traditional mail in the form of physical cards or through email. Bundling these with promotional coupons or even giving small gifts to regular clients in the form of new product samples can help them to feel appreciated and further drive business through word of mouth.

There are many ways that your business can thrive during the holiday season. It is important to plan and start early to maximize profit and not feel the pressure during the hustle and bustle. Making clients feel welcome and appreciated goes a long way to not only driving holiday sales but also retaining business in the future.