Fresh ideas to help salons beat the crunch

The fraught financial climate might put you off any plans to invest in new ideas or initiatives; but in difficult times, standing out from the crowd becomes imperative and a USP can make all the difference to your salon.

Make-up bar, nail bars or beauty treatments are just some of the add-on services that might help tempt new customers through the door, inject some life into a tired salon and ride through the economic downturn.

Make-up

Errol Douglas recently incorporated an Ariane Poole make-up bar into his Knightsbridge salon.

The bar retails her make-up range and is manned by in-house make-up artists, trained by Ariane.

Clients can either freshen up their face after a hair cut, book a slot for bridal make-up or take a 30 minute cosmetics lesson. 

As well as a stunning make-up bar, Lisa Shepherd's Birmingham salon has a cosy welcome lounge.

Features include a healthily stocked Smeg fridge, an Imac to surf the web and a help-yourself espresso coffee machine.

Skin Care

An area the salons might not think to branch out into is quality skin care ranges. Now that salons are becoming more experienced at retailing professional hair care products, it makes sense to offer top-notch skin care brands.  

Lucinda Townend, marketing co-ordinator for Dermalogica believes that as well as offering skin care, space in a salon can be turned into a skin bar.

Clients can try products under the guidance of a skin care consultant. "Taking on skincare can turn a hairdressing salon into a one-stop shop, which is great as people are time starved these days," she says.

Blow Dry

A blow dry bar is another area that can add value to a salon. Some clients are happy to pay for the luxury of a blow dry when they are in-between cuts but still want to look great.

Barrie Stephen's Blow Dry Bar in Leicestershire offers the service as a quick pick-me-up for clients.

With a cocktail-inspired menu of blow dried looks such as Bellini - sleek and sophisticated.

There is something for every client and at a tenner a pop, it's small change for clients but makes good money for the salon.

Nails

Nail bars can also be put into a salon to add an extra dimension to existing treatments. The nail bar at the Aveda Institute is a hit with customers.

Gevi Nicolaou, head of beauty at the Institute, explains its appeal, "The nail bar is a major benefit to the salon because clients can have spur of the moment treatments with no set up required."

Clients can slot a session in whilst they are waiting between or before treatments.

Express treatments include hand massages tailored for Blackberry users and back massages, making them work for clients and the salon.

Now is the perfect time to think about adding new features to the salon and turning salon space into salon profit.

Lisa Shepherd's top tips for adding value to a salon 

• Every appointment should be an experience, it's a treat for a client so make sure you add to the appointment in whatever way you can.  Whether it's nice coffee, wine, make-up bar, internet facilities, do whatever you can make work, your clients will appreciate it.

• Pay attention to detail, if you are going to add value to your salon make sure you do everything as well as you possibly can.  If it's not perfect don't do it!

• Think about the space in your salon, if you can move clients to a lounge area and use the styling station for another appointment you will be able to do more appointments in a day but the client will feel they have received more than just a standard hair appointment.

• Think practically.  A client lounge has to look good but it also has to be totally practical and if you can make it work in any other respect go for it.  In my Kidderminster salon the dining table in the client lounge is covered with my press coverage, it's practical for clients to sit at with a cuppa and a magazine but also highlights salon achievements at the same time, win, win!

• Client lounges are a fantastic idea but seriously consider where you are going to put it in your salon, I doubt many salons have customers who'd be happy to sit with a full head of foils in full view of everybody walking past!

• Think differently, don't just put a make-up bar in because everyone else is, be true to your salon and your customers.  If you clients are the Facebook generation have a computer there for them to surf the net, if they love music consider listening stations or ipods for them to use while they wait.

• Whatever you decide to do, make sure it reflects you and your brand in the best possible way.