How To Prep For The Coming Holiday Season

Although it seems like fall is just getting started, the holidays are right around the corner! With that in mind, you need to get moving to make this holiday season the best one yet in terms of your salon. Although all the little details can be overwhelming, there are really just a few key things you need to remember. If you take care of your staff, your customers, and your inventory, the rest will take care of itself. 

Celebrate Your Staff

Because the time right around the holidays can be so busy, plan early and think creatively in order to thank your staff that has had your back all year. Maybe you can offer them a paid shift off. Perhaps you can give them some inventory so they can enjoy it themselves before trying it on the customers. You could even hire a massage therapist for an hour to do mini-massages as a thanks to your staff. No matter what else you think of, plan a holiday party sometime in January after the chaos is over to show your staff how much you appreciate them.

Care for the Customers

There are many ways to show your customers you are thankful for them, especially at a thankful time of year! Social media is a great way to help your clients see that you care about them, especially during the holidays. Thank your customers by giving them great ideas for gifts that you can send out on social channels, such as Instagram and Facebook. Besides gift ideas, your clients would love new ideas for holiday hairstyles. 

Speaking of holiday hairstyles, create a new menu of services, with holiday parties in mind, which will help your clients look their best under the mistletoe. You can also help your beloved clients by doing some of the work of shopping for them, having holiday must-haves right at their fingertips when they come in to get their own hair done. This is an invaluable service and will save your most valuable customers time and money. 

Illuminate the Inventory

The holidays are the perfect time to think about selling some inventory. There are several ways to do this. By putting together holiday packages of products you normally sell, you will help your clients take the guesswork out of shopping. For instance, package our Pump it Up Express serum which will help clients create holiday hairstyles with our tried-and-true volumizing mousse in a cute little bag. Clients will appreciate the ease of picking up gifts for family, friends, and their own clients. You could also send out coupons via social media, as another way to get the word out. 

Take it a step further and have some pretty tissue, bags, and bows on hand, and you will be making things easier on your clients during the big holiday rush. Marketing is everything. If you feature our Platform Blowout Brush, which does 4 things in one, with a stylish ribbon, you could not only sell inventory but help your clients in the process. Another great holiday gift for a mother or a girlfriend would be the Pro Styler Rose Edition. With gifts on hand and great advice from you, your clients will go home with lovely hairstyles and great gifts for loved ones. 

Be Ready for Anything

The key to a successful holiday season is preparation. Time flies, and you don’t want to get caught unprepared when the holiday rush starts rolling. Here is a helpful checklist for you to check twice (just like Santa does!) and make sure you are all set for the approaching holidays. If you prepare in advance then you don’t need to be stressed as the big day arrives. 

Early November:

• Buy holiday decorations and holiday-themed items.
• Ensure that you have enough staff on hand to handle the holiday rush. Hire stylists if needed so that you can keep up with customers’ needs.

Late November:

• Send out teaser marketing to get clients ready for the holiday fun.
• Hang decorations so that when people enter your salon they are excited and in the holiday spirit. 
• Email your client list to inform them of your holiday menu of services, as well as products and hair tools you have in stock for gifts.

Early December

• Book appointments carefully so that everyone gets the time with clients that they need.
• Consider hiring temporary help to get you through the special menu of services.
• Prepare bags, bows, colorful tissues, etc. to create one stop shopping for your clients. 

Late December

• Just hang on! Through the second half of December, your days will pass in a whirlwind. Keep up with the clients and their needs, and your holiday tips will help you with your own holiday celebrations!
• Make sure to re-stock any inventory, gift bags, etc. The closer the date gets to the holiday, the more desperate clients will become. 

January

• Kick your feet up and take some time for yourself after all the hustle and bustle of the holidays has passed!
• This is the perfect time to celebrate your employees with a holiday party. They will surely be ready for a break after they hustled throughout December!

If you want your bells to jingle all the way, be prepared for a fun holiday season by taking care of your staff, your clients, and your inventory. Then once January hits you will have the time (and money) needed to relax.