Albuquerque Shear Madness voted Best of City 2017!

Posted by Matthew S on Tue, Jan 16, 2018 @ 12:01 PM

bestofcity17web.jpgSome of our readers may recall that the Shear Madness Haircuts for Kids Salon Franchise in Albuquerque was voted Best of the City in 2014, 2015 AND 2016. 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 2017! This is quite an honor to be sure, as numerous votes were cast in order to spotlight those businesses, organizations, restaurants, and people that help make Albuquerque such a great place to live!

Shear Madness Haircuts for Kids in Albuquerque is noted as not being just another kids' salon, but as a unique place where mounted cars for styling chairs, televisions and Xbox games at every station help make the haircutting 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, kids 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! 

Kimberly Abeyta, owner of the Shear Madness Haircuts for Kids in Albuquerque says that, "We are grateful for being voted 'Best of the City Children’s Salon' 4 years in a row! Thank You Albuquerque for making Every Child Matter!" Kimberly also notes how hard the Shear Madness team works to bring smiles to their customer's faces each and every day by building up personal relationships and striving to create a special memory and fun atmosphere for kids and parents alike. 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!"

Shear Madness Franchising franchises Shear Madness Haircuts for Kids salons. We have worked with franchise stores in providing franchisee support (in order to encourage continual growth and business success), and have sometimes seen the unexpected happen! When it does, we help by identifying and helping with challenges that might arise for franchisees. Additionally, we work to present options that can help prevent these events as well. As many franchise owners may not have opened a business before, having someone who can advise them is a significant advantage of franchise ownership!

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 salons in the industry today! If you would like to learn more about this franchise opportunity or small business marketing, great marketing strategies, resources for small businesses, franchise success, 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

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Exploring a Children's Salon Franchise 

Topics: kids salons, Shear Madness Haircuts for kids, how to franchise, growing a small business, business growth, franchising, customer appreciation, Best of the City, Albuquerque, Albuquerque, Best of the City, haircare franchise, every child matters, kids hair salon, franchise success, fun for kids, parties for kids, haircuts for kids, business ownership, customer service, best kids hair salon

What do Parents think of Our Kids Salon Franchise?

Posted by Matthew S on Fri, Jan 13, 2017 @ 14:01 PM

10parents.jpg

Here at Shear Madness Haircuts for Kids, we're truly a place "Where Every Child Matters". From our awesome great kids haircuts, to cool parties, ear piercing, kids retail, jewelry and so much more, we're always having fun figuring out new ways to bring a smile to the parents and kids who visit one of our locations throughout the United States. In this past year alone, we've had thousands of kids walk through our doors into a magical world where they (and their parents) know they'll be treated like a star! This is why we thought it would be great to share the following reviews that parents have sent our way after visiting!

Just took 3 of my kiddos there today. My son got to play the xbox (he’s 10) while my girls got to watch a movie. I think they were nice, accommodating and the girls’ hair turned out super cute! - Michele

Alicia is awesome and so patient with my son who has special needs and getting a haircut is not an easy thing for him. I have no idea how she stays so calm and gets a great cut on his hair. I don't know what we would do without her. - Sonja

My son is almost 2 and this was his 3rd experience getting his haircut (we decided to try somewhere new this time). He isn't very cooperative, and in fact hates getting his haircut!! Your stylist was awesome with getting the job done!! I wish I asked for her name, but it was quite chaotic and I forgot to ask in the midst of everything. We will definitely be back, and I was super happy with the cut, how professional she was, and how she got the job done with patience!! Thank you! - Jenn

I just wanted to take the time to say thank you and tell you about the incredible experience we had at your salon! My 2.5 year old son is pretty resilient to haircuts and usually puts up quite a struggle.   Our hairdresser, Stephanie, was so patient with him and did everything to make him feel comfortable .  My son ended up sitting on my husband's lap while Stephanie cut his hair.  He loved watching cartoons and was so well-behaved as she gave him an amazing haircut! I cannot thank you enough for this great experience!  I have already told my friends and we will definitely be back! - Amy

