5 ways to make your salon the heart of the community

July is Independent Retailer Month, so what better time to take steps to make your salon the heart of the community? Leading retail expert, Professor Heiner Evanschitzky fron Aston Business School, says that now is the perfect time for small businesses to make the most of their adaptability and local knowledge. Here are his top five tips to make sure that your salon is the very heart of your local community. 1. Use your local knowledge Instead of using big data like your big-brand rivals, you probably already know your customers and community inside out. This means you can provide the specific products and services that you know your clients really want. 2. Focus on customer service Independent retailers give customers the feeling of being understood and looked after. Smaller businesses often know their customers by name and may see them almost every day. Customers trust people more than companies so build your relationships to offer a personalised service that just can’t be found elsewhere. 3. Be flexible You have fewer restrictions in terms of assortment and pricing compared to bigger businesses. Whereas big brands have to ensure consistency, independent retailers can adapt completely to their local environment as and when they need. This makes you more nimble in terms of meeting local and seasonal needs. 4. Use your networks For example, a local artisan bakery could supply custom cakes, whereas the supermarket around the corner will only stock mass-market, generic products. Customers like the idea of shopping local and unique, especially for special 'treat' purchases. Look at what’s around you locally in terms of new suppliers. Perhaps there’s a farmer who wants to sell local produce through an independent retailer, or an artist making one-of-a-kind pieces. Get out there and have conversations to get the products your customers want. 5. Be more than just a salon Offer those additional services that big businesses can’t easily copy. Offer home delivery for products, or be a pick-up point for parcels - becoming a point of convenience for your customers. There are endless opportunities to offer additional services and only the independent retailer knows what their customers really want.

... And don't try to mimic the big boys!

Professor Evanschitzky warns that independent businesses can fall into the trap of wanting to become more like a supermarket than a local institution. "Don’t try to copy supermarket strategy in terms of price or assortment," he says. "Customers don’t shop at a small business to find the exact same services or products (likely at a higher price) than they would in the megastore down the road. "Big brands want the qualities independent retailers have – adaptive, close to customers, personal,"  he adds. "They invest a fortune in analytics and databases to get to know their customers. This is intuitive for small businesses, who are the ones having real conversations with shoppers. Focus on your strengths – your local knowledge, your flexibility, your customer service – to reap the rewards as an independent retailer."