Are you the owner of a beauty business? With Brits spending an average of £166 on personal treatments per year, working in beauty can be very lucrative. However, with over 46,000 hair and beauty businesses in the UK alone, it is also an incredibly competitive market.
With the current cost of living crisis, consumers who are choosing to spend money on non-essential treatments are going to be looking for better quality and service than ever before.
Whether you are looking to retain your existing client base, grow your team, or generate more income, here are some ways you could make improvements to your business:
Ask for feedback
Before you begin planning any changes to your business, you should first seek feedback from your existing customers. As they are the ones actually receiving the treatments, they will be able to provide valuable insight into any areas of the business that could be adapted.
Issue a customer feedback survey after appointments to give clients an opportunity to contribute. To get honest answers, it is advisable to make the survey anonymous to allow honesty without the worry of causing offence. If you are struggling to get responses, you could provide an incentive such as entry into a prize draw for those who fill out the survey.
If your business provides multiple treatments, such as nails, hair, and facials, try to get feedback from a cross-section of your clientele to give a truer reflection of consumer opinion.
Once feedback is completed, dedicate some time to reviewing the answers. Look for any reoccurring issues or suggestions and put together a plan for how you are going to implement any changes.
It is also beneficial to communicate any upcoming changes to your clients, both keeping them informed and demonstrating to them that their opinion is valued by you.
Upgrade your equipment
For any beauty business, equipment is imperative and directly impacts the quality of service you are able to provide.
If you have been qualified and operating for a long time, the tools you are using may potentially need upgrading. Assess what equipment you use most frequently and consider purchasing newer or more updated versions if necessary. This could include professional hairdressing clippers, cuticle nippers, or nail files.
Informing customers of your new equipment may also lead them to book additional treatments.
Sell complementary products
An effective way to generate more income from a service business is to provide the option for clients to purchase complementary products too.
This is particularly appropriate within the beauty industry, where treatment typically require some maintenance at home for the best results.
For example, for gel manicures, give clients the option to buy cuticle oil to help them get the most out of their manicures and care for their nails.
Priced correctly, you can make impressive profit margins on these products, whilst providing clients with the convenience of buying their products where they receive their treatments.
Once you get the hang of selling products, you can begin offering packages and gift sets to entice customers to purchase more.
