You never know where you'll find a GREAT idea..

I talk a lot with small business owners and through my work in the professional beauty industry, I work directly with a lot of salon owners and stylists at beauty salons. It is a fantastic industry where people are passionate and emotionally committed to their work and it's a whole lot of fun!


Recently, I was working with a beautiful salon just outside of Atlanta and we spent a lot of the day on how to add value to their client's experience. Given the ecomomic environment, focusing on your value proposition along with your products, services and execution is key to survival. I left the session feeling great knowing that we talked about some great value added ideas and how to put them into action.

I thought about ways I could add some additional value and came across an idea in one of the most unlikely places, the men's room at a bowling ally! Before you all get excited, this blog is rated PG-13 so let me explain.

I have two children, Megan and Matthew (you'll be hearing more about them in the future, I'm sure) and Matt was invited to a birthday party for a classmate. It was a bowling party on a Sunday morning and I was doing my "Dad" duties and taking him to the party (I wasn't thrilled but it is in the job description).

I decided to stay at the bowling ally rather than drive back and forth and towards the end, needed to use the facilites. In the men's room, over the handtowel dispenser, I noticed a flyer that the bowling ally had put up. It announced a "Superbowl Widows Party" to take place on Superbowl Sunday - sort of a women's night out for all the ladies that are abandoned by the guys watching the big game.

I thought this was a brilliant idea! Think about it:

1. It's going to be dead in the bowling ally on that day
2. There is a group people who are going to be left with nothing to do

The bowling ally discovered a chance to add value and make some revenue on a day that would have been dead for business. I loved it and I immediately saw a way to apply this to my salon friends and help them do the same and sent out a note with a call to action!

Here is an idea that you can do in your salon to generate extra service revenue, sample opportunities, retail sales – even bring new clients to the salon. It is simple, easy, customizable and fun. Throw a Superbowl “Widows” Event – essentially something fun for the ladies to do while the guys are watching the game.

This could be run in the salon Sunday afternoon as a “pre-game” event or in the evening during the game – whatever the you want to do. Offer quick, pampering services – a shampoo with a complimentary conditioning treatment, retail offerings, bring a friend – even cross sell into other areas of the salon. Of course, wine and food are optional. The ideas are endless and can be whatever the salon wants it to be. Ultimately, they can boost revenue and expand clientele on a day that the salon typically wouldn’t generate any revenue while having a fun time with their clients.

The moral of the story is: always be on the look out for great ideas and never by shy about lifting a great idea either! You might just find your next creative, value adding, revenue producing idea at the bowling ally.

Take care.

Joe Sileo
President - TRAIN, LLC

* - The salon I worked with in Atlanta is the JYL CRAVEN COLOUR STUDIO. Take a look at the website at http://www.jylcraven.com/ and if you're in the area, definitely give Jyl a call and stop by the salon!