Updates from Brie Holt

A lot of salon owners are working hard to get new clients while quietly losing the ones they already have. In 2026, retention is not optional if you want stable revenue and a healthier business.

A lot of salon owners are raising prices and still feeling broke. Here is why higher pricing alone does not fix payroll issues, cash flow problems, or thin profit margins.

The industry is arguing about commission and booth rental again, but most owners are asking the wrong question. The real issue is whether your business model matches the salon you are actually trying to build.

If you are a salon or spa owner and things have felt a little off lately financially… you are not crazy.

A lot of owners are noticing the same thing right now:

• clients stretching appointments longer

• retail sales slowing down

• guests becoming more selective

• clients saying “maybe next time” more often

• fewer impulse add-ons

• people asking more questions about pricing

And honestly? I think some salon owners are panicking a little.

Because when things start slowing down financially, the natural reaction is:

“Maybe I need to lower prices.”

“Maybe I need to run more specials.”

“Maybe I just need more clients.”

But I really want salon owners to understand something:

People still care about beauty.

They still want to feel good.

They still want confidence.

They still want experiences.

But people are spending differently right now.

Clients are becoming more intentional.

And the salons that are staying strong financially are usually not the salons discounting themselves into the ground trying to survive.

They are the salons creating VALUE.

A few years ago people were spending emotionally.

Now a lot of people are spending more carefully.

That means clients are asking themselves:

• Is this worth it?

• Do I trust this business?

• Does this feel different?

• Do I feel taken care of here?

• Does this experience make me want to come back?

And honestly, I think this is where salon owners need to stop thinking only about services and start thinking about the overall business experience.

Because the salons struggling the most right now usually are not struggling because their team is untalented.

They are struggling because the business itself does not feel strong enough.

The strongest salon owners right now are tightening up their business instead of panicking.

They are focusing heavily on:

• retention

• guest experience

• communication

• memberships

• loyalty systems

• rebooking

• retail education

• consistency

• team standards

• operational structure

And honestly? A lot of salon owners are realizing they can no longer build a business that survives only when the economy feels easy.

That matters.

Because slower economic seasons expose weak systems fast.

If your retention is weak… you feel it.

If your pricing is off… you feel it.

If your payroll is too high… you feel it.

If your client experience is inconsistent… you feel it.

The salons staying healthiest right now are usually the salons already operating with structure.

This is probably one of the biggest mistakes I am seeing right now.

Salon owners start feeling nervous financially and immediately begin:

• discounting

• lowering pricing

• throwing random specials together

• offering huge promos constantly

• cutting margins thinner and thinner

And honestly? That usually creates MORE stress.

Because now you are:

• working more

• making less

• training clients to wait for deals

• creating inconsistent revenue

• damaging profitability

Instead of constantly discounting, smart salon owners are getting more strategic.

For example:

• simplifying menus

• creating maintenance options

• building membership experiences

• improving rebooking systems

• strengthening retail conversations

• improving follow-up systems

• creating stronger emotional connection with clients

Because clients are still spending.

They are just being more selective.

A lot of salon owners underestimate this part.

Clients remember how businesses make them FEEL.

Do they feel welcomed?

Do they feel important?

Do they feel remembered?

Do they feel emotionally connected to the salon?

Does the business feel organized?

Does the team feel happy to be there?

Those things matter.

Especially right now.

And honestly? I think the salons that are going to stay strongest over the next several years are the salons that stop operating emotionally and start operating intentionally.

Because surviving difficult economic seasons is usually not about luck.

It is usually about:

• structure

• leadership

• retention

• systems

• profitability

• consistency

• operational maturity

And that is exactly why we teach those things so heavily inside The Beauty Biz Agency.

Inside The Beauty Biz Agency, we help salon and spa owners create businesses that are structured, profitable, and built to survive every season — not just the easy ones.

If you are ready to stop operating in survival mode and start building a stronger salon business, we would love to help you.

Click hERE to book a Strategy Call with the Team!

But the better question is:

 How do I walk into this next season with better clients, tighter systems, and stronger profit?

Because a packed schedule doesn’t automatically mean you’re running a successful business.

Spring is your opportunity to reset—not just how your salon looks, but how it actually operates behind the scenes.

Here’s how to use this season to set yourself up for a stronger, more profitable next few months.

Most salon owners don’t reset—they repeat.

