Anna and Fenia launch the Buty Blog
This month Buty editors, Anna and Fenia launch the Buty Blog with a topic that many salon owners and therapists struggle with every year, The Slow Months. Our experienced practitioners do straight talking therapy on how to navigate this tricky period when the beauty business is a bit slower than usual; why this is the case and how to make the best use of time to achieve optimum productivity in this period of your therapist career.
Anna: The slow months usually fall to August, purely as it is the time when people are going away, travelling abroad on their hols and in September it can be a bit slow as they only just come back from their travels at this time…….
Fenia: ….September is also the time when the kids are going back to school, so people take time to get back into their normal lifestyle routine.
Anna: But then January is also quiet…again this is usually just after the peak times which would be Xmas and New Year – when everyone indulges like crazy…then things go quiet over January just after the New Year.
Fenia: And just before Easter time also…..
Fenia: It can be hard for therapists starting out during these quiet times but salons tend to tighten up on recruitment here. Depending on your circumstances, for example, if you have a job already but looking to break into beauty then I would recommend to wait until October to look for work because I know that is when many positions are available and salons will start to get a little busier. If you are unemployed then you might as well look at every opportunity in the industry, but I would advise against just taking on any job that comes your way. It is hard to find a good salon to work for; you have to be happy with the environment and your working conditions and be passionate about your role as then you will become more productive.
For example from my own experience I was almost desperate to get into the beauty industry when I started out. I was just starting out and finally found work. My first impression was that I didn’t feel needed there and I realised I couldn’t develop my skills or experience. The standards were pretty poor and I realised I was not getting the progression I needed.
Anna: You definitely need to be in a place where the standards are quite high. You know… the salon needs to be clean and good customer service needs to be apparent. In this industry, the skill and knowledge requirements change every year and you need to be in a place which is on the ball and can incorporate this. Otherwise, you could just end up as a waxing therapist.
Anna: During the months when we are not so busy, we give our therapists the opportunity, for example, to go onto training courses to enhance their skills and knowledge about what is happening in the market. We wouldn’t have had a chance during the summer period as we needed everyone at work.
Fenia: Also during this time, we offer promotional incentives to clients and also reward our existing clients. We want to show our clients they are appreciated so we give discounts and we also bring in new therapies or a treatment focus such as Hot Stone Therapy.
Anna: It is also a chance to do more cross selling, whether that is a product or a different treatment to boost salon income. We are able to spend more time with the clients and focus on their individual needs which can change from time to time.
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