Hurts so good: Overcoming the pain of positive change

September 28, 2012 by

John Cougar Mellencamp said it best: “Hurts so good. Come on baby make it hurt so good”.

Personally, I can think of a few times when that statement was actually true. One time was when I finished my first marathon in 95-degree weather. All the pain and commitment from months of training finally paid off as I crossed the finish line after 26.2 miles. Another was recently when I had to have physical therapy on my shoulder due to two dislocated ribs. As a stylist of 29 years, the pain in my shoulder had become almost unbearable when I would blow dry. My physical therapist pulled, twisted, massaged and made major adjustments that were down-right painful, but at the same time “hurt so good”. Now I’m on my way to a full recovery thanks to the pain I was willing to endure to get the end result.

Now let’s put a spin on this and relate it to running your salon or spa business. Do you have some painful areas that are clouding your vision for your company? Or perhaps there are some sore spots you need to address, such as people on your team that you would be better off without? Maybe you need to make some serious financial cuts that would be painful at first, but in the end would be more beneficial for the company and your financial future? The pain is worth the end result.

I have been on a five-year journey to change our company’s future, and have been working hard to become debt free. I have had to make serious cuts, such as closing a location, ending some toxic relationships within our company, changing our payroll structure and improving my leadership skills so that I am better prepared to address behaviors that are not in the best interest of our company. Change is painful, but today I have a fantastic culture, inspired teamwork, a highly-profitable company, benefits for my team members (like 6 weeks paid maternity or adoption leave), paid vacation and a strong education system. Yes it was often painful, but it was worth it in the end.

The time for change is now — stop putting it off. The pain is worth the end result.

YOUR TURN: What painful challenges have you overcome in your business, and how much better off are you now? What are some issues that are causing you pain? What’s holding you back from addressing them?

Filed Under: Leadership, Productivity, Profitability, Staff Retention Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

Creating a foundation for salon and spa growth

May 3, 2012 by

You’d never open a salon without the proper tools — state-of-the-art scissors, top-of-the-line blow dryers and, of course, fabulous, effective products. Similarly, no one would try to run a spa without massage tables, pedi chairs and wonderful scrubs and lotions.

Unfortunately, many owners do try to run their salons and spas without the proper business tools needed to be profitable and successful.

Many salons and spas struggle with cash-flow and figuring out what’s coming in (and going out). Without a clear financial picture, it’s impossible to plan for steady growth, as expenses always pop up. Many owners (maybe even you) start using their personal credit cards to pay the bills — even to cover payroll. It’s impossible to build a strong business without a realistic cash-flow plan.

Numerous other owners and managers grapple with staff concerns, from hiring to pay design to performance evaluations. Some owners have leadership issues, uncertain how to translate their vision to their employees so that everyone is working toward the same goals. Proper communication is one of the first steps in building a successful business, yet it is one of the basics that many salon and spa owners believe they don’t have time for. A culture where employees want to do their best, stay and grow is one of the hallmarks of a thriving, profitable business.

Providing consistent customer service is also difficult for many businesses. As you know, customers expect more — just doing the minimum is no longer effective in today’s super-competitive environment. Surpassing customer expectations in every area of the business is a requirement to develop a loyal customer base that will recommend a salon or spa to their friends.

Do these challenges seem familiar? While perhaps not as glamorous as offering a great cut, a photo-worthy up-do or a creative manicure design, solid business practices are what every salon and spa need to be successful.

The path to addressing these issues starts with you — the leader. Start coordinating your game plan for change now. Now is a good time. And you can find the time to make it happen. The alternative action — putting it off again — will only leave you in a declining holding pattern. If you want change, do it now.

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Looking for the best place to start?

The Strategies Incubator is designed to jumpstart the business side of your salon/spa. In four intense, exciting days, you will learn the basics to grow a strong business, including financials, leadership, teamwork, communication, compensation, employee retention and customer loyalty.

Without a proper business foundation, a salon or spa cannot grow in a healthy way. It may appear to be doing well, but it’s no more stable than a castle built in the sand.

Start building your foundation for success at the Strategies Incubator, June 10-13. Find out more here.

Filed Under: Customer Loyalty, Financial Literacy, Information Flow, No-Compromise Leadership, Productivity, Profitability, Staff Retention, Teamwork Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Is your salon or spa culture delivering happiness?

April 11, 2012 by

Business culture imageI am a huge fan of shoes and an even bigger fan of Zappos.com. Therefore, it’s hard to believe that it took me until two weeks ago to read Delivering Happiness by Tony Hsieh, CEO of Zappos.

