Ask Muse: Part 1 - Now That I am a Hairstylist Out On My Own, How Do I Create and Market Myself and My Business? - #012

Show Notes

In this episode of Ask Muse, you’re going to hear Nola and Lori talk to stylist, colorist and now business owner, Scott Rottenberg. Scott’s been a hairstylist for more than 30 years, yet he has no online presence or brand reputation. With the doors permanently closed at the salon he had been working under for the last ten years, Scott chose to start anew and work for himself as an independent hair salon owner. With this entrepreneurial shift, Scott, a self professed techno luddite, came to Ask Muse for help creating a business strategy and establishing an online presence and reputation so his clients, and prospective clients, can find him online.

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Sticky Brand Lab
Exciting possibilities are in the works. Come have a listen!

In This Episode You’ll Learn

• Why you need to have a personal brand, even if you are working for someone else
• What is a digital reputation and how to use it to promote your business
• The big difference between working on your business and working in your business, and why one can cause you $$$
• How a formal brand can help you position and market your business in a crowded marketplace as well as help increase your leads and customer conversion.

You’ve been in business working for someone else and never worried about, or even if it was necessary, to have a digital presence. Now, 30 years later, the lack of reputation means you have to work smarter to establish and grow your business. This is the challenge Lori and Nola hope to help Scott overcome. More importantly, it’s much easier for his ideal clients to find him and new clients to choose him, when they see a website with his location and positive reviews of his work. 

(6:18.14) How marketing a business is so totally different than say a decade ago, especially for the hair styling business. 

(8:45.41) How vital is it to have a number of ways to connect with clients? Would you know how to reach a client if your place of work suddenly goes out of business? 

(20:56.46) Three powerful, yet simple ways to boost your Google ranking.

(22:17.28) Breaking down digital marketing into three simple components.
​
(25:32.81) You can have a business name, but that is not the same when it comes to this marketing necessity.

Resources
This episode was supported by: Ask Muse

Transcript

Scott: [00:00:00] I am creating my own business how I want it. I'm coming to you because I'm not sure I know how I want it. You know, the limitations have been removed the sky's the limit, so to speak, but I don't have a good idea of what that looks like.
 
Announcer: [00:00:19] You're listening to the Sticky Brand Lab podcast, where time strapped professionals like you learn how to create a business you love in as little as three hours a week.
 
Lori: [00:00:31] Welcome side hustlers to another episode of Ask Muse. We're excited to have Scott Rottenberg hair salon owner, stylist, and colorist extraordinary from Chicago here. But before we get started with today's show, be sure to subscribe to Sticky Brand Lab podcast, wherever you listen to podcasts and give us a review so we can help creative business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs, just like you find our show. Now let's get today's stylish episode started.
 
Nola: [00:01:02] So today we are about to experience one of my favorite types of podcasts. This is an Ask Muse session. Now, for those of you who aren't familiar Ask Muse is when we invite members of our audience onto the show to ask and get answers to their business and marketing questions. And many of these questions were left through our websitestickybrandlab.com/ask muse. That's the Ask Muse page of our website, where they left a recording or submitted their question in writing, right? Yeah, right off our page.
So each Ask Muse session on this podcast is done in two parts. First part, part one, which is what we're doing today. The guest tells us about the struggle they're having, and then they let us know what it is we can help them with then Lori and I start brainstorming ideas. Solutions to these challenges.
 
Lori: [00:01:59] And in part two, we invite the guests back and present the ideas solutions, and next steps that we came up with, they share their thoughts on our recommendations, giving us an opportunity to make any adjustments right then and there on the show edits or offer up alternative solutions.
 
Nola: [00:02:18] Today in part one of this Ask Muse session, we're here with Scott Rottenberg from Chicago. For those who don't know you, Scott, why don't you just recap? Tell us a little bit about yourself, your business, and how we can help you.
 
Scott: [00:02:35] Well, as you said, I'm a hairstylist living in Chicago. I've been in the business about 35 years. I guess I studied originally in London.
 
