Build Your Salon with Phil Jackson

Most salon owners think they know if their business is profitable. They check the bank balance on a Friday and if there's money there, things must be okay. But a feeling isn't a profit plan, and a hunch isn't a strategy.In this episode, Phil Jackson interviews Braden Weinstock, founder of Pretty Data and owner of a profitable Los Angeles salon for 15+ years. Braden reveals why more than 50% of solo pros and independent salons aren't consistently making a profit, and shows exactly how to fix it.WHY CHECKING YOUR BANK BALANCE ISN'T A PROFIT PLANThe problem with running your salon from the bank account: you make decisions and spend money without knowing if you actually have profit. Then tax season arrives and you realize you didn't make money last year. If you're not making money on every client, you're just working to go out of business faster.THE DATA PROBLEM (AND HOW PRETTY DATA SOLVES IT)Salon financial data is scattered: booking systems have revenue but not expenses. Accounting software is out of date and confusing. Most salon owners end up building spreadsheets to try to make sense of it all.Pretty Data connects your booking system and accounting software (Xero or QuickBooks) to show three critical numbers in real time and help with data-driven decision making:Revenue (from booking data)Expenses (from accounting)Profit per visit (what's left)When you open the app, you instantly see how much money you made per visit, how much each visit costs, and what's left as profit. If you make £20 per client and want £20,000, you know exactly what you need to do.BUILDING A REAL PROFIT PLAN (10 MINUTES AT THE START OF THE YEAR)Set your annual profit target, estimated expenses, and visit goals. Pretty Data uses last year's numbers to calculate realistic targets, then tracks progress monthly. You're planning to make a specific profit, not just chasing revenue.PRICING STRATEGY: THE "WHAT IF" GAMEModel pricing changes before implementing them. What if you raised prices 6%? What would last year's revenue have been? Pretty Data runs the calculation across your historical data and shows the exact impact. You can even track competitor pricing to position yourself strategically.Instead of blindly adding 5% because that's what everyone does, you're making data-driven pricing decisions aligned with your profit plan - the key to a profitable business.IN THIS EPISODE:Why more than 50% of salons aren't consistently profitableThe bank balance trap (and why it fails every time)How Pretty Data connects booking and accounting systemsBuilding a 10-minute profit plan at the start of the yearPricing strategy modelling (before you change anything)Competitor pricing tracking in your local areaHow to make £20 per client (and know it)━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━📊 RESOURCES:Pretty Data: https://prettydata.co━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━💬 WORK WITH ME:1:1 Coaching: https://buildyoursalon.com━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━🎧 LISTEN:YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BuildYourSalonSpotify: https://go.philjackson.me/SpotifyApple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3MZp6jP━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━CHAPTERS:0:00 - Why Most Salons Don't Know If They're Profitable1:44 - The Bank Balance Trap (And Why It Fails)3:34 - Where Salon Financial Data Lives (And Why That's the Problem)31:46 - Pretty Data Demo: The Health Dashboard34:15 - How Pretty Data Connects Booking and Accounting Systems36:01 - Pricing Strategy: Running the "What If" Scenarios40:51 - Wrap Up and Next Steps#salonprofit #profitplanning #salonbusiness #prettydata #salonpricing━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━Questions? [email protected]

The minimum wage went up on 6th April, and your team is watching. But with thin margins, how do you handle pay rise conversations without it costing you your entire business? Many salon owners kick it into the long grass and lose good people.This episode gives you a simple plan to manage salon pay rises confidently, fairly, and profitably.━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━📊 KNOW WHAT YOU CAN AFFORD FIRST* Calculate your total wages (including employer's NI, pensions) as a percentage of your total turnover.* Phil's rule of thumb: for salons with a team and premises, this should sit *below 40%*.* If it's above 40%, a pay rise isn't possible until you fix underlying pricing and profit issues.* Solo operators: Work backwards from what you need to take home to live, not just survive.* *Mistake:* Waiting for someone to ask before doing this calculation. Numbers first, always.━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━📊 HANDLE THE CONVERSATION LIKE A PRO* Never answer on the spot. When asked, listen, thank them, and schedule a proper meeting for next week.* Use that time to check your wage percentage and assess their contribution (client retention, average bill, retail).* If 'yes': State you've reviewed everything and their contribution justifies an increase. Offer a specific number.* If 'not yet': Explain the business can't support a permanent increase *now*, but offer a clear pathway (e.g., "If we can hit X over the next quarter, I can make a concrete offer.").* Separate pay conversations from performance reviews.━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━📊 GET AHEAD WITH A CAREER STRUCTURE* Don't just react to requests; be proactive. Set a fixed annual point for pay reviews across the board.* Build a simple career structure: Junior to Senior, with clear criteria for moving up each rung of the ladder.* Each level should have a specific pay rate attached. Pay increases are linked to performance and promotion, not just time served.* Help your team understand there's a finite pot of money. If wages and training are high, other things (like Christmas parties or staff room decor) will naturally be more modest.━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━📊 LINK PAY RISES TO PRICING* You cannot separate a pay rise from your pricing strategy.* If your wage bill is at capacity and a team member deserves more money, it will hit your profits unless you also increase your prices.* Costs are rising; revenue cannot stay flat.* Give clients notice (30 days maximum), keep communication simple and confident. Clients who value your services won't leave over a reasonable increase.━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━📊 RESOURCES:Get Paid Properly: getpaidproperly.com━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━💬 WORK WITH ME:1:1 Coaching: https://buildyoursalon.com━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━🎧 LISTEN:YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BuildYourSalonSpotify: https://go.philjackson.me/SpotifyApple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3MZp6jP━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━CHAPTERS:0:00 - Navigating Salon Pay Rises and the Minimum Wage1:10 - Calculate Your Salon's Wage Percentage (The 40% Rule)3:30 - How to Handle a Pay Rise Request (Don't Answer on the Spot)4:50 - Delivering a Yes or Not Yet with Clear Conditions5:50 - Separate Pay Talks from Performance Reviews6:10 - Get Ahead: Proactive Pay Reviews and Career Paths6:40 - Build a Transparent, Performance-Based Promotion Structure7:40 - The 'Finite Pot' of Team Spend and Its Implications8:40 - Link Pay Rises Directly to Your Salon Pricing9:20 - Confident Communication for Salon Price Increases━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━#SalonPayRise #MinimumWage #SalonProfitability #SalonTeam #SalonPricing━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━Questions? [email protected]

Are you running your salon as a sole trader but feel like your business is outgrowing the structure? Many salon owners reach a point where unlimited liability and higher tax rates start to pinch, making you wonder if there’s a better way.This episode outlines the three clear signs that it’s time to switch your salon to a limited company.━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━💰 IS YOUR SALON PAYING TOO MUCH TAX?* **The Sole Trader Tax Trap:** As a sole trader, every pound of profit is taxed as your personal income. After your personal allowance (around £12,500), you pay 20% income tax plus 6% National Insurance, escalating to 40% income tax on profits above £50,270.* **Limited Company Tax Advantage:** A limited company pays corporation tax at 19% on profits up to £50k. You then take a small salary (tax-deductible for the company) and the rest as dividends, which are taxed at a lower rate with no National Insurance. This could save you around £100 per month on £60k profit.* **Phil's Rule of Thumb:** If your salon's profits are consistently £40,000 or more, you're almost certainly paying more tax than needed as a sole trader. It’s time to consult your accountant.🛡️ IS YOUR PERSONAL WEALTH AT RISK?* **Unlimited Liability Exposed:** As a sole trader, there’s no legal separation between you and your business. Business debts, failed payments, or client lawsuits can put your personal assets – savings, car, even your home – on the line.* **Limited Company Protection:** A limited company acts as a separate legal entity, creating a protective wall between your personal and business assets. If the company incurs debt or faces a claim, only company assets are at risk.* **The Personal Guarantee Caveat:** In early years, banks or landlords may require personal guarantees for loans or leases. This means that for that specific debt, the protective wall is temporarily breached, but it's a normal part of building a business track record.🚀 IS YOUR BUSINESS GROWTH BEING HELD BACK?* **Enhanced Credibility:** Limited companies are often taken more seriously by banks, investors, and high-end clients. Publicly filed accounts demonstrate financial discipline and professionalism.* **Business Name Protection:** Registering as a limited company prevents other businesses from using your exact name, offering a layer of brand protection.* **Simplified Selling & Expansion:** Selling a limited company is straightforward – you sell the shares. For sole traders, it’s a messy process of selling individual assets. A limited company also simplifies bringing in partners or opening new locations.━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━📊 RESOURCES:1:1 Coaching: https://buildyoursalon.com━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━💬 WORK WITH ME:1:1 Coaching: https://buildyoursalon.com━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━🎧 LISTEN:YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BuildYourSalonSpotify: https://go.philjackson.me/SpotifyApple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3MZp6jP━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━CHAPTERS:0:00 - Why Sole Trader Status Becomes a Liability1:20 - Sign 1: You're Paying Too Much Tax2:30 - How Sole Trader Tax Works3:20 - The Limited Company Tax Advantage4:20 - £40k Profit: Time to Chat with Your Accountant4:40 - Sign 2: Your Personal Assets Are at Risk5:50 - The Protection of a Limited Company6:40 - The Personal Guarantee Reality8:10 - Sign 3: Your Structure is Stopping Growth9:20 - Selling a Limited Company vs. Sole Trader10:20 - When to Make the Switch10:50 - The Simple Process of Switching#salontax #limitedcompany #soletax #salonbusiness #salonowner━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━Questions? [email protected]

Up to 20% of the population is neurodivergent — and a huge number of them are running salons. But nobody's talking about what that actually means: the chaos, the superpowers, and the systems that make it work.Amy Vince is a salon owner, educator, and self-described neuro spicy business builder. In this conversation she shares her journey from redundancy to salon ownership, her ADHD diagnosis at 29, and why her neurodivergence has become one of her greatest business advantages.ABOUT AMYAmy Vince is the owner of The Hidden Beauty Rooms and founder of The Hidden Beauty Academy. Nearly nine years in the industry, she trains students not just in treatment skills but in the fundamentals of running a beauty business.FROM DIAGNOSIS TO DIRECTION Amy failed maths and English at school but got an A star in art Diagnosed dyslexic at sixth form, then ADHD at 29 Why getting the diagnosis felt like a weight lifting, not a labelTHE CHALLENGES Emotional dysregulation and what a bad day really looks like Forgetting client messages, losing keys, the small things that derail a whole day Why being open with clients and team members makes everything easierTHE ADVANTAGES Jumping between tracks while others have to connect them one at a time Hyperfocus: when a task excites you, the engine does not stop Why neuro spicy people are drawn to the salon industry and why it suits themTOOLS AND TECHNIQUES THAT ACTUALLY WORK The two-minute timer method for tasks that give you paralysis Splitting a page into four categories and working through them on a dedicated admin day Using ChatGPT to analyse bank statements, cancel dead subscriptions, and plan forward Why breaking a big goal into bite-sized pieces is the only way to startON RUNNING AN ACADEMY WITH AN ADHD BRAIN Hands-on learning over theory booklets and why it produces better students Teaching business fundamentals alongside treatment skills Why dyslexic and neurodivergent students often make the best traineesGUEST LINKS The Hidden Beauty Rooms (salon): @thehiddenbeautyrooms The Hidden Beauty Academy: @thehiddenbeautyacademyWORK WITH PHILBook a strategy call: https://meet.philjackson.me/strategy-callLISTEN YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BuildYourSalon Spotify: https://go.philjackson.me/Spotify Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3MZp6jPCHAPTERS 0:00 - Introduction: Amy's Neuro Spicy Journey 1:07 - From Redundancy to Salon Owner 2:20 - The ADHD Diagnosis at 29 and Why It Was a Relief 4:15 - Being Open With Clients and Team 5:51 - Misconceptions About ADHD 6:30 - What a Bad Day Actually Looks Like 7:30 - Why She Started Her Own Business 9:12 - The Train Track Brain: Jumping Between Ideas 10:17 - Client Relationships and the Personal Touch 11:33 - ADHD as a Superpower in Business 12:32 - Running a Training Academy Differently 14:56 - Goal Setting, Money Management and Learning the Hard Way 17:15 - AI, ChatGPT and the Two-Minute Timer Method 21:27 - The Best Advice She's Ever Been Given 22:30 - Advice for Anyone Who Wants to Follow Her Path 22:50 - The Best Thing About the Salon IndustryQuestions? [email protected]

