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Archive for the ‘Salon News’ Category

Going Green with Extensions

Wednesday, April 1st, 2009

“Recycle, reduce, reuse” … a phrase that’s become all too common during these tough economic times. It seems it has become second nature for everyone, from the stars down to all us average Joe’s, to do everything possible to stretch every dollar. And every type of company is advertising its own ways to be more green. From grocery store reusable bags, to hybrid cars, and nature safe cleaning products.

But does a recession mean our beautiful hair has to be sacrificed as well? No, according to Raquel Watter, co-owner of RikRak salon on Brickell Avenue in Miami. Raquel has invented something she calls the ”Recession Extension,” a process in which the old extensions are basically recycled — that is, removed from the head, washed, blown dry and retaped to the real hair shaft.

This new procedure is $150. Down from a pricey $600-$1000 for new extensions.

Other salons have started teaching their clients how to keep their hair healthy in between salon visits. Senior designer Linda Sherwood, of the James Bentley Salon on West 57th Street, shares recipes of home remedies with her clients, to condition their hair using items they can find in their own kitchen. For example: mashing one avocado with a half cup of milk. Apply to hair and let sit for 30 minutes. The avocado adds moisture while the milk adds shine.

I think the lesson here is that even during a recession there is no reason to make your hair take the brut of it.

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Salon Stylists as Social Workers

Thursday, November 20th, 2008

Salon’s have been a center of social activity for as long as they’ve been around. Hot spots for discussing issues, they often reveal the most intimate secrets held by any community. In a recent New York Times article, the author explores how stylists are being trained to recognize signs of domestic abuse. Here’s a clip from the article:

Martha Castillo knew her client had a problem because their weekly hair-straightening sessions were always interrupted by phone calls from a boyfriend angrily accusing her of being with another man. Magda Florentino noticed cigarette burns on a woman’s temples when she pulled back her hair for washing — and did not buy the explanation that they had happened accidentally while she was bartending.

For an excellent read, and for information on how your salon could get involved, click here.

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Hair Salon Tips For Sluggish Business

Monday, November 3rd, 2008

Business is slow all over for many salon owners as clients are going longer between cuts and scaling back on styles. With every down there is an up, and vice-versa, but it does look as though things may be sluggish for a while yet.

Hair news site Behind The Chair has a great article this month on tips to survive a (dare we say it) recession. We’ll list the first one here, but then head on over to BTC for the rest of the goods – you will need to register for a free account.

1. Spread the love
Many salon leaders think that traditional advertising is the best way to attract new clients. But the secret to new clients is actually sitting in your chair right now. That’s right, existing clients are the very best way to build your books. First of all, your clients love you, and if you simply let them know that you have some openings in your schedule and you’re trying to build your business, they will be more than happy to help. Secondly, you love your clients, so what would be better than to ask them to bring in people just like them? One important tip—be sure to reward your existing clients (with a free add-on or product) when a referral comes in. That’s the way you spread the gratitude…and the love!

Check out BTC’s article on surviving a slowing economy here.

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…pSst… I know (2) huge secrets…

Thursday, August 7th, 2008

Miley Cyrus is Hannah Montana!
AND… this teen star fancies extended hair!
Photobucket Photobucket
If you have kids or are a teen yourself, my secrets are old news. However… days ago this revelation came to me as a twenty-something-year-old lacking Nickelodeon/ the Disney Channel.  Yup a light-bulb went on and finally I sleep at night.

Recently the fifteen year old millionaire, Miley Cyrus, hosted the 2008 Teen Choice Awards on August 4th. The maybe-pre-permit-driver’s-licensed teen was photographed by paparazzi leaving Juan Juan Salon with a longer look July 27th, 2008.  Woohoo! … for Juan Juan Salon! … and Yeah! … for stylists with clientele who actually put on “Sweet Sixteen’s” for their spoiled children.  What about the average parents who want their offspring to understand the ethics/value of hard work and money?  This conversation will only end in door slammings and silent treatments across the country.  To them I am so sorry, teen-parent relationships are tricky enough.

