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Wouldn’t it be great if your life didn’t flash before your eyes every time a server set an iced tea near your appointment book? If you’re tired of risking life and limb to protect your version of the Holy Grail, you may be ready to make a complete digital transition. Welcome to an age where technology is actually working with you and not against you.

“My high school boyfriend’s sister did hair, and she was somebody I looked up to,” recalls Calynn Colceri, a ten-year industry veteran who took “a true leap of faith” last spring when she ditched booth renting for salon ownership, signing her lease with Sola before the Phoenix location’s walls were up!

Valentines Day calls to mind roses and chocolates, love letters and romantic dinners. Its a day filled with pink hearts and declarations of love. Its also an opportunity for salons to amp up services, special treatments, and promotions. Consumers spend close to $20 billion each Valentines Day, and that number keeps increasing. Take advantage of this loving time and capture a piece of that spending! Remember, its your salon studio, and the sky is the limit.

Starting your own business takes guts and tenacity. But getting started is just the beginning. To be successful, it’s important to attract new clients and establish yourself as a go-to salon. Marketing is an integral part of your continued success. We’re all familiar with basic marketing tactics because we experience them every single day. From magazine ads to billboards to promoted Facebook posts, marketing is everywhere. While these channels are no-doubt effective, there are a lot of out-of-the-box ways to market your salon. Here are some ideas to get you started.

Even a veteran stylist like Autumn Morris of GlamLocks Hair Lounge (located in Sola Salons Encinitas, CA)–a guru with decades of industry experience–finds there’s incredible room for growth when salon ownership at Sola makes building your brand as easy as say…dry shampooing your hair.

Carla Gray, owner of Carla Gray Brow Studio in Sola Salons Centennial, CO, is a mom and an eyebrow specialist, in that order. When she talks about her career, her kids are a big part of the discussion. You see, Carla didn’t grow up dreaming about being a beauty professional. In fact, she went to college for sports and fitness. It was when she was pregnant with her first child that she decided to go back to school and study to be an esthetician. Carla was looking for a rewarding career with flexible hours, and she found one.

An early love of hair styling turned into a lifelong passion for Connie Nagle. Connie owns All About Hair and More, a health-conscious salon located in Sola Salon Studios in Palm Beach Gardens, FL. Connie has been in the field for five years, but her love of hair styling started early on. "I wanted to be a stylist at the tender age of 6. My dolls had no hair. I was always styling and cutting," she said, laughing. "I loved my big Barbie head [that I got for Christmas], I think I cut all her hair off before New Years."

We asked the Sola community to share their favorite songs for the holidays. Click on the song titles to listen...Enjoy!  Read More

Who doesn’t want to make a little extra moolah the easy way? Especially during the holidays! We asked a few of Sola’s successful money makers to share tips and tricks that’ll help you formalize all of the things you’re probably already doing — find out how you can make more money with a few simple tricks of the trade.

It’s December, and you’re huddled over a warm mug, enjoying the serenade of a crackling fire in your favorite fuzzy socks. Frank Sinatra croons nearby that he’s dreaming of a white Christmas and so are you! The lights are twinkling and the magic is undeniable. Or so you thought. Before long, thoughts of 12 hour days in the salon, stampeding shoppers, burnt soufflés, Secret Santas, holiday budgeting, and what to get your crazy Aunt Esther creep in. So it begins; the most wonderful time of the year quickly turns into the most stressful.

Julie Manuel, a Bayou expert in hair and make-up, has been styling since the 80s, and hasn’t abandoned her career once -- not even when her hometown was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina. Since January 2014, Julie has enjoyed a new chapter in her thriving career at Sola Salons New Orleans. “I went to beauty school right after high school, and have been doing hair ever since,” Julie explains, unequivocally adding, “I love it, and always have loved it.”

Colorado-based manufacturer and salon owner Jay Palmer is excited to announce a special chance for Sola stylists to carry his quality new baby line at a steeply discounted price. We caught up with Jay to learn what Boulder Baby Co. is all about.

Everyone enjoys getting freebies, there’s even a known psychology behind it. Most people have a healthy skepticism attached to the idea of getting something at no cost, yet once they do, they often feel the need to reciprocate their appreciation. With that mentality in mind, you’re sure to drum up extra business this holiday season. But before we talk about what to give away during the holidays, let’s talk about why you should consider giveaways as a great marketing tool to increase your holiday revenue.

Starting your own business is a daunting task. You’re solely responsible for the success of your salon, and that’s lot of pressure! Building a supportive network of contacts can help lessen some of that pressure and provide the community you need for your salon to thrive. While social media marketing is a great way to advertise your business, there’s no substitute for face-to-face communication.