Hitting £90,000 in turnover should be a huge celebration for your salon. For Phil Jackson, it nearly destroyed his business. He missed the VAT threshold for nine months, leading to a massive backdated bill for money he'd already spent. Don't let this happen to you.In this episode, Phil shares his costly mistake and gives you the exact steps to proactively manage your salon's VAT, avoid a surprise bill, and ensure your business grows profitably.━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━📊 MAIN CONTENT:THE ROLLING 12-MONTH VAT THRESHOLD• The £90,000 VAT threshold is NOT based on your tax year or company year end.• It's a rolling 12-month period: you must check your turnover for the previous 12 months *every single month*.• Once you cross £90,000, you have 30 days to notify HMRC. Registration kicks in from the first day of the second month after crossing.PHIL'S £10,000+ MISTAKE AND ITS CONSEQUENCES• Phil delegated, then abdicated, trusting his accountant to track the threshold.• He crossed the threshold but didn't know for nine whole months.• HMRC backdated his liability, demanding 20% of all revenue taken during those nine months.• The money came straight from his business reserves, cleaning out his emergency fund.WHAT TO DO IF YOU'VE ALREADY MISSED THE THRESHOLD• *Act fast:* Go back through records to pinpoint when you crossed £90,000.• *Call your accountant immediately:* Make a voluntary disclosure to HMRC to show you're fixing the problem, which can prevent penalties.• *Reduce your bill:* Work with your accountant to reclaim VAT on purchases (equipment, stock, coaching) made during the period you should have been registered.• *Talk to HMRC:* If you need a payment plan, engage with HMRC directly. They prefer to find a solution than push you into bankruptcy.PREPARING FOR VAT REGISTRATION AND GROWTH• *Gradual price increases:* Don't wait for a 20% cliff edge. Implement small, regular increases (e.g., 3-4% every six months) to absorb the VAT impact gradually.• *Keep growing:* Between £90k and £110k, profits can be squeezed. Aim to quickly push past £110k towards £120k+ turnover to ensure strong profitability after VAT registration.• *Explore the Flat Rate Scheme:* Discuss with your accountant. For beauty businesses, it can be 13% of turnover (12% in the first year), simplifying budgeting but meaning you can't reclaim VAT on purchases.━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━📊 RESOURCES:Get Paid Properly: getpaidproperly.com━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━💬 WORK WITH ME:1:1 Coaching: https://buildyoursalon.com━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━🎧 LISTEN:YouTube:    / @buildyoursalon  Spotify: https://go.philjackson.me/SpotifyApple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3MZp6jP━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━CHAPTERS:0:00 - My VAT Mistake That Nearly Ended My Business0:50 - The Truth About the Rolling VAT Threshold2:00 - Why HMRC Backdates Your Salon's VAT Bill3:10 - The Cost of Missing Your VAT Registration Date4:00 - The One Habit to Avoid a Huge VAT Bill4:50 - What to Do If You've Already Missed It6:00 - How to Reduce Your Backdated VAT Bill6:50 - Talking to HMRC About Payment Plans7:30 - How to Manage Salon Price Increases for VAT8:40 - The Flat Rate VAT Scheme for Salons10:10 - Your 3 Immediate Actions for Salon VAT━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━#SalonVAT #SalonPricing #SalonBusiness #BuildYourSalon━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━Questions? [email protected]

Are you using AI in your salon, but only for the odd email or social media post? Many salon owners are missing the huge potential of AI, treating it like a glorified chat bot rather than a powerful tool, costing them time, money, and opportunity.In this episode, Phil Jackson shares three specific AI tools that will move you beyond simple prompts and into true automation for your business.━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━🎯 WHY YOU NEED AI SYSTEMS IN YOUR SALON• *Stop Losing Hours to Non-Revenue Tasks:* Identify and automate repetitive jobs like answering common client questions, managing stock orders, or onboarding new team members.• *Gain a Competitive Edge:* While some are using AI as a 'toy', others are adopting it as a 'tool' to automate operations, creating a widening gap in efficiency and profitability.• *Shift from Prompt Engineer to Manager:* Move beyond chatting with AI to making it a productive 'employee' that performs actual work for your business.━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━🤖 THREE AI WORKERS TO HIRE TODAY• *Google Notebook LM (Your Business Brain):* This free tool is an expert in your specific documents. Upload your employee handbook, price lists, and training guides. Your team can ask questions and get accurate, sourced answers, or even use audio overviews, quizzes, and video summaries for training. It won't 'hallucinate' answers, only using the information you provide.• *Agentic AI like Anthropic's Claude (Your Admin Assistant):* These systems go beyond chat, connecting to your tools and files. Give it a goal, like 'analyse my spending for the last financial year, categorise it, and report my top three expenses,' and it will autonomously perform the task, even generating charts. Or, ask it to analyse your calendar to show how much time is truly spent on clients versus admin.• *Pi.AI (Your Personal Mentor):* Designed for supportive, empathetic conversation with a strong memory, Pi.AI is perfect for personal brainstorming and processing the stresses of running a business. Keep your personal reflections separate from business AI tools to maintain focus and privacy.━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━📊 RESOURCES:1:1 Coaching: https://buildyoursalon.com━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━💬 WORK WITH ME:Phil's program AI by Your Side: philjackson.coach━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━🎧 LISTEN:YouTube:    / @buildyoursalon  Spotify: https://go.philjackson.me/SpotifyApple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3MZp6jP━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━CHAPTERS:0:00 - Stop Treating AI Like a Chatbot1:10 - Why AI Systems Matter for Your Salon2:20 - Google Notebook LM: Your Salon's Brain3:15 - Using Notebook LM for New Team Onboarding4:50 - Agentic AI: Making AI a Worker5:40 - Claude AI for Financial Analysis6:50 - Claude AI for Time Management Reports7:50 - Pi.AI: Your Personal Mentor9:15 - Keep Personal AI Separate from Business10:00 - Three AI Tools to Implement Today10:40 - Learn More with AI by Your Side#salonaiautomation #salonbusinessstrategy #salonmanagement #salontraining #salonproductivity━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━Questions? [email protected]

Picture this: it's your only day off, but your phone is buzzing with DMs about bookings and prices, and that promo email still isn't written. You're physically out of the salon, but mentally chained to admin that doesn't make you a penny. What if a digital twin could handle all this 24/7, freeing you to do what you love?This episode reveals how to build your own AI-powered digital twin to automate soul-draining salon admin, giving you back your time, sanity, and passion for the industry.━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━📊 MAIN CONTENT:⭐ BUILD A 24/7 SOCIAL MEDIA ASSISTANT* AI can generate 30 Instagram post ideas in minutes, specific to your niche (e.g., anti-aging for professional women).* It writes engaging captions for client transformations (e.g., lash lifts) with calls to action, preventing photos from sitting unused.* AI-powered chatbots can instantly answer frequently asked DMs (e.g., opening hours, Sunday availability), freeing your personal time.⭐ REPUTATION MANAGER THAT NEVER SLEEPS* Train AI to draft personalised, on-brand responses to all reviews (Google, Facebook) in seconds.* For positive reviews, AI can reinforce the client's great experience and mention SEO-friendly keywords.* For negative reviews, AI drafts professional, empathetic apologies and can even suggest loyalty-building offers within set boundaries.⭐ YOUR AI MARKETING PRO* Email marketing returns around £36 for every £1 spent, but often gets neglected.* Tell your AI twin to draft 150-word emails for spring availability or promotions in your specific tone (e.g., warm and direct).* AI is excellent at generating multiple subject line options, helping you select the most effective ones for your audience.⭐ AI FOR FINANCIAL CLARITY AND SMART BUDGETING* Describe your financial situation to AI in plain English; it will ask good questions and explain complex accounts without jargon.* Use AI to flag slow-moving products by analysing speed of sale, helping you create targeted promotions to shift stock.* AI tools can monitor stock, payroll, and expenses, providing real-time financial health snapshots and predicting future cash flow issues.* Run simulations (e.g., new hires, booking dips) to understand their impact on profits and make confident business decisions.━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━📊 RESOURCES:AI by Your side: philjackson.coach━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━💬 WORK WITH ME:1:1 Coaching: https://buildyoursalon.com━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━🎧 LISTEN:YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BuildYourSalonSpotify: https://go.philjackson.me/SpotifyApple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3MZp6jP━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━CHAPTERS:0:00 - Stop Drowning in Salon Admin1:25 - My Own Admin Nightmare2:55 - How AI Becomes Your Perfect Digital Twin3:35 - Build Your 24/7 Social Media Assistant7:05 - Your Reputation Manager That Never Sleeps10:25 - An AI Marketing Pro Who Knows Your Clients12:25 - AI for Financial Clarity and Smart Budgeting16:55 - How AI Makes You More Human, Not Less18:05 - Your Next Step into Salon AI#salonaiautomation #salonadmin #salonmarketing #salonsocialmedia #salonfinance━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━Questions? [email protected]

Are you endlessly busy in your salon, working all hours, but still feel like you're just surviving? Many salon owners pour their heart and soul into their business only to find it dictates their life, rather than supporting it.Phil Jackson challenges you to assess if your salon business is genuinely working for you, or if you've simply created a job you happen to own. This episode delivers a crucial framework to evaluate your salon's health and start building a business that serves your lifestyle.━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━🎯 THE 5 SIGNS OF A WORKING SALON* **You Get Paid Properly:** Beyond minimum wage or 'what's left'. A deliberate, planned salary reflecting your value and risk.* **It Functions Without You:** Your business doesn't collapse if you take a holiday or a day off. It can operate, serve clients, and make money independently.* **It Grows Predictably:** Growth isn't accidental. You have a defendable plan for turnover, marketing, pricing, and team capacity for Q2 and beyond.* **Your Team Performs Without Micromanagement:** They take initiative, maintain standards when you're not watching, and you're leading, not firefighting every day.* **It Gives You a Life:** Your business supports your desired lifestyle, offering time off, financial security, and the ability to make choices, rather than demanding your every hour.━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━📊 RESOURCES:1:1 Coaching: https://buildyoursalon.com━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━💬 WORK WITH ME:1:1 Coaching: https://buildyoursalon.com━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━🎧 LISTEN:YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BuildYourSalonSpotify: https://go.philjackson.me/SpotifyApple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3MZp6jP━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━CHAPTERS:0:00 - Is Your Salon Business Truly Working?0:40 - The 5 Things a Working Salon Delivers2:40 - Question 1: Are You Paying Yourself Properly?4:20 - Question 2: Can Your Salon Function Without You?6:20 - Question 3: Do You Have a Predictable Growth Plan?7:50 - Question 4: Does Your Team Perform Independently?9:40 - Question 5: Is Your Business Supporting Your Life?11:20 - What Your Answers Mean for Your Salon12:10 - When Your Business is Surviving, Not Thriving13:00 - Build a Business That Works For You━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━#salonsuccess #salonowner #salonbusiness #profitablebusiness #lifestylebusiness━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━Questions? [email protected] Jackson, your Queen of Salons, offers essential business tips for a business that just WORKS! Following a month of discussions on pricing, planning, team, tax, and profit, this episode helps you determine if your salon business is operating effectively. Discover key strategies for business management and financial analysis to ensure your salon is a profitable business.

