Many people that contact me are “romantically” attracted to our concept. They love the idea of a cute, fun and brightly colored place to take kids for a great haircut. Or I hear, “I love children, so I was really attracted to this." Now I am not saying that having an interest in our franchise concept because of your interest in working with kids is a bad thing. As a matter of fact, I would highly recommend that you invest your money, time and efforts into something that you feel passionate about. But our franchise, like most, is still a business, and will require a certain set of business skills to increase the probability of success. Whether you invest in a yogurt, burger, or salon business, it’s still going to come down to possessing certain business skills to succeed.  Here is our list of the top 3 skills needed to own and run a business:

1.  Communication Skills 
Your ability to communicate with others and “get the message across” about what your business is about to both employees and customers is critical. Everything in life begins with communication, and the ability that someone has to communicate is a big plus. Because time management and organizational skills can’t be taught in an operating manual, someone's ability to effectively execute a business plan becomes crucial. If a potential franchisee is unable to do this, then they may not be able to handle all the moving parts of running a business. Also, it's important to be flexible and adaptable. Rigidity has never worked in business! Now, of course I'm not saying to up and dump a system in favor of your own ideas. You have to follow the system. What I am talking about is the ability to handle a crisis when it arises, to shift gears and go a different direction on a moment’s notice, and to know when to be tough or to know when compassion is needed. Time management and organizational skills allows you to set a goal and reach it.

2.  Understanding the Need for Marketing 

Another great business skill to work at possessing a mastery over is in the area of marketing. Unfortunately, many new businesses fail because of a lack or understanding of effective marketing. Getting your name out in the community, building a loyal customer base and differentiating yourself from the competition can take a new business on average 3 to 5 years. Therefore whatever you anticipate spending on marketing you can pretty much double that amount. The busier your location becomes, the less you can spend on marketing. But getting that initial foot traffic can be costly. If you understand that this is a need and are willing to do the "work" - you should be successful.  A franchise system should provide lots of guidance in your marketing - they have seen it done numerous times and know what you get the most bang for your buck with.

In the initial stages of your business you must market to the masses. Once you have a client base you can save money by target marketing to your existing customers - or to new customers only.  You will have gathered customer information (i.e. email addresses, etc.) that will allow your to touch your client base more economically.

3.  Desire to Learn

Lastly, a desire to learn is also a really important mindset for a franchisee. Of course, everyone would like to learn about something - but great franchisees have the desire to learn. It’s not a chore; it’s something that brings satisfaction when the learned skill produces a favorable business outcome. Great business owners are made and not born, but having some of these basic skills are going to go a long way in determining your success or failure in a franchise!

Are you interested in learning how YOU can join the Shear Madness Haircuts for Kids family and run your own successful small business? We are one of the fastest growing kids hair salon franchise systems in the industry today! If you would like to learn more about small business marketing, great marketing strategies, resources for small businesses, how to grow your small business, or how to become a successful owner of your own kids hair salon franchise business, please click below or call 1-888-98 GONE MAD!

You hear people talk all the time about scalability, but what exactly does that mean? I would recommend that you find out exactly what that means as it relates to the Franchise you are thinking about buying! If you are not buying into a “scalable” system, then what you might be saying is that you're content with NOT growing your business. For example, have you ever watched the TV series Shark Tank? In this show, one of the first question they ask is, "What are your revenues?" Another good question that they ask is, "What were your revenues last year?" They ask this, because what they really want to find out is if the model growing, if it's creating more revenue than it did last year, and if it's scalable. Scalability, the ability to grow revenues and expand on an ever increasing workload, is one of the main characteristics of a franchise system. This is where the link can be found between the systems that the franchise has in place, and how those systems function under the ever increasing revenue that is produced. There are lots of ways to measure scalability for lots of different business models, but here are some of the most important when it comes to franchising;

• Is there a market for the service? Without demand for the product, how will you grow?
• Can you teach someone else to do it? Scalability relies on the fact that whatever you are doing can be taught to some else who can then teach it to others.
• Standardization: Can it be repeated successfully over and over, the same way, and continue to produce more and more revenue as it grows?
• Recurring revenue: I would venture to say that very few franchise models can survive without services or products that meet a need and require customers to come back again and again to get them.

