A salon manager ensures the success of the business by providing top-notch customer relations, supreme and innovative services, and by hiring stylists who can meet the expectations of a diverse clientele. He or she is normally required to balance all of these amenities in an upscale and professional environment. Good business and personnel management skills are typically required to be well-honed to effectively contend in a highly-competitive industry.
A salon may provide only one beauty service, but many of the more successful personal grooming businesses provide one-stop shopping for their customers. The menu of services traditionally includes hair cutting, coloring, and styling; waxing; manicures and pedicures; and skin treatments. Larger locations may commonly offer packages that combine services and often include massages and sauna treatments.
Customer service, as in most personal enhancement industries, is generally viewed as the salon manager’s focal point. The satisfaction with services, as well as the sincere attempt to correct any real or imagined infractions experienced by customers, is generally considered the key to a salon’s success. Effective management of the salon normally helps guarantee repeat business as well as referrals from satisfied clients.
Effective budget and inventory management can also be crucial to a salon’s prosperity. The manager is generally expected to know his or her customers’ preferences and buying habits and keep their favorite products in stock. He or she is traditionally expected to effectively plan the budget in consideration of economic trends and fluctuating costs in advertising and promotion.
Another major monetary consideration of a salon manager are the costs of salaries and training his staff. Since cosmetology traditionally is a volatile business and frequently influenced by pop culture and media trends, retaining skilled stylists is typically vital to the salon’s success. Regular training on new techniques and methods is a cost of doing business that many managers consider a mandatory expense.
To run a profitable business, the manager needs to demonstrate good training and communication skills. He or she is often the main instructor for the staff, and his or her ability to motivate them to excellence is commonly a key part of this role. This person is also generally expected to communicate well with both stylists and customers.
The qualifications for this job normally include a cosmetology license that may be issued by a local or regional regulatory agency. A minimum of two years salon management background is commonly required as well. Additional training in cosmetology and aesthetics is strongly preferred.