The Cosmetologist Holiday Season Survival Guide
Top Tips You Need to Make it Through the Holiday Season
As a person, you probably really like the holiday season, right?
You get to spend time with friends, family, and your chosen family. You get to dress cute and warm and celebrate the holidays of your choosing. You get to eat delicious, holiday-themed food, bake Christmas cookies, and indulge in all your faves. You get to bask in some time off and really embrace what the holidays mean.
But as a cosmetologist, you might hate the holiday season.
And you know what? We don’t really blame you. The holidays are simultaneously an incredibly lucrative and insanely busy time of the year for cosmetologists of every niche.
And what’s more, people tend to get a little bit stressed this time of year–and that’s sometimes taken out on people in the service industry. (If you’re having a major flashback to when some mean person screamed at you over their “Thanksgiving haircut,” we are so sorry for resurfacing that memory).
It’s no secret that you’ll probably make serious money over the holiday season. But sometimes, dealing with the stress, last-minute bookings, and attitudes can be, well, a little overwhelming.
If you find yourself thinking, “how the heck am I possibly going to survive another holiday season as a cosmetologist?” you’re in the right place, friend.
This blog isn’t about helping you make more money. This blog isn’t about how to market your services with a holiday theme. And this blog isn’t about giving up altogether and closing your salon, shop, or spa from the end of October to mid-January. (We have holiday blogs for those topics, though, don’t worry).
So, what is this blog, then?
It’s a survival guide. It’s a handbook for stylists and cosmetologists who want to keep making money this holiday season without losing their valuable time or, you know, their minds.
Buckle up, friends. This blog is full of helpful tips that you can put into practice so you can have a smoother, more streamlined, and far more enjoyable holiday season in your salon.
Top Tips for Surviving the Holiday Season in Your Salon
Stock Up on Products (For You & Your Customers) NOW
The last thing you want is to stress out over the product in the heat of it all.
Before the holiday season kicks off, do your future self a major favor and order everything you’re going to need for the holiday season.
Have it in stock early and keep everything accounted for. Then, if you work through it quicker than you thought, you’ll still have a little wiggle room and a buffer in case you need to reorder.
Do Not–We Repeat–Do Not Overbook
It is so tempting to rake in as much money as possible over the holiday season. People will pay serious bank to get on your schedule because they didn’t plan ahead of time.
And yeah, sometimes, you’ll want to do a favorite client a solid, or you’ll want to bring in more cash than you initially planned, and doing that every now and again is fine.
But if you make this your mindset for your holiday season (and you’re not shooting for the most profitable few months ever), you’re basically setting yourself up for stress-city.
Before you overbook your schedule, take a break, think hard, and ask yourself if the money is actually worth the stress that might come with a packed-out schedule.
Take Lots of Breaks & Practice Self Care
If we could insert the clapping emoji here between each word to further emphasize our point, we would. If you’re someone who can’t keep yourself in check with breaks, you need to schedule breaks.
Yep, you read that right. Schedule breaks into your calendar before you even start booking out your holiday season.
Look, we know that your schedule needs to be flexible, and things happen, but you need to make sure that you’re not booking clients over your scheduled breaks.
You’d be surprised how much of a difference you can see in your day if you give yourself 5-15 minutes between clients.
And P.S., don’t forget to practice self-care. This is super important during your more hectic, chaotic phases of life. Not sure where to start? We’ve got an entire eBook dedicated to this topic.
Download our EBS Self-Care Guide for Beauty Professionals for some industry-specific insight.
Be Firm About What You Won’t Miss
Do your kids have holiday recitals you don’t want to skip?
Are you ready to carry on the tradition of sledding on the first day of December? Do you always host cookie baking day at your house the week of Christmas? Do you prioritize eight hours of sleep every night (holiday or not?)
If you want to keep your sanity, know ahead of time what you’re not saying no to this year.
Maybe last year you skipped out on the Christmas play because you knew you could make a bundle in the salon. Was it worth it, or did you spend the whole day bummed out because you knew you were missing something important to you?
Set boundaries that make sense for you, and stick to them!
Keep Communication Clear & Proactive with the Salon Staff
Whether you’re the boss or an employee at a salon, you need to remember that teamwork is going to make the dream work this year.
Before the holiday season kicks off, sit down and have a meeting with your team. What are the goals this year? Who’s trying to prioritize profit and who’s looking for a more low-key season?
Work together to coordinate who’s after what and how everyone can better meet these goals.
If you communicate these things proactively, you won’t deal with the last-minute panic of trying to get your shifts covered or your financial goals met.
Be upfront with your team about what it’s going to take to make your holiday season less stressful–then hear them out, too. Find ways to support each other in the thick of it all.
Got a few of your own holiday tips to share with us? That’s what the comment section is for. Drop a reply in our comment section below to give us–and your community of cosmetologists– some extra insight on what it takes to make it through a cosmetologist holiday season.
And, of course, don’t forget to subscribe to Elite Beauty Society’s site for updates and notifications on when we’re sending out new insight, the latest deals, and killer discounts you can’t find anywhere else.
