Self employed please give me a telling off!

LJD1_2

Hiya
The only way i'm going to make decent extra money is to drum up more business. I know I am good at what I do but i'm not very good at selling myself. Not very good when I'm self employed and I need to sort this out big time!

In the last few months I have;
1) advertised in the yellow pages (not sure if this will pay off but it did in the first year of business - 10 years ago).
2) leaflet drops - again, this used to really work but doesn't seem to be a lucrative now.
3) advertising in my clinic that vouchers are 20% off, great presents, christmas presents etc.
4) local paper article when I had a charity day
5) £5 voucher to existing clients who bring in new clients.

Can anyone think of any other idea as if I increase my turnover I can put any extra money to my debts.

By the way, the business is complementary and beauty treatments and I work for myself from a purpose built clinic at home.

Edited for typo!

Bogof_Babe

If you can afford it, how about dropping bunches of £5 off vouchers around all the local businesses where there are a reasonable amount of staff.

Or you could ask their personnel departments if they would put a poster on their notice boards, and draft the poster to indicate that initial visits would be half price (like I say, that's if you can afford it).

Or have an "open day" with nibbles and wine, lots of flyers to take away describing your treatments and giving prices, and perhaps a raffle to win free treatments.

laughing_cow

Where are you based? (Just being nosey - I'm a sucker for beauty treatments )

A few random ideas:
1. Loyalty cards - eg if someone comes for a manicure they get a stamp on their card - once they've got say 5 or 10 stamps, they can have the next one free
2. Buy one treatment, get the other half price, to be taken at the same appointment.
3. Approach local businesses/offices or perhaps other workplaces where there might be lots of women - you could do a 'bring a friend for free' on their first appointment.
4. Approach magazines and find out what future promotions and features they might be doing. Glamour magazine often have a feature where they list eg 'Best Facials' and they will have a list of salons all over the country, usually with a special offer. When they did the 'best waxing' feature a couple of years ago, they featured my favourite little known salon and mentioned my lady. I ended up having to phone her on her mobile to sort out an appointment for me - after this article she was booked solid for weeks!
5. Donate a treatment as a prize - eg to a local school for a fete in return for an ad in their programme. Perhaps pick a school in a smarter area where you know the mums might have more dosh to spend on beauty treatments.


Good luck!

laughing_cow

I like BOGOF Babes Open Day idea. You could do demonstrations/mini makeovers too.

LJD1_2

Great ideas, thankyou.

I'm definitely going to do something with the £5 voucher idea. Maybe give them out to clients and say if a friend uses one they get one too or something. I just don't like being cheeky to clients....there I go again!

With christmas looming I'll also give a few vouchers for prizes at school fairs.

I'm going to google glamour magazine now. I thought it was a top shelf magazine though....hope I'm wrong....don't want that sort of clientel.

By the way, i'm based in South Manchester.

laughing_cow

LJD1 wrote:

I'm going to google glamour magazine now. I thought it was a top shelf magazine though....hope I'm wrong....don't want that sort of clientel.

:rotfl: Like it!

No, don't worry, it's a young women's magazine. This is the link to the beauty section:

http://www.glamourmagazine.co.uk/beauty/

It seems they have an online directory of recommended salons (listed under beauty directory, by treatments) - it might be worth approaching them to find out how to get included.

shayshay

Local press! Get yourself either on the phone or into the offices of your local papers and surrounding areas and give them a free treatment, much more likely to do a story of local girl does good etc. Otherwise something which is seen as charitable, maybe local nurses however may struggle at the old peoples home as treatments are good but not miracles. Free PR is readily available to everyone out there, just need to press the right buttons to interest people rather than pay for a big ad of which most people will skim over.

Or is there any way you can be more outbound as many business will offer some incentives to staff of which one of your treatments could become?

LJD1_2

Thanks Shayshay, i've just emailed my local newspaper....nothing ventured nothing gained!

smilermonkey

A friends daughter is a beauty therapist and offers girls nights. Someone invites a load of girlfiends (saw the spelling error but decided to leave it as rather apt LOL) and The therapist offers mini manicures, facials etc in another room while the others have a drink etc. The hostess either gets money off or a free treatment. Good for hen nights etc.

Marketing yourself is just letting everyone know you exist, so think about who your customers are, where they are and get that info to them (obvious advise really, sorry!). Good luck;)

laughing_cow

Another thought. Do you have a website? If not, it might be worth doing a basic one - there are simple packages to do it yourself. Ask on the technical board - my dad did one for his business and he knows sod all about IT so it can't be that difficult!

I know you're listed in Yellow Pages, but those listings don't tell people very much. A one or two page site with a list of treatments/offers and a photo of the salon or a treatment room would do for now. People are sometimes a bit wary of booking in a salon they haven't seen in case it's a bit grotty (I'm sure yours isn't!).

I found the nicest salon in my area, which I didn't even know existed, simply by googling. Also, when it was my friend's birthday I wanted to buy her a voucher for a massage but I didn't know any salons in her area - I did a quick google and was able to find a salon and see photos so I knew it was nice.

LJD1_2

I think a website is something i'll have to do. I work from home in what was the garage. Sounds dismal but the first thing everyone says when they come for their first treatment is how professional and relaxing it is. A photo of the clinic on a website is a great idea. Thanks!

Girls nights are another great idea, I could do mini facials, manicures etc and whatever I charge on the night can be given to people who have treatments as money off vouchers if they come for another treatment. Thanks for fab ideas!