How your beauty business can make the most of the festive season

Maddi Cook, a salon business expert & owner of Boss Your Salon – which helps empower hair and beauty pros to price perfectly, set boundaries and grow without burnout – shares 8 ways for your business to thrive during the Christmas season.

What’s that tinkling piano? Yes, it’s only November, but Mariah is limbering up and getting ready to sweep through every speaker over the next six weeks. The festive season brings not only our favourite bangers, but also a surge in people’s spending habits. As a nail boss, this is a golden opportunity to grow your business and bottom line. Here’s how you can make the most of it…

Embrace the festive spirit

The Christmas season is the most wonderful time of the year, so immerse yourself in the festive spirit. Dig out twinkly lights and ribbons, and pop a tiny tree on your desk. Play your favourite festive tunes to get yourself and your clients in the mood.

Maximise on people’s spending habits

The festive season is synonymous with gift giving and treating your nearest and dearest. Offer gift vouchers, Christmas-themed nail art, gift sets, themed cuticle oils or even group packages to get your clients party-ready. Tap into their spending habits by creating irresistible offers that keep your schedule busy and clients feeling pampered through to the new year.

Organise your calendar ahead of time

Plan your December schedule meticulously. A well-organised calendar means you can accommodate as many clients as possible, without burning yourself out. Give yourself plenty of time for Christmas jumper nails, book a lunch break and get your clients to plan their art ahead of time, so your days can run smoothly.

Spruce up your social media pages

So many people love to feel festive, so post your content with Christmas tunes, gifs and countdowns. Pop your Santa hat on, switch on the fairy lights and show your followers your grotto – sorry – I mean, workplace. Bonus points if you spend the end of November getting your posts scheduled ahead of the busy season!

Do your future self a solid

For a lot of nail bosses, January can be a quiet month. Don’t get caught up in feeling so rushed, that you forget to re-book your client’s next appointment before they leave. Make sure you’re also making it easy for them to book, with clear instructions on your social platforms, and re-booking reminders set up on your booking software.

Prepare for the unexpected

This season can be unpredictable. Last-minute cancellations, changes in client requests or stock disruptions can throw a spanner in the works. Stay adaptable and embrace the unexpected. Make plans A, B and C, and try to stock up and prepare ahead as much as you can.

The giving season

The true spirit of the festive season is all about giving and sharing. Think about being a drop-off point for toys for your local women’s refuge, or donate a portion of your gift set sales to your favourite charity. You can use my pricing calculator, ‘Boss Your Profits’, to factor a charity budget into your prices for next year. Just visit www.bossyoursalon.com/bossyourprofits.

Don’t leave yourself as an afterthought

The Christmas rush can be overwhelming, so don’t forget to take care of yourself. Burnout is a creativity killer, and your confidence and capacity may suffer if you’re feeling run down. Most nail bosses miss out on snowy shenanigans because they’re so busy in the winter months. Book a festive afternoon tea and do secret Santa with your pals.

To ‘wrap’ up… Use any time now wisely, by scheduling your social media posts and doing a quick audit to make sure your followers and clients can easily find the information they need. Give yourself some time for something more substantial than a handful of Celebrations chocolates and take care of yourself, so you can take care of your clients. Don’t forget, you’re allowed to enjoy your own festive fun along the way!