I brought my son for his very first haircut today at your Amherst, NY location. The stylist did such a great job! She was quick and accurate! I will never take my children to another salon. Thanks for such a great experience! - Heather

I'd just like to say my sons hair looks amazing & you guys did an amazing job! Definitely recommending you guys to everybody I know. Thank you! - Meagin

I just wanted to let you know what a wonderful experience we had at Shear Madness this past Sunday.  My son is 18 months old and this was his 4th haircut.  His last few were not very good and to be honest we were always a bit unhappy with the cleanliness of the kids' salons we had visited. When I walked in, I was so happy to see a clean, welcoming salon where I was comfortable letting my son run around and explore.  Our stylist Laura was wonderful with my son and listened to exactly what I wanted.  In addition, the cutting area was clean and my son LOVED the car! We are so happy to have found a place for him to get his hair cut. Thank you SO much! -Stephanie 

Love! Love! Love! This place!!! Took both girls here and they did an awesome job on their hair!!!!! This is the only place I will return to get their hair cut at!!! I had bad experiences at other hair cutting places for these children. - Diana

Brought my daughter and son this weekend to get their hair cuts. It’s an amazing place and great people! My son who usually freaks out about getting his hair cut was excited to pick out his car to sit in and let them cut his hair! Thank you for a great experience! We will be back!!! - Crystal

Awesome place! Took my 3yr old grandson to get his hair cut there, and he watched Spongebob on the little flatscreen by his airplane. He had a blast - it was so much fun just seeing him so excited!! - Lisa

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!

Exploring a Children's Salon Franchise

Topics: kids salons, Shear Madness Haircuts for kids, kids haircuts, where every child matters, kids hair salon

5 tips to Encourage Healthy Lifestyles in Children

Posted by Matthew S on Tue, Nov 15, 2016 @ 15:11 PM

healthykids.jpgAt Shear Madness Haircuts for Kids, delivering a great experience for kids is our specialty. Whether it's helping them (and their parents) feel great by getting a fantastic haircut, hosting an awesome party, or providing the very best in hair products, hair related accessories, toys and more, we love being able to share a little happiness with the world through what we do best! Because to us, EVERY child matters!

Kids today have a lot of options available to them in regards to food choices, clothing, entertainment, toys, indoor and outdoor activities and much more. Sometimes it seems like it can be a tough job as a new parent trying to wade through all the noise and figure out what's best for your special little girl or guy. As Shear Madness Haircuts for Kids loves working with kids, and because we're parents too, we thought we'd share some of our thoughts on helping encourage healthy lifestyles in your children.

1. Eating Right is Important! Help your kids start the day out with a healthy breakfast for both mental and physical benefits. Each meal is important of course, but breakfast can sometimes be one of those overlooked meals where kids feel rushed in eating it (in order to get to wherever they need to go for the day). It's important to encourage children to slow down while eating, chewing each bite properly. Also, sometimes kids may eat something that isn't so healthy in order to be on their way more quickly too (like a piece of pizza from the previous night, a candy bar, or a can of pop - yikes!). Plus, breakfast can be a great time to talk with your kids and help them get in a good frame of mind for the day ahead.

2. Taking Care of Your Body: In addition to eating right, helping kids know how to properly care for themselves is a great skill that prepares them for a healthy lifestyle as an adult. For example, establishing a habit of brushing teeth in the morning and evening before bed, drinking plenty of water each day, getting plenty of sleep, keeping their environment clean and proper hand and face washing are all important considerations in helping kids build a good foundation of caring for their body. 

3. Exercise, Exercise, Exercise! The benefits of good exercise can never be underestimated for people of all ages in our world today. Biking, walking and running are all good ways for kids to get out and exercise. Don't let the idea of exercise be a boring one either! For example, bike rides, running and walks can be to a different destination every day. You can also play little games as you exercise too, such as trying to spot certain birds as you're out, or counting certain colors of cars. And best of all, a lot of these can be done with your kids. Not only are you both getting exercise, but you're also getting in some great family time too! 

