M0NEY MATTERS

BY CHRIS KOLODZIEJSKI

AS AN ESTABLISHED BRAND with a line of cosmetics that are sold both business-to-business and business-toconsumer , sold both online and offline and in spas and salons around the world , I understand first-hand how it feels to lose a part of my business overnight due to COVID-19 . I understand and feel the collective pain and financial uncertainty that comes with this pandemic .

Over the last few months , our team has talked with dozens of our customers that have been forced to pivot . Based on what we have seen and heard , we have created some strategies that we feel can be confidently applied to any spa or salon business to help you not only survive , but thrive . For some , this will come as a wake-up call to act in ways you may not have thought about before . I thought it best to share a quote from a recent conversation with one of our customers that summarizes the reality of the environment many may now find themselves in .

“ I sat down with my husband ,” the customer said ,“ and realized that if we do not focus a huge part of our time and efforts on retailing , we will not survive .”

This really is a time for transformation and acknowledging a new normal . Here are five things you can do right now to move the needle .

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38 PULSE ^■ OCTOBER 2020