How important is advanced education in your salon? Is it important enough for you to foot the bill? Take a look at how these three salons fund their fundsâ¦
Co-owner of Randolphâs Salon
(randolphssalon.com) in Waterford, MI
Co-owner of HQ Salons Apa
(hqsalonspa.com) in Westlake, OH
Co-owner of Valentinoâs Grande Salon
(valentinos.ca) in Whitby, Ontario
Do you have an
education fund for
Mary: Yes, employees are given an education allowance annually. The exact amount varies according to their level.
Tamara: Yes, $6,000 per year per salon.
George: Yes, we have an education fund.
How does the salon
fund the fund?
Mary: Education is budgeted in, and is just as
important as any other expense.
Tamara: It is part of our HQ benefit program.
George: We fund advanced education through
our retail sales.
What can the money
be used for?
Mary: Primarily tuition, but upon approval, travel
expenses may be covered. Also, we
only cover a percentage of the costs of
outside education. We feel that a financial
commitment by the stylist gives them
ownership of their professional growth.
How do you distribute
Tamara: Approved classes, seminars and
George: Tuition, travel and hotel.
How do you distribute the fund?
Mary: On an annual basis we take time to
re-visit each employeeâs personal
and professional goals for the year.
We explore how to best utilize their
education dollars to maximize their
growth. A stylist new to the floor could
benefit from a weekend of hands-on
technical training at a local venue, while
a high-level stylist might be encouraged
to attend class in NYC.
Tamara: Stylists and spa service providers receive
an educational calendar with their
paychecks twice a year. Stylists and spa
technicians make a âwish listâ of the
classes they would like to attend in the
order of their first choice, second choice
and so forth. Classes are submitted along
with a description of why they would
like to attend and how they feel the
information will help their growth in the
salon spa environment.
George: Itâs based on their retail sales
performance. For example, if they
average .5 products per client annually or
more, they receive a fully paid trip. If they
are short of their goal, they would have
to pay a portion of the cost. Any of our
staff that averages one product per client
receives two paid events.
Roughly, how much
is available per
Tamara: Educational requests are viewed on a first-come-first-serve basis, and approvals are
basted on a number of factors.
George: Between $1,400 and 2,500