In the weeks following the frenzy of the festive period, the Winter months of January and February can be particularly difficult for many salon businesses and hair and beauty freelancers.

Many clients may be cutting back on their spending after Christmas and may not have as much disposable income to spend on personal grooming. Pair this with the financial difficulties many businesses face during the cost-of-living crisis, and it is no wonder many salon professionals are concerned during the colder months.

Here at Salons Direct, we want to ensure that you feel prepared for business in the Winter months; therefore, we’ve rounded up 5 of our best tips to help support your salon during the Winter months.

1. Look at your energy consumption

With energy prices currently through the roof and, unfortunately, still rising, we recommend conducting an assessment of your salon’s energy consumption to see where any savings can be made.

Some quick wins can be made by swapping out all of your halogen bulbs for energy-saving LEDs, turning off all your plugs at the mains at the end of every day and turning down the heating by just 1 or 2 degrees. You’ll be surprised at how much of a difference these small changes can make in the long run.

Another recommendation is to take a look at the government’s Energy Bill Relief Scheme to see what extra support you may be entitled to. Stay savvy on what support is out there, as it could be the deciding factor between staying open and being forced to close. If you’re looking for more guidance on reducing your energy bills, consider our comprehensive guide on saving energy and money in your salon or barbershop business.

2. Become a savvy shopper

When it comes to budgeting and scaling your spending accordingly, you can save time and money on all of your salon essentials by shopping with us at Salons Direct.

Keep an eye on our fantastic offers section, where great savings can be made on your favourite brands and products across hair, beauty, nails and barbering. We also have our regularly updated clearance section to steal a deal and our multi-buys area, where you can buy in bulk to keep costs down.

3. Stay active on social media

Social media is a fantastic way to show off your work to attract new clients through your door. Here at Salons Direct, we’ve created many salon marketing guides about utilising social media to grow your client base and your salon brand. One of our most recent guides is about using TikTok and Instagram Reels as part of your social media marketing strategy, which you may find useful, particularly if you’d like to get to grips with creating content for TikTok.

Our best piece of advice regarding social media is how important it is to remain consistent with your social media posting. You must ensure that you post regularly with high-quality imagery and videos. After all, these posts could be a potential client’s first impression of your business and the deciding factor between booking in with you or a competitor.

Don’t forget to follow Salons Direct on Social Media!

 

Discover: How to make your salon more inclusive

4. Increase your prices

It may feel uncomfortable and counter-intuitive to raise your salon prices when trying to attract new clients whilst retaining existing ones. It is however very important that you do; after all, your business is your livelihood. As the cost of running your business increases, you’ll need to cover the rising bills, staff salaries and rent costs. This aside, there are also many other reasons to raise your salon prices, such as your investment in new products and upskilling in new techniques.

If increasing your prices and establishing your profit margin is of particular interest to you, then you may find our guides on how to increase your salon profitability and how to increase your salon prices without losing clients helpful.

5. Focus on the right messaging

How you market yourself is very important. What kind of salon do you want to be seen as? Are you an alternative and edgy salon? Are you a fully vegan salon? Are you a high-end boutique salon? Are you a local salon servicing a small number of clients? However you view your business, ensure that you tell the right story through your salon marketing.

This Winter put yourself in the shoes of a client. Take a walk around your salon premises inside and out. What message does your salon exterior give to clients? What is it like to step inside your salon? Does it feel inviting? Next, evaluate your salon marketing efforts on social media. Is your content telling the right story of what your salon business is? Creating a cohesive message for your client ensures you are open and in reach of the clients you want to attract.

 

The Winter months can feel like a particularly difficult time, and the dark nights and cold, grey days don’t help.

We hope you’ve found this guide useful and have found some tips and tricks to try. 

 

Shop professional salon supplies at Salons Direct

Discover the Salons Direct blog, your trusted source for industry news, product releases, how-to guides and more!

10 New Year’s Resolutions For Your Salon In 2023 | Achieving the perfect salon consultation

Salon Professionals: How to become an educator

Follow Salons Direct on Instagram

Watch Salons Direct on TikTok