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Things To Consider When Searching For The Right Business Premises

Posted on by Nova Blogger

For any business, finding the right premises can be challenging. Business premises are one of the biggest expenses for a business, so it is important to find the right one at the right price, in the right location. It can often take longer than you think and you might need to look at many places before finding the right one, but it is usually worth it.

Here are a few tips to help with the process:

 

Decide On What You Need

Do you want to buy or lease? Both have their pro’s and con’s, it depends on your situation. If you are just starting up, it may be wise to lease somewhere until your business has proved its-self, before making the commitment to buying a property. However if you are an already established business looking to grow, then buying a premises could be a long term investment.

Which ever you decide on you will still need to workout what you need, based on a combination on both your businesses current and future plans. A few things to consider are: what size of premises, what layout, and the length of time you require the property if you are renting. Your location of choice will depend on your business type, and you may need to be near your customers if your business requires it.

Set a Budget

The most important thing here, is to make sure you can afford which ever premises you are interested in. Look at your business financials to get an idea of how much you can afford to spend, and do some research about the various costs you are likely to incur. For example there are costs to get the premises such as deposits, equipment, furnishing, renovations, moving, and any professional fees. Then there are also costs to run the premises on a monthly basis such as rents, heating, insurance, business rates etc. Once you have a realistic idea of your budget and the costs, then you can start the process of looking for your ideal premises.

Get Professional Help

Now it’s time to get professional help for your search. You need to make sure you seek professional advice before agreeing any terms, signing any paper work or paying any deposits so you don’t make any mistakes. Your accountant would be able to double check your budget to see if it is affordable.

Commercial property leases can be complicated and so there is a good chance you will require a commercial property lawyer. Also you will need a commercial property agent to find a list of vacant premises for you to look at.

Start Searching

At this stage it is important to try an see as many properties as you can. It may help to make up a schedule so you know in advance when you have to view properties. Setting up a checklist can be a great way to compare the properties you see, so you can make a better decision about which is best.

The list could contain all the elements that are important for your business. You can then score each property you see based on your criteria. At the end of your search, the ones with the highest scores can be put on a shortlist for further consideration.

Purchase The Premises or Sign The Lease

Once you have found your ideal premises, one that fits all your requirements and meets your budget, then it’s time to sign agreements and hand over deposits. Your professional advisers will help to guide you through each step of the completion process. After all that is done then it’s time to renovate, move into your new premises and carry on with business as usual.

 

2 Easy Ways To Get More Referrals For Your Business

Posted on by Nova Blogger

 

Referrals can be one of the best ways to grow a business without having to spend much. In some cases they won’t cost you anything at all. With this low cost source of potential revenue at their disposal, it’s a wonder as to why more businesses aren’t making use of referrals. It may be because many businesses feel uncomfortable asking for them, but the trick is knowing how and when to ask for referrals so that you don’t come across as being pushy or annoying.

Here are two easy ways to get more referrals for your business right away:

 

Existing Clients

You can start by asking for referrals only from your regular clients that are already happy with your service or product. You already have a source of referrals, and they are your existing customers. Treat your existing customers well, give them an experience they can’t forget, and they will talk about your business. There is nothing like happy customers advertising for your business. The word of mouth from a client to a friend or family member is a very effective marketing tool

By creating some kind of loyalty reward program you can stay in touch with your customers and be able to send them thank you and birthday/ Christmas/ gift cards or weekly discount vouchers. This way they become a part of your community, a relationship develops as you learn more about them and how to help them solve their problem, and they learn more about your business.

You can leverage technology to help with this. By using tools like social media or a blog you can continue to build that customer relationship by offering them free solutions and ideas to solve any related problems they might have.

 

New Clients

Make a habit of new asking customers for feedback and reviews on how your product or service has helped them, and keep score. Don’t be afraid to ask them what you need to do in order for them to consider telling someone else about your business.

When new customers buy from you can also send them a thank you email in which you could include a discount gift code. That’s to say you appreciate them for choosing your product or service from the variety of choices they had. You might also consider giving potential customers a free trial of your product or service so as to generate a potential referral.

When you ask your customers for referrals, make sure the process is quick and easy. You should show them how to do it and give them a choice as to how they would like to refer you. For example you can let them know they can also give testimonials as a form of review/referral.

The aim is to create a continuous funnel of customers going through your referral program at all times. Each customer may be at a different stage of their journey with your business, so the programme has to be customised to each customer depending on where they are.

Don’t be afraid to ask them what you need to do in order for them to consider telling someone else about your business. Make it a habit to ask customers for feedback and reviews on how your product or service has helped them, and don’t forget to keep score.

