the ramblings of a chronic over thinker

anyone know a thing or two or three about marketing?

welcome back! so this week i’m focusing on marketing. during our last staff meeting we got into a pretty interesting conversation about exposure, promotions and marketing. all kinds of suggestions were given. my personal favourite was that jumbo inflatable person-like thing that grabs your attention. i mean, i’m watching it move, but i’m not sure i’m going to come in for a set of highlights because of that guy…

a very long time ago i remembered someone saying your marketing budget should be 10% of your gross, blah, blah, blah. in the grand scheme of things, that’s not a lot, but it’s also sometimes not enough. the way marketing works is this: you plan, you execute, and then you wait for the results. hopefully the ‘plan’ was fool proof and the execution timely. even with a flawless plan and meticulous execution, do marketing groups or plans have a guarantee? like the inflatable tube guy, if i bought him, is there a guaranteed number of folks that would come into my shop? can the formula of marketing promise me more than 1% return on my investment?

can this convince you to get a haircut?

in my industry, the best marketing is you guys! the best promoting is from the patrons that use our services and can attest to the quality of the goods and services we provide. word of mouth is still killing it aaaaand you don’t need 10% of your profits to implement it.

she’s telling everyone about her new haircut!

there are two main topics i’d love to market and promote. fresh knowledge and a styling line for afros. fresh knowledge offers courses integral to our industry because there is no formal training for afros and other hair types (from the government) and there is no formal product lines either (from our suppliers). the powers that be have made it very clear that afros and other hair types are not a priority in the hair industry. this course could help so many stylists equip themselves so they can provide services for afros and other hair types. the government and the supply companies only let hanging hair have a seat at the table. hanging hair! you know what that is. essentially everyone whose hair grows out of their head and is effected by gravity. it hangs straight down and when wet, has absolutely NO VOLUME. if you have hair like that, you’ve never had a problem getting any hair service (well maybe you did, but it wasn’t because the stylist didn’t know what to do). for the rest of us that fall in between hanging hair and afros, we had to figure out cutting, styling and colouring on our own.

so i can spend thousands of dollars to use a company to package and promote fresh knowledge but will it work? could they guarantee me more registrations? maybe? how about the product line? after i create it, produce and package it, would marketing help me sell it all? i mean, maybe some, but could i get a guarantee?

two incredible ways to increase my revenue and make a difference! the reality is, the cost to communicate my new ideas isn’t feasible for my business in this current climate. how long does one wait? when there’s marketing money available? when i have all the time to plan, produce and execute a product line? well, stay tuned.

✌🏾

-p

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

salonscale is here!

for you newer readers, freshair is in the middle of a business re-org. since the pandemic, many business have been in a full on slump. from lack of employees, to rising cost of goods, it’s tough. businesses are closing, and this is the time to make some decisions in the new landscape of supply and demand. we have signed up for a business course to expose the leaks in our financial bucket. this week, i introduce salonscale!

it is a new software that helps salons keep costs low in regards to services that uses products. for example, colour or highlights. we mix up your shade and apply, you pay, you love, you leave. the issue is that most employees over mix or under mix and over charge or under charge for this ‘usage’ part. salonscale is promoting transparency with product usage and because we weigh the products used to do the service, you only pay for what you use. nothing more. if you have fine hair and use less, your ‘usage’ should reflect that.

this ethical and transparent way to keep track of the usage, benefits the salon because now we can weigh the products used and then order just what we need. the software tracks the usage and if used properly will reduce waste, and keep the cost to my client steady.

can’t see through this, what’s going on?

we are hoping to roll it out sometime in the next few weeks so if you are coming into the shop and get a balayage or a root retouch, you might notice a few changes. the amazing thing i love about the software (apart from the savings part) is that it records what you used for the service and it is automatically saved so the same amount can be mixed again!

i was a little hesitant to share this with everyone but in the vein of transparency, i think it’s important to know. especially for my clients and patrons of our shop. many folks don’t know what goes into every service and style and we want all of you to be educated. it’s exciting to see the hair industry step up and provide some support to the back end of our business. if you have any question, hit me up. if you’re a stylist and have questions, hit me up too!

upwards and onwards!

