As we bid farewell to the whirlwind of December's in-salon madness in 2023, January extends an opportunity for reflection and strategic planning for the promising year ahead. I'm excited to share three impactful team meeting ideas to leverage January's downtime, ensuring a prosperous 2024 for both your business and your team.

1. First Meeting: Reflect on 2023 & Announce NLW Increase

As the dust settles, gather your team to review the highlights and areas for improvement in December and the past year. Take this opportunity to announce an important update: the UK Government has announced a National Living Wage (NLW) increase effective April 1, 2024. This pay rise impacts team members aged 21 and over, with a 9.8% increase from £10.42 to £11.44 per hour. For those aged 18-20, it's a 14.8% increase from £7.49 to £8.60 per hour.

Share how the increase will impact their earnings & their commissions etc. Ask if anyone would like to schedule one-to-ones with you to review their financial goals & professional growth during 2024. By being an active participant in each team member’s journey to success, you are leading the business’ individual parts towards success as a whole.

2. Second Meeting: Nurturing Financial Success

Following discussions on the National Living Wage increase and one-to-one sessions addressing financial goals and professional development, it's crucial to outline how the business will support the team. A common issue in salons nationwide is the reluctance to charge the correct amount for services rendered, hindering the financial stability & commerciality of the salon.

With advancements in colouring techniques, it's easy to see why a client spending 180 minutes in-salon might only be charged for a ½ Head of Highlights. This discrepancy can significantly impact the financial well-being of the business and your team member’s ability to earn a good living doing what they love.

Remembering the pioneering effort of The Chapel which, years ago, introduced a groundbreaking "per hour" pricing model within their salons, it was clear then that the traditional structure of pricing for general terms such as T-Sections, ½ Head, and Full-Head highlights may become outdated the more colour technicians push the boundaries of their artful craft. In the current landscape of our industry, it's crucial to adopt an "apt-for-purpose" pricing strategy taking into account the time spent with the client; not the general term attached to the service provided.

Salons that utilise tools such as Vish can hone in even more by factoring product usage to enhance their pricing accuracy. Reflecting the true relationship between time, product usage, and cost should be every salon owner’s ultimate goal.

One thing is clear, salons with pricing structures devised by visiting their competitor’s salon to then create their price list simply based on what others were charging simply won’t cut it moving forward.

In essence, my second suggestion for this team meeting is to dedicate time to refine your pricing structure. When presenting it to the team, emphasise the necessity of accurately charging for services, aligning it with the unique needs of each client. Communicate to your team that meticulous attention to pricing details is not just a business necessity but a key factor in their ability to achieve personal and professional goals for them. This commitment to accuracy will set the stage for financial prosperity, ensuring our salon thrives in the years ahead.

3. Third Meeting: Crafting a Unified Vision

A happy salon team is a good salon team. Every salon owner has a vision for their salon. This is one of many things that makes our industry unique. No two salons operate alike. The key to a thriving salon lies in assembling a team of individuals dedicated to a shared, common objective & delivering services aligned with the owner's vision. Achieving this requires a harmonious balance between creativity, adherence to the salon's vision, and business acumen.

Seasoned industry professionals will recall the days when salons were run like non-democratic entities with a sort of quasi-dictator at the helm. Today, running a flourishing salon involves empowering your team to achieve their version of success all while collectively ensuring the financial health of the business. A crucial aspect of this approach is fostering an environment where every team member is obligated to treat others with respect and courtesy, irrespective of the challenges they may face in managing their columns.

With the aim of utilising the downtime in January effectively, my proposal for the third team meeting centres around crafting a unified vision. Collaboratively explore:

• What constitutes the ideal client journey through our salon?
• Acknowledging the team's current strengths in supporting one another.
• Identifying areas for improvement in supporting everyone on the team.
• Establishing collective commitments to enhance performance in 2024.

Embracing these discussions will not only strengthen the team's unity but also pave the way for a more prosperous and fulfilling year ahead.

These three team meeting ideas are designed to transform January's downtime into a catalyst for success in the coming year. If you find these topics challenging to structure or implement, consider seeking support from your network or contact us.

We're committed to providing valuable insights to support your salon's growth journey. Stay tuned for our monthly newsletters, scheduled to arrive every first Tuesday of the month, where we'll share more tips, industry updates, and success stories.

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Wishing you a thriving and successful 2024!

Warm regards,
Steven Gunnip