You’re sitting in your office, surrounded by a pile of paperwork the size of Mt. Everest. You have forms waiting to be filled out and documents that need to be filed, but you just can’t figure out where to start. You’re stressed, and it’s enough to make you want to leave the office, lock the door, never to enter again! To prioritise organisation can significantly reduce those stress levels, both in the short and long term. Below, you’ll find organisation tips that will allow you to focus on what really matters: grow your salon or spa!
1. Tidy Up Your Office
Let’s face it; it can be challenging to get enough downtime to clean up your personal space. While your salon floors and mirrors may be gleaming, the inside of your office could look like a nasty hurricane hit it.
Not wanting to spend time in a messy office is only normal. That being said, if you don’t carve out some time to clean it, you’ll avoid stepping foot in it for as long as you can; leaving paperwork and other office duties on the long finger.
What if instead, you looked forward to spending time in your office? The saying “a tidy space is a tidy mind,” is true! Buy some plants or trinkets to liven it up, and make sure that your paperwork and files are clearly labelled and stored neatly. Making your space enticing will motivate and help you stay organised.
2. Make A Business Plan
Something all successful salon owners have in common is how much they plan for their business. Marketing, staff, growth, expansion, name it.
A business plan helps you assess risks and opportunities, and it helps you react more effectively when unexpected things come up. It also makes it easier to stay on track of your objectives and KPIs, naturally leading you to a more financially secure future.
To kick the wheels in motion:
- Get a calendar (digital calendars are a great tool; they’re quickly accessible, detailed and flexible)
- Decide how far ahead you wish to plan (and for what)
- Write down in any notable events; holidays, personal time, etc.
- Start with tackling your finances
- Then, look at planning your marketing, staffing and any other significant parts of your running your salon
3. Manage Your Time More Effectively
Take planning one step further, and get better at managing your time on a day-to-day basis. There are various techniques out there, but we’ll focus on time blocking here, as it’s a very common one.
Depending on how busy or overwhelmed you feel, break your day into blocks: 15 minutes, 30 minutes, or 1-hour slots. Note down your list of tasks, and assign them to a slot in your agenda. Try putting the more difficult or less enjoyable tasks at the start of your day.
You’ll realize that an hour of horrible paperwork suddenly seems a lot more manageable – especially when it’s followed by something you enjoy and look forward to, like family time or chats with a lovely client.
Structuring your time this way will highlight what tasks you need to prioritise, and in turn, will highlight times of day that you are filling with meaningless chores or procrastination. These, you can (and should) aim to cut out of your daily routine eventually.
For more time management tips, listen to Phorest FM Episode 85 with James Parnell:
4. Delegate Some Tasks
As a salon or spa owner, delegating tasks to your employees can be difficult. You might think: “If I don’t do it, it won’t be done properly, or might not even get done at all.” While this mindset comes from a place of love for your salon, it’s a stifling attitude that ultimately inhibits growth.
Delegation is an essential organisational tool for your business. Trust your staff to take on responsibilities and be accountable for them. By doing this, you relieve pressure from yourself and ensure that everyone is taking ownership of their roles.
In turn, you, as the salon owner, can then dedicate more time to the smooth running of your business, and ensure that you stay on top of things.
5. Take A Break
One of the best ways to increase your productivity is to take a break. Yes, you read that right! Whether it’s a few hours, a couple of days or even a week in the sun, taking a break is essential to recharge your mind and body. It will stop you from burning out, and renew the enthusiasm you usually have for your business.
Stepping away from the chaos of running a business also puts things in perspective and helps you relax. Coming back fresh, you can more easily focus on what’s important and eliminate time-consuming tasks that don’t help you reach your goals.
6. Go Paperless
As far as organisation tips go, having a paperless system is one of the easiest ways to cut down on waste and clutter, and streamline the running of your salon or spa.
Imagine having your rosters, reports and consultation forms (to name a few), all safe and securely stored in a cloud-based system. By investing in a software solution such as Phorest Salon Software, this is possible. Safely store all essential documents in a digital format, cut down on time needed for back-office business tasks, and allow more time for doing enjoyable, creative and important jobs.
Do you have any more organisation tips that help keep your productivity and motivation up? Let us know either in the comments below or tweet us @ThePhorestWord! (Pssst! We’re on Instagram too!)
Thanks for reading! #LetsGrow
