How to beat the January business blues

Tina Beaumont-Goddard, membership director at the National Hair & Beauty Federation (NHBF), shares areas to assess in your business and how to beat the January business blues…

Tina Beaumont-Goddard

More green, more clients, more profits

The new year is traditionally quieter for salons, so sees a good time to make an action plan for your business. Choosing more sustainable ways to run your salon or business will not only save you money, for example in utility bills, but will also help attract new clients who are actively looking for more eco-friendly products and services.

Our top tips include:

• Ask your local council for recycling information and advice.
• Choose products that come in biodegradable or recyclable packaging.
• Have clearly labelled recycling stations at strategic locations in your salon.
• Use biodegradable bags instead of plastic when selling retail products.
• Use biodegradable disposable towels.
• Switch to a green energy supplier.
• Use LED bulbs and lower your heating by 1°C.

You can learn more about how to implement more sustainable practises at nhbf.co.uk/sustainable.

The NHBF’s campaigning work includes fighting for eco-friendly products and services for our industry. Find out more about the campaign at nhbf.co.uk/going-green.

Motivate your staff

The new year can be a bit of a downer as the January blues set in. Remotivate your staff so they’re ready to go for the year ahead. This will ensure they feel valued and will encourage loyalty to your business.

Try these ideas for staff:

• Discounts on retail products.
• A regular ‘employee of the month’ competition.
• Friendly competition between team members, for example highest retail sales and rebooking rates.
• Remembering staff birthdays with a voucher.

NHBF members can use special offers from NHBF Rewards to treat staff. The scheme is the latest way to help you save money through a range of offers and discounts online. Find out more at nhbf.co.uk/rewards.

If a senior team member leaves, consider internal promotion as this demonstrates that progression is possible and you reward hard work and achievement. Download our free in-depth guide to managing staff performance here: nhbf.co.uk/managing-people-guide.

Training plans

Another way to make positive plans is to put a training schedule in place for your team. Look out for low-cost options, in the form of online training and in-house training. Don’t forget that staff who have attended paid-for courses can share their new knowledge and skills with the rest of the team.

If you’re worried about staff members leaving after their training, NHBF employment contracts (nhbf.co.uk/contracts), which are free for members to use, set out how much your employee will have to pay towards training if they resign during or shortly after a course you’ve paid for.