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When lockdowns end and hair and beauty businesses allowed to start operating somewhat normally, it’s time to get your ducks in a row so your business is ready for clients again. Begin by thinking of the things you have control over: cleaning the salon, communicating with your staff, and creating new sanitation processes. By giving yourself time to think about your re-opening plan, you will be able to focus on each key area of your business so you can reopen with a bang! Here are a few ideas to get you started.  1) Revise your COVID-safe plan  Reconsider your current COVID-safe plan and see if there are any improvements that could be made. Think about how you are going to sanitise stations, basins, waiting areas, in between clients, and the entire salon at the end of every day. It’s important to establish and maintain a consistent routine for you and your staff to prevent the risk of contamination within your salon.  In your Shortcuts Appointment Book, consider adding a finishing block titled "Sanitation" or "Sterilisation" if you haven't already. This should be booked after every service to allow a minimum of 15 minutes to clean your space in-between clients.  Plan…

It’s time to remind your clients that there’s still an important reason to celebrate just around the corner. This weekend in fact – Mother’s Day is on Sunday 10 May.

How many times a day do you hear the familiar ‘ping’ of a text message to your phone, only to find it’s AusPost updating you on the status of an order, or an online retailer letting you know about a sale? Nowadays, SMS is a common way for businesses to spread the word, and it’s important to keep your SMS campaigns engaging and novel so that they make your clients take notice.    Our top tips? Glad you asked.     Make it personal. Use personal information like client name or appointment data wherever possible. And remember to use your name! Feeling like they’re getting a text from a real person will make your client take notice.   Use shortened links. Sites like Bitly allow you to cut down on characters by shortening website URLs for you! Simply enter the webpage address you want to shorten, and insert the URL it produces into your text. Bingo!  Mix it up. Don’t send the same message and expect a different result. Try a few different types of SMS, and see what works for you!  Here’s some ideas for SMS campaigns you can start sending today:  If you’re open…  Remind clients you’re open – with so much uncertainty around the government restrictions, your clients may not even realise they can still visit your salon!   Reinforce what your…

Now is a great time to re-energise your staff and set some little projects to keep morale up. We’ve collated some of the things we think would be great for your teams to spend some time on – and we’ve even got some we can help you with!

Even if your business isn’t trading (be it physically or online) it’s important to be regularly connecting with your clients. After all, you want them to be beating down your door once you re-open. We’ve pulled together 7 ways you can connect with your client base while you’re closed – that’s one for every day of the week. How convenient!

The JobKeeper payment package has now passed through parliament. But what does it mean for salons, and how can you access it? We answer the questions on everyone’s minds – plus, give you some real-world examples of how it will work.

We’ve hit the (virtual) pavements and rounded up just a few of the creative ways our Shortcuts community are making money while their businesses are closed. Who knows – one of these could be the pot of gold you’re chasing!

If you haven’t heard, Rewards Club is a feature that bring income to your business RIGHT NOW. You already have in your Shortcuts system and already paying for as part of your subscription. Rewards Club is a spend and save style program that guarantees immediate revenue for you, while giving additional value to loyal clients as a reward for paying upfront. And nope! It won’t cost you an arm and a leg!

There is a long-lost little feature that you have already in your Shortcuts system and are already paying for as part of your subscription that could earn you cash money quick smart. It’s a win-win idea designed to generate cash for you, while rewarding your clients when things return to normal (hopefully sooner rather than later!)

The New Zealand Government has announced a number of ways they are offering financial relief to help businesses stay open through COVID-19 lockdowns.  Find out what this means for your salon.

From the tide of information over the last couple of weeks, we have pulled together a few comments from key industry leaders, to hopefully give you some insight and perspective.  

If you are facing the prospect of temporarily closing your doors, first of all remember that you are definitely not alone. Many salons and barbers are finding that the current COVID-19 pandemic is forcing them to take a temporary closure, and for most cases, it will mean the eventual re-opening when current pressures ease.

As the COVID-19 pandemic rapidly changes each day, we understand how much uncertainty you might be feeling right now. We wanted to collate some thought-provoking business tips that can give you something to focus on, form a strategic game plan, and hopefully progress your business at a time where you may feel it might try and run in the opposite direction.

The Australian Government has announced a number of ways they are offering financial relief to help businesses stay open through Coronavirus. We've broken down exactly what this means for your salon.

There's no doubt that the impacts of COVID-19 on our communities and the industry are already starting to appear, with some salons unable to order enough stock and clients cancelling appointments. Our thoughts are with all of you and we hope you’re safe and healthy.

Hot topic for all the wrong reasons, Coronavirus is on everyone’s minds right now as outbreaks start to spread in Australia and New Zealand. While fighting over toilet paper isn’t going to get our countries anywhere fast in dealing with the pandemic, there’s a few things that will and businesses all over are putting in measures to cope with the spread of the virus.

With technology playing an increasingly pivotal role in the success of your business, it might seem like hard work to retain your clients. But it doesn’t have to be. Read on for our top 3 tips to help you retain clients in this constantly-evolving Digital World.

Coming up with unique hair salon advertising ideas isn’t always the easiest task when you’re a busy barber or salon owner on the run all day. But really there are so many different salon advertising ideas you can use to elevate your business and get in front of the right people at the right time.