Advocacy is Your Right

Article Published in Stylist Magazine, March 2012

Observing yet another quarterly meeting of California’s Board of Barbering and Cosmetology (BBC), I can’t help but have some strong opinions. After all, the issues being addressed in this particular meeting, like health and safety regulations, enforcement procedures and unlicensed activity, directly affect how I do business. Other members of the audience have their own opinions, and that’s one of the main advantages of being at this meeting: the opportunity to share our opinions on the record. In California, the BBC must hold public meetings to facilitate transparency and accountability. To make the meetings even more accessible, they’re simultaneously webcast and later archived on the BBC website. That means I could watch the proceedings from the comfort of my home, even months later. Instead, I choose to be present, no matter what’s on the agenda or how far I must travel. Even when I don’t speak on the record, my presence at these meetings demonstrates my commitment to fair and reasonable governance.

Those unfamiliar with state regulatory agencies may be disappointed to learn that it’s not the government’s responsibility to promote our profession. We have national organizations for that purpose, chiefly the Professional Beauty Association (PBA) which also encompasses the National Cosmetology Association (NCA). As worthwhile as these organizations are, their resources and influence on state governments are limited. It would be different if there were national standards, testing and licensure, but that’s not the case. The fact is individual states protect consumers by regulating us, state by state. To influence how that’s accomplished, we need more salon owners and licensees to participate at the state level, rather than depend on others to advocate for us. We know protecting consumers and promoting our profession are mutually beneficial, rather than exclusive, goals. It only makes sense because strong consumer protection validates our education, licensure and the enforcement of rules and regulations, especially those dealing with health and safety. Who better to protect our interests as beauty professionals, taxpayers, consumers and residents in our respective states than ourselves?

Over the years, I’ve heard so many complaints about inadequate training, outdated exams, incompetent licensees, infrequent inspections, unfair competition, etc., it makes me wonder if any state board does its job well? If not, why bother with licensing at all? Apparently, others have asked the same question and determined that it wasn’t necessary. Recent proposals in Florida, Indiana and New Hampshire to deregulate the beauty profession have prompted professionals to react vehemently to protect their licensing. While that’s encouraging, it’s not enough. To be a more powerful influence on state government, our involvement should be lasting and proactive, not temporary and reactive. If the powers that be only see and/or hear from professionals under the most extreme circumstances, it diminishes our potential impact. Rather than merely complain, consider what you could do to help your board improve. We could accomplish so much more working collaboratively with our state boards, expressing our support or criticism appropriately and respectfully. Building a collaborative relationship with your state board begins with reaching out. The internet makes this easy; there are numerous online resources to learn out about upcoming meetings, proposed regulations and other opportunities to contribute, like being a subject matter expert or serving on an advisory committee. Your professional expertise can help your board develop and implement better policies.

Interacting directly with board members and staff will give you perspective on current policies, and the reasoning and history behind them, whether you agree or not. I have concerns (some minor, others major) about nearly every aspect of my state board’s purview: scope of practice, health and safety, curriculum, beauty schools, written and practical examinations, licensing fees, booth rental, inspections, enforcement and continuing education. There’s plenty of room for improvement, but policies evolve at a much slower pace than our industry does. The constraints (financial, legal, political, etc.) under which state boards operate limit their ability to change. For example, in California, we desperately need more salon inspectors and support staff, and have the money to fund these positions, but a hiring freeze imposed by our governor makes that difficult, if not impossible, at this time.

If we must be regulated, I demand to be regulated fairly and reasonably. For your individual awareness and our collective interests, I encourage you to learn more about the legislative issues affecting our profession. Write directly to the executive officer of your board, the agency overseeing your board, your state legislators and your governor. Attend board meetings and volunteer. Share your concerns and suggestions with other beauty professionals through networking, trade publications and social media. Discuss your involvement with your clients; these are the consumers your board is supposed to protect. For me, advocacy means expressing my opinions judiciously, supported with facts, no matter how unpopular or contradictory to current policy. My opinion counts, as does yours. Advocacy is your right; please use it, wisely.

