Build your business with effective external training

As a new salon owner, looking outside you own business for education and inspiration could be key to your success, suggests Antony Whitaker. If there in one thing we know in this industry, it’s that training is crucial. It keeps our skills fresh, it fires our motivation and it keeps us on our toes. Anyone who thinks they know it all is destined to fail. Luckily for us, we are in an industry rich with educational opportunities, from within the salon and outside; in person or online. But without doubt, the most valuable opportunities are those that take you away from the salon and allow you to become totally absorbed in what you are learning. Total immersion What happens every time you sit down in your office to learn? Yep, the phone rings or someone pops their head round the door. Getting out of the salon to train narrows down the distractions immediately. You are there to focus on one thing – learning. Get out of your comfort zone If you are thrown into an unfamiliar situation, you are more receptive to learning new things. You can’t fall back into your flabby comfort zone. And the more prepared you are to rise to the challenges set, the more you will learn and absorb. Meet and greet Getting to know others in your profession and discuss how they deal with situations is hugely beneficial. The best courses are those that have lots of opportunities to ask questions and put forward your own opinion or share past experiences. New perspective Signing up for a course is the first step to accepting that the way you’ve always done it might not actually be the best way. The next is to embrace what you hear and discuss how you can implement it in your working day. Step up to the plate Being the one responsible for sharing what you’ve learned with the rest of your team is a challenge, but one that will help you grow. It also helps reinforce that learning, especially if you give yourself time to reflect on what you’ve learnt. Antony has a series of business seminars coming up this month and next, including his unique three-day Business School running from 23-25 November, covering Money, Marketing and Team-Building. www.growmysalonbusiness.com