How YOU can stay motivated at the salon!

How YOU can stay motivated at the salon!

Salon owners are everyday miracle workers, managing an orderly and well-motivated team, while at the same time servicing clients and getting things done. Customers may often ask: “how do you do it?”, and you respond with: “you do what you have to”. Although you give off strong, positive vibes, there is a lot going on behind the scenes. The truth is, salon owners are people, and sometimes they run on fumes. If this is a situation taken out of your daily life, then you are not alone. Have you ever asked yourself what keeps you motivated at work? Most salon owners respond that seeing satisfied clients and providing services is what drives them. Although these elements are vital for a prosperous salon, they can easily become monotonous, causing you to lose enthusiasm in what you do.

Causes and effects of motivation loss

The loss of motivation can be triggered by a number of factors - both in and out of the salon. Anything from stress due to financial reasons, personal matters or issues relating to staff or even an extended low season at the salon - these have a negative effect on how you function throughout the workday. Resolving such matters is of the utmost importance, as losing motivation in what you do may have disastrous consequences for your business. As a salon owner, you are the heart and brain of your enterprise and if you are feeling down, your staff, clients and your salon’s work output can be affected by this. A salon team led by an unmotivated owner will begin to lose vigor overtime and clients may feel that you and staff are not as passionate as you once were. So what can you do to maintain your motivation and keep moving forward?

Make more time for yourself

Finding time for yourself is an excellent way to get back into your fighting spirit! Salon owners who have a tendency of overworking themselves are often tired and easily irritated, which has a negative impact on their work. If you can relate to this, then here is something for you to try:

• Try yoga - find at least 2 hours a week and dedicate that time to exercise your body and mind. Find and subscribe to a Youtube channel that provides the perfect yoga exercises for you!
• Binge watch TV series - the best cure for the blues is finding that perfect show to watch after work. Plus, sharing thoughts on recent episodes with clients and staff keeps you thinking positively.
• Take a break - for the workaholic salon owner, this is a challenge, but it is well worth it. Book a spa day once in a while or travel more!

Although most of these ideas do not require much effort, traveling or taking a day off is out of the question for most salon owners. Leaving the business in the hands of staff and having them fulfill daily tasks are their most common fears. However, with the help of Booksy, you can run your salon, even while suntanning halfway across the globe. The system allows you to manage your staff's schedules and bookings, see their performance and work time statistics, salon's revenue, cash flow, inventory levels and a variety of reports - giving you peace of mind!

Focusing on regular clients

When looking to increase the salon’s revenue, owners tend to focus most of their efforts on attracting new clients, which ends up costing the business more than the revenue earned from them. As a result, you may feel overwhelmed with regret, thus lowering your motivation at work. Although investing in campaigns to attract new clients is vital for your business to develop, make sure to focus your efforts on loyal clients as well!

Tip: advertising to potential clients costs the salon significantly more than encouraging regular clients to book visits.

Loyal customers are perfect for brightening even the gloomiest of days! They know you and your staff, they often have their mind set on a specific treatment or product, and you can discuss almost any topic with them - so why not thank them and encourage them to book more often and bring their friends in? Do so with the help of Booksy by assigning them a free voucher or a regular discount. Or send them a newsletter to inform them about an exclusive offer you've prepared for them. Clients will be encouraged to visit your salon more often, while you will see your business prosper and regain your motivation!

Being active on social media

Having a strong following on your social media pages means you are doing something right, and your devoted fans who love and share pictures of your work make for the perfect motivators! But gaining a substantial following and building a reputable name for your business online is no easy feat. Today, nearly every salon owner is active on social media to some extent, but by limiting social media activities to just a post or two, you are missing out on the majority of benefits to be gained from social media. A flourishing page with active followers, who praise your work not only keeps you motivated, but also attracts new clients to your business and increases brand awareness for your salon! So what should you do in order to reap the benefits of an active social media page?

• Be patient - gaining hundreds of followers does not happen overnight. You need to regularly post pictures of your work, tag friends and share reviews. It's all quick and easy with the help of Booksy's Social Post Creator - you choose a category, select your template (which you can later customize with your text and logo) and your background. Next, add your hashtags and voila - you're ready to share it via Facebook, Instagram or Messenger.
• Work with clients - if your customer loves the work you did on them, great! Ask for their consent to use their before & after pictures on your page. Potential clients who see your work will be more enticed to book one of your services.
• Get blogging! - running a blog and sharing your posts on social media pages is great material for increasing brand awareness! Topics on the benefits of your treatments, product reviews or your work experience history show your level of expertise and give potential clients another great reason for booking with your business.

After gaining a strong social media following, made up of clients and fans who praise your work and professionalism, how can you not feel motivated?

It takes a driven salon owner to effectively lead a team of specialists and to keep clients coming back to the business - after all, who wouldn’t want to visit a salon run by a passionate and motivated owner? And with the right salon management system, you have all the reasons to beam with joy! See the full potential of Booksy hair & beauty salon software, and let it fuel your passion!