How To Successfully Relocate Your Salon

Relocating your business is a difficult and time consuming task - no matter what sector you operate in. The worry and risk of losing your client base when relocating to a new premises is a scary thought, however, here at Hairdressing Supplies Lincoln we have put together the perfect guide - consisting of the exact things you need to do in order to relocate your salon successfully!

CONSIDER THE FACTORS

The first and most important thing to do when thinking about moving to a new area or building is to consider the factors. First of all, you need to recognise the exact reason why you are moving. If it is due to financial issues, then give yourself a pat on the back for recognising this issue and for working within your means to keep your business alive! It is understandably difficult to admit that your business is struggling, but rather than working beyond your means - looking at alternative ways of cutting costs - even if it is downsizing, is the best thing to do in this situation!

Or, maybe it is the opposite... is your business booming and you are in need of upsizing your salon? If so, the most sensible thing to do in this scenario is to approach with caution. The best advice we can give you is to write up a report to track and identify trends in the data. This will help you to understand exactly how long your business has been booming for. If your growth and increase in profit has only happened over the past few months then moving to a bigger and more expensive location is undoubtedly a massive risk!

However, if your growth rate has been increasing rapidly over a long period of time, then it more than likely is time to take a huge leap and move onto the next step. Although, before you make any final decisions always remember to have a level of caution and be one hundred percent certain that your business can handle the change!

FINDING THE PERFECT LOCATION

No matter what the reason is that you are moving, always remember - location is key! Do not just jump and sign a lease or finalise a sale on a location and building because you are in a rush. Taking your time in this situation is key to a successful move! You have to make sure you are one hundred percent sold on this particular location and building, otherwise you may be stuck in an unhappy contract for a long period of time.

On the other hand, when on the lookout for a new location, you need to make sure that it is suitable for not only yourself and your existing clients, but for your employees too. If you have had to move locations due to a staff capacity issue, ensure that this new premises has enough room to account for potential staff growth in the future.

HOW TO KEEP YOUR CLIENTS LOYAL

Naturally, the biggest risk when moving to a new location is losing your customers. One key way to ensure that your clients move with you, is to remind them why this is for the better. If your desired location is in an area which is more accessible then make them aware of this! Your clients will only move with you if it is beneficial for them too, otherwise there is the possibility that you may lose them to your competitors. You need to quite literally take a walk in your customers shoes - how easy is it for them to find your new salon? Furthermore, if you are wanting your clients to move with you, make sure that there is ample parking onsite or the area has good public transport links.

Of course, there is always the possibility that you may lose some clients along the way, but it is important to remember that these are the clients that you do not want. However to minimise this, if possible - inform your clients months in advance of a potential salon move. If your clients have the idea in their head regarding the possibility of a salon relocation, they will then be more open to the idea.

Once the move is finalised, we also recommend you to spread this message not only in your salon but across all of your social media platforms too! Spreading the message across your socials will help you to reach the widest audience possible.

HOLD A LAUNCH EVENT

The last thing to do to ensure your salon move goes too plan is to hold a launch event. Holding a launch event is a great way to bring all customers, old and new, together. At the launch event give out free samples and exclusive offers to those who choose to attend. It is so important to give your customers an incentive to attend, and to keep coming back to you!

We also recommend filming little snippets from the event and posting them across your social media, why not create your own hashtag too - this will get people talking about you brand and you may even gain some new clients from this!

Hopefully our range of tips above have assisted you as salon manager or owner in the process of successfully relocating your salon. If you are looking for more tips and tricks to do with all things hairdressing - check out our instagram page where we upload our top tips every tuesday!