 

In summary in order to increase the number of referral your business gets, it may be worth setting up a formal referral program for both new and existing customers. This would also involve training all relevant staff so that they are aware of how to deal with referrals when they occur.

 

 

Top Tips For Dealing With Customer Complaints

Posted on by Nova Blogger

 

In business having a customer complaint is a common experience, because you can’t please everybody all the time. Regardless of how hard you try, there will be mistakes or you may be faced with a customer who just likes to complain. Depending on how it is managed every customer complaint can end in one of two ways, you will either get an angry customer, or a happy customer. The aim is to minimise the number of complaints and to ensure that the same complaint does not keep happening repeatedly.

What is important is that companies acknowledge these complaints and make sure they are dealt with in a timely and effective manner. Failing to do so may result in a bad reputation for the business, as it shows the customer you don’t care. All businesses must place customer satisfaction first and develop a system for handling customer complaints, in order for long term success.

It is a good idea to set up an in house complaints procedure that can be quickly implemented anytime a complaint is received, and the staff dealing with customers should be properly trained. Make sure that proper records are kept of all customer complaints and their final solutions. Also, with social media becoming increasingly important for unhappy customers to voice their dissatisfaction, it is a good idea to monitor your social channels regularly so you can intervene quickly. Here are some useful tips for dealing with unhappy customers.

Handling The Complaint In A Neutral Way

The first step is to take the complaint in a neutral way. When people complain they are often emotionally charged up, so it is important to let them voice their complaint without responding emotionally. You must remain calm at all times even if the customer becomes angry. You may have a had a similar complaint before, but to the customer it is unique to them, so pay attention to them and listen to their problem in full. Try to place yourself in their shoes and empathise rather than becoming defensive. If the customer is blaming a particular member of staff, get them away from the customer, because it will be easier for the customer to calm down if they aren’t present. Make sure the appropriate staff member handles the complaint because customers hate being passed around from person to person.

Giving An Apology

The next step is to apologise. Once the customer has aired their complaint, you must give them a sincere apology regardless of your opinion on the matter, with no excuses. Let them know you understand what has happened and ask them what outcome they are seeking. Try to keep them informed as you tackle the issue, so they don’t feel ignored. All complaints regardless of how small, should be dealt with quickly as possible so the customer feels that they are a priority.

Resolving The Problem

The final step is to resolve the problem, this can come in many forms ranging from refunds to compensation. After resolving the issue it is a good idea to contact the customer at a later date to see if they were happy with the outcome.

Sometimes it is not possible to avoid customer complaints, but it is possible to prevent a disgruntled customer from spreading negative comments about your business, by handling the complaint properly.

By taking care of complaints effectively you can improve your company reputation while at the same time retaining your customers. Customers will know that if anything goes wrong with their order, you will take care of it. This will make your business stand out as a customer friendly one, which may in turn lead to referrals from happy customers.

For a business, complaints can provide a great opportunity to learn more about your customer, and to use that information to improve their customer experience. You also have the chance to turn the complaining customer into a loyal customer. Dealing with customer complaints can be challenging, and there will be times that nothing can be done to satisfy an unhappy customer.

 

 

What Are The Allowable Business Expenses For The Self Employed?

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Every year the majority of self employed people in the UK are required to file a self assessment tax return. For those that do it online, the submission deadline is January the 31st each year and the 31st of October for those that file paper returns. Here is a look at the subject of business expenses and how they are included in annual returns.

What are allowable business expenses?

They are defined as costs that are incurred “wholly and exclusively” for the purposes of the business.

Who is entitled to claim them?

Any one who is registered as self employed with HMRC. Theses expenses can be written off against any income you earn in the tax year, thereby reducing the final amount of tax you pay.

What can you claim for?

Not all expenses are allowed, you can’t claim for personal expenses, and there are some business expenses that you can’t claim for. It is very important to separate business expenses from personal ones, and if there is something you use for both, you can only claim for the business use.

For example if you work from home you can claim for costs such as heating, electricity, council tax, mortgage interest, rent, internet & phone. However you have to calculate them, based on how much time you spend working at home and how much space you use when you are working. Then you have to figure out what proportion of your total house costs they account for.

Here are some of the business costs that you can claim as tax deductible expenses:

  • The cost of goods that you are going to sell or use in providing a service.

  • If you are in the construction industry, you can claim payments to subcontractors.

  • Staff costs such as wages, salaries and any other staff costs.

  • Travel cost including car, public transport, taxi’s and other travel expenses.

  • Premises costs such as rent, rates, power and insurance.

  • Office costs such as phone, fax, stationery and other office costs.

