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Electrolysis, the only permanent hair removal method |
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YOU’VE HEARD it before; “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.” Each of us should have a plan for what we want our business to achieve. With our desired destination in sight, we can work backwards to locate the path between where we are now, and where we intend to go. Every business has its predictable cycles, and with proper planning we can use this cyclical effect to our advantage. In addition to increasing our capacity to handle the peak season, we need to look for ways to fill the slow times. The least we can do is ensure that we are not washed away in the high tides. If business slows down in the next few months we can protect our interests by finding out why our business slows at that time, and evaluate the steps that must be taken to stem the tide or reverse the trend. If our summers are dead because our clientele is mostly college students who are not in town during the summer, we need to either book our vacations for the summer, or target a local market segment that will actually be in peak desire for our services during the summer months (summer brides and bridesmaids perhaps). If this cannot equal our usual traffic, we can use the time to seed the upcoming months by raising our visibility through information sessions and volunteer work. Such activities require more time than money, but the return on investment can be unbelievable. Slow times of the day
are perfect for taking the pulse of the industry and finding out what new
equipment is out there, and how it may help our business. It may be as little as
a new, more comfortable needleholder to extend the amount of hours we can work.
It could possibly something as important as buying an advanced epilator or new
piece of vision equipment that will expand our ability to provide the best
service possible. If we have a good year of business, we should pinpoint what made it such a good year. Was it the economy? the cumulative effect of constant advertising? or did we have a particularly successful client who made it a personal mission to tell the whole world about us? We have to identify all the things that contributed to the upswing in our business, and then duplicate them or expand on them if we can. If we have noticed a trend in nurses as clients, we could target market them in some way. If advertising expenses are low, we could fill some of our down-time to donating electrolysis services to the elderly in nursing homes. This not only gives a boost to the self-esteem of the residents, but it also gives a dramatic before-and-after, that shows the value of our services to a target group that is sometimes skeptical of our service (yet our best spokespersons after they have seen good results). If one has an advertising budget, and is looking for ways to expand its usefulness, Internet advertising — when used properly — can be a big boost to one’s business. There is a whole new breed of client who will never know who you are unless you have “net presence.” This will increase one’s professional standing with some shoppers more effectively than “a good address,” or a “modish office decor.” Speaking of office decor, there is only so far one can go before one’s smart waiting room and super-trendy office leaves clients wondering if the same electrolysis treatments would cost less if there were fewer Rembrandt and Monet paintings hanging on the walls. Primarily, the premises should be comfortable, professional and serviceable. (A suede sofa and love seat may look great, but they are impossible to clean and will look horrible in a short time.) Above all, everything in the office should be friendly to the disinfection process. Electrologists who take the time to look into these issues and fine tune them, will discover surprising ways to increase their income, boost their professionalism, and receive a greater return for their marketing efforts. |
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