So what is too young?  Currently there are no age laws or limits for customers sitting chair side.  Personally, I’d rather have the $1,500 nesting in a college fund than being flipped over a high school freshman’s shoulder (or get some real hair clip ins for a special event like Prom or Homecoming…duh).  Again on the optimistic side for cosmetologists everywhere; clients are showing up younger and younger.  I mean really… you can’t say no to a stage mom or the mother who wants to be a child’s BFF.  For parents out there needing backup to their “no way” argument; if the hamster’s still alive in 3 years of course you can care for your own hair extensions.  This is something for salons and hair suppliers to prepare for and look forward to.

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Fantastic Sams Hair Salons Awarded for Minority Franchising Success

Monday, November 5th, 2007

Recently Fantastic Sams, the North American salon franchise with over 1,300 stores in the US and in Canada, was recognized as being one of “50 Top Franchises for Minorities” as well as a “Top 25 Franchises for Hispanics” by the National Minority Franchising Initiative and Hispanic Enterprise Magazine.

In USA Today’s September 28th edition, “50 Top Franchises for Minorities” award noted Fantastic Sams as an exceptional system which demonstrates minority recruiting as a crucial part of its franchise system. Historical performance, market dynamics, franchisee satisfaction, on going training as well as brand identification were all considered when making the selection.

In the June/July issue of Hispanic Enterprise Magazine, Fantastic Sams was recognized for its commitment to the Hispanic business community, “This commitment is not based on altruism; it is based on sound economics. The companies noted here represent exceptional opportunities for prospective franchisees and have demonstrated a commitment to properly training and supporting you once you become a franchisee.”

According to Fantastic Sams CEO Scott Colabuono, “We are thrilled about our recent recognition by the minority business community. We want to recruit franchisees who are interested in running a business and who also understand the culture of the clients they serve.” VP of Franchise Development Jeff Sturgis added that “Prospective franchise owners for Fantastic Sams should have well developed people skills to be successful. Our best salon owners set a standard for guest service that translates into highly trained and motivated hair stylists. Our guests recognize the difference when they step into our salons.” He added, “We have become the leading full service hair salon brand by offering the best in salon services and products, and by creating a customer loyalty that sets us apart from our competition.”

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Great Clips

Monday, May 14th, 2007

Clippers and trimmers have evolved beyond the barbershop, and stylists couldn’t be more eager to welcome them into their salons. Here’s a portion of the article of the month over at Beauty Store Business magazine, by Julie Sturgeon:

When it comes to clippers and trimmers, professional stylists’ reactions have evolved from “whatever” to “what will they think of next?” And savvy beauty store owners and managers are more than happy to take advantage of their excitement. After all, this category yields 40% profit margins on larger ticket items, and the demand in the market is increasing tenfold, points out David Guerin, the global artistic director for Jarden Consumer Solutions, which includes Oster Professional Products, based in Boca Raton, Florida.

He’s not just a spokesperson—he’s also a salon owner who works behind the chair. “People in this industry are finding out that clippers are becoming as important as a pair of shoes,” Guerin says. Which means where the market once supported three major manufacturers, now more than 20 have jumped into this arena. Even the public—and the Hispanic market in particular—has seized the idea, purchasing clippers and trimmers to make their kitchen chair barbering easier and more predictable.

Click Here to view the complete article as a pdf file. You need Acrobat Reader to view pdfs.

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These Feet Were Made for Walking

Tuesday, May 8th, 2007

In the spa world, one of the up and coming trends involves providing services for tired aching feet. It’s surprising this hasn’t taken off sooner, as most people I know have a complaint of some sort regarding their feet – come the end of the day. In most other parts of the world, especially in Asia, the feet are considered a gateway to the rest of the body and reflexologists and feet practitioners can work healing magic on internal organs by massaging specific parts of a client’s foot.

