Holiday time at the salon might mean increased stress, but it’s also an opportunity for increased earnings. With proper preparation, you can minimize the added stress while maximizing your profits. Tanisha Foster, director of Vertical Markets for Booker (www.booker.com) offers these tips to ensure a successful holiday season.

  1. First, prepare your staff for higher volume. It’s important to communicate with your team: Who’s working what days and at what times? Who gets what days off? Make sure all holiday requests have been approved and communicated as necessary.
  2. Email your customer base to keep them in the loop about your holiday plans, promotions, and events. The holidays aren’t only about bringing in new clients. You want to get previous clients back in your salon, so make sure you keep them up to date.
  3. Customize holiday gift certificates. Relevant, seasonal designs are more enticing than generic gift certificates. Make sure you also add your logo to all of your gift certificates and cards for increased brand recognition.
  4. Keep your clientele in mind when planning your holiday decor. What sort of things would make them feel most comfortable and welcome? Extend your theme to any retail displays, so you create a cohesive decor.
  5. Give back to your community with a charity initiative. ’Tis the season of giving, after all. Find an organization that has some significance for you, and pair with them for an event.
  6. Identify VIPs and reward them. The holidays are a great time to say thanks to your most valuable and loyal clients. Send them an email with an offer for a free gift or percentage off a service to make them feel appreciated.
  7. Do you have a plan to reach gift buyers? Remember to reach out to your less frequent patrons or people who don’t typically visit your salon. This can include men and teenagers who might be buying for family members.
  8. Create a gift guide. Highlight some of your key holiday offerings in a flier, newsletter, or online photo gallery. Make buying easy, so clients are more likely to follow through on making a purchase.
  9. Clearly display your holiday hours. So you’ve told your staff about your holiday hours, but have you shared this information with the general public yet? Post this info in your storefront, on your website, and across your social media profiles.
  10. Upsell with retail displays and sampling. Make sure you’re prepared to take advantage of the season with holiday-focused retail displays and product sampling that allow clients to smell and feel products.
  11. Identify your top-selling services and don’t discount them! Discounting a top-selling service is one of the biggest mistakes you can make. Review your numbers to ensure you’re only discounting your poor performers.
  12. Partner with local businesses to increase brand awareness and traffic. You’ll have the opportunity to get more eyes on your salon’s offerings, and also help out another local business in your community.

This story first appeared on ModernSalon.com.

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