4. Entertainment: With the prevelance of electronic toys, phones, portable games and a huge range of entertainment options through televesion, sometimes kids start thinking that the only way to be entertained is via staring at a screen. However, encourage your kids to get outside and have fun taking walks, building forts, playing with toys outside, making crafts, reading a book, playing a board game, writing a story, drawing a picture or helping mom or dad out with an important task around the house. Sure, it's fine to play with the electronic toys a little each day, but too much may keep kids (and you) from missing out on a lot of other fun experiences!

5. Taking Care of Your Appearance: This one is a fun one, as it's a way for kids to really look and feel great about themselves. Help them learn how to properly comb their hair or pick out an outfit to wear for the day. As they get older, they'll be able to do this on their own - although hopefully they'll still seek you out sometimes for those important questions! But in those younger years, it's a great way to spend a little one-on-one time with your child, and help them see you as a source of encouragement and trustworthy council on helping them feel good before they start their day. And don't forget - at Shear Madness Haircuts for Kids, we offer many great ways to help kids look and feel great about themselves too! We not only have cool haircuts and fantastic hair stylists that encourage and build kids up, but we have a carefully hand-picked selection of hairbows, jewelry, hair products, educational toys and much more designed to help kids feel great!

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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!

Shear Madness Brochure

Topics: franchise, kids salons, Shear Madness Haircuts for kids, kids haircuts, kids, helping kids, every child matters, healthy lifestyle

Shear Madness Haircuts for Kids Signs Development Agreement for Southern California

Posted by Matthew S on Thu, Jun 9, 2016 @ 11:06 AM

SouthCaOpening.jpgFirst Opening Expected in Orange County this Fall. Shear Madness Franchising, LLC of Overland Park, Kansas announced the signing of an Area Development Agreement covering 5 counties in Southern California. The agreement allows for multiple locations to be developed over a number of years. Doctor Andrew Elmasri of Lake Forest, California, a managing partner of California Children’s Salons, LLC and President of CA Anesthesia of Laguna Niguel California signed the agreement with Shear Madness Franchising in early May. The agreement calls for California Children’s Salons to open and develop multiple locations over an extended period of time. “We have a growing demographic of young families in Southern California, and we are excited to bring the unique concept Shear Madness Haircuts for Kids offers to this area,” commented Elmasri. “After visiting with management in Kansas City earlier this year, we feel like the opportunities for positive expansion is a great fit for our area.”

WelcomeElmasri.jpgJanon Otto, CEO for Shear Madness Franchising, also sees many opportunities in the California market. “With California’s large population base and impressive demographics, this is certainly a market that we’ve been interested in,” commented Otto. “Additionally, as we recently opened in New York State in December of last year, it gives us a presence on both the East and West coast – as well as allowing us to continue our goal of providing a fun and memorable haircutting experience for children across the nation.” Paula Thurman, a partner in the Franchising Company and COO commented, “We’ve always felt like the kid-friendly atmosphere of our stores would do well in California, it just came down to finding the right partner. Dr. Elmasri and his team share the same values and principles that we do, and we’re excited to have California Children’s Salons expanding the Shear Madness Brand in California.”

Shear Madness Franchising LLC, was founded in 2010 to expand the Shear Madness Haircuts for Kids concept that was originally opened by Paula Thurman in 1997. Combining the magic of childhood with kids haircuts, parties, salon services and a fantastic kids boutique filled with toys, hair products, jewelry and more, Shear Madness currently has franchise locations open in Kansas, Missouri, Texas, Iowa, New York and New Mexico. For additional information contact Jim Otto, Director of Franchise and Corporate Development, jim@shearmadnessfranchising.com.

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, business tips, 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!

Exploring a Children's Salon Franchise 

Topics: kids salons, buying a franchise, Shear Madness Haircuts for kids, kids haircuts, franchise growth, Area Development Agreement, Southern California

Growing Your Small Business

Posted by Matthew S on Fri, Sep 18, 2015 @ 10:09 AM

businesssuccessRunning 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!

Exploring a Children's Salon Franchise

Topics: salon franchise, kids salons, franchise buyers, Small Business Franchise Information, how to franchise, small business how-tos, growing a small business, nourishing success, franchisee support

September Newsletter: Make a Special Memory!