Lori: [00:02:46] Wow.
 
Scott: [00:02:47] And lived in the South of France and in Germany doing hair before coming back to the States.
 
Lori: [00:02:53] Wow. That's impressive.
 
Scott: [00:02:56] It was fun.
 
Lori: [00:02:57] It sounds exciting to me.
 
Scott: [00:02:59] Yeah. And, but I've always worked for other people. So I was in a, a nationally recognized salon for the last 10 years before COVID struck and the business went completely under. Um, bankruptcy. And so when this situation occurred, I had to figure out what my new chapter was going to be. And renting a chair in a boutique kind of space, turned out to be the right answer. So I formed my own corporation and I operate my business under the umbrella of another stylist who, whose name actually is above the door, but it's just the two of us. Two of us in this big open space. So it's very safe, very comfortable, but I'm coming to you because I'm not sure I know how I want it.
 
Lori: [00:03:56] In the past, you've worked for a company. The clients came through that and then they were walked to your chair and you got to, to style them.
 
Scott: [00:04:09] Correct. But more or less, I worked with a lot of direct referrals to build my business. So even though they were contacting the business, I worked at even strangers, new, new clients, uh, were contacting that business in order to reach me specifically. So I did have some marketing methods out there that were directly benefiting me. But going through the larger business.
 
Lori: [00:04:37] Did all your clients always follow you or do you lose some in-between.
 
Scott: [00:04:42] You always lose some. That's just statistically the way it works. And there are statistics that will show you for every block, every city block that you move, there is a percentage that you will lose people.
 
Nola: [00:04:58] Interesting.
 
Scott: [00:04:59] Some people just don't want it yeah change and see that as an opportunity. Um, so I've always worked in the same general area within certain number of blocks. That being said, the average in my industry for moving from one space to another space is about a year and a half. I am much more, five and 10 year kind of person.
 
Lori: [00:05:24] So the fact that the salon that you were in or that the place that you were in, they left and then COVID happened and you left and now you're in a new salon, but you're functioning as an independent. Is that what the differences between where you were and where you are now?
 
Scott: [00:05:43] Yes, my functioning, the way I contextualize myself. I operated my business under their umbrella. So that's how I saw it. The reality is someone else was in charge. Now I'm completely in charge. The running of the business is entirely up to me.
 
Nola: [00:06:07] So you get your own product, you stock your own inventory.
 
Scott: [00:06:11] That's correct.
 
Lori: [00:06:12] You have your own phone system.
 
Scott: [00:06:14] Yup. Calling me directly.
 
Lori: [00:06:17] So being your own business now is totally different than the last decades that you've been a hair stylist, is that correct?
 
Scott: [00:06:28] Yeah. It's a lot different in many ways, in some ways it's the same, because as I said, I always held in my head that I was operating my own business and I took pride in that and took responsibility to the relationship with my clientele. But the details and the actual running of the space and the functioning of the space. And by that, I mean, making sure that the products that you need are there when you need them. And that, that the station is clean and all of that is completely different now, which isn't a bad thing. It's just different.
 
Lori: [00:07:04] And so how would you describe the amount of time you used to take with a client the amount of time you now take between clients? How has that changed your business model?
 
Scott: [00:07:18] The time I take with the client is the same, the time I take for the client. Is very different so well, because when the client is with me, I'm doing everything I used to do. But  there's a lot of other , aspects that other people filled that I now I'm responsible for. Um, so whereas I used to book an hour for an appointment and that included, you know, getting things done, it wasn't an hour sitting in my chair necessarily, but that's how I booked. Now I'm booking an hour and a half. 
 
Lori: [00:07:56] And when you left your previous place, how did you reach your clients to let them know about where you were, what was happening?
 
Scott: [00:08:04] So I reached out now, bear in mind that the reason the salon closed? Well, it was a cumulative reason, but ultimately it was COVID. So the salon closed and the country went into shutdown the same week. Okay. So. There was no, no urgency necessarily in making this contact because it's not like they could go anywhere else either.
 