  • Advertising and business entertainment costs such as websites, social media.

  • Finance costs such as interest on bank and other business loans, bank and credit card charges.

  • Professional fees such as accounting, legal and other professional fees.

Here are some of the costs you cannot claim as tax deductible expenses:

  • The cost of goods or materials bought for private use.

  • Your own wages, drawings, pension payments, national insurance contributions.

  • The costs of buying, improving or altering premises.

  • Cost for entertaining clients, suppliers and customers.

  • Repayment of the loans or overdrafts, or other finance arrangements.

  • The costs of buying premises for your business.

  • Any payments to clubs, charities, political parties and so on.

How and when can you claim them?

When you complete your annual self assessment tax return, you are required inform the HMRC of your deductible expenses for the accounting period in question. This is when you make your claim.

If you are self employed, you have to keep records of your business income and expenses for your tax return, so throughout the tax year you should keep all your receipts. It can also be very helpful to record them as they occur in some form of bookkeeping / accounting software, or on a simple spreadsheet. This will save a lot of time and make your final calculations easier when it comes time to file your annual taxes.

If however you don’t want to work out your actual costs, you can use the simplified expenses table provided by the HMRC for that tax year. It has flat rates for expenses like like vehicles, working from home, or living on your business premises. Also you can check out the HMRC’s site for other tools and calculators to help with you self assessment submission.

 

 

How To Provide Your Salon’s Customers With Excellent Customer Service

Posted on by Nova Blogger

Customer service is the process of taking care of potential, new, and existing customers before during and after a transaction is made. The aim is to provide an experience that exceeds customer expectations and leads to a satisfied customer. When done properly, customer service is mutually beneficial, providing the customer with a service that meets their needs, and your salon with repeat business. Good customer service will mean an increase in customer loyalty which may result in your customers spending more money, more often with your salon. It is also important for your salons reputation, as a happy customer will spread a positive message about you to others.

Providing excellent customer service means becoming more focused on the customer as a human being rather than as a profit centre, your main aim should be to build good customer relationships. This means you need to understand their needs and wants, treat them respectfully and go out of your way to help them, so you can develop a strong rapport with your customers.

Here are a few tips to help your salon provide the best service to your customers:

Salon Design

To begin with, your salon’s design should be appealing and the services you offer should be relevant to your target markets needs. There should be a formal system in place to deal with all the stages of interaction with your customers, and all your staff must be familiar with it. Also, you must take care of your staff as they are the face of your business. They must be properly trained and given the necessary tools they need to perform their duties.

Staff

Staff should conduct themselves in a friendly but professional manner at all times. They should always be polite to the customers, greeting them with a warm friendly smile. Using first names and remembering facts about their life, such as their birthdays, vacations stories or kids name will make your clients feel special and important.

Keeping The Customer Updated

Customers should not be kept waiting at any time. If you feel you will be running late, give them a call so they can make any adjustments to their schedules, it will be appreciated. It is important to ask clients questions about the service you are about to perform, so as to make sure you are on the same page, for example when it comes to new hair styles or hair colouring.

You can use technology to help you provide a better service, for example sending out automatic texts or emails a few days before their appointment, to remind customers and give them a chance to reschedule if it is no longer appropriate. You can also use the internet to send them information about how to take care of their hair after their visit, and to set up an opt in newsletter that informs them of new trends in the industry, combined with a loyalty discount programme for frequent salon visits.

Handling Complaints

You should listen to customers opinions and suggestions for improving your salon and their experience. It is also important to have a process in place for handling complaints, which must be dealt with quickly so as to avoid any further grievances.

Ultimately as a salon you are in the business of serving customers, so by providing excellent customer service should be your main goal. Good customer service takes time and requires constant monitoring in order to keep the standards consistent. The success of your business depends on how your customers feel when they leave your salon, because it is the customer experience that separates your salon from your competitors.

A regular review of your customer service procedures is essential to maintain and improve existing standards. Remember it costs more to get a new client than to keep an existing one, so make customer service the focus of your salon business to keep clients coming back.

Starting a Beauty Salon? Here Are a Few Things to Consider

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Beauty salons tend to perform well throughout both good and bad economic times. This is because most of the services offered by salons cannot be done at home, also many people see a trip to the salon as an affordable treat. So demand tends to be fairly constant. Generally, salons and spas are quiet at the beginning of the week and booked solid coming up to the weekend.

Once you decide it is the right thing for you to do, then the next step is to spend time researching your industry and potential target market. Then put together a business plan that will guide you through the start-up phase. Start-up costs for a beauty salon can range a from between £50,000 to £200,000 depending on the kinds of treatments you intend to offer. It usually takes 6-9 months to get to full capacity and a further a year to reach break-even.

