As we said last month, business owners have to spend money to make money. Reasonable expenditures on promotional materials and upgrading your space can help your business grow, bur frivolous spending can eat away at your bottom line. It’s good to trust your instincts when it comes to figuring out what your business needs, but it’s also good to shop around and see what sorts of options are out there. A quick Google search may yield surprising low-cost alternatives when it comes to getting something you know you need.
For example, let’s look at candles. Candles are a great way to perk up the interior of any salon suite in Lawton. Flickering candlelight makes your clients feel relaxed; it’s an easy, instant signal that they’ve stepped into a spa and are about to be pampered. But the thing is, candles aren’t reusable. Burning candles means you need to buy more candles, and that’s basically money down the drain.
What’s the solution? Well, how about those new electric candles? These days, you can find electric candles that flicker and glow just like the real thing—and they run on batteries, which you can get for cheap in bulk. Even better, they’re usually unscented, so the aroma won’t bother your clients who are sensitive to scents, making them the superior option for your wallet and your customers.
Another good example is business cards, flyers, or other printed promotional materials. There are plenty of boutique printers out there that make lovely cards with foil, embossing, and all that fancy stuff… but that can get really expensive. When you’re just starting out and establishing your brand, it may not be wise to invest so much in something like that. You can get cute business cards at around $30 for a count of 500 from some of the online shops, and while you’re still figuring out the image you want to present that can be a great, lower-cost option.
It’s also good to reconsider your notions of traditional marketing. An ad in the yellow pages can cost a bundle… but when was the last time you looked in the yellow pages for anything? People tend to Google information these days, so a simple website (that looks decent on a mobile device) and social media presence can be worth a lot more in terms of cost-to-benefit ratio.
You have to spend money to make money, but you also have to save money to have money. It’s a good idea to have as much cushion as you can manage when you’re just starting out, so saving where you can is just as important as giving yourself permission to spend money. Remember, free advertising such as word-of-mouth can really help alongside things you have to pay for, like websites and business cards, so strike a balance! And Salons de Beauté’s mini salon suites in Lawton, OK are also a great balance for those trying to start their own salon suite business!
Salons de Beauté is a great idea for stylists and all sorts of beauty pros who are interested in running their own mini salon. Contact us today and find out how we can make your little salon a big deal!