It's a fact that running a business can be hard work and encompasses many challenges that most people have never encountered. But it's arguable that when you invest into a salon franchise system, you have a greater chance of success. Plus, most salon franchises (like Shear Madness Haircuts for Kids) do offer the advantage of a successful business history and scalability. However, as implementing a salon franchise system does take effort, you'll want to make sure all your questions are answered through doing a little research. Contact salon franchises, reach out to the franchisors, and compare business models!  You'll also want to take a look at the Franchise Disclosure document, the Franchise Agreement, and talk to current franchisees. Seek out a franchise business that currently has a long track record of success. Keep in mind that the franchise system itself may be younger than the actual concept itself.  Find out how long the franchisor has had a history with the concept itself.  Have they really figured it out before offering the franchise?

Shear Madness Franchising franchises Shear Madness Haircuts for Kids salons, and we have worked with our franchisees in growing their business and making sure they are on a path to success. Why? Because having someone who can offer expert advice on growth and scalability is one of the significant advantages of franchise ownership! And simply put, scalability as it relates to franchising allows you to consistently grow your revenue in the future, just like the Sharks on Shark Tank like it to!

Are you interested in learning how YOU can join the Shear Madness Haircuts for Kids family and run your own successful small business? We are one of the fastest growing kids hair salon franchise systems in the industry today! If you would like to learn more about small business marketing, great marketing strategies, resources for small businesses, how to grow a small business, or how to become a successful owner of your own kids hair salon franchise business, please click below or call 1-888-98 GONE MAD!

Collecting customer feedback is an important way to gauge whether the efforts you are putting into growing your small business are really meeting the needs and expectations of your customers. Following are some different ways that customer feedback might be gained, as well as some helpful tips and useful questions you might want to ask.

Direct Communication with a Customer: One way to collect great feedback from a customer is to speak with them directly either through a phone call, or face-to-face dialogue. However, be sensitive as to when might be the best time to talk with a customer about their experience. For example, at Shear Madness Haircuts for Kids, we will often call parents after hosting one of our birthday party experiences in order to hear their thoughts and suggestions in regards to the event. We'll also seek to communicate with customers directly who might have a complaint, as we want to assure them that their concern is not only heard - but extremely important in helping us become better!  

EMail: Do you email your customers?  If you have a newsletter or other email campaign you will get people who unsubscribe.  Use this as an opportunity to get feedback.  Your email system may allow you to customize your unsubscribe email response - use that to ask questions, or if you have phone information on that customer give them a call.  Never mention the unsubscribe in the phone call, you don't want to make them feel singled out.  But, if you are always calling customers for feedback anyway just include these people in the list of those to reach out to.  You may find that those who unsubscribe still love your business, they are just moving, or clearing out email as they get too much!  Or you may find that something has happened that you need to deal with as an owner.

Surveys: Utilizing a survey to collect customer feedback is a great way to reach out to a much larger base of customers than you might be able to do through direct communication. Some of the ways surveys might be done is through a short questionaire that a customer can fill out at your business and drop into a box, or through an online survey sent to your customer mailing list. Some of the advantages of utilizing surveys is that some of your customers might prefer giving feedback in this manner. However, it can also be a challenge to actually convince customers that filling out a survey is worth their time. As such, offering a small incentive for their help can be a great way to encourage this customer feedback.

Survey Questions: Following are some sample questions that a business owner might want to ask their customers. As with any customer interaction, make sure that you do everything you can to help them feel great about their experience with your business. Thank them for their time in talking with you or filling out the survey, and possibly offer them a coupon for their helpful assistance.

