Make the ‘Funk Months’ Your Opportunity for Renewal, by Gina Rivera

I call January and February the ‘Funk Months.’ We’re blessed in the salon industry with very little in the way of a seasonal slowdown, unlike some businesses that endure a precipitous drop during certain months. What little seasonal slump we do experience, comes now.
The Holidays are a wonderful frenzy of celebration, gift giving and doing something bold and different with hair styles. We get very, very busy. Now some of our clients naturally pull back a bit and return to their jobs and carpools with a list of New Year’s resolutions.

A slowdown for us isn’t a bad thing. The funk months become an opportunity. Exploit this brief slowdown by pursuing some continued education. This is a fantastic time for salon professionals to get recharged about their work with some technique classes on the coming trends for the New Year.
Continued education for our Salon Professionals is a very high priority for Phenix Salon Suites. We invest in that principle, providing classes led by members of our Phenix Education Team free to our salon professionals. Now in Copenhagen studying the latest trends and techniques, VP of Phenix Education Robert Edick and his team will fan out to Phenix locations to share what they’ve learned when they return.
Meanwhile, go online and search for classes in your area, or maybe use the lull to travel to an event. There are major conventions in Long Beach this month and Chicago in March that are great opportunities for education.
Go to product websites and review their material on usage and techniques. Look for the Phenix Line of Hair and Skin Products coming out next month. We’re excited about these products and very proud of their performance.
Truly take time to focus and study. We can take the time to do that now. Go back through recent magazines with the folded corners. Rediscover those styles that caught your eye. Look for multiple examples and variations. Then begin to formulate how those styles were created. Talk with friends and colleagues about recreating certain looks. This is your opportunity to expand your repertoire, to reach beyond those cuts that you already do so well.