Beauty Launchpad magazine has a featured article all about feet this month, and how (if you’re a spa owner or feet owner) to take care of those critical appendages. Here’s a bit of the article by Karie L. Frost:

Specialty treatments, customized services and spa-level products—the business of pedicures puts the world of relaxation and beautification at your clients’ feet.

Our poor feet. We drag them, cramp them, march them, stub them. We scrunch them into tiny shoes; we beg their forgiveness when we force them to teeter all day on stilt-like heels. We ask the world of our feet, so we should give them the world when we take care of them. Read on to learn from industry greats the latest trends in putting feet first.

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Spring Hairstyles Break Monotony of Winter

Tuesday, March 6th, 2007

Beauty Launchpad’s article of the month has a great story on the upcoming Spring styles that are sure to please, turn heads, and help you and your clients to look their best. Here’s a bit of the article by Jeryl E. Spear:

Spring hair ignites with style and color.

Flirty, girly and filled with feminine wiles, spring hair calls for coquettish to classic updos, big waves and loads of smooth hair. Say goodbye to the Rapunzel-length locks. Spring styles are shorter and have a planned mussiness that still retains shape and form.

Pops of color are giving way to subtle, multitonal designs that draw inspirations from lifestyles, nature and fashion. The latest techniques enrich the base color without garnering too much attention, resulting in blondes with light touches of platinum or glints of gold; multihued brunettes; and shimmering reds with flecks of warm strawberry blonde and cool auburn.

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Transforming Your Salon

Wednesday, February 7th, 2007

Every good spa or salon needs a make-over now and again. Interior fashions change just about as fast as the seasons – but don’t be dismayed. Launchpad Magazine has a terrific article this month on trends and tips for transforming your second home. Here’s a clip of the article by by Jeryl E. Spear:

Transform your salon from past tense to future perfect with these décor tips.

Glass blocks? Get out the sledgehammer. Gray-and-mauve interior? Spray paint the walls if you have to. If your salon has gone from chic to shabby, it’s time for a makeover. What should you expect when you spiff up your space? Short of being shanghaied by the Beauty Ambush team, updating your salon decor requires some serious planning and more than a little creativity. To get the biggest bang for your buck, see what other salons have done to smarten up their spaces.

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Working Heavy Metal, with Mettle

Tuesday, January 23rd, 2007

Beauty Store Business magazine this month has a feature article on nail implements and their use and effectiveness past and present. If you’re in the salon business, then you may already know a great deal about these must have tools, but for many owners, knowing exactly “how” to sell the tools may be a mystery. Almost as much of a mystery as describing the first nail clipper was for its inventor. Here’s a clip from the article by Kathy Kirkland:

Chapel Carter, the inventor of the nail clipper, couldn’t begin to explain today’s nailcare implements. Can you? The simple nail file has been around for centuries and is so important to our beauty-oriented culture that one was included in the 1939 New York World’s Fair time capsule. In 1896, Chapel Carter devised the nail clipper. Since those early days of nailcare implements, the improvements, variety and importance of these beauty tools have grown exponentially.

In September 2006, Information Resources Inc. reported that consumers spent $150.3 million on nail implements and accessories in the preceding 12 months, an increase of 3.6% from the year before. While this is a definite indication that the nail-implement business continues to grow, unit sales declined by 4.3%. Fewer implements were sold, but the per-unit price was higher. Thus, the industry has taken nail implements to the next level of high-tech construction, style and functionality for even greater profits for all stakeholders.

Today, there are multiuse tools and new innovations that Chapel Carter himself wouldn’t recognize or be able to explain to a prospective professional or nonprofessional customer. Can you? Knowing nail implements means being able to sell them. If you want to tap into that $150-million market some more, this product category is worth more of your attention.

For the full article, click here.

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