Even when you absolutely love your job, certain workdays can be long and tiring. Being an independent salon owner, your hours likely vary from day to day. Depending on the needs of your clients, a particular day in the salon might start quite early in the morning or end much later at night. It’s important to take care of yourself in order to stay strong in mind, body and spirit – all of which affect your salon business. We all need a bit of help sometimes to keep up our stamina, particularly for those of you on your feet all day. You need all the energy you can get to provide the best services possible to your guests. Here are 5 tips to keep you healthy and energized in the salon!

Karri was a stylist, mentor and educator at a prestigious, commissioned salon in Tucson for more than 12 years, but she yearned for more one-on-one attention with her clients and more flexibility in her schedule. Since coming to Sola four and a half years ago, she has enjoyed the freedom of setting her own schedule, which has allowed her to spend more time educating. Karri is a Regional Artist for L’Oréal Professionnel where she educates about the L’Oréal Parisian House of Hair and all its products.

Crunching leaves, spiced aromas, and a crisp breeze are just the beginning of the most enchanting time of the year. But before you get too cozy, don’t forget about the little monsters and wicked witches that need your services to cast their spells. You are notoriously creative, and Halloween may arguably be the best holiday to really show off your skills. Seriously, how many times a year do you get asked to create a sky-high beehive in electric blue? Here are a few ways you can make the most of all the toil and trouble.

No, Gil Colorina doesn’t have any The 40-Year-Old Virgin stories. But, folks are always mentioning that flick to the SF Manscaping owner, a Bay Area esthetician who works solely in wax. “The clip is hilarious, but that’s not what happens in my shop,” Gil says, laughing at the memory of a hairy Steve Carell yelping on the table. (Psst: Gil has had a couple of guys attempt Brazilians – But that’s another story entirely!)

On September 7, 2014, 200 guests gathered at Sola Salons in Denver, CO to honor Polly Sanders-Peterson as she celebrates 50 years – Yeah, 50! – Behind the Chair, as well as 70 years of age. In addition, at the event Polly launched an exciting new beauty school scholarship that will be offered through Emily Griffith Technical College’s cosmetology program. Before we got the ‘70s and ‘80s music bumping, we had a chance to catch up with the disco queen herself, asking Polly to reflect on the hair industry through the decades. – Jamie Siebrase

By this point, you’ve probably heard of Yelp. In fact, you’ve probably used it to research new restaurants or even to check out your competition. Yelp is a business review site and a go-to reference for many people when they’re looking for honest business ratings. Over 50 million businesses worldwide have profiles on Yelp. And in the second quarter of 2014, Yelp saw an average of 138 million unique visitors each month. That’s 138 million different people who are using Yelp to decide where to spend their money! So make sure to take advantage of this incredibly popular service and create your Yelp listing today.

There’s no set path for a hair stylist to take. Every person comes to the profession with a unique viewpoint and experience, and Brandie Kekoa, owner of Be Kekoa Hair Studio in Sola Salon Temecula, CA, and founder of the Be Kekoa product line, is no exception. As a 3rd generation stylist, the profession is in Brandie’s blood. But her passion for natural hair and education has evolved along the way.

Heather Catalan, owner of Studio H Salon, a Paul Mitchell Focus Salon in Colorado Springs, “caught the hair bug early on,” as she says. Throughout the years, Heather has leveraged degrees in both marketing and cosmetology into a booming Sola business reaping the financial benefits associated with using and selling a trusted and prominent product line. We’ve asked Heather to share with us her experience of becoming a Focus Salon, and the secrets of marketing this wonderful product line. – Jamie Siebrase

At Sola Salon Studios, YOU get to choose what music to play in YOUR salon! As inspiration, we asked the Sola community to share their favorite songs for the ultimate end of summer playlist. Enjoy!  Read More

Alysha, who worked with a celebrity stylist during her booth-renting days and participated in several hair shows, does the whole gamut in her Sola studio where she has owned and operated her business since March 1, 2014. But, it’s her unexpected specialty – scalp disorders – that makes her remarkable, and has earned her a reputation as “the docta’”. Alysha’s concentration also makes salon ownership not merely valuable, but crucial for building an expanding client base while honing in on a niche focus.

In today’s tech-reliant world, it’s vitally important to have a website for current and future clients to access. An Internet presence legitimizes your business and provides easy access for your clients to important information – like contact info, pricing and how to book an appointment. And since most consumers search for information on the Internet before they ever visit a brick and mortar salon, a website is your first chance to make a great impression!