Summer slow down - hair opinion by Maria Dowling
Following on from her column last month, Maria Dowling gives more reasons why summer needn’t be a drag
It’s long, it’s laborious, it feels like it goes on forever. As I mentioned last month, summer in the region can be a real headache for residents and businesses that rely on those lucky individuals who decamp to cooler climes for July and August.
So as we head into second half of the summer this month, here are four more tips to help you survive.
- Know your clients
If your clients are mostly non-working mums, chances are they will be travelling during July and August. If they celebrate the Holy Month of Ramadan, then perhaps they will be traveling, or spending time with their families instead of visiting a salon. Knowing your client is key, and this will help you plan for any dip in trade. Post summer, clients are desperate for a bit of TLC when they return from their break. They’re going to need you, but so are those who stayed during summer! The trick is to book travelling clients before they go away.
- Clean up and brush up
If you have a quieter period, use it to give the salon a full spring clean. Touch up any chipped paintwork, replace damaged furniture and tidy up your storeroom. On the run up to summer, I start making a list of things that need to be renewed, replaced or retouched so we can fully start afresh when the clients return.
- Take a look at how you look
Summer is a good time for the team to take a look at everything from uniforms to how we meet and greet the clients. A brush up on training at least once a year is essential so why use the quieter summer period? How we look is a big part of what we do. Our hair, our clothes and how we present ourselves. Hair needs to look amazing at all times and the summer is a great time to go for a new style or colour.
- Keep the morale going, be creative!
It’s can be hard to keep the team motivated during the quieter periods. There is always that temptation of sitting around and relaxing, but I am a great believer in keeping the staff busy at all times. Summer is a good time for creativity. I give my team a project to work on new styles, try out new techniques and prepare mood boards for the forthcoming season. Summer’s a great time to experiment a little on colour and cut, and most importantly, be creative.
Have a great summer and see you in September!
