It’s tough running a salon, and it’s easy to be hard on yourself. It is possible to make things much simpler if you just ask yourself one question.
As a salon owner and stylist, I spent years being frustrated at my lack of performance in building my business. I mean I was doing alright, but I couldn’t help feeling it should have been easier. I saw what other people were doing and I still had my dream, but it just wasn’t happening.
Looking back, I felt that I had a tiger by the tail. Too out of control to let go and so scared I was hanging on for dear life. At the end of the week I felt so shell shocked that it was all I could do to rest up all weekend, to be anywhere near ready to go at it again come Monday morning. Familiar perhaps?
When I break it down and look at the facts though (which is what business people do), what I actually mean by ‘my lack of performance’ was my inability to consistently manage stock, develop a great relationship with my team, run my finances, plan for the future and turn a profit etc., all while feeling fulfilled and in control of things. I could still manage my clients, but the rest of it was way off.
My dream of what salon ownership would give me was not happening. And it was not surprising…
What I was doing – and you may be the same to some degree – was trying to do two full time jobs:
- Full time commercial stylist – trying to grow a column
- Business owner/manager – trying to grow a business
Those were the facts, and if I asked anyone if they thought it was possible – let alone sensible – to do that, I’m sure the answer would be a resounding, ‘No.’
Each of these jobs need different and separate focus and time, not to mention very different skill sets. So there’s no surprise that anyone attempting to do both will be left feeling frustrated, unfulfilled or at least realising that some things simply aren’t getting done. For a business to grow and be strong – it all needs to be done.
Here is an undeniable fact – it’s almost impossible to do both, well.
Richard Branson didn’t build Virgin Atlantic while he was flying one of his planes, did he?
So there we have it. Trying to run a business, while thinking and behaving like a stylist. Hmm? Unrealistic at best. Bonkers even. But so many of us still do it, day after day, week after week. Stress, wasted years, debt and even poor health, while the dream gets further and further away.
So what’s the plan if your dream for your life and business is different from your current reality?
The first step is to get some clarity – and from there the ‘plan’ becomes much easier.
This is the one question that can be the beginning of getting control of your business, life, health and future – it’s that powerful…
“What do I need to do to move towards my dream business and dream life?”
Yes, it’s that simple. By getting clear on the answer to that question it makes things much simpler when deciding what you should be doing with your time. And realise how important this is.
If you decide you need to be a happy creative stylist without the stress of salon ownership to live your dream, make it happen. Life is too short.
If you decide you need to be a business person to reach your goals, then make that happen. There is plenty of help out there, even if you don’t know where to start. Your friends at Shortcuts will be able to help.
Remember that you get what you focus on, so focus on what YOU WANT, and ask the question: “What do I need to do to move towards my dream business and dream life?”
If you would like to find out more about Adam Snare and Salon Freedom please visit www.adamsnare.com or email Adam at info@adamsnare.com
