THE BOTTOM LINE

Salon Managers Are the Heartbeat of Your Salon Business
 
It does not matter how large or small your salon is, the person who oversees the management is the one who keeps it running and profitable. If that is you, or if it is someone that you hire, you have to know that you or they are knowledgeable in a number of different areas of the business world to make sure things are done right.  A salon manager is not just the person who hires stylists and works to get the chairs filled with appointments, but is often the one who monitors payroll and hours, verifies inventory, chemical use compliance, health department standards and codes, takes care of the banking, and many other duties. It is imperative that the person taking care of these and so many more tasks in your salon know what is expected and how to handle the work. Impeccable salon management training is important for the success of your business.

Why Salon Management Courses Are Critical to Your Salon’s Success
 
Whoever manages your salon has to have their finger on the pulse of the entire business, not just a part of it. They need to be able to be pro-active as well as reactive, whether making sure there is enough traffic to keep the chairs full, or handling the desk or callbacks to customers to confirm appointments, or to move them when there is an emergency change in the schedule of a preferred stylist. Sadly, too many salon owners think being able to fantastically cut hair means a person has the business knowledge to run the salon, including hiring, releasing, and training staff, making sure the stylists are meeting their end of the agreements, that maintenance is done daily in the location, and that customer’s needs are kept in the forefront of everyone’s mind so the traffic (and profits) of the salon stay solid. Most stylists do not have the background in those kinds of tasks, but many who decide to step up can learn the skills necessary to successfully run a salon.  A well-regarded salon management program can help them learn those skills and set them on the road to success. 
 
This kind of proactive information also applies to when a stylist changes salons, or the salon moves. Your customers are not going to like having a change from their regular person be sprung on them when they have already waited for an appointment to learn “their person” is not there, or they arrive on time to discover a sign on the door with the new location. As crazy as it sounds, this happens far too often with established salons, often hoping to salvage following from a former person, or just simply having the attitude that if the customer wants something they will get found. That attitude turns into the customer finding something all right – a new salon or their old haircutter, elsewhere.
 

Time and Cost Effective Salon Management Courses Online
 
Many salon owners or managers are also stylists, or have another skill that fills a need in a spa, such as being an esthetician. Their time is valuable and often sitting in classes during what little free time they have is not a good option for them to learn what they need to in order to manage a location well. This is where the web comes into play as a huge help to level the field with salon management classes that can be taken online. They are usually self-paced and offer a wide variety of information and lessons to cover all aspects of salon management, from basic bookkeeping and how to interview and hire employees to writing a salon front desk training manual. While a manual might not seem important, a manual can serve to answer questions when a stylist grabs the phone or someone needs information that is not commonly referenced. The more knowledge a salon manager is and provides and trains their staff, the more effective and efficient the salon will operate and improve over time.
 

What to Look For In A Salon Management Course
 
A good salon manager may or may not be a stylist, and may or may not have a solid business background. It is important they are responsible, honest, have solid customer service skills, and can manage both time and people. Besides making sure the salon is open and closed on time, and that budgets are created and met, bills are processed and paid, supplies are on hand, clean, and accounted for, licensing is current, health and code compliance is met, and basic marketing is done, a salon manager also has to deal with customers and technicians who often see the salon as kind of a semi-private, personal space. Attention to customer relations is very important, as is making certain that stylists and technicians do their part, have a cooperative attitude, and play by the rules while providing quality services. Salon business classes that help a salon manager learn the job, or improve their skills, are a good investment to making certain your salon is run like a business, and a profitable one at that. 
 

Good Salon Management is What Grows Your Business
 
Even a one-person show with a chair in your converted garage is a beauty company that needs managing. Beauty salon management covers every aspect of business required by any retail service industry. The person who manages your salon may well not have a certificate in barbering, cosmetology, a massage license, or other technical skill. They may or may not be financially involved in the salon from an ownership standpoint. They are, however, responsible for your success and profitability, as well as return on investment in your salon. It is not just enough to assume a person that says they can manage really has the knowledge and skills to manage all the needed aspects to make sure your salon or spa runs well. Providing yourself, or them, the opportunity to take quality coursework that expands their knowledge, keeps them on the forefront of the industry, and helps them understand the ever-changing marketplace keeps your salon at the top in your area. It is not enough for a salon manager just to unlock the doors and make coffee for customers in the morning. They need to know how to attract customers, what local marketing works, how to keep social media buzzing for the benefit of your spa, and how to handle customer inquiries and comments. 
 
Look into courses your salon manager can take, not only to gain skills or improve them, but to provide perspective. Utilizing online courses is a great way to not take them away from the salon for days, just to sit in boring classes about the latest trends in neon hair dye. They need to know what the new laws are for health code requirements, what training they need to conduct for every staff member for compliance, controlling turnover in stylists and technicians, and how to increase per ticket transactions for each and every member of the team. Helping them to see themselves as a team leader that sets the example creates an environment where your employees will feel needed, essential and able to win and grow within. This means you retain staff and will see your business improve due to atmosphere, attitude, and positivity your customers sense when they walk in your door. Salon management courses need to be about everything from accounts payable to tasteful salon layout and design. The more you empower your salon manager, the more they can successfully work for you – and your bottom line.