As a business focused on serving salons, we at SalonBiz understand the uncertainty and hardship that COVID-19 has created. To help during this time, we will be publishing a series of communications focused on how best to navigate COVID-19 for your salon. Our goal is to help you operate as best as possible during this time and in a way that best positions you after we move past current setbacks.

In this first piece, we’re outlining steps you can take to fortify your salon. We hope that incorporating some or all of these measures helps you deliver business continuity as best as possible, keep your customers engaged, and set you up for success upon reopening.

Adaptive Measures for Salons

While COVID-19 has created major challenges for many businesses, it particularly has impacted those that focus on in-person services. Understanding that many salons will have to temporarily shut down at this time, operational changes may need to be evaluated. Salon owners may want to consider adopting some or many of these temporary adjustments to operations. Here are you steps you can take during this business interruption.

Leverage gift cards, heavily

We always promote that online gift cards keep your salons open 24/7. This statement holds firm even now. Clients want to support local business now more than ever and word has spread fast across communities that purchasing gift cards for those businesses is the best way to do it. If you do not have online gift cards setup currently, we can have this active for you in about 2 business days.

Keep connected through email

You should continue to send email campaigns to all clients. Here are a few clever ways you could reach out to your guests without seeming like you are crying out for help.

• Provide an incentive through a gift card promo. If you are a SalonBiz customer, these can be set up in the Central admin to apply automatically to gift card purchases within a certain date range.
• Offer a percentage off for their next service.
• Bonus Gift Cards – for example, spend $100 in gift cards and receive a $25 bonus.
• Actually, ask for help – these are unique times.

If you’re not feeling creative, you can use one of the featured email templates available to you. The framework is already there and all you have to do is put your spin on it.

Leverage upcoming holidays

Mother’s Day is Sunday, May 10th. This is a cash cow for salons so don’t forget about it in all this chaos. This Mother’s Day is one to truly celebrate. Working Mom’s everyone is juggling a heightened workload while also dealing with school and daycare closures. What better way to say thank you than to get that OVERDUE pampering with a color, cut, wax, nails, and massage. The whole package!!

Continue to sell retail

Some of you remain open with minimal staff to adhere to social distancing guidelines, some have cut out services completely and minimized store front’s operating hours and some are completely closed. How do we retail to customers that are isolating? Here are some creative things you can do with the SalonBiz tools available to you.

• SalonBiz iPad app allows you to take your business on the move with mobile payments. Offering Curbside Checkout is a great way to promote SAFE shopping while practicing social distancing. Clients can easily call their orders in ahead of time to the salon for retail and Gifts Cards. Then let you know when they arrive so you can deliver to their car and take payment in the app.
• Another outlet is to drive retail through the complimentary consumer app, Pocket Salon. Clients can easily replenish products by selecting past purchases. They can even shop through your retail catalog, place it in their cart, and purchase through the app for in-store pickup.
• Most salons are keeping on some of their guest care team members to reschedule appointments and answer questions as clients call. Take it a step further and have them proactively reach out to guests via phone or focused campaigns that may be running out of the product. Ex: clients who purchased products in Q4 2019 and have not purchased a product since. You can also send a campaign to all customers asking if they need any products with a call to action to download Pocket Salon.
• You’ll definitely have to balance generating revenue against the cost of staying open. So consider having special hours for retail. For example: open from 2-4 pm daily for retail orders only.

Check back for additional business guidance on navigating COVID-19 for your salon. If your business needs assistance with setting up any of the features, our support team can help. We’re available for you at 888-809-2802.