**This blog post was originally posted on September 26th, 2019**
When we get in times of struggle or a major life event, there’s an overwhelming feeling of panic. And, in the midst of emotional exhaustion and overwhelm, there’s this bird on our shoulder reminding us we have a business.
We as hairstylists and salon owners feel like we’ve chosen this very fragile business model. That one wrong move will cost us everything. You take too much time off, you’ll lose your clientele, or your stylists will leave you with an empty salon and tons of overhead.
The last 96 hours of my life have been sheer insanity. I just finished recording a podcast where I was asked publicly for the very first time about my relationship with my husband, how that affects my business and things like that. After I gushed about him for 45 minutes, I quit the recording and my phone rings. It’s him. He says he fell and to call 911.
I book it down the street, and, sure enough, he’s down on the ground with a very severe leg injury. The paramedics came and took him to a trauma center. I picked up our kids, brought them home, then headed up there to be with him. I was physically, emotionally, mentally exhausted. I was worried about him, worried about our children, but worried about my business in a really big way.
Thankfully I had some systems in place to help me keep my business moving forward. I want to share with you how I safe-proofed my business, not realizing at the time how beneficial it would be so you can do the same.
Automate Your Business
Automating your business doesn’t mean you don’t show up for it. It means to do things in advance so it’s okay for you to take time off and the ship will keep sailing.
One of the things I preach is not calling or texting your clients. We feel like we need that personal connection, but the beauty of having online booking, calendar, and email marketing is that in the midst of chaos, you can take control in 10 minutes or less. Can you imagine if you’re in a place in your business where you have to call or text every client when everything hits the fan? Are you going to sit in the hospital room and call and text all your clients?
Having an automated business allows you to not be in that position. There’s no back and forth waiting for a text or a call, wondering if clients got your message. You’ve done your part, and now you can focus on where you need to be.
Does it make your life easier? Yes. Does it take a load off your plate week after week? Yes. Does it save you in times of crisis? Absolutely. I realize now that’s what’s most important. I encourage you to really think about them and do the same.
Schedule Social Media
The second thing that will save your butt is social media scheduling. You don’t have to be panic and find something to post on Instagram tomorrow. That’s already done. You aren’t working, but it doesn’t mean your clients are not going to see you.
Get your content organized so you can still show up on social media as if you’re there. Sit down and write out as many captions as you can in 20 minutes. Create a content bank to take a load off your plate and give you peace of mind so you won’t have to play catch up if you’re ever caught up in the chaos.
Systematize your content and social media with a plan, social media scheduler, and a content bank. It is a huge weight lifted off your shoulders when you are worrying about life’s curveballs.
Have a Team and a Community
They say it’s in desperate times you see who your people are. It’s so important to surround yourself with the right people and cut out the wrong ones. When curveballs happen, it makes you realize the incredible people you have in your life.
Surround yourself with people who show up for you, don’t give you grief and see you as a human being. People who don’t visit you in the hospital, but pick up the kids or do your laundry for you.
The people who send the sweet text asking if you need anything is great, but have people in your life who will be there, figure out what you need, and do it. They don’t come just for a specific reason. They show up for you as a person.
Have Financial Savings
Plan on enjoying the best and preparing for the worst. It’s tough because life is tempting, and when money’s tight, it feels like every penny has to go to good use. But just having that little bit of peace of mind is very, very powerful.
You won’t wonder for a second how you are going to pay your bills while you’re in the midst of chaos. If you don’t already have enough financial savings to take two, four, six weeks of work without having to worry about it, I encourage you to do that as soon as possible.
Trust the process and know that you will rebuild. If you take a leave of absence as a stylist or salon owner, you might lose some clients. It’s okay. You might lose clients and income; you’ll cry, be angry, feel desperate and confused. And then you’ll rebuild and be all right because whatever it is you’re going through is temporary and is part of a grander plan.
Sometimes you have to trust the process and ride the wave knowing that you’ll end up on the shore in the end. I encourage you to be in the mindset where nothing is so bad that you can’t come back from it. If you have a system in place and you have the tools to make it possible, you’re going to be okay. That’s why I share this with you now so that you can safe proof yourself in the way that I did.