They walk into a new season with the same pricing, the same service mix, the same client patterns, and the same team performance… and just hope it somehow turns out better.

It doesn’t.

This is the moment to get honest about what’s dragging your business down:

- Services that take too long for what they bring in

- Clients who book once and disappear

- Team members who are inconsistent or underproducing

- A schedule that looks busy, but doesn’t actually move your numbers

If something isn’t working, keeping it around isn’t being loyal—it’s being expensive.

Spring is where you clean it up before it costs you another quarter.

A lot of service menus are built around what the stylist likes doing… not what the business actually needs.

And that’s where things start to break.

Instead of asking what you want to offer, look at what’s actually driving your numbers:

- Which services generate the highest revenue in the least amount of time?

- Which services naturally lead into maintenance appointments?

- Which ones keep clients on a consistent schedule instead of one-offs?

And here’s the reality most people avoid:

Not every service deserves a spot on your menu.

If something is low-ticket, high-effort, and doesn’t lead anywhere—it’s taking up space that could be used for something better.

Your menu should be built to support your income, not just your skillset.

Most salon owners set their prices once — and then don't touch them again because it feels uncomfortable.

But pricing isn't something you set and forget. It's something you adjust as your demand, your costs, and your skill level change.

Here's how you know it's time:

- You're booked out two or more weeks consistently 

- Your schedule is full but your take-home doesn't reflect it 

- You're spending the most time on the services that pay the least

That's not a capacity problem. That's a pricing problem.

Before your busy season hits, get honest about a few things:

- When did you last raise your prices — and was it actually enough to keep up with what things cost you now? 

- Are there services on your menu that take significant time but don't pay like it? 

- Are you charging for the skill level you have today, or the one you had two years ago?

You don't have to change everything at once.

Even adjusting one or two services — or introducing a premium option — can shift your revenue without disrupting your existing clients.

But if your prices haven't moved, your income won't either. 

A lot of owners think growth comes from outside the salon—more marketing, more visibility, more new clients.

But most of the money you’re missing is happening inside the appointment itself.

This is where you look at:

- How thorough your consultations actually are

- Whether you’re confidently recommending services or just taking requests

- If retail and add-ons are being integrated naturally

- Whether rebooking is being treated as a standard, not an option

This is also where you identify gaps in your team:

Are they maximizing the appointment… or just completing it?

Because the difference between a $120 appointment and a $220 appointment usually isn’t more clients—it’s better execution.

Your content is setting expectations before a client ever walks in.

And right now, it’s either attracting the right people… or making it harder for them to choose you.

If your content is:

- Inconsistent

- Outdated

- All over the place

Then your messaging is unclear—and unclear businesses don’t convert well.

Instead of posting randomly, focus on showing:

- The type of work you want more of

- The results clients can expect

- The level of experience you provide

The goal is simple:

When someone lands on your page, they should already feel like they know what booking with you will look like.

That’s what moves people from “thinking about it” to actually booking.

Running promotions just to fill gaps usually creates more problems than it solves.

Because the clients who come in for discounts often:

Don’t rebook

Don’t spend more

And don’t stay long-term

Instead of trying to fill space, use promotions to increase the value of each appointment:

- Bundle services that naturally go together

- Highlight upgrades that enhance results

- Create seasonal offers that raise the overall ticket

The goal isn’t just to get someone in the chair.

It’s to make sure that chair is producing what it needs to produce.

Every season has a tone.

And most salon owners don’t set it—they react to it.

They say yes to everything, overbook to keep up, and end up right back in the same cycle.

This is where you decide:

- What kind of clients are we taking on?

- What level of service are we delivering?

- What standards are we holding as a team?

Because if you don’t define it now, your schedule will define it for you later.

And when your schedule is the one making the decisions, it usually looks like:

 -Squeezing people in

 -Taking anything that hits your books

 -Letting standards slide just to try to keep up

That’s how busy seasons turn into exhausting and broke ones instead of profitable ones.

A spring reset isn’t about surface-level changes.

It’s about tightening the parts of your business that directly impact your time, your income, and your growth.

Because growth doesn’t come from doing more.

It comes from doing the right things better—and removing the things that are holding you back.

If you’ve been looking at your business thinking,

“I’m working… but I’m not actually getting ahead,”

That’s usually a sign something in your structure needs attention.

And that’s exactly what we help you fix.

If you’re ready to make this your most profitable season yet,

book a strategy call and let’s map it out.