Time to SLEIGH

Last night, the streets were lined with goblins, princesses, witches and superheroes. After the doorbell stopped ringing, I sorted through the Halloween movies on Netflix and the first movie that caught my eye was The Nightmare Before Christmas. When I spontaneously hit play, I realized that it's about time to get in the holiday spirit.

November 1st marks the day where many businesses swap out their spooky décor for holiday ambiance in order to increase sales to hit those year-end goals. Take note as you scroll through your Facebook feed or email inbox – you’ll start to notice the messaging from companies who are working hard to attract your holiday biz.

As a small business owner, now is your chance to capitalize on the holiday cheer. By now, most of your guests have already made Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s plans, and you know they are going to want a haircut, color, eyebrow wax, facial, manicure and spray tan before they go home and potentially run the risk of bumping into any old exes unprepared. And in addition to the fact that everyone hits the salon before their slew of holiday parties, you have an awesome opportunity as a salon owner to kick up your retail sales, too. So read on for a checklist chalk full of ideas…’cause it’s time to SLEIGH.

Start with a Friendly Reminder

With the holidays right around the corner, there’s no better time than NOW to remind your guests to book their pre-holiday appointments. Send out a simple text blast or email reminder and you’ll be amazed at how many of your clients scramble to get on your schedule. Using an app like SolaGenius, it could not be easier. You can get the word out in just a few taps and in minutes, you’ll start to see the magic ensue! Last week, Sola’s Culture Ambassador Kimi sent out a text reminder and booked $1700 in business in just a few short hours!

Choose from the copy options below and get your text blast out today.

Holidays are around the corner and I want to make sure you look and feel your best! Book soon, my schedule is filling up fast: kimbennettstudios.glossgenius.com

Book now and look fab for the holidays! My schedule is filling up quickly, so let’s get you scheduled today: kimbennettstudios.glossgenius.com

As the holidays quickly approach, let’s check one thing off your to-do list today and get you booked! Love, Kimi: kimbennettstudios.glossgenius.com

Important PSA: my books are filling up and I want to make sure you feel beautiful for the holidays! Schedule your appointment: kimbennettstudios.glossgenius.com

Prepare for the Big Days

Between Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday, there are so many shopping days to take advantage of. Don’t miss out on the chance to take advantage of these big spending days. Here are a few promotional ideas to get your wheels turning!

Stop by to shop on Black Friday for a chance to get between 10-50% off retail! Create a fishbowl filled with various discounts written on folded pieces of paper. Invite shoppers to pick from the fishbowl and then stock up on products!

Visit us on Small Business Saturday and for each $5 spent, you’ll be entered to win a grand prize gift basket! Fill a basket to the brim with your best sellers and make it festive! For each $5 spent, add an entry for that customer into the drawing to win the grand prize.

Book an appointment on Cyber Monday and receive 25% off retail on the day of your visit. Send an e-blast early in the morning on Cyber Monday with a link to your online booking page. Reward those who book appointments that day with a discount on retail.

And of course, don’t forget to post an image on Thanksgiving to tell your guests how grateful you are for their continued support.

Become a Winter Wonderland

Decorate your studio. Really…do it up! It’s time to get fun and festive and nothing will get your guests more in the holiday spending mood than some sparkly holiday décor. Tongela Curry, owner of the Diamon Salon in Little Rock, shared with us that she uses festive décor to create eye-catching retail displays, which helps to increase retail sales.

In addition to the obvious décor, stock a cookie jar with holiday cookies and serve up a warm drink like hot cocoa or a hot toddy. The holidays are a total frenzy, so create a relaxing and festive environment for your guests to take a load off and enjoy a bit of downtime while you pamper them.

Create Your Promotional Gift Offerings

Imagine what a load off it will be for your guests to know that they can kill two birds with one stone: beautifying for the holidays while getting their holiday shopping done at the same time! From gift certificates to overstuffed gift baskets to holiday sets and stocking stuffers, there are so many ways to increase revenue over the next 6-8 weeks.

Gift cards. Your clients already refer you to their friends and family, right? Make it even easier for them to refer you by selling gift cards that they can give to their friends and family! Consider rewarding them with $20 for every $100 purchased. Make sure to display the gift cards on your mirror so they know they are for sale!

Gift baskets. Build a few different gift baskets at different price levels and display them beautifully on your shelves. Don’t forget to show off unwrapped versions of the baskets so that your guests can see exactly what’s inside. Aside from providing them with the perfect gift items, they will love that it’s already wrapped and ready to be delivered!

Holiday specials. Think about all of the people that your guests are shopping for and provide various gift sets and limited time only products to make their shopping easier. Last year before leaving the salon, I purchased gift sets for my sister, mom, sister-in-law and husband! Consider retailing items you may not typically carry to help your guests knock out all of their shopping needs.

Stocking stuffers. You know when you walk to the register at Sephora and you decide that it’s a good idea to throw in a facemask, travel lotion and lip gloss, just in case? Create a beautiful Sephora-inspired display with samplers and travel sizes – your guests will love snagging a few stocking stuffers and they may even try out a product themselves and feel the need to get the full sized item next time!

Add Special Holiday Services

Send your guests off ready to WOW! For an additional fee, offer quick polish changes while their color sets, or offer a smoky eye or lip treatment and send them home with a lipstick that matches their new do and their party dress. They will love you forever for being their beauty guru head to newly polished toes!

Partner Up

Your guests are going to have multiple beauty services done leading up to the holidays, so share the love with your Sola family! Create a partnership with the nail tech down the hall or the esthetician across the way to help your guests simplify their trekking around town. Community is such an awesome benefit to owning your business inside Sola Salon Studios. Imagine the possibilities with a little bit of cross promotions!

Give Back

Nothing puts people in the spirit of giving like the sound of jingle bells. Host a clothing or canned food drive and reward your guests for contributing with 10% off retail. You’ll encourage them to participate in the joy of giving while encouraging them to try that delicious hairspray they’ve had their eye on.

This holiday season, Kim Bennett Horvath is raising money for PBA’s Disaster Relief fund. For every $5 donated, her guests are receiving a raffle entry for an incredible gift basket overflowing with products and tools! Follow her promotion on Instagram at @kimi_kisses to get your wheels turning and give back to a cause that means something to YOU.

Pre-book for 2018!

Reward your guests as they check out to book an appointment by December 31 for the New Year to receive awesome prizes like product discounts or a deep conditioning treatment. Roseann DiVenere runs a raffle throughout the holidays in which guests who book three appointments for 2018 receive a raffle ticket. Prizes include tools, blow dryers and even special packages she’s created with one of her Sola sisters, which includes a mani/pedi. It’s a great way to get a jumpstart on your books for the New Year!

Be Consistent

Remember that it’s SO important to coordinate your online and offline marketing efforts. If you’re selling special holiday retail items, consider posting image on social media and then follow it up with an eblast with more detail. When they arrive at your studio, make sure to have shelf talkers and signage on your mirrors in your styling station reminding them about what you’ve been marketing online. It’s all about consistency – with multiple touch points, it’ll be hard for your guests to pass up your awesome holiday offers!

About the author:

Jennie Wolff is the Marketing Director for Sola Salon Studios.