6 top tips to support your business

25th Nov 2024

6 top tips to support your business

 

Financial difficulties are among the most stressful problems that any business must cope with, especially when there are constant warnings of things getting worse rather than better. That’s what our industry has had to deal with almost constantly over the last few years, first with the pandemic, and now with the cost-of-living crisis.

At Ellisons we strive to support all professional hair and beauty businesses so we hope this blog will offer some helpful pointers for anyone looking to alleviate some of the stresses we’re facing in our business life.

Energy bills

Whilst the Energy Relief Scheme for business (find out more here website) go some way to offset the pain of increasing energy cost, this autumn has seen the cost of electricity and gas rise dramatically compared to last year.

Here are a few suggestions on how you can mitigate the impact that rising bills may have on your business and help you keep up abreast of wider changes to doing business that might affect you.

1. Reduce your energy consumption

The best way of coping with to try and reduce your energy usage, which as a business can be hard. Here are our top tips:

  • Take a look at your salon’s facilities and see if you can replace any inefficient fixtures or fittings. For example, better insulation can reduce your heating costs. Also, swapping incandescent light bulbs with LED ones will make your lighting more energy efficient and cheaper.

Performing this type of audit can help you highlight quick wins and make sure you and your business are better prepared

  • Consider installing a smart meter to be able to keep track of your energy consumption and set targets to curb the expense
  • Turn down your thermostat by at least one degree to reduce your heating bill without impacting too much on your ability to keep you and your clients warm
  • Turn off plugs at the mains after use each day can save up to £150 a year
  • Use your washing machine less. Wait until the load is full before turning it on. This should mean using it less and so using less energy; better for the environment and your pocket

2. Change the way you perform treatments

  • Consider switching from washable towels to disposable towels
  • Make sure you think ahead about treatment bookings and turn wax heaters on and off at appropriate points. You should also only melt the necessary amount of wax for number of treatments per day to help your stock go further
  • If you are a professional massage therapist, be aware that different types of massage use different amounts of energy. For example, warming bamboo massage oil is far more efficient than keeping your massage stone heater on and constantly warming water. Also, did you know that the saltability heat mat is also more efficient than stone heaters?  
  • As a hair professional, consider swapping to low energy hairdryers, with a lower wattage to reduce your energy consumption and save you money. Ellisons currently offer several which you can find here. Also, general maintenance of hair dryers and hood dryers, as well as regularly cleaning filters ensures more efficient running and lower costs.

3. Make a note when your energy contract is due to be renewed

Set a reminder in your diary a month before your energy and other contracts are due for renewal and spend time looking for a better deal.

4. Keep up to date with changes to government policy that could affect your business.

You may be surprised but there is a wealth of support on offer from different organisations. Here are two suggestions to that can offer useful advice and insight on managing your business through this winter and beyond.

Federation of small businesses: https://www.fsb.org.uk/

Offers its members a wide range of vital business services including advice, financial expertise and support. They also champion issues facing small business to Government.

Beauty Backed Trust: https://www.beautybacked.com

An organisation set up to help and support hair and beauty businesses following the pandemic, Beauty Backed also offer a grant scheme to help your business with direct financial support.

5. Be a savvy shopper

Good news here, Ellisons regularly price checks all our best-selling lines so you don’t have to.

Make use of regular promotions offered by your wholesaler and brand house but be sure to manage your cash flow and available storage space.

Try and make sure you reach the minimum spend for free delivery. Or, for smaller shops and especially if you are local to Coventry, consider using our new Click and Collect service rather than paying for delivery.

6. Keep working to acquire new customers

One noticeable effect of a slowdown in business is that even your most regular customers may extend the time between visits. For example, a client who reduces their booking every 4 weeks to every 6 weeks will result in 5 fewer visits to you salon each year. The loss to your income will soon add up.

Set aside time to work on gaining new customers to help overcome any reduction in your total booking.

You can utilise social media using our top 10 tips here to bring a whole new audience through your door.

 

We hope that you have found this article helpful in what is expected to be a turbulent winter for many businesses. Rest assured Ellisons is committed to giving you the best possible prices on all of our products as well as regular offers to help you more. Also, for a chance try new brands for free check out our Instagram where we run regular weekly giveaways featuring prizes from iconic brands such as OLAPLEX and OPI.

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