How do you grow your business?

Hello Hair Salon Owners!!

How do you go about growing your business?

Here is a favorite, tongue-in-cheek list I've keep for years from Entrepreneur Magazine:

1.  Getting the BIG idea - exhilaration
2.  Doing the research - confidence
3.  The compilation - anticipation
4.  Inputting the details - exhaustion
5.  Proofreading the Business Plan - paranoia
6.  Revising the Business Plan - frustration
7.  Revising the Business Plan - again - more frustration
8.  Still revising - still frustrated
9.  Final revision - when will this be over
10. Presentation of Business Plan - relief - pride - now we're having fun.  :-)

Finally....you're ready to move forward.  Kudos.

hair_master2014-05-30 03:49:48

Please share your business growth ideas...as a professional hairdresser or salon/spa owner or both.

Please don't post any links which have not previously been approved.  I know the AdminTeam here at HairTalk is doing their best to eliminate any spam or otherwise unapproved advertising which violated the terms of participation here at HairTalk.

Looking forward to hearing all of your business growth ideas.
hair_master2014-05-30 03:51:59

[QUOTE=hair_master]Please share your business growth ideas...as a professional hairdresser or salon/spa owner or both.

Please don't post any links which have not previously been approved.  I know the AdminTeam here at HairTalk is doing their best to eliminate any spam or otherwise unapproved advertising which violated the terms of participation here at HairTalk.

Looking forward to hearing all of your business growth ideas.
[/QUOTE]

Thanks for all the tips Hair_Master and welcome to HairTalk.  I really appreciate your note about not posting any inappropriate links and/or advertisements.  I think sometimes people forget that they wouldn't like it if people started posting advertisements on their websites, FB pages or Twitter feeds.  The same is true here.

Even though HairTalk has been here since 1997, we still are forced to remove all inappropriate links and/or advertisements which are not pre-approved by the AdminTeam.

As far as how to grow your business, this is a really great topic.

Besides Hairtalk and HairBoutique.com, I've grown a few businesses over the years in both hair and beauty, technology and other business arenas.

One thing I am finding now in 2014 is how fast everything moves compared to back in the mid-1990s when we were starting HairTalk and HairBoutique.com.  A lot of that has to do with Social Media.

I think anyone can grow a business quickly if they are:

1.  Organized
2.  Have a clear vision of what type of business they want to offer
3.  Understand who their exact client is
4.  Know how to solve specific problems their clients have
5.  Work hard
6.  Work smart
7.  Use social media to help get the word out
8.  Do active marketing & advertising (without trespessing on other's private properties)
9.  Look for mentors to help provide guidance.
10.  Have access to a great CPA and attorney which is very important in today's business world.

Last piece of advice and then I'm stepping off the soap box.....never give up.

I hope all of you who visit this part of the forum will share your tips & secrets as well.
Karen Shelton2014-05-30 05:32:16

Lots of great tips.  Whether you're a salon owner, an independent hairdresser, booth renter or offer other spa services, it's important to be organized.  I think that can make a huge difference in success and/or failure.

I took a class once on growing a business and the teachers recommended the use of Daydreaming, Guided Imagery which gives the mind permission to wander and come up with new ideas and/or solutions for business challenges. 

At the time is seemed like a little bit of a strange suggestion, but then the teachers explained that Greek scientist Archimedes used the technique of active daydreaming as did Sigmund Freud.

I use it now to help me figure out ways to improve my business or grow it to new levels.  I also use it to help solve thorny issues or problems.

It's worth considering for those that have never tried it.

A good book to read on the topic is Daydreaming:  Unlock the Creative Power of Your Mind by Diana Barth.