At the heart of Colourstart is a fundamental quest to help grow your colour business. As part of our new Wise Words series, we’re listening to the advice of business experts whose ideas we believe can add great value to Colourstart community (Week 1 #Raymond Bottone, “Changing for the Better”).
In line with our Change theme for 2025, this week we spoke to internationally renowned salon business expert, author, business coach, trainer and mentor, Liz McKeon, about the changes you can make to spring clean your business… over to Liz.
“The first area to consider changing in your business should be its finances. Getting them in order, making sure that you are managing your cash flow on a daily and weekly basis and organising your books are a great place to start. Finances are at the centre of your business. They can help to forecast your financial future and make better decisions.
It doesn’t have to be a complete overhaul and sometimes just a tidy up and refresh is all that’s needed. This can be reworking the way information is presented to make it easier for clients and potential clients to digest. If you’re offering Colourstart, make sure all the information your clients need is on your site, the Colourstart team can provide you with copy.
Changing up content on your website is a great idea because Google loves new content and loves video , such as how to apply Colourstart, so make sure your site has all of this. Review your keywords and ensure your pages are up to date and working. Consider adding a blog, reviews, an appointment system, videos, case studies, shopping cart and maps. Finally, check your Google analytics and all links are functioning.
A sloppy online presence is never a good look, especially for a salon business. Google yourself and change the photos so they’re up to date, change the content so it’s relevant now, and change any contact information that’s not relevant. Make sure your social channels include Colourstart and use this as a platform to inform clients of its benefits – how to apply the test can be great fun content.
Now is the perfect time to revisit your business plan. It will evolve, and it is OK to change it accordingly. Businesses that adapt quickly survive. Consider
1) where do you want your business to go?
2) How are you going to get there?
3) How will you know when you are there?
These could include a review of your workflows to make your colour services more efficient – testing clients once with the universal Colourstart test makes it easier to switch colour brands.
Your salon database is one of your company’s most important assets. Use it to your full advantage: record clients’ details, keep it up to date and use it to stay in regular touch with your clients. Have you done an audit of your clients’ patch testing status?
Review your business through your clients’ eyes, prioritise issues for improvement and gain competitive advantage by giving clients what they really want. Do this by running a ‘client survey’ which not only shows clients that you care but highlights areas for improvement. What do they think about testing?
You never get a second chance to make a first impression. Take an objective look at your business – what image do you portray to both regular and potential new clients and is that image in keeping with your vision for your salon?
If it is, great, and if not, then it is time to raise the bar and improve your standards in every aspect of the business, from the exterior, to the look of your work areas, to the image of your team, to the layout of your front of house area and to the quality of every single service you provide1.
For further details, check out www.lizmckeon.com. If you are interested in working with Liz, email team@lizmckeon.com.