Does the UK tax year end on 5th April fill you with dread? Many salon owners feel anxious, unsure what they owe or what they should have done differently. You've got 9 days to fix it.Phil Jackson shares 5 practical, immediate steps to get your salon's finances in order and sail through the tax year end with confidence.━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━📊 RESOURCES:Get Paid Properly: getpaidproperly.com━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━💬 WORK WITH ME:1:1 Coaching: https://buildyoursalon.com━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━🎧 LISTEN:YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BuildYourSalonSpotify: https://go.philjackson.me/SpotifyApple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3MZp6jP━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━CHAPTERS:0:00 - Introduction: Why Tax Year End Causes Stress0:50 - The Crucial Window: Why Act Before April 5th1:40 - Step 1: Update Your Income and Expenses4:10 - Step 2: Utilise Your Pension Contributions5:20 - Step 3: Check Your VAT Threshold Position6:40 - Step 4: Ensure You Are Paying Yourself Properly8:10 - Step 5: Talk to Your Accountant This Week9:20 - Setting Up for a Successful New Tax Year10:40 - How to Gain Ultimate Financial Clarity━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━#SalonTax #TaxYearEnd #SalonFinances #BusinessAccounting #UKTax━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━Questions? [email protected] tax year end often brings anxiety for salon owners due to procrastination or uncertainty about their tax obligations. This episode provides timely advice and guidance to help fix these issues, emphasising that nine days can be enough time to get organised with proper tax planning. We'll cover crucial financial management strategies to ensure your small business achieves business success.

Dread that difficult conversation with a team member? You've rehearsed it, avoided it, and now resentment is building and standards are slipping. Putting it off is doing more harm than good, affecting your salon's culture and bottom line.This episode gives you a simple, four-part framework to approach these vital discussions with confidence and achieve clear outcomes.━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━WHY WE AVOID DIFFICULT CONVERSATIONS* **Fear of conflict:** As salon owners, we are people-pleasers, good at building relationships with clients and team members. We dread damaging those bonds.* **Guilt:** You haven't always been clear on expectations, so calling someone out now can feel very unfair.* **The damage of avoidance:** Resentment builds, standards drift, communication breaks down, and team members can become toxic to your workplace culture.PHIL'S FOUR-PART FRAMEWORK FOR EFFECTIVE REVIEWS* **1. Prepare with Focus:** * Know exactly the points you'll cover; you can even script key sentences. * Acknowledge what they're doing well genuinely. * Identify *one* specific thing to change or improve (not 47!). * Know what you want to agree on as the outcome. * Book a calm, non-threatening 20-minute meeting: "I want us to sit down for 20 minutes on Wednesday for a proper catch-up."* **2. Conduct the Meeting Directly:** * Start with specific, genuine recognition – not a hollow "compliment sandwich." * Address the *one specific behaviour* or performance area observed and its impact. E.g., "Your retail performance is declining, and it's impacting your take-home pay." * Give the other person space to respond and provide context. * Reach agreement on a concrete next step and a specific follow-up. E.g., "I want to see your retail numbers back on the incline in two weeks."* **3. Handle Pay Conversations Separately (If Applicable):** * If pay comes up, book a separate time to talk about money proactively. * Justify pay increases financially and to retain valued team members. * Tie pay conversations to specific performance expectations. * Remember: the cost of losing a good team member (recruitment, training, lost client retention) is always far more than paying them properly in the first place.* **4. Follow Up Consistently:** * Make brief notes (ideally something you'd be happy to share). * *Crucially*, revisit what you agreed. If you said you'd follow up, do it. * Acknowledge specific progress: "I notice you've been doing what you said you would, and it's making a huge difference." * Authenticity in your actions builds trust and makes future reviews much easier.━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━📊 RESOURCES:Salon Spark: https://salon-spark.com━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━💬 WORK WITH ME:1:1 Coaching: https://buildyoursalon.com━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━🎧 LISTEN:YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BuildYourSalonSpotify: https://go.philjackson.me/SpotifyApple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3MZp6jP━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━CHAPTERS:0:00 - The Difficult Conversation You've Been Avoiding0:40 - Why Salon Owners Avoid These Chats2:10 - How Avoiding Conflict Damages Your Salon3:40 - Part 1: Prepare for a Focused Discussion5:40 - Part 2: Structure the Meeting Effectively7:00 - Address Specific Behaviour (Not General Attitude)8:50 - Part 3: Handling Pay Conversations Separately10:50 - Part 4: The Power of Consistent Follow-Up12:40 - Make Difficult Conversations Easier Over Time#SalonTeam #SalonManagement #PerformanceReview #DifficultConversations #SalonBusiness━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━Questions? [email protected]

Are you staring at empty slots in your appointment book this spring, hoping social media likes will magically turn into bookings? Stop wishing and start doing. This episode gives you a no-nonsense, three-point spring marketing plan that delivers real clients through your salon door.Phil Jackson, your Queen of Salons, reveals the direct, actionable strategies to fill your books NOW, without relying on Instagram.━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━📊 WHAT YOU'LL LEARN:1. REACTIVATE YOUR LAPSED CLIENTS* Your cheapest client to rebook is one who's already been in.* Pull a list of clients not seen since before Christmas.* Send a simple, direct, personalised message via text, WhatsApp, or even a phone call. Mention their name and usual treatment.* Example: 50 lapsed clients, 20% respond = 10 bookings. At £50-£100 average bill, that's £500-£1000 revenue for an afternoon's work.2. MAXIMISE THE PRE-EASTER PUSH* Easter is a key gifting and treating moment, even if clients aren't religious.* Use the two weeks before Easter to promote "get Easter ready" or "get set for spring" services.* Push gift vouchers as Easter gifts for mums, partners, or friends.* Use point of sale (POS) prompts in your salon; clients often book or buy vouchers if prompted on the spot.3. MASTER YOUR REBOOKING STRATEGY* This is the most powerful retention tool, but most salons use it inconsistently.* Every client leaving in April should have a May appointment confirmed before they leave.* Use reasons like "it's getting busy for summer" or "secure your preferred slot."* Script it for your team: "Can I do this for you?" rather than "Do you want to book?"* A 70% rebooking rate from 30 weekly clients means 21 confirmed appointments for the next month, generating easy, loyal revenue.SOCIAL MEDIA IS A SUPPORT, NOT A DRIVER:* Don't spend two weeks posting on Instagram hoping it fills your books.* Liking a post isn't the same as a booking.* Direct contact with existing and lapsed clients outperforms social media for short-term bookings every time.━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━📊 RESOURCES:Salon Spark: https://salon-spark.com━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━💬 WORK WITH ME:1:1 Coaching: https://buildyoursalon.com━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━🎧 LISTEN:YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BuildYourSalonSpotify: https://go.philjackson.me/SpotifyApple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3MZp6jP━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━CHAPTERS:0:00 - Introduction to Spring Marketing1:05 - The Cost of Waiting Too Long2:00 - Strategy 1: Reactivate Lapsed Clients3:30 - How to Personalise Your Outreach4:40 - The Power of a Phone Call5:30 - Strategy 2: The Pre-Easter Push7:00 - Leveraging Point of Sale Prompts7:45 - Strategy 3: Master Your Rebooking Strategy9:10 - What to Say for Effective Rebooking10:35 - Why Social Media Isn't a Booking Driver#springmarketing #salonmarketing #salonbookings #clientretention #salongrowth━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━Questions? [email protected]

Are you working flat out in your salon, always busy, but still struggling to pay yourself properly? It's a common trap: busyness doesn't automatically mean profitability. This episode reveals the four critical numbers every salon owner MUST track to turn their hard work into real profit.━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━📊 WHAT YOU'LL LEARN:BUSY VS. PROFITABLE:* Busyness measures inputs (hours worked, number of appointments, clients through the door).* Profitability measures outputs (what's left after all the busyness and activity).* It's possible to be 100% booked and losing money if your pricing, costs, or service mix are incorrect.* The real question: "Am I busy doing the right things at the right price to generate profit?"FOUR CRITICAL NUMBERS YOU MUST KNOW:* **1. AVERAGE CLIENT SPEND (Average Bill):** * Calculate: Total revenue divided by the number of guests or appointments in a month. * Problem: If your average bill is too low, more busyness won't fix your profit problem; it just means more work for less return. * Action: Monitor monthly, know what it needs to be to hit targets.* **2. COLUMN UTILISATION:** * Calculate: (Amount of time booked / Amount of time available) x 100. * Sweet spot: 80-85% for most salon businesses. * Why 100% is not ideal: No elasticity, leads to frantic work, no buffer for running late or sick team members. * Below 70%: Indicates a demand problem or a client retention problem.* **3. WAGE-TO-REVENUE RATIO:** * Calculate: (Total wage bill, including yourself / Total revenue) x 100. * Target: Should typically not run above 40% of revenue for premises-based salons (includes PAYE, NI, pensions). * Above 40%: Profit will be squeezed. Above 50%: Profit is severely compromised. * Exposes problems of underpricing relative to wage costs.* **4. PROFIT PER TREATMENT:** * Problem: Your most popular treatments are not always your most profitable ones (e.g., a long nail service versus a quick brow treatment). * Action: Knowing this number changes what you promote, what you can afford to discount, and what services you might even phase out.WHAT TO DO WHEN YOUR NUMBERS AREN'T GREAT:* **Average Bill Too Low:** Look at your service mix (promote profitable ones), review pricing, improve upselling or cross-selling.* **Low Utilisation:** Address marketing or retention issues. Start by rebooking lapsed clients.* **High Wage Ratio:** Focus on 1. Increasing takings, 2. Reducing hours, or 3. Repricing services. Often a combination of all three.* **Low Profit Per Treatment:** Don't lean into low-margin services heavily; reconsider their role in your offering.━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━📊 RESOURCES:Get Paid Properly: getpaidproperly.com━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━💬 WORK WITH ME:1:1 Coaching: https://buildyoursalon.com━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━🎧 LISTEN:YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BuildYourSalonSpotify: https://go.philjackson.me/SpotifyApple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3MZp6jP━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━CHAPTERS:0:00 - The Difference Between Busy and Profitable1:05 - The Salon "Busyness Trap"2:05 - Why You Need to Make Friends with Numbers2:45 - Number 1: Your Average Client Spend4:10 - Number 2: Your Column Utilisation Sweet Spot6:45 - Number 3: Your Wage-to-Revenue Ratio9:45 - Number 4: Profit Per Treatment11:50 - What to Do When Numbers Are Low14:20 - Your Next Steps to Salon Profitability15:00 - Work with Phil on Your Salon Strategy#salonprofitability #salonpricing #salonbusiness #salonowner #buildyoursalon━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━Questions? [email protected]

