Just My Opinion: Continuing Education Raises Industry Standards for Professionals and Clients Alike

Set your salon apart from the rest by keeping up with the latest service trends in the industry. Education includes learning about new products and techniques and staying on top of legal requirements. Your clients should be learning about new products from you, the trusted beauty professional. Would you go to a doctor who had not updated his medical skills for many years? Of course not, and we should have the same expectations from our employees and ourselves.

We’ve all heard that the fastest way to improve profitability is through retailing. One of the best ways to increase retail sales is to be knowledgeable about the products you sell. Manufacturers and distributors of professional beauty products will provide the necessary tools and support for continuing education upon request. In some cases, companies will send a representative in to train professionals on the use of their latest products. Classes or demonstrations are usually held at distributor stores or trade shows. Embrace these opportunities. When your business has the reputation of being the “in salon” with the latest techniques and services, customers will believe the product endorsements from you and your savvy staff.

Continuing education is not just necessary, it should also be mandatory. In today’s ever-changing legal environment, all beauty professionals should be aware of how this affects their businesses. The most important issue we see this affecting is proper sanitation procedures. It is the responsibility of all of us to ensure the best possible experience for all professional beauty services. Educate your clients on proper nail care between appointments. Teach them to understand the extra safeguards that are taken by your salon to ensure their safety. Our entire beauty industry benefits when we improve the level of services and overall customer satisfaction. Word of mouth is an immeasurable and valuable marketing tool for building your beauty business.

Considering that one-fifth of all jobs in the industry are filled by people with less than one year experience in the industry (The Green Book, 2003), new salon employees and veterans may gain from each other’s experiences. Read trade publications with passion, share experiences with other professionals whether in person or online, seek the feedback and input from your clients, and attend industry shows or classes when possible. Salon owners should keep their employees and clients up-to-date on legislation and sanitation that has been specifically designed to protect and enhance the salon experience. Most importantly, remember that there is always more to learn and that knowledge is power.

Marc Spilo is president and CEO of Los Angeles-based Spilo Worldwide.