Gearing Up For The Holidays

While Group Editorial Director Judie Bizzozero is jet-setting around Germany at SOLARIA 2007, I’m here holding down the fort. So I’d like to take this opportunity to say that it was great to finally meet many of the people who are key forces in this industry at the ITA Tanning World Expo this October—especially because I was finally able to put faces with names.

For those who I’ve already worked with, I look forward to many more encounters; for those who I haven’t yet had the opportunity to coordinate with editorially, I’m sure we’ll be speaking soon.

As we round out the fall months and enter into winter, the holidays are about to swing into full force. The 2008 season will be here before you know it, and between gatherings of friends and family—and braving the malls for holiday shopping—it’s easy to succumb to the stresses of the season. Keep yourself on track by learning one important lesson: delegating with authority. Many business owners dislike delegating because they believe the allocated task will “fall through the cracks” or won’t be done how they like it done. That’s not an effective way to run your business; it simply causes you more stress and leads your employees to believe that you don’t trust them or don’t want them to take on new responsibilities.

So, instead of trying to be the superhero salon owner, you need to learn the art of delegation. This will make your business more productive and free up some time for you to focus on your business goals—so that, while you’re busy spending money during the holidays, you’ll be setting up your salon to make money during a profitable 2008 season.

One thing to be aware of, though, is that delegation is a process. For it to be effective, you need to take the time to get the process right. Follow the five steps to delegating effectively on page 38 to ensure everything goes smoothly, and you’ll find that successful delegation pays great dividends in the form of on-track company objectives and reduced work-related stress, whether you’re a manager or an owner.

Ultimately, this will ensure that you have a much more enjoyable—and stress-free— holiday season, and leave you feeling confident that you are ready for 2008.

P.S. In case you didn’t know, eggnog helps, too.

All the best,

Danielle R. Maheux
Managing Editor