Let’s just face it—the modern world is a stressful place. For example, it’s almost impossible to do just one thing at a time. When you’re shopping you’re also sending texts and making phone calls. When you’re watching TV you’re also scanning social media. When you’re at work you’re mentally planning a girl’s night out or your kid’s next birthday party. And when you’re done for the day you’re thinking of all the little things you need to remember to do tomorrow for your salon in Lawton. Even with apps that claim to help us organize and stay focused, we’re still always pulled in a thousand different directions all at once.
Being a small-business owner means you always have something to do. But it’s like what they say about getting older: It’s better than the alternative! If you’re the kind of person who wants to own her own salon, you know the benefits: being your own boss, setting your own schedule, and answering only to yourself. The stress of business ownership is a price that’s worth paying.
That doesn’t mean you have to suffer, however. There are strategies you can use to keep your feet on the ground while experiencing the whirlwind of modern life in addition to small-business ownership. A chaotic, stressful work environment causes even the most serene among us to be unhappy, unhealthy, and make poor choices.
Charge What Your Health and Beauty Skills are Worth! If you take one thing away from this article, make it this! We’re putting it in here first because we think it’s the most important. Charge what you are worth! Nothing creates stress like being low on cash and feeling helpless to change anything.
Talking about money is tough, and talking to clients about money is tougher! In this economy, everyone is looking for the cheapest option around. But you’re not the cheapest option. You’re the best. Maybe you’re not the best in the world—there’s always room to grow—but you’re the best at what you do. Charge accordingly. Maybe it’s awkward to raise prices or to stop including a service you used to include, but in the end, being able to pay your bills month after month is what’s important.
Maybe it’s time to think about prices. What’s the bare minimum you can possibly charge for your time? What would you like to be paid for your time, realistically speaking? What are the average prices in your area? And don’t forget to factor in the cost of your products, including occasional expenses such as getting your scissors sharpened or replacing your massage headrests.
Stop Multitasking at Work. Running a business means needing to quickly switch gears sometimes, but the goal should actually be to only do one thing at a time. Studies have shown that for most people, multitasking actually reduces overall productivity. Multitasking often means that everything takes longer, and sometimes it means everything gets done in a slapdash or inattentive fashion.
Try not to bounce around from one little thing to another all day. Emergencies will always take precedence, sure, but the best way to do things is focusing on one task at a time.
Keep Track of Your Salon Clients. Forewarned is forearmed, as the saying goes.
Look, everyone has those clients who, for whatever reason, really take it out of you. Maybe it’s that client who grouses about everything. Maybe it’s that client who makes weird remarks that always catch you off guard. Working with people is hard! There are amazing things about it—we all agree on that—but sometimes a difficult client can really derail your day.
Know who’s coming through your door next. If you use any common calendar app to keep track of things, color-code difficult clients so they stand out. Write notes to yourself about what they like and dislike so you remember for next time, and so on and so forth!
There’s not a lot you can do with a difficult regular except be prepared. Even top salon professionals have clients they like more or less or keep for reasons of social status, et cetera. Grinning and bearing it is all part of the job, so why not end your workday by reviewing your appointments for the next day? Being prepared will reduce your stress!
Keep Your Cool. Salon work is creative work, which means people don’t always understand how stressful it is or why it can be so hard sometimes to keep your cool when things get tough. A national business magazine (that shall remain nameless) once stated that hairdressing was “one of the least stressful jobs in America.” Obviously, this is utter nonsense from someone who’s never worked in hairdressing or any other salon work, really. We provide personal experiences. Things can get personal. So when they do, remember to take a deep breath, use your reason, and think before you speak. Don’t take things personally. Be the bigger person and take it out on the floors later when you’re sweeping up!
Do Take Care of You. You have to take care of yourself before you can take care of others. Whatever sort of service you provide for your clients, you need to make sure you’re at the top of your game every single day.
Professional athletes eat right, exercise, and sleep to keep themselves in top condition. Well, you use your body every day, no matter what sort of mini salon in Lawton you’re running. You need to get your beauty rest, eat your protein and vegetables, get away from your desk and outside into the fresh air, or take in a yoga class. You have to do it for you. No one can afford to take time off for stress-related problems such as injuries or mood swings. Take care of yourself now so that you’re still doing what you love in the future!
Go Your Own Way. If you need to leave a stressful situation, follow the advice of the Fleetwood Mac song. Salons de Beauté is a great place to experience the freedom of having your own mini salon suite in Lawton. Salons de Beauté has everything you need, whether you’re making the leap from working in a salon to small-business ownership or you’re looking to downsize your salon to focus on what you love. Contact us today!