Summer is a tough time to business build. People are not in a routine. They go on vacation and the beach etc for much of the time not to mention BBQs and stuff.

I'd wait until school starts back up and families are back or returning to their routine.

Hair is something that can really build by word of mouth. If none of the things you mention worked it is time for drastic measures.

If it were me and I was behind schedule I'd do "free" days. Now I hear you that sucks. But if you look longer term it is actually inexpensive. Lets say you do cuts for free on Thursday all day and Friday morning from 9 - 1 or something. This is advertised in your windows and also if possible get the info to the local colleges and HS. Call local TV and/or newspaper. Free is interesting and they may bite.

You will be off and running after that as people will begin to talk about your salon. Cut a deal with employees that you will pay them 10 bucks or something per cut. Whatever works. Might cost you a couple grand but it will build your business fast.

Make sure the quality is top notch and that employees are having a party while the event happens so everyone that gets a freebie tells people. Even if they never come back they WILL tell people.

Yes, marketing is best way of promote your business and brings new customers. Internet marketing, offline marketing, TV marketing all are helpful for increase your business revenue.

I have been at my current location about a Year. I have done door hangers, Handed out business cards offered clients a discount for referals, I have advertised in the local papers I even took out an ad in the Fiesta Bowl Magazine. I found out that my business really took off when i consulted with Gary Smith at the Arizona Business Council. It took about 3 weeks before I really saw that the money i spent for there services started paying off. I went from maybe a couple calls every 2 week for new clients to on a good week 10-15 calls (that is per week). Client retention is up to you after that but i can tell you that 90% of my dealings with the Arizona Business Council have been over the phone and i have been very satisfied. I would say see if you can either hire him(you can reach him at www.azbusinesscouncil.com or try to find someone in your area to do the same form of advertising. Maybe get ahold of him and see if he knows anyone in your area.

I agree with Parker more than the others. You need to get gorilla about finding customers. Mailing directly to them is a great way as is cross-promoting with area businesses. The thing about this is it is so personal a website or video is just not going to do it. You need that plus all the rest. Build relationships as time passes. You can't go from 10 clients to 50 (or whatever) without constant work and a professional winning attitude. Never forget your current client can bring in a dozen more.

On free I don't think it can be any given day as much as maybe the 12th of every month or second tuesday of every month. That is something I have tried and it works but I was only able to do it 2 months before it was no longer needed.

And if you do it bring your A game. Best cut every person that comes in period. Do what you can practically do not as many as you can do. You will build a following much faster. Those doing color can't do the free cut and have to come in a different day as do all your paying customers. new customers only... obvious but true.

Not to take anything away from going gorilla, but I have to agree with Marketing.  I've been in this industry for a long time, and I've seen a lot of tactics work.  I've seen many clients of other stylists become my clients after they saw my work, which eventually gained their trust.  I checked our <removed>, and it's a very great website to market yourself and your salon because it makes it easier for people to get to know you and the quality of your work before they come to you.

Take advantage of every marketing avenue you can, including going gorilla.  To paraphrase Marketing, the more people that see what you offer can result in more clients, as long as you do good work.



 

In order to attract a steady flow of new clients you have to have several different ways to market your salon on a "consistent" basis.

1. More people search the internet for local services than ever before, are you registered on Google maps, and is your website on page "1" Google? If your web site is on page 3 (Google) or greater, forget it, you're invisible to the market place.
2. Consider "carrier route" marketing instead of zip code marketing. Carrier route marketing is very targeted (usually 200-800 homes.) Then you can set up a postcard or sales letter system to where you market to a specific carrier route every month. Make sure you have a "benefit" driven headline, call to action, and a deadline, otherwise you're wasting your marketing dollars.
3. Start a referral program with your current clients. For every referral, your referring client receives a 50% discount on their next visit. Make sure you reward your clients accordingly. I know this may seem steep, but if you know what your clients are worth to you over a 12 month period, it's peanuts.
4. Start a facebook fan page, and open a twitter account. If you think this is a waste of your time to "tweet" out messages, then have one of your staff handle this for you while they tweet out they're own messages... on your time. 
5. I can't say that there is "one" way to attract 100 new clients, but there are 100 ways to attract 100 clients. The more "marketing poles" you can drop in the water simultaneously, the more clients you'll attract.

Hope this helps!

Glen Andrews
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Yeah, I saw most of the basics covered.  I think the main thing you need to start with is a focused approach.  People tend to start a salon and then just try to get everyone in the door with generic marketing.  flyers, postcards, emails, all help get your name out there but you need that good reputation to really draw in clients and keep them coming back.  Start you focus on a specific area or segment and get them in the doors and treat them like kings or queens.  How many people look for a salon in the paper or from marketing?  Come on we know most people are either price shoppers who you can get by advertising the cheapest price in town or they are looking for a good cut which means they are asking their friends who have great hair.  Your best advertising is your clients.  If they like their hair and you treated them well you will do fine but it does take time. Like any new business you should not expect to really make any more for at least the 1st year

I agreed, kinda what I said.  Have you ever done a free day?  It's crazy busy but we have done that a few times.  So many people show up and we ended up with a bunch of new clients.  Course even though it was free, we still got tips so we all made a little.

Yes if you are not willing to dish out some money and promote it, don't bother.  You need to give some hype to it and make sure you have some other special things going on like product discounts too.

Yeah I need to do something to get some activity going.  I might try one too.  We just are not seeing much of a pickup going into this year.  We need to change things up some.  Any thoughts?

Yeah that is a good point, keep things fresh.  It doesn't mean doing a renovation every year or getting new furniture.  It can be simple, buy a fake plant, change out some wall art, move your displays around.

Any of those people will notice it's changed and keep interest.  You should move your displays around regular thought, that helps keep interest in product.  If someone comes in to seem the same products in the same place they are less likely to make a buy

What I mean is that my family owned a chain of salons in South Florida when I was a teenager.  I worked in the salon 5 days a week running errands for the customers, taking out trash, and even washing their cars for money during visits.  Salon owners should have an overall aggressive attitude, even if it is masked with passive demeanors.

Ultimately, the way to grow your salon is treat it like a game of monopoly.  Owners have to accummulate clients just like trying to get hotels on the monopoly board game.  Next, salon owners need to collaborate with other business owners, not other hair salons, but other businesses such as dentists, CPAs, home care providers, etc.

Check me out.

Yeah, I know people need to think outside the box but how would working with a lawyer or CPA help our industries?  Sue someone and get a free haircut or tan?  I think you need to partner with who makes sense.  Often tanning and hair and nails and massage partner because they make sense.  There are other things that can make sense that are outside the normal.  You could look at partnering with some charities to get your name out in a part of town that maybe you do not reach right now. Put on some free seminars and maybe offer a service after.  As for working with a competing salon, um one word, NO.  Sorry I do not trust anyone who will benefit from my failure.

Give your clientelle an incentive to bring in one of the friends whether it be a percentage off a hair cut or a free product.

We're experimenting with online appointments. We're working with a company called Zazuba. It's been nice not picking up the phone as much but it's hard to say whether it is increasing turn-out.