• What was your primary goal in visiting my business today?
• Did my business meet your objectives?
• What could my business have done differently in regards to your experience?
• Compared to similar services you may have received elsewhere, how does my business compare?

Responding to Feedback: Of course we all love when we receive positive feedback. But what about when we get negative feedback? As a business owner, it's inevitable that you'll receive negative feedback and criticisms leveraged against your business. And while it might be easy to become offended and disheartened by such feedback, consider looking at criticisms as a way to help make your business even better. Most customers just want to be heard!  So when you reach out to someone with negative feedback make sure and really LISTEN to what they have to say!  Thank them for sharing with you!  If they didn't share, you wouldn't know - many times your system may need some tweaking and this can be jump started by this negative feedback.  There will be some negative feedback that may be totally unjustified, but if you evaluate the entire situation there WILL be something there that you can learn from to make improvements in your system.  Whatever the case, be sure to treat customers who provide negative feedback with as much care as you would a positive customer. Assure those customers who are critical that their thoughts matter and that you want to do what you can (within your power) to help make it right. 

The Best Feedback is a Referral:  If you can track your referrals this is a very nice thing to do!  Kindly reward those who refer you.  Most refer you with no expectation of any kind of reward.  But if they get one - a thank you note, a phone call, or an email - they will love you even more!

Are you looking for a franchising opportunity with someone who has your back and works hard to encourage your success? If so, why not check out Shear Madness Haircuts for Kids Franchising? Not only do we love to have FUN, but we also love sharing our many great business tips, free business tools and resources for small businesses so that our franchisees will have the tools to succeed! If you're interested in learning how to become a successful owner of your own franchise business, please click below!

Ever heard the saying, slow and steady wins the race? It applies a lot to franchising. When I was a stockbroker, guys in the office were always coming up with a “hot” stock pick. Most of the hot stock picks my clients and I invested in never worked out. Sure, they may have gone like gangbusters for a while, but they usually flamed out after a while and plummeted back to earth - and took my money with them! Meanwhile, the older guys in my office were always buying Blue Chip stocks, which means that these were stocks with steady companies in steady industries that did well in any environment. This is why I think there's an interesting comparison here between franchising and buying stocks.

Because when you're out there researching franchises  - it's a good idea to start with the following question: What do people consider a necessity rather than a luxury? Or put another way, if the economy slows down or even goes into a recession, will my franchise business survive? One example of this is how haircuts are something that most people consider a necessity and not an option, and no matter what the economy is doing hair is always growing - and it always needs to be cut! Child care is another one. People will always have a strong desire to have a family. If people spend money on anything in good times or bad, they will ALWAYS spend money on their kids. We can probably all think of companies whose products have either gone out of style or are no longer relevant. The most recent example is Blockbuster entertainment. The video rental store has been replaced by Netflix and other on demand movie services. Another example is Borders. Borders book stores unfortunately didn't keep up with Amazon's on line book stores, and recently closed most of its locations as well.  Again, it's hard to imagine a time when hair care is no longer a need - no matter what happens with technology.

Additionally, be sure to take a little time to determine if the business model you are looking at makes money. Seek out a reliable franchise system that currently has a long track record of success. Keep in mind that the franchise system itself may be younger than the actual concept itself.  Find out how long the franchisor has had a history with the concept itself.  Have they really figured it out before offering the franchise? As we live in an ever changing and fast paced world, consumers demands change by the minute and are greatly influenced by technology! Look for businesses that are being done the same way today as yesterday, and will be done the same way tomorrow. Luckily haircuts (and hair care in general) is a pretty hard industry to imagine being completely taken over by technology!  This is why over the last decade more and more salon concepts have begun to franchise.

The bottom line is, just like those Blue Chip stocks, when it comes to franchising, those long established businesses that have stood the test of time are usually the best place to start looking for a business. That's why when it comes to searching out a reliable and successful franchise system, sometimes the steady concepts that do well in any environment are a more reliable investment over those that claim to be smoking hot!

