A salon owner performs a number of jobs on a daily basis. His or her work usually involves not only providing services like hair and nail care, but also handling the business aspect of running a salon. This typically includes everything from advertising and making sure the salon customers are satisfied to managing salon employees and ensuring that the salon is clean, comfortable, and visually appealing.
Since satisfied customers are critical for the success of any salon, most salon owners spend a good deal of time seeking new customers. This can involve everything from placing ads in newspapers and telephone directories to passing out fliers and designing eye-catching signs for the salon. The owner may also create a schedule to ensure that customers receive services in a timely manner and policies to ensure customer satisfaction.
A salon owner typically takes care of his shop's general upkeep as well. He may handle everything from cleaning the windows and mopping the floors to inspecting the furnishings for rips and making sure there are magazines and other sources of entertainment for the salon’s customers. The owner may also check to make sure salon equipment is in good working order and replace it when necessary. Typically, he takes a regular inventory of supplies as well, ensuring that the salon always has the products it needs for its customers. Sometimes, a salon owner may hire employees to do some of these tasks, but the owner still has the responsibility of ensuring that they are done properly.
Another important part of a salon owner’s job is hiring and managing employees. A salon may offer many services, ranging from hair cutting and styling to pedicures and facials. While the owner may provide some of these services himself, he usually hires enough employees to provide a wide range of services to as many customers as possible. Once he’s hired people to provide these services, he also has to schedule them for work, provide training if necessary, handle payments, and even deal with disputes that may arise among employees or between employees and customers.
Sometimes salon owners sell products in addition to salon services. For example, one may sell hair and skin care products as a supplement to the services he offers. In such a case, his job also includes choosing products to sell and displaying them where his customers will see them. He also sets the price for these products to ensure profitability.
