Wednesday Wink – 5 Tips to Deal with Gaps in your Schedule:

With summer drawing to a close, kids are getting ready to go back to school and families are squeezing in last minute vacations. All this activity can wreak havoc on your schedule… You might find yourself wondering, “how do I fill in the gaps?”.

Even the busiest salon professionals can experience this problem. But, with some careful planning you can avoid the instability and ensure your business continues to see future growth. Today, we are going to focus on a few different ways you can keep your schedule brimming during the slow times.

Don’t Panic

The best thing to do is stay calm. There is always an ebb and flow to business trends. Your location alone can dictate your area’s ebb and flow. Instead, put your energy during your extra down time into any or all of these actions:

1. Shorten your working hours or create Summer’s End Hours. There is no sense in wasting time burning daylight, pacing your salon floors waiting for business.
2. Create a Back to School promotion for your clients. They could be a bit short on cash due to the additional expenses from school purchases, after school programs, and after school care. This is a win-win!
3. If you haven’t seen a few clients in a while, throw in a 2-for-1 promotion and lure them back to your chair. Everyone appreciates a great deal. Don’t forget to send an email blast to promote your deal.
4. It’s a great time to plan for your Holiday Promotions. Get out your calendar and map-out what things you may want to promote each holiday… what things you may need to add to grow your business.
5. Research new and exciting services you may want to add to your menu. Use your free time to acquire additional education if need be. Are you thinking about adding a Lash Lift? Microblading? This is the time to get your ducks in a row for your future business.

My point is, use your “down time” constructively. Don’t get discouraged, this is a cyclical business and if you have a plan in place, you can move forward calmly and with ease.

Have you got any tips to share with us on how to avoid the gap blues? Please tell us in the comments section below!