Mini Moment #6 – How to Step Away from Your Salon Without Losing Momentum

Transcript 

Welcome to Salon Rising, the podcast Mini Moments brought to you by Timely.

I'm here with my gorgeous, incredible client that I love so dearly, who owns Smooth. Hesson Brody welcome. Hi. And we wanted to talk on, what did you do to set your salon up? You were away originally for five weeks. Mm-hmm. Ended up being away for 10 months.

Yep. And your salon ran beautifully. Your team ran beautifully. The business is run financially fine. So I would love to know, for anyone that's like, I wanna walk away from my business. Yeah. Can I, can it run without me? Or I want to go on extended holiday, or I need to go on mat leave, which you are also about to do.

Mm-hmm. What were the things that you did to set up the business to allow you to step away so that you were comfortable? Yeah. Okay. So I think the first one was talking to you

about

about it and what I need to, you know, can it be possible, do you think? 'cause I was just second guessing myself a little bit.

Yes. In that area. And I.

I think getting a manager Yes. That you can fullheartedly like trust and I guess you're leaving your baby with them. Yes. As well. So, you know, my salon was my first ever baby. Yes. And I think running through everything you need to run through them. Yes. And making sure that they're confident.

In all areas that you need them to be confident in. I think we have so much that lives in our head Yeah. That you forget that that needs to be shared on. Yeah. So even starting to make a list of all of those things Yeah. That are in your head that you do for the business as you're doing them, because someone else is gonna have to take that responsibility.

Yeah. And to us, I think it's second nature. Yes. Because it's ours. Yes. So we do whatever we need it to do to run. Yes. Yeah. So I guess. Sitting down with Alex, who is my salon manager and going through, I guess number one targets because we need them to be reached for the salon to be open. Number one.

Yes. And, and I think even before I did that, I actually sat him down and. Not like to the full extent of what the salon made or what was going out, but the extent of you know, you make this yes, but this is what comes out. Yes. So he understood that, then when we went onto the targets, he knew if we only reached that, then

it's not running. Yes. Well it's breaking even, which is fine. Yes. But we need more Yes. Than that to keep the doors open. Yes. So I think running through, you know, everything in between your electricity to your supers, to your GSTs, to your water bills. To your Spotify. Yes. You know, accounts coming out. Yes. To everything.

I think it's really important to, you know, set that boundaries of saying, yes, this is what the salon's bringing in. Yeah. But this is a whole lot that's getting taken out on that weekly basis. And I think it's important because people look at figures and they're terrified of sharing figures with their team 'cause they think.

The team's gonna think that's what they make. Yeah. It's really important not to ever scare your team with numbers. Yeah. Because I think that's also a negative to not scare them and think, oh, there's no money there. We're on, debt store. Yeah. You don't want to make them feel like what they're doing is not enough.

And Yeah. We've had those conversations. Not because you did it, but because you were like, I don't want them to feel like this either. Yeah. But I think it's important because they need to know that, if there's $10,000 coming into the business, there's a good chance $10,000 is going straight out.

Yeah. You know, with wages and taxes and so that is the case, especially when you know, you got, you know, you got a four grand order Yes. That you need to pay for. Yes. So that's. It's gone. Yes. Yep. You know, at the door, that little bit you have extra. Yeah. See you later. See you later. Yeah. So I think that's really important on Yeah.

Sharing those numbers with the team. Yes. Like they don't need to know everything. Yes. But they need to know. And then they also need to know who makes up those, who makes up that 10,000. Yeah. What are the targets? How they make it up. Yeah. And is it possible, because I think if they look at that number and think that's not possible, and then you show them based on targets.

Yeah. How it's everybody just doing their role, they're like. Oh yeah, that's actually quite easy. And, and then I think the next step is obviously what I've, come to know from you as well is breaking it down Yes. As well. So if we are having a bit of a quiet week or our predictions for the week isn't reaching the target, and I'm like.

