During the International Beauty Show in New York this past April, I met a salon owner who was beyond frustrated. She had owned her business for some years and had worked hard at making it a success. Yet the same problems—staffing, financial growth, client retention—remained constant. "I'm thinking of giving up and just walking away," she confided. "Then what?" I asked. "I don't know," she said with a sad smile. "I love doing hair and having a salon."
 Robbin McClain |
It seems like this is an all-too-common story playing out for many salon owners to more or lesser degrees. That's why I'm so happy to tell you about Operating Instructions—Live!, a series of seminars that will focus solely on business topics. Operating Instructions—Live! will take place in four locations: Ft. Lauderdale, on September 11-12; New York, on September 18-19; Houston, on October 23-24; and Chicago, on October 30-31. The two-day event will feature a keynote speaker, and your choice of three classes each day.
We have some great keynotes lined up for you. Bumble and bumble's Michael Gordon will discuss how to build the bridge between creativity and business in your salon. Michael has done an amazing job in this area himself—he's a brilliant hairdresser, photographer and product developer, and he has two very successful salons. You'll also have the opportunity to see Hair Heroes, Michael's inspirational film featuring some of the legends in the hairdressing world.
 Michael Gordon, left, with Hair Hero Christiann, will keynote Operating Instructions—Live! |
We'll also present American Salon's Green Book Live!: The Latest Salon Industry Trends, presented by Lynn Osborne of NF Marketing Resources. Here, you'll learn the latest trends in the salon business, services, products, pricing, consumer attitudes and behaviors. The classes will cover a range of topics including raising prices, keeping customers, embracing technology, recruiting and keeping staff, implementing the right compensation strategy, and much more. Speakers will include salon owners such as Stephen Brooks, Randy Currie, Frank Gambuzza, Dee Levin, Jackie Tarrant and Gaven Smith, along with top industry experts such as Neil Ducoff, Andrew Finkelstein, Jon Gonzales, Frederic Holzberger and Bob Salem. Best of all, Operating Instructions—Live! gives you the chance to hear from and network with all these industry experts in one setting. To learn more, visit www.operating instructionslive.com, or call (800) 427-2420.
—Robbin McClain, editor-in-chief
E-mail Robbin at [email protected]