As a salon owner it is important to manage your time effectively to ensure that your salon runs smoothly, stays competitive and that your staff remain engaged and happy in their jobs.

With many areas of your business to keep an eye on, it can be overwhelming to remain organised and efficient, and many salon owners find themselves stretched for time trying to achieve more and more. It is important to develop a smarter workload regime to ensure your salon continues to leap from strength to strength.

1. Block out time for specific tasks…

 

Whilst it is difficult to avoid unexpected events cropping up, try and focus on one task at a time. We recommend blocking out your day using a loose schedule. It makes good business sense to find yourself in a routine of completing certain tasks at a certain time. This way staff will also know not to bother you and be aware that you are focusing. For example, if you need to create next week’s rota and prepare documents for payroll, make time in your day to work on those tasks and nothing else until they are done.

Hopping from task to task reduces productivity and can mean that the important things get cast aside in place of the more day-to-day situations such as answering calls or losing track of time speaking with staff. A week-to-view diary may be a helpful tool to see exactly what needs doing and when it needs completing by.

2. If you know it has to be done… do it!

 

When we know a deadline for a task is looming, we are more likely to complete it and blitz a number of other things in the process because we are feeling productive. However, make sure that your working day is for exactly that – working. Avoid using your own downtime to complete too much extra work. Make time to catch up on emails and only get done what you can in the allotted time.

3. Preparation is key…

 

To ensure that you stay organised as a salon owner, ensure that paperwork such as a new starter handbook, salon rules and any information sheets are all prepared in advance and in multiple numbers. This saves you time preparing things on the moment and wasting time that you could be spending with clients or working on the business development of your salon.

4. The power of saying no…

 

It is often the case that when an issue arises, staff may panic and immediately seek out your advice, even though they could have quite easily have managed the situation themselves. You cannot do everything and by telling people “no” you are enabling your staff members to find a solution themselves. Multiple interruptions throughout the day are not productive, so delegate responsibility to the right staff members who can take the reins should certain situations arise.

 

Related: Picking the right employees for your salon

5. Set daily and weekly goals…

 

Knowing what you want to achieve and when can really help increase productivity. Set small, manageable goals for the day, or even the week, and what you accomplish may surprise you. Put the mundane jobs to the front of your list, whether that’s stocktaking, deep cleaning or a stack of emails, and if you get those tasks done earlier, you have much more time to concentrate on bigger things, such as staff development or marketing.

 

Related: How to effectively market your salon on social media

By organising your time as a salon owner effectively and efficiently, you are prioritising your business and creating more time to focus on its development and growth.

Head over to our FACEBOOK and TWITTER pages for more useful #SALONMANAGEMENT hints and tips on setting up a salon.

Other posts in the Salon Management series: EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT OPENING YOUR OWN SALON | HOW TO BUILD LOYALTY WITH YOUR CUSTOMERS