Salon and Day Spa Articles
The first step in marketing your Hair Salon or Day Spa
Becoming self-employed changes the way you’ll need to see your marketing responsibilities. Most likely in the past, as an employee, you wouldn’t have had to put much thought into marketing yourself however, the earlier, and more energy, you put into marketing, the more rewarding your business will be. You’re about to develop an entirely new way of relating to everyone you meet within your range of business relationships. We’re going to cover some vital marketing tips and tricks in this article.
Starting your own hair salon or day spa can be overwhelming at times however, when it comes to marketing salons or day spa marketing there are just a few simple steps to ensure your efforts don’t go unrewarded. In this article we're going to discuss the one of the most integral components of salon marketing which involved a strategic salon marketing plan and most of all, at first, market research.
Doing enough market research will answer and validate the questions you need answered to get you intimate with your target audience. It will also determine whether your idea gets off the ground and, if it does, form the basis of your marketing strategies from then on. I see market research as the hunting and gathering of being in business. Now that you’re planning to be self-employed, you need to constantly record and analyze data, client behavior, cultural shifts and any movements in the market, no matter how slight.
All stylists in business for themselves (or for that matter any business owner/manager) need to ask the following questions in order to understand the needs of their clients/target market, and to devise the most effective marketing strategies.
oWho are my current clients?
oWhat will they think of my new business, and do I care?
oDo the clients I want differ from the clients I have?
oIf so, who do I want as new clients?
oWhere do they live?
oWhat income level do they fit?
oCan I meet their expectations?
oWill I be available at times that suit them?
oWill my prices represent value for them?
oHow will my business compare with those of my competitors?
Market research allows you to give your clients what they want, not just what you want to give them. People’s behavior, and how they feel, are influenced by countless subjective factors. Never decide you know what people want without asking them first. Some of the world’s largest companies have stuffed up big time by not doing this. Finally, and most importantly (whether you offer a service or products or both), ask potential clients what (at the end of the day) they’re prepared to pay for what you’re offering them.
Begin your market research by sourcing as much data on your competitors as you can – everything from location and decor through price lists to services offered and more.
Next, contact your local Small Business Development Centre and ask for information on market research for small businesses. Also enrol for any marketing courses they have available.
Make use of the free research facilities at your local or state Library
Survey potential clients (see below) and start compiling your own data.
Tip bits
oIf you’re not constantly researching the market (even if it’s only in your head), your business in on its way to being two parts dead!
oAs long as you make market research fun you’ll always have a healthy outlook on being in business for yourself…and staying there.
oDon’t survey family or friends if they tell you what you want to hear. Do a ‘strengths and weaknesses’ test on yourself, then examine the results with those you trust to give you an honest appraisal. It’s imperative that you establish the most solid grounding for WHY the new venture is for you. (NB: you can find numerous strength and weaknesses tests online.)
