Ready yourselves ladies and gents. It seems like just yesterday we were chowing down on festive feasts, and raising our glasses to 2017. But the time has rolled around yet again where you need to start preparing for the next Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah and New Year’s whirlwind.
Little nervous? Don’t be – we’ve got your backs with this holiday season survival guide.
The time is now
Procrastination is business kryptonite. Ensure your festive season success this year by starting early – we all know the holidays sneak up and before you know it your staff are all booked up and their stress levels start to rise.
Nip holiday stress in the bud by communicating with your team early on, and prepping them for what’s ahead. Make sure their leave is coordinated and that everyone’s on the same page and understands your expectations. A prepared and excited team will make this journey so much smoother.
Start your marketing mission
A solid marketing strategy is often swept under the rug at this time of year. Don’t be that guy or gal! A holiday marketing strategy is such an efficient way to keep your clients up to date with all the festive happenings.
Tackle this beast ahead of time. Create a social media content calendar so you can plan and schedule a bunch of social media posts in advance. Also use one of your powerful hair salon software tools, your Set & Forget Marketing, to let clients know about your fab promotions. Planning and wrangling your marketing early will help take tasks off your plate when things really start to heat up.
Pick and plan promotions
The next step is to get your promotions in order. But how can you possibly choose between so many tantalising opportunities? You can create product bundles, offer discounts on add-on treatments, or give special gifts to your VIP clients. Just make sure you don’t inundate your clients with a million different promotions. They’re already being bombarded!
A gift card will never go awry in a Christmas stocking. They’re the perfect gift to give colleagues, family or friends, plus they give a generous boost to your sales for the season. Whether you have one salon or many, you can offer your clients pretty, branded gift cards that can will help you attract new clients.
Deck the halls
Tinsel, ball-balls, mini dancing Santa Clauses – whatever your festive taste, it’s always a great idea dress your business for success.
Dress your business to spread the holiday cheer, while offering a sanctuary for your clients. The lead up to the holidays puts the pressure on everyone – trust us, they’ll be needing a couple of hours to themselves, a cup of tea, and a good goss with their favourite stylist, beauty therapist, or barber.
Appreciate your team
Honey, you know they are killing it. Show your team some love and appreciation with thoughtful Christmas gifts that show them you know them and are thankful for their efforts throughout the year.
Hot tip: We know you don’t have time (or the energy) to plan and host a Christmas party for your staff. Instead, either pre-plan a few months ahead, or just after New Year’s when the appointment book is quieter.
Embrace the festive spirit
Once you’ve planned and prepped until your heart’s content and holiday mode is in full swing make sure you make time (even if it’s just a smidge on a Sunday) to spend time with your loved ones.
After all, it’s your holiday season too!
