PBA :: Progress :: Summer2007 :: CBE Update
"Get Out from Behind the Chair and Manage Your Business," part one in the three-part Salon Success Series, coached salon/spa owners on how to take back control of their business. The seminar and round-table discussions were led by successful PBA members Darla DiGrandi-Aguilera of Hi-Lites Aveda Salon and Kendall Ong of Mane Attraction Salon. According to attendee and salon owner Jere Pastore of Images at San Marcos, "It was a full 1 1/2 days of valuable information…a small intimate class with about 10 owners from around the United States. It's just what we all needed."
In two short days, Darla and Kendall covered everything from compensation and tipping vs. non-tipping salons to the golden interview question, which Darla maintains is: "Tell me everything you know about this company!"
The discussion naturally progressed from hiring to the front desk position. CBE facilitators and attendees alike agreed that this is one of the most important positions in a salon, and the people there should be paid accordingly. As Kendall laughingly put it, "Pay peanuts and you will have monkeys working the position, and then you complain about the monkeys."
One of the key elements explored was how to take and manage the time required to successfully work on a business. Darla recommended taking just two hours off your work week and raising prices to make up for two less behind the chair, while Kendall simplified it down to "work smarter, not harder." Other areas the seminar covered included the exciting benefits of two-way radios, the best salon software and the ways that salon owners can connect with their clients through written, physical and visual elements such as a smile and a thank-you card.
When it came to the "information age" portion of the class, two attendees spoke about the benefits of having online bookings, and Darla and Kendall had a chance to ask some questions of their own because they are both considering making the move to cyber booking. Everyone, even the seminar facilitators, learned something from this CBE session!