Nola: [00:08:32] Right.
 
Scott: [00:08:33] At the same time I wanted to reach out and say, all right, this is what happened. You know, I'm safe. And as soon as I have some place to invite you to, you will hear from me again.
 
Lori: [00:08:45] And about how many clients would you say that you reached out to.
 
Scott: [00:08:49] In terms of a number? I have not a clue. Um, what I can tell you is I reached out and was able to make contact with pretty much all. So not necessarily a hundred percent, but upper 90 percentile.
 
Nola: [00:09:05] And of the ones you are able to reach, have they all come back for your services?
 
Scott: [00:09:09] No, because we are still in a precarious time. What I do know is that I'm not aware of having lost any clients to another stylist. I appreciate their loyalty.
 
Nola: [00:09:24] Right. Hence your need to know how to exactly position and market yourself as, as an independent stylist.
 
Scott: [00:09:32] Absolutely. Absolutely. One of the reasons that I reached out is I am a Luddite. I am not techno savvy. I do newsletter and print because I know how to do that. So there's a lot of things that I imagine are available that would help me marketing wise that I'm just not comfortable with yet, because I'm not that tech savvy.
 
Nola: [00:09:55] Absolutely. It sounds like you need help with like creating a personal brand and being able to just put yourself out there as an independent stylist. And to be able to continue to bring in new clients, just to balance out that attrition in a way that you can do that simple.
 
Scott: [00:10:15] Sounds about right? Yeah.
 
Lori: [00:10:17] It's clear Scott, that you're very passionate about what you do and the fact that your clients have followed you wherever you go in that you've retained so many of them. It's clear that they also have a, a loyalty to you. And when we come back, Scott's going to tell us more about the challenges he's currently facing. And specifically we'll dive deeper into how he hopes Ask Muse will help.
 
Nola: [00:10:43] Are you an aspiring entrepreneur who's ready to share your vision with the world, but you're not sure exactly what that would look like. Or do you just want to save soundboard to help you evaluate your top business ideas then a Be-You-nique session is just what you're looking for. This two part clarity session is customized and based on your individual goals and experience. Together, we will help you determine your ideal business niche, target audience, and strategy. You'll leave the session with a realistic timeline and a set of small step, big win goals that make sense for you and your lifestyle. Sign up today for a free 20 minute consultation stickybrandlab.com/shop.
Welcome back to the Sticky Brand Lab, the podcast that takes entrepreneurs, side hustlers and aspiring side giggers from, I have no idea what the heck. I'm doing to look what I'm doing now.
 
So just out of curiosity right now, how do clients or prospective clients find you.
 
Scott: [00:11:45] Prospective clients are typically referred directly. So it's all direct referrals.
 
Lori: [00:11:53] Do you have a website?
 
Scott: [00:11:54] No, I don't.
 
Nola: [00:11:56] What do you do on social media right now?
 
Scott: [00:11:58] I have my own personal Facebook page. A lot of my clients have that connection with me are friends on Facebook, but no, I do not have a specifically business page. I think it's a good idea, but I have not set one up before.
 
Lori: [00:12:15] Do you use Instagram?
 
Scott: [00:12:17] I don't. And I've been hesitant about it and I can't tell whether it's because I'm old and don't trust technology or whether it's just because I don't know enough about it, but no, I haven't used it.
 
Lori: [00:12:32] You've mentioned that you give your current clients two business cards. Are the business cards from like when you were at the previous salon, was the business cards branded from the previous salon or are they branded with you.
 
Scott: [00:12:52] Previously that business cards were branded to the salon. And had my name on them.
Um, now I have my own business cards with my own information on them.
 
Lori: [00:13:06] Like, how did you design your business cards? Did you have a logo done? Do you have a color scheme that you're working within?
 
Scott: [00:13:15] Not specifically, no. We used the font for my name to distinguish itself. And the coloring of the card, just something that was aesthetically pleasing. Yeah. We, I did it myself.
 
Lori: [00:13:32] Okay.
 