Phil Jackson, your Queen of Salons, discusses the importance of effective quarterly strategic planning for salon owners. He guides viewers on how to properly map out actions beyond just setting revenue goals, emphasising that good planning is crucial for business growth. This video encourages salon owners to develop a clear strategy and focus on goal setting for a thriving business.━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━📊 RESOURCES:1:1 Coaching: https://buildyoursalon.com━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━💬 WORK WITH ME:1:1 Coaching: https://buildyoursalon.com━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━🎧 LISTEN:YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BuildYourSalonSpotify: https://go.philjackson.me/SpotifyApple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3MZp6jP━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━CHAPTERS:0:00 - Introduction to Q2 Planning1:00 - Why Q2 is a Big Opportunity2:00 - The Problem with Reactive Planning2:50 - How to Set Your Q2 Revenue Target4:10 - Breaking Down Monthly Revenue Targets5:20 - Identifying Your Marketing Gap6:20 - Key Q2 Marketing Moments to Plan7:40 - Checking Team Capacity and Finances9:00 - How to Create Your Simple Q2 Plan9:40 - Next Steps: 1:1 Coaching with Phil#SalonBusiness #SalonStrategy #SalonPlanning #Q2Planning #BuildYourSalon━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━Questions? [email protected]

RESOURCES:Memberships Made Easy: the programme for building a salon membership that actually works. https://queenofmemberships.comFalling out of love with the work that built your business is not failure. It is evolution. And a membership might be the most elegant way to make that transition without abandoning the clients you actually want to keep.This week I am answering a brilliant question from Summer at Flourish Beauty and Academy in Devizes, who wants to use a nail membership to pivot toward skin treatments. The answer applies to any salon owner who wants to reshape their column without burning down what they have built.WHY THIS INSTINCT IS RIGHTMost salon owners who want to change direction either do nothing and stay stuck, or go cold turkey and lose the clients they built their business on. Summer has found a third path. A membership is the bridge that lets you honour those long-term relationships while reshaping your column on your terms.THREE THINGS A TREATMENT-SPECIFIC MEMBERSHIP MUST HAVEABSOLUTE CLARITY ON WHAT IS INCLUDEDTie it to one service or one group of services. One structure, no exceptions.The acid test: you must be able to describe your membership in one sentence. If it takes more than one sentence, it is too complicated. That is probably why a previous membership did not convert.A PRICE THAT REFLECTS THE RELATIONSHIPThis is not a bargain basement discount membership. These are your best long-term clients and they are getting VIP access to a specific team member. Price it accordingly.A 10-15% loyalty reward makes sense. Beyond that, you are undervaluing what you are actually offering.Consider raising your standard prices at the same time as launching the membership.A TRANSITION TIMELINE WITH BOUNDARIESLet your favourite clients hear about it first. Give them a reason to join: locked-in price, continued access, priority booking.Four to six weeks is enough of a launch window. Get your founder members in and locked in.Then hold the line. If someone has not joined the membership, they do not get to book those services. Do not be swayed.THE ONE RISK TO WATCHThe membership manages the exit. Something else has to manage the entrance.If you launch the nail membership but do not actively fill that freed-up space with skin consultations and new treatment offers, you will end up with white space and panic. Get the new menu ready at the same time.WORK WITH ME:1:1 Ultimate Clarity: https://tidycal.com/philjackson/1to1-enquiryFull details: https://buildyoursalon.comLISTEN:YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BuildYourSalonSpotify: https://go.philjackson.me/SpotifyApple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3MZp6jPCHAPTERS:0:00 - Evolving Away From the Work That Built Your Business0:24 - How March Is Going and the Listener Question1:12 - Introducing Summer's Question (Flourish Beauty, Devizes)2:51 - Why the Instinct Is Right3:39 - The Third Path: Memberships as a Transition Tool4:30 - Even Solopreneurs Can Use This Approach5:17 - Thing 1: Absolute Clarity on What Is Included6:06 - The One Sentence Test for Membership Clarity6:56 - Thing 2: Price That Reflects the Relationship (Not the Discount)7:38 - Thing 3: Transition Timeline and Holding the Line8:23 - The Risk: Make Sure You Fill the Space You Free Up9:13 - Memberships Made Easy at queenofmemberships.com#salonmembership #salonbusiness #beautysalon #salonowner #saloncoachQuestions? [email protected]

The clients you are most afraid of losing when you raise your prices are usually the ones you cannot afford to keep. Here is how to put your prices up properly, before the spring rebooking window closes.This episode gives you the maths, the method, and the exact three rules for communicating a price rise without losing the plot or the clients.WHY THE FEAR IS WRONGMost clients will accept a well-communicated price rise without complaintPrice-sensitive clients who leave were going to go eventually anywayRaising prices does not just lose clients at the bottom, it attracts better clients at the topAn underpriced salon cannot afford to look after its clients, its team, or its futureYou are not raising your prices. You are correcting them.HOW MUCH TO RAISE BYIf you have not raised prices in 12 months, you are already behind. A 10% rise covers inflation, wage increases, and product cost rises, and is small enough that most clients accept it without question.The maths: if your average bill is 60 pounds and you do 30 clients a week, that is 18 pounds more per client. 540 pounds a week. 28,000 pounds a year. From a decision you are currently too scared to make.Do not do it in tiny increments. Two price increases a year, done properly, beats six small awkward ones every few months.THE THREE RULES FOR COMMUNICATING ITRULE 1: BE DIRECT, NOT APOLOGETICWrong: "We are so sorry, due to rising costs we have had to make the difficult decision..."Right: "From 1st April, our prices will increase by 10%. Check our price list online."If you apologise, you signal that you think the rise is wrong. You do not. So do not apologise.RULE 2: GIVE NOTICE, NOT AN ESSAYFour weeks is enough. Six weeks is generous. Any more and you are just giving people more time to object.You do not owe anyone a line-by-line breakdown of your overheads.RULE 3: TELL THEM PERSONALLY BEFORE YOU TELL THEM PUBLICLYBrief your team first so they are not caught off guardNotice on reception before the prices go upUpdate your price list and online bookingDo not post it on social media. Social media is for good news.WHAT TO DO IF A CLIENT PUSHES BACKMost will not. For the rare one who does: "Our prices have not increased for X months. This brings us in line with where we need to be to stay profitable." If they threaten to leave, let them. That chair will be filled by someone who values your work.RESOURCES:Get your pricing properly sorted with Get Paid Properly:getpaidproperly.comWORK WITH ME:1:1 Ultimate Clarity: https://tidycal.com/philjackson/1to1-enquiryFull details: https://buildyoursalon.comLISTEN:YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BuildYourSalonSpotify: https://go.philjackson.me/SpotifyApple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3MZp6jPCHAPTERS:0:00 - The Clients You Are Scared to Lose0:20 - How March Is Going and Why Pricing Still Matters1:08 - Why the Fear Is Real But the Logic Is Wrong2:06 - Breaking Through Price Barriers (and Who It Attracts)2:48 - You Are Not Being Greedy, You Are Being Sustainable3:36 - Why Now Is the Right Time (Even If March Feels Ropey)4:22 - How Much to Raise By (Do the Maths)5:57 - Do Not Do It in Tiny Increments6:44 - Rule 1: Be Direct, Not Apologetic7:30 - Rule 2: Give Notice, Not an Explanation8:16 - Rule 3: Tell Them Personally Before Publicly9:05 - What to Do If a Client Pushes Back#salonpricing #salonbusiness #salonowner #hairsalon #salongrowthQuestions? [email protected]

January was all big plans. February was survival mode. And now March has turned up and most salon owners are drifting. Three weeks later it is April, the rush hits, and you are already behind.This episode is your wake-up call. March is the last calm window to make strategic decisions before spring takes over. Here is how to use it.WHY MARCH IS DIFFERENT January is about intention. February is about reality. March is about decision. By now you know what Q1 actually looks like, which staff are performing, and whether your January plan is working. And you still have time to respond. From April onwards you are in reactive mode. Do not make your biggest decisions under pressure.THE THREE DECISIONS TO MAKE THIS MONTHDECISION 1: ARE YOU PRICED RIGHT?Easter is coming. Your books will fill at whatever price you are currently charging.March is your last sensible window to raise prices before clients rebook for summer.A price rise in April lands badly. In March, with good communication, it lands cleanly.If you are avoiding this conversation, it is not going to get easier.DECISION 2: IS YOUR TEAM IN THE RIGHT SHAPE?You have had 10 weeks of 2026. You already know which conversations you have been avoiding.A staff issue left until summer becomes a crisis in your busiest period.March is the time to review, give honest feedback, and make the call.You cannot build a profitable business on a team you have not been straight with.DECISION 3: DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOU ARE SELLING IN Q2?Not do you have a price list. Do you have a plan to drive revenue April through June?Most salon owners do not. They wait to see what happens.Waiting to see what happens is a plan. Not a good one.Spring promotions, Mother's Day, rebooking strategy. What does April actually look like?YOUR MARCH AUDIT Block out 20 minutes this week to work ON your business, not in it. Answer these three questions on paper:What did Q1 actually look like? Revenue, profit, team, clients. Honest version.What needs to change before the summer?What are you currently avoiding?The answers you are avoiding writing down are almost always the most important ones.RESOURCES: 1:1 Ultimate Clarity: 90 days, three deliverables, no guesswork. Book a free 30-minute call: https://tidycal.com/philjackson/1to1-enquiryWORK WITH ME: 1:1 Coaching: https://buildyoursalon.comLISTEN: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BuildYourSalon Spotify: https://go.philjackson.me/Spotify Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3MZp6jPCHAPTERS: 0:00 - Why March Is the Month Most Salon Owners Waste 0:23 - January, February and the March Decision 1:18 - Why Q3 and Q4 Are the Worst Time to Make Big Calls 2:23 - Decision 1: Are You Priced Right for the Busy Season? 3:13 - Decision 2: Is Your Team in the Right Shape? 4:07 - Decision 3: Do You Know What You Are Selling in Q2? 4:54 - Your March Audit (20 Minutes, Three Questions) 5:45 - 1:1 Ultimate Clarity#salonbusiness #salonowner #hairsalon #saloncoach #salongrowthQuestions? [email protected]

Is your accountant actually LOSING you money?It's tax season, and your accountant should be more than just a scorekeeper. This video explains how to get more value from your accounting relationship, focusing on proactive financial planning rather than just reporting past figures. Learn essential questions to ask your accountant to boost your salon business growth and improve your financial health. Because your small business finance deserves more than just annual accounts.What You'll Learn:What most accountants actually do (compliance vs. strategy)Why you're paying for a historian, not a business advisorThe five questions to ask your accountant this weekWhen to change accountants (red flags to watch for)What accountants can't do (but you wish they would)The gap between accounting and strategy (and how to fill it)What Most Accountants Actually Do:Process your bookkeeping (or tell you off for not doing it)File your tax return, tell you what you oweGive you last year's numbers (when it's too late to change anything)Charge £1,500-3,000/yearThat's COMPLIANCE, not strategyYou're paying for a historian, not a business advisorWhat Your Accountant SHOULD Be Doing:1. Monthly Financial Reports (Not Annual)Monthly P&L (ideally) or quarterly minimumBreakdown by: service type, team member, cost categoriesSpot problems WHILE you can fix them (not 12 months later)HMRC making tax digital = quarterly reporting anywayForecasting: See expenses coming, anticipate shortfalls, plan promotionsGame changer: Stop flying in the dark, start steering strategically2. Profit Margin Analysis"Your margin dropped 3% this month - here's why""Product costs creeping up - time to renegotiate"Proactive advice, not reactive reporting3. Tax Planning (Not Just Tax Filing)"Based on current numbers, you'll owe £X in tax""Set aside X% monthly for tax""Here's legal strategies to reduce your bill"No surprises in January when tax bill landsHelp you AVOID the tax hole, not just get out of it4. Strategic Business Advice"Your wage costs are 45% - industry standard is 40%, here's how to adjust""You should be making £X profit on £Y revenue - you're not, here's why""That new treatment? Not profitable. Here's the math."Industry knowledge (don't need industry-specific accountant, but they need to understand your business size)5. Benchmarking"Here's how you compare to similar salons""Your rent is high/low relative to revenue""Your retail margin is better/worse than average"Context so you know if you're winning or losingAbout Phil Jackson:Phil Jackson is a salon business coach with 27 years of industry experience and a Creative Head Most Wanted Award. He helps salon owners in hair, beauty, and aesthetics build profitable businesses without the hustle BS.Work with Phil:If you need help beyond what accountant provides (understanding numbers AND what to do with them):Episode Timestamps:0:00 - Introduction: Tax Time Reality Check0:29 - Phil's New Website (Built with Claude Codex in 1.5 Days!)2:49 - What Most Accountants Actually Do (Historians, Not Advisors)4:35 - What They SHOULD Do: Monthly Reporting & Forecasting6:08 - Profit Margin Analysis & Tax Planning7:06 - Strategic Business Advice & Benchmarking8:53 - The Five Questions to Ask10:25 - Red Flags: When to Change Accountants11:14 - What Accountants Can't Do (The Gap)12:00 - Closing: Last Episode of February#salonbusiness #salonowner #accounting #bookkeeping #profitmargin #saloncoach #beautybusiness #hairdressingbusiness #businessfinance #buildyoursalon1:1 Ultimate Clarity Coaching: 90-day programme delivering your 5-year lifestyle-first business plan, 12-month profit & pricing strategy, and 12-month marketing planBook a free consultation: https://tidycal.com/philjackson/1to1-enquiryWebsite: https://buildyoursalon.comNew podcast site: https://queenofsalons.comEmail: [email protected]

