I love this quote, it reminds me that all we have in our businesses, the perspective to which we hold true to us. In changing perspective we can forgive and let go, hence, change the vibration of our business and vibration is responsible for our future success.

Dr. Phil claims that the best predictor to future behavior is past behavior and from a logical standpoint he is absolutely right. From the Law Of Attraction's view this is the force of nature in action.

I would like to reflect upon a recent situation a client of mine who owns a construction company had with an employee.

The owner and contractor were at the suppliers picking up materials for the job when the owner had made a wise crack about another contractor who had worked with him in the past. Now it was done in fun and humor by the owner but the contractor took it personally. He attacked the owner in defense of the other contractor telling the owner that he was the idiot, not the other contractor

At this point the owner lashed back with the fact that he had no right to say anything when his work was less that average and he had made mistakes to which the owner had let slide but felt, now that an inventory was being taken, he should know.

There are 2 attacks here, one made of character and the other of job performance.

Now you can take this experience any way you like, defend either party, try to see who was right and who was wrong and you can even decide what should be done. But, as a salon consultant, I work with people to show them opportunities to change the way we see situations and give them tools to deal with them to get better results. So here is what I see. After all, anything that “happens” to us in business is really showing us to ourselves.

When we judge others, the people who witness it, either consciously or subconsciously believe that at some point they too will be judged. This is how trust and respect is lost.

When we look at the scenario above we see that the real issue the owner had with this employee was their performance, which was brought out in the wrong context as an emotional response to being attacked. Had this issue been addressed at the time, there may have been a very different response.

What also comes into context from this situation is the boundary of employee and employer. Employees should know what is appropriate behavior, what happens when a line is crossed and what happens if corrective measures are not taken.

The last thing that can be taken from this experience is the fact that this employee had been hired for a position in which he felt over qualified and under paid, hence the animosity and the attack on the employer.

So how I see this wonderful little drama being useful to this business is in creating an action plan that involves 3 simple steps:

1.     Hire the right personality, a follower if need be or a leader if need be

2.     Provide job descriptions that outline job expectations

3.     Give each employee a handbook of policies, procedures and processes so there is no misunderstanding of where the boundaries are and what happens when they are crossed

To build a positive salon culture these criteria are the tools used to foster respect and growth with and amongst your team. By nature people want to do their best, get along with peers and excel, showing them how is the job of every business owner.

1.    Tell their stylist what to do

2.    Put a time restriction on the visit

3.    Put a price limit on the visit

Happens all the time, clients come in with a picture of the haircut they want. You know that their hair will never look like this picture but at this point you may go against you better judgment to make them happy. Now although you may lend your professional opinion and make adjustments accordingly, you ultimately know that their new do won’t get them stopped on the street asking them who their stylist is.

I was trained in precision cutting, which takes into consideration the hairs density, texture, movement and the shape of the skull, which dictates guidelines to produce the optimal cut for the client. So when I had clients who wanted the picture of the cut they brought in I had to be the bearer of the bad news telling them that even if I did this cut, they wouldn’t look the like picture, there were too many variables and they wouldn’t get the results they wanted, they said they didn’t care and I did it anyway.

So for a short time in the beginning of my career, I did what I called, “sold my soul to the devil”. I wasn’t working as I was trained which went against the very core of my being and I had little enthusiasm for my work.

Then 1 day it shifted. I decided to move salons and start fresh where I could use my skills to become a professional. I went to a high end salon where I could make more money, because I truly believed I deserved to be paid for my exclusive for training. I also knew that I had to find clients who were willing to pay for expertise.

Now although I was very skilled in my trade, I soon realized I lacked the characteristics of the top earners in this salon. I watched and adapted and implemented every action, behavior and even their language into my services. I saw that it wasn’t just what they said but how they said it. It was in the way they greeted clients making them feel at ease and in the way the educated the clients that instilled the trust I had been lacking.

The most amazing thing happened. I started pumping out my best work because clients were paying for it and they trusted me as a professional. And because I was making more money I started to take more training and because I had more training I became more in demand and on it goes.

