If you've noticed that business tends to taper off in the warmer months as your clients get busier, it's time to make a plan for attracting people back into your salon or spa. Here's a list of marketing ideas to get you started.

1. Offer to schedule appointments around client's vacation plans in advance. Before the busy season hits, check in with clients about what they have going on this summer. Rather than waiting for them to call for an appointment, which might not happen when their lives get too swamped, book them around their busy schedules. This is not only a courtesy to them but also makes sure your salon chairs.

2. Add services or offer specials on already-existing ones like pedicures for sandaled feet, summer blow outs, conditioning treatments, summer skin care, or reduced prices for time spent on the massage table. Use social media to promote these specials, as people are never too busy for Facebook, not matter how hectic their lives are.

3. In addition to specials for your adult clients, you might consider adding some fun services for kids like funky hair colors, braiding, or accessories such as feathers. Moms with kids home for the summer are likely to appreciate having something different to do with the kids, and they can relax and get a blow out while their kids are picking out their hair colors.

4. Host an end-of-summer drawing for a big ticket item, like several free services or a large gift card to a local store, or even an iPad. Clients can enter to win each time they refer a new client to you. This can create great word-of-mouth marketing for your salon or spa, and you can easily recoup your costs for the prize you offer.

5. Partner with another local business that complements but doesn't compete with yours, such as a tanning salon. You can offer package deals in conjunction with their services, and this benefits you both!

6. Consider adding summer-related products to your retail display shelves, and make sure to make them very visible. If customers see you stocking sunscreen, sunglasses, summer moisturizers, etc., they will be more likely to think of you as their go-to and expert for more than just hair or spa services, and they're more likely to come back often.

What other summer marketing ideas make sense for your particular business? Now is the time to get started and let your customers know the great things you have going on this summer.

Salons offer a calm, cool oasis of pampering for clients. A client comes in to get a manicure and hair style. They may want to get a massage or use the tanning beds. Salons offer a range of services and a selection of salon supplies. The downside to providing those options for clients is a never-ending need for storage. Keeping a salon organized is a challenge even for a veteran salon owner. Stylists and other service providers need some equipment and products at their stations all the time. Other items may only be needed at certain times. Keeping things organized, easy to find, and readily inventoried is a goal of any good salon owner.

Take Steps

Here are five steps to organizing with the right salon furniture and fixtures: Define what services the salon provides now and in the near future - You may offer hair styling and coloring services now. Do you want to add a pedicure/manicure station? Buying new furniture offers you a chance to expand services. Define the areas of the salon where services will happen - Knowing how much space you have to work with will tell you how many pieces of furniture you need and how many stations you can fit. Provide storage for all permanent items at each station - All stations need permanent storage. A hair stylist, for example, needs storage for brushes, combs, scissors, dryers and curling irons among others. Provide mobile storage for lesser-used items - Most stylists do not need to keep coloring supplies/equipment at their station permanently. Putting lesser used items on storage carts offers the perfect mobile solution. Make use of the space available - You will need a place for the extra products and equipment. A storage room or series of deep storage cabinets are the answer. Purchasing new salon furniture can transform a business. It offers a chance to refresh the look of the business and to make clients more comfortable. It can make the jobs of the service providers easier also. The salon owner will be upgrading the look of the salon which increases its value. That is a smart investment for any salon.

As a small business owner, it can be difficult to keep on top of all of your duties and responsibilities. You have so much on your plate. But in order to maintain harmony in your salon or spa, it's important to make sure your employees feel appreciated, connected, and invested in the business as well. Here are some of our tips for bringing everyone together and fostering a sense of community in your space.

Encourage work friendships.

While gossip and chatter can get to an unruly level, as long as it is kept to reasonable amounts, you should not discourage stylists from developing their own friendships organically. When people are comfortable enough to form their own connections, it can enhance the work environment for everyone involved. Don't interfere in these relationships unless necessary.

Organize company gatherings.

Of course you don't have the same resources as a larger business might, so trips to amusement parks or elsewhere are not necessarily an option. But if it's at all feasible, try to do an annual or semi-annual get together of some sort. Get your staff away from their styling stations and into a different environment. This could be a picnic at your home or a local park, and you can even make it a potluck so you don't have to shoulder the whole burden of catering. Allow staff to bring their families if you can swing it, so that everyone can truly relax and get to know each other.

