While many refer to the upcoming holiday season as "the most wonderful time of the year," in the salon world, it can be, by far, the craziest and most stressful time of the year. Suddenly, those clients who've been ignoring your text messages for months are practically banging down your door trying to squeeze in so they can feel fab before heading to their holiday celebrations. You can find yourself working earlier days and later nights all while wondering when you are going to have time to pick up those stocking stuffers or prep the Thanksgiving turkey. But don't fear! Whether it's your first year in your own salon or you're an independent vet, we're here to make sure the holiday bustle doesn't get the best of you. By planning ahead, blocking your calendar and capitalizing on the spirit of the holiday season, you'll be able to fill your books, bring in some well-deserved extra revenue and still have time to enjoy the holidays with your family. Get ready because you're about to sleigh this holiday season and truly make feel like the most wonderful time of the year! Step 1. Make a List of Important Dates Take a look at the holiday calendar so you can start planning all your promotions and communications in advance. Things can get super hectic so better to be prepared than to miss the holiday marketing window! If there are certain days you want to focus your promotions around, make a simple calendar to remind yourself to get the word out. You won’t want to focus on all of these in one holiday season, but you may want to pick one or two of these dates to build your marketing calendar around. Here are a few promotional ideas to get your wheels turning: General seasonal awareness ❄️: Create a sense of urgency to get appointments booked! There’s no better time than now to send a simple reminder to book pre-holiday appointments. Send out a simple text blast or email reminder using SolaGenius and your clients will be scrambling to their calendars to make sure they get on yours! Thanksgiving 🦃: It’s the season of giving, and leading up to Thanksgiving is the perfect time to invite your guests to give back alongside your salon. Host a clothing or canned food drive and reward your guests for contributing with 10% off your retail products. You’ll not only give them the joyful experience of giving, but you’ll also give them an opportunity to try a product they won’t be able to live without. And don’t forget on Thanksgiving (or the evening before) to send your clients a note of gratitude and post an image on social media. Tell them how thankful you are for their business! Black Friday 🖤: Invite your guests to stop by on Black Friday to shop ‘til they drop! Create a fishbowl filled with awesome retail discounts and prizes written on folded pieces of paper. Invite shoppers to choose from the fishbowl to win anywhere from 10-50% off retail, add-on services for their next appointment, free travel size samples and more. It’s the perfect day for your guests to stock up on holiday gifts in a no-stress environment like your salon studio. (@hairby_aubrey) Small Business Saturday 💸: Remind your guests that when they are supporting a small business, they are supporting a dream. Customers often forget that in addition to making them feel beautiful, as a small business owner, you are contributing to their community in such a deeply impactful way. Invite them to stop by for a glass of hot cocoa and a sweet treat and host fun demos throughout the day. Perhaps offer some awesome shopping opportunities and for each $5 spent, you can enter their name into a drawing to win a grand prize like a giant gift basket or a free deep conditioning treatment. (@merakisalonandco) Cyber Monday 💻: Blast off an email or text blast to remind your guests to take advantage of your greatest cyber offering - 24/7 ONLINE BOOKING. With a special offer like 25% off retail or an extra 15-minute consultation or education session, you may see the holes in your schedule fill up quickly. And if you offer eCommerce for your retail, this is the biggest day of online shopping, so make sure to include a link to your site! 25 Days to Christmas 🎄: When November winds down, it’s time to focus your efforts on the 25-day countdown to Christmas! Remind your clients using a text or email blast that your books are filling up and any days you will be traveling or unavailable to make sure they come see you before those holiday and New Years parties start rolling around. Help Them Plan Their 2020 Beauty Calendar 📆: It’s not too early to start thinking about 2020! You’ll be seeing a majority of your guests during this holiday season. Don’t miss the chance to ask them what big events they have in 2020 and work backward to help schedule all their appointments. It’ll take the work off their plate and guarantee you pre-book! Reward your guests as they check out to book an appointment by