Nola: [00:13:33] That's good.
 
Lori: [00:13:33] Makes sense. I mean, we're all about DIY as much as you possibly can. I think what I'm trying to understand is you said that you incorporated, so when you incorporated, do you have a name that you're using for your business?
 
Scott: [00:13:49] Yes. I have a name that I'm using. And then I have the incorporated name, which I did not realize makes things a little bit more confusing than I had anticipated. I didn't think about using my own name. I came up with a name. So the business is called Vagabond Hair Incorporated.
 
Lori: [00:14:09] Is Vagabond Hair, is that registered with a location? So if I went on. Uh,
Google and I did a search near me would Vagabond Hair show up?
 
Scott: [00:14:23] It could, but because of the situation, I'm in that I am renting a chair in another space, rather than me having the lease on the space. The corporation is registered to my home, which is not near where I actually do perform the work.
 
Lori: [00:14:41] So is your home address then and your registration are public information then?
 
Scott: [00:14:47] I assume so. I think that's with every corporation there, isn't a registered address.
 
Lori: [00:14:54] Right. And we're just trying to think about it from the perspective of a client, looking for you on how to find you. And so right now, there's the name of the salon on the door that you have your own business inside of. There's your name. There's the corporation that you registered for Vagabond Hair. There's three things happening right there for any prospective client to find you. And then there's two challenges. One is if they could make the connection to the salon that you are currently in, there's that address. And then there's where Vagabond Hair is registered that's linked to your name. So it could be rather confusing for any one person to figure out which business is the right business.
 
Scott: [00:15:52] Yeah. It sounds like it I'm, I'm listening to you and it sounds very confusing. You're right.
 
Lori: [00:15:59] That's a pretty big challenge.
 
Scott: [00:16:00] Right?
 
Lori: [00:16:01] But now you have that challenge because you're listed under three different possibilities with two different address possibilities. So finding you isn't so easy anymore.
 
Nola: [00:16:12] So somebody needs to literally have that business card. And, um, and call that information or email. So referrals are very important in order to keep a funnel open and having different clients come in there. It's, it's always a good idea to have the options, the possibilities for strangers to look you up and find out what what's in the area. Um, certainly we can brainstorm. I look forward to brainstorming ways to, you know, keep the referrals going. But it's always good to have that location finder and have an Internet presence, and we'll talk about that.
 
Scott: [00:16:46] One of the other channels was where I work well, it's considered what would be called in Chicago, North Michigan Avenue.  I'm actually on Oak street. Which if you're in Chicago, you know, but not necessarily people from outside of Chicago would be familiar with what that meant. Um, I'm on the magnificent mile.
Yeah.
 
Lori: [00:17:09] Oh,
 
Nola: [00:17:10] I love going there at Christmas time.
 
Scott: [00:17:12] Oh, it's gorgeous.
 
Nola: [00:17:12] Yes. Yes.
 
Scott: [00:17:14] But a lot of the hotels that would refer their guests to either the salon I worked in or several of the concierge referred guests to me directly.
 
Nola: [00:17:26] Wow.
 
Scott: [00:17:27] But so few of the hotels are actually open right now. They're still closed because of COVID.
 
Lori: [00:17:33] But even if the salon or excuse me, even if the hotel could make a referral or the concierge at the hotel could make a referral, have you touched base with them? Do they have your new information?
 
Scott: [00:17:44] Yes. Yes, they do actually.
 
Lori: [00:17:46] Great. Great.
 
Scott: [00:17:47] Yeah. I mean the, the ones that I am able to, because a lot of them, you know, the people are on furlough, so the salon's closed and they're not working.
 
Lori: [00:17:58] So you have a book of business. You relied on referrals from your current clients and you had a good reputation with hotels in the area and the concierge in the area. And you are staying connected to them manually and by manually, I mean, you are sending them text messages or you don't have an email system, so you're just emailing them through your own email account. Correct?
 
Scott: [00:18:29] Correct. Or chisel and hammer on stone tablets.
 
