The corona virus is raging with the onset of winter. The pro beauty industry is freaking out about another lockdown of our businesses. We have already seen second lockdowns in other parts of the world. Will it happen again here in the United States? I have heard from many haircut pros seeking insights on what to expect. They are venting anxiety and searching for answers.
Bottom line, I do not know if we will get locked down again. But I do know that it really does not change our behavior right now. I began building a list of suggestions for haircut pros of what to do RIGHT NOW in the face of a potential second lockdown. As I looked over the list something became clear. This is a great pre-lockdown list. It is also a great any day, every day, how to run your business list. Lockdown or not you should be doing the things on this list right now, with enthusiasm.
Here is my list. Get busy.
Make hay while the sun shines – Tomorrow is not a guarantee. You have got to get the dollars today. You have got to make the money today. There might not be haircuts tomorrow.
Treat every day as your last day before lockdown – See the point above. From a business perspective you must make the most of every day. We are always more productive the day before we leave for vacation. Think and act that way every day.
Cut costs – Reduce the costs of doing business. Do not spend money you do not have to. If there is no money coming in you will want to reduce the money going out. A great example of this was with the last lockdown I was aware of a salon that immediately cancelled their garbage collection service. It was just $20 per month. There is no need to pay someone to empty a dumpster that you are not putting anything into. Little expenses add up. Big expenses add up even faster.
Save money – Just like cost cutting, savings initiatives can help you in the face of a lockdown. If we learned anything from the prior lockdown, we discovered how little our industry saves and how unprepared many haircutters were for a disruption of cash flow. Learn that lesson fast. Change that pattern. Build a stockpile of cash. Start small. Saving pennies is a start. Saving dollars adds up fast.
Communicate – Get out in front of the Covid conversations. Use email, texting and calls to make sure clients know what is going on. Update frequently as new information becomes available. Control the flow of information. Even bad news is better than not knowing.
Capture client information – See the point above. You must know where and how to best reach your customers. This client data base information is important for now and for later. Get busy getting all the information you can on each and every client. Phone, email and social media connections are more important than ever.
Take clients short – If this is the last haircut for a while make it a short one. Buy them a few more weeks before they need to come back. Give them the most for their money.
Build average tickets – Make the most of every client opportunity. If they will not be back soon due to a lockdown, be sure they leave behind as much money as possible. Cut their hair. Do their color. Load them up with take-home hair care products to ride out the holidays.
This makes for a great action plan for right now for a potential upcoming covid lockdown and for every haircut business every day.
How can I help you?
Reach out any time.
THX.
Ivan
