If you operate a lash salon or any type of business, chances are you've tried different ways to help attract new customers and increase your sales.
But have you wondered if you are making it easy and welcoming for clients from every walk of life to come to you? Or is your salon in need of some tweaks to make your client's experience more inclusive?
According to World Health Organization, approximately 15% of the world population has a disability. That's around 61 million adults in the US alone who experience physical impairment, intellectual disability, deafness, mental limitations, or other forms of disability.
Despite how common disabilities are around the world, many businesses fail to accommodate the varying needs of these individuals.
So don't let your business be one of them.
Here are 5 tips to make your salon more accessible so that everyone can enjoy your beautiful lashing skills!
Why is accessibility good for business?
Good access benefits all people.
Apart from protecting your business from potential legal issues, improving the accessibility of your salon can have a tremendous effect on boosting customer acquisition and growing your business. Here's how:
- Great first impression: Investing in making your salon more accessible will leave a great lasting impression on first-time visitors. They may deem your business as more professional and genuine.
- Increases your customer pool: If your salon isn't accessible to certain groups of people, you are also indirectly shrinking your customer pool. By opening up your business to provide services that accommodate more people, you'll be surprised at how you could gain loyal customers for years to come.
- Improves brand reputation: If your salon makes an effort to go above and beyond to truly serve all your customers and their preferences, it will make your salon stand out, not just in the eyes of the customers that directly benefit from accessibility but also those that most value social impact.
How Can My Salon Be an Accessible Business?
1. Create Clear Access/Signage
Initial judgment forms within milliseconds, then sticks, coloring any new client's perception of your salon indefinitely.
To ensure that your salon's exterior does not portray anything that can instantly put the client off, make sure you think about accessibility when you set up your salon.
Here is a checklist to nail first impressions:
- Consider installing a ramp for wheelchairs or automatic doors to allow customers with disability services (or parents with strollers) to enter easily.
- Have an open floor space in your salon for any client to move through the store with ease and eliminate tripping hazards.
- Make sure that your salon's signage is as clear and bold as can be!
- Create signs with directions or pointers to make navigation more straightforward and accommodate customers who are deaf or have low vision.
2. Provide Silent Appointments
Following periods of lockdown and self-isolation, it is no surprise that many have been affected by social anxiety. This means your salon should also be prepared to cater to clients who identify with these tendencies.
Silent Appointments really are as it sounds - an appointment that is…silent! Simple right? These are usually offered at certain times during the week when the music is turned off, the chit-chat stops, and everyone relishes the sound of the silence.
Silent treatments are an excellent way to put your socially anxious clients at ease and show that you care for them.
Not to mention, it's also the perfect way to welcome your customers who are on the autism spectrum, as they can now arrive and have their lashes done without the pressure to engage in conversation.
This does not only help those who have social disabilities but could also attract those who previously suffered in a high-volume environment, expanding your client base even more.
It's a win-win solution!
3. Provide Scent-free Appointments
You'd be surprised to find a growing number of people who may experience sensitivities when exposed to perfume and other scented personal care products. So, it's always best to create a safe space for those who are hypersensitive to smells.
Because you are working very closely with clients, it's important not to wear any scents that could be overpowering and distract your customer from having a peaceful appointment.
So how should you go about this? Try creating a Scent-Free Appointment throughout the week, where lash technicians are not wearing any perfume or when your salon is not burning any heavy scents.
If you or your salon's lash technicians prefer not to skip perfume when meeting clients, our tip is to use a neutral/light scent instead and use them in moderation!
4. Invest in Comfortable Equipment
The popular saying goes, "never get too comfortable," but in the case of your client's lashing experience, comfort is KEY! Because your clients are spending hours at a time lying on their back, make sure that they are spending that time feeling relaxed and not in any physical discomfort.
Here is how our perfect set-up would look:
- Providing ergonomic equipment or a mattress pad will make all the difference. Find one that fits the bed, or sometimes you may need to cut it to fit. On top of that, you can place a bed warmer to keep your clients warm during the colder seasons. While not all clients may want it, those who do will surely enjoy it!
- Then top that off with a soft fitted sheet and put a protective disposable sheet over it. This is a great way to give your clients that extra bit of comfort and reassure them that your set-up is hygienic.
5. Digital Accessibility
Salons that operate through a website or an online booking system, this one is for you! Website accessibility relates to how easy it is for people with special needs and disabilities to navigate your website.
We are convinced that accessibility is what your website needs for an extra glow! So here are a few ways you can start tweaking your online space:
- Font choice: To make it easy to read, choose clean and simple fonts, limit customization (yes, even if it looks pretty)
- Color palette: For accessibility, contrast needs to be very prominent (such as black and white). To make it less boring, you can break down your color palette by varying the shades of one color and combining two different hues.
- Accessibility widget: An accessibility widget is a little button that pops up on your website and allows clients to adjust certain settings such as typography, font spacing, and color contrast and accommodate their unique needs. It's a great detail to step up your website!
When your ideal clientele can view, read and make bookings easily from your site– no matter their needs – this provides the opportunity for all clients to experience your salon equally.
Ready to take your lash salon to the next level? Visit our YouTube Channel for more tips and new business opportunities!
