What is a Salon Owner Journey?

Every successful salon owner follows some sort of system. It’s the basis of all the work you do. And the stronger the foundation, the better results you get. Salon owners are the ultimate entrepreneurs. They are filled with passion and dedication like nobody else. They have incredible vision for the things they want to create, both in their business and the creative work they provide.
Most salon owners start their career as stylists. They develop their skills on the creative side of the business. They build tremendous value with their clients and often get to know them personally. The great stylists are quick learners and they thrive on education and learning new techniques. Some are wildly creative while others love the concepts and they become masters at the fundamentals.
Somewhere along the way, a shift occurs. The stylist is thinking about the next step in their career. Many become educators either within their own salon or maybe an ambassador for one of the hair product lines they’ve been using. Some stylists may take on more of a management role in their salon. Many times, the stylist will move to another salon for new inspiration. Again, these are creative people that need to grow and try new things.
Then, there are the few who get the idea to become a salon owner and do their own thing. This idea can come to them in a number of ways, but once they get the idea to be their own boss, it’s hard to stop that dream from manifesting in everything they do. Soon they begin envisioning how the salon will look and feel. They begin to imagine the feeling of making their own choices, more money, having freedom, flexibility, be more artistic, and serving people in a way they believe.
You go for it and open the Salon you have been dreaming about! “I wanted to have a place where people could come and not only feel beautiful but also get that extra special attention that generates excitement and an amazing experience.” So the day finally comes and you go for it. You set up your business plan, come up with a name & logo, get a website, incorporate a company, borrow some money, design your space, enlist a few friends/stylists, hire a front desk person, reach out to your clients, and launch a grand opening.
Congratulations, you did it, you’re in business! It’s an exciting first 6 months. The buzz around you is addicting. Friends and family come to see your new space. You get a lot of great support and encouragement. Everything is new so clients are excited for you and there’s traffic coming to the salon. New customers and stylists want to hear about your service you provide and the opportunities. There is a great feeling of accomplishment. After all, it was a lot of work to get everything ready and make the transition. There were many things that popped up unexpectedly but you dealt with it all and got through it. You should be proud of this achievement. Nobody really understands the stress and anxiety that comes with opening a salon.
Now it’s the REAL deal… However, as much as you want to celebrate and enjoy the feeling of finally being open, there is a reality you soon discover. Opening the salon was just the beginning of a long journey. You took the first step, which might be the biggest step, but it’s not the toughest. Now you have to RUN a company. You quickly realize that running the business is much different than the dreams and visions you had been imagining for all that time leading up to this.
Now you have to think like a business owner. You need to learn and manage everything that goes into running a successful business. Things like banking, interviewing, hiring, training, compensation, taxes, inventory, cash flow management, marketing, outsourcing, and the list goes on…
You have a Business to run… All these things start coming at you non-stop. You have to deal with these things so you do the only thing you can do… work! You work like crazy, putting in long hours, weekends, working on your days off. Everything takes time, and one project leads to another. Meanwhile, you still have to do hair and make money so that just adds to your workload. It becomes a constant cycle that never stops and doesn’t seem to have any end in sight. Sounds pretty grim right. But actually there is good news. It doesn’t have to be that way. I believe that as a salon owner your business can serve YOU to the same level and depth that you serve your clients. You can take back control of your business and NOT become a slave to it.
Many Salon Owners feel stuck… They feel there is never enough time to focus on the business and get the important things done. I often work with salon owners that feel frustrated, unprofitable, burnt-out, overwhelmed, and trapped in the cycle of running a business. No matter what they do and how many systems they put in place, how many books they read and implement, they still feel there is never enough time to get everything done and they will never be good enough. Many salon owners feel that way. When they’re working in the salon they feel like they should be at home with family, and when they’re at home they feel like they should be at the salon with their team and clients.
But let’s not forget, we picked this industry because we wanted to make people look and feel good. We could have picked any other industry, but we picked this one because of the impact we can make on other’s lives…we just have to make sure we take care of ourselves too! And believe me, it is possible to build a business that makes you feel and look good…one that doesn’t have to leave you drained and feeling like you’re a slave to it. I know this because I did it!
I was a salon owner for 17 years… I became an owner for the same reasons you did…I wanted to make my own choices, more money, have freedom, flexibility, be more artistic, and I truly loved serving people. I wanted to have a place where people could come and not only feel beautiful but also get that extra special attention that generates excitement and an amazing experience.