Your team's been cooped up together all winter. Three people not talking, one being a bitch, one being passive-aggressive. You're hiding in the office. Today: How to actually handle the drama.In this episode, Phil Jackson tackles the uncomfortable truth - staff drama doesn't resolve itself, it festers. Late February cabin fever is real. Here's how to handle it instead of hiding.What You'll Learn:Why drama ages like milk (longer you leave it, worse it gets)Two types of drama (and how to tell which one)Four-step process to handle itWhy your avoidance makes it worseWhen YOU'RE the problemThe Two Types:Type 1: Legitimate Grievances Badly ExpressedReal issue: Unfair scheduling, favoritism, broken equipment, lack of trainingBad expression: Bitching, passive-aggression, attitudeFix: Address issue AND coach better communicationYounger teams especially struggle with face-to-face communicationType 2: Personality Conflicts & Drama-SeekingJust drama: Gossip, cliques, excluding people, underminingNo legitimate grievanceFix: Hard boundaries, consequences, possible exitAbout Phil Jackson:Phil Jackson is a salon business coach with 27 years of industry experience and a Creative Head Most Wanted Award. He helps salon owners build profitable businesses without the hustle BS.Work with Phil:If drama is symptom of deeper problems (unclear expectations, poor systems, lack of leadership):1:1 Ultimate Clarity Coaching: 90-day intensive delivering your 5-year lifestyle-first business plan, 12-month profit & pricing strategy, and 12-month marketing planBook a free consultation: https://tidycal.com/philjackson/1to1-enquiryEmail: [email protected]

Take a look at next week's diary. Still seeing gaps? That's hope as a business model. You're hoping clients will rebook, hoping they'll spend enough, hoping March will be better. Today: The opposite of hope. Memberships for predictable income, loyal clients, and better cashflow.In this episode, Phil Jackson (the "Queen of Memberships") walks you through how to start salon memberships without overwhelming yourself. After 10 years teaching memberships, Phil knows what works.What You'll Learn:Why hope is killing your FebruaryMemberships vs. subscriptions (and when to use each)How memberships create predictable incomeWhy membership clients have 95-100% retentionHow to start with ONE serviceWho to target (your 7s and 8s, not your 10s)The Two Types:Memberships (Unlimited)Pay monthly, unlimited useWorks for: Hair services, waxingNot for: Services with no natural limitSubscriptions (Defined)Pay monthly, specific allocationWorks for: Beauty, holistic, aestheticsExample: £90/month = 1 luxury facialThe Three Benefits:1. Predictable Income20 members × £50 = £1,000 guaranteedPhil's business: Memberships cover ALL fixed costsPlan, breathe, sleep easier2. Loyal ClientsRetention: 95-100% (vs. 60-70% regular)Don't ghost in FebruaryCommitted, organized, not shopping around3. Stand OutStill relatively unusualValue, consistency, convenience (not discounting)How to Start:Step 1: ONE ServiceMost popular, already profitable, ongoing12-month ideal (6 months works, avoid 3)Step 2: Target Right ClientsYour 7s and 8s (not best, not worst)Good clients who could be amazingStep 3: Make EasyDirect debits/recurring cardsGift options (Black Friday, Mother's Day)Step 4: DeliverTreat as best clientsExtras, bonuses, specialWhat NOT to Do:Discount clubToo many tiersServices people don't wantLaunch unlimited (sell 10 first)

Did someone just hand in their notice? Or maybe you're stuck with staff who just aren't good enough, but you're too scared to let them go. Good news: good staff exist. You're just fishing in the wrong pond.In this episode, Phil Jackson breaks down the five-step recruitment process that actually works in 2026. This is Build Your Salon's #1 most-watched topic—updated for portfolio working, flexibility expectations, and where good people actually are.What You'll Learn:The five points where your recruitment process breaks downWhy "nobody wants to work" means you're looking in wrong placesWhere good staff actually are (not Indeed or Facebook)How to make your offer compelling in 2026Proper interview process that prevents expensive mistakesWhy onboarding determines 90% of recruitment successThe Five Steps:Step 1: Know What You're Looking ForWritten job description before you need itRequired vs. desired skills, culture fit criteria, deal-breakersDesperation hiring = expensive mistakesStep 2: Fish in the Right PondGood staff are already employed, ready to move for right opportunityWhere to fish: Instagram, college tutors, industry events, your clientsAlways be recruiting (even when fully staffed)Build pipeline: "When you're ready to move, call me"Step 3: Make Your Offer Compelling2026 staff want: progression path, training, flexibility, low drama, transparencyInclude: Training budget, 4-day week options, success storiesGood people have options—they're choosing you tooStep 4: Interview Like You Mean ItPhone screen → interview → practical → trial (paid) → referencesCall references, don't just emailReal example: "Car crash" hire because no references checkedStep 5: Onboard ProperlyShadowing, training on YOUR systems, clear expectations12 weeks probation minimumRegular feedback (weekly for first month)Most failures happen in first 90 daysThis Week's Action:Write that job description before you need it.About Phil Jackson:Phil Jackson is a salon business coach with 27 years of industry experience and a Creative Head Most Wanted Award. He helps salon owners in hair, beauty, and aesthetics build profitable businesses without the hustle BS.Work with Phil:If recruitment struggles are symptoms of bigger issues (pricing, culture, systems):1:1 Ultimate Clarity Coaching: 90-day intensive delivering your 5-year lifestyle-first business plan, 12-month profit & pricing strategy, and 12-month marketing planBook a free consultation: https://tidycal.com/philjackson/1to1-enquiryEmail: [email protected]

t's Friday the 13th. The unluckiest thing you can do today? Ignore your numbers. You might tell yourself a few fibs about how your business is doing—your numbers won't. Let's dive in.In this episode, Phil Jackson walks you through four critical numbers that tell you everything about your salon's health. These aren't weekly metrics—these are quarterly deep-dive numbers that show you exactly what needs fixing and where to focus your strategy for the next three months.What You'll Learn:The four numbers that expose your salon's true healthWhat healthy benchmarks look like for each measureWhy "money in the bank" doesn't mean profitableHow to spot pricing vs. capacity vs. retention problemsWhen being "busy" just means busy being poorThe Four Numbers That Matter:Number 1: Net Profit MarginFormula: (Net Profit ÷ Revenue) × 100Healthy: 10-15% minimum (target 15-20%)Below 10%: You're in troubleWhat it reveals: Pricing too low, costs too high, or bothNumber 2: Revenue Per Client VisitTotal revenue ÷ Number of visitsHealthy: Higher than your most popular serviceWhat it reveals: Pricing structure, retail conversion, profitable vs. busyThe question: 100 clients at £30 or 60 clients at £60? Same hours, more profitNumber 3: Client Retention RatePercentage returning within expected timeframeHealthy: 70% minimumBelow 50%: Churning clientsWhat it reveals: Service quality, pricing alignment, team issuesNumber 4: Utilization Rate(Billable hours ÷ Available hours) × 100Healthy: 85-90%Below 70%: Capacity problemAbove 90%: Pricing opportunityWhat it reveals: Marketing problem or pricing problemThis Week's Action:Calculate all four for January. Track quarterly to see trends. These show you what to work on next.The Brutal Truth:Numbers are facts. If they're bad, fix the business model or keep pretending until you run out of money.About Phil Jackson:Phil Jackson is a salon business coach with 27 years of industry experience and a Creative Head Most Wanted Award. He helps salon owners in hair, beauty, and aesthetics build profitable businesses without the hustle BS.Work with Phil:If you need help fixing what these numbers reveal, that's what Ultimate Clarity does:1:1 Ultimate Clarity Coaching: 90-day intensive delivering your 5-year lifestyle-first business plan, 12-month profit & pricing strategy, and 12-month marketing planBook a free consultation: https://tidycal.com/philjackson/1to1-enquiryEmail: [email protected]

February is when you notice the gaps in your diary. Those clients who couldn't get enough of you in December aren't rebooking. You don't have one big retention problem—you have three specific leaks in three specific places. Let's plug them before March.In this episode, Phil Jackson identifies the three critical points in your client journey where you're losing people and gives you one practical fix for each that you can implement this week.What You'll Learn:The three specific points in the client journey where you're losing customersWhy "better customer service" is too vague to fix retention problemsHow pre-booking appointments can jump retention rates dramaticallyThe power of one personal touch per visit (and how to systematize it)Why 48-hour follow-up messages work (and how to template them)The Three Retention Leaks:Leak #1: Before They BookProblem: Great experience, intended to rebook, just... didn'tFix: Book next appointment before they leave (every single client)Script: "I need to see you in four weeks time. Let's get that booked now for you."Follow-up: Get permission to text if they don't book onlineImpact: Creates consistency, removes friction, positions regular visits as normalLeak #2: During Their VisitProblem: Service was "fine" but nothing memorableFix: One personal touch per visit that shows you remember themExamples: "How did that job interview go?" / "I thought of you when I saw this product"Implementation: Note one personal detail per visit, reference it next timeImpact: Personal connection beats perfect technical deliveryLeak #3: After They LeaveProblem: Happy client leaves, you never contact them againFix: 48-hour follow-up message (every client, every time)Templates: "Just checking in after yesterday—how's your hair/skin settling in?"Advanced: Product tips, midpoint check, booking promptImpact: Shows you care beyond transaction, keeps you front of mindThis Week's Action:Pick ONE leak to fix (Phil recommends pre-booking—easiest, biggest impact). Team meeting today. Track for one week.Reality Check:If your service is good and you're still losing clients, these are your three leaks. Plug them before March.About Phil Jackson:Phil Jackson is a salon business coach with 27 years of industry experience and a Creative Head Most Wanted Award. He helps salon owners in hair, beauty, and aesthetics build profitable businesses without the hustle BS.Work with Phil:If retention is a symptom of bigger structural issues (pricing, service design, business model), that's what Ultimate Clarity addresses:1:1 Ultimate Clarity Coaching: 90-day intensive delivering your 5-year lifestyle-first business plan, 12-month profit strategy, and 12-month marketing planBook a free consultation: https://tidycal.com/philjackson/1to1-enquiryEmail: [email protected]