That’s the amazing work of the law of attraction. I lived my passion, honed my skills, got excited and people were drawn to it. Did I ever do a haircut again that clients wanted when it went against my professional opinion? Yes, but that didn’t stop me from providing them with a head shaping consultation and a complete diagnosis of what I saw that could optimize their cut, flatter their best features and give them the ease when styling. I did my job as a professional so that I felt justified and validated in my work. It was the internal shift of honoring myself and the willingness to learn that changed my course as a stylist.

So if you are struggling building a client base that trusts you and not making the money you want to be making, take an inventory. Consider the following;

If you don’t feel confident charging more money, it means you are lacking confidence in yourself as a professional. To gain the confidence and pay of a peak performer, get help to become one. Whether it be additional technical training or business training don’t stop till you feel you are worth the money clients will be spending. You may even need to practice your new skill set till you have it mastered on school students or family.

In this business it is one thing to have an amazing skill set but without knowing how to brand it and market it you won’t get the pay and status of a peak performer.

Let me tell you why I never bought from your company. I was being sold to, period. I resented the fact that I had real issues and some hot shot sales person was coming into my business who had absolutely no experience in running a business and even sometimes, no experience in my industry, and was telling me they had the product that would increase my sales. Really? How do you know?

They would then embark on all the benefits and reasons why this is the product for me and truth be told, they were highly educated in their presentation. But the product was never my problem, or the fact that my staff loved getting new toys and got real excited about the new “stuff”. The problem was, they never sold it. Sales didn’t increase, just my inventory.

Now, on the odd time that I actually gave the sales person the time of day and discussed my challenge, they had nothing to offer other than the product will sell itself. Right, if they looked around they could see I had a shelf full of product that wasn’t moving.

Although I had voiced my challenge and although I was given an answer, my experience with this sales person was of no value to me. Clients buy from people when they see value in what they offer. Had I been coached on how to successfully market this product, educated on how to get my team to sell it or most importantly offered some support, I would have seen the value.

Your sales people are your company’s first impression and the message should be that doing business with your company, regardless of the products you carry or who will be representing next month will be of value. Products and sales people come and go but the reputation you build on being a valuable resource in your industry is single handedly the most powerful sales tool you have.

This is your business brand. It is the service you provide and the way it is facilitated. Your “Standard Of Service” is the process sales teams use to create the client experience from the minute they have connected to you. This includes your website, brochures, telephone service and your sales people. The more specific the brand the more organic your marketing is to your ideal client.

So next time your sales person is out there presenting your image, rather than focusing on them making sales, ask yourself this; are my clients having the experience that will bring them back to my company?

• Are you are tired of wasting time dealing with employees issues?
• Are you frustrated when they don’t do as asked?
• Are you exhausted with workplace drama?
• Are you concerned about how they are handling clients?
• Do you want to spend more time growing your company than handling the above issues?

If you are like most business owners just the thought of the above issues can keep your head reeling long into the night when you should be sleeping. It can feel like you are alone but I assure you, you aren't. These fears and issues are very real and they come with great costs both tangible and intangible.

I would like to address the intangible in this article because it is the intangible issues that can destroy a business faster than the latter. I am talking about workplace drama and bad attitudes.

But before we talk about the issues, I would like you to shift your thinking for one moment by asking yourself this question; are your employees absolutely clear on the behaviors and attitudes you expect? I mean is it written anywhere in your company policies how you expect them to relate to each other while on company premises and what attitudes, behaviors and actions are acceptable when dealing with clients? And do they know with absolute clarity, the consequences if this policy is challenged?

The fact is that most workplace situations can be avoided when people are held accountable but more so, they simply don't exist when a positive culture is fostered and nurtured as a priority from the onset of employment. Why so much attention to sustaining a positive salon culture? Because the cost to you, comes in the form of waste, whether it be your time energy or money.

Imagine the difference it would make if you could get your employees performing like the boss is watching not because you baby sit their every move but because they are inspired to perform at their best.

But how do you do this? By implementing team policies that lay out the guidelines of acceptable behaviors, rewarding those behaviors and acknowledging the value you place in them. But the most impact you will make is to be the person in your company that leads by example. If there will be change it has to happen with you.