However, I soon found myself becoming a slave to the “time devil”. I worked so many hours and gave up so many things I wanted to do. Many times I was worried about making payroll or taking a paycheck big enough to afford what I wanted for my family. I felt that if I had more employees I could have more flexibility and time. It was exhausting and unsustainable. I felt that I was working for my business, instead of my business working for me. I realized had to change. I had to put all my energy towards creating a company that didn’t run me, but actually worked for me. I looked outside of my salon and my industry for help, and I researched what other successful salon and business owners were doing too. Sadly, I found out that 70% of small business owners close their doors between 1-7 years. And, only 5% of the remaining 30% thrive. I knew I wanted to be part of that 5%!! YES, I wanted to thrive and have freedom… I wanted to own my business and not have the business own me!
So, I implemented all of what I learned and developed a proprietary methodology built on the core principles that every company must have to be successful, and more importantly, sustainable. When I realized what this new model did for my life and my family, I decided that instead of owning a salon, my new mission and passion would be to become a salon business coach and train other salon owners on how to run a business that supported their dreams. I wanted to offer guidance on how to create and enjoy more freedom, wealth and happiness. “I realized had to change my mindset. I had to put all my energy towards creating a company that didn’t run me, but actually worked for me”.
Working By Design to Achieve Your Goals… The funny thing is, many salon and spa owners might think that a stressful unfulfilled life is part of any normal entrepreneur’s ups and downs and never-ending craziness.
But it does not have to be. When you have clarity on what you actually want, it’s easier to get it! I often ask owners, how much money they want to bring home each month and to imagine their perfect day/week/year and how they want their business to serve their life legacy. Most people get very sensitive; some are at a loss for words, and many breakdown and cry.
The truth is, no matter what your story is, you can rewrite it with purpose and design to achieve the goals that matter to you. You can build a road map that allows you take complete control of your business. You can learn how to communicate your vision to staff and clients, and empower your team to join you and align their career goals with the mission of your salon. All this is achievable by implementing a few key concepts which are the foundation of any thriving business.
Most of us were never trained as Business Owners… When we all first started our careers, we were focused entirely on becoming stylists and beauticians. Our cosmetology training was completely based on creative and technical aspects of hair design and beauty care. As we grew, we learned more advanced techniques and naturally became great at working with clients in a creative way. We became true artists and built our skills around the trade of the business.
However, we were never trained to be business owners. To learn how to manage people, and implement business systems for clients and staff to follow. We weren’t taught the right things to do and the mistakes to avoid. Instead, we were on our own to figure things out.
Has Your Business become the greatest source of STRESS in Your Life?  What I’ve found is that many salon owners often feel stuck in their business and barely make any money. They worry they’re failing as owners. They struggle to communicate their vision with their team and always feel alone when trying to make the right decisions. They wish they could travel and spend more time with their family. Most of them feel stuck behind the chair and never have enough time to focus on the actual business. They are always trying some new promotion or idea hoping to bring more clients or more employees to the salon, but it just doesn’t work. The reality is their situation will NEVER improve until they shift their way of thinking as a technician to the mindset of a CEO, and implement a few core principles that will allow them to build more wealth and create a company that can almost run itself.The better way is to use a business model that is designed to create a solid foundation in your company that you can learn and follow and maintain on a consistent basis.
A Salon Coach can save you Time & Money… A good salon business coach will help you achieve that. Our company not only teaches, but we implement systems with you and we create a blueprint with you that is custom designed the way your company is meant to work. Our program, SALON CADENCE, is a complete system, which covers all the critical pieces of running a successful salon. It’s so important that you find a coach who understands the complete model, not just one or two pieces. So, when you look for a salon business coach, you need to make sure your not just learning one aspect of the business, because each core principle is integrated with the overall system. One piece on it’s own won’t get you the transformation you need.
It’s OK to get help in order to Transform Your Business… When I finally hired a coach to help me in my salon, the results came quickly and soon I was running my company with clear direction and confidence. The impact was immediate and my knowledge and understanding of business systems exploded. That was the beginning of a complete transformation for me. You can learn more about finding the right coach on our article, Finding the Right Beauty Business Coach. So whether you go any further with my company, or use another coach, the important thing is to GET coaching and find the RIGHT coach for you.
The Three Most Important Building Blocks… Every successful beauty salon owner, or any business owner really, must follow an INTELLIGENT Business system. You must understand three core principles that every salon needs to thrive and build a sustainable, growth oriented business. Here are the foundation building blocks that we use with every client. Within each of these three areas… we teach, develop and implement several layers that will collectively build the complete business model. The three core principles are:

