To take your salon business to the next level, you need to set clear goals and objectives. This will help you identify what you want to achieve so you can formulate a plan to get there.
As a business owner, having something tangible to work towards can keep you motivated by providing a clear focus. This will also create a sense of accomplishment that is both fulfilling and rewarding.
What is the difference between a goal and an objective?
A goal is an overarching target that you want to achieve, while objectives outline the actions that you set yourself to achieve your overall goals.
For example, your goal could be to grow your business and one of your objectives could be to acquire 5 new clients per month.
How to set S.M.A.R.T goals for your business
Goal setting is essential for the success of a salon business, but you need to have the right approach for maximum results. Whether you’re establishing long, medium, or short-term goals, using the SMART goals method will go a long way in helping you to create an action plan; but what does that look like?
S.M.A.R.T stands for, Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-bound.
Specific
When you’re setting smart goals, they should be specific and clear with no ambiguity. This provides clarity on what it is that you want to achieve thus making it easier to identify where your focus needs to be.
Ask yourself questions such as:
- What do you want to achieve?
- Why do you want to achieve it?
- Who do you need to make it happen?
Measurable
To make your goals more achievable, they should be quantifiable to help you track your progress. Think about how good it will feel reviewing your progress, seeing that you’re meeting your deadlines and getting closer to achieving your goals.
Ask yourself questions such as:
- How many “X” will you need to achieve “Y”
- How will you know you have accomplished this goal?
Attainable
We are firm believers that the sky is the limit, and we should all challenge ourselves, however, it’s important to be realistic and make your goals achievable.
Whilst you should aim high, if your goals are wildly unrealistic, chances are you won’t reach them.
Relevant
This step is centered around making sure that your hair salon’s values and goals are aligned. Your goals and objectives need to take you closer to your overarching business plans, think about the big picture. They need to matter to you and everyone involved in working towards them to keep you all excited and drive you forward.
Ask yourself questions such as:
- Is this the right time?
- Does this align with your other efforts?
- Are the current socio-economic conditions right for this?
Time-bound
Establishing time frames and setting deadlines for your goals and objectives will increase the chances of you achieving them. Salons are busy places and without a target end date, you run the risk of daily tasks taking priority over your goals.
Now you know how to set your goals, you can think about what goals you want to achieve.
Examples of smart goals for hair salons
Increase profit by X amount
Increasing profit is a goal for all salon owners who want their businesses to flourish. There are several ways to go about achieving this goal, it’s not a one-size-fits-all; the approach will be different for every hair salon.
Objectives could be:
- Acquiring X amount of new clients per week/month
- Increasing marketing efforts to increase brand awareness with Shortcuts Marketing Features
- Identifying areas to upsell or offer additional services
Our easy-to-use Reporting feature can help you track (and celebrate) your progress.
Increase customer satisfaction
Customer satisfaction plays a significant role in customer retention which, for obvious reasons, is pivotal. Providing excellent customer service is what will keep people coming back time and time again.
Objectives could be:
- Creating a loyalty program to incentivize and reward your clients with our Loyalty feature
- Resolving customer complaints with X amount of time
- Getting X amount of reviews per month to identify areas of success and improvement. Our Ratings and Reviews feature enables you to automatically email clients after they visit asking for their feedback. Not only will you be able to gain insights into what your clients really think and deal with any complaints, but you can also share positive reviews on your website and social media page.
Employee retention
Your staff are a key component of your business’s success, therefore setting employee retention as a top priority is a smart move. Their day-to-day contributions will also play a part in helping you to meet all of your other business goals.
Salon management is no easy feat, but with Shortcuts Employee Management software you’ll be able to cut down on your admin by working smarter not harder.
Objectives could be:
- Regularly carrying out performance reviews
- Incentivizing your staff by rewarding them for meeting KPI targets
- Continuing the education of your staff beyond their initial training
Reduce No-shows
Did you know that a staggering 1.2 million pounds are lost every year due to no-show appointments? That is a heck of a lot of money to not make reducing this a goal.
Our SMS Confirmations feature is a simple way to prevent no-shows; it automatically sends a text message reminder to your clients and their confirmation syncs with your Appointment Book so you know which spots need to be filled.
Objectives could be:
- Setting up automatic SMS reminders for each client
- Introducing a cancellation fee
Learn more about salon no-show policy examples to increase attendance.
Increase retail products sales
Selling retail products is an effective way to increase revenue in your salon. Setting yourself a goal of selling a specific amount of products per month can make a significant difference in growing your business.
Your objectives could be:
- Selling X amount of products per week
- Providing sales and product training for all staff
- Ensuring stylists are identifying client’s hair concerns and using the relevant products during their service
Achieve your goals and objectives with Shortcuts Software
Our software is a game-changer for you, your staff, and your business. With our expertly-designed features, you’ll increase your chances of taking your business to where you want to be.
We’ll help you simplify your daily tasks, automate the essentials and manage your clients effortlessly so you have more time to focus on reaching your goals.
To learn more, get in touch with us or book a demo.