-p

the ramblings of a chronic over thinker

not much going on in my cerebrum today, good or bad? who knows, anyways…

this week i finished up my mission, vision and values portion of the course. it was pretty good! i’m going to share it here and honestly, after chatting to the ‘pros’, my mission, vision and shop values should show through everywhere (we are currently failing here). everyone should be able to, at any time, engage with our mission and our vision. the values (inspiration, connection, care, excellence and elevate) we uphold as a business should be more prevalent in my business so others (patrons and service providers) can be aware of why we are different. all that to say, here is freshair boutique’s mission and vision for the future.

great reminder!

mission: to put the best YOU together, while making a difference to the earth and ourselves

vision: to inspire a better way for beauty

the mission is pretty straight forward and our vision is where we (freshair boutique) could grow in the future. i definitely see us being an example of how to maintain the balance of beauty and respect for our planet at the same time! it’s a little lofty, but i think it’s a good aspect to focus on.

our values are more in depth and i have to figure out a clever way to display these in the shop and on our socials and site. we’ll find a way to get the info to you, we’ll find a way…

values: in no particular order, yet

excellence- we believe in loving what we do, and are so passionate about our craft-that it shows in your hair, every time. 

caring- we believe in upholding and sustaining the essential balance between beauty and caring for our natural environment.    

connection- we believe in caring for YOU and we will make anyone feel welcome because we know how to be kind. 

elevation- we believe life is more beautiful when you are continuously growing.  learning and giving back. 

inspiration- we believe in inspiring YOU in everything we do…inhaling with meaning and exhaling with intent.

brighter days are on the horizon

are you aware of other businesses missions, visions and values? are there companies out there that are killing it? i’d love to hear suggestions! one of my fave mission statements is the ritz carlton (bougie hotel): ladies and gentlemen, serving ladies and gentlemen. to the point. very specific and not too long! i love it! might be a little old school in it’s wording, but you get the idea. let me know if you have some to share, i’m always into being inspired by others.

✌🏾

-p

the ramblings of a chronic over thinker

can i get a hoo-rah for employees!

let’s go team!

i’m really enjoying this once a week writing! it’s getting me to assess so much in my space. this week, i’m honing in on the staff/employees of businesses. they are the actual ‘stuff’ that allows a business to grow and continue supplying, while patrons continue to demand. without employees or staff, a business is rendered basically helpless. even if you are a one person business, that one person would still be the employee or sole staff member.

i worry that by the time my youngest child (5 years old) is an adult, employees could mean something totally different! when i go to the grocery store and choose the self checkout over the cashier, am i part of a growing problem? i know some folks who NEVER use the self checkout because they value the position of a living employee over a computer or program/software. for sure there is a difference!

i think my job is safe no?

it’s wildly known that there are great places to work and terrible places to work. we’ve all heard the horror stories. good employment should include some sort of development for the employee (along with wages, duh). most places of work include meetings and huddles, there are staff lunches, bonuses and prizes, all geared to make the workspace better for the worker. the main purpose is to maximize your employees potential throughout the job description. while, guiding and motivating.

thanks team, nothing but greatness here!

special thanks to leah, niasha, ayoub, chanté, anastasiia, elaine, nicole, kelsey, dana, candace and kitty! you guys are great and i appreciate each and every one of you! because of you guys, freshair boutique is still in business and 14 years going. to all the employees of the past as well, thank you all!

freshair boutique 2011. amy, pascale, christie, andrée, chloe and renee

i just wanted to say that. i just wanted to focus on the employee for a beat and say thanks. business is quite tricky and running one is a little intense. now throw in some employees and it is a fine balance of so many things. again, thank you to my team and to all the employees that show up every day. thanks to you employee that does more than your job description with a good attitude and full reliability. i salute you!

-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