A decade has passed and ROAR Hair & Beauty- an award-winning, inclusive hair salon group in Glasgow- prides itself on its incredible customer service, a tight knit team, and the gorgeous hair looks they create.
Creative Director and Owner, Brian ‘Leo’ McCallum shares his top tips on how to run a salon smoothly, even after 10 years:
Get an accountant
Seems like an obvious statement for any business owner, but hiring an accountant helps salons manage complex industry finances, stay compliant with tax laws and improve profitability.
Nurture the team
Building a strong, cohesive team is vital for your business. Motivated stylists perform better, increasing salon reputation and sales revenue.
Pick the right people
Your team is the face, hands and heart of the business. A salon is a tight, shared environment and having one person who bring a negative, toxic or unmotivated vibe to the salon can have a massive impact and destroy team morale.
Make sure you have a clear mission, vision and values for the team
These three pillars act as the foundation of your salon – a shared vision acts as a ‘North Star’, keeping everyone heading in the same direction. Team members feel more driven and take greater ownership when they understand the bigger purpose behind their work.
Say yes to opportunities
Whether it’s behind the chair, in a team or in day-to-day operations, saying yes to opportunities is important for skill development, career growth and industry reputation.
No big egos
At ROAR, it is important to leave your ego at the door! When an individual ego dominates it can create a toxic atmosphere where clients feel alienated and the team have difficulty working together. Instead, we prioritise working together, motivating each other and creating an atmosphere that has clients excited to return to.
Remember: Being a good hairdresser doesn’t mean you’re a good business owner
Believing that a good hairdresser automatically means you’re a good business owner is one of the biggest things that leads to failure. Understanding that a salon is not just a place to do hair is crucial – it demands leadership, financial management and operations in place to run smoothly.
Learn the numbers
When we don’t understand the numbers, we fall into the trap of working harder instead of smarter. Making strategic tweaks that yields bigger results can impact the salon massively.
Educate, don’t sell
Shift the teams mindset from ‘selling products’ to ‘prescribing haircare’. Encourage them to use their knowledge to help clients maintain their hair.
Have fun!
Customers can easily sense positive energy, making them feel welcomed and relaxed. A fun environment benefits the team and the clients.