I’m in the process of hiring a slew of new employees and figured that now was a good time to review ways to keep my culture strong and vibrant in the midst of change. Boy, did I not know how it would affect my company in the following week!

It took me just a few days to read the book. I loved it, of course, and was inspired to initiate a culture-oriented project for my staff. The timing was perfect with all our new hires and our 29th anniversary in business. At our April team meeting, I told my staff about a project they needed to complete in four days, in order to present to the entire company. The project? In one page or less, describe the Visual Changes culture.

The three must-haves:

  • What does it mean to you?
  • How would you describe it to a stranger?
  • Why is it important to you?

I don’t know about your team, but mine is filled with procrastinators. The night before it was due, most of my team was texting me about their assignment, some with questions, some with complaints, some with tears and others with fears about if they were doing it right.

On Saturday, we got to work early for our annual Easter egg hunt and our weekly team meeting, during which we would share our homework. We hunted for 110 eggs first, ate the breakfast that my mom and I made for the team, and then got down to sharing our thoughts around our culture.

Some staffers wrote bullet points: “We are fun to be around.” “It’s not really work at Visual Changes.” Others wrote about our core values and how we exemplify them every day. Some talked about how our culture is one-of-a-kind or how it changed their lives.

One of my long-time employees had texted me that she had done the homework but would not be able to present it. Two days earlier, she had given me her notice. She sat in tears, telling me that she had been given an opportunity to go into an accounting job that would give her the ability to utilize her degree and to be home with her children after school.

As she sat there crying, she kept telling me how she felt that she was letting her team down. I started to cry too. While this was a sad moment, if it was best for her and her family, I would respect that.

I asked that we wait until the following Tuesday to tell the team, because of the homework and the Easter egg hunt. She agreed.

So, she texted me that Saturday morning, saying that she was afraid she’d cry too hard if she had to make the presentation, so I agreed to read it. There were a few tears but I made it. As I read it, I knew that her decision earlier in the week had to be one of the hardest she’d ever made. She described a culture of true loyalty and trust, a family that made you feel like you belonged, people who had your back and always looked out for your best interests.

That night I got a phone call. Her husband had read her homework on the computer. He approached her after work and asked her if this was truly how she felt about our company. She cried and said it was. He said, “We will sacrifice as a family. You cannot leave something that makes you feel this way.”

We discussed at length ways to make her staying with the company work for her and for the business, and I’m excited that she’s staying with us.

While we talk about the culture of our company constantly, it’s easy to get bogged down and negative. But when you get down to the nuts and bolts of things, what is it that keeps our employees coming back day after day? Whatever it is that is so important and vital, we need to protect it.

Sometimes it’s hard to sit down and write out what it is that makes our culture so vibrant and amazing. If we didn’t do that team project, I’m not sure that the end result would have been the same. So, I’ve recommitted myself to preserving our culture and making every team member feel cherished. It’s not just about “delivering happiness” to our clients. It’s about making sure that our team feels that too. That’s why they choose to work with us.

Filed Under: Information Flow, No-Compromise Leadership, Staff Retention, Teamwork, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , , ,

It’s getting personal: When salon & spa owners aren’t taking a paycheck

March 22, 2012 by

paycheckWhen the owner of a salon or spa isn’t taking a paycheck, it’s more than business; it’s personal. When you’re feeling stuck and your debt is out of control, it may seem as though all is lost — it’s not!

Need a little encouragement? Start here:

  • Take some time and reconnect with your passion for the beauty industry and think about what your long-term goals are for your company.
  • Realize that there is a path to achieving your dream. You can do it by holding yourself accountable to doing the work, developing a sense of urgency for tasks and renewing your commitment to your business. It may not be easy, but it is very possible.
  • Learn the tools that you need to build strength and structure in your salon or spa.

 Here’s a quick to-do list:

  1. Face your financial reality, including current debt. Use your Balance Sheet and Profit & Loss Statement. Be honest!
  2. Make a plan. This is your Cash Flow with projections for revenues and expenses. Look for areas where you can cut expenses and maximize revenues. Develop specifics for each area so that all players know what needs to be done and how to do it.
  3. Share the urgency. Help your team understand why changes need to be made and how they fit in.
  4. Celebrate small wins. It can be daunting to look at the “big number.” Set goals along the way and celebrate their achievement with your team. Keep it positive. Regroup when goals aren’t met, then set new goals. It’s a process.
  5. Get help. A professional coach can help hold you accountable to your goals and offer a “safe space” for discussing fears, realities and strategies.
  6. Believe in yourself. You can build an amazing, enduring company.

What steps are you taking to achieve a better financial future?

Filed Under: Compensation, Financial Literacy Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,