Our Blog

Even when you absolutely love your job, certain workdays can be long and tiring. Being an independent salon owner, your hours likely vary from day to day. Depending on the needs of your clients, a particular day in the salon might start quite early in the morning or end much later at night. It’s important to take care of yourself in order to stay strong in mind, body, and spirit – all of which affect your salon business. We all need a bit of help sometimes to keep up our stamina, particularly for those of you on your feet all day. You need all the energy you can get to provide the best services possible to your guests. Here are 5 tips to keep you healthy and energized in the salon!  Read More

On Monday, April 27th, the Sola Sessions is heading to the beautiful pacific northwest! If you’ve never been to the Sessions – or if you have and are unsure what’s in store for you – read on. We’re bringing the magic to Portland, and we can hardly wait for you to experience what the Sessions is all about.  Read More

We know you love your studio, and during this season of love, we want to make sure your clients are falling in love with more than your amazing services. We want to make sure they're in love with your studio too! A great way to keep your clients comfortable, happy and coming back for more is to give them that highly coveted spa-like experience. The day-to-day grind leaves most of us feeling worn out and stressed, so coming in for a treatment should feel like a getaway, rather than just another errand on their to-do list.  Read More

While Valentine's Day is intended to celebrate love and romance, it's often that it can leave many who don't find themselves in a relationship to feel isolated while the rest of the world drowns in heart-shaped chocolates and oversized teddy bears. But at Sola, we prefer to use this time of the year to celebrate all kinds of love of, from romance to universal love; like the kind you feel for your clients! So we put together some great ways to make your studio feel festive for Valentine’s day and to show your clients the LOVE!  Read More

For many entrepreneurs, there's an instilled mentality to work hard. Hard work is likely how you've gotten where you are in your career. But working hard 24/7 can only last so long. Eventually, you'll start to feel run down, overwhelmed, and deprived of self-care. To stay on top of your game, it’s not always a matter of pushing harder. It’s about working smarter!   Read More

2020 started with a bang! For the past 20 days, we've celebrated the new decade with our #Sola2020 Challenge, and boy did we have fun seeing our #SolaFam celebrate with us! From studio shots to selfies to reasons why you love being your own boss, we've loved hearing from every single one of you from sharing your goals to learning about your studio name, to hearing why you love being your own #SolaBoss, and so much more.  Read More

When we set out to launch the Faces of Sola program back in 2015, we had a vision to bring together independent salon owners from across the country to share their personal stories and wisdom as beauty professionals, entrepreneurs, go-getters, givers, working parents, philanthropists, artists, educators, and people on a mission to change the world. From the minute we started to get to know the Faces of Sola, we realized we had so many different perspectives and representatives of what it means to live an inspired life as a salon owner at Sola.  Read More

The start of the new year marks a new beginning and an opportunity to change or start new habits. Whether you're a new Sola professional or you've been around the block a few times, take advantage of this fresh beginning by stepping up your salon game. At Sola, we have your back with educational resources, cutting-edge technology and ongoing business and marketing support. So get ready to kick off the new year by taking full advantage of all the Sola tools available at your fingertips. Here are just a few ways for you to get more out of Sola in 2020...  Read More

When a new year rolls around, people tend to use the excitement and momentum to inspire change for the purpose of growth in one or more areas of our lives. Whether it’s a short-lived resolution or a complete lifestyle change, a new year is an ideal time to evaluate where you currently are and where you want to be.  Read More

2019 was more than the end of a decade. For us at Sola, 2019 was a year of change, growth and endless possibilities. Before we leap into the next decade, we wanted to take some time to recap on all the milestones we reached in 2019.  Read More

It's that time to Jingle Bell rock out to some holiday hits. If you are unsure what playlist to have in the background while you work your holiday magic, we've got you covered with a playlist that will keep you jingling to the New Year. Everything from the classics to pop cover faves, you'll be rocking around the Christmas tree the rest of the holiday season.   Read More

The holidays bring light into the coldest and darkest days of the year with some festive cheer. There is something comforting about stepping into businesses and homes that have been given a holiday makeover, even something as simple as peppermint candies in a glass bowl or a poinsettia plant on the window sill. If you love to go all out for the holidays but haven’t had the budget to back you up, you can still bring your clients into a world of festive fun with these simple budget-friendly hack to get your studio into the holiday spirit.  Read More

