Hollibeauty Hour Beauty Industry Chat : Preparing to go back to Work

Hey Beauty Biz friends! In May 2020, I started hosting a weekly chat on Zoom discussing various topics each week! I know we are all doing what we can during this quarantine and sometimes it’s hard to join video chats due to various reasons, so I thought I would share the weekly recap here on the blog so we can all help, support, and learn from each other! I hope you find this recap of notes useful & if you have any questions don’t hesitate to reach out! I hope to see more of us adapting to the new reality of IRL + URL…

We are all in this together…

We discussed a lot on this week’s chat and the feelings are very mixed about going back to work. Some of us are feeling anxious about implementing all of the protocols while maintaining timely services and others are holding out a little longer to go back to work even when the stay home order is lifted. A lot of mixed feelings and emotions is completely normal and expected when there are so many factors that come into play doing what we do in the beauty industry. We are interacting one on one with people and touching them, so expectedly with all the unknowns Covid-19 brings, each of us should be doing what we feel comfortable doing at the moment when it comes to work and showing respect to others choosing to do what they want to do :) Below are some useful resources for us to prepare to go back to work…

We are still trying to navigate the sustainability of some of these protocols as official protocols vary amongst each state. The additional PPE supplies salons & beauty professionals will be needing to buy in order to do their job is financially overwhelming considering these supplies are in high demand everywhere. Thankfully, some of you on the chat shared some great sources to check out where you’ve had success! We mentioned checking out your local markets for cleaning supplies & gloves! Also, Office Max/Depot & Walmart has had some Lysol Wipes randomly in stock online. Check your beauty suppliers like Meyer Spa as well, even if there’s not an opening date yet for your state. It’s better to be prepared & stocked up so you’re ready to work safely for yourself & your clients :)

Personally, I’ve had great luck with utilizing Amazon Business and random successful trips to Target down the block from home. If you are looking for face shields, check these out here! If you are looking for face masks to wear while working, these are a great option! If you are in the wedding industry and want a pretty friendly face mask, where proceeds also go to a great cause check out my friend & local designer Veronica Sheaffer :) P.S. Get your Barbacide Certification! It’s free, resourceful, & a great way to show your clients you’re getting yourself extra prepared to go back to work safely for you & them :)

We of course talked business & what changes we are going to be making moving forward as business owners. This article was talked about and I found it to be a great read after the chat discussing all the new realities we have to face when it comes to timing & pricing accordingly. For those of us in the Wedding Industry, this has been quite a challenging year for our brides as well as our businesses considering most of our weddings were all postponed into 2021 and some have canceled altogether. Having a solid contract in place to protect your business is more important than ever with bridal work since we are booking these events so far out into the unknown.

We also discussed having clients fill out a questionnaire/form before arrival digitally. We’ve been advised to operate via appointment only at first to avoid walk-in risks. I know my online booking system Booksy has some great features for this as well as a “virtual waiting room” feature so you’ll know when a client arrives outside of your salon & you can send them a notification to say you’re ready right then or need 5 more minutes to prepare & disinfect between clients! If you’d like more info on trying Booksy, don’t hesitate to reach out. Another must-have for going back to work is a digital thermometer so you can check temperatures upon arrival.

Ok, clearly there was ALOT of information shared amongst us on the chat this week and I wanted to share it ALL with those of you that couldn’t tune in this week! Comment below if you have anything you’d like to add to the conversation, have any questions, and tell us what you’re doing to prepare to go back to work!

Stay Healthy Friends xo #hollibeauty