the ramblings of a chronic over thinker

what does it cost to live?

tappa tappa

yooooooo!

i had been away from my computer and now i’m back! you miss me? while i was gone, we made some changes to some processes in our shop. we added a new software called salonscale and we raised our prices. it’s no secret to canadians that almost everything has increased in price. a dollar more or $10 more, it doesn’t matter, costs are going up everywhere. what does this mean for us consumers? will we be able to still move the same way and spend the same way? i’m not one who usually hunts for deals and coupons, but in this current time, i’m definitely looking for ways to offset high costs.

where do you stand? is the rising cost of goods and services affecting your lifestyle? are you struggling to balance the way you used to live with the current economy? maybe inflation is no biggie to you (share with me your ways) and you don’t feel the pinch at all? regardless of your current financial status, it does cost more to live, eat, and play. we really hope that all of our clients can still use our products and services. we understand that a price increases could affect appointment bookings. we understand that this increase could displace some clients who have been quite intentional with their spending in our shop. i wish we wouldn’t have to partake in price increases but as a business, we should be raising our prices yearly. can’t lie, it scares me a little and brings me stress. freshair has so much covid debt and raising prices makes me feel like we’ll lose business in a time when we need it the most.

oh boy, let’s end this

it would be amazing if we didn’t ever have to raise our prices or find ways to reduce costs but then i think i wouldn’t be running a business right? it would be something else. lately my over thinking has brought me to a place of wild imagination. how do i pay down my covid debt without taking another loan or raising prices astronomically? i’m racking my brain to come up with a solution that could benefit freshair and not crush all the folks involved. go fund me’s are incredible but they don’t seem to work for businesses do they? why can’t a business have a fundraiser to aid in financial stress and pressures? is that a bad look? is there a good reason freshair can’t have a cut-a-thon or some sort of fundraising party to help offset the losses we have collected since the lockdowns? i’m not sure there are real rules about businesses raising funds. i feel like it is mostly social structures that say it’s a no-no.

anyways, if any of you have suggestions, or know the answer, hit me up! until then, have a great sunday, happy thanksgiving and…

go bears! iykyk

-p

the ramblings of a chronic over thinker

Why does money make us shy?

open your eyes, it’s okay

so funny! last week, a few people reached out to me to ask if the financials i posted were from the shop? i was seriously confused. i know better than to post my OWN businesses nooks and crannies. i suppose, the folks that assumed i was posting my own financials wanted to make sure that it was indeed mine, or a mistake, or just an example.

some clients even thought it was a mistake and shouldn’t have been sent out. why is that? why would it be so bad if i did post the shops financials? what would be the issue? folks would see our deficits or our surpluses and then what? would y’all stop coming to my shop if i had over $400,000 in surplus? would folks be bothered if they saw that the shop was doing so well that i was literally rich? would that be bad? then all of you would be like, ‘praise doesn’t need our business, she’s ballin’!' conversely, if we were in the red or in a deep deficit, would all of you start booking appointments into the new year? i wonder?

my million dollar salon…

would full transparency with businesses financials stunt the growth of a business? is there a reason that no one is allowed to know or speak of a businesses inner workings? is it like religion, sex and politics? growing up, those topics were only for private conversations with people who had the same beliefs as yours. one wouldn’t bring up any of those topics in public or with a stranger. god forbid they didn’t agree with us!

maybe it’s judgement? i definitely felt like the energy around my post was more like, “wow praise, that’s stupid to post your financials. do you want your shop to close down?” no on ever said that actually, but i did feel the gentle judging. so what? what if i did post my businesses financials? what does that mean? i’m dumb? i’m not a great business professional? i shouldn’t be in charge of things? i really don’t know.

i wish i only had one question

now i’m intrigued and fully curious about why we are so shy with our money? is it because of capitalism? patriarchy/matriarchy? colonization? is that why? are there other reasons? i have so many questions…

i’m down to hear thoughts on this because now i’m tuned in to this vibe around financials. and i don’t think it’s just businesses, it’s financials in general. folks are shy about how much they make or spend because they are worried they will be judged. did i just answer my own question?

-p

the fresh perspective...

Excuse me, how much??

We've all been there.  You go somewhere and you know how much you always pay.  That coffee shop that has that latte you love, that breakfast spot that makes you weekly cheese denvers...  You know how much it is.  Then one day, the price goes up.  What?!  Do you feel like you've been taken off guard?  Do you feel a little silly when you have to dig in your wallet for more change cause you thought you had the exact amount?  It's weird.

Well we're raising some prices at the shop and even with our best intentions of signs and posts, we're sure to not have informed everyone.  I know that someone will slip through the cracks and be a little taken off guard by the change.

Why do prices go up anyways?  There's always the obvious 'inflation'.  Business expenses go up so the price goes up.  Product prices go up so the service price goes up.  Employees get raises and, oop, prices go up.  I can say for our shop that when we do increase prices in services it's for a myriad of things.  I would like our loyal clients to know that when prices go up at Freshair, we want to make sure that you are not feeling at all that it's for nothing.  We aim to increase customer services, product selection, and overall experience for anyone who does choose to spend their hard-earned money in our business.  We value your opinions and support, and because of you, we aim to be better, always.

I have been styling hair for almost 15 years and have a license and a lovely clientele and I always make sure that I keep up with training and educating myself.  This year, for the first time ever, I will be changing my schedule to accommodate my growing family.  My prices will be going up in June and I anticipate that I may lose some clients because of less availability and higher prices.  I urge anyone who is struggling with higher prices to chat with your stylist about it.  It's okay to ask why.  It's your money and you should feel comfortable when you have to part with it.  If your stylist is becoming too expensive but you love the shop you go to you can discuss it with your stylist.  They may be able to refer you to someone else who does great work at a lower rate.  Think of it as paying for experience.  Someone who has had their hands in many heads of hair for over 20 years has probably seen it all and may have a solution to most hair issues, adversely, someone who has had their hands in heads for 5 years may do a great job as well.  The clincher is the experience and the expertise.

Just because I have been cutting hair for over 14 years doesn't mean I've NEVER had someone call back and complain, or tell me their cut was crooked, or thought I was bunk.  It happens.  I'm human.  My skin has gotten very thick over the years and I've learned not to sweat the small stuff...but I'm still raising my prices! :)

That's the fresh perspective...