Create an atmosphere in which staff feel involved.

If your employees feel like they have a say in decision making, they're more likely to be relaxed at work, loyal, and invested in your business. Regularly ask for feedback or ideas that your stylists might have for improving processes, routines, or new salon equipment possibilities.

Treat everyone fairly and equally.

Playing favorites is the quickest way to create division within your salon. Employees will pick up on this right away. Make sure that everyone has the same benefits and expectations, and your staff will respect you and each other a lot more.

These are just a few suggestions on how to make things go smoothly at your salon. What other practices have you put in place that have made a difference toward a feeling of community within your business?

If it's been a while since you did any updating on your salon's website, now is the time. More than ever, customers are visiting sites online to get information about businesses before they make the trip to the physical location. Make it easy on your potential clients when they look you up. Hire a designer or use a service with templates.

The visual impression that your visitors get from your website is almost as important as the information you provide. You need a clean look with no elements that distract from your images and copy. Avoid flashy visuals and stick to a simple, sleek look. If you don't have web design experience, this is one thing that is definitely worth investing in. A good designer can be pricey, but there are other options. You can sign up for a service such as Square-space, which offers solid templates, hosting, and support to help you along the way.

Provide high-quality images.

Clients who are researching salons definitely want to see what your place of business looks like. They want to feel reassured that the place they're considering for their beauty needs is clean and well organized. Make sure your photos clearly show your salon chairs, shampoo stations, massage tables, and floors, preferably on a bright sunny day with the windows open for additional light. Feature your photos prominently on your site.

Include simple copy and make it easy to find.

The most relevant information your site visitors will want includes business hours, location, and a description of the services you offer. Display these items prominently on your site, preferably on their own pages with easily navigable tabs. Another good feature to provide are brief bios of your stylists and other staff to familiarize your potential customers with your employees, as well as information on any events you host or community work you do.

If you're not confident in your own writing abilities, it's best to get help. You can hire a content writer or ask a friend who you know is good with words. It's very important to make a good impression with properly structured sentences and good grammar, so definitely don't skip this step. Make sure your writer knows to make the web copy succinct and to the point so your customers get the information they need right away.

By following these tips, you're sure to see an improvement in user experience on your website, which will ideally help drive more clients through your doors!

We've all heard that it's cheaper to retain an existing client than to acquire a new one, and the beauty industry is no exception. As a beauty salon owner, client retention should be one of your top priorities. Here are four tips that can help you win over first-time visitors and turn them into clients for life.

1. Build personal connections.

Take the time to listen to your clients and engage them in meaningful conversation while they're in your salon chair. Make eye contact, ask plenty of questions (people love talking about themselves!), and use the client's first name to help establish a personal bond that makes clients excited to come back and see you. By building a personal relationship with your clients, you can turn one-time visitors into lifelong customers.

2. Educate your clients.

Many clients appreciate it when you explain what you're doing and why as you work with them. Little things like explaining why a particular product will or won't work for someone or demonstrating a quick styling secret can not only help establish your expertise with your clients, but also provide extra value and get your clients excited about learning something new. Just be sure not to go through your entire bag of tricks in one sitting, so you have something new to demonstrate next time.

3. Make booking easy.

Your clients are just as busy as you are, so if you want to earn repeat business be sure to make your appointment booking process as painless as possible. If you can, take advantage of online and pre-booking options that allow clients to schedule or change appointments on their own quickly and easily. Sending out appointment reminders and confirmations are also great ways to remind clients when they're due back in your salon. Remember, the easier you make it for clients to come back, the more likely they'll be to return.

4. Over deliver with extras.

Never underestimate the power of all the little extras you can offer in your salon when it comes to improving customer retention. Simple things like providing free coffee, snacks and wine, complimentary scalp massages, or giving away product samples can go a long way toward winning lifelong clients. Your extras don't have to be anything extravagant or expensive, but giving clients a little more bang for their buck can help you stand out from the crowd and earn more repeat business.

For beauty salon owners, client retention is all about creating an exceptional client experience. Anyone can offer your client a haircut, but only you can provide a unique personal experience that meets the client's needs and makes them feel special. By incorporating the four tips above into your salon experience, you can turn your patrons into clients for life.