Business

The Top Money Preserving Business Tip I Shared With My Hair Stylist

Writers should include this advice in any long term planning.

My voice registered shock as I used my feet to scamper around in the client chair.

“You’re kidding me, right, Lonnie? You just found out Marco, the salon owner, is changing the payout to hair stylists at the salon? Therefore you will be earning a lot less money?”

My gifted hairdresser, Lonnie, lowered his voice and moved his head closer to mine. Obviously, in an attempt to keep our conversation confidential.

“Oh, honey. That’s correct, but no worries. I’m jumping ship in a few days to the new salon opening a few blocks away. It’s a better place to work, and the money deal is fire.”

My voice was firm.

“Well, no question I am staying with you wherever you go, Lonnie.”

“Since you are leaving so soon, I’m glad my appointment was today. Then again, you would have emailed or texted me with your new deets. Facebook, for sure.”

Still speaking in a whisper, Lonnie grimaced. Our faces were almost touching.

“Ok, ok, Suze. I remember your advice. Always be prepared. Since I only work at Marco’s salon and I do not own the place, you did warn me to have a system for reaching out and locating all my clients.”

It was my turn to react, but all I could muster was a facial expression. Horrified and pained were the descriptive words.

Lonnie continued, his hands waving a little too frantically. He still hadn’t started to scissor my locks.

“The thing is, Marco must have thought some of us would bolt once he announced the reduced pay scale. The company address book is now password protected.”

“For some of my customers, I only know the first names. Or nicknames. I have NO records of my client names, addresses, cell phone numbers or any user IDs on any social media site. Are you going to tell me that I am fucked?”

I did not have the heart to make that proclamation. I asked a question.

“So how will your flock know where to find you?”

He looked at me sheepishly.

“I…I guess they will ask Marco to point them to my new location.”

I stared at him in disbelief.

“Lonnie. Sweetie. No way. Marco will not send business away from his salon if anyone asks for you. Man, with your huge clientele, you have a massive problem.”

An important point to note at this juncture, dear writer and reader friends

Lonnie is a talented, creative person. He is, first and foremost, an artist.

When taking on a client, Lonnie envisions the perfect look for the individual sitting in his chair. The same way a photographer sizes up a photo shoot. A clothing designer imagines the fall season. A hip hop artist performs to the mood of the crowd. A dentist enhances your smile. A surgeon rebuilds your nose.

A writer crafts a story or poem.

Get my drift? The world is awash with talented, creative service and product suppliers. Oh wait, these people also earn a living from assisting their customers. They are, like it or not, business owners in the creative zone. Creative Business Owners. Creative Business Entrepreneurs.

Do you see how Lonnie’s problem at the salon could be your problem on the internet?

Sidebar to writers

I have written this article primarily for full-time writers. Also, for those writing part-time, but still intending to draw income from their work. If you are a hobby writer, perhaps this article will not apply to you. I will leave it with you to decide.

Question. Do you see yourself as a Creative Entrepreneur? You should. Do you see how Lonnie’s problem at the salon could be your problem on the internet?

What do I know? In my previous fifteen plus year career, I had the fortunate experience to work with many Creative Entrepreneurs. My role helped individuals tackle and enhance the business side of their art. Today, among other services, my consultancy still provides this type of advice.

Returning to Lonnie’s mess

Lonnie was doomed because he was leaving his current physical working space and transplanting to another location. He was unable to let his customers know his new address. It was an earlier detail Lonnie didn’t enjoy implementing. So he let it slide. As an accomplished creative, he wanted to spend his days sculpting hair. That is his thing. His art. Not business.

Understandable but careless.

Don’t get me wrong. These clients are incredibly loyal to Lonnie. They initially sought him out for his reputation. They returned again and again because he is very good. These people are and were not clients of the salon.

Still with me writers? Similarities? You and the Lon-man?

Keep this in mind too. What if there were factors involved other than Lonnie moving to another salon? Suppose Lonnie became sick and had to take an extended leave? Perhaps the illness meant he needed his partner to contact clients on his behalf until he recovered? What if Lonnie just wanted to take a 6-month sabbatical and travel around Europe? What if…( fill in the blanks).

There are numerous examples of why Lonnie, with his excellent skills and faithful clients, might need to contact his people occasionally.

A Caution

The issue addressed in this article is only about Emergency Customer Communication. Notice that none of the reach-outs discussed represent a pitch for a product sale. In my experience, to participate in marketing campaigns, newsletters, etc. clients want the OFFER of an opt-in.

Summary so far

To be clear, this Lonnie-dilemma example is about emergency contact only.

Any CREATIVE BUSINESS OWNER could experience Lonnie’s situation. Heck, this holds for any business, not just the ones with artistic leanings.

Are you, my writer/reader friends, now about to shout in a sing-song fashion

“Newsletter subscriber list? Huh?”

Not so fast, people. Please indulge me and answer these three questions:

▪️How many followers do you have?

▪️What is the total number of subscribers to your newsletter?

▪️I bet you, the size of the directory of your followers is much more extensive than the newsletter list. Am I right?

Hold the phone. We are both correct on this one.

