Tips For Improving Your Beauty Salon Business

The salon business can be quite competitive so it is important to stay on top of things if you want to continue to remain successful. If you are looking for ways to improve your salon business there are a few things you can do to help build and maintain the successful salon you always wanted.

Providing Desired Services

Make sure your customers are getting the level and types of services they want. You may want to question them or have them fill out an anonymous survey to see how they feel about the level of service they are receiving and to see if they have suggestions of additional services they would like to see offered in your salon.

If there is a particular service that a lot of people would like to see in your salon do some research to see what it would take to add this service in your salon. For example if clients would like facials and other skin care treatments you might consider adding some basic esthetician equipment and an esthetician to your staff, either part or full time.

Customer Service

While trained technique and experience are very important, your customers may tell you customer service is almost equally important. When people go to a salon or spa they want to feel like they are being treated well. It is important to treat each person with respect and make them feel cared for.

Depending on the service provided the customer may need instructions to take home with them after their appointment or they may want a brief description of what is being done and why. This can be especially important when spa services are offered.

Make the experience a good one so they want to come back again and again. Great customer service is a great way to get referrals and new business.

Sales

While sales isn't a very fun topic, it is a necessary one if you want to have a truly successful salon business. When it comes to sales the most important thing is to stock and sell products you like and believe in. You definitely don't want to pushy, but use the products you sell and have your staff show the customer what product is being used and how it is used to create that special look.

Be sure you have an attractive display case that is clean and well stocked. Place it in a convenient and visible area. If you carry good products that are hard to find some customers may come in just to get that specific product.

Marketing

Don't let the idea of marketing become overwhelming. If this feels like a foreign world to you consider taking a basic marketing class.

Depending on the size and location of your business your marketing techniques may vary. Of course budget is an important factor as well. One not as obvious way to market your business is to network and get to know other local business owners.

If you can make connections with other business owners you can refer customers to each other. Word of mouth is often the best way to attract new customers and it is a great way to cut your marketing costs.

Once you get new customers in your shop provide a good service, make them feel welcome and listen to what they say if they have suggestions of things they would like to see in your salon. Satisfied customers will make your salon business a successful one.


Source: Ezine article

Beauty Parlours and Hair Salons

There are more beauty parlours and hair salons in China alone than in the rest of the world combined. At least, that is my impression. Well, if you make allowances for a little exaggeration you will get the picture.

It's not that the Chinese have more hair but what they do, they like to flaunt. Walk down any street in any Chinese city, town or village and you will see salons cheek by jowl - well, almost! And, there are streets where there are more of these establishments than any other. Beauty parlours and hair salons serve a dual purpose. They do cut, trim, shape and colour hair but many also front for less innocent pleasures. More of that later.

Most Chinese have a thick head of hair that neither age nor time can seemingly wither. Old and young, all seem very hirsute - but only at the head level. Cast your eyes a little lower and all signs of hirsuteness begin to wane. Thus, moustaches and beards are a rarity in China. One does see a few people, although rarely, with a not-so-thick moustache but beards seem to grow only on artists' chins and those of beggars and mendicants.

Yet, business thrives within the confines of glass-paned beauty parlours and hair salons. Expert hands scissoring away at long, dark, luxuriously beautiful hair are a sight one can behold any time of the day or night, almost. Around festival times and annual May Day and National Holidays, in particular, business explodes in anticipation of long-awaited vacations and happy reunions. That's when beauticians and barbers work like Edward Scissorhands, their fingers inspired, their hearts on song.

These establishments are often staffed by trained personnel, some with certificates from vocational insitutes specialising in beauty treatment and hair care. Walk into one and you will see stacks of magazines and catalogues from China and abroad, replete with latest pictures of hair styles, beauty treatments and the like.

The salons bleach and clour, cut and shape hair into styles that sometimes look captivatingly beautiful on some faces and atrociously inappropriate on some. It's not entirely their fault when the results are negative for there are clients who want the blonde of Scandinavia or the turquoise of peacocks on their hair.

A hair shampoo followed by a cut, dye, another shampoo and a perm can be had for as little as a hundred kuai or twelve dollars fifty! And, young men and women, in particular, are flocking into these establishments to add a zing to their lives and a thing to their hair.

Beauty salons that provide services other than beatification, nonetheless, have employees who can wield the scissors and lessen the burden on some heads. These parlours look like their more genuine counterparts, except their glass panes are either smaller or tinted or both, giving passersby just about enough occasion to see their wares, nattily dressed young women with shoes up to their calves and hair styled in all shapes, sizes and colours. Walk in, negotiate, do your business in a curtained/ply-walled room at the back and walk out, singing your favourite song.

How to buy Tanning Beauty Salon Equipment

One of the biggest issues that owners of tanning salons have when they get started in their business is equipment. They are not always sure of which equipment to buy. A good general piece of advice is to tailor purchases to your needs and buy the kind and quality of equipment that you think your clients would want and the services you plan to provide them. If you are a discount salon, you may not be able to spend top dollar, but if your clients want the best, there are deluxe versions available.

What IS beauty salon equipment?

Salon equipment is a general term that is used to refer to the products offered by salons and needed during services. Just like there are standard equipment with hair, nail or other types of salons, tanning salons have standard equipment. Price can vary considerably. If you are a basic salon or are just starting, the standard models might be for you. But if you have a established clientèle willing to pay for it, more money does often indicate better quality.

Is it really "discount" equipment?

Some salespeople use the word discount to get customers in the door when they have standard prices. So being able to trust a shop includes research into how reputable it is and to be familiar with what the standard prices are for each piece. There can be discounts from dealers who buy in bulk or purchase used, you just have to go to the right ones.

