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FENG SHUI YOUR SALON FOR SUCCESS
by Naomi Mannino
Use this 8-step common sense, no-nonsense Feng Shui approach to improve different areas of your salon and stimulate positive energy, creativity, wealth, and above all,the image of beauty!

“Don´t be put off by the term Feng Shui,” says prac-titioner and radio personality, America´s Guru, Ellen Whitehurst, “It´s just an ancient way to become more aware of your surroundings, the way things are arranged and displayed and the flow of energy around you.” While there are lots of ancient principles and different approaches to Feng Shui, our experts agreed on eight simple ways to improve the energy and success of any hair salon. The principles of Feng Shui are all about symbolism and how it affects us psychologically. “For example, clutter is something that represents obstacles and once you clear up clutter you can think clearer, work more efficiently and creatively because no piles are in your way,” explains Whitehurst. And why eight steps? “It´s the number of prosperity, luck, abundance, and success in Feng Shui!” says Whitehurst. Once you´re done reading, you´ll see these suggestions make perfect sense and most of our Feng Shui fixes are FAST!

ENTRY-WAY:

“All opportunities come through this door and clients get their first and final impression here,” says Whitehurst. Go outside and face your entry. Are there cracks in the concrete? Is the door in good repair? Is the handle dirty or rusty? Is the paint cracking? Is your sign and canopy clean and fresh? Fix any cracks or signs of disrepair; keep glass sparkling and metal shining.

Fast Feng Shui fixes:

• Place plants on either side of your in-terior entry door to literally give the salon “a breath of fresh air.”
• Place a calming, welcoming water feature to the left of the interior entry (upon entering) to symbolize energy flowing, like a steady stream of customers.
• Place a wind chime from the ceiling above the door opening so the clapper just grazes the door upon opening to enhance incoming energy. You´ll be instantly notified to greet customers.
• Place a beautiful mirror by the exit (even above the water feature). “This way clients check out their new hair cut and smile, leaving with a great impression of your salon!” says Marie Burgos,a Feng Shui consultant and owner of Manoblue Design currently re-designing Bliss Beauty Salon in Queens, New York.

WAITING AREA:

Is your waiting area messy, haphazard, unappealing, or dirty? Are magazines old and tattered? Are tables and chairs dirty? These show a lack of attention to detail, fashion, and care. How can a client expect to get a beautiful precision hair cut at your salon? “Even if clients don´t think that consciously, it imprints subconsciously,” explains Whitehurst. “Everything a client sees should represent beauty, pampering, care, and fashion, right?”

Fast Feng Shui fixes:

• Donate tattered magazines older than six months. “Budget $50 to renew your subscrip-tions and freshen the magazine display, just like you freshen your cutting and coloring skills,” says Amanda Collins, a San Diego, California based Feng Shui Designer.
• Re-paint the area a more welcoming, calming color like soft green, butter yellow,or taupe.
• Consider a unified theme; replace chairs and tables that are ripped, sticky, or unappealing. If budget is tight, consider throw covers or thrift store finds.
• Connect customers with staff. “A beautiful thing to do is to display group pic-tures of staff having fun together. Customers will want to be part of that,” advises Collins.
• Install a community corkboard. “Customers can leave business cards, birth announcements, pictures, or community event notices. Also, display the salon´s upcoming events, photos, coupons or charity events and donations. Your customers will feel like they belong,” explains Whitehurst.

RECEPTION:

Is this area beautiful and welcoming? Is the receptionist cheerful and fashion-able? Is it blocking stylists at work from seeing customers? Is it cluttered? “There should be nothing broken or dirty to detract from the expectation and image of beauty at your salon,” says Mary Mihaly, a certified, Cleveland, Ohio based Feng Shui practitioner.

Fast Feng Shui fixes:

• Move the reception area to one side. “This way stylists see the front door and anticipate incoming customers,” says Whitehurst.
• Always display fresh flowers. “Nothing awakens fresh energy better than a simple dis-play of live flowers,” exclaims Mihaly.
• Re-display the name of the salon beautifully.

THE STATIONS:

Are they cluttered, messy? Do you see tangled cords, a mess of tools, broken or dirty combs and brushes, sticky styling products? Are chairs smudged, ripped, or dirty?Is hair piling up? Are mirrors hazy, spotted, or cracked? “How can customers think they will get a beautiful precision hair cut by a sloppy stylist?” asks Collins.