It's February. Maybe you've just had the worst January you can remember, and you were Googling "how to sell my salon business" at 1am. Before you call a business broker, answer these five questions.In this episode, Phil Jackson walks you through the critical questions every salon owner needs to answer before deciding whether to sell or fix their business. Selling might be the right answer—or you might be running from fixable problems.What You'll Learn:Five questions to determine if you should sell or fix your salonThe brutal reality of salon business valuations (and why most owners overestimate)What happens to your income when you sell (and why £30k isn't as much as you think)What you're actually selling (hint: it's probably worth less than you believe)Why "I've tried everything" usually means you haven'tHow fixing your business first maximizes sale price even if you do decide to sellPhil's Perspective:"If you're at your lowest ebb, you've got nothing to lose. Be bold with your marketing, your pricing, your strategy. What's the worst that can happen? It can't get any worse. And remember—UK salon owners, we've had six months of rain. This isn't your busiest time. Hold on for the sunnier days."About Phil Jackson:Phil Jackson is a salon business coach with 27 years of industry experience and a Creative Head Most Wanted Award. He helps salon owners in hair, beauty, and aesthetics build profitable businesses without the hustle BS.Work with Phil:1:1 Ultimate Clarity Coaching: 90-day intensive programme delivering your 5-year lifestyle-first business plan, 12-month profit strategy, and 12-month marketing planBook a free consultation: https://tidycal.com/philjackson/1to1-enquiryWebsite: https://buildyoursalon.comEmail: [email protected]:📧 Email: [email protected]🎙️ Podcast: Build Your Salon (available on all platforms)📰 Magazine: Salonpreneur MagazineEpisode Timestamps:0:00 - Introduction: February Reality Check1:22 - Question 1: Selling or Running From Problems?2:11 - Question 2: What's It Actually Worth?4:02 - Question 3: What Happens to Your Income?5:34 - Question 4: What Are You Actually Selling?7:55 - Question 5: Have You Actually Tried to Fix It?9:41 - The Fork in the Road: Which Path Is Yours?10:25 - Encouragement: You've Got Nothing to Lose11:17 - Closing & CTA#salonbusiness #salonowner #sellingabusiness #saloncoach #beautybusiness #hairdressingbusiness #businessvaluation #salonmanagement #buildyoursalon #entrepreneurship

48% of salon owners say staff management and motivation is the hardest part of running their business. For many, February is when this hits hardest. Right after the January buzz comes the February funk.In this episode, Phil Jackson cuts through the cheerleading nonsense to give you five practical motivation strategies that actually work, cost almost nothing, and don't require you to become a rah-rah motivational speaker.What You'll Learn:Why throwing money at motivation problems doesn't workThe five things that actually motivate salon teams (and it's not commission)How a £500 training session beats a £500 pay rise every timeWhy your team members might leave over an £8 mopThe difference between standards and micromanagementHow to make your team feel valued without breaking the bankThe Five Motivation Drivers:Feeling Valued (Not Just Paid) - Recognition and specific acknowledgmentGrowth and Learning Opportunities - Internal skill-sharing and consistent trainingAutonomy and Control - Standards vs. micromanagementClear Expectations and Communication - Crystal-clear targets and monthly one-to-onesCulture That Doesn't Drain - Nurturing environments and work-life balanceKey Takeaway:Money isn't why people joined this industry in the first place. Real motivation comes from feeling valued, growing professionally, having autonomy, clear expectations, and a culture that doesn't drain them.Quick Win:This week, give each team member specific acknowledgment for something they've done well. Not "good job"—actual specific recognition of their contribution.About Phil Jackson:Phil Jackson is a salon business coach with 27 years of industry experience and a Creative Head Most Wanted Award. He helps salon owners in hair, beauty, and aesthetics build profitable businesses without the hustle BS.Work with Phil:1:1 Ultimate Clarity Coaching: 90-day intensive delivering your 5-year lifestyle-first business plan, 12-month profit strategy, and 12-month marketing planBook a free consultation: https://tidycal.com/philjackson/1to1-enquiryEmail: [email protected]:Website: https://buildyoursalon.comEmail: [email protected]: Build Your Salon (available on all platforms)

If everyone in your salon charges the same price - junior who's just qualified, senior who's been with you 10 years - you're leaving money on the table.WHAT TIERED PRICING ISDifferent team members charge different prices based on experience, expertise, and client demand.Hair salons do this well. Beauty salons? Not nearly enough.THE FIVE REASONS IT WORKSREASON 1: HELPS JUNIORS BUILD CLIENTELEWithout tiered pricing, reception has subconscious bias - senior costs more in wages, needs to stay busy. Junior never gets chance to build regulars.With tiered pricing, price-sensitive clients gravitate to junior. Levels the playing field.REASON 2: IT'S FAIR TO SENIOR TEAMSomeone with 2 years charges same as someone with 10 years? That's not fair.Tiered pricing shows there's a career path - not just a job.If you don't take care of your team's future, they'll take care of it themselves. Usually means leaving or going self-employed.REASON 3: COST-BASED PRICING MAKES SENSESenior team costs you more in wages.If they charge same as juniors, you make MORE profit from junior and LESS from senior. That's backwards.With tiered pricing, profit per service stays consistent.Even if you're solo: Have an owner tier that prices in your marketing and admin time.REASON 4: CONTROL OVER WHO DOES WHATScottish beauty salon example: Expert therapists on £18-25/hour being booked for £10 quick brow waxes. Losing money.With tiered pricing: Exclude cheap services from Expert tier. Quick treatments only bookable with junior tiers.Now the maths works.REASON 5: RETENTION TOOL IN DOWNTURNSJanuary hits. Clients get price-sensitive.Without tiered pricing: They leave entirely.With tiered pricing: "Money tight? Try our junior tier instead - same great service, lower price."Keep client in business. When finances improve, they move back up.THE OBJECTIONS"Team offended being called junior?"→ Use Graduate, Advanced, Lead. Language is flexible. Concept isn't."Clients think juniors aren't as good?"→ That's the point. Different experience = different pricing."Clients will complain?"→ They won't. Like airline seats: economy, premium, business. Same destination, different experience."Seniors worry clients will leave?"→ Good - opens space for premium-priced customers."Team conflict?"→ No - if progression is transparent. Set clear criteria: retention, utilisation, training, reviews.HOW TO IMPLEMENTDefine tiers → Set progression criteria → Communicate with team FIRST → Update systems → Launch publicly━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━📊 RESOURCES:Get Paid Properly: getpaidproperly.com💬 WORK WITH ME:1:1 Coaching: https://buildyoursalon.com🎧 LISTEN:YouTube: https://youtube.com/@buildyoursalonApple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3MZp6jP━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━CHAPTERS:0:00 - Leaving Money on Table1:23 - What Tiered Pricing Is2:19 - Reason 1: Helps Juniors3:21 - Reason 2: Fair to Seniors4:19 - Reason 3: Cost-Based Pricing5:14 - Reason 4: Control Who Does What6:09 - Reason 5: Retention Tool7:01 - Objections Answered9:45 - Progression Criteria#tieredpricing #salonpricing #salonbusiness━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━Questions? [email protected]

Most salon owners leave thousands of pounds on the table every year because they hate selling retail.You feel pushy. You don't want to be that aggressive salesperson. You're afraid of rejection.So products gather dust and you miss massive profit opportunities.Here's the truth: NOT recommending products is doing your clients a disservice.THE MINDSET SHIFTStop thinking of retail as "selling products." Start thinking of it as completing your professional service.You're a professional. Your client isn't. You know which products protect their work, maintain treatments, and extend results.If you don't tell them, you're being SELFISH about your fear of rejection instead of thinking about what's best for the client.PRESCRIBE home care. Don't "sell" products.WHAT DOESN'T WORK❌ Product displays (people don't browse)❌ Vague mentions ("We have some great products...")❌ Waiting until checkout (they're mentally done)❌ Selling features instead of resultsWHAT WORKS✓ Get agreement in CONSULTATION (before starting service)"To create this style, you'll need these products at home. Is that okay before we start?"✓ Show product DURING service (let them experience it)✓ Prescribe BEFORE checkout (not at till)✓ Make it easy to say YESPhysically pick up products. Walk to checkout with them.✓ Handle objections professionally"Expensive?" → "£1.50/week to protect a £120 colour service""I'll think about it" → "Wrong products = results fail sooner = back spending £120 sooner""Next time" → "Damage happens in first few days - next time is too late"ADVANCED TACTICSPRICE IT IN: For extensions or colour correction, include products in service price. Guarantees results, breaks bad habits.TEAM FLEXIBILITY: "Budget tight? If you take all three products, I can do the third half-price."BUILD STORIES: "Sarah struggled with frizz until she started using this. Now smooth all week."THE REJECTION MINDSETWhen McDonald's asks "Would you like fries?" and you say no, do they take it personally?No. Next customer.Same attitude here.WHY THIS ISN'T OPTIONALThis used to be optional. Not anymore.Massive profit opportunity you can't afford to decline.If YOU won't retail, your team definitely won't either.━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━📊 RESOURCES:Salon Spark: https://salon-spark.com💬 WORK WITH ME:1:1 Coaching: https://buildyoursalon.com🎧 LISTEN:Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3MZp6jP━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━CHAPTERS:0:00 - Why Leave Money on Table1:18 - Why We Hate Retail2:15 - Mindset Shift: Service Not Sales3:10 - Being Selfish About Rejection4:12 - What Doesn't Work5:15 - Get Agreement in Consultation6:03 - Have Products in Stock6:50 - Prescription Framework7:37 - Price It In Strategy8:22 - Handle Objections9:23 - Not Optional Anymore#salonretail #salonproducts #salonprofitability━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━Questions? [email protected]

Most salon team targets don't work. Either they don't exist, they're random numbers that sound good, or - here's the killer - everyone hits their individual targets and the salon STILL misses its numbers.That's because individual targets don't add up to the salon target.THE FOUR MEASURES (Track these, nothing else)Stop tracking 17 things. Your salon software has too many reports and it's confusing. Track these four for every team member:MEASURE 1: SERVICE REVENUEHow much money each team member puts in the till from services.Work BACKWARDS from your salon target:- Salon needs £50k/month- 4 team members- £50k ÷ 4 = £12.5k per personIf everyone hits £12.5k, salon hits £50k.MEASURE 2: RETAIL (Units, not revenue)How many products did they sell?Why units? Selling 15 shampoos is harder than selling one set of expensive straighteners. We're measuring the HABIT of retailing.MEASURE 3: UTILIZATIONPercentage of column full with paying customers.Target: 80-90% (85% is sweet spot)- 100% = no breathing room, stressed model- Below 70% = not making moneyMEASURE 4: REBOOKING OR RETENTION (Pick one)Rebooking: Percentage who rebook before leavingRetention: Percentage who return within service cyclePick REBOOKING - you see results faster. Most retention reports are unreadable.Target: 60%+THE THREE-LEVEL SYSTEM (Makes it motivating)Each measure needs THREE numbers:TARGET: Challenging but achievable (15 retail products/week)CELEBRATION: Above target (20 products/week)When they hit this, recognize it publicly. Gives high performers something to stretch for.MINIMUM ACCEPTABLE: Below target (10 products/week)Don't mention in 1:1s. It's YOUR internal line - when coaching isn't working and you need a capability or disciplinary conversation.THE 1:1 STRUCTURE (10-15 minutes max)"Your four numbers from last week:- Service revenue: £1,300 (target £1,250) ✓- Retail: 12 units (target 15) - slight miss- Utilization: 87% (target 85%) ✓- Rebooking: 58% (target 60%) - closeWhat challenges? What should we focus on?"Done. 10 minutes.Frequency: Monthly if performing well (around payday). Fortnightly or weekly if struggling.THE COACHING TOOLKITFor each measure, have 3-5 tactics to coach:Service revenue low? Upsell treatments, extend appointment times, fill gapsRetail low? Prescribe like a doctor, show product during service, explain resultsUtilization low? Increase rebooking, reduce cancellations, fill last-minute gapsRebooking low? Pre-book at till, create urgency, review service qualityTargets without coaching toolkit = pointless.THE BIGGEST MISTAKEIndividual targets don't add up to salon targets.ALWAYS work backwards from salon target. If everyone hits individual targets, salon should hit its targets.COMMISSION VS TARGETSDon't coach people toward commission targets. Commission should MOTIVATE them. If you have to coach them to hit commission, the commission structure isn't working.Coach them toward SALON targets - what YOU need them to achieve.━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━📊 RESOURCES:Salon Spark: https://salon-spark.com💬 WORK WITH ME:1:1 Coaching: https://buildyoursalon.com🎧 WATCH:YouTube: https://youtu.be/o5ErCGsd2w8CHAPTERS:0:00 - Why Most Targets Don't Work1:20 - Problem 1: No Targets2:12 - Problem 2: Random Targets3:02 - Problem 3: Don't Add Up3:52 - Problem 4: No Coaching4:44 - Four Measures Only5:42 - Why Separate Service/Retail6:39 - Retail: Units vs Money7:32 - Utilization (85% Sweet Spot)10:03 - Rebooking vs Retention10:56 - Three-Level System12:39 - Minimum Acceptable Line13:37 - Coaching Toolkit#salonteamtargets #salonKPIs #salonmanagementQuestions? [email protected]