Is there really good "Used" equipment

It is not necessary to purchase something new for it to be in good condition. Other types of salons by things like chair units used all the time. All types of salons can see the same benefit. It can depend on the services you offer and what kind of salon you have. But hair salons ranging to tanning salons to those that have a combination can consider used equipment. But it is much the same with the discounters. Make sure they are reputable. Insist on a warranted policy where if something is damaged you can bring it back.

How about "wholesale."

Going through the wholesale dealer can be a great way for a salon owner to save some money. They way the wholesalers are able to slash their prices is that they buy in bulk, passing some of the savings on to you. Sometimes they get a large amount of the equipment and need to liquidate it all. Benefiting from wholesalers will involve finding reputable individuals, through both research and word of mouth through networking with other salon owners who have found good deals.

Is there financing or leasing?

Usually there is to clients who are considered credit-worthy. It wouldn't hurt to ask, especially if you are just getting started. It will help to only have to make monthly payments rather than a big up-front purchase if it isn't working out. In fact for many start-ups it can be an excellent option, so investigate the possibilities.

Have you tried it?

Many of us wouldn't consider buying a car without giving it a test drive. It is much the same with any equipment you buy for your salon. Sit in chairs, lie on tables and do a number of things to scrutinize all the parts to see if they are in working order. But many times things can't be fully tested until they are used by customers, so make sure you have a good warranty policy in the event that when it is fully used it is in good working order. Making contacts within the salon industry, can be advantage because this may be the way you find a reputable source of equipment?

The Advantages of Thai Stem Massage

Thai herbal stem massage is a kind of hybrid treatment that makes use of Thai massage movements, Swedish relaxation massage, Lomi Lomi, and stretching methods. Spa products of Thailand are the main ingredients of Thai herbal stem massage. In this process, spa treatment is given by using therapeutic oils and healing herbs that are wrapped up in unbleached cotton tied to a stem. Since ancient times, these herbal stems have been used in Thailand as traditional massage tools. Thai people have been using a lot of medicinal herbal stems for treating different types of ailments.

Benefits of Thai Stem Massage:

This massage can easily be incorporated into the body wraps or facial treatment. It gives a completely different experience to the spa users. It is organic, natural, and contains no chemical or preservatives. It is different from other types of spa massages, as it combines comforting moist warmth with therapeutic oils and natural herbs bundled up in the stems. Taking this massage therapy on a regular basis will expose your body to less wear and tear.

Thai herbal stem massage offers many benefits. It specifically helps:

•     Reducing joint pain
•     Relieving muscle tension
•     Relieving painful inflammation, such as arthritis
•     Releasing toxins
•     Increasing blood circulation
•     Releasing blocked energy
•     Nourishing and softening the skin
•     Enhancing vitality and awareness
•     Relaxing the nerves
•     Soothing underlying connective tissues
•     Rejuvenating body and mind
•     Re-balancing the body

The use of traditional massage techniques in combination with spa products of Thailand offers quite a unique experience to the spa users. These stems are handmade in Thailand and are vacuum-packed that ensures their purity and freshness.

Used Ingredients:

These stems are made of unique spa products of Thailand. All the herbs used in these products are organically grown and produced in Thailand. The blend of herbs includes:

•     Tamarind leaves
•     Sweet Flag
•     Kaffir Lime Peel and leaves
•     Tumeric
•     Plai
•     Mountain Ebony leaves
•     Lemongrass
•     Jean leaves
•     Somboil
•     Camphor
•     Eucalyptus

How It Works

The natural Thai spa products used in this treatment are heated, so that they release their healing properties. They are then massaged all over the body of the consumers. These oils and natural ingredients are absorbed into the bloodstream via the epidermis and then respond to the chemistry of the body in a gentle way.

The stems are rolled on the skin and their gentle touch does most of the therapeutic work. For complete effect, the massages should be carried out for one and a half hour.

Cautions:

On the same person, each pair of stem can be used for maximum 4 times over a 2-week period. Consumers can also take these stems at home and apply on them. For more effectiveness and extended use, used stems can be kept in refrigerator. After taking this therapy, users should drink plenty of fluids like fresh juices or plain drinking water.

This massage therapy is the perfect adjunct to other different body treatments. It alone can also act as a captivating treatment for both the consumer and the therapist.

For more information on traditional Thai treatments and news about the spa trends in Thailand, go to this website: http://dermascent.com/blog/

How to Prepare for Thai Massage

Here are some of the things you need to weigh and do before taking on a Thai massage session:

Like any alternative or complementary medicine which are not scientifically proven and accepted by doctors all over the world, you should ask first the opinion of your doctor and what is to be expected or avoided from this therapeutic massage.

Researching regarding Thai massage therapy will also help a lot with your preparation as you will be able to have a good amount of knowledge regarding this massage style. A good place to start your research is by surfing the internet as it has tons of great information regarding the topic. You can also visit any local Thai massage spa or any kind of massage spa that offers this type of service. Ask all you want to know regarding Thai massage from its benefits, side effects, preparation, and many more.

In case you have set your mind to have it as a part of your regular alternative medical care, its time to look for the best massage spa in town. The price should not be your only concern when hunting for the ideal spa. Make sure that the massage therapists are licensed and experienced in this type of massage therapy.

Prepare your body by eating a light meal on the day of your scheduled massage therapy session. This will keep you comfortable during the session and will not leave you hungry afterward. A good practice to do is to drink plenty of water after the massage therapy session to help flush out the toxins out of your system.

When you are inside the room, make sure that you are comfortable and have a good coordination with your massage therapist. Never fight off the pressure applied by your masseuse as it can be destructive to your body. Unlike other massage therapy methods, this one need a good interaction between the patient and the massage therapist for a successful and satisfying massage session.