“I became a Member of Salon Plaza and the Golden Ring Plaza Leader in December of 2012. I love it. Absolutely love it. The location is excellent. The clientele is wonderful. Becoming a salon owner with Salon Plaza is the best decision I’ve made!” ~ Danielle Buckson
Introducing Salon Plaza’s Member of the Month for January, Danielle Buckson. She’s the owner of Shear Serenity Salon in Rosedale, just outside of Baltimore.
A licensed cosmetologist with 21 years experience, certified life coach and published author, Danielle Buckson’s mission is to make her clients LOOK and FEEL fabulous.
Her Opportunity to Own It!
Danielle’s dream has always been to own her own salon. Not wanting to purchase a building, design a salon, and handle the overhead, when Salon Plaza came to Rosedale, it was the perfect fit.
As a prosperous business owner, here’s how Danielle rates herself on Salon Plaza’s Marketing Wheel of Prosperity:
1. WHY: The Passion That Drives Me
“The way you look reflects the way you feel. If your hair is done it makes you feel better about yourself. I take pride in beautifying people and making them feel great about themselves. My passion is to help people better themselves in whatever way they choose.
On my Marketing Wheel, I’d give my WHY a 10.”
2. Providing a WOW Client Experience
“By running my salon out of a personal and private studio, I can give undivided attention to each individual who comes in to my salon. This privacy helps them open up about their hair and personal challenges – the kind of sharing you don’t want anyone to overhear. This kind of privacy is not possible in a big salon.
I’m also a Certified Life Coach. I talk with my clients about personal things, like career choices and relationships. Being at Salon Plaza is perfect for intermingling these two skills together.
On my Marketing Wheel, my WOW is a 10.”
3. A MESSAGE That Defines My Strengths and Makes A Promise
“On all of my marketing materials I use the phrase:
‘The health of your hair is important to me.’
This tells you that I am here for you to help you maintain healthy hair – what my best clients want most. Coming to Shear Serenity Salon is all about you – whatever I can do to help you. That is my mission.
I give my Marketing Message a 10”
4. Reaching Clients of MEANS Who Don’t Make Decisions Solely on the Basis of Price
“I stand by my products and services and stay current by continuing my education. I seek out clients who value my skills and can afford my services. I know the prices of other stylists and keep my prices competitive.
At the same time, I try to work with everyone who is serious about healthy hair. For my senior clients on a fixed income, I offer Senior Days with up to 20% off. But when it comes to marketing, I focus my efforts on those who appreciate and can afford my services – and keep my skills high to claim those rates.
That’s why I give myself a 10 for attracting the right clients.”
5. Encouraging Referrals and REWARDING Those Who Promote Me
“I reward those who bring me new clients with $5 off their next service or a free service. Although I get a lot of referrals, there could be more if I had better strategies in place.
For that reason, I’ll give my current referral reward system an 8.”
6. Marketing to LOCAL Neighborhoods and Businesses
“When I first got started as a new stylist, I went around to local neighborhoods and handed out fliers. But I found that wasn’t effective. Being inside the Golden Ring Shopping Center provides diversity and walk-ins, which helps to build my clientele. The Directory Board in the lobby is a great help for new customers. It gives them an opportunity to check out the stylists and find someone suitable.
I have grown my clientele by promoting my services to other Golden Ring businesses.
With some room to improve my local marketing, I give myself an 8.”
7. Developing an ONLINE Presence
“Salon Plaza helps Members to succeed by providing a personal website – an awesome tool to help stylists get their work into the cyber-world and connect through social media. Marketing online helps me builds relationships, showcase my latest work, and encourage sharing with like-minded people. I’m Danielle TheStylist on Facebook and Instagram.
I give my online presence a 10.”
8. Increasing the LIFETIME VALUE of Each Client
“I increase my clients’ LTV by retailing products and offering additional services, such as treatments, conditioners, and regular trims to promote hair growth. Also, I send postcards to existing clients to tell them about specials and encourage them to come in and keep their hair looking its healthy best.
When it comes to keeping clients and serving them over the long term, there’s…
No question about it: I give myself a 10.
My New Year’s Promises
“I don’t make resolutions because they usually don’t last past the end of January. One of the positive life changes I look forward to is getting my book published. It’s a fiction called “Love Lust and Redemption.” I’m proud of myself for that.
Another is to continue to build my business and make it better than last year. I’ll start by improving my referral program.
A Word to Aspiring Salon Owners:
If you have a passion to own your own hair salon, Salon Plaza is a wonderful company to support your dreams. Even though you have your own individual salon, they do a lot to help you move forward and grow your business.
In the past, I’ve worked in a high traffic salon environment. It’s so much better just to have your own personal privacy and space for prosperity.
You can keep your door open or closed. Especially with people with hair loss who are timid about showing their hair, it means so much when no one is watching and looking.
To anyone who wants to be a salon business owner, I recommend Salon Plaza 100% ~Danielle Buckson