Posted by Matthew S on Tue, Sep 1, 2015 @ 12:09 PM

school pictures

Back to School Haircuts! Look your best for school pictures this month by stopping by Shear Madness for a refresher! We have great stylists who can help you achieve that cool hair style you're looking for. And don't forget, we also have a TON of cool hairbows to match any outfit, hair products, great items for party gifts and much more. So make an appointment today to get ready to look and feel your best!

babysfirst

Make a Special Memory with our Baby's First Special! Because your baby's first haircut is a special occassion, right now you can buy a Baby's First Package and get one FREE photo certificate for the grandparents  (Please note: photo certificate is a 1/2 sheet grandparents Baby's First Photo Certificate, regularly priced at $5). Make sure to call for an appointment, as these take twice as long as a regular haircut. Note: Available all month long at participating locations.

locksoflovelogoLocks of Love Annual Event! Locks of Love is a public non-profit organization that provides hairpieces to financially disadvantaged children under age 21 suffering from long-term medical hair loss from any diagnosis. The Annual Locks of Love event at Shear Madness is scheduled for Sunday evening, September 27th (at participating locations). Participants will not only get a FREE Haircut, but also receive a keepsake Locks of Love Certificate featuring a before and after photo! Be sure to check out the Locks of Love website and the Shear Madness website for more information about this cool way to help others. At participating locations - call for details as they may vary per location.

The Shear Madness Summer Conference!

franchising

Did you know that Shear Madness Haircuts for Kids recently held an awesome summer conference at the historic Elms Resort and Spa? Check out our story here for photos, info about our guest speakers, the vendor show, franchise winners and more! And don't forget, if you are someone who would like to learn more about the many awesome business opportunities available with Shear Madness Franchising, be sure to check out Franchise Opportunities to get started. And if you're interested in our other free resources for businesses, or would like to learn more about how to become a successful owner of your own franchise business, check out our blog or call 1-888-98 GONE MAD!

Great Savings & Madtastic FUN!

socialmediaShear Madness Social Media! We're having a LOT of fun on our social media sites! That's because we're always sharing the good times with funny jokes for kids, a chance to win on our FREE Haircut Friday, great photos and so much more! And best of all, the party is happening right now on our Facebook page, Franchise Blog, InstagramGoogle+  and Twitter! And don't miss out on some of our favorite Shear Madness pins this month on Pinterest! 

coupons

September Savings! With school having started, we understand how all the new clothing, shoes, and school supplies can add up pretty fast! So that's why we've put together some great coupons to help you save a little bit when you're looking for ways to help your kids look and feel great. Be sure to head over to our coupon page for these awesome savings!

Fun Summer Crafts for Kids!

septcraftFun kids crafts! Kids love being creative and making things with their hands. So don't miss our Crafts for Kids section on Pinterest, and spend an hour or two of fun quality time with the ones you love! Learn how to make a balloon ping pong game, or try your hand at crafting a kid-made terrarium. Also, check out race cars made out of toilet paper tubes, crazy pet rocks, edible finger paints, and cool paper sculptures!  

We're having a great day at Shear Madness, you have one too!

Exploring a Children's Salon Franchise

Topics: kids salons, franchise opportunity, newsletter, kids haircuts, baby's first haircut, kids hair blog, kids crafts, coupons, summer conference

Helping Kids with Social Skills in the Digital Age!

Posted by Matthew S on Tue, May 26, 2015 @ 10:05 AM

Kids-Social-SkillsIn the digital age, kids might be very tech-savvy when it comes to playing the latest game or using social media, but then suffer from a little social awkwardness when it comes to talking to their peers. From kids (and adults too!) who stare at their phones during a meal, to children who would rather text than talk to someone who might even be in the same room, it sometimes might seem as if people are forgetting the importance of having positive real-life interactions with others. And while it's certainly very worthwhile that kids know how to use technnology for creative expression and the accomplishing of important tasks, it's also of great importance to make sure kids succeed in life through developing great social skills!

