Setting Salon Owners Up for Success in the New Year

A new year is a perfect opportunity to get organized. After the holidays, things may feel a bit chaotic. Be patient with yourself as you get things back in order after the holiday rush. From self-care to schedule mastery, the time has come to set the foundation for a productive and successful year. 

Self-Care

First and foremost, you have to remember to fill up your cup before everything else can fall into place. As the captain of your own ship, solopreneurship can be taxing, so it is critical that you take care of yourself with routines that make you feel rested, rejuvenated and ready to take on anything that comes your way. 

Here are some self-care ideas to replenish your body, mind and spirit: 

• Take a bath filled with magnesium salt to help soothe you physically and emotionally.
• Try replacing your morning coffee with a green or black tea to lower anxiety and reduce adrenal fatigue. 
• Plan healthy meals ahead of time to ensure you are staying nourished with good quality food even when you're busy. Try to pre-plan breakfast options for a stress-free morning routine and a well-balanced, energizing day.  
• Exercise regularly, whether it's an at-home workout or an exercise class you've been thinking about trying.
• Meditate in the morning to set the stage for a day filled with intentional, positive energy. 
• Journal to connect with yourself in the morning before the day begins or just before bed. A simple gratitude practice is a great place to start. List 3 things that you are grateful for in order to get your juices flowing and to shift your thoughts onto a positive track. 

A healthy, happy you will create a better outcome in every area of your life, including in the salon. Prioritize self-care first and foremost, and the rest of your to-do list will feel a lot more manageable. 

Out with the Old...In with the New

Are there any areas of your salon that could use a spruce up? Maybe a collection of old products that you never intend on using or an overflowing cabinet that you avoid at all times? The new year is a great time to clean out any area of your salon (and life) that does not feel in alignment. 

Everybody works better in a clean and clear space. You owe it to yourself and your clients to make your salon a great place to be every day.

Marie Kondo, author of The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, recommends touching each item in your space and asking yourself, "Does this bring me joy?" If not, it is time to get rid of it. 

The goal is to create a daily work environment that makes your heart sing. Your clients will feel the shift in energy too.

Start (or Restart) a Healthy Routine

During the holidays, we all get a bit overloaded. Between holiday parties, extended salon hours, and travel plans, most of us end up veering away from our normal routine. With the holidays behind you, it's a fresh opportunity to resume parts of your routine that work, while cutting out the parts that no longer serve you. Check-in on your current status by asking yourself some questions, like: 

Would a 7 am instead of 8 am wake-up help you feel more productive? 

Is your morning latte from Starbucks still crucial, or would you be better off making your own coffee at home and shifting that time into a 10-minute meditation practice? 

Is the cadence of your appointments feeling good, or do you feel worn out at the end of the day? 

Make sure that your routine is suited to you feeling your best. Routines are intended to create structure, not cages. By crafting a schedule that works for you, you should be able to find more freedom in your days.

We recommend adopting some healthy routines such as:

Design a morning routine: Morning routines are essential to helping you to feel grounded and balanced to handle the day ahead. A morning routine can be as simple as waking up, brushing your teeth, meditating for 5 minutes, and having a coffee - as long as you do the same thing, with intention, every day. A truly successful morning routine will provide whatever you need to fill up your cup at the start of your day. 

Go with your gut, but consider options for mindfulness (meditation, yoga, journaling), movement (exercise, walking, stretching), and nourishment (tea, breakfast, dietary supplements). These practices will set you up to handle anything the day may throw at you. Play with your morning routine, adding practices that work for you and ditching ones that do not make you want to jump out of bed. 

Time blocking and task batching: These are all time management methods that separate your days into time blocks and task batches to make sure that everything gets done, even on the busiest of days. 

For example, you might take mornings doing business upkeep: respond to emails, post to social media, run errands, etc. Then batch your client appointments in the afternoons, doing the bulk of your services in this time block. Evenings can be set aside to spend time with friends, family and yourself - scheduling dinners, fitness, self-care, movement classes, etc. to make sure each day you are getting in some form of "me-time" and/or community. 

You can schedule whatever categories fit your lifestyle best and base it on a timeframe that works for you. Time blocking and task batching can majorly improve productivity when you find a pace that works for you.

Hydrate: It is the time of year for a body reset and detoxification of all those sweet treats and tasty beverages that the holidays had to offer. The colder weather can also make it easier to get dehydrated.  Grab your favorite water bottle, preferably one that tracks ounces so you know how much you are intaking, and make it part of your routine to drink the amount recommended for your body. 

Recommended water intake: Take half of your body weight in pounds and drink that number in ounces of water. (ie. a 120-pound adult is recommended to drink 60 ounces of water per day). Often, water can get lost throughout a busy day. Make sure to prioritize hydration as part of your routine. 

While we don't know what the year ahead will bring, and there is so much outside of our control, one thing is for certain - with the right routines, mindset and self-care practices, there's nothing you can't handle. We're calling this year the year of the #SolaBoss and we can't wait to see what you do with all the potential that lies ahead.