Our Blog

Casey Brookshire – owner of MOD Hair Salon – just celebrated her two-year anniversary with Sola — and, she did it in style, revamping her entire suite to reflect her salon’s mod values.  Read More

When Veronica De Leon joined a Los Angeles-based motivational group called Amigas 4 My Soul, she had no idea that she’d soon be the one uplifting other women. But, that’s exactly what happened when Veronica connected with a like-minded woman last summer, and learned about a nearby women’s shelter catering to victims of domestic violence.  Read More

In my last post, Let’s Grow Grow Grow in 2016, I asked some really great questions important to your salon’s success in 2016. Hopefully you’ve taken some time to consider what your BIG WHY is and what you want your business to look like by year’s end. Here are 4 simple routines you can adapt to really supercharge your business goals and help you get the biggest return on your investment of time, talent and money.  Read More

Sharon still specializes in women’s cuts, and she does custom color, too, keeping up on all of the latest trends from her new studio. There’s a lot that Sharon doesn’t do: perms, extensions and men’s hair, for example. “It’s smart to focus on a niche set of services,” says Sharon, adding, “It’s even hard to be really good at cut and color only. And, I’d rather be really, really good at two things than mediocre at ten.”  Read More

The launch of the Sola Sessions in Denver, Colorado, made history by providing education, inspiration and community for Sola stylists and entrepreneurs across the nation. Sola hairdressers, estheticians and nail techs from more than a dozen states joined at the Curtis Hotel to learn from some of the best educators in the industry. The event was the first of many planned by Sola Salon Studios.  Read More

One of the best ways to grow your salon business is to implement a solid referral strategy. We recently asked the Sola community what their number 1 source of new leads is…it’s no surprise that 45% said referrals! Another fun stat? According to the New York Times, 65% of new business comes from referrals!  Read More

You’ve decided 2016 is going to be your year to really shine, and you’re ready to launch your own salon with Sola’s help. But, now what? “There are many individuals who hang their shingle without having a plan in place,” says Cindy Dudden, a partner CPA with Gracey & Dudden, PC. But, it’s important to start with a plan in place. Developing a solid, actionable plan for your new business might sound intimidating. But, it doesn’t have to be. Here, Cindy shares the steps salon owners – and all small business owners, for that matter – can to follow when preparing to launch. Grab your laptop or pen and paper, and get ready to make your New Year’s resolution a reality.  Read More

Yay…2016 is here! Another year of promise, of possibilities, and of purpose. I know you have great ideas for the upcoming year. I have a goal that I’m very excited about too. My goal is to provide you with real, proven strategies, information, tools, and resources that will help you elevate your salon business, achieve all the success you want in your career, and live your dreams.  Read More

When 34-year-old Fernando Adame left corporate America to launch Final Cut Hair Studio, he knew success would depend on how – and if! – his previous retail experience translated to the hair industry. Fernando – it’s Fernie for short – didn’t have a single client when he opened his salon in September of 2014. “When somebody knows you’re fresh out of beauty school, they really don’t trust you at first,” Fernie says. He knew, then, that he had his work cut out for him. “In a nutshell,” Fernie continues, “My clientele has been built by being online 100 percent, and by backing up my brand.”  Read More

Meet the 10 Sola professionals who have been selected as the 2016 Faces of Sola!  Read More

With a New Year comes a fresh start, along with an exciting opportunity to change your life for the better by creating positive, attainable resolutions. Are you ready to take your salon studio to new levels in 2016? Or maybe your business is exactly where you want it to be, and your goals for the New Year are to focus on your family and personal growth. Either way, sometimes the New Year sneaks up on us and our resolutions quickly fall to the wayside. That's why we've gathered 100 resolutions from current and future Sola professionals to inspire one another to start 2016 right! Set your goals high, and ask yourself: Is what you're doing today getting you closer to where you want to be tomorrow? Cheers to a fabulous and very happy New Year!  Read More

Now, having a website is great, but what’s the point if no one visits it, right? You may have heard about search engine optimization, or SEO. SEO means doing everything you can with content, keywords, and links to bring your website to the top of the search engine results – which leads to more site traffic. SEO can seem daunting if you aren’t familiar with it, but luckily, there are several other ways you can drive traffic to your website without diving headfirst into the world of SEO. Here are five easy ways to drive traffic to your website.  Read More

