Crisis: follow a clear plan, react quickly and do not panic
A crisis is a renewal, a time of reassessment of values, a time of change and active action.
The current global situation with coronavirus and total quarantine has plunged many salon business leaders into despondency and depression. But let's think positively! What good has quarantine brought us? Yes, yes, I'm not joking. Every crisis has both negative and positive sides.
Olga Khaynovskaya, business consultant for salon management, head of Duso-consulting
So, the possibilities...
Firstly, after going through the current crisis, you will receive business immunity. Ukraine is in a state of constant permanent crisis, and the next crisis is no longer as scary for us as the previous one. The experience gained from working in such conditions is simply invaluable experience that will definitely be useful to you in the future. You cannot get such experience and such knowledge anywhere, and whether it is positive or negative depends only on you. I have been in the beauty business for 18 years, during this period I have experienced more than one crisis and I have developed an immunity to this kind of situations. The more shocks you have, the more seasoned you become. I think that everyone already understands that the current quarantine situation will not disappear in the coming year, and we need to adapt to the current situation.
Full version of the article in the magazine PRO Cosmetology by “Cosmetologist” No. 1, 2021
Secondly, after the quarantine ends - and it will end sooner or later, you will receive a certain surge and increased demand for services. Not two, three times, but it really will be. We see this every time after the next round of turbulence in our country. And this is where our task today is to qualitatively prepare for tomorrow, so as not to lose opportunities.
Thirdly, it has already become easier to find personnel; we see activity among applicants that is abnormal for our business. Perhaps this is just testing the waters, but partly it is also a search for new jobs. And those aesthetic medicine salons/clinics that have been unable to find employees for years can now do so on terms favorable to their business. Just keep in mind that employees’ priorities have also changed. The quarantine situation showed the insufficiency of many salon business managers who were unable to provide wages or minimum benefits to their employees and, taught by bitter experience, specialists are looking for more stable and reliable options for themselves. In this context, it is necessary to reconsider the methods of remuneration of personnel to be more stable and not dependent on variable factors.
Fourthly, there are now so many free online courses, seminars, and webinars that you will definitely become smarter and wiser. And I hope you not only listen to them, but also put it into practice in your business. It's not enough to just want, you have to act! And this will certainly give you positive results in the future.
Fifthly, now more than ever you should draw up plans for the development of your business: write a development plan taking into account the situation in the world, conduct an audit, think through qualitative changes within the business, write down business standards, protocols, scripts for employees, calculate profitability, review the price list of services and etc.
Sixthly , there will be less competition. It’s just that not all salons will survive. This, however, is for a short period, because free niches will very quickly be occupied by new players. But during this period you can manage to win the loyalty of new customers, and the main thing in this matter is to retain them in the future.
Seventh, the crisis forces us to step up and think outside the box. And this leads to the emergence of new collaborations, fresh ideas and non-standard solutions that will help you become unique in the market. Realize your ideas, try, experiment. Good thoughts are in the air, and if you don’t implement them, then tomorrow your competitor will. I am sure that it is during a crisis that brilliant ideas and startups are born, and perhaps your idea will take off.
Eighth, the widespread lockdown has led to the development of digitalization and automation in all areas of business. Online shopping, online registration, online payment, etc. They firmly occupy their place in the beauty business today. And your task is to develop this direction.
Ninth, you will finally start saving and planning your expenses. Many beauty salon owners have never puzzled themselves with this question before and thoughtlessly spent money on purchasing everything. Now is the time to learn how to count and control your expenses. The main thing is not to overdo it with savings. You should not save where it is impractical, and sometimes simply unacceptable. After all, excessive savings can have a negative impact on the activities of the salon. For example, if you reduce costs for service activities, the client will immediately feel it and he will obviously not like it. Of course, when and what service measures to use is up to you, but I would advise you not to skimp on such things, so as not to lose customers. Saving on employee salaries is also not a way out of the crisis, because you may be left without staff, and then no anti-crisis measures will definitely help you.
Tenth, a crisis is a test of endurance and skill. This is an ideal opportunity to test yourself in the role of an effective leader and crisis manager. Perhaps you will discover and acquire skills and abilities that you didn’t even know you had. And perhaps you will understand what knowledge you lack and seek help from specialists in the salon business.
