Better Business - June 2013

Rockin’ the Suburbs

In three locations already, including the award-winning salon on Newbury Street in Boston, James Joseph Salon has opened in Plymouth, MA, expanding its expertise in the suburbs. “Picking suburban locations like Medford and Plymouth reaches the clientele that wants the ‘city’ haircut without having to commute the distance,” says Mike Barsamian, James Joseph Salon founder and CEO. Guests are welcomed into a space decorated like a classic Beantown brownstone with red brick finishes, warehouse loft ceilings and a polished cement floor with ample space for skilled stylists to cut, color and design. The entire team undergoes a two-year training program before working with clients and the new salon is staffed with eight company veterans to continue the tradition of excellence. To meet the high demand for chic styles, the salon keeps Oribe Hair Care, Moroccanoil, Sojourn and Bumble and bumble in stock alongside their new inhouse product line. —J.B.

 


Signature Service

At Ease

Vito Mazza Salon & Spa’s new aromatherapy massage aims to relax guests into a state of vacation bliss in just 75 minutes, no airports or hotels required. The Tahitian Getaway Massage features Kanshi products—a body care line from Repêchage CEO Lydia Sarfati—that revitalize the body, hands and feet with West African inspired ingredients including mango juice, palm oil and shea butter. First a drizzle of warmed Kanshi Naturally Healing Massage Oil is rubbed into the back to soothe muscles and Moisturizing Body Lotion helps melt away stress. Next, heated, scented herbal packs placed on the back relieve muscle tension and enhance the tranquil experience. The Salted Coconut Body Scrub exfoliates the feet and a mint foot spray intended to improve circulation brings the treatment to a calming close. —J.B.


Tech Support

Blog Log

Blogging is one of the best methods to showcase your business’s expertise, grab online attention and engage your customers. To make sure you’re on the right path, here are some blogging tips.

  1. Give it a name. Creating a title for a blog seems like an obvious step, but many never think this part through. It should represent your tone and your business’s personality, as well as make your blog memorable.
  2. A lot’s in a headline. Headlines are important because most people skim rather than read. A Putnam 2011 survey revealed that eight in 10 people just scan headlines and only two in 10 read an entire post.
  3. Unfinished business. You can’t create a blog and expect readers to flock to it. Building an audience takes time. The more frequently you post, the more readers will return, and the traffic will boost your Internet search ranking.
  4. Find a frequency. On that note, update your blog at least once a week. According to Hubspot’s 2012 State of Inbound Marketing, 92 percent of bloggers who post multiple times a day acquired a customer through their blog versus 66 percent who blog weekly and 43 percent who post less than monthly.
  5. Be real. You’ve started your business and you know what you’re doing, but you have to prove this on your blog. Describe your services, express how you’ve overcome challenges, tell your favorite success stories and reward readers with exclusive information.
  6. Brevity is the soul of sales. Try to keep things short and give customers just enough to want more. Show some personality and humor even if you mainly use your blog to display your talents.
  7. Talk back and encourage action. When readers respond in the comments section of your blog, it’s a great idea to quickly reply. At the end of your posts, ask readers to join your email list, remind them to follow you on Facebook and Twitter, give them a special discount code or ask them to call the salon to make an appointment.

Headquartered in Los Angeles, Cary Levine is the CEO of InTheMo.com and MOPro.