Salon management requires more knowledge than knowing how to be a hairdresser. A salon is a styling palace, beauty therapy and relaxation centre rolled into one business. Speaking of business….the salon is also a business that requires management and organizational skills.

Learning how to manage a salon requires taking a series of courses that teach about both sides of the business. The two sides are the hairdressing and/or beauty therapy side, and the business management side. A skilful salon manager is as adept at performing their skills for customers as he or she is at ordering supplies and managing finances. Even if you don’t own the salon you are working at you must still practice business skills in the day-to-day operation of your personal hairdressing business.

A Little Bit of Everything

Salons today have been redesigned to meet customer needs. Salon clients make it clear they want to be able to go to the salon of their choice and find a variety of services being offered. This means salon management requires directing a variety of people with different skills in a way that promotes the ambiance and theme of the salon while providing excellent customer service.

In salons you may find hairdressers, manicurists and pedicurists and beauty therapists skilled in message techniques and the use of stress reduction aromatherapy. Salons also promote and sell products and hold beauty seminars to attract new clients. The range of activities makes it necessary that a salon manager have excellent organizational skills in order to coordinate the operation of a set of mini-businesses within one roof.

Styling and Promoting

Striving to become a salon manager is an excellent career choice. It is a business that enables you to use the skills you have developed in beauty management while also offering plenty of opportunity to use your creativity. For example, as the owner/manager you are able to develop "client appreciation" programs, create special events for women and their friends, and offer ancillary programs such as make-up application.

In other words, salon management business skills require the ability to implement a promotional program that brings new business on a regular basis. Being able to differentiate the salon based on its unique characteristics and offerings is critical to salon success. When you train for a career in hairdressing and beauty therapy, you will take management courses that prepare you for success in the industry.

This preparation will make the difference between being able to manage a thriving and professional salon and struggling in a competitive industry. Even if you choose to work for yourself in an existing salon, the salon management skills will be used everyday as you build and retain your clientele.

In the Atmosphere

Salon management requires the right craft and management skills. But it also needs a sense of atmosphere. When clients enter a salon, they are "escaping" for one or more hours from hectic lives. In the salon a client wants to feel as if they are the centre of their own world for a short relaxing time. A salon manager must be adept at creating the right atmosphere sought by clients based on an understanding of their needs.

If you now believe salon management requires extensive skills and training, you would be correct. An excellent training program prepares a manager for the world of hairdressing and beauty therapy which also means having the right business and management skills. In the world of salon management you will find a diverse clientele just waiting for your attention.