Implementing a well-defined course of action for each of your daily business activities will not only make your life easier but will help increase revenue for your business. Following consistent behaviour will also help your clients to trust you because they know what they can expect EVERY time they visit your studio.
When you systemize your business and make your daily procedures clear and easy-to-follow, you are more likely to adapt when your business grows. Without these processes in place, everything may become overwhelming when your client list grows and when your responsibilities grow with each new level of success.
Growth and success should be a time for celebration. To avoid overwhelm and potential chaos create a list of all your business tasks and break them down into these categories:
Administration.
Sales and Marketing.
Client Management.
Financial Duties.
Record your step-by-step processes for each categorized task.
Here are some examples of regular duties in a lash studio:
Reception duties:
How to answer the phone (a greeting that is true to your brand).
Taking payments.
Booking appointments.
Cash out.
Closing duties.
Client intake.
Client prep.
Room cleaning and decontamination.
Tools and implements decontamination.
Marketing.
Website maintenance.
Monthly bookkeeping.
Staff meetings.
Etc.
Once you have created a list of all your regular, weekly, monthly and annual activities, and you have figured out the best steps for completing each task, you will likely find gaps in the steps of your recorded processes which will require some minor adjustments.
It is important, even if you are the only one that works in your lash studio, to follow your procedures diligently. You will get into a routine and each day will begin to flow more smoothly. When the time comes to hire a staff member for reception or for lash services you can easily train them by teaching them your methods. An on-site binder with printouts of all your categorized processes will be very useful to a new employee, it will also help to make your expectations really clear to all of your staff.
The exercise of creating and implementing procedures will take a bit of time in the beginning but I guarantee:
It will save you time everyday thereafter.
It will help you to feel in control of your business.
It will help things run like a well-oiled machine.
It will help your business to grow.
It will make your business experience easier.
Make a commitment to create, analyze and/or update your studio procedures so you may begin reaping the rewards of a business that is organized, efficient and more profitable.
Disclaimer: This blog is intended for informational purposes and is not intended to replace formal business advice, financial advice, government regulations, or any other form of legal advice.