Issue link: https://www.ascpskindeepdigital.com/i/225798
As an esthetician, there are many aspects of getting organized that are important to your business: handling your incoming communications, setting priorities, time management, and more. Though these are all important skills to learn or improve, here we're going straight to the heart of the most common problem for small business owners: procrastination. You know there are things you ought to be doing, and yet you find yourself putting them off so they never seem to get done at all. Sending out flyers, calling clients and prospects, planning your upcoming specials, updating client files, adding email addresses to your database, purging old files—the list goes on and on. It's no wonder many salon and spa professionals get overwhelmed and end up just focusing on the immediate needs of each day's appointments. What can you do about it? 1 Find the Purpose Start by making sure there is a strong purpose behind each task on your to-do list. Be aware of how accomplishing that task will help you reach a particular business goal. Forcing yourself to do things simply because "they need to be done" only works for so long. On an intellectual level, you know that these tasks are important to your business, but after the newness of each task wears off, you'll likely find yourself putting it off and eventually not doing it at all. But if you give more attention to the purpose behind each task and have a clear idea of the result, you're headed in the right direction. For example, planning to contact three potential clients each week could easily slide into the "I'll do that later" category if your only real reason for doing it is a vague feeling that it's good for business. But if you tie this task to a specific goal of gaining at least two new regular clients every month, and you've calculated that this would pay for the new treatment machine you've had your eyes on, what kind of difference would that make for your motivation? The helpful part of this strategy is that it allows for a realistic success rate with the weekly task: not all the calls you make will result in gaining a client, and not all new clients will become regulars. All you have to be concerned with is making three calls (or sending three emails or postcards) every week. Apply this strategy to any business task that is important, but is not getting done. 2 Don't Try to Do Everything Whether you're a spa owner with many employees and contractors, or a solo entrepreneur, there is a limit to how much you can effectively do yourself. Eventually you will need to hand over some tasks to others in order for your business to grow. There are three ways to get work off your plate. AUTOMATE IT Automate whatever you can. If you're spending too much time returning phone calls, adding an online booking system to your website will cut down some of that volume—and mentioning your website address in your voicemail message will help even more. Try this template for a voicemail message that will help clients without adding work to your day: "Hi, this is [name] at [business name]. Our spa is open daily from [business hours]. You can see all our treatments with prices, current specials, directions to our location, and available appointment times at [website address]. Please feel free to book your appointment online, or leave a message now, and I will call you back before the end of the day. Have a beautiful day!" DELEGATE IT If you have others working for you, it's important for you to define your duties within your practice, stick to those, and delegate the rest. You'll find yourself with more time and energy to put toward the things that are most important. As the business owner, your focus must be on growing your practice and providing those services only you can do. If you find yourself doing a task someone else in your spa could do equally well, there's your red flag. OUTSOURCE IT Taking on a business partner or employee may not be an option for you yet, but outsourcing is something that can bridge the gap and allow growth in the meantime. And we're not just talking Get connected to your peers @ www.skincareprofessionals.com 23