The 12 Check Points of Salon Christmas

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Posted November 24, 2021

Just as salons across Australia are starting to get back onto their feet, we are heading into the busiest period for salon owners in the calendar year – December. Every salon in the country is manic at this time of year, and little things tend to slip as we all get busier.

Here’s the most important things for salon owners to remember at this time of year:

1. Staff Rosters

This time of year, all salon owners need staff on deck and ready to go. Without clear communication of hours and expectations of this time of year, holidays can cause a loss of productivity and a loss in revenue potential. Now is the time to sit your team down and get your staffing rosters right for the busiest period in the salon calendar.
Learn more about balancing Christmas Rosters here.

2. Sales Sales Sales

Not only are we trying to increase product sales in the Christmas period, but this is a great time of year to encourage an upgrade in your clients. Add-on the treatment or ask them to level-up their service – most clients are more willing to treat themselves at the end of the year.

3. In-house promotions

Run a promotion exclusive to your salon, rather than relying solely on offers from your suppliers. Bundle deals on services, seasonal treatments, or BOGO (buy one, get one) offers are fantastic ideas for this time of year to encourage both clients to treat themselves, and to consider your salon as the perfect spot for gifting. Learn more about planning a Christmas Promo here.

4. Friendly Competition

Regardless of what you’re promoting at Christmas, add a little healthy competition to the mix. An extra day off, a cash bonus or a nice gift to the staff member who sells the most upgrades, gift vouchers or seasonal packages is an easy way to encourage your team to focus on your key objectives at this time of year.

5. Holiday rotation

If your salon is closing for a fixed period, or you’re staggering your staff holidays, now is the time to get on top of who is on leave when. As a salon owner, you can shut your salon or spa temporarily for the (typically) slow period between Christmas and New Year. To do this, you need to provide your employees with a 4 week notice of any shutdown in writing, and as a HABA member you can download a template for this notice here, completely free.

6. Communicate well and often

Whether it’s closure dates for your salon, expectations on your staff or promotional offers, now is the time to overcommunicate with your team and your clients. A weekly or even daily WIP to kick-off the day with your team is a great way to make sure everyone is on the same page. Communicate with your clients digitally about offers, closures and rebooking’s throughout December – not just at the start or the end of the month.

 

7. January appointments

We all see a lull in January in our business as every client is in the doors during December. The quickest way to combat this is to shorten the period between recommended treatments when staff are recommending rebooking. This will stop the huge gap between December appointments and February appointments and make the month of January a little easier.

 

8. Digital Marketing is King

Make sure you send out your Christmas promo via every digital method you can get your hands on – text message, personal email, mass marketing email and of course on social media. Staying front of mind with your clients is key to engaging them again come January.

9. Retail Displays

Seasonal retail displays are an easy way to make your salon feel a bit festive and push promotional items from your suppliers (which often have a fantastic margins on them). We know that clients will buy more from a full shelf, so make sure your staff is aware of an expectation to keep shelves well-stocked during this period to make sure you maximize your sales.

 

10. Stock Orders

Make sure you’ve got your stock orders in nice and early. There’s nothing like running out of popular products or promotional kits during this time of year. Have your stock orders ready for delivery for the last two weeks of December and think ahead to January to ensure you’re ready to go after a bit of a break in the Christmas / New Year period.

11. Memorable Gifting

Rather than discounting your gift vouchers (which is NEVER a good idea), focus on making your gift options memorable during the silly season. Seasonal packaging, custom gift vouchers and little extras for gift buyers will ensure that clients have a memorable experience with your salon during what can be an incredibly stressful period. Delight and surprise is always a winner.

12. Plan Ahead for 2022!

If you don’t start enacting your 2022 plan until February you’re already a month behind. Use this period at the end of December or before January 1 to get your plan together for 2022. Think about your promotions, service changes, pricing changes and training plans to ensure you’re kicking off the new year with a bang and a plan in hand.

 

Christmas can be a really stressful period for salon owners, and 2021 shows no sign of being any different. But you have the best chance of having a relaxing break if you are prepared. If you are feeling a bit behind this holiday season, the team at HABA can help you to get back on top with our templates for salon shutdown notices, Annual Leave application forms and new Payroll software for a fresh new year – but it’s only available to members. Let our team help you get your  business in the swing of the silly season and make Christmas 2021 a roaring success for you – get in touch with the team at HABA on (02) 9221 9911.