• MINDSET
• WEALTH
• FREEDOM

Let’s begin by understanding MINDSET… You have to get really clear on how you want your business to serve you. Do you you have clarity on what your ultimate goals are in terms of financial, social and professional needs? We work on refining your vision and getting crystal clear on your goals, because, if you don’t know what your goals are, you will never achieve them. We then work on your mindset, developing your intelligent and emotional strength so you have the conviction needed to get the job done. We help you transform your mindset from “I can’t do it” to “I can and will make it happen!”.
Building your mindset is the most overlooked aspect of running a business. In order to make long-lasting change, you need to have the ability to block out the stress, anxiety and overwhelm that you struggle with on a daily basis. To knock out limited beliefs and consistently operate in a beautiful state of mind. It’s impossible to get caught up in the constant challenges of running a business and not be frustrated. As both a salon owner, and a salon business coach, I work daily on my mindset so I can continue to create and perform at the highest level. This is something you will need to start doing too. Here is a list of the things we work on in the Salon Cadence program:
Building a Powerful Mindset is key to make long-lasting change and blocking the stress…
Here are the Key Steps to Building Your Mindset:

• Create a detailed vision board of goals for your business and personal life. As visual artists, this is so helpful and valuable. It allows us to create and visualize the perfect “10” for ourselves. These images become our guide towards transformation.
• Develop a road map for your business with actionable milestones for accountability.
• Work on creating time and space in your daily life (both work & personal). You will learn and commit to a calendar and learn how to intentionally create space to do the things that are important in your success.
• Learn how to use effective outsourcing for things that are taking you away from the business and personal time.
• Integrate self care into your daily routine. This includes things like exercise, diet, nutrition and meditation.
• Train your mind. The mind is the most powerful piece of technology you own. But if you don’t know how to use it properly, to achieve goals, then it will serve you in the wrong way. I work extensively on the power of mindset.

Next we’ll talk about building WEALTH… You have to get really clear on your true numbers and know how they impact your business. Creating wealth in your business happens in many forms and we use proven methods and techniques to increase profits and build consistent earnings that align with your goals. This really gets at the heart of your success. You simply can’t fake profitability, and if you don’t understand how to create predictable cash flow, then you’ll always struggle.
So many salon owners simply don’t know their numbers. To properly set goals, you must have clear knowledge of things like cost per hour, revenue per hour, expenses compared to revenues, revenue per time standards and productivity across your entire team.
Once I committed to learning my numbers in my salon, that’s when things changed. It wasn’t easy but it was essential to the success of my business. I became obsessive on the key metrics and how to make the important decisions and choices that had a huge impact on my numbers.
The key to building wealth in your salon and personal life requires knowledge of the numbers…
Key Steps to Building Your Wealth:

• Economics of your company. Understand how the financials work. Basic bookkeeping and accounting. How to read financial statements, but more importantly what they mean.
• Salon performance benchmarks. Learn the essentials in evaluating the performance of your financials, your staff, your client retention and all the numbers you need to know to understand the true state of your salon. This includes cost per hour, productivity & client retention.
• Plan your profit. Listen, if you are not strategically planning your profit, then you’re planning to have no profit. This is the most important thing every salon owner should learn. Most owners simply work hard, provide services, make sales, pay bills, and then hope there is money left over at the end of the month. This system will NEVER get you to the next level.
• Implement a retail program for client services. Your staff needs to understand and learn how to include multiple retail options during every service they provide. There needs to be an education process for the client that happens throughout the service. Once your team starts integrating this method in their service, retail sales will easily double and client retention will grow.