By Jaime Schrabeck, Ph.D.

Building Your Own Online Resource

Article Published in Stylist Magazine, February 2012

Selecting a favorite online resource would be easy if there were one that offers everything I want and need. Because that’s not possible, I’ll take a more pragmatic approach and admit that my favorite resources belong to financial institutions (my bank, credit card companies, etc.). There’s nothing “beauty” about their websites, but they serve their purpose well. These sites provide personalized, timely and necessary information, as well as functionality like online bill payment, that I depend on as a business owner. I visit regularly, often daily, to update my finances and make decisions that affect my salon.

Speaking of my salon, it has an online presence also, and I’m not referring to a Facebook page. Many salons have websites; that’s not uncommon. However, there’s a distinction to be made between a simplistic and static site that includes little more than contact information, and a complex and dynamic one that provides visitors more relevant and unique content. Some salon owners will not, or can not, make the investment required to have a more substantial website, if any at all. What a missed opportunity! Building and maintaining a website that others consider a resource is a great way to promote your salon.

The most affordable (at only about $10 a year) and simplest step in the process is the first one, registering a domain name. Lucky for me, my salon name with a “.com” address was available back in 2000. Had it not been, I would have been very reluctant to hyphenate, misspell or otherwise vary the name. Consistency and convenience are important considerations when registering a domain; it needs to be easy to find.

To build the site, I initially considered doing it myself, but quickly determined that I had neither the time, talent nor desire to master the existing software. Assuming that a professional web designer would be too expensive, I made a critical mistake and hired an enthusiastic college student with limited experience. When the process stalled after a few months, I did my research (better late than never) and learned that the design services of a local, emerging firm were more affordable than I thought. I quickly corrected my hiring mistake, and the process restarted in earnest.

Working with a professional web designer proved a very positive experience. Our collaborative process involved many discussions about the purpose of the website: to provide a convenient way for potential clients to learn about the salon. To this end, I wrote all the content (service descriptions and pricing, salon policies, nail care advice, etc.) and the designer did his part to create an attractive and navigable website. In the years since its launch, the website has expanded with the addition of FAQs, a blog, online booking, a shopping cart and consulting information. Regular updates keep the content fresh for visitors who find us through search engines, links from other websites and email marketing.

As expected, my salon website became the most cost-effective way to reach potential clients. But even when something appears to be working, improvements can be made. At a certain point, updates and minor revisions are not enough to get the job done. For example, this time last year, my salon marketing materials (brochure, gift card, business cards, etc.) needed a complete redesign. In the past, I’d always managed without a graphic designer by working directly with a local print shop. But when my expectations outpaced my capabilities, I knew it was time to hire another professional. Together, we produced new materials with a more cohesive, vibrant and sophisticated appearance. Having done that, the website obviously needed a redesign also; it looked tired in comparison.

Thanks to the hard work of my graphic designer, the design of the website (colors, fonts, images, layout, etc.) now aligns with the new salon materials. More important, the website serves multiple purposes; it contains information tailored to potential clients and beauty professionals, separately and collectively. For clients, we simplified the services menu and reservations process, reworked the FAQs, added a complete listing of our polish selection and recommended local services, organizations and businesses.

For professionals, we created an entirely new area accessed by login. Previously, I’d shared product recommendations, service procedures and upcoming events by sending newsletters upon request. Because email marketing has its limitations (timeliness, reader/list fatigue, inbox deliverability, list churn, etc.), it seemed a far better solution to post this information directly on the website. Once registered, professionals will find: nail-related articles from the Stylist, my favorite professional products and services, a comprehensive schedule of beauty shows, networking events and classes and step-by-step instructions for my most popular services, like waterless spa manicures and pedicures. I don’t expect my salon’s website to be anyone else’s favorite. It certainly won’t please everyone or meet all their needs, but as long as it serves my purposes, it’s worthwhile. Check it out at www.precisionnails.com.

