036 Planning for the recovery phase.

Some of us have been on lockdown now for 4-5 weeks, and many of us have no date for when we will be able to reopen. Whereas other countries or states either didn’t have a compulsory close order from the government or if they did close, they are now getting ready to reopen. Regardless of what your current situation is I believe that it’s essential that you plan for the day that you do reopen because if you are going to get through this and come out the other end stronger and even better prepared, then you need to make sure you adopt a positive mindset and look for the new opportunities for when we do reopen. Obviously, It’s important that you also understand your legal obligations in the event that there are changes that you have to make and rules that you have to follow. But aside from that, it’s important that we look at the opportunities to re-invent our redefine, the client salon experience, and the team experience. On today’s podcast, I have chosen to interview two leaders in the industry to see how they are dealing with the situation as it stands. First up is Clive Allwright from the ‘Our Place Salon’ in Sydney. Second is Heath Lavingdale from the ‘FEEL Soho Salon’ in London. I’m asking both of them questions about how they are dealing with the recovery phase as they start to plan for opening day and what the new norm will look like in their respective salons and countries. In This Episode: [01:56] Welcome to the show, Clive! [02:48] Clive discusses that some salons closed and others stayed open and how that affected the salons in Australia. [04:42] Clive shares what impact it has had on his salon. [07:31] Antony chats that only 60 people total have died from COVID-19 in Australia. [08:35] Has the government put any laws in place for salons as they open back up? [09:45] Clive speaks about how he has restructured their business and the packs they are going to be giving each customer. [11:45] Are the changes you are making just for now or for the long term? [13:59] Clive shares whether they are going to change their pricing to accommodate the cost of the packets and what their government is doing to help salons. [16:03] He chats about leaving 30 mins between clients to do deep sanitizing cleaning of the stations. [18:15] How are you taking care of your staff? Are they getting any subsidies from the government? [21:01] Clive discusses the practical changes they are making to keep their staff and clients safe, like not serving beverages, and no kids allowed in the salon. [23:42] Are you going to do any training with your staff about what the new norm for the salon is? [26:00] Clive shares that his team has been involved with every aspect of the changes and brought their ideas. [27:40] Clive chats about the main reason they closed the salon. [30:24] The situation in Sydney differs significantly from the situation in rural areas. [31:23] Clive, thank you so much for sharing your ideas. [32:30] Welcome to the show, Heath! [34:37] Has London brought in any legal guidelines or laws that you must adhere to? [37:28] Heath speaks about the changes his salon will put into place to keep his team and clients safe. [41:44] Heath discusses taking this time to sit back and see what the clients want and make any late-night changes the new normal. [43:11] What are some obvious things the clients will notice in the salon when it reopens. [45:42] Is there anything you are going to differ when it comes to combs and brushes and other styling tools. [47:02] Heath speaks about what is going to happen with the reception desk to keep people from congregating. [48:51] Are you going to bring your team in and talk to them about the new standard before you open? [51:21] Heath shares how they will handle team members that don’t feel safe coming back to work. [52:24] Are you going to have masks available for staff and clients? [55:18] Heath believes there needs to be clear guidelines when it comes to sick clients. [56:25] Heath, thank you so much for sharing your wisdom with us today. [56:52] Please share this podcast on your social media so we can get some positive information out there.   Links and Resources Grow My Salon Business    Find Clive Allwright Our Place Salon @cliveallwright Instagram | Facebook    Heath Lavingdale FEEL Soho Salon @heath-lavingdale LinkedIn | Facebook