At Shear Madness Haircuts for Kids, we understand how important it is for kids to have fun and learn - but also be encouraged and motivated to succeed in life. Following are some tips that might be useful in modeling and helping kids with social skills!

Do as I say, not as I do? Parents can sometimes be overly critical of children, but then neglect to observe how their own behavior may be questionable as well! Kids who live in the same household as an adult will observe how adults behave and act, and will often times imitate this behavior - whether a parent likes it or not. If adults are spending a lot of time looking at social media (on the phone or computer), watching TV, and playing games, kids are going to want to do this too. If at all possible, it's best just wait to do these activities when the kids go to bed. And let's face it, who wants their kids to grow up and tell their own kids that their parents spent a lot of time on social media instead of being out making memories and having fun?

Spending Time Together: Kids learn how to communicate with other people through personal interactions. For example, meal time is a great occassion to teach children how to properly engage with others through observing body language and carrying on a conversation through listening, asking questions, making eye contact and more. Another great opportunity is reading a chapter from a favorite book each evening, and having a conversation about what the characters experienced, thought about, and the child's own thoughts and feelings about it. Of course, even playing a game or watching a television show together can be useful for interacting with kids as long as parents find moments to pause and talk about it during or afterwards. 

Speak Up! In social situations where kids may be present with other adults, a parent can sometimes want to say too much for their kids. For example, at family gatherings when another adult asks a child a question about what they've been learning at school - parents can sometimes want to answer for them if the child looks uncertain about how to respond. However, if a child is shy or has trouble talking to adults, a parent can help train their child on how to talk in these situations by setting up imaginative scenarios where the parents pretends they are someone who asks a certain question - and then coaches the child on how they might best respond in the future. These pretend scenarios might include how to greet someone, shake hands, starting and ending a phone call, starting and ending a conversation, and more. Have fun!

As Shear Madness Haircuts for Kids is one of the fastest growing kids hair salons in the industry today, we're always working hard to share our many great resources on marketing strategies, business growth, small business marketing and other great business tips so that our franchisees will have the tools to succeed! If you are interested in our other free resources for businesses, or would like to learn more about how to become a successful owner of your own franchise business, please click below or call 1-888-98 GONE MAD!

Exploring a Children's Salon Franchise

 

Topics: kids salon franchise, kids salons, Shear Madness Haircuts for kids, children, kids, social skills, helping kids

Creating Awesome Marketing Content!

Posted by Matthew S on Thu, May 14, 2015 @ 15:05 PM

CreatingIn our earlier posts on Marketing a Children's Hair Salon and Increasing Job Satisfaction, we explored some of the ways that you can use creative marketing to help your business thrive. Now, we'd like to share some of our tips on cultivating happy customers by designing awesome marketing content for your business.

Chances are, if you've been in business for very long, or have worked for an employer for any length of time, you're probably pretty familiar with what marketing content is. But for those who might be a little new to the subject, it's really pretty simple. It's everything you would find useful in the promotion of your business - from e-blasts, e-newsletters (and traditional paper newsletters) to brochures, flyers, stickers, t-shirt designs, business cards and more.

To design interesting content we have found the following to be very helpful:

Beware of clip-art! Nothing screams unprofessional like a standard piece of clip-art. If you really want your flyer or brochure to shine, try downloading a professional illustration or photo from a stock photography site. You might have to pay a little for it, but it'll look much better than a piece of clip-art.

Beware of using multiple colors, or large blocks of color! Sometimes in the hopes of making something look eye-catching, the use of multiple clashing colors will be used excessively - or a marketing piece will have a solid color background with a more vibrant color used for the text. This can not only make your piece difficult to read, but can quickly drain the ink in your printer! Instead, try to use white backgrounds with black text. Keep colorful elements to a minimum, unless it's a photo or nice piece of artwork that pertains to your message. 

Beware of using specialty fonts! Sometimes in an attempt to make a flyer look "fun", the use of crazy fonts will be used in excess. Perhaps you've even seen some flyers out there that have large blocks of text in hard-to-read swirling fonts. Fun fonts should only be used rarely, with important information placed in easy-to-read fonts like "Times", "Optima" or "Helvetica".  Also be sure to keep in mind that if your content is for the internet or email, fonts should be compressed into your design by using a jpeg (if possible). Otherwise, the font might be automatically changed to a basic font, and your entire design is ruined.