Retail is an excellent way to boost business as a Solapreneur. Because you get to choose the products you not only use, but sell, AND keep 100 percent of your profits, retail is a huge opportunity to increase your bottom line without spending more hours behind the chair. So even if you're never dabbled in the retail game before, there is no better time to hop on the train than when sales are at an all-time high and many product-based businesses do 60% or more of their sales for the entire year! Take advantage of the holiday splurge-fest with these holiday retailing tips.  Read More

Fall back into savings! The weather is cold, but these deals are hot! We know some of these lines sound super cheesy, but there’s a reason small business owners use them anyway. Seasonal marketing works! As the holidays approach, grab the attention of your clients with these simple seasonal marketing strategies.  Read More

"I'm telling you, every morning when I head into work I have to pinch myself. This is my life. I actually get to make a living doing something I’m truly passionate about! I am able to be creative while creating smiles, it’s one of the most incredible feelings.”  Read More

Living with an attitude of gratitude is a surefire way to have a better business and a better quality of life. Studies on the benefits of gratitude practices show that sharing gratitude via journaling and thank you notes can improve long-term happiness by more than 10% (Conscious Lifestyle Magazine). Both acts of kindness and feelings of gratitude stimulate the release of dopamine in our brains. Dopamine is a chemical linked to the way that we experience pleasure. When we allow ourselves to truly feel gratitude for something or someone, we feel a natural high from both internalizing the gratitude and expressing our feelings.    Read More

Being grateful makes us feel happier. It really is that simple! Find ways to focus on the everyday things that fill you with joy, and you can turn what you already have into everything you could possibly want. No need to wait until Thanksgiving Day: Start unlocking the fullness of life right now with these practical tips from Sola stylists.  Read More

While many refer to the upcoming holiday season as " the most wonderful time of the year," in the salon world, it can be, by far, the craziest and most stressful time of the year. Suddenly, those clients who've been ignoring your text messages for months are practically banging down your door trying to squeeze in so they can feel fab before heading to their holiday celebrations. You can find yourself working earlier days and later nights all while wondering when you are going to have time to pick up those stocking stuffers or prep the Thanksgiving turkey.  Read More

Oh, Yelp! The risky, helpful, intimidating, complex and effective world of Yelp. The goal of Yelp is to connect people with great local businesses. The platform enables customers to review business with ratings and written commentary, in order to showcase real-life experiences with the business in question. At Sola, you are running your own small local business, so Yelp is a great way to get discovered by customers searching for what you have to offer.  Read More

There is a popular old business adage that empowers entrepreneurs to focus on customers that really matter. It is called the 80/20 rule. The 80/20 rule states that about 80% of your sales come from 20% of your clients. The rule indicates that if we focus on the most active 20% of our customers and clients, they will generate 80% of our income.  Read More

At Sola, we want you to create the salon of your dreams with space and structure that empowers your business to flourish. We provide the space, but it is your creative and entrepreneurial spirit that truly brings your studio to life. Your Sola is your castle, your oasis, your creation station, your zone of genius - and it is up to you to make it support your highest goals and dreams.  Read More

Instagram is a powerful tool for any beauty professional to connect with their clients, showcase their work, attract new clients and promote new services and products online. As the algorithms for Instagram are constantly evolving, new tricks arise for how to gain traction, engagement and followers. However, one thing never changes - the more followers you have, the greater reach and impact your account will have on the wide world of Instagram.  Read More

Each season is an opportunity to freshen up your studio look and feel. Even the smallest seasonal touches can go a long way in making your salon feel festive and bright as the days get shorter. Fall is a great time to pump up the ambiance to bring in the buzz of the holiday season. Who doesn’t love pumpkins, gourds and candy for October? Or maybe the more subtle and chic fall toned flower bouquets and cinnamon essential oils are more up your alley.   Read More

You’ve been dreaming about owning your own salon, about the flexibility and autonomy of being your own boss, in a place where YOU get to make all the decisions, including setting your own schedule, picking what products to carry, and decorating the space to fit your personal style. Sounds pretty good, right? Follow these six simple steps to turn your dream of salon ownership into a reality.  Read More

The 11th Sola Sessions took place in Nashville on September 16th, where 300 Sola professionals gathered for a day of inspiration and education from top educators in the beauty industry and their Sola community.Kim Bennett, our event emcee and the first Sola stylist, kicked off the day with a beautiful message of what Sola means to her, which extended throughout the rest of the event. It was all about cultivating a community that focused on "Support, Opportunity, Love, Aspire.” We took that message to heart, and wanted to help support you with opportunities to spread love and aspire for more - whether you were with us at the Sola Sessions or not! Here are some of our top takeaways and favorite moments from the Nashville Sola Sessions!   Read More