Premises, equipment and supplies

Choosing the right location for your salon is one of the most important decisions you have to make. Ideally you should choose a location that is easily accessible, safe, and with plenty of pedestrian and motor traffic as well as plenty off parking. It is best if there are other retail businesses in the area so you can benefit from their customer traffic. Premises usually range in size from 1,000 sq ft to 2,000 sq ft. The space can then be organised into a reception area, a treatment area, a storage area, and an area for staff.

Again the types of treatment will determine what equipment and supplies you need. However regardless of the treatments, you must try to get them at best price. Industry magazines and trade shows are a good place to source supplies and equipment and negotiate on price.

Licenses

This area that can often be overlooked, but it is one of the most important. The kinds of licenses required will depend on the treatments been offered, however there a some licenses that apply to all beauty salons. All beauty salons must get a license from their local council to operate as a beauty salon.

For treatments that involve lasers you must register with the care commission, and to play music in public you need a PPL (Phonographic Performance Limited ) licence. Other treatments that may need a licence include aromatherapy, massage, beauty treatments, chiropody, pedicure, reflexology, sauna, sun beds, and manicure. Also as some of the products used in beauty salons contain harmful substances, all salons must comply with the relevant health and safety laws

There are also planning permits that have to be applied for if any building work is to be done. It is best to contact your local authority early to find out what you need before starting any type of refurbishment work.

Treatments and charges

When deciding what treatments to offer, you must weigh the equipment and staff costs against the potential profitability of the treatment. There are however three broad types, skin and body-care, hair removal, and make-up.

It is important have an idea of the average income levels in the area you intend to open up, so you can set prices accordingly. If you are in an upscale area you can price your services higher as well as offer more varied and unique treatments. But if the area has a lower disposable income, it might be better to stick to the essential services at an affordable price.

Traditionally the most popular types of treatments are massages, manicures/pedicures, and waxing.

Staff

All staff must be properly trained , usually with a minimum of a level 2 or 3 NVQ . Some beauty salons prefer to recruit staff from beauty schools so as to ensure they are trained to the required standards. However others like to train the in house so they can learn to do the treatments the way the salon likes. If your salon does not have the qualified staff for each treatment, you might not get a license from the council to operate

The amount of staff you need will vary on the the size of the salon, and once a gain the types of treatments you intend to offer, however staff will be be your largest expense.

Summary

Beauty salons have become more than just a place for grooming, they are fast developing into modern day sanctuaries where people come to get pampered and let go of stress. It is important to have an atmosphere that is conducive to relaxation, coupled great customer service to match.

Because the clients experience is so important, you will need the right mix of attractive premises, high quality treatments, and trained staff to build a loyal client base.

Invention of Colour Applying Hair Straightening Irons

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At the University of Mexico and Los Alamos National Laboratories, they have recently been inventing a hair straightening iron that changes hair colour when applied. Researchers and inventors have found that small spiral patterns that they call ‘gratings’ engraved into individual hairs, will reflect the light in a way that will change hair colour permanently. Continue reading “Invention of Colour Applying Hair Straightening Irons”

Top 5 Summer Wedding hair styles for Long Hair

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The summer wedding season has begun! With the beautiful flowers, bright colours and sunny weather you could not really pick a better season. When planning a wedding, brides and grooms have hundreds of different things to think about, but for the bride one of the most important things will be how she is going to look on her big day. From an up-do with plaits, flowers and waves to a long, straight natural looking hair style, at summer weddings almost anything goes! Continue reading “Top 5 Summer Wedding hair styles for Long Hair”

Calls for UK Sunbed Salons to face Tougher Regulations

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Here in the UK we don’t get much sun, which is why the tanning industry is so lucrative. Every year, people spend thousands of pounds on tanning products and sunbeds in order to get a ‘healthy glow’, however recent reports have shown that overuse of sunbeds is having devastating effects on the UK public. Continue reading “Calls for UK Sunbed Salons to face Tougher Regulations”

Top Tips for Marketing Your Salon

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In the age of the internet we’re all about looking up things in advance, which means the importance of passing trade for businesses has faded away somewhat over the years. However, there are still some businesses which rely heavily on passing trade, and one of these is salons. While your salon may take appointments in advance or even have a website where customers can book online, passing trade and good marketing is still the backbone of running a successful salon.

However, marketing a salon well is often easier said than done, so here are some top tips to help you make sure you’re hitting the market right where you need to! Continue reading “Top Tips for Marketing Your Salon”

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