10 Tips to Stay Sane This Holiday Season

  

Salon owner Shari Finger has survived a lot of holiday madness in her 21 years behind the nail table. Here are her top 10 tips for sailing through those hectic weeks with your sanity intact.

10. Keep the salon refrigerator stocked with healthy food. Don’t let yourself or your staff run on those over-rated Christmas cookies and sweets.

9. Set your salon thermostat at a slightly cool temperature. Employees are more efficient when they are cool and not over-heated. Serve hot chocolate and push warm paraffin dips and hot rock treatments to warm customers.  

8. Be sure to get plenty of sleep.

7. If your staff is happy, you and your customers will be happy. Be sure no one is over-worked. If you see someone having a hard time be sure to either reward the hard work or give her a little break to regroup.

6. Stay on top of hot-selling items. Don’t wait until an item is gone. Re-order as soon as you see you’re getting low.

5. Regardless of whether it’s your responsibility or your landlord’s, keep the walk area in front of your salon clean and clear from snow and ice. I pay local kids, or even employees’ kids, to keep walk areas clean during bad weather. They can also give a hand to senior clients who may have a hard time negotiating snow banks and ice.   

4. Keep your schedule under control and don’t over-schedule with personal engagements. It’s OK to say no if you find yourself getting stressed out.

3. Mix it up in December and keep it fun! Last year we offered a different special every day — from a percentage off a particular item to a day to bring in a friend and have pedicures together.

2. Set aside enough time to do all your paperwork. You’re going to have more than in a normal month.

1. Create the holiday spirit in your salon and everyone around you will have a holiday they will remember and cherish.