Free tele-class Jan 31st/2011 for members of this group, sign up today and then register for the class!

Every issue that we have in our business is an opportunity for spiritual growth. It is our stories of who we are and how we have come to operate that attract the situations in our lives, some good, some, not so good.

Yes, even that disgruntled client, the employee who doesn’t show up on time and even the tax collector are all here to show you to yourself. Life in general is a projection of our thoughts and beliefs and our salons and spas are not exempt. In fact, they are what we call “opportunities for growth”. These opportunities are a blessing because they offer emotional, spiritual and personal growth.

So now that we know this what do we do about it? We take a fearless inventory into our lives where we seek the truth about why we react the way we do and what we are getting out of our actions, beliefs and patterns. And yes, we are always getting something out of them. Whether it is justification, an excuse or even martyrdom we are operating from who we have come to think we are rather than our authentic selves.

The journey to our authentic selves in the greatest journey we will take because clarity and peace is the result. And when we take that journey we will know a greater peace, how to handle situation that used to perplex us and we will know a freedom to embrace life. We reclaim responsibility of our own lives and the power of choice knowing that blame is not real and that we are the masters of our own destiny.

So I ask you, what opportunities are there for growth in your salon and what gifts are they offering you for spiritual evolution?

If you would like to know the process to finding out how to use your salon and the challenges you are experiencing to learn more about yourself I invite you to join me on this FREE call.

What will your salon do to build your career? That is the question you need to ask yourself when looking for employment. And it goes way beyond money. Today’s employee market values being rewarded, job security, time off with pay to create quality living and to be part of something they have pride of ownership in.

Recently my daughter had been looking for a job and when she would come home from the interview I would ask her how it went. She would tell me all the questions they asked her but she had none of her own questions answered. Even the most basic questions such as, is this full time, how much an hour will I make or when and how do I get a raise? Now given the fact that she is only 19 and this is just a fill in job to support her education, it is not that way with hairdressers looking to apprentice or a veteran looking to build their career.

If you are going to invest your time into a salon you need to know that the investment is working both ways. You are there to build the salon business and in turn they are there to build your career. And you will know this by interviewing the salon at the same time that you are being interviewed.  Here are just a few questions to ask:

• Ask how you will earn senior status in the Salon? 
• Inquire as to what other positions available in the salon such as management, creative director, team leader, color technician.
• Ask if there is any compensation for long-term employment such as company shares.
• Does this salon/spa have an incentive program that rewards peak performance?
• Is there an education fund for advanced learning?
• What marketing does the salon do on a continual basis to get new clients?
• What process is in place to determine who gets the new clients?
• Does the salon support outside advertising when stylists initiate it?

Take note salon owners, if you can answer no to these questions and you are having trouble finding good employees you have just found out why.  If you build it they will come. If you want quality employees that will stay long term and help build your business you have to give them reason to want to be there.

Recently my daughter was hired as a full time receptionist at a spa here in Edmonton. She was so excited to be back in the salon industry and doing the job she so loved in my salon. I knew on her first day that this would end in disaster but my daughter is 19 years old and I knew I must allow her this experience.

On her first day of training she was given a contract that released her of any monies she would earn in exchange for training, which I find to be slave labour, she accepted. She never did get a copy of the contract she signed or a policy and procedure manual to outline conditions of employment or the operations at the front desk. The first day of her official “on the clock” shift, she opened the spa and due to nervousness she forgot to punch in the time clock. When she told her supervisor about this they told her there was nothing they could do and she lost those hours. I have to mention that this happened with another new hire who had children at home and was paying a babysitter.

She continued to stay because she has bills to pay and after 1 month and a total of 47 hours on the clock in that month she was laid off because the employee she replaced decided to take her job back. Turns out she was hired because the owner wanted to prove a point to the employee that left and hired my daughter to show her that the company would still go on without her.

I am sharing with this today for the simple reason that when I was new in business I considered this company to be an icon because they had a few locations and I assumed that meant success. But because my vision and mission was unlike my competitors' and because I lead my team with my own interpretation of leadership I stopped paying attention to other salons and spas and focused on my intention.

