Illustration/Chris Murphy

Illustration/Chris Murphy

Besides advertising in the local paper, I have my own web page. I also apply acrylics to my own nails, and most people I come in contact with seem to ask me about them. It’s a remarkable door opener for getting new clients.

Mare Horak, Hair Mania, St. Cloud, Fla.

Over the last two years, I’ve seen a drastic decline in business due to discount salons that use MMA. Since people generally surf the web in search of educational information, my salon’s website has been a superb advertising tool that has allowed me to entertain and educate the public. In an attempt to reach a larger audience, I’ve posted such information as state laws and facts.

Lois Burak, BeautyWorx Salon & Day Spa, Philadelphia

We always contribute gift certificates as prizes for proms, school or church auctions, or charity golf outings. We figure that if we can get them through the door, they’ll like us so much that they’ll keep coming back.

Tammy Chrisman, Exclusive Enhancements at the Hair Connection, White Pigeon, Mich.

My clients are my best advertisers. Word of mouth is the best! Last year, I also printed T-shirts with my logo and handed them out to clients during Christmas. They were delighted with their gifts and I was delighted that my logo was seen all over town.

Mary Webster, Star Nails, Fayetteville, N.C.

We put up lots of colorful banners, flyers, and salon menus throughout the salon. The banners do very well because our shop is located on a major road with lots of traffic. Also, the salon owner recently gave us denim shirts with our salon name and logo embroidered over the shirt pocket. We wear them everywhere we go.

Melanie Monteiro, Hairsay Salon, South Attleboro, Mass

I promote our salon by having clients refer prospective clients to us. If a client refers three people, she gets $3 off a service. If she refers five people, she gets 50% off a service. Our computer keeps track of how many people each client refers, and I simply issue her a card letting her know which discount she’s obtained.

Christy Baker, The Upper Hand Nail Salon, Fremont, Neb.

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