“Working for someone else, you lose your passion for the career,” says Brittany Alford, co-founder of The Hair Bar, located at Sola Salons Downtown Eugene. She and business partner Hollie Haaby were both feeling drained by the day-to-day humdrum; when they couldn’t find a studio that met their needs, they created one — and, the benefits associated with being the boss have far exceeded these stylists’ expectations.  Read More

Tis the season for pampering your guests to make sure they feel beautiful and full of holiday cheer! Throughout December, you’ll most likely see all of your regulars as well as those who visit your salon less frequently – it’s important to provide the best possible experience to ensure you are top of mind as they enter the New Year! Just think, with a few extra special touches, you might even be able to get your more sporadic clients to pre-book their next few appointments!  Read More

Strong relationships are a core component to success— and, that’s true in all aspects of life, particularly business. Building rock-solid bonds with clients usually takes time, energy and commitment. Trust us, it’s worth all of the effort: a personal connection with a client, studies show, leads to increased business, positive word-of-mouth and, ultimately, greater job satisfaction. We’ve got the lowdown on how to make good relationships great.  Read More

Here’s a look at how some Sola Salons stylists are giving back. We hope this list inspires you to get involved with your local community, too — And, if you do, we want to hear about it: Share your story or post a picture, and don’t forget to tag #solasalons.  Read More

It’s crazy how quickly summer has turned into fall. The leaves are falling, the decorations are going up, and thoughts are turning to fun holiday gatherings with friends and family. The holidays can be a great time to build your salon’s business, too. Here are seven marketing ideas to help your salon get a bump in business this holiday.  Read More

“From a young age, I’ve always had an eye for artistry,” says Sola Salons Middletown’s Kristyl Bell, owner of Brows by Kristyl Bell. Business is booming; but, Kristyl’s still found time to offer master brow training classes for other professionals at her salon, and she even gets folks from other states, too. “Chicago, Pennsylvania, Tennessee: That’s absolutely humbling that they would travel so far to take a class with me,” Kristyl says. We aren’t surprised, given this guru’s natural talent, expertise and passion.  Read More

“Bookkeeping,” explains Cindy Dudden, Partner CPA with Gracey & Dudden, PC, “is necessary for any small business because it is the way to gauge the health of your company.” Compiling and consolidating financial data – that’s bookkeeping in a nutshell! – tells you about your total expenses, which, in turn, will help you discern your business trends and determine your bottom line: Are you making or losing money? Boost your business with these bookkeeping practices.  Read More

Instagram has had a meteoric rise in popularity since it was founded in 2010. More than 300 million people use the social media app every month! Maintaining an Instagram account for your salon is a great way to showcase your talent, and even drum up some new business. It’s a visual platform, which makes it perfect for the salon industry. While the majority of content shared on the app is photos, videos are becoming more and more popular.  Read More

For many salon owners, there’s nothing more perplexing than how to price their salon services. In fact, many of us fear “getting it wrong” so much that we underprice our services, leaving money on the table and jeopardizing the very health of our business. Well, don’t fret. The truth is there’s no such thing as the “RIGHT” price. So, don’t worry about getting it perfect. Perfect doesn’t exist. Strive to reach a healthy balance with optimal pricing. Optimal pricing is getting the highest price possible for your services and your clients leave feeling as though they’ve still received great value.  Read More

“In Indian, Yeshe’ means ‘wise one,’ and that was my mother’s nickname,” says Monique Je' Muhammad, owner of The Yeshe' Salon at Sola Salons Preston Park Village in Plano, Texas. Monique’s wise about all things hair, and she isn’t afraid to admit it. When she was ready to open her second salon, Monique needed a name that really stood for something; she also wanted to honor the woman who had helped her distinguish herself as a stylist and business owner.  Read More

At Sola Salon Studios, our goal is to make it easy for beauty professionals to own and manage their own businesses. From our onboarding process and ongoing educational offerings to our superior social media prowess, here are a few lesser-known tidbits to help you take full advantage of all of the benefits associated with salon ownership through Sola.  Read More

From subtle, natural tones to can’t-miss-‘em bursts of color, there’s a color trend for every client, and a few of Sola’s distinguished colorists are offering up a preview of the season’s hottest hues. Go ahead: Try something new on your (willing) clients this week!  Read More

It is scientifically proven and all psychologists agree—one of the best surefire methods to stay positive, experience joy and find happiness is to express gratitude on a daily basis. This practice allows us to find the good in even the most challenging days, creating an optimistic head space that enhances feelings of joy and pleasure.  Read More