It’s important that we are prepared as much as possible to make the year a great success. In this piece we chat to Salon Owner and Award Winning Men’s Hairdresser, Jim Shaw, on his top tips on preparing your men’s grooming salon/barbershop for the New Year including dealing with quieter months, keeping the team motivated and thinking ahead to spring/summer…

• Think about your service menu – are there any additional men’s services you could be offering? Men no longer just want to come into the salon/barbershop for a haircut anymore, they want to come for a pampering experience, which may include having a facial or manicure or even just adding some additional hair or beard treatments. Talk to your clients now about what services they would like to see in the salon, do some research and offering something exciting to your loyal clients for the New Year, which may also attract new clients into the salon too if you’re offering something that your competitors aren’t.

• Put in plans to motivate your team – coming back from time off during the Christmas period to a quieter first few months of the year can be hard and you want your team to be as motivated a possible to be able to deliver the very best services to your clients. Start to look now at training sessions that may be available. Training could be via yourself, another industry men’s hairdresser or barber, or even a men’s hair care brand. Keep your team inspired to allow them to ensure they want to deliver their very best when they come to work.

• Communicate with your clients – clients are they key to our success and we should always be communicating with them to encourage them to come back to our salons/barbershops and to show them that we care. It’s a good idea to put into action a plan on how to better communicate with clients in the New Year, be this via social media, newsletters or text message. We often use our salon software to reconnect over the festivities, in order to directly engage with them. Tell your clients what you have been working on and also inform them of anything new happening in your salon or barbershop. This could be new products, new services, new team members or also any offers or discounts you are offering that may encourage them to visit during the quieter months between January and March.

• Keep your salon/barbershop looking its best – Client’s want to feel comfortable when visiting your space and know that your cleanliness and safety measures are of a high standard. Take some time to have a clean and to ensure all safety measures are up to scratch. Take photos of your space looking as gleaming as ever to help attract clients in and to allow them to feel at ease when they visit.

• Think about the months of spring/summer now! – Although it’s only the start of the year, it’s a good idea to think about spring/summer now, when can become busier in the salon/barbershop with clients looking to update their look for the new season. Encourage clients to book in for their appointments in advance and also start to think about any new treatments or services you can offer for the new season. Look at seasonal trends and adapt your menu to suit this.