To work in a beauty salon, you’ll need to have a passion for beauty and a flair for creativity. But if you want to manage a salon, you’ll also need people skills, an understanding of your clientele, and the financial know-how to make it profitable. If you possess these skills, you may have what it takes to run a successful beauty salon.

1. Financial Management

When you run any business, you need to have a solid sense of budgeting and money management. You’ll need to make sure you don’t spend more than what you make, and that you charge your subcontractors appropriately or pay your employees a fair wage. You can either rent out your chairs to stylists or you can pay them a percentage of what they bring into the salon. You’ll need to figure out what model would be more lucrative for your salon over the long term.

2. Customer Service at Your Beauty Salon

You don’t just want to bring clients in the door—you also want them to come back to your salon time and time again. This means you’ll need to have stellar customer service skills. Here’s how you can make your customers feel welcome:

• Don’t Keep Them Waiting—Make sure all clients are greeted when they come in the door. If they have an appointment, make sure they aren’t kept waiting too long to be seated.
• Go the Extra Mile—Offer them bottled water, a magazine, or an extra service while they wait. Create reward programs for repeat clients so they’ll be enticed to come back.
• Listen—Ensure that every client gets a consultation and leaves with the style they asked for.

If you treat your clients better than your competitors treat theirs, they won’t want to go anywhere else.

3. Attention to Detail

It’s not enough to be creative. When you run the place, you need to pay attention to details. Take care of your clients and your shop. Make sure it’s stylish, engaging, and most importantly, clean. Adhere to state and local regulations. It’s important for client retention and it’s also the law. Violations could result in fines or even close you down.

4. Marketing a Beauty Salon

For your salon to be successful, you’ll need to have a steady stream of clients. And to attract clients, you’ll need to have a solid marketing plan. As a business manager, you should understand what makes your salon stand out from the competition. You can then highlight these unique aspects in your marketing. You should also have a good understanding of your audience and how to reach them. For instance, if you target a younger demographic, a social media or web campaign may be the best way to advertise your business.

5. Time Management

As you can see, you’ll have to juggle a lot of different priorities as a salon manager. You’ll need to manage the finances, hire stylists, market your business, and find new ways to provide excellent service to your clients—all while keeping up with new fashions and trends. How can you accomplish all of this? With time management. This skill will help you tackle every task on your to-do list. Create a schedule for yourself and block out time for each responsibility. If you can’t find time for everything, that probably means you need to delegate certain tasks to others.

Is it time for you to start a new chapter of your career? At Porter and Chester Institute, we can help you prepare for a career at a beauty salon through our Cosmetology training program in Rocky Hill, CT. You’ll learn from industry professionals in a real-world setting, and you can complete the program in as few as 12 months. Fill out the form to request more information.