At some stage in your salon career, it’s likely you’ll want a new learning curve. It’s not uncommon for beauty professionals, particularly those who have been in the industry for many years, to want to transition into a salon management position.
Like all roles within the beauty industry, beauty salon management is more complex than it might initially seem. Great management isn’t just about spreadsheets, long to-do lists, stock counts, and developing staff rosters: It’s also about being an impressive leader who can inspire your team into great action. Managing a salon is an exciting and dynamic role that requires specific skills and knowledge.
To explain how to become a great salon manager, the team of experts at Queensland beauty school Demi International are here to give some necessary tips. Whether you’ve just been offered a management position or already manage a salon but would like to be more effective in your role, read on to discover our top tips for aspiring salon managers.
1. Develop strong communication skills
Communication is the cornerstone of any successful business, but this is particularly true in people-oriented environments like salons. Effective salon management requires you to communicate respectfully with all employees, co-workers and customers at all times.
Communicating clearly and effectively will help you set clear expectations for your staff and assist with developing great relationships with your clients. As a bonus, good communication skills can also help you manage complaints and client expectations.
2. Build your dream team
Our second essential beauty or hair salon management tip is to think carefully about your team composition and hiring practices. Managers often make the common mistake of hiring people who have similar personalities, skill sets, and approaches to them.
Instead of doing this, aim to build a team with a diverse set of strengths and skills. This might mean looking for staff with different hair and beauty qualifications, or experience in different parts of the industry. In all cases, empower your staff to contribute their ideas and encourage healthy debate and discussion. By building an open, communicative environment, your team will feel more inspired to work towards success.
3. Don’t be afraid to try something new
In beauty and hair salon management as in life, things aren’t set in stone. Even if you’ve got standard processes in place, regularly review these to ensure they’re still working well, and make adjustments if they aren’t. Flexibility and the ability to adapt to change will help you in the long run and are key characteristics of successful businesses.
Once you’ve hired your dream team, explore new ideas with your staff and encourage innovative thinking – and actually listen to their ideas! Innovation doesn’t come from doing things the way everyone else does them: It comes from being willing to step away from the norm and try something new.
4. Get qualified
Completing a salon management course with a reputable beauty school gives you the opportunity to learn from experts who’ve been in a similar position to you. Not only will you get to learn knowledge and skills from expert professionals, but you’ll also get hands-on practical experience that can help you grow your management skills.
A well-rounded course will go beyond hair and beauty skills and dive deeply into leadership, communication, planning, business, service, and sustainability. All of these skills can then be transferred to your chosen career path, whether this is as a beauty or hair salon manager or manager in a health retreat or aboard a cruise ship.
5. Never stop learning
The hair and beauty industry is fast-moving and constantly evolving, and there are always opportunities to upskill and offer your clients new and cutting edge services.
Constantly growing your skills and knowledge isn’t just a way to enhance your professional and personal development – it’s also a great way to grow your salon menu and attract new clients.
If you’re looking to take your career in beauty or hair to the next level, learning how to become a salon manager could be the right path for you. Follow our tips above to become the best manager you can be and set yourself off on a pathway to success.
To learn more about studying salon management at any of Demi International’s three campuses, get in touch with their friendly team today!
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