The New Year presents every business with the opportunity to set new goals and kick-start fresh initiatives. The key to realizing these aspirations—and truly adding value to your business—is making sure they are both mission-critical and attainable. Enhancements that would be “nice to have” won’t sustain your motivation all year round. As you determine your tattoo business New Year’s resolutions for 2020, make sure these four items make the list.
- Commit to eco-friendliness. Going green is easier than ever, and what was once an eco-differentiator for your tattoo shop is now becoming an expectation from consumers. Eco-friendly products are increasingly available, affordable and as effective as traditional brands. Not only will your business help the environment, but a commitment to doing so will impress your customers. In Nielson’s 2015 Global Corporate Sustainability Report, 66 percent of consumers said they are willing to spend more on a product if it comes from a sustainable brand. Additionally, 81 percent of millennial’s expect their favorite brands to make public commitments to corporate responsibility. While this may seem like a big ask for a tattoo business, showing an investment in community and citizenship will go a long way with customer loyalty.
2. Track social media success. Starting to share campaigns on social media is important, but do you understand how those campaigns directly or indirectly impact your business? Right now, you may be pushing out social media content with little insight into what types of posts are working or why. In 2020, you should analyze your social campaign effectiveness with these focuses:
- Record your digital footprint—use a spreadsheet to keep track of 1) post engagement to see the success of the social campaign and 2) followers and likes to see how campaigns affect your overall social presence
- Analyze web traffic—understand how your campaigns lead to web visitors by tracking 1) total traffic, 2) traffic by channel and 3) visitor location (where are your visitors coming from?)
- Establish campaign objectives—are your efforts focused on finding new prospects? Promoting a new offering? Creating brand awareness?
3. Step up customer satisfaction. Focusing on customer service seems like a no-brainer, but 2020 is the year to start going beyond just asking, “are you happy with today’s service?” Take the time to learn what you can do to make customer service your business’s differentiator. Consider adding services your customers want, and make sure the services you already deliver are catered to the people paying for them. Whether it’s soliciting customer suggestions, making the online booking experience more convenient or simplifying checkout, there is always more you can do to enhance customer retention.
4. Boost productivity—for a better work/life balance. With your busy schedule, work/life balance can seem like a luxury not afforded to a tattoo business owner. Yet by enhancing productivity, you can make it possible for you and your employees. Set expectations with your staff from the onset, delegate where possible and, most importantly, use technology to lighten your load. There are so many mundane, daily tasks that tattoo software can streamline or absorb (think: scheduling, sending appointment confirmations, tracking inventory). 2020 could look a lot different if you start the year by implementing the right technology.
New Year’s resolutions should not be limited to buying a gym membership or traveling more. Your tattoo business will benefit from you mapping out your annual objectives now. Learn how InkBook software can help put these plans into action here.