By Jaime Schrabeck, Ph.D.

The Value of Standing Appointments

Article Published in Stylist Magazine, January 2012

After the chaos/excitement of the holidays, every year begins with a new, orderly salon schedule. At first glance, it may not look that different from last year’s schedule. The salon hours did not change; we’re still open Monday through Saturday, 10 am to 6 pm. We didn’t gain or lose any manicurists; there are three of us and I need to hire another one (that’s a whole other topic). We didn’t add or eliminate any services, and prices have not changed since our last increase in January 2010. Even the names on the schedule are familiar; they belong to clients who’ve reserved standing appointments for the entire year. Standing appointments demonstrate how much these Preferred Clients, as we call them, value our time and services. Likewise, we value Preferred Clients, above all others, for their commitment and reliability. Simply stated, my salon would not be as successful without them.

For 2012, we have approximately 75 Preferred Clients on our schedule. Some are relatively new, while others have been loyal clients for more than ten years. The importance of these clients is obvious; taken together, they account for nearly half our available time and more than half the income generated by the salon, including retail. While value can be quantified by various statistics (service frequency, service/retail/tip dollars, referrals, etc.), those numbers do not convey the qualitative value of standing appointments. They provide structure and stability, and eliminate the seasonal fluctuations that some salons experience. Particularly in uncertain economic times, it’s very reassuring to know that we can reasonably expect a certain amount of revenue during the year. 

More than once, I’ve heard the advice that a client should be pre-booked for the next appointment before leaving the salon. That’s not good enough if you want to secure a client’s loyalty for the long term. Why waste the time it takes to schedule the next appointment every visit when you could make a more permanent arrangement? Not only will this save time, but it also relieves the anxiety associated with either having too few clients on your schedule, or so many that you cannot find time for your best clients when they want an appointment.

To build a salon schedule based on standing appointments, advance planning is required, and the more consistent you can be, the better. Begin by establishing your available hours. For example, I work with clients Tuesday thru Thursday; my employees have different, yet consistent, schedules to cover the remaining salon hours. It’s also important to plan your schedule at least a year in advance. The planning for 2012 began last June (2011) with a completely empty schedule. (We don’t block off holidays until after reserving standing appointments; we reschedule those affected clients later.) A complete list of Preferred Clients (and others who wanted to be) ensured that everyone received consideration. Once it was determined that there wouldn’t be any price, service, or schedule changes, we started filling the schedule and confirming reservations based on seniority. Most Preferred Clients wanted to keep the same schedule, while some needed a change (e.g. adding another service or increasing the frequency interval from three weeks to two weeks). 

Let me emphasize that we offer standing appointments to only our best clients (reliable, cooperative, appreciative, etc.). It’s as easy as saying: “I really enjoy doing your nails, but as my clientele grows, convenient appointments will be harder to schedule. I’d like to reserve a specific day and time just for you. What days and times work best?” Not all clients will be able to commit as their personal schedules may vary too much, and that’s understandable. We also value these “regular” clients because they nearly fill out the remaining time in our schedule, leaving very little time for walk-in clients. Both our brochure and website announce: “By invitation only, Precision Nails offers standing appointments in one-, two-, three-or four-week intervals. Clients with standing appointments receive scheduling priority and other valuable benefits.” There’s no monetary incentive involved; the incentive for the client should be securing the most convenient time on a consistent basis. 

And speaking of incentives, I do not recommend discounts, ever. If getting busier (more clients, more appointments) is that important, you could advertise discounted (why not free?) services and convince yourself those clients will return and pay your regular prices later. However, being busy is not the same as being successful. The “regular” prices have no meaning when a salon continually offers discounts. In fact, the term “discount salon” is a common euphemism for a salon known for poor quality work at lower-than-average prices. Why would any beauty professional want to be associated with that? When manicurists discount their service prices, clients may discount their professionalism. I want clients who can readily afford to have their nails done, not those who need special pricing to justify the experience.

By Jaime Schrabeck, Ph.D.