Lori: [00:18:37] Pigeon.
 
Scott: [00:18:38] Carrier pigeon
 
Lori: [00:18:39] carrier pigeon. So you can find me.
 
Scott: [00:18:43] Yeah. Yeah.
 
Lori: [00:18:45] I have a question for you. Um, given that we've talked about carrier pigeons, chiseling in stone on a scale of one to 10, one, uh, petrified 10, totally comfortable. What would be your level of comfort using technology?
 
Scott: [00:19:04] Whoa. Um, comfort level is pretty low. Uh, I'm I'm going to say if I'm saying it about myself, someone else saying it about me might have a different number, but about myself, I'm going to say probably a three.
 
Lori: [00:19:22] Okay.
 
Scott: [00:19:22] I mean.
 
Lori: [00:19:23] That's good to know.
 
Scott: [00:19:24] I'm glad I know how to send emails and texts. Um, but I'm pretty, pretty a manual. I'm not very techno-savvy at all.
 
Lori: [00:19:33] So have you ever sent a newsletter via the computer or have you only done paper?
 
Scott: [00:19:40] Only paper? Yeah. There's a whole new world out there for me.
 
Lori: [00:19:44] When you come back to part two, your mind is going to be like blown.
 
Scott: [00:19:52] I will say when I say my comfort level is so low, my willingness is as a much higher number. I'm I'm willing to learn and be taught.
 
Lori: [00:20:03] Well, that's why we're here.
 
Nola: [00:20:05] And that was my question.
 
Scott: [00:20:06] And that's why I'm here.
 
Nola: [00:20:07] Good to hear. Yes, Lori and I are going to brainstorm. And when you come back for the next segment, we're going to share our thoughts and get your feedback and make any adjustments. So we look forward to seeing you in part two and sharing with you what we come up with.
 
Scott: [00:20:27] Excellent. I can't wait.
 
Nola: [00:20:29] So listeners stay tuned because you're going to hear us discuss, Scott's Ask Muse dilemma.
 
Lori: [00:20:38] Put your thinking cap on Nola because I have so many ideas running through my head right now. So many possible. I'm thinking we have personal branding, which was very exciting. We have business branding.
 
Nola: [00:20:53] But within these strange parameters.
 
Lori: [00:20:56] Exactly. But I was thinking about, Oh my gosh, this is such a great opportunity because now people can find him through personal branding, through business branding.
 
Nola: [00:21:07] And location.
 
Lori: [00:21:08] Exactly. And through the salon that he's currently sitting in. So he has multiple ways to build that funnel.
 
Nola: [00:21:16] I love the way you think of it as not roadblocks, but each one is an opportunity because I was like, well, this, this other salon has some other guy's name on it. But, if he makes sure to attach his name to that.
 
Lori: [00:21:28] Exactly.
 
Nola: [00:21:29] That's very good. He's got his Vagabond is...
 
Lori: [00:21:32] Oh yes. Yes. That's another one. Exactly.
 
Nola: [00:21:35] As long as he does the work behind that to get, look, get found, and then he's got his personal name, which is what people are looking for and the carrying their, their business card.
 
Lori: [00:21:44] From a marketing, a digital brand and digital marketing. He is set himself unbeknownst to him, giving him multiple avenues for finding him. That makes it so much easier because at least he has a reputation.
 
Nola: [00:22:02] That is so important. He really thinks about that. He's always thinking about making sure that he's got clients coming in and he just needs to transfer the traditional manual, the traditional way to the digital way and not give up what he's already doing.
 
Lori: [00:22:17] Right. I think the personal approach and, and that's a good way to think about it is it does seem from our backgrounds that, how do you not have a business that has an online presence. Has a digital stamp to it has, uh, keywords used so people can find you. Has a location, so people can find you. We are thinking this way and he's thinking I want each of my clients to feel a connection. To feel that I care about them. I want to remove any obstacle to that direct connection. So there is going to be a bit of a growth transformation for him in recognizing that digital will save him time will make it easy for people to find him and that he can use a brand message and storytelling and a brand voice, all to still have a relationship that will make it so much easier and continuity.
 