Interested in learning more about how you can become an owner of your own exciting Shear Madness location? As one of the best kids salon franchise systems out there, we're also one of the fastest growing kids hair salons in the industry today! And we're always working hard to share our many great resources, small business marketing strategies and business tips so that our franchisees will have the tools to succeed! If you're interested in learning how to become a successful owner of your own childrens salon franchise business, please click below or call 1-888-98 GONE MAD!

 

Professionals who have spent numerous years working in the corporate world sometimes will find that they’re ready for a new challenge. After researching their options, many of these career shifters are choosing franchising. Why? Well, usually it boils down to people simply wanting to be their own boss, and being able to more capably utilize their unique skill-set to build wealth. They also realize that starting a business from the ground up is hard!  Investing in something that has most the kinks already worked out is a real advantage.  And even though running a franchise business offers many advantages over simply starting a business on your own, there’s still some unique challenges that potential franchisees might want to consider. Following is a list of some of those challenges an individual might want to think about before making the leap to owning their very own franchise business!

1. The Comfort of Corporate Structure: Many professionals who have worked in the corporate world are used to the structure the company provided. For the most part, they know when they are supposed to be at work in the morning, and when they’ll be heading home in the evening. They also know who their boss is, what’s expected of them, and who to talk to in order to appropriately delegate certain tasks. However, when an individual becomes the owner of their own franchise business, work schedules, decisions and responsibilities are pretty much up to them. Some might like this challenge, but for others it might be a little overwhelming. However, working within a proven franchise system helps significantly in this area, as the new franchise business owner won’t be going at it alone.

 2. Colleagues and Mentors: There’s a lot to be said for having colleagues and mentors who can relate to the challenges of work. And sometimes, a new business owner might feel like the support network they might have had in the corporate world just isn’t quite as strong now that they are out on their own. Because a business owner is responsible to the success of their business, it can be easy to feel insecure or get a little down-in-the-dumps when things may not go as well as hoped. But again, with franchising, fellow franchisees within the system are available to provide help and possible recommendations.  The franchisor also knows that this is very common with franchisees - most will walk the new owner through all of this with confidence built on years of experience.

3. Risk: Risk in business is always a factor, regardless if an individual works for themselves or for a company. However, the risk associated with running a business can be quite a bit different than the risks involved with working for someone else. For example, individuals who work for a company know who they have to keep happy in order to maintain a job. However, when one is working for themselves, risk can entail the failure of their business. Because of this, franchising can be a good way to lessen some of the risks associated with running your own business.

4. Working in Marketing: Some people might think that getting into running their own business means that they’ll spend a lot of time working on whatever product their business offers. However, the truth is that many small business owners spend a lot of time working on marketing the business itself. For the small business to succeed, customers will first need to discover what it is the business offers, where it is located, and value it enough to come back. Of course this requires having a great looking store with an outstanding product. But it also requires marketing what the business does in order to encourage customers to come in and purchase what is being offered. With a franchise business, often times graphics and marketing services (ads, e-blasts, social media support, etc.) will be provided, so the business owner will certainly have a big advantage over trying to do it ALL on their own. But they will still need to figure out the best ways to market to their immediate community.

5. Professional Reinvention: Switching from working in the corporate world to working for yourself will naturally involve some change. And as detailed above, there’s certainly some unique challenges involved with this change. However, owning a franchise business means that the franchisor will have a tried-and-true system in place, with many resources available to help educate and anticipate changes that might affect the future of your business. Sure, change is a part of life, but through franchising you can rest a little easier in knowing you won’t have to go through changes alone!

Here at Shear Madness Haircuts for Kids Franchising (a salon franchise for kids), we work hard to share our many great resources for small businesses, marketing strategies and business experiences so that our franchisees will have the tools to succeed! If you've ever asked yourself, "What is franchising?" or would like to know more about how to own a franchise, please click below!

