Become a Coach 
Many entrepreneurs succeed in business, some wildly so, and often against the odds. Ever dreamed you could channel those entrepreneurial smarts into rocking your own salon busi-ness? You can … if you stop dreaming and start doing.
Have you ever thought: how does salon such-and-such do it? What are they doing differently? How do they manage to reach new levels, buy new equipment or invest in a rockstar salon fit out? How do they succeed while working in the business just a few hours a week, or perhaps not at all? Chances are, the salon owners you envy most owe their success to adopting entrepreneurial ways.
Don’t despair – entrepreneurial salon success is within your reach. Here, I share 20 ways that entrepreneurs set themselves apart from the rest. Read, learn and start thriving.
1. THEY WRITE EVERYTHING DOWN.
Everything! Relying on your memory is exhausting and inefficient. Instead, write it ALL down: appointments, contacts, reminders. I swear you’ll not only stay more productive but you’ll keep your energy focussed and revel in the big tick of achievement when it’s done.
2. THEY GET IN LINE AND STAY IN LINE.
Salon owners are great ideas people. But we tend to get side-tracked by new notions and shiny objects. Instead, get in line and stay in line – keep chipping away on your current task un-til it’s ticked off. Then (and only then) move onto the next one.
3. THEIR PRODUCTIVE DAYS START IN THE EVENING.
Yes, that’s right! A productive tomorrow begins this evening, along with cleaning up after din-ner, putting kids to bed, flicking on the dishwasher (and one more load of laundry) and getting your clothes ready for the next day. Getting it done this evening leads to a non-chaotic start to tomorrow.
4. THEY CREATE TO DO LISTS.
Take just ten minutes each evening to write a To Do List for the next day. Watch your produc-tivity boom. You’re welcome.
5. THEY MANAGE THEIR TIME.
Use a default diary every day for your time management. Enter in all your business and personal life to create a balanced week of getting work/life stuff done.
6. THEY SET REMINDERS.
For all their day’s activities. You can even print this info out from your calendar and fill in the gaps with small tasks (and more reminders, so you don’t fall behind).
7. THEY DELEGATE AND OUTSOURCE.
My personal favourite! If you can’t do it, don’t understand it or it takes up too much of your valuable time, find someone who can. No job is too small or too big to delegate.
8. THEY KEEP TRACK OF EMAILS.
Create folders for each contact/client in your inbox. You’ll avoid confusion and have ready ac-cess to the info you need, when you need it.
9. THEY CREATE ORGANISED HOMES.
Your home should be a hub of organisation: meals planned, washing done a little every day (not left for your day off), bills paid on time and household chores scheduled and rostered.
10. THEY DECLUTTER.
If you haven’t used it or picked it up in 12 months, then consider ditching it from your home or office. Rather than a dumping ground, create a clean, streamlined environment.
11. THEY UNPACK.
As soon as you arrive home, unpack your bag – whether it’s shopping, your handbag or your luggage. Everything in its place, ready for when you when you need it.
12. THEY SAY NO.
Saying YES to everything soon gets you overwhelmed. It all feels impossible! Instead, say NO and keep your life organised.
13. THEY SHARE THE LOAD.
It’s like delegation, but it’s at home. Ask for help from your partner or family to get your week done and dusted. Like raising kids, it takes a village to build a thriving salon.
14. THEY ARE DETERMINED.
Entrepreneurs set very clear goals and doggedly achieve them. Growing your business, in-creasing sales and hiring new team members each takes several micro-goals to be executed successfully. Stay determined, stay on track.
15. THEY’RE NOT AFRAID TO TAKE RISKS.
Confident entrepreneurs get the job done even under the most stressful conditions. They un-derstand that big challenges breed big rewards. Where others focus on the challenges, confi-dence lets entrepreneurs spot the opportunity and focus on the rewards at the finish line.
16.THEY’RE PASSIONATE ABOUT THEIR BUSINESS.
Enjoy what you’re doing. There will be long days and nights. At times, your business will con-sume you. If you don’t passionately believe in what you’re doing, the stress and obstacles will amass on your shoulders and eventually bring you down.
17. THEY’RE ADAPTABLE.
Extremely adaptable people can respond fast in any situation. You can make decisions, navi-gate around trouble and thrive in environments where most would sink.
18. THEY UNDERSTAND MONEY.
Even if you’re bootstrapping your business on personal credit cards or overdrafts, you need money management skills. Poor financial decisions (like overspending or allocating funds un-wisely) can ruin your salon business fast. Draw up a clear financial map. What are your weekly expenses? How much can you allocate for non-essential items? What’s your break-even?
19. THEY NETWORK.
Instead of collecting random business cards and faceless contacts, focus on building meaning-ful, value-based relationships. True networking is about deep, mutually beneficial relationships that lead naturally to business opportunities.
20. THEY PLAN AND SET GOALS.
You hear a lot about plans and goals. And so you should – they’re essential building blocks to your salon success. Without goals, you just keep repeating the same old stuff. Over and over, never getting ahead. Break your goals down to bite-size pieces and start chewing through them. Go.
Winston Churchill wisely said: “Success is not final, failure’s not fatal: It is the courage to contin-ue that counts.” And so it is, with your salon business. Keep working at it, make like an entre-preneur every single day and you’ll soon be reaping the rewards you deserve.
Marie Drever a specialist ZING salon coach. For more salon wisdom, email Marie at marie@zingcoach.com.au, visit the website, find video tips on YouTube or read ZING lead-er.
Marketing tips and hints can also be found in Lisa Conway from Zings brand new book: Your Salon Retail – The no-nonsense,no-hype guide to kick arse retail in your salon busi-ness. www.thezingproject.com.au