If you are a salon owner who is reading this, the chances are quite good that at least one crushingly pressured moment has been felt due to burnout.
From running a successful beauty business to appointment juggling, managing inventory, and then the recruiting and training of your staff—there’s so much to keep track of!
That’s why, at the first twinge of stress, it is important to devise a plan to get out from under the overwhelm. Below are a few stress management methods that can aid in reducing one’s salon business stress:
Prioritize Your Well-being
Work-life balance, and therefore the cornerstone thereof, starts with YOU (yes, you!).
It is vital to place great emphasis on well-being both in and out of the salon. Be it with a yoga class, a quiet morning with a book, or time spent with family, this moment is very key.
They not only recharge your energy and creativity but increase your productivity when you are in the salon.
First of all, start booking those activities on your schedule the same way you would with your client appointments. Always being able to squeeze in some time for yourself says something strong to your team and clients: you have blocked that time for YOU.
Delegate to Empower
You’re the visionary, the executer, the strategist—everything. But when you take on all those roles in your salon, you never actually delegate or let your team step up and support you.
Remember, you’re the visionary, not the worker. Empower your team by outsourcing tasks that take you away from your worth. Ask yourself: is this the best use of my time? Is this task within my zone of genius? And if it’s not—outsource that, dude, to another person who’s way more gifted at doing whatever it is than you will ever be.
But what if your team requires more support while you delegate? That could be a just case for investing in some training to build their skills and confidence. This will not only develop a really skilled team but would free up your schedule tremendously to let you focus on the growth of your salon.
Make no mistake…
Delegating can be scary, especially to people who are used to doing everything themselves.
So, set the grace and start small: Begin with delegating scheduling appointments, ordering supplies, or managing social media.
As your team proves their ability, gradually move to give them more tasks and responsibilities. This will help you move away from micromanagement to a strategic leadership model—which is where you need to be to get out from behind the chair!
Implement Systems and Technology
As a CEO in your company, it is important for you to let technology help you organize the day-to-day running even better: from booking appointments right up to inventory management, so many fun and friendly tools are available surprisingly affordably. Plus, these systems reduce errors and ensure a great experience for clients.
You should maybe try some salon management software with online booking, customer management, supplies tracking, and sales reports.
Set Clear Boundaries
Clear boundaries are essential for maintaining work-life balance. This includes setting specific work hours and sticking to them (yes we know that’s hard sometimes!)
Learn to say “no” comfortably to last-minute appointments or a project that really is not an emergency. Ensure you are communicating boundaries and follow-through on them with both clients and staff regularly. Not only for being able to respect and protect your energy and sanity, but good boundaries can also help you respect and protect the energy and sanity of those in your personal life.
Setting boundaries may take some getting used to at first, but the long-term benefit is great.
Define a cut-off time, for example, to answer business calls or emails, then do not continue to respond. Put away BOTH your computer and phone during family and off times.
Be very clear with your team and clients regarding the hours you are available to work, and graciously turn down any type of request that may fall outside these hours, unless it’s an emergency.
Schedule Time for Strategic Planning
Rather than getting caught up in the cycles of daily operations all the time, set aside time for strategic planning. This involves taking a step back from your business and looking at it from a bird’s eye view to drive decisions that support long-term goals.
Find a block of time on your calendar, weekly or monthly, to grow your business. This could look like research time, implementing new strategies, trying new tech, creating your customer survey, asking customers for reviews, or even planning out your marketing each month.
The key is simply TAKING THE TIME to do those tasks that are going to grow the business.
Connect with Beauty Professionals
Being a salon business owner can sometimes make you feel like you are isolated on a desert island. However, the rewarding thing to remember is: you are not alone.
This is because all salon owners face very similar challenges, and there is enormous value in building a network around you for support and accountability.
Becoming a part of communities like Salon Cadence can offer camaraderie, fresh idea sharing, and simply a soundboard for some of the most worthy business stresses that may arise. Further, sharing experiences can result in new ways of overcoming common obstacles that populate the business arena and bring inspiration into the light, with ways to stay motivated.
Putting the Pieces Together
As the salon owner, it is easy at times to be overwhelmed with what seems to be an endless list of things to do to keep your business afloat, and you end up feeling burnt out and exhausted. But you can choose to do it differently and step into a totally different world: FREEDOM and ease. This article shared some examples of how to get you going in doing that.
But, if you really want to get out from behind the chair, then join us for our FREE Profit First for Salons Challenge.
It’s a free, 2-hour masterclass that teaches you how to build the team-managed salon, spa, or barbershop business you’ve always wanted, so you can have the time to do what you want, when you want—no matter what.
Grab your free seat now and experience business in a whole new light!
Join the 2-hour challenge of Profit First for Salons on June 30th from 10am to 12pm EDT, right here: https://events.saloncadence.com/profit-first-salons-challenge61914695