We live in a world where technology is all around us, and your customers are increasingly online. That's why the effective use of technology in a small business can help you attract customers and effectively compete in the marketplace. Following are some of our suggestions on how a small business can utilize technology to help promote growth and success!

The use of a website: Having a well designed, easy-to-navigate website can help a customer learn more about your business. Be sure to use a website to share with customers what your business does, where it's located (with map), hours of operation, pricing (optional), and contact information (e-mail and phone). You may also want to use a website to run a blog related to what your business does, or share photos of what your store looks like. A website can also be useful in gathering information on customers, as forms - with a free coupon provided as incentive - can be utilized to collect customer data and help grow your business.  There are many options for a website.  Our advice is to get one that you will own!  If you use a service that keeps the rights to your site, changing could become difficult in the future and may require a complete rebuild of your site.

Selling Online: Interested in boosting profit margins for your business? If so, then why not consider developing a strategy for selling your products and services on the internet? In this day and age, not only can an online store be great for business - but many internet savy customers expect their favorite business to offer a convenient way for them to purchase items via website. And with sites like amazon and pinterest offering a relatively easy way to have an online store that can be linked to your website, there's really not much of a reason not to be selling online!

Social Media: When combined with a website, social media is a powerful tool that helps you stay connected with customers. For example, through the Shear Madness Haircuts for Kids Facebook page, we interact with customers who want to learn more about our services, or let us know how we're doing. We also will run a fun weekly contest, and let customers know about upcoming specials. Of course, we'll also share our website so that customers can find out more details if they're interested!

Go Mobile! Smart phones and tablets allow you to take your business on the road, and not miss out on a valuable opportunity to meet a customer need. Additionally, a smart phone or tablet allows you to stay connected to employees who are managing your store while you are away.

Security: Sometimes in order to save money, small business owners might want to use personal phones and computers to run their business. However, for organizational and security purposes, it might be a better option to have devices specifically dedicated for business usage. And don't forget to create passwords that are a combination of upper case letters, lower case letters, numbers and special characters.

Teleconferencing: Rather than spending a lot of time and money to travel to a meeting, sometimes teleconferencing can be a more affordable way to meet with clients. There's a variety of services available online, with some being free and others having a variety of low-cost payment options (such as control over moderation and recording). Take a look at what you'll need for an upcoming conference call, and research the options for what can deliver what you need for the best price.

Tech Support: As your business grows, sometimes you might need the help of a tech professional in updating software, developing a more complex website or figuring out how to host important files needed for the successful operation of your business. When looking for technical support, be sure that this person or company will not only be easily available - but patient and helpful whenever you have a need come up. Sometimes, a local tech provider, as opposed to a provider in another country, might be the best option.  If you are a small company you may want to look at using a domain provider that offers lots of support.  Sometimes a call to them can save you from having to hire a professional.

Are you interested in learning how YOU can join the Shear Madness Haircuts for Kids family and run your own successful small business? We are one of the fastest growing kids hair salon franchise systems in the industry today! If you would like to learn more about small business marketing, great marketing strategies, resources for small businesses, how to grow a small business, or how to become a successful owner of your own kids hair salon franchise business, please click below or call 1-888-98 GONE MAD!

Some of our readers may recall that the Shear Madness Haircuts for Kids Salon Franchise in Albuquerque was voted Best of the City in 2014 (which you can read about here). We are excited to say that they've done it again, and have been voted by readers as Albuquerque The Magazine's Best of the City for 2015! This is quite an honor to be sure, as over 100,000 votes were cast in order to spotlight those businesses, organizations, restaurants, and people that help make Albuquerque such a great place to live!

