]There are around 200,000 nail salons in the United States and many more players are yet to join. If you’re looking to start a salon business, ensure you don’t end up being a statistic as this is a very competitive sector. The good news is that there are many strategies you can leverage to ensure success. We’ve listed five vital ones below.
1. Try to differentiate your business so it can stand out.
Beyond all the nails gel polish and manicure deliverables, it’s essential to think about your value proposition. All the salons in your locality may have nail polish and gel manicure services. So, what makes yours so unique? That’s where differentiation comes in.
It’s not a new term in marketing and economics. It simply involves the principles and overall efforts required to set your brand apart from the competition. With a differentiation strategy, you’ll be giving your customers the right reasons (and services) to patronize your brand.
2. Aim to be safety conscious.
Studies show that women spend about 20 hours on average every year in the salon. This statistic excludes time spent on manicure and pedicure services. To operate a successful business means your physical space needs to be accommodating enough. Besides the long hours, you’ll agree that the investment required to stock a full-functioning nail business is no joke. Therefore, ensuring maximum security and safety levels can never be a miss. For this reason, it pays to check out other alternatives like an IT physical security system.
The bottom line is that salons transcend the traditional beauty services they provide. Over the years, many beauty businesses have come to offer a unique social function. Customers tend to enjoy the social aspects just as much as the hair and nail grooming services. Luckily, in this age of IoT, businesses can leverage several means to entrench their social role and improve their profits.
3. Use automation tools for better efficiency.
Software is eating the world bit by bit, and salons aren’t spared from this digital transformation. Artificial intelligence (AI) in product manufacturing, testing products, and providing personalized skincare routines is rising. As a business owner today, going digital and automating your business is a must. You can begin your automation journey by identifying current functions best suited for your business’ needs. Some business areas to consider for automation are online bookings, appointment scheduling, and customer communications.
4. Try to have a solid growth plan.
As a company, the switch from good to great begins with the knowledge of growth opportunities in your industry and how you can leverage them. Having a growth plan is like starting an unknown journey with the end in mind. It’s about projecting your business over the long-term scale, identifying the risks involved, and determining what you want to achieve.
Usually, many business owners have a fair idea of their long-term fortunes. But, they tend to treat this information as sensitive information, never to be shared with anyone. No matter how sensitive your growth trajectory is, you’ll still need people (employees, customers, etc.) to bring it to life. Communicating your growth plan with key stakeholders brings them in officially and aligns them with their roles in pushing your business up the ladder.
5. Personalize customer service strategy.
Customers have varying needs and expectations. For this reason, customer relationship is a journey, not just a strategy. The formula to running a successful business with loyal clients is to personalize your relationship with them. At all times, it pays to know which clients you’re talking to, what their preferences are, whether they prefer a natural nail or artificial, and how to serve them efficiently.
Leave a Reply