You sit down with him and you're like, all you literally need to do is divide what clients we have into what you tell me to do with the amount. And then sometimes it's like without any other new clients, no retail or sometimes added on, treatments or whatever. Sometimes it's

$15 per client. Yeah. Of what we have already coming into the salon. Yes. And then I think even just showing that number helped Alex understand that Okay, it is doable with, yes. The gaps that we do have, that you always get those, last minutes retail and k 18 treatments or plexus or anything that comes on top of that, that's normally, sometimes not booked in with your, foils or whatever.

So it was just, yeah, helping them break it down to a smaller number instead of saying, we are gonna be, $2,000 out this week. Yeah, we need to make up for it like this, then let's break it up for what we've already got and whatever we have is a bonus extra kind of thing. Yep. So, yeah. I guess getting him especially to understand, yeah.

Where the salon needed to be at. Yep. Most weeks. Like we all have down weeks. Yeah. Yeah. And they all make up. They all even out eventually. But if you can just keep that basic, just say $10,000 bracket, would be perfect. Yep. So I think understanding that, and I guess another thing that we had to go through is the ordering.

Mm-hmm. You know, not to over order. Mm-hmm. We do an order monthly, so we don't need, 10 oh oh sevens. Mm-hmm. In a nutshell kind of thing. Yes. Because we don't need them on the shelf, three of. Our main conditioners and, one of the ones that, we might sell once every three months is plenty.

Yeah, yeah. Like, we don't, that's just money sitting there. Yes. And I think a lot of people forget that there's so much money sitting in stock in your salons. Yeah. It was a huge thing for me, you know? Yeah. I reduced my ordering substantially.

Yeah. By like. $40,000. Yeah. When I took my ordering back over and I actually don't order, my reps do it for me, but they know the system that we work off. Yeah. Because same with us now too. Otherwise it's all just sitting mm-hmm. On a shelf. Yeah. Looking good. Looking good. Dusty, you're dusty as shit like.

And I think also the team don't learn how to step out of there. Boundaries and use different products. Yeah. 'cause they're like, oh, there's no seven. You are like, cool. Make it with a five. Yeah. Or a six and an eight. Like, you can do this. Yeah. Mate. We've all had stages of making a six with like a nine and a two.

Yeah. Like, come on. I, no. So yeah, I think just, yeah, going back to those kind of basics and. Making it pretty simple. Yeah. To be honest, don't overload them with this information. Like our brains are ticking over 24 7, like when you're in the salon, but to them, they just need to know that basics and what we need to reach and how to help get there.

Yep. And help the staff stay motivated. Yep. I guess it's their job, but it's hard for them to do that as well, I reckon if it's made pretty hard for them. Yeah. And while I was away yeah. He had, instead of me doing the one-on-ones, 'cause I was out of the, out of the salon you had your one-on-ones with Alex as well, which I think just helps even out hearing from someone different other than me and Yeah.

Talking to you with problems that he needed to talk to. Yeah. Which really helped him as well. Yeah. Yeah. So yeah, that was like my main base I think. Yeah. And if anyone is Yeah. Thinking on that it's financials. Mm-hmm. Because financially, if your business doesn't run, it doesn't run. Yeah. So financially, making sure the culture, they know how to run the culture, but they already were really good at that because you've got a great team.

Yeah. But then, adding the financials into it of, this is what we need to achieve, this is why, this is how we do it. And this is simple. I think we know how to run a business with it's 50 billion steps. Yeah. When you are doing it with a team member.

With a manager, it's what's most important.

Yeah. And it's things like that. And then you can add the other little tweaks that you need to make every now and then. Yeah. Or they can actually put that onto another staff member so that it's not all on their shoulders either. Yeah. Like spreading it out a little bit. Yeah. And I also just think it's the most important thing is that, number one, your manager's comfortable.

Yes. And it has to be something in there for them. Yes. So if things are running smoothly and it is all going through, then. Like have the bonus. Yes. Have that out there for them as well. Yeah. I think it's really important, they are helping you run your business. Yes. At the end of the day.

So you need to look after them the way that you would kind of wanna be looked after. Yes. Treat your manager how you would wanna be treated financially. Yeah. There's no point of you having all of this money in the bank and then having your manager walk out. Yeah. It's not worth it. No. So treat them as well and show them that you appreciate what they do too.

Yeah, absolutely. Love that. Yeah. Thank you for joining us for many moments