It’s fair to say that business owners are experiencing a stress unlike ever before. With forced closures, the beauty industry is living through unprecedented change, and some days, it can be hards to believe that things will ever go back to how they were before the Coronavirus arrived ad shook things up.
But what if you come to view the current situation as an opportunity to come out even stronger and outpace the bigger players in the beauty space?
Think like a start-up
Start-ups are nimble; they can move fast and make decisions on a day-to-day basis. They put plans in place for the now, not the the next month. “You can use this mentality to understand that an action or decision you take today, may change tomorrow, but that to train yourself to move and adapt, is to train yourself to make fast, and effective business decisions,” says business development expert, James Hullum.
Look for opportunity
Start-ups don’t rest. They are constantly looking for a new way to excel. And that’s going to be what pulls you through this period. “Look for the opportunities in every change and announcement,” says James. “Salons are closed, so work to find other opportunities to carry on.” Such examples include selling your products via your website, creating webinars or podcasts, or monetising your social media platforms.
Grow your database
Reach out to your existing database and ask them to refer a friend, in exchange for a bonus treatment (once they book a full-priced one!) once you re-open. By adding to your database, you grow your audience and therefore your potential customers who will be waiting for you when you throw your doors open. “Having a database of who your customers are is the single most important tool you can use to generate opportunity at this time,” says James. Study the details. Look at your demographic, their preferred treatments and products. Use your finings to craft better offerings.
For more news and updates, subscribe to our weekly newsletter.