Don't use too much artwork! Sometimes a marketing piece can have so much artwork on it that any text information gets lost. Try to keep art elements small or use white space around text to draw attention to it.

Working with Photos: Photos are a powerful tool to help a customer connect with whatever service you might be offering. For example, if it's a toy store, photos of kids shopping with parents for cool toys can be a way to show your customer that this is an experience they might have if they shop at your store. However, be sure to use up-to-date photos that clearly target the customers you are wanting to reach. If your business caters to teenagers, and you use photos of retired people, you might not get the results you're looking for! 

Working with Designers: Sometimes you may want to hire a professional graphic designer to create a piece for you. If this is the case, be sure you have a good idea about what you want. Send the designer pictures of similar pieces that you like so they have an idea what you might be thinking. The more information you provide a graphic designer, the more likely your piece will turn out the way you want. Also, don't be afraid to let the graphic designer suggest a more effective way to present the information. They have not only been trained on how to communicate through visuals, but usually are very experienced on what works and what doesn't. Use their expertise and talent to help you create something great!

In all fairness, even with the above tips - it can still be pretty tough to develop materials that look appealing and cause your customers to be excited about your brand. Not everyone has this particular skill-set. You also might not have the right equipment or computer software to develop your materials. This is why at Shear Madness Haircuts for Kids (a hair salon franchise for kids), we employ a graphic artist and social media manager. We develop great looking marketing materials for our corporate office, as well as each of our franchises. This not only helps our brand look professional, but it also helps our franchisees effectively market their business and encourage customer growth!

As Shear Madness Haircuts for Kids is one of the fastest growing kids hair salons in the industry today, we're always working hard to share our many great resources on marketing strategies, business growth, small business marketing and other great business tips so that our franchisees will have the tools to succeed! If you are interested in our other free resources for businesses, or would like to learn more about how to become a successful owner of your own franchise business, please click below or call 1-888-98 GONE MAD!

Exploring a Children's Salon Franchise

Topics: kids salons, Business Tips, Free Resources for Businesses, small business how-tos, marketing strategies, creativity, business growth

Marketing a Children's Hair Salon!

Posted by Matthew S on Tue, May 5, 2015 @ 12:05 PM

MarketingIn the exciting world of Children's Hair Salons, building brand awareness can be an exciting challenge and another way to run a smarter business. Not only is it important to use clever eye-catching marketing techniques in the community (such as what we discussed in our article Gorilla Marketing Strategies and Erin Nanke's Marketing in Des Moines), but it's also important to engage your customers through having an online presence by developing - and maintaining - a website and social media content.

For example, the Shear Madness Haircuts for Kids website ranks near the top for childrens salons, the salon business and kids spa locations. We consistently receive between 35,000 to 60,000 visitors per month. Our Facebook site currently has over 30,000 "Likes", and has been a great way to interact with our customers through fun contests, receiving positive feedback, and listening / responding to customer concerns. Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest and Google+ have also been great ways to reach out to our customers by providing fun content for them to access each day. We do this through the careful understanding that although simply having an online presence has certainly been important for our business, utilizing the internet to reinforce the FUN that Shear Madness represents has been a vital ingredient for success!

Great design also configures into this equation too - especially given the short-attention span that people have in the age of the internet. While it's true you can't always judge a book by it's cover, people will quickly pass a business by if the business looks unprofessional, uninteresting, or just plain boring - especially in the children's market! Without nicely designed ads, signs, posters, web banners, meme graphics and more that clearly communicate your brand, customers will unfortunately find their interest drawn by other businesses who do. So be sure to take time to invest in great graphic design that communicates what you do, applies a consistent message (so your audience will visually recognize who you are), and provides a way for your customers to feel the FUN when they see your materials!