Referrals are the best source of new salon clients - but most salon owners get it completely wrong. They put up a poster saying "Refer a friend, get 10% off!" and wonder why nothing happens.Here's the problem: referral programs fail because you run out of steam.You can't maintain referral-focused energy year-round while also running your salon, doing your marketing, managing your team, and actually doing hair.So referral programs die by March. The poster fades. Nobody notices it anymore.The solution: Split your referral strategy into TWO parts.PART 1: ALWAYS-ON FOUNDATION (Background referral generation all year)- Shareable transformations (before/after photos sent automatically to clients)- Branded Instagram templates (make it easy to tag you)- New client welcome system (acknowledge who referred them)- Thank you texts (when someone refers, thank them immediately)Set it up once. Runs forever. Generates referrals passively.PART 2: FOCUSED REFERRAL CAMPAIGN (One month, high energy, then STOP)Pick ONE month per year (or two maximum).Week 1: Announce the campaign- Email everyone: "This month only - refer a friend, you both get [REWARD]"- Make the reward generous (not 10% - that's not enough to change behavior)- Stacking rewards (one customer sent us 13 referrals in one month!)Week 2-3: Push hard- Mention to EVERY client in salon- Post about it on social media- Send reminders by email- Create urgency ("This month only")Week 4: Final push- "Last week! If you've been meaning to refer someone, now's the time!"Then STOP. Campaign over. Back to normal.WHY THIS WORKS:✓ Focused energy for one month is sustainable (year-round isn't)✓ Creates urgency (if it's always available, nobody acts)✓ You don't burn out (the always-on foundation keeps ticking over)✓ Referrals have minimal wasted marketing effort (your clients pre-qualify who they refer)The mistake: Running referral campaigns for 3-6 months. You'll run out of steam by month 2.Better: One month of brilliance beats six months half-arsed.Pick your referral month (February is great if January was quiet, August works if you need summer boost).━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━📊 RESOURCES:Salon Spark (Weekly Accountability + Community): https://salon-spark.com→ £75/month, cancel anytime, try it for £1 first month━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━💬 WORK WITH ME:1:1 Coaching: https://buildyoursalon.com→ Book a call for help implementing referral systems━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━👋 WHO I AM:Phil Jackson. Ex-salon owner (award-winning, since 2001). Now I coach salon owners who want profitable businesses without the hustle BS.This podcast is for the ones who take their business seriously.━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━🎧 LISTEN:Spotify: [your episode link]Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3MZp6jPWebsite: buildyoursalonpodcast.com━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━CHAPTERS:0:00 - Why Referrals Are the Best Source1:18 - The Problem: You Run Out of Steam2:14 - Why Referrals Have Less Wasted Effort4:05 - The Poster That Doesn't Work4:51 - Two-Part Referral Strategy5:44 - Part 1: Always-On Foundation6:27 - Step 1: Shareable Transformations7:21 - Step 2: Branded Instagram Templates8:01 - Step 3: Acknowledge New Client Referrers8:49 - Step 4: Thank You System9:41 - Part 2: Focused Referral Campaign10:22 - Make It Rewarding (One Customer Sent 13!)11:17 - Mention to EVERY Client12:06 - Don't Extend It - You'll Run Out of Steam#salonreferrals #salonmarketing #salonreferralprogram #salonbusiness #wordofmouth━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━Questions? Email: [email protected] help with salon marketing? Reach out - let's chat!

If you're working harder than ever and not making profit, there's a good chance your prices are too low.But raising prices feels terrifying. What if clients leave? What if nobody books?Here are the 3 signs you're definitely undercharging - and exactly what to do about it.WHY YOU'RE STUCK AT LOW PRICES:Fear #1: Clients will leave(Spoiler: The ones who leave over £5 weren't your clients anyway)Fear #2: Columns will be empty(Reality: When you charge properly, you need FEWER clients to make the same money)Fear #3: You don't feel "worth it"(That's imposter syndrome talking. You're worth more than you're charging.)THE 3 SIGNS YOU'RE UNDERCHARGING:Sign #1: Fully booked but not making money- Columns rammed, working 50-60 hours, barely scraping by- You're discounting your time - making £10-15/hour after costs- The market is telling you that you can charge moreSign #2: You're attracting price-sensitive clients- They ask "How much?" before "What can you do?"- They negotiate, cancel frequently, don't tip, complain constantly- Cheap prices attract cheap clients- Premium prices attract people who value quality- "Every time you price someone out, you price someone in"Sign #3: You're cheaper than competitors (and shouldn't be)- If competitors charge more and you're equally good (or better), you're leaving money on the table- Don't obsess about competitors when setting prices- Don't let someone else's business model dictate your charges- Premium pricing = premium perception (and better coffee, training, decor)HOW TO RAISE PRICES WITHOUT LOSING EVERYONE:Step 1: Run the numbers- Understand WHY you're charging what you do- Set prices based on the profit YOU want to make- Make it a no-brainer for the right customersStep 2: Announce it properly- 4 weeks notice minimum- Small sign on reception: "From 1st March, new prices"- No apologies, no drama- Current clients can rebook today at old prices (increases rebookings)Step 3: Handle pushback- Most people complain but don't change behavior- Listen, but don't negotiate- Tiered pricing helps retention (can't afford top stylist? Book someone else)Step 4: Replace the clients who leave- That's a marketing problem- The right clients will find you at premium pricesYOUR ACTION PLAN:Put a date in the diary. If it were me: 1st March.That gives you 2 weeks to set new prices and get the announcement up.RESOURCES:Get Paid Properly (Profit & Pricing Program): https://getpaidproperly.com→ The complete system for setting profitable salon pricesWORK WITH ME:Salon Spark: https://salon-spark.com→ £75/month, cancel anytime, try it for £11:1 Coaching: https://buildyoursalon.com→ Book a call for intensive pricing and profitability helpWHO I AM:Phil Jackson. Ex-salon owner (award-winning, since 2001). Now I coach salon owners who want profitable businesses without the hustle BS.In my own salon, we promised to be the most expensive haircut in town. If anyone matched our prices, we'd immediately increase ours. Some people came to us BECAUSE we were the most expensive.WATCH/LISTEN:YouTube: https://youtube.com/@buildyoursalonApple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3MZp6jPWebsite: buildyoursalonpodcast.com━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━CHAPTERS:0:00 - Working Harder, Not Making Profit1:12 - Why You're Stuck at Low Prices2:02 - Fear #1: Losing Clients2:55 - Fear #2: Empty Columns3:48 - Fear #3: Imposter Syndrome4:35 - Sign #1: Fully Booked, Not Making Money5:31 - Sign #2: Attracting Price-Sensitive Clients6:23 - The Groupon Story8:01 - "Every Time You Price Someone Out, You Price Someone In"8:50 - Sign #3: Cheaper Than Competitors10:29 - How to Raise Prices Without Losing Everyone11:06 - Step 1: Run the Numbers11:50 - Step 2: Announce It12:35 - Step 3: Handle Pushback, Step 4: Replace Clients#salonpricing #salonprofitability #raisingprices #undercharging #salonownerQuestions? Email: [email protected]

Finding good people for your salon feels impossible. Zero applications, ghosted interviews, or people who show up for one day and disappear. Recruitment in 2026 is brutal - but some salons are still finding brilliant people.Why it's harder now:Post-COVID shift: People want flexibility, development, culture (not just a job)Gen Z researches you on Instagram before applyingCompetition is fierce: Everyone's desperateIf your strategy is "post an ad and hope", you're screwed.In this episode:The 3 mistakes killing your recruitmentAlways-on recruiting (build your pipeline BEFORE you need people)How to make your salon visible to potential employeesWriting job ads that actually attract good peopleWhat flexibility actually means in 2026Your January action planStop desperate scrambling. Build your employer brand and pipeline.Work with me:Salon Spark: https://salon-spark.com£75/month, try for £11:1 Coaching: https://buildyoursalon.comWatch/Subscribe:YouTube: Watch on YouTubeApple Podcasts: Listen on AppleWebsite: buildyoursalonpodcast.com

Most salon team meetings are a waste of time. They're either non-existent or just you moaning at your team for 45 minutes while everyone stares at their phones.Neither builds a better salon. Here's how to get them right.The three camps:No meetings at all (no cohesion, everyone in silos)Occasional roasting sessions (owner's frustrated, nobody wants to come back)Rambling chaos (starts late, runs 90 minutes, nothing gets decided)In this episode:Why I got this horrifically wrong for yearsThe 45-minute structure that worksMonthly minimum (when to increase frequency)What to include: Product training, promotions, winsWhat to exclude: Negativity, roasting, ventingThe agenda trick that prevents sabotageYour January action planTeam meetings build culture and keep everyone aligned. Get them right.Work with me:Salon Spark: https://salon-spark.com£75/month, try for £11:1 Coaching: https://buildyoursalon.comSubscribe:YouTube: Watch on YouTubeApple Podcasts: Listen on AppleWebsite: buildyoursalonpodcast.com

I've been coaching salon business owners for almost a decade. Want to know the problem that keeps coming back? Owners working their asses off and barely paying themselves.If you put yourself on your team's wage structure and couldn't afford to pay yourself, you're not building a business - you've built an expensive hobby that happens to have staff.In this episode:The 3 reasons salon owners don't pay themselves (guilt, fear, confusion)Worker vs Owner: Why you need TWO types of incomeWages for the work + Dividends for the riskReal 2026 numbers: Small salon (£36-54k), Medium (£54-80k), Large (£80-160k+)How to set it up in January and stop subsidizing your businessYou deserve to get paid what you're worth. Let's fix this in 2026.Resources:Get Paid Properly: https://getpaidproperly.comComplete profit & pricing systemWork with me:Salon Spark: https://salon-spark.com£75/month, try for £11:1 Coaching: https://buildyoursalon.comSubscribe:YouTube: Watch on YouTubeApple Podcasts: Listen on AppleWebsite: buildyoursalonpodcast.com

