Oh, I bet you think I’m writing about a salon and a spa under one roof. No, that’s not the “mix” I’m writing about. I want to review the concept of a rental and commission store all in one place!
Well, now you really think I’m crazy. I do not think. Some salon owners are very savvy when it comes to making money and being successful. Some have figured out the right mix of booth hire and commission arrangements to keep the shop running like a well-oiled machine!
So who are these owners?
I’d like to profile one that I’m particularly impressed with. He is intelligent, professionally talented and financially savvy with heart and works hard to improve the lives and careers of his professional team. This is an amazing combination. I have heard, over the past 4 years, from many, many salon and spa owners. I have listened to those who work for both the commission shop owner and the rental stand owner and neither have had the work and life ethic of this particular gentleman.
Mark Cottle, owner of Kaya Beauty in Henderson, Nevada, has no idea I’m writing about him, but that’s okay because he’d blush if I told him before I’m done. Mark is a very talented beauty professional. He is a teacher, mentor and entrepreneur. “I want my equipment to be successful,” he says if you ask him why he’s so comfortable when one of his pros says he wants to go on a rental, “any salon owner who doesn’t want their equipment ‘owns’ their own.” clients and doing great things he’s afraid of losing.” His confidence in his ability to groom great talent shines through everyone in the shop.
You have to remember that although I am a financial professional who created professional beauty contact management software on my own, I am also a very vain 50 year old woman who hates showing gray hair and needs to be “blonde” even though God gave me the good old Italian dark brown to work with! I am very loyal to some very talented professionals who credit Mark & Kaya for their success.
Finally, I am also getting my nails done and as a gift I received a facial and massage on my birthday as a gift from my staff. What an amazing event, all at Kaya, best deal with great people, all loving what they do and making their job an enjoyable career.
All of them, when asked what is important to the salon and spa owner, say: “Mark only cares about the client’s happiness”, “If the client is not being treated by a professional in the salon, we all need to understand and help them find the right professional in the salon to work with.” Wow, what a concept.
Mark bought each member of his team a copy of Michael Cole’s Redken-sponsored book “A Little More off the Top” to read, study and discuss at future group meetings. I was lucky enough to read a copy and what a great book for all beauty professionals as well as any business person who lives with customer service as a crucial part of their career. Mark gave them the book with the goal of creating success for each team member, which in turn creates success for the workshop.
Now I can’t tell you the financial formula for renting the booth on commission and what the divisions are and what the monthly rates are. I can tell you that all the work is to sell products, not to “force sell” products to customers, the reception calls all the customers of the commissioned staff the day before the appointment (I think it’s too late, but that’s another customer management story), and they are super kind to help as much as they can.
When Mark told me, as I commented on how wonderful his management style was and how unique he is on the market, “If a client likes a professional’s work, they’ll follow you anywhere. Why shouldn’t they happy to the professional? to be here so that the client is happy to be here? I am not the owner of the client, nobody is, but the loyalty of the client to his professional is expected”. I knew then that Mark understood the fundamentals that most salon owners ignore or suppress for the sake of “owning” the client.
Your professionals are your best and most valuable asset. As a Salon & Spa owner, treat them right and you will have the beauty professional and their clients for life.