t's Friday the 13th. The unluckiest thing you can do today? Ignore your numbers. You might tell yourself a few fibs about how your business is doing—your numbers won't. Let's dive in.

In this episode, Phil Jackson walks you through four critical numbers that tell you everything about your salon's health. These aren't weekly metrics—these are quarterly deep-dive numbers that show you exactly what needs fixing and where to focus your strategy for the next three months.

What You'll Learn:

• The four numbers that expose your salon's true health
• What healthy benchmarks look like for each measure
• Why "money in the bank" doesn't mean profitable
• How to spot pricing vs. capacity vs. retention problems
• When being "busy" just means busy being poor

The Four Numbers That Matter:

Number 1: Net Profit Margin

• Formula: (Net Profit ÷ Revenue) × 100
• Healthy: 10-15% minimum (target 15-20%)
• Below 10%: You're in trouble
• What it reveals: Pricing too low, costs too high, or both

Number 2: Revenue Per Client Visit

• Total revenue ÷ Number of visits
• Healthy: Higher than your most popular service
• What it reveals: Pricing structure, retail conversion, profitable vs. busy
• The question: 100 clients at £30 or 60 clients at £60? Same hours, more profit

Number 3: Client Retention Rate

• Percentage returning within expected timeframe
• Healthy: 70% minimum
• Below 50%: Churning clients
• What it reveals: Service quality, pricing alignment, team issues

Number 4: Utilization Rate

• (Billable hours ÷ Available hours) × 100
• Healthy: 85-90%
• Below 70%: Capacity problem
• Above 90%: Pricing opportunity
• What it reveals: Marketing problem or pricing problem

This Week's Action:Calculate all four for January. Track quarterly to see trends. These show you what to work on next.

The Brutal Truth:Numbers are facts. If they're bad, fix the business model or keep pretending until you run out of money.

About Phil Jackson:Phil Jackson is a salon business coach with 27 years of industry experience and a Creative Head Most Wanted Award. He helps salon owners in hair, beauty, and aesthetics build profitable businesses without the hustle BS.

Work with Phil:If you need help fixing what these numbers reveal, that's what Ultimate Clarity does:

• 1:1 Ultimate Clarity Coaching: 90-day intensive delivering your 5-year lifestyle-first business plan, 12-month profit & pricing strategy, and 12-month marketing plan
• Book a free consultation: https://tidycal.com/philjackson/1to1-enquiry
• Email: phil@buildyoursalon.com

February is when you notice the gaps in your diary. Those clients who couldn't get enough of you in December aren't rebooking. You don't have one big retention problem—you have three specific leaks in three specific places. Let's plug them before March.

In this episode, Phil Jackson identifies the three critical points in your client journey where you're losing people and gives you one practical fix for each that you can implement this week.

What You'll Learn:

• The three specific points in the client journey where you're losing customers
• Why "better customer service" is too vague to fix retention problems
• How pre-booking appointments can jump retention rates dramatically
• The power of one personal touch per visit (and how to systematize it)
• Why 48-hour follow-up messages work (and how to template them)

The Three Retention Leaks:

Leak #1: Before They Book

• Problem: Great experience, intended to rebook, just... didn't
• Fix: Book next appointment before they leave (every single client)
• Script: "I need to see you in four weeks time. Let's get that booked now for you."
• Follow-up: Get permission to text if they don't book online
• Impact: Creates consistency, removes friction, positions regular visits as normal

Leak #2: During Their Visit

• Problem: Service was "fine" but nothing memorable
• Fix: One personal touch per visit that shows you remember them
• Examples: "How did that job interview go?" / "I thought of you when I saw this product"
• Implementation: Note one personal detail per visit, reference it next time
• Impact: Personal connection beats perfect technical delivery

Leak #3: After They Leave

• Problem: Happy client leaves, you never contact them again
• Fix: 48-hour follow-up message (every client, every time)
• Templates: "Just checking in after yesterday—how's your hair/skin settling in?"
• Advanced: Product tips, midpoint check, booking prompt
• Impact: Shows you care beyond transaction, keeps you front of mind

This Week's Action:Pick ONE leak to fix (Phil recommends pre-booking—easiest, biggest impact). Team meeting today. Track for one week.

Reality Check:If your service is good and you're still losing clients, these are your three leaks. Plug them before March.

About Phil Jackson:Phil Jackson is a salon business coach with 27 years of industry experience and a Creative Head Most Wanted Award. He helps salon owners in hair, beauty, and aesthetics build profitable businesses without the hustle BS.

Work with Phil:If retention is a symptom of bigger structural issues (pricing, service design, business model), that's what Ultimate Clarity addresses:

• 1:1 Ultimate Clarity Coaching: 90-day intensive delivering your 5-year lifestyle-first business plan, 12-month profit strategy, and 12-month marketing plan
• Book a free consultation: https://tidycal.com/philjackson/1to1-enquiry
• Email: phil@buildyoursalon.com

It's February. Maybe you've just had the worst January you can remember, and you were Googling "how to sell my salon business" at 1am. Before you call a business broker, answer these five questions.

In this episode, Phil Jackson walks you through the critical questions every salon owner needs to answer before deciding whether to sell or fix their business. Selling might be the right answer—or you might be running from fixable problems.

What You'll Learn:

• Five questions to determine if you should sell or fix your salon
• The brutal reality of salon business valuations (and why most owners overestimate)
• What happens to your income when you sell (and why £30k isn't as much as you think)
• What you're actually selling (hint: it's probably worth less than you believe)
• Why "I've tried everything" usually means you haven't
• How fixing your business first maximizes sale price even if you do decide to sell

Phil's Perspective:"If you're at your lowest ebb, you've got nothing to lose. Be bold with your marketing, your pricing, your strategy. What's the worst that can happen? It can't get any worse. And remember—UK salon owners, we've had six months of rain. This isn't your busiest time. Hold on for the sunnier days."

About Phil Jackson:Phil Jackson is a salon business coach with 27 years of industry experience and a Creative Head Most Wanted Award. He helps salon owners in hair, beauty, and aesthetics build profitable businesses without the hustle BS.

Work with Phil:

• 1:1 Ultimate Clarity Coaching: 90-day intensive programme delivering your 5-year lifestyle-first business plan, 12-month profit strategy, and 12-month marketing plan
• Book a free consultation: https://tidycal.com/philjackson/1to1-enquiry
• Website: https://buildyoursalon.com
• Email: phil@buildyoursalon.com

Connect:📧 Email: phil@buildyoursalon.com🎙️ Podcast: Build Your Salon (available on all platforms)📰 Magazine: Salonpreneur Magazine

Episode Timestamps:0:00 - Introduction: February Reality Check1:22 - Question 1: Selling or Running From Problems?2:11 - Question 2: What's It Actually Worth?4:02 - Question 3: What Happens to Your Income?5:34 - Question 4: What Are You Actually Selling?7:55 - Question 5: Have You Actually Tried to Fix It?9:41 - The Fork in the Road: Which Path Is Yours?10:25 - Encouragement: You've Got Nothing to Lose11:17 - Closing & CTA

#salonbusiness #salonowner #sellingabusiness #saloncoach #beautybusiness #hairdressingbusiness #businessvaluation #salonmanagement #buildyoursalon #entrepreneurship