8th December 2021
Of course I’m going to say that training is intrinsic to your success, I am an independent business consultant who, as part of my working life, delivers training to salons, product companies and individuals on a one-to-one basis.
But, I’m saying it because honestly it’s the absolute truth. Without training, we don’t develop, without development we remain static and staying static is just not an option in this ever changing world.
The pandemic has created seismic shifts in all aspects of business life, every element of our lives has been touched by covid-19 and some of the changes have resulted in businesses closing down and others losing out on millions of pounds of revenue. Things changed pretty quickly once we realised that lockdown(s) were going to be around for a while, [they] gave the consumer breathing space to explore new ways of shopping, new ways of having their hair cut and coloured … by experimenting at home, and this made many consumers become more comfortable with living an isolated existence. Of course people got lonely, that was always going to be the case, but what happened to everyone was they sought company elsewhere, and that elsewhere was Amazon, Ebay, Asos etc for shopping, YouTube for tutorials, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for daily catch ups and zoom & team online platforms for work related meetings.
Of course lockdowns are well and truly over now (fingers crossed) and restrictions are not as tight as they had once been, this means people, consumers, your clients are venturing out much more, especially in the lead up to Christmas. It’s like everyone feels the need to just ‘get out and about’ but still hold on to their new found ‘at home’ activities.
So back to remaining static; what I see is salons, and other businesses treading water, hoping that they swim and don’t sink, that everything is safe and at the end of the week when the figures are calculated and they have broke even or made a small profit, a sigh of relief can be heard across the land. I say t’s time to be big, be bold and be brave in the decisions you make right now for the future.
It’s time to invest; in you, your team and their ongoing training which has practically ceased to exist. Yes there are some great online platforms that can and should be utilised, but there’s also a need for real life training that inspires everyone to push forward and create new business opportunities that help you grow and become more financially viable.
Use your product suppliers and get their educators in to motivate and showcase new techniques. Invest in some team building training, utilise the skills of a business consultant to help you look at different opportunities that are available to help you have a successful 2022, call on local groups that are like minded individuals looking for new ways to engage with consumers, you never know who you might meet that will help you on your way.
Whatever it is you do, just focus in on TRAINING and make sure that you start next year on a high note, not worrying about whether or not you are going to make ends meet each week. Like anything that is designed to help you, there is a financial outlay you have to pay, but in this ever changing world, we are all looking at ways of developing and growing whilst spreading the costs, so think about negotiating with anyone you talk to ….. however, don’t ask for discounts as that’s not going to help the consultant you use grow their business is it!
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