2022 plans

You’re probably too busy thinking about the chaos of Christmas to be worrying about 2022 and plans you need to make to ensure that you have a successful start to the year, one that sets you and your business up for a fabulous, energised and profitable year, however, I believe….

thinking about 2022 is what you should be doing, right now!

By now, Christmas and your ‘festive boom’ should be well under way. Clients should be purchasing all the goodies you have available and hopefully they are all following the #SupportLocal and #ShopLocal mantra’s that we have all been shouting from the rooftops. Of course people are shopping on line as well, but hopefully they are shopping on websites that belong to friends and people they wish to support, not just the big corporate websites that want us to spend all our money with them.

So let’s put the festive madness and all the fun it brings to one side and look at 2022.

If you are worried about what the New Year will bring, then it’s time to think ahead and get your business #FutureProofed by creating a plan that captures all the key events when consumer spending increases ….. Valentines, Easter, Mothers and Fathers days etc. That really should be one of the core foundations of your business plan. Then look at the services you offer and how you can seasonally promote them.

Winter hair suffers, so create special offers for in salon treatments and home care ‘pamper packages’ that clients can purchase in salon and online (if you have an e-commerce platform). Think outside the box and see if you can find someone who can offer hand massages whilst your clients are sat having their hair treatment… it’s an idea that could generate new business for you.

Winter hair colour also suffers as the dryness of the air and the heat of central heating drags out colour, so offer some ‘colour refreshing’ packages throughout January for clients to take advantage of. This doesn’t have to be a full blown balayage (heaven forbid) at a reduced cost, more a tonal refresh or a root touch-up, just something to encourage clients into the salon throughout the lean months.

This type of promotion should be talked up RIGHT NOW …. make your plans and get your team to start sharing the offers with their clients, and ultimately get them booked into the diary.

Think about a promotion for February and especially Valentines Day and launch it just after Christmas, make it something that your clients want to purchase for their other halves instead of the obligatory roses or chocolates, something that excites and is engaging, perhaps a ‘pamper day’ with lunch included…. I suppose what I am suggesting is  THINK OUTSIDE OF THE BOX and create bespoke promotions that you know your clients will like.

Ans then think about how you can incentivise your team, remember, money is not always the determining factor for someone wanting to achieve a result, so look at each individual and set targets just for them that they can work to and achieve with some determination and focus. Give everyone the opportunity to ‘win’ something that they really would like …. but make sure the incentive is based around business growth, clients returning more frequently, an increase in service sales and a growth in retail otherwise the incentive doesn’t fit the bill.

If you have a loyalty scheme, great, if not, set one up and use it to encourage client re-visits more frequently. Load the points system to be advantageous if someone comes back to the salon in a shorter period of time, and make sure that the rewards given are worthwhile, otherwise the take-up will be minimal.

Crank up the activity on your social platforms, website and blog, and make sure you share lots of exciting images and messages about how wonderful 2022 is going to be! Social media really can help your business get noticed, and honestly you don’t need thousands of followers and hundreds of likes, you simply need to be noticed as people scroll through their feeds!

And finally, look at what you currently offer in your business and (once again) THINK OUTSIDE OF THE BOX and look at additional revenue streams that you could introduce to generate incremental revenue.

And finally finally, don’t forget training for your team and for you, and plan regular activities that keep everyone focussed on your 2022 goals…. growth, new clients, increased services and better retailing.

If nothing else, I hope this gives you some food for thought!