Proactiv products and your clients' skin

Proactiv Solution is a somewhat popular skin care product line. You will no doubt run into clients who have used it or are currently using it. Read the article, Proactiv—Solution?  to get my opinion on this infomercial product line.

About Carolyn Ash

This was posted on my layperson’s blogsite (ageless beauty, timeless skin). CLICK HERE to be taken to this article and read a piece that a publicist wrote about me for my business.

Good for business: all links so far

• First-Time Client Information Packets

• The importance of sampling your products

• Product Brochures—an important sales tool

• Donation Gift Certificates (GCs)

• Client Frequency Reminders

• Trading Services

• Forms of taking payment

• How to find free advertising

• Put your accomplishments up on the wall

• Press Releases to Promote Your Business—Skin Care Pro Launches New Website

• 

  Press Release Ideas—Chicago salon

• Confirming Appointments—Part I

• Confirming Appointments—Part II

• Website ideas: Testimonials & Reviews

• More on My Cancellation Policy

• The Importance of a Cancellation List

• Offering volume discounts—or not

• Standing Facial Appointments

• Slow Days at the Office

• Letting go of clients

• My Appointment Book

• Good for business: Home Basics Magazine

• More on Standing Appointments

• Some thoughts about No-Shows

• My Appointment Book—2

• Throw a party to create interest in your new business

• What’s in a name—What will you call your business?

The Trolley—Part 2

This photo is from my Chicago salon. As you can see, I have drawers and cabinets under the sink and countertop. This is actually one of the only salons where I had either of those things: drawers and a countertop along with a sink. As you will see, in my current Boulder salon (as well as other spaces where I've had my office) I use a 2nd trolley in lieu of drawers. This system works just fine in the space I am in.

The trolley pictured to the left was purchased at The Container Store. This particular trolley is a bit more expensive than others available, but it serves my purposes perfectly and is more aesthetically pleasing (to me) than the salon-type varieties. I use this for towels, headbands, and extra product supplies. The trolley this article is concerned with is the one you'll use as your working trolley with all of the products you'll need for the facial. In other salons this second trolley was not needed because I had drawers under the counter where I could store these other types of supplies.

In case you’re wondering, I’ll go over what I have in each drawer.
Top drawer:

• This is where I keep my clipboard with blank Client Information Charts as well as the charts I have pulled of the clients coming in that day/week.
• I also keep various pens (for chart writing), pencils, lip balm (for me) and other incidentals.

2nd drawer:

• Here is have all headbands for easy access once I’m sitting down to give the facial

3rd and 4th drawers:

• I keep all of my extra, unopened professional (big) sizes of the products I use. When it comes time to order products, I can look in this drawer and know if I have backup product to the opened products I keep on the other trolley

Bottom, large drawer:

• I keep towels here and socks for the clients use

You will find a rhythm and rhyme to how you keep your supplies and where you keep them. I am showing you how I have my products and supplies situated for examples sake. How you choose to set up your room will be your own choice.

Here are some photos of a two other offices spaces where my trolleys were set up:

 











For more information, see:

• Furniture you’ll need to get started
• Essential equipment you’ll need
• The Trolley—Part 1
• Odds & ends you’ll need 

What’s in a name—What will you call your business?

If and when you decide to open your own skin care business, choosing a name will be top on the list of important things to decide on. I no longer have the paper where I wrote down all of my ideas for my new business name, but eventually I decided on Carolyn Ash Skin Care.

I knew 100% I would use my own name in the business name. I wanted to brand my business with name recognition—my name. It will be your choice whether you use your name or come up with something else to call your business. I have seen wonderful salon names that didn’t resemble a person’s name.

When I sold my business in Chicago I didn’t sell my name (Carolyn Ash Skin Care). The woman who purchased the salon changed the name to Pelle Sana Salon. Pelle sana means healthy skin in Italian. This is a good example of a great name that is easy to remember and has everything to do with your business, in this case skin care.

Be sure to do a google search on the name you end up choosing. Unless you’re using your own name, someone else may have beat you to the punch. You certainly don’t want to similar salon names in the same city where you will be officed.

I will discuss branding and logos in future post, Creating a company logo, but for now, coming up with a solid name that you love and can live with for years to come is the most important thing to concentrate on. 

No matter which way you decide to go, choosing a name is a long-term decision, and I recommend you take your time with it. Ask a lot of people what they think, take in the information, then decide with great excitement what you will now be calling your business.

Be sure to read (upcoming) Create a website no matter the size of your business for another idea to get the word out abut your new business.