Issue link: https://www.ascpskindeepdigital.com/i/493450
I purchased my first skin care center back in 1990. I had only been an Esthetician for a year and a half, so I barely knew how to be a good Esthetician, let alone a good business owner. Building a business was definitely very different back then as opposed to now. First of all, there wasn't a skin care center on every corner back then and now we're a dime a dozen. Also there was no Internet. We didn't have websites, we had to pound the pavement to get new clients, and we had to truly woo those clients so that they would spread the word about us. Turns out I was pretty good at pounding the pavement and wooing clients because that business grew and became very successful. I ran it for 15 years before selling it in 2005. I was losing my passion and needed a break. I took a few years off and then opened a second business in 2009. Things had definitely changed in those few years and I found that I needed to tweak the way I did things if I wanted to be successful this second time around. By this time the Internet was a really big part of advertising and Groupon and Living Social were beginning to take over. Those promotions really changed the way that the public chose where to do business. It unfortunately became about "the cheaper the better" and not about quality of service. People spent their money more freely in the '90s. We actually charged $250 for a 30-minute microdermabrasion treatment back then! I quickly realized that those days were gone. I had to figure out how to make it in this new world. I guess I did because that business location is still plugging along just fine up in Northern California. I now reside in sunny Southern California. I moved here in late 2013 and recently started feeling out of the loop of the day-to-day running of a successful skin care business. So I opened a second location in Capistrano Beach! Here I am starting from scratch again, but guess what? It's kinda like getting back on a bike. Once you've learned how to ride, it's smooth sailing when you jump back on! Guess what else? It turns out that pounding the pavement and wooing are still the best ways to get that ball rolling and then keep it rolling. I went back to basics as we opened this location and it's working! If you'd like to read the whole story, please visit the blog on my website. It's Like Riding a Bike … Advertisement Shelley Hancock's Training Center Now Open. Check website for 2015 workshop schedule! Shelley Hancock Consulting Helping You Transform Your Skin Care Business www.shelleyhancock.com contactme@shelleyhancock.com (949) 481-4037