August 2016

The Search is On – New Hair Salon Cape Coral

Trying to find new clients, after moving to a new city, is impossible! Not really, but it feels that way. New Hair Salon Cape Coral

I recently made a move to Cape Coral, Fl and it has been wonderful, for the most part. Don’t get me wrong. The weather and time off were much needed. However, when the search for work began, I found myself a little lost. This is pretty new to me.

Working at Jade Salon has been wonderful for the last sixteen years. Everyone there became my extended family and support system. The salon owner, John Donofrio, is my first mentor and he encouraged me to get into our industry. The salon kept me in a steady flow of new clientele for the beginning of my career. As my clientele grew so did the word of mouth referrals and before long I was sitting pretty as one of the salon’s top earners. Now I find myself without a salon and without the resources I am familiar with. So what should I do?

Ideally there was a salon to be purchased and I would walk in as a new owner. Confident and optimistic, I would raise the bar by providing education and quality control to the existing stylists and clientele. That would increase retention and sales, bringing my salon to the apex of the city’s elite salons. Well… my original plans didn’t work out. I’m okay with that. Things don’t often go exactly to plan and I enjoy the challenge of thinking on my feet and problem solving. I have some money to live off of, rent is cheap, and my family is supportive and wise. So let’s figure this out!

The Plan

Here is what I’ve come up with:

1. Get a business card – the rest of my family/business partners believed this was a must. How do I network without one? Makes sense. Check!

2. Get involved with the city – I joined the Cape Coral Chamber of Commerce Leadership 2016 program to get a better working knowledge of the city, make influential friends, and discover ways to give back to the community. So far so good, with eleven weeks to go. Check!

3. Offer complimentary and concierge haircutting/hairstyling services – This is some of what I did at the start of my career. Free haircuts are a great way to show your working knowledge and start word of mouth advertising. Just don’t go all willy-nilly (whats that even mean?) be selective. Usually you’ll be looking for influencers within your core demographic. Check!

4. Keep looking – This is where I am right now in my “new” plan. I still look for salons to buy and places to work. I am even trying to see if I can put together an educational aspect to my website and offer those services to salons in the area. Ahem… coming soon, pinky swear.

5. Don’t go it alone – Unless you have all the time, money, and positive attitude in the world. Without the support I am getting I wouldn’t have made this move. It’s scary but accomplishable. My mentor/boss gave me great support as I left, increasing my confidence. My family gives me constant reassurances and provide me the ability to take my time to do things right. Maybe this point should have gone first? Oh well, check!

First Cut

So I did connect with a fitness instructor (influencer) and offered my services. A complimentary haircut later and Gael couldn’t be happier! Soon her husband will be looking to get his haircut next. We all know how hard it is for a guy to leave his barber. I just made some recommendations that were in line with how he was already feeling about his hair. When Scott realized I could see what he needed, the switch was easy.

I explained to Gael that the difference in her naturally curly texture existed from a lack of layering. I added some layers to give a uniform curl from the base line up when worn natural. The layering will also cut down on drying time (less hair) and lighten the shape adding body and bounce when styled.

I finished her hair by blow drying with my hands, then giving a round brush feel by adding wave with a flat iron. A little bit of a light silicone sheen and some hairspray to complete her look.

The smile and confident look in her pictures says enough.

What’s Next?

I am open to ideas, comments, and suggestions. This is a new space for me and I would appreciate any input I can get. Please share this if you know someone who could help or may need a place to start. Check back for future posts to keep up with my growth in my city and the growth of my new hair salon Cape Coral.

Or contact us for an appointment!