Five Ways to Future Proof your Hair & Beauty Business in a Pandemic

Here we are, almost 18 months after the pandemic began and that elusive light at the end of the tunnel back to ‘normality’ is dimming for many Hair and Beauty industry professionals. Yet for others, the future is brighter than ever before.
We are seeing a surge in business owners and employees reconsidering their career in the industry and look into more pandemic-proof career opportunities, whilst on the other side of the coin we are seeing many business owners embrace the reality of our circumstances, pivot, and make the necessary changes to survive.
We asked a number of these industry leaders what they believe is necessary to ensure the safety of your business throughout the peaks and troughs of lockdowns, and here are our top 5 picks!  

1.Stay connected with your team.

Ensuring that team members feel valued and remain connected with their work is essential to returning to a healthy team culture. While we understand that lockdown fatigue is real and difficult to navigate, it’s something we desperately have to try to overcome. Find ways to connect with your team on a personal and professional level and continue to let them know how much you appreciate any effort they make that contributes to your business.  

2. Stay connected with your clients.

Every time there’s a lockdown announcement or an extension of a lockdown, it’s too easy to simply post on social media “you know the drill, all appointments are cancelled, and we’ll be in touch to rebook when we can”. This is not enough. Call everyone that you had an appointment with and connect with them, provide advice and recommend any home care they could be using to get them through to their appointment. Many other salons are working hard to establish new client connections and generate revenue through the lockdowns, and the moment you lose your connection with your clients, you may also lose them to those proactive businesses.

 
3.Find a way to generate some form of income.

If you’re a hairdressing salon or beauty clinic, you’re likely selling a large portion of retail products and home care. But how are your clients accessing these products during the lockdowns? Unless you have found a way to continue to sell these products to clients, your clients are buying your product recommendations from someone else. Setting up an online purchasing system and making it a permanent offering not only generates income during lockdowns, but also elevates the status and perception of your business/brand and creates a stronger connection between you and your client in the long run. Planning to utilise your salon space more effectively? Renting out rooms to niche service providers who have an offering that is not currently on your menu is a great way to generate future income. And don’t forget – if it has been a long time since you have implemented a price increase, now may be the time to consider it.

4.Make your social media a focus.

If you’re trying to gain new clientele or recruiting for new team members, it’s important that you have a strong online presence. Social media is the first place many people look when they are considering whether your business is the right fit for them and it’s often your only chance to make an impact. Are you a rookie in this area? There are many free resources and online training workshops that are available and will take your social media content to a meaningful new level. And go on, don’t be scared, who says you can’t be the next reel that goes viral!  

5.Carefully assess your cash flow and minimise expenses

This is a really important time to look at your business expenses and minimise them as much as possible, alongside finding those new ways to increase your income. If you have a landlord that is not coming to the party when it comes to expectations around your rent, speak to organisations like Your Leasing Co who are readily available to assist with understanding how to negotiate in these areas. If you’re recruiting employees, consider more cost efficient and better value advertising options like HeadHunter where your recruitment costs can be halved!

New challenges require new ideas, and we’d love to hear what you believe it would take to pandemic proof your hairdressing or beauty business.  Email us at admin@headhunter.org.au with your thoughts and experiences.