Beauty salon, 81 Rose Garden is known far and wide for its whimsical interiors that offer clients an escape from the ordinary. Offering hair, makeup, nail, brow & lash treatments and more, this salon is not just a pretty face – it has also mastered the art of customer service. We chatted to their Marketing expert, Adam Lowe for this month’s Salon Design of the Month feature to find out more…
How did the business begin?
Our owner, Jennifer has run a successful tanning business for over 15 years. During this time, it grew into nails and beauty, too. Much of Jennifer’s youth was spent working in the hair care industry and she had always dreamt of opening her own hair salon. So, when the premises next door became available, she jumped at the chance! Initially thought out to just be a blow-dry bar, we quickly combined the nail & beauty departments, adding in an aesthetic clinic, makeup artists and additional elements of hairdressing, such as hair colour services. We definitely didn’t anticipate the business to grow and expand as quickly as it did, but now we have a team of 20 working with us.
How did you decide upon the aesthetic of the salon?
With a name like Rose Garden we knew we wanted to create something beautiful. Luckily, we have an amazing in house interior designer, Jennifer who’s introducing something new and different to the salon practically every week! We really wanted to create an experience and destination for our clients to enjoy. The salon’s interior style is eclectic to say the least! Jennifer has an eye for mixing non-conventional interior styles that really shouldn’t work, but somehow, they just do! Her main influences were aspects of Alice in Wonderland, the Art Deco era & incorporating a menagerie theme. Our favourite features are definitely our floral feature walls.
Related: How to Design and Plan Your Salon Professionally with Salons Direct
How do you stand out from your competitors?
Having a gorgeous salon interior is great for attracting clients. But, one of our biggest hurdles has been that this can intimidate some people, so it’s important for us to change that perception when they come in to the salon.
How do you think social media has influenced our industry?
Social media for us has been a massive factor in building our brand and generating business. Everything is online now and as a modern salon we didn’t think that should be overlooked, we encourage all our staff to post as much content as possible via their profiles. Advertising on Facebook and Instagram allows us to connect with current and potential clients which is invaluable. Our social media ethos has always been to have fun with it, keep it professional and business related but always keeping in mind it’s the first impression the client gets before setting foot in the salon.
Related: Social Media Marketing for Salons
How do you keep up to date with the latest industry trends?
Again, social media! Clients always get their phones out at the start of the appointment to show us what they want. Our favourite was when someone came in with a hand drawn diagram of what they wanted creating on each nail!
What do you think makes a successful salon?
The clients’ experience above anything else. There are so many elements combined that factor into our success, but always at the forefront is to satisfy the client. Our top tips for making a clients visit memorable are –
- Pride yourself on being personable! We love getting to know our clients, little things like remembering what drink they have goes a long way.
- Make the clients appointment an escape. Make everyone feel pampered ensuring it’s something they look forward to! We love when clients say visiting the salon is the highlight of their week.
- Constantly ask for feedback from your clients. We email every client after their appointment offering them a chance to give feedback. It helps our staff improve & grow.
- Last but definitely not least, keep the salon clean!
What advice can you give to others wanting to open a salon?
Make it different! Do your research, see what’s popular or where the gaps in the market in your area are. Don’t underestimate social media and how much it can benefit your business!
What are some of your favourite products and tools to use in the salon?
- Cloud Nine ‘’The Touch Iron’’ is a staple favourite with our stylists for creating our signature lazy waves.
- Kevin Murphy Shimmer Shine. A repairing shine mist for finishing our client hair. By far our most popular product.
What can we expect from you in 2019 and beyond?
We’re currently in the process of creating a second salon, developing nail products and much more!
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