If you are a subscriber of the weekly Summit Salon Minute, then you have received an exclusive promo code in your email for our product of the week! If you are not a subscriber, become one now, here Featuring Lashawnda Hall *Podcast Available Below*   Certified Front Desk Trainer, LaShawnda Hall, has 9 years of experience working inside of salon boutiques. Her previous experience in visual merchandising, wardrobing, personal styling and guest handling impacted her success in sales in this business model. Having a Boutique within your salon company offers the opportunity to gain new clients that shop in your boutique to try out the hair salon. Your company becomes a one stop shop for your guests, you gain extra revenue in retail sales and you have the opportunity to gain new salon clients by marketing your boutique! Sounds easy right? Not so much. The main obstacles to owning a salon boutique are: * Budget * Realizing that you need to have someone in the boutique at all times to sell and maintain the area. * Backstock * Not being able to sell through merchandise quick enough. * Setting yourself apart from competition * Branding identity. Who you are? Who’s your target? Do those guest come to your salon company already and if they do not- can they easily find you? Why would they want to be wardrobed by your company vs. another retailer? LaShawnda’s Top FIVE Tips to a Successful Salon Boutique! * Separate your Inventory * When you separate the inventory you get an accurate view of your profits which keeps you on budget in both areas. It keeps you stocked with the right amounts of inventory. * Market Research * Identify your IDEAL CLIENT and then perform Market Research based on what that ideal client will like! (If your ideal client is a 60 year old professional woman, then match the style of the clothing to attract that specific guest.) * Understand YOUR community. What is trending in other cities across the country may not be relevant to YOUR shoppers! Doing adequate Market Research will set your company up for success. * Distinguish between what YOU like and what your guests will actually like. * Fits, Fabrics, Features of merchandise you buy into must be considered as well as price point. * Marketing & Promotions * Boost posts on Facebook and Instagram. New items must be seen! * Snapchat/Disposable Video is a huge opportunity to post outfits on people! * Email your existing list promoting new merchandise and attach discount offers. * Re-market to your clientele for your boutique. Keep a list of what guests buy and contact them when something they would like comes in. * Special Events * Attend/host boutique specific events like trunk shows, shop nights and new product reveals. * Keep it Interesting! * Floorset changes and moving merchandise around keeps the boutique area fresh and encourages guests to walk around to see what is new! What do YOU think? What are YOUR tips for owning a boutique?