Yes. Your newsletter subscriber list will be a solution. If ever you depart from any internet relationship platform, your subscription registry will be golden.

I can say this another way. You moved on, and for some reason, you could not return to download your list of followers from the old site. Your newsletter subscription list comes to your rescue.

Issue still not solved.

We just agreed that mostly, the newsletter subscription list is much smaller than your follower list. Plus, some of you do not yet have newsletters nor subscribers.

So now what? We have a hypothetical situation where tomorrow you are posting your writing in a brand new place on the internet. Your peeps from the last site merely assume you flew the coop. Or quit writing. Or something.

Gulp. Well, you can always take a deep breath and start over with a little help from your newsletter file (or not). The prettiness of this is not working for me, though. Nor for you, I expect.

Ok. Ok. I do have a solution. May I just have another minute to finish setting the stage?

Time out for a critical message

This heads up applies regardless of the social media or internet site addressed.

You must carefully read that platform’s rules of engagement to ensure your solution to this Lonnie-issue does not violate any of that site’s limitations or agreements. That is something you, as a creative business owner, must do for yourself.

I refer to any internet writing and or engagement you might do on any platform. I am not addressing any one site exclusively. Understandably, there are many places on the internet where you can engage and write, each with its own set of rules.

I hear the whisperings among some of you.

“Nah-nah-nah-nah-na. I already made a hard copy of my follower list. I even update it monthly. Or else I saved it on a stick. Or in a PDF. Or I did something to preserve a record of my followers. Ha!”

Hold the phone. Take a good look at that list you printed or stowed. Are those people on your printouts listed under user names, pseudonyms, first and middle names, abbreviated names? If yes to all or some of that question. What good will that do for you in providing a means to reach out and reconnect?

Not the best scenario, huh.

You know, the fix is SO SIMPLE. Elementary.

Ready for it? The solution is in the writer’s mini-profiles. If every writer adjusted their profile description, then the problem is solved. Sort of like saying, if everyone wore a mask, this would solve a big part of the COVID issue.

Oh. Wait. Some of you have already taken care of this point.Well, now we need your help to encourage your friends to do the same thing.

First step. Fix your profile, for goodness sake. My suggestion is to provide your email address in your mini-profile. One that you are comfortable sharing.You do not need the ability to create a link in the profile description.

True, you could opt for a user name from another site or insert your website address. My personal preference: your email address is cleaner. I mean, think about it. If or when you set up a newsletter subscription list. What do you request? An email address.

Another consideration. On some personal websites, contact with the owner is not always linear. Therefore a website address without easily accessible email might be problematic. Or simply a pain in the ass to track down.

Allow me to repeat this: If almost everyone on the writing/social media site added their email address to their profile, well wowzers, problem fixed.

Thing is though, a whole dang bunch of yas have NOT yet done this little thing.

Oh. Wait. Some of you have already taken care of this point. I do know this from doing some cursory research. Meaning: I skimmed a bunch of lists. Excellent! More than 50 claps for those ahead of the game.

Well, now we need your help to encourage your friends to do the same thing.

Thing is though, a whole dang bunch of yas have NOT yet done this little thing.

Look, I did NOT do an intense study of followers lists. Fairly quickly, I recognized that road to be a time-waster. My rudimentary scans consistently showed less than 30% of profiles with either email or website addresses included. If I counted those profiles, with email addresses only or accompanying a website URL, the result was fewer than 15%.

From a business point of view, you creative entrepreneurs, you, we are talking freshmen biz course at the 100 level. A generational version of this business best practice would have been in textbooks when our great grandparents went to college.

You could say that in our current turned upside-down world

The implementation of sound business principles can only help. As it is, there are daily attacks against the mainstream media. Tear gassing of peaceful protesters by some sort of new militia. On top of that, an election is looming. The pandemic isn’t leaving anytime soon.

No one is saying you need a reason to be a good business practitioner and protect your access to your customers, fans, contacts and revenue base. But if you want one, maybe I have given a few points for consideration.

Reminder again

One. Read the rules of engagement on the social media or internet site you select and make your current home. Make sure anything you do falls within its rules and parameters.

Two. Be respectful of any email addresses provided in profiles. They are there for emergencies. If you want to solicit anything, find another way. Give folks a choice to opt-in. Good manners are essential. Consider this etiquette for writers and businesses.*

*There is one exception. Sometimes writers include their email addresses (often in places other than their profile) and invite readers to be in touch. In this case, the door is opened for some interaction. Of course the intention is conversation rather than marketing, promo and sales.

Conclusion

The Top Money Preserving Business Tip I shared with my Hair Stylist:

Have a system in place to contact your clients if an emergency occurs.

For a writer on the internet: 1. You need only to add one small thing to your profile, your email address. 2. Be sure to encourage your friends to do the same since this strategy works only if most participate. 3. Print or save a copy of your followers, updating it frequently.

You can thank Lonnie.

© Suzanne V. Tanner, 2020. All Rights Reserved.

Before you leave, please read this excellent article recently posted by the talented and wise Roz Warren I was drafting my article when I read Roz’s kind and cautionary words.

Thanks again for your time, my dear reading and writing friends.If you would like to be in email touch: [email protected]