You don't need 100 members to make salon memberships profitable. You might not even need 50.After helping 100+ salons launch membership programs, I can tell you exactly how many members YOU need - and it's probably fewer than you think.In this episode:How to calculate your membership target based on YOUR actual numbersWhy most salons need 30-60 members (not hundreds)Small salon vs. large salon targets - what's realisticThe reverse engineering strategy: start with your overhead gapWhy "more members" isn't always betterStop guessing. Start with the real numbers that will transform your cash flow.Resources:Salon Memberships Made Easy: https://queenofmemberships.comThe complete system for launching profitable membershipsWork with me:Salon Spark (weekly accountability + community): https://salon-spark.com£75/month, cancel anytime, try it for £11:1 Coaching: https://buildyoursalon.comSubscribe:YouTube: Watch on YouTubeWebsite: buildyoursalonpodcast.com

Most salon memberships die in month 3.Not because the concept is flawed. Because of 3 specific mistakes that are completely avoidable.After helping 100+ salons implement memberships, I've seen this pattern play out over and over.In this episode:Why month 3 is the danger zoneThe 3 retention killers (and how to avoid them)The simple system that keeps members past the honeymoon phaseReal numbers from salons who got it rightWork with me:Salon Spark (weekly accountability + community): https://salon-spark.comTry it for one month for just £11:1 Coaching: https://buildyoursalon.comFree guide - 10 brutal truths - YOUR SALON MEMBERSHIP ISDEAD BEFORE IT LAUNCHES: https://www.buildyoursalon.com/memberships-for-salons-page😬 Got a negative review and don't know what to say? Get my free response templates: https://buildyoursalon.com/handling-reviews-pageSubscribe:YouTube: https://youtu.be/C_i5jSMx3xwWebsite: buildyoursalonpodcast.com

Forget the fluff and glitter — this Boxing Day episode is all about turning vision-board fantasies into a plan you can actually stick to. Phil Jackson walks salon owners through his tried-and-true goal-setting process for 2026, showing how to connect your long-term dreams with realistic, value-driven actions. From five-year mapping to quarterly focus and smarter revenue targets, this episode will help you anchor your goals in what truly matters — your values, your team, and your lifestyle. And since it’s Boxing Day, I’m celebrating with some brilliant offers to help you start the year strong — including my Crystal Clear Goal Setting programme and Salon Spark accountability group. 🎁 Head over to buildyoursalon.com to grab your deals before they disappear.Let’s make 2026 the year your salon works for you — not the other way around.

Most business owners jump straight into goal setting in January, only to abandon their plans by February. This episode reveals the crucial, albeit un-glamorous, prep work that will ensure your 2026 salon goals actually stick!In this episode, we cover: Reviewing 2025: A cold, hard look at what made you money, brought joy, felt easy, and what simply didn't work. Your Magic Number: Pinpointing your desired profit for 2026 to inform your turnover targets and lifestyle goals. Feed Your Brain: Stretching your mind with inspiring reads or audiobooks to broaden your perspective and ambition. Values Research: Using a value-setting exercise to ensure your goals align with what truly matters to you, creating a filter for success and happiness.This half-day prep isn't about setting goals yet, but about laying solid foundations so your goals are realistic, ambitious, and aligned with your core values. Block out 2.5-4 hours between Christmas and New Year – your future self will thank you for the clarity!Recommended Reading: Alex Hormozi's 100M Offers Dan Sullivan & Benjamin Hardy's 10x Is Easier Than 2x Any book by Brené Brown Value setting decks (available on Amazon or free online printables)Join us next episode for a quick rundown on the goal-setting process itself!

Want help holding yourself accountable and getting clarity for the year ahead? Join Salon Spark and grab your first month for just £1 – my personal support to help you actually get sh*t done. That December chaos? It’s not just about full columns and frantic clients. In this episode, Phil Jackson uncovers the deeper reason salon owners feel frazzled over the holidays—how your personal values and boundaries get thrown off balance, and what to do about it. Expect a little tough love, a few laughs, and a practical mindset reset to help you glide into the new year calmer, clearer, and more in tune with what really matters.

Join Phil Jackson as he shares expert insights on maximizing salon revenue this December. Discover strategic actions to fill up your appointment book, effectively use gift vouchers, and smart ways to bring forward promotions. Enhance your client experience and keep the cash flow steady even during quieter times. Let's make December more profitable despite the challenges!

What if growing your salon isn’t actually helping your bottom line? In this episode, Phil pulls back the curtain on why more team members, more turnover, and more chaos don’t always equal more profit. Discover how to calculate the real profitability of your team, why small can be smarter, and how to build a lifestyle-first business that truly serves you.

<p style="font-family:Montserrat, sans-serif;"> In this episode, Phil Jackson dishes out some tough love on the true value of salon software. Are you paying for features you don’t even use? Phil explores when salon software is genuinely worth the investment ... and when it’s time to cut it loose and switch to smarter, cheaper tools. Learn how AI, dynamic pricing, and better financial tracking can help you simplify, save money, and keep your business running smoothly without unnecessary subscriptions. </p> <p style="font-family:Montserrat, sans-serif;"> Plus, hear how innovative tools like Booko are helping salons use dynamic pricing to boost profits and fill tricky time slots, all without the old-school bloat of overcomplicated systems. </p>

In this episode, Phil looks ahead to 2026 with some tough love for salon owners still chasing likes instead of clients. Discover why social media isn’t the growth engine it used to be, and where your next wave of new customers will really come from. From recommend-a-friend schemes to rediscovering PR and SEO, this episode is your wake-up call to start marketing smarter, not louder.

In this short and spicy “Money Monday,” Phil Jackson (your unapologetic Queen of Salons) dishes out a little tough love for beauty business owners. After the UK budget left salon owners feeling uncertain, Phil reminds us that moaning online won’t pay the bills. Instead, he shares how to refocus your mindset, communicate confidence to clients, and move forward with smart pricing decisions—without losing your sparkle.

What if balance was never the goal? In this brutally honest episode, I’m tackling the myth of work-life balance for salon owners. You’ll learn why “perfect balance” doesn’t exist, what real boundaries look like, and how to reclaim your energy without burning your business down. From firing nightmare clients to fixing broken business models, we’ll get painfully real about what’s working, what’s not, and how to finally create a salon life that feels like freedom — not fatigue.

December should be your salon’s most profitable month — not the most exhausting one. Yet every year, salon owners work twice as hard and somehow earn less. In this episode, I’m exposing the three Christmas mistakes that quietly drain your December profits — and showing you how to fix them fast.We’re talking about retail displays that don’t sell, bad booking habits that kill your revenue, and the discount disasters that destroy your margins. You’ll get practical, profitable fixes you can implement immediately, even if the festive chaos has already begun.You’ll learn how to: Turn your Christmas retail into pure profit (without being pushy). Schedule smarter so your busiest weeks are also your most lucrative. Replace pointless discounts with offers that protect your margins.It’s not about working harder — it’s about working strategically. Let’s make this December the one where you finally get paid what you deserve.💌 Ready to stop repeating the same festive mistakes? Tune in, grab a notebook, and let’s get your salon sleighing it this Christmas.

Are you secretly giving yourself a pay cut? This week, I’m calling out one of the salon industry’s worst habits — working for free. Your costs have gone up, your rent’s gone up, your products have gone up… and if your prices haven’t, you’re quietly earning less for the same hours. It’s time to fix that.In this episode, I’m walking you through when and how to raise your salon prices without losing clients or feeling guilty. We’ll cover what to say, how to handle pushback, and how to make sure your new prices reflect the quality you deliver every day. No drama, no apologies — just smart business and confident communication.If you’ve been avoiding your price review, consider this your nudge to take action. You deserve to be paid properly for your time, skill, and service. Let’s make sure your next pay rise comes from you, not your clients’ good will.🎧 Episode title: Stop Working for Free: Why It’s Time to Raise Your Salon Prices📅 Published: 11 November 2025🏷️ Tags: salon pricing, raise prices, salon profits, confidence, business strategy

<h2>The Truth About Salon Profits: 5 Smart Money Moves to End 2025 in the Black</h2><p>Most salon owners wait until January to face their finances — and that’s exactly why profits slip away. In this episode, Phil Jackson reveals five powerful money moves you can make before the year ends to protect your profit and start 2026 ready to earn properly.</p><h3>💡 In this episode:</h3><ul> <li>How to identify your true profit — not just your turnover</li> <li>Silent costs that quietly drain your bottom line</li> <li>How to plan your 2026 price increases without losing clients</li> <li>Why reflection beats reaction when it comes to your numbers</li> <li>The simple financial routine that keeps your cash flow strong</li></ul><p>🎧 <strong>Listen and take control of your salon’s finances before the year ends.</strong></p><h3>✨ Next Episode to Explore:</h3><p><em><a href="https://buildyoursalonpodcast.com/post/time-to-step-up-ambition-isnt-a-dirty-word" target="_blank" style="color:#E2238C; text-decoration:none;">Time to Step Up: Ambition Isn’t a Dirty Word</a></em></p><hr style="border:none; border-top:2px solid #E2238C; margin:20px 0;"><p><strong>Hosted by:</strong> Phil Jackson — Salon Business Coach & Founder of Build Your Salon</p><p><strong>Follow the podcast:</strong> <a href="https://buildyoursalonpodcast.com" target="_blank" style="color:#E2238C;">buildyoursalonpodcast.com</a></p>

Money isn’t the only motivator — and chasing it might be what’s burning out your team. In this episode, Phil Jackson tackles one of the toughest salon leadership challenges: keeping your team engaged and loyal when pay rises aren’t an option. Learn how recognition, honest communication, and growth opportunities can do more for morale than an extra 5% commission ever could. What you’ll learn: – The six real reasons people leave your salon (and it’s not about money) – How to build loyalty through appreciation and trust – Ways to make learning and development work on a tight budget – How transparency creates stronger, happier teams – When to let go of toxic or disengaged staff Listen now and learn how to motivate your team the smart way — no pay rise required. Next episode to explore: How to Grow Your Salon Team Successfully More from Phil: queenofmemberships.com/podcast

Every missed appointment costs more than just money — it chips away at your sanity.In this episode, Phil Jackson tackles one of the biggest profit-killers in the salon industry: no-shows and last-minute cancellations. You’ll learn how to set boundaries that make clients respect your time without awkward confrontations or guilt.What you’ll learn:– The 4-layer system to cut no-shows by up to 70%– How to use deposits without losing clients– The right reminder timing (and the words that actually work)– How to enforce policies confidently and fairlyWhether you’re tired of chasing clients who ghost you, or you’re ready to turn chaos into calm, this episode gives you the structure you need for consistency and confidence.Listen now and reclaim your time, your income, and your sanity.Next episode to explore:Salon Retail Excellence with Arif Isikgun — learn how to boost retail sales without sounding salesy.More from Phil:queenofmemberships.com/podcast

Where to Start with Salon Memberships (Without Overwhelming Yourself)You’re working your socks off — long hours, juggling clients, stock orders, and marketing — yet your bank balance still doesn’t show it. Let’s fix that, darling. In this episode, I’ll walk you through how to build simple, sustainable salon memberships that create steady income without turning your business into a spreadsheet nightmare. We’ll talk about why pricing comes first, who your ideal membership clients really are (hint: your 7s and 8s!), and how to make recurring income feel effortless.Ready to build predictable, profitable salon income? Join my Memberships Made Easy programme and start transforming your business today.Listen now and start your journey toward financial calm — because boring income is beautiful.

Pressure is rising in our industry—clients expect more, teams are stretched, and burnout is creeping in. In this episode, I talk with licensed therapist and workshop creator Tina Schrader about how salon professionals can protect their mental health, set healthier boundaries, and build more sustainable client relationships. Tina shares how self-regulation, emotional awareness, and team culture can transform your workday from draining to deeply rewarding. Learn more about Tina Schrader’s workshops and therapy resources at tinapower.com.