Every now and again, you need to shake things up in your salon to keep the buzz in your business humming and keep your clients from getting bored. Renovating and redecorating is one way to go, but in this economic climate, that can be financially unfeasible. One way to reignite the spark of interest not just among your loyal clientele, but also with your staff is to expand your menu.
Many salons assume that to expand and update your menu, you need to invest in a new product line, a costly venture most salons would like to avoid. This is not necessarily true. Chances are you may only need to add a few back bar pieces to create some unique and exciting new services and add-ons.
First, take a look at the services you currently offer on your menu. How can you make them better? Look at ways you can incorporate little luxuries for pennies that increase the pampering aspect of your treatments.
Start with your manicure and pedicure stations. In most salons and day spas, facials and body treatments are performed behind closed doors. However, your nail techs are performing services out in the open in full view of every man and woman that walk in the salon. Talk about promotion! With an enhanced spa atmosphere, you can entice every client into exploring the indulgences your day spa offers.
Add fresh fruit to the mix. Slices of orange, grapefruit, and other fruit add a fresh aromatic twist to your pedicure bath. Not only is the tropical concoction beautiful and great smelling, you can use the enzymatic fruit to massage dry, calloused feet. Imagine all the ways you can improve your manicures and pedicures with a few simple changes.
Look for other ways you can bring your spa services out from behind closed doors. Free skin consultations and makeovers cost you next to nothing but can multiply your current revenue by introducing your hair clients and walk-in traffic to the esthetics side of your business.
Every once and awhile, you need to add a new treatment. Your clients are reading about new trends other spas and destination resorts are serving up. What can you offer to compete? When I had my day spa in New York, I introduced the Vita Cura Oxygen Therapy Treatment to great success. A new treatment gets the staff excited to learn and perform new treatments and drives public relations efforts.
You may already have a massage therapist on hand. Stone Therapy is a hot service that is not an expensive treatment to add to your menu. Stone Therapy, a massage service that uses hot and cold stones to treat a client, is often featured in editorial pieces written on destination spas. Imagine how impressed your clients will be that they do not need to leave their neighborhood to receive 4 star services. Add on to your massage, facial, pedicure or manicure treatment
The change in seasons is a great time to not only expand your menu of services but to implement a PR full-court press. Invite the local media and local celebrities to sample your new service. Submit press releases after the summer months detailing the effects of sun exposure, how to recognize melanomas and promote how you can help care for sun damaged skin after the summer months. Or, submit a press release on how your clients can prepare their skin for the coming winter months. This is the kind of story the local media is looking for a skin expert to share their wisdom.
Expanding your menu does not have to be costly. However, it can boost a sluggish business and motivate your staff just in time for the new season. All it takes is the desire for success, a little ingenuity, and some effective public relations strategy.