Fast Feng Shui fixes:

• Consider shining black chairs or stations because the color represents creativity, wealth flowing, suggests Whitehurst. Replace or renew any rusty or ripped chairs.
• Rid stations of dirty or broken tools and stow tools and products neatly.
• Place a plant either in-between or atop each station to stimulate growth in skill and fresh ideas.
• Place a fun family picture on each station. “It invites connection between client and stylist…a client can start a conversation, ‘Oh is that your baby?´ And, stylists will be motivated by those they love to work harder, happier,” advises Collins.
• Place mirrors strategically to open up and move energy and light throughout your space, advises world-renowned architectural interior designer, Clodagh. “But make sure mirrors face into the salon, not out toward the door!” says Rhonda Coop-Piraino, owner of Rhonda Piraino Haircolor & Design in Dallas, Texas. “Otherwise you´re reflecting your money right out the door instead of back into the salon!”
• Use red where stylists work to stimulate creativity, wealth and recognition.

WET AREAS:

The shampoo bowl and color bar wet areas are the biggest problems in a salon. “Since Feng Shui is all about balance, you want to sym-bolically tone down the effects of so much water (which symbolizes wealth) literally running down the drains,” says Whitehurst.

Fast Feng Shui fixes:

• Place a convex mirror at the bottom water pipes at floor or the s-loop that faces into the salon (not toward the door!) to keep wealth in the salon.
• Delineate the area beautifully with plants. “Use plants to subconsciously absorb all that water energy,” says Whitehurst.

CASH AREA:

Clear any clutter, the subconscious obstacles to taking in money. And, be sure cash register is in good working order.

Fast Feng Shui fixes:

• Use neat, beautiful pencil and paper receptacles.
• Use the three gold Feng Shui coins secured by the red ribbon, a symbol of wealth, and place under the appointment book or by the cash register to trigger the expectation of incoming money. “Tell employees why you are making these changes so their subconscious works too,” says Whitehurst.
• Hang a round-faceted crystal from the ceiling in the cash area to amplify your wealth energy.

USE THE FIVE SENSES:

Positively engage your customers ina balanced way. “They won´t know why they love coming to your salon, but they´ll want to come back!” says Amanda Collins.

• Sight: Everything should be invit-ing, in good repair, and lovely to look at. Consider any message of your artwork. Does it subconsciously represent your salon? Are your salon´s walls overwhelming, bland, chipped, or peeling?
• Sound: Hair salons are noisy places with all the dryers, water, and talking so music should not overpower. Although no one type of music pleases everybody, Classical music from Vivaldi or Mozart has been shown in studies to entrain the heartbeat and ease the human body and mind. Soft jazz works great for a sleek urban salon. “And not too loud,” says Collins, “The client and stylist need to be able to talk…to connect!”
• Taste: If budget permits, offer guests a healthy treat of fruit, light sweets, and tea or fruit juice. “Who would mind waiting twenty minutes with a snack, a new issue of a beauty magazine in a beautiful place?” asks Amanda Collins. “Besides, it will literally ‘leave a sweet taste´ with your customer.”
• Smell: Combat acrid odors left by salon chemicals with aromatherapy. Scents like citrus and peppermint are uplifting; lavender can counter a stressful environment. Want to stimulate the retail aspect? The Smell Institute recommends cinnamon.
• Touch — Because a hair cut is such a tactile experience, everything your client touches should ‘feel´ nice: Chairs, towels, capes, surfaces…your hands!

THE FENG SHUI RAINBOW:

Any salon can use this color sequence from floor to ceiling to bring the energy up and manifest a sense of growth and success. Be creative with paint, window treatments, art-work, flowers, furniture, and walls.

Brown on the floor represents the earth and all things grow from it.

Green on any walls, or artwork represents growth, too.

Red on window treatments, the back wall of the salon, or at stations represents recogni-tion, transformation, creativity, and luck.

Blue on a wall represents blessings from the heavens.

White at the ceiling represents all.

Visit International Feng Shui Guild website at www.ifsguild.org to find a certified practitioner, find books, or learn more about Feng Shui.