So while marketing and design can be a lot of fun, and generate a lot of excitement for your brand, it sometimes doesn't come cheap. Nor is it something that takes only a couple hours here and there in order to be successful. However, here at Shear Madness Haircuts for Kids, we understand how important it is! Because of this, we work hard in providing many great resources and materials to help our franchise owners succeed in the marketing and development of their business. For example, we have numerous photographs and art assets easily available to our franchisees through dropbox for the creation of flyers, e-mails and more. We also provide graphic design and marketing services for franchisees who may need a little more in-depth assistance with newspaper ads, signs, or marketing through social media avenues. Whatever the case may be, you can bet that by being partnered with our great team - you'll not only have a friend in the business, but a true advantage as well!

Interested in learning more about one of the best kids salon franchise systems out there? As one of the fastest growing kids hair salons in the industry today, we're working hard to share our many great resources and business experiences 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!

Exploring a Children's Salon Franchise

Topics: franchise, kids salon franchise, kids salons, franchise opportunity, the salon business, Small Business Franchise Information, Business Tips, Free Resources for Businesses, growing a small business, marketing strategies

Kids Hairstyles: Mousse Vs Gel?

Posted by Matthew S on Thu, Apr 16, 2015 @ 11:04 AM

gelmousse
Mousse or Gel? Our kids hair products are pH-balanced just for children, so baby hair mousse really is for babies, and hair Spiker really can fix a toddler’s Faux Hawk - all without finding the two of you in tears! Nevertheless, there are products that promote promising effects, but can unfortunately leave users wanting more. As an example, Mousse is an expanding product by definition, which can sometimes damage a child's hair. And while Shear Madness does carry an all-natural foaming mousse that is ideal for course curls and has a fantastic fruity frangrance - we've found that bounce creme works with all hair types, so we recommend it above all others! Meanwhile, gels are too difficult to properly proportion when hair is fine or thin (or both), and tend to leave locks laden with layers of lackluster goop!

hair2For this reason, we urge against hair gels or mousses for your little ones. Even our educated child cosmetologists can sometimes get crumby results when creating curl concoctions with chalky gels and goopy mousses. Which is just one more reason to bump up your bounciness with our curl boost cream! Sure, the Eighties were great, and perms were perfectly punk – but in this century, kids’ hairstyles are darling (and daring) enough without that dusting of white residue or wet-looking ringlets.

Whether you are naturally wavy or bottled to bounce, tousles all across time have asked the same tress question: Which is best for curly hair? Bouncy Créme! As a children's hair salon, we have put the testimonials of tons of tremendous hair products to the test and one result reigned supreme:

bouncy creme

Our Bouncy Créme!

This light cream instantly rejuvenates curly, wavy or textured hair by separating and defining--everything you want and need in a curl-whirling product--while leaving hair full of shine without the flaking and stiffness! The easy-to-pump bottle dispenses a silky smooth serum to be worked through clean, damp hair.

The different looks of styling cream hairstyles

When added to wet hair, a cream conditions and strengthens hair by adding an extra layer of protection from the elements. However, this kid-friendly, mother-approved hair-tonic defines curls and controls frizz. It is great for blow drying for volume, but has been used most by scrunching for definition.

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Why use styling cream?

Like all our favorite products, there are natural ingredients making them just right for your little one - and the Bouncy Créme is no exception. This texture energizer contains emollients to soften hair, retain moisture, prevent frizz and flyaways, all while providing a smooth feel and adding shine. There is also a "Bounce-Back" polymer that protects the hair against thermal damage, as well as conditions and defrizzes curls. Possibly the most recognizable are its humectants that moisturize hair without weighing it down, all while controlling frizz for smooth curls. These special ingredients replenish moisture for body and luster! To complete your look, after scrunching this product through the hair, simply spritz your loved one with Vanilla Freeze Hairspray for a finished look and Voila! Your MADtastic ‘DO is MADsmermizing!

Here at Shear Madness Haircuts for Kids Franchising, we work hard to share our many great resources and business experiences 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 kids salon franchise business, please click below!

Exploring a Children's Salon Franchise

Topics: kids salon franchise, salon franchise, kids salons, Shear Madness Haircuts for kids, kids boutique, kids hairstyles, kids hair products, hairstyle, kids hair blog, styling cream