How to Promote a Hair Salon Without Going Broke

Distribute bounce-back coupons to customers when they pay their bill. Offering a discount to be used on their next visit encourages repeat business.

Form a partnership with other businesses in your area that offer services and products that compliment your salon. Offer them gift certificates at a discounted price that they can give out to their own customers. For example, a tanning salon or gym could give a gift certificate from your shop to all of their customers that purchase a top-of-the-line package or membership. They can promote it to their clients as part of a "new you" campaign.

Consider offering to donate a portion of every sale to a local charity or offer discounts when customers donate specific items requested for a charity. To help advertise the promotion you can have the charitable organization involved distribute flyers promoting the event. You can also ask elementary school administrators and preschools if they would send flyers home with their students. Schools are often willing to do this when it provides a benefit to a local charity, and it helps you get the word out to a massive audience with little cost.

Talk to local realtors and home builders in the area and ask them to distribute coupons for a free haircut to their clients at their loan closing. Have them attach one of their business cards to the back of the coupon and tell them once a certain number are redeemed they qualify for a gift certificate from your salon. This is a great way to capture business of people moving into your area that are looking for a new place to have their hair done.

Cross-promote your salon with non-competing businesses in your area by setting out flyers or coupons in an acrylic brochure holder. Be sure to make it a "bring this with you" offer so that you can track the effectiveness of the promotion. If you don't get much response from one particular business, try a different one.