My point is that I hope you too don’t make the mistake of assuming success means grandiosity because true success is how your company resonates with you at the end of the day. Ask yourself the following:

• If I asked your employees if they were treated with respect would they say yes? (Remember respect doesn’t mean they don’t get mad or that they like you)

• Can you say with confidence that your clients are being served with the excellence because you know your employees are trained to do so?

• Would you feel confident with your employees being asked if they thought you were able to lead the company with the vision and mission you created?

If you cannot answer these questions with a solid yes than you have work to do because we all know that the success that brings pride and dignity is what makes this industry a better place to be. There is bleed through when money follows people who take advantage of others to achieve success.

There are three progressions to a business with the goal being a business that runs independent and turns profits whether the owner chooses to be there or not.

The reason you want to have a business that is mature is simply for resale value, expansion or just to have the quality of life you desire. Listed below you will find the characteristics that best describe each level of business.

You in the infancy stage of your salon business if this is you:

Busiest technician in your Salon Operating System

Have no difficulties building your own client base

Are at ease with selling retail

Pre booking your clients and you are in demand

Completing the managerial tasks on your own

Managing the team independently

You implement the marketing strategies single handedly

You are getting burned out with trying to do it all on your own

You in the adolescent stage of your salon business if this is you:

You now have front desk staff

You have a salon team

You have recognized that you need more structure in your business to create team unity

You may have hired and trained new technicians to have them quit and take clients with them

You have commission or booth renters that aren’t on the “same page”

New hires aren’t busy quick enough

You would like to expand or open a new location

You want to step away from your technician role but are struggling on how to do it

A business that is in the mature stage looks like this:

The mature business runs independent of the salon owner

The team knows their roles and expectations and there are systems in place

There is consistency between all that serve and in the clients experience

This business owner experiences momentum and profits

The focus is now on how will it be done rather than what needs to be done

They continually evaluate what they can do to ensure that the business will operate without them

The salon owner is free to work if and when they choose and knows that the salon will still turn profits

The challenge most salon and spa owners find themselves in is during the adolescent stage when it may seem easier to get small again. Often times they feel like no one will get it anyway and it was much easier when it was just themselves they had to worry about. Now to some degree this is true and it may be a reasonable solution. But if you truly understand that the only difference between growing and getting small is the implementation of a solid business structure the choice becomes one of logic rather than emotion.

The good news is that once the decision is made andthe systems are in place to support the growth, all the owner has to do ismonitor the systems and watch the business mature.

If you would like to move your business into the mature stage and know you need the structure to help you get there, Salon Operating System has a ready made template that you can modify to support your unique way of doing business while ensuring you cover every single aspect of a salon system to propel you forward.

If you are like so many of my clients you are frustrated with people who just don’t get it, don’t do what you tell them to do and don’t make the changes you incorporate. You feel it is hopeless and you are ready to stop trying because no matter how hard you work on the business they just don’t get it.

Well you aren’t alone. This is how every conversation starts off when we (my colleagues and I) work with you. Now you aren’t going to like what I have to say but I may as well say it, somebody has to! The problem isn’t your people, the problem is you.

Your management, your follow through, your focus, your lack of boundaries and your lack of leadership. There it is. Like it or not it is the cold hard truth. Your business is a mirror image of your issues. And, if you choose to look at it and make the changes you need to, your business will be all you desire. But until the inventory into your leadership and management skills take place you will run around enforcing rules to have nobody follow them.

So the burning question is, how do you do it? Write this down; get proactive and take the reins of your business by doing the tuff stuff nobody wants or likes to do. Know your numbers and what the business needs to make to be profitable implement policies and procedures that you know will bring the clients in and bring them back. Develop the backbone to monitor the policies and procedures and do what is necessary to those who don’t follow through. Learn to communicate effectively and manage with deliberate leadership by practicing what you preach and you have a recipe for success. And for goodness sake, take the advice and direction of your coaches and consultants, that’s what we are here to do, help you and your business be the very best you can.