Listed under the "Best Kids' Haircut" Category, Shear Madness Haircuts for Kids is noted by the magazine as not being just another kids' salon, but as a unique place where "every child matters". The article goes on to explain how, "to help fend off boredom and apprehension many kids fear at the salon, Shear Madness Haircuts for Kids has mounted cars for styling chairs, televisions and Xbox games at every station to make the experience fun and special." Additionally, Shear Madness also has an award-winning YOUniquey Boutiquey where kids and parents can shop a fantastic selection of toys, jewelry, hair products, hair accessories and more. And to top it off, by mixing in ShEAR Dazzled Ear Piercing (a unique ear piercing experience), the La De Da Spa, themed parties, and a great styling staff - customers are sure to find something to bring a smile to their face! 

Michelle Vick, owner of the Shear Madness Haircuts for Kids in Albuquerque states that some of the reasons her store has been selected two years in a row for the Best of the City honor is because the store is a "unique, fun and happy place." She also notes that, "We really work at great customer service and creating an awesome experience for parents and children alike, and I'm proud of how hard my stylists work at building up personal relationships with their customers. I'm also really thankful for how loyal our customers are!"

Michelle also notes the important part that effective marketing plays in being recognized by parents and children as an outstanding kids salon. By generating positive brand awareness, the salon has seen steady growth since opening only two years ago. Additionally, Shear Madness Haircuts for Kids in Albuquerque has really perfected the art of not only giving a great haircut, but also hosting fabulous kids Birthday parties! For example, the spa party concept has been a real hit in Albuquerque. Girls are treated to wearing spa robes, getting mini manis, twisty updos, glittery makeup, and a glitter tattoo. They sing Karaoke and get to choose a headband from the YOUniquey boutiquey to take home!

Janon Otto, CEO of Shear Madness Franchising noted that, "Shear Madness in Albuquerque has always been so concerned with excellent customer service since day one!  We are so proud of this store, the stylists are excellent, the parties - the best, and now they are doing an excellent job with ear piercing as well!  We see this store continuing to build its clientele and remaining - The Best in Albuquerque!"

Interested in learning more about how you can become an owner of your own exciting Shear Madness location? As one of the best kids salon franchise systems out there, we're also one of the fastest growing kids hair salons in the industry today! And we're always working hard to share our many great resources, small business marketing strategies and business tips so that our franchisees will have the tools to succeed! If you're interested in learning how to become a successful owner of your own childrens salon franchise business, please click below or call 1-888-98 GONE MAD!

Running your own small business can be a difficult, yet extremely rewarding time in your life. Not only does it take being able to understand market demands, but it also means having a small business plan (a process and product in place) that will support the business, as well as provide an income for the owner. While many potential small business owners may have a great idea for a business, business growth and long-term success requires being able to be focused, disciplined and at times - an out-of-the-box thinker! Below are some of the essentials that can help your small business build success.

Branding: Because your brand is what's special and unique about your business, it's important to recognize the importance that the careful cultivation and maintenance of this brand might have for the sustainable growth of your small business. For example, if a customer doesn't feel they are getting a positive experience from the service your business provides, they'll simply go somewhere else in search of something better. Some of the ways you are able to build brand awareness is by knowing who your audience is, inspiring that target audience, and making sure to foster a positive emotional brand connection with the public. You'll also want to make sure your employees understand and are motivated by what your brand represents, as their enthusiasm (or lack thereof) may be passed onto a customer.

Great Marketing: Creative Marketing, when combined with a unique brand, can help your small business succeed! Once you've identified a particular service that your customer will respond to, you can get the word out through generating great marketing content. Newspaper ads, ads on social media, and running a blog or social media site can all be ways to help get the word out about whatever exciting product or service you have. You'll also want to be sure to create cool and creative marketing materials that reflect your brand identity, and are well designed so as to convey an image that your target audience will respond to.

Repeat Sales: Even with awesome marketing and a unique brand, your small business must be able to encourage your customers to eagerly return for whatever it is your business provides. This requires the careful design and identification of products and services that excite and motivate your customers to return to your business. For example, in the kid's hair salon business, Shear Madness Haircuts for Kids encourages repeat sales through providing haircuts, birthday parties, spa services, and the operation of a kid's boutique that always features exciting new products.

