A new salon has opened up nearby, and the local press is giving it lots of publicity. how can we grab some of the limelight?

Don’t panic, but move fast.

1. Be positive.

2. Create an action plan.

3. Prepare to not be in this position again.

Your salon has one advantage that the new salon doesn’t have, and that’s history. Think about your business strengths: well-trained staff; established services; a track record of great hairdressing and play up to them. Any local media that supports hairdressing is great news for you, whether it’s newspapers, magazines or local area websites. Scan them constantly, and create a file of any hair-related stories that get published. Publications respond well to stories that thoughtfully consider their format and their readers. Create a contact list of all your local media and build relationships to ensure that when hair news happens, it’s yours. Start with a specially created VIP card offering 100% discount for six months to their editorial teams. Don’t just target the editor; include the assistant editor too, as today’s assistant is tomorrow’s big chief. Be tireless in seeking opportunities to put out great news stories on hairdressing. For example:

 The Oscars – a live blog about the hairstyles on the red carpet at the Oscars: the styles that flew and the looks that crashed.

 Fashion Week reviews – link with your local fashion college and host a local Fashion Week.

  Celebrities – link with your local football and rugby clubs, or tap into any actresses, presenters or radio hosts – network shamelessly.

 Unite your skills with what’s happening in your area in the coming months. Perhaps you could offer hair styling in the lead up to summer festivals, for example, or buy pairs of tickets and offer these as a prize in a local newspaper competition with added hair services.

 Send a team of volunteers into a local hospital each month to do the hair for nurses and patients. If you build relationships, you create stories that have meaning to your local community and, therefore, to your local paper. The idea is to make deep connections across your town or city, and consistently create stories and peddle them to the media. The press love new news, but they also love a valuable contact with expertise and interesting sound bites.