MODERN SALON: COSMETOLOGISTS CHICAGO IS 100 YEARS OLD. THAT IS AN AMAZING STATISTIC. GIVE US A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF SOME OF CC’S MILESTONES?

PAUL DYKSTRA: A small group of salon owners came together in 1912 to form the Chicago Hairdressers & Wigmakers Association. Their goal was to support and help each other build a better beauty profession and business. One hundred years later, that small group is today’s 9,000-member Cosmetologists Chicago (CC). I’ve heard so many anecdotes of the association’s accomplishments in my 25 years with Cosmetologists Chicago and yet CC’s goals remains the same: The members are all about giving back and helping make the beauty profession stronger.

MS: COSMETOLOGISTS CHICAGO IS BEST KNOWN FOR ITS OWNERSHIP AND PRODUCTION OF AMERICA’S BEAUTY SHOW. HOW DOES THE ASSOCIATION PLAN FOR THE SHOW EACH YEAR?

PD: Cosmetologists Chicago’s ownership of America’s Beauty Show makes it a very unique organization. Each year the management team and I take our direction for each aspect of the show from working cosmetologists who are members of CC. We don’t decide what we think members want; we listen and act Read More…

Meanwhile, the prices at Blow, a popular blow-dry spot that opened in the meatpacking district in 2006, vary from $40 to $60 for a blowout, more if flat-iron work is included. On my first visit to the salon, which also offers cut, color and nail services, I was only informed at the end of a blowout by my stylist, Chrissy, that it would cost $50 Read More…

The opening of any kind of business must take off with a bang so that people are made aware of the existence of such an entity. A beauty salon is an endeavor that survives mainly on word of mouth publicity. Because as much as you would like to believe that glossy ads will get you clients, the work and the service you provide is the only thing that will speak for itself. So, to give the people a glimpse of how well you know your job and how well you’re prepared to serve them, you need to make sure that you use some really good ideas for beauty salon grand openings, which will compel people to return and try you out. This Buzzle article has some inputs for the same. See if you like them.

Free Services
Many might consider this a very cliche method of getting attention, but they simply cannot argue with the success rate that it has. Everyone loves to get something free, whether it’s a CD player with a TV or a box of pencils with a sketching book! So, use this appeal and target the people in your locality and city or town. Entice them by offering free services on the day of the grand opening. Give away free haircuts (you can ask them to pay for the styling), manicures, pedicures and other small services that you can afford on the first day. Advertise these well using attractive flyers and maybe an ad in the local newspaper.

Goodie Bags
Giving away goodie bags is something that you need to think of with a very practical mindset. You want people to know that you use superior quality products for them, but at the same time, you need to have a decent budget for the grand opening. So, pick the goodie bag items carefully. Pick items that are universally accepted as inexpensive and people won’t judge you. You can choose a nail clipper, hair clips, head bands, lip balms, nail color, etc. Such small, inexpensive but useful things can make for some really nice goodie bags. If you want, you can organize a small contest, and the winner gets Read More…

Joico International Artistic Director Damien Carney is fortunate enough to do many things in the beauty biz—from teaching colleagues in the salon or classroom to presenting his work at hair shows and even working on the set as an editorial and creative stylist. “The latter is one of my favorite roles,” he says. “I love collaborating with a creative team on a photo set to produce the best possible images. I create the hair for the Joico photo collections, for my own collections and I’m also hired from time to time to work on sets for other fashion clients.” But no matter what he’s shooting, he says there are a few rules that he always follows to ensure he’s contributing to the creative process in the most productive way. If you’re spreading your own wings on photo sets, or even if you’re looking for insights into improving your salon work, here are 10 on-the-set tips from Damien to get you started.

1. Get on the Same Creative Page
Every photo shoot starts with an overall concept and it’s critical for every member of the creative team to completely understand that concept. Everyone must be on the same page about the purpose and vision of the shoot and how you’re all going to achieve that goal. Don’t be a diva, be a collaborator.  You’re there to add your expertise, but don’t lose sight of the fact that you’re contributing to the big picture.

2. Learn to “See” Like a Camera
Damien calls this the “third eye.” The camera often sees a hairstyle differently from what you or your client sees when you look in the mirror. Nowadays, film resolutions are so sharp that every hair appears magnified. As a result, your work might look messy, or it might look hard and unreal on film, so you have to adjust. It’s also important to be aware of where the camera will focus; if the photographer is shooting the model’s face, for example, you don’t have to spend much time worrying about the back of the head. If you’re uncertain of what the photographer is seeing, simply ask if you can look through the camera. And nowadays, most shoots are digital so you can look at each shot on the studio monitor and assess it right then and there.

3. Strive for the Oval
Whether you’re working on a client or on a model on set, the objective when creating a flattering hairstyle is always to approximate an oval face shape. The oval is the ideal, and no matter what type of look Read More…

After you acknowledge your mistake, apologize to the client and do your best to make her feel comfortable while you attempt to fix whatever went wrong, says Dodge. If it’s a serious issue, or you’re uncertain of how to address the situation, bring in your manager.

Ask the client, “How can we make this better?” Most salons will offer Read More…

Hair stylists and their clients form a  relationship that is unlike any other.

Conversations can range from the weather, kids, men, hairstyles, past and future surgeries, shopping, vacations, and everything in between. Routine appointments are also the perfect avenue to catch up on the local gossip.

Hope Copeland, 42, has owned Flaunt Salon for 15 years. She has been in the industry since attending beauty school in high school and has developed wonderful friendships over the years with clients, as well as her colleagues.

