Guidelines to Follow to Become an Effective Salon Manager

Part of the success of a salon is determined by how effective the salon manager is. A manager of a salon is responsible for overseeing all activities and people in the salon. A good salon manager will be able to be flexible and make decisions based off of each individual situation. Although there are various types of salons, there are some guidelines that a manager can follow to help maximize their salon success.

1. Scheduling. Whether a salon has commissioned or booth rental hair stylists, it is important to set the parameters of the schedule well in advance. A good practice is to create the schedule one month in advance. If the stylists make their own schedule, they should give it to the manager also a month in advance. Then the manager should create a master schedule that should be kept at the front desk. Additionally, copies should be made and given to all the staff.

2. It's all about the meetings. Regular staff meetings should be held once a month. The meeting should cover everything from salon problems, staffing issues, cleaning and also stylist successes. Offer incentive to come to the meeting such as free backbar products or have food at the meeting. Make it a positive but constructive experience.

3. Train the team. It is very important to have a trained staff. There are a lot of free resources on the internet that can help the development of the hairstylist's and also build their business skills. This will help the staff stay motivated and stay excited about being a member of the salon. The manager can decide how often training should be held. Quarterly trainings are very common in the industry.

4. Stay organized. Because all the staff members expect the manager to solve all the salon issues, the manager must be organized and they must know what is going on at all times. Create an organizational system that will help you locate paperwork such as time-off requests, tax forms, blank client consultation forms and employee profile sheets. There can be a lot of paperwork involved in managing a salon so this is a very important step.

5. Get involved. Most salon managers also work behind the chair. It is important for the salon staff to see the manager interacting with all aspects of the business. This includes cleaning, washing the towels, greeting customers, and salon marketing. They will appreciate a salon manager that is willing to do whatever they ask of their staff. This builds rapport with the salon staff.

6. Be flexible. It is essential that a salon manager stays flexible at all times. Although there are general salon rules and protocol, there are always situations that occur that will require the manager and stylist to be flexible. Empower the staff to also maintain flexibility and to do whatever it takes to make the client happy.