Now let’s talk about building true FREEDOM… The ultimate goal of any entrepreneur is having the freedom of time to FOCUS on what’s important. But as we now know, the business often controls the owner, and that couldn’t be more true than for salon owners. Everyday is a new adventure in salons. Clients running late, staff calling in sick last minute, stylists running behind and the phone ringing nonstop while customers are waiting to cash out. Then there are the regular things like employee situations, salon traffic, entertainment, music, etc… not to mention the fact you’re probably doing clients in your own chair throughout the day with everything else going on. As an owner, you can easily find yourself reacting to one thing after the next. Suddenly your day seems to have no purpose other than being there to answer everybody’s questions and handle problems. If you had a plan, it’s usually out the window by the time finish your first cup of coffee.
Creating freedom is about having control over all these things and truly building a business model that is flawlessly designed and implemented for all your staff and clients to follow. The list below lays out the essentials to creating a calm happy work environment and smooth flow throughout the day. Once you’ve implemented these things, you will begin to step back and watch your business practically run itself.
Creating freedom is about having control and building a business model that is flawless…
Key Steps to Building Your Freedom:

• Decide whether you want to be a stylist, or truly become the CEO of your business. So many salon owners struggle with this. They can’t let go of their clients and are consistently booked 40 hours a week. Trying to run a company from behind the chair is a game you just can’t win. The most successful salons either have an owner that spend 80% of their time running a company, not doing hair.
• Client Engagement. Learn to create a legendary client journey. You need a flawless system of handling clients from the moment they begin their relationship with your salon. This includes everything to how they are handled on the phone, at check-in, throughout their time in the salon, consistent communication across the entire team, check-out, pre-booking, follow-up, etc. The most important thing is to have a company-wide system in place that all team members learn and follow.
• Employee Journey. Everything from hiring the right talent to loving your team. Just as there is a client journey, there also needs to be a journey for your staff members. This includes everything from interviewing, hiring, on-boarding, training, and development. Your team members are also your clients. In fact, they are your most important clients and you need to provide a blueprint for them to grow and be wildly successful.
• Signature Consultation. We teach how to have crystal clear communication during each and every client. The benefits of a perfect consult will guarantee the client has complete engagement and buy-in to the service and next steps. The staff will LOVE the results and thrive as they become experts at the communication of the service, salon values and customization for their clients.
• Automation Systems happens with every salon procedure and guideline. We help you build a salon manual with each and every system that you implement. You develop a training set of procedures that holds everyone accountable. It will create a level of professionalism across your entire team and allow the true leaders to flourish and enable you to empower them to keep each other on track.
• Branding and Marketing is not just about social media and advertising. It’s about building a tribe of heroes in your community. There are endless ways to create a buzz through events and getting involved. Once you create the time and space and freedom in your business and life, you’ll be able to create and develop meaningful relationships. Your commitment and contribution to the many things around you will open an entire world of friends and loyal customers that will bring referrals and endless opportunities to your salon.

If you implement these key steps, then I promise, you can absolutely build the salon of your dreams! As I mentioned, there are many good coaching companies in the industry. SALON CADENCE is our program and methodology. It’s a complete system from A to Z that we help you learn and implement. Every step is critical to the next. Once I incorporated these core principles into running my salon, I launched my business into an entirely new level, doubling sales and creating massive freedom for me and fulfillment for my team. I have seen the success of countless other owners that I’ve coached. The program can help you transform your company from a cash-eating monster to a positive cash flow company that allows you to be the CEO of your life! If you would like to learn more, visit my website at ronitenos.com where you can request a complimentary coaching call with me or one of my coaches. We love connecting with salon owners and sharing information. If you are a high achiever salon owner with a passion to succeed, then these are the building blocks that will take you to that next level. Good luck on your amazing journey!