Join us for a COVID_19 Catch up

For the last few months we all had to put our live on "hold". 

Literally everything had to "pause" and come to a standstill, including our businesses and any plans we had made. 

Now, 5 months on, restrictions in most areas have been lifted so that treatments can resume for most of us. 

Apart from additional hygiene measures and extra time in between appointments there are still other things that have changed and your life will somehow feel different now. 

Let's have a look at the changes this pandemic has brought to us and how it affects our business and future. 

Firstly, if you are used to working back to back this would have changed and you now need gaps or breaks in between clients for different reasons. 
Whilst we all have taken hygiene seriously before,  there are now additional measures we have to take and most therapists find it beneficial to build in a 15-20 minute break between each client to make sure everything is sanitised and ready for the next client. 

The additional PPE that has to be worn can also be strenuous and tire you out quickly, so a little break in between clients gives you the extra breathing space to for a few deep breaths, a cup of tea or something to eat and it probably does us all well to rest in between. 

BUT (and there is always one, isn't there?)...this also comes at a cost to you. 
If you are used to having clients back to back and now you are having regular breaks between each client, this unfortunately means an income loss for you. 
Combined with the extra PPE it could quickly add up. 

How do you recover this additional cost or the income loss? 
Can you charge it to your clients? 
The answer is Yes, and No.

You definitely have to recover the losses and therefore you have to adjust your prices. Those of you who have worked out their hourly rate including costs for the salon will find it easier as you can build the extra time into your treatment prices and you need to cater for the cost of PPE too. 

However, I would not recommend explaining to your client what you are charging for and why.

The fact is, you run a business. You offer a service and this service costs X. You do not owe anyone an explanation why you are charging your prices and you do not need to feel that you have to justify yourself for an increase. 

If you start explaining to clients that you are charging X for PPE they will bring their own and you have literally no control over the quality and where this PPE has been so you are actually putting yourself and your family at risk. 

You are also opening yourself up to endless discussions and queries why your clients should pay extra for you to clean and sanitise in between clients etc. 

Calculate your cost and treatment prices and stick to it. We all have to get used to different things and beauty is becoming a luxury treatment again (and it should be) which comes at a price for a high skilled personal service. 

You might have seen some therapists dropping the prices and charging way below minim wage....if you are one of them STOP! There is no point in getting out of bed and offering a treatment if it actually costs you money by the time you have calculated all your outgoings. Value your worth and charge it!

Dropping the price only means, earning less, having to cut corners in product quality, risking insurance cover and thus offering an inferior service which then means you have to charge even less. 
Trust me, its a vicious circle and we have seen it many times and it always ends the same way. Don't let it be you! 
Be the one who offers a good service with high quality products and your clients will love you for it. 


Now, when the restrictions were eased you were initially inundated with mails and messages from clients to book in but many have found that the initial flurry dropped quickly and life has become a bit more relaxed. 

Why? 
There are many reasons for this.....
You have clients who are still isolating and who are purely afraid to go out or simply avoid it and wait for things to settle down first.

You have clients who have been furloughed or even worse they might be unemployed (or someone in the family is) so they might need to be careful how they spend the money. 

You have clients who have taken a step back and let others book first. They might be watching how things go before they get back into a routine with their treatments. 

You have clients who got used to the "natural" look after being forced to let go of their lashes, nails etc. 

You also have clients who might not be keen on treatments as they still cant go out and meet others yet. 

And then you have those clients who queue to book with you. 
You have new clients who are desperate to have treatments done. 
You have clients you didnt have before as you have been recommended and they will recommend you to others. 

In a nutshell, yes it is worrying. 
Yes, it is different. 
Yes, it might be quieter. 

Is it bad? 
For some it might feel bad at the moment but there is no doubt that things will work out and that everything will settle into a routine again. 

Is there anything you can do? 
You can look at your business, which treatments you offer and whether you could introduce some retail items. Offering a retail service has saved many businesses throughout this difficult time and you could expand your portfolio to include some items which will help you increase your turnover and make up for any losses. 

Have a look at our retail section so you can see how this can help you boost your business

CHECK OUT THE RETAIL ITEMS

It might be a new routine which will become a "new normal" and it might take some time but I have no doubt that our love and passion for the beauty industry and offering clients a professional service will conquer this all! 

Join us for a chat!
We would love to hear your experience and views too so please feel free to share how things are going for you!