Nola: [00:23:25] Yes. He is known for, for just building those real personable relationships and he has the technical expertise. So to be able to encompass all that into a brand that he's known for. I mean, he already has in an informal way, but to make it as formal brand is the next step. And to get him comfortable with that digital footprint, I think it's important that we, that whatever we suggest it's doable for somebody, he called himself a Luddite. So even a Luddite can do it, right.
 
Lori: [00:24:01] Which was, so it was, it was so funny in that. Yes. Yeah, you're right. It'll be a lot smoother. So there's the branding aspect. He can really have a stylish business card. His current business card is basically very bland.
 
Nola: [00:24:21] Simple.  Simple. Well, it has the information and he likes the script and the script is the statement. But yeah, he can control what's on his business card and what's on his webpage. They can have the continuity.
 
Lori: [00:24:34] And he can have brand color elements that lead to a brand on his station. And he can do that in his digital footprint. So people recognize and see him now as a business versus, I mean, he has a salon, but it's not the same as where he came from. So every element he can do to make himself look bigger. But feel personable, like he's always done will not only give him a stamp that he has both the physical and the digital footprint, but he can build on that. Because if you are relying on connecting to your client via text message and a personal email address and a here, let me hand you my newsletter paper, then you're not always in front of mind. Because it relies so much on every effort he's doing. And he has to fit that now in to what, the companies that he worked under, their umbrella that they did for him.
 
So now he has to do all of those processes. He has to figure out that business operation, not just the connection and communication that he's had directly with clients. He's got business names. He does not have a brand that he can really identify. He doesn't have an email system. Everything is related to him personally, which if you're new and you have, you are a prospective client, it doesn't give him the same amount of credibility that his expertise, his training, his years of experience and where he's worked. What that has all given him, he's lost that.
 
Nola: [00:26:31] Well, he does have loyal clienteles who tend to hand other people their business card. But if we could get those, that kind of referral to now be bumped up into online reviews, then that expertise is captured.
 
Lori: [00:26:48] That's true. You're absolutely right. Recommendations. Totally are great.
 
Nola: [00:26:53] They're necessary.
 
Lori: [00:26:55] And then you also go online and look for those reviews. And so now you have the review of your friend, who's a trusted person and you can see the reviews that other people are doing. And that solidifies that recommendation. He doesn't have that, nor does he have a solid location of where I could even find him.
 
Nola: [00:27:15] Right. So these are all perfectly solvable.
 
Lori: [00:27:18] They are. And that's the benefit is because he has that loyal reputation. They can help him build his online footprint much faster and with a very solid place then currently he has.
 
Nola: [00:27:33] And I'm really glad that he's more than willing to learn. He's got the right mindset and he's got the willingness, these challenges are really opportunities. They just need that little bit of tweak. They need the Le the next step toward just updating what is currently doing to the digital age. And I think that he'll be able to keep that funnel of clients coming in.
 
Lori: [00:27:57] He can use the free resources and low cost resources, both for building a website, building a brand, building a personal brand, building his location with reviews. The possibilities for him to take on or with a, a DIY perspective. Plus. The fact that he can do it on a pretty strict budget and make quite an impact. This can be exciting.
 
Nola: [00:28:25] It is.
 
Lori: [00:28:27] As you've gathered, we have a lot of thoughts about the direction, strategy and next steps that will work for Scott. And in part two, you're going to hear what we've come up with and whether or not he's in agreement.
 
So until next time, follow your heart, but use your head.
 
Nola: [00:28:44] Hey listeners, would you like to be a guest on ask muse, head on over to our website, stickybrandlab.com/askmuse and apply. Until next week. Bye.
 
Scott: [00:28:58] So I'm a zookeeper interested in opening an exotic animal.
Oh, you wanted me to be the hairstylist?
 
Nola: [00:29:14] the next segment.
 
Scott: [00:29:15] Yeah.