Utilizing Technology: Technology is not always easy to implement and maintain in our fast-paced world, but many small business owners often find themselves benefiting greatly through the utilization of technology to help manage their business. If a small business owner identifies a need, chances are there's a technological option that can help fulfill that need. As an example, Shear Madness Haircuts for Kids uses technology to stay in communication with their customers. They also use the internet to stay in contact and provide support to franchise owners who are located in many different parts of the United States.

A Mindset for Success: As stated at the introduction of this post, running and growing your small business can be an extremely difficult (or stressful) challenge. Because of this, sometimes business owners can get so busy trying to keep up with building the success of their business that they forget about their own needs, or even the needs of their family. However, if you're not maintaining your health or a happy state of mind, your business will surely suffer as a result. So be sure to invest the time to take care of you and your family through working hard when necessary, but also having plenty of time each day devoted to spending time de-stressing and enjoying life.

Are you interested in learning how YOU can join the Shear Madness Haircuts for Kids family and run your own successful small business? We are one of the fastest growing kids hair salon franchise systems in the industry today! If you would like to learn more about small business marketing, great marketing strategies, resources for small businesses, how to grow a small business, or how to become a successful owner of your own kids hair salon franchise business, please click below or call 1-888-98 GONE MAD!

In the world of business, it can sometimes be an innocent oversight for a manager or business owner to become so focused on finding ways to connect and meet the needs of their customers, that they forget to find ways to connect and meet the needs of their team.

Having creative ways to keep in touch with your staff not only helps make everyone feel needed and satisfied in their work (which in turn helps promote better job performance), but it also helps stimulate efficient and effective communication amongst your employees!  When employees feel needed and communication is great, job satisfaction, performance and employee loyalty (retaining employees) also improve!

Here's some helpful tips on finding ways to communicate creatively with your staff.

Frequent Meetings (but not too frequent!): Having a short meeting once a week can be a great way for a manager or business owner to connect with their staff. Be sure the meeting is relatively short in order to maintain good attention. Topics to cover in a weekly meeting may include goals for the week, recognition of goals met from a prior week, and inspiring tips or short videos to help motivate employees. Bringing in a healthy snack once a month may also help motivate and increase loyalty. Use these meetings to motivate the whole team - but be wary of singling anyone out in front of their peers as it may foster resentment and / or jealousy.

Utilize a Bulletin Board: A Bulletin Board may be a nice way for employees to post fun photos or area events that they may think their co-workers would enjoy. It can also be a good place for management to share upcoming events on a calendar, as well as important reminders. Other ideas might include postivie customer feedback, industry news, upcoming birthdays, work anniversaries, etc.

Create a Newsletter: Creating a monthly newsletter either through e-mail or website can be a great way to share fun tips and upcoming events that employees may want to know about. It's important to have some fun here as well, or else staff may not pay attention to it. Ideas include a "classifieds" section, an employee profile (with their favorite movies, books, etc), funny events that have happened in the office, recipes, birthdays, work anniversaries, photos of employees having fun, etc.

Be Approachable: Be mindful of how you interact and respond to employees. The tone of your voice and the posture or body language you use in interactions may communicate that of being unapproachable. Sometimes all it can take is one unpleasant encounter for an employee to not want to bring questions or concerns to a manager. Also, find ways to engage with your staff through taking the time to get to know them, and appreciate them through finding ways to thank them periodically for their work (a hand-written note, a verbal thank-you, or taking the team out for lunch for a special occassion).

Here at Shear Madness Haircuts for Kids Franchising (a salon franchise for kids), we work hard to share our many great resources for small businesses, marketing strategies and business experiences so that our franchisees will have the tools to succeed! If you're interested in learning more on how to franchise and become a successful owner of your own business, please click below!