By Kristi Valenzuela, Crystal Focus

Challenge #2: Your Business Shouldn’t Be a Secret!

A five-mile radius in any town in America is usually home to 40 to 100 salons! This depends on where you live, of course. But one thing is for sure: YOU need to show up on the radar!

If I came to your town and began knocking on the doors of your community and asked, “Who’s the best nail tech in town?” would they shout your name to the heavens? Or would they say, “For heaven’s sake, how would I know that?”

Even landing a job in a top salon is not going to pay your rent or car payment. The salon will market the salon name. You need to market your name.

Begin by using your salon referral program. Most salons have a referral program; it may be “send me three people and your next service is free.” This was popular in the ’80s and ’90s, but doesn’t produce much action anymore. Why? Because people don’t want to work for you — send me three people seems like a JOB. Get your name out there by offering a more aggressive reward program. For example: Receive $10 off your next service when you refer one friend. If you are a commission employee, yes, you would split this $10 off with the salon owner. It’s the fair way to do business and I guarantee it works.

Pass out your business cards like breadcrumbs. How many business cards did you give away in the last 48 hours? Most nail techs would admit: none. What opportunities could you have missed? Picking up your child from day care, dropping off your dry cleaning, going to the bank, and having lunch at Applebee’s. Do the people you met in the last two days have your business card and a special offer? If not, get stocked up. Put 30 business cards in your purse and plan to hand them out in the next two weeks. The nail techs who are doing this haven’t had time to read this blog yet. My wish for you is to be too busy to read this blog!

Coming next: Challenge #3: Your Team Needs To Show Off Your Work!

(If you missed it, click here to read Challenge #1: Don’t Just Sit There, Do Something!)