The Holiday Rush: 4 Business Hacks To Make More Money

Increase Bookings, Make More Money + Save For The Post-Holiday Slow Period

Picture this: You get home from a 12-hour salon shift in December. Your phone is blowing up with texts and calls from clients trying to squeeze in those last-minute appointments—and you just want to unwind with some Netflix. Hairdressers know this as the holiday rush.

Don’t let the busy season get the best of you! Instead, use this time to maximize profit and save up for when business slows down after the holidays. Read four smart business tips below!

1. Raise Your Prices Temporarily

Clients and family members have THIS in common: They will do just about anything to secure their appointment spots during the holiday season. While it’s the happiest time of year, it can also be the most stressful, so consider raising your prices temporarily!

Even if you bump prices by a small amount, you’ll see an overall income boost that reflects the long hours and hard work you’re putting in. Pro tip: Use a booking software like Booksy that allows you to easily make short-term pricing changes and control the dates directly in the app.

Price Increase Tips

• Determine how much you are raising prices
• Give clients a head’s up! Let them know due to extended hours or high demand, there will be a temporary price increase
• Set parameters for how long the price change will run

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2. Make Money During The Post-Holiday Slow Period

The post-holiday blues are real and so is the slow season for hairdressers that typically comes right after New Year’s Eve. An easy way to stockpile cash for when business slows down: Sell eGift Cards!

Here’s why it works: People love to support small businesses during the holiday season, so make sure your clients know they can gift their loved ones with a blowout, treatment or salon service on them. This is not only a fast way to make cash, but selling eGift Cards is ALSO a proactive step to making sure your books stay busy after the holiday rush. 

Pro Tip: Get clients to prebook for after the holidays! Put up a reusable sign next to your station that maps out when 4, 6, 8 and 10 week appointments should be scheduled with the dates included. That way, your client will be thinking about prebooking throughout their service.

3. Holiday Flash Sales

Looking to fill in those gaps in your schedule with fast appointments? Get clients to book a quickie service: A gloss refresh, holiday-party blowout or root retouch on the spot with a holiday flash sale. A client is more incentivized to act fast if they can cut costs! This easy strategy will help you book out any empty slots in your schedule. 

Ways To Tell Clients About Flash Sales

• Send out a message blast via text or email
• Post on your salon’s social channels 
• Include the dates of the short-term sale, how to book and the urgency to act FAST so they don’t miss out on the offer
• Use Booksy’s in-app features: Flash Sales, Happy Hours or Last Minute Discounts to do it all from your phone FAST

4. Don’t Miss Out On Potential Bookings 

Are you changing your holiday hours? Offering a flash sale? Keep clients in the know. The earlier your regulars book, the easier it is to schedule last-minute clients where you can. Here’s an idea: Send out a holiday message blast that makes clients feel appreciated AND reminds them to book their appointments. 

Pro Tip: Try Booksy’s marketing tool: Message Blasts to send out texts and emails directly to clients—so you can communicate with clients quickly and keep them coming back to your chair!