Visits to a salon are a treat for many women. On average, she said clients schedule appointments every six weeks and spend from 1½ to 2 hours for a cut and color.

“Clients come in and they shut their cell phone off; they don’t want to be bothered while they’re here,” she said. “They’ll tell you their troubles and heartaches. We try to just be good listeners.”

Stylists and others at her salon work on the goal of always making it about the client. “We make them feel special for 1½ hours. Many of them are moms, or they work stressful jobs.”

Copeland has heard just about everything in her 24 years as a hair stylist. Clients reveal deep secrets, sometimes about their personal relationships, and, if asked, she will offer advice. But for the most part, “I listen. I try to be that good friend that will just listen.”

One of Copeland’s longtime clients is Sharon Light, of Fenton Township. Light began having Copeland style her hair before she owned Flaunt. When Copeland left her former salon, Light followed. “She treats me like a princess,” said Light.

When Light was busy working full-time, Copeland worked around her schedule. Now that she is retired, Copeland continues to accommodate her schedule.

“She’s extremely talented,” Light said. “We talk about everything.

“Hope understands my hair. She understands when I need something new.”

As with many client/stylist relationships, Light and Copeland talk about movie stars and TV shows, solve political problems and talk about family and events.

finding a stylist

Your best bet might be by asking a total stranger. If you see someone on the street or at the grocery store that has a cut that you like, just stop him or her and ask. They’ll be flattered that you asked.  Read More…

Suffice it to say, there can be a large gap between the opinions of salon owners, managers, and hairdressers  about compensation.  In this article, I’d like to attempt to bridge the gap between salon staff and management, and offer a few tips to help clarify the many misunderstandings about compensation.

“There is no Universal Compensation Program”

– No one system applies to every situation. What might work in a small salon in Iowa, for example, may not work in Southern California.  Salon prices and staff wages can vary greatly coast-to-coast.

Here are  some guidelines:

Hourly compensation  or a salary based compensation package that includes incentives, benefits, based on performance, productivity, performance rewards,should have been used as a model long ago.

Keep in mind, an hourly compensation model would allow you to monitor and control labor costs, which greatly affects your  profit & loss statement.Today most salons use the commission structure.Unfortunately most hairdressers believe that  higher commissions Read more…

I was recently inspired by our team’s Fashion Director, Nathan Rosenkranz and his “go for it spirit!”

Matrix had a competition called Mannequin Mania, which ran from April 20th through July 31st. During that time, more than 10,000 mannequin heads were conceptualized and created by students, salon teams, individuals and even friends and family members of Matrix.

It was very cool—come up with an idea, create it on a mannequin, take some pictures and submit the pictures with the entry form as many times and as often as you wished. At the beginning of July, Nate decided to go for it!

Keep Your Goals a Secret
Many people believe telling others their goals will help them achieve them, but in reality, the opposite is scientifically true. It is proven that when you share a goal (i.e. running a marathon, quitting smoking, eating better), just by sharing the goal you reduce almost by half the chance that you will even do it. Why? Because when you tell someone you are going to do __________ (fill in the blank), the person you tell congratulates you on your intent and to your mind it puts you closer to your goal. The more people you tell, the closer you get in your mind to your goal, which ultimately translates into workout equipment that never got used, races that were never run and smoking habits still going strong. Nate went for it before he told everyone. Read more…

Fifteen years ago, it was “The Rachel.” Twenty years before that, it was “The Farrah.” And those are only two examples of iconic hairstyles that have graced thousands of heads over the last hundred years. But can there be another? With today’s trend toward individualism, colorist and Matrix Artistic Color Director, Patrick McIvor, and stylist and L’Oreal Professionnel Portfolio Artist, Amit Abraham, say it isn’t likely.  Read more…

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Spa and Salon Software Can Manage Many Facets of Your Business

Spa appointment software is beneficial in that it keeps a cohesive record of appointments in one place. These programs can also track employees, as well as their hours and sales, along with the list of their clients and what procedures those particular clients had. Software can even give discounts and keep track of specials that employees are charging their customers. The sales of the employees can  be tracked; there are bar code readers and gift card capabilities of some of the software programs.

Software has the capability to track employee sales commissions, hourly wages, insurance deductions, federal and state withholdings, print checks and tax forms. The computer can act like a register and print sales receipts, sales reports, and track the operator and the sales.

Track Client Information

Client files are tracked with software, it keeps the clients history, contact information, purchases and visits. The software also stores inventory control, generates bar codes and price labels. It  helps with marketing by printing or sending, postcards, letters, birthday cards, specials and anniversaries. It allows the computer systems to automatically back up and it keeps track of sales tax.

Track Advertisements and Promotions

A spa relies on advertisement, word of mouth and quality services, and with the software management system all of these are taken into consideration and they are catered to. The best way to increase sales and employee satisfaction is to keep track of behavior and sales. This can open a door for improvement and higher quality.

For Large and Small Businesses

Any successful business keeps record of its employees, products and clients and the best way to do that is with a software management program. There are different types of programs available that can keep track of large spas and small ones. The programs are equipped to track as few as one and up to dozens of employees, and it can track hundreds and thousands of clients. Every spa owner wants to be able to drum up new business by being able to offer the most advanced techniques and services to their client. That is where word of mouth and more business comes from.

Try Some Free Demos Today!

If you’re interested in the software that’s available you can try a salon software free demo from a variety of providers. See what’s out there and hopefully you’ll find a package that’s perfect for your spa or salon!

From IT/Technology Tech! – Q&A