With waxing being the bread and butter for most beauty salons, and the majority of customers covered up during the colder months, winter is traditionally a slow season in the industry – use this valuable time to work on a business plan with these easy steps.

Reflect on the past year
Winter is the perfect time to look back on the year past and evaluate what went well and what you would have done differently. How did your team perform this year? What reviews have you gotten and have you used that information to improve your salon? Reflection might lead to making tough decisions, but these are key for creating a better salon.

Recharge your team and energy
Take your time thinking about what you want to improve, training your staff and evaluating your customer service.

Possibly the most important way to make the most of downtime is by upskilling yourself and your staff. Your salon is only as good as the people that work there. To offer the best treatments to your customers, it’s vital that your staff’s knowledge and skillset is up to date and they are confident in what they do. Reputable suppliers will often offer in-house training to inform your staff about the latest techniques and insights in the beauty industry and educate them in the proper use of the products they supply. Use downtime to educate yourself on what makes a good leader. There are many free resources to be found on the internet, such as TED talks on YouTube or free leadership courses via Coursera, or just use Google to find good articles on how to improve your leadership.

To ensure that your staff trust you and follow your lead, you have to let them know that they are more important than the financial numbers or even the customer. Be willing to hear both sides of the story when you receive a complaint.

Use better products
You can also re-evaluate whether the products you are using are giving you the best results. For example, different types of wax have different qualities. You should choose your wax based on the area of the body you’re waxing, the type of hair your customer has and their skin type. Look for a wax that is not overly perfumed, doesn’t have too many colour additives and uses a high grade resin, so there is no unnecessary skin irritation.

Create a better experience
Ambiance and atmosphere can now be created in the salon. Winter is the time for warmth and cosiness. Turn the heater up a little bit, light a scented candle and offer your customers a hot chocolate. Use electric blankets and make sure your hands are warmed before you start the treatment. Take your time to consult with your customers about their skin’s needs during the colder months. If you have time, you can go the extra mile and massage for a bit longer. All these seemingly small extras will add up to an amazing experience for your customers and will help maintain strong sales. Give your salon a facelift or a good winter clean-up. Make sure your staff take their annual leave, so that they’re well rested for summer.