Wow it feels like the year has just flown by! And once again holiday season is approaching. Before we know it, we will be knee-deep in appointments. ’Tis the season for chem peels, facials, glam makeup, gift sets and more.
The struggle becomes all too real when we book ourselves silly, deal with no-shows, struggle with keeping our schedule organized and being unprepared. It happens—we get caught up in the daily grind and before we know it, the holiday season has crept up and we find ourselves running around trying to get ourselves prepared for the madness that awaits us. Ready or not, my fellow estheticians, it’s time to get ready for the holidays. Below are a few tips to help.
1. First, check your calendar and prioritize any time off.
The further in advance you can do this, the better. I know, I know, we tend to not take any time off during the holiday season, but we all need a day (or two) off to collect ourselves and do what we need to do. If you can, schedule your personal or vacation time a few months in advance.
2. Prebook, prebook, prebook!
Now is the time to start booking your loyal clients. It happens—we have last-minute walk-ins and appointments, and as accommodating as we try to be, we also need to ensure we are also taking the time to serve our loyal guests. Before they walk out the door, book that holiday appointment with them so they can be sure to get in with you before you are all booked up. After all, we can thank our loyal clients for keeping us busy throughout the year and during our slow periods.
3. Make your no-show policy clear. Don’t have one?
Now is a great time to roll one out. Have you ever had a fully booked day, been ready for the awesomeness that awaits you, had all your equipment ready to go and the backbar stocked—and then half your day cancels on you last minute? Worst feeling ever, right? And you realize the full leg wax appointment you couldn’t fit in because you were booked could have filled that time, the European facial that walked in and was turned away could have been serviced—you get the idea. Putting a cancellation policy in place can help alleviate the stress of not having someone in your chair. It isn’t uncommon to put a cancellation policy in place that charges 50% of the service amount on the credit card used to reserve the booking. That is one way to ensure partial income of time lost by a cancellation. And although it’s normal to require cancellations at least 24 hours in advance, it might be smart to enact a 48-hour advance cancellation policy during the high-traffic holiday season to give you time to fill those open slots.
4. Make gift buying easy.
Stocking up on products and gift cards can go a long way to increasing revenue. Stocking up on products and gift cards can go a long way in increasing holiday revenue. Before the holidays, stock up on your bestselling serums, moisturizers, exfoliants, face masks, you name it. Buy into the holiday kits your manufacturer puts together, or make your own baskets and special gift sets. You’d be surprised how fast these will sell out. Gift cards also make the perfect add-on to a premade package. Start promoting this package right before Thanksgiving and market it for a Black Friday deal. A gift card with a travel-size cleanser and moisturizer makes for an easy stocking stuffer too.
5. Keep in touch with your clients.
If you have a text-messaging system, send a bulk message reminding them of your holiday hours, and for those that you have not seen in a while, to book their appointment now while there is still availability. Still have those few who haven’t come in by Christmas? Then here’s your chance to send a message to book a “New Year, New You” appointment.
Taking a step back before your head starts to spin develop ideas to introduce some holiday cheer while bringing in more revenue will help you feel in control of the holiday season. Starting with tangible things such as stocking up on gift cards or creating your own gift sets is a great way to start the process of making more income with little effort. While you are making people look great for the holiday season, why not let the holiday season work for you?
FAQs
How can I promote my business during the holidays?
- Start holiday promotions early.
- Take advantage of gift cards. They make great stocking stuffers, can be combined with other promotions or retail gift sets, and are guaranteed cash in your pocket.
- Team up with other beauty professionals like hairdressers, massage therapists, and nails techs to cross-promote your services and offer package deals.
How can estheticians earn extra money during the holidays?
- Boost your retail with extra holiday promos and sell more product.
- Work additional hours to accommodate the demand, or even consider making house calls to offer quick brow waxes and makeup applications for those holiday parties.
- Offer your beauty services during holiday events, find a part-time retail position, or take on some side gigs like winter weddings.
How can estheticians carry their end-of-year goals into the New Year?
Consider going beyond gift card sales and holiday promos by selling a series of treatments or membership base treatments. Packages or treatment series can be promoted as a holiday-specific offering that carries into the New Year.
Easily run your skin care business with free online scheduling, credit card processing, and more from the ASCP Edition of PocketSuite!
ASCP has partnered with PocketSuite to bring you a customized, easy-to-use phone app that lets you focus on what matters most—your clients.
Businesses on PocketSuite see an average increase of 30% in earnings, and you can get set up in 15 minutes by choosing from curated pre-loaded settings, or you can customize the app for your practice.
- Log in to post comments