Should your salon go pet-friendly?

Should your salon go pet-friendly?

Beauty salons are not the first thing that comes to mind when we think about pet-friendly places. However, more and more salons open up to the idea of clients bringing in their fuzzy friends. Pet-friendly properties, such as restaurants, cafes, bars, bookstores, museums and even cinemas are growing in popularity - and it's finally time for the hair & beauty sector to do the same. And rightfully so - statistics show that the United Kingdom is a nation of pet lovers, with 45 per cent of the population owning some sort of animal, most of them being dogs (26%) and cats (18%). What’s more, over 90 per cent of owners say that owning a pet makes them happy and 88 per cent feel that it improves the quality of their lives. With such statistics, it’s definitely worth asking the question - should your salon go pet-friendly? Let’s take a look at the advantages and disadvantages of such a decision.

Legal issues

Before we jump to conclusions, let’s get the legal issues out of the way. There are no laws restricting your business from being pet-friendly - as long as your business is ready to face sanitary control. There is a misconception that animals cannot be in the same room where food is served, but that’s not true - it’s only the food preparation areas you should keep animals away from. If you are serving beverages in your salon, you have to make sure there is no risk of contamination and that all food preparation areas are up to specified hygiene standards, as set out in EU Regulation (EC) 852/2004, Annex II, applied in the UK by the Food Hygiene Regulations 2013.

Now, making sure a pet will behave well is a whole different story - but it’s actually the pet owner who is legally obliged to make sure their furry friend doesn’t cause problems. Lastly - looking at things from the opposite perspective, as a property owner, you are in power to disallow pets in your salon - except for assistance animals, which you are obliged to let in no matter what.

Pros

You reach the pet-friendly audience (which is massive)

There are approximately 30 million people in the UK who own some sort of a pet. Of course, not all of them want to bring their fuzzy buddies along when getting their hair or makeup done, but still - the target group is impressive. Some pets suffer if left alone at home, so naturally, their owners take them everywhere. There are people who enjoy taking their pet with them to the salon right after a walk - and there are those who don't have any pets, but love being surrounded by them! And we can't exclude people who generally support the idea of pet-friendly businesses.

You get an amazing atmosphere

They say that music has charms to soothe a savage beast. And pets take it a step further. Their presence lowers blood pressure and reduces stress, so you can expect a positive change in your work environment. People tend to be more friendly when surrounded by happy animals - and their social abilities seem to improve as well. Now all your customers have a common ground - so they are likely to engage in friendly chit-chat - and you are safe to ask as many questions about their four-legged friends as you want.

You get great PR right off the bat

Pet-friendliness is a trait that initially makes you look trustworthy and overall sympathetic. Moreover, being pet-friendly is great for your marketing - you can create countless posts on Facebook or Instagram regarding the topic. Plus, cute photos of cats and dogs sitting next to their owners getting pampered are truly a gold mine for your social media presence!

You can go full-on with your eco theme

Salons with a theme are clients' favourite. Having a point of difference - your very own gimmick that makes your business unique always works wonders. If you are all about promoting eco-friendly, vegan, organic and cruelty-free products, becoming pet-friendly seems like a logical next step. A little advice: if your decor includes lots of plants (which is the case for many eco-friendly salons), make sure they are non-poisonous! You don’t want any of your four-legged guests to get poisoned - and believe me, sooner or later one of them will take a bite of your hydrangeas!

Cons

You will lose some customers… and employees

Although most people love animals, not everyone wants their assistance during beauty rituals. There are different reasons why some people will not be happy to visit (or work in) a pet-friendly salon. The two most serious ones being allergies (to fur, saliva or urine) and phobias (such as cynophobia, fear of dogs and ailurophobia, fear of cats). Apart from that, people may simply be deterred by the idea of animals’ fur everywhere, barking, meowing, smells and a possibility of leaks (you know what I mean). Salon clients come in to relax, and not all of them consider beauty salons a place for animals - and they have all the right under the Sun to think so.

You have to prepare both your customers and employees

It’s very important to inform your regulars that you are going pet-friendly - and you have to be prepared for some complaints coming your way. While some loyal clients will appreciate and support your decision, others may be discontent or even leave your business. Either way, your regulars deserve to know as soon as possible - dropping the news on social media will not be enough. Using your Booksy, send all your clients cheerful messages notifying them about the change. Also, don’t forget to add that you are updating your salon policy - which leads us to the next point. It’s more than necessary to update your salon policy and write down rules every pet owner has to follow.

The most basic set of rules include points like:

• Your pet has to be clean and flee free
• Your pet has to be vaccinated
• Your pet has to be house-trained
• Your pet has to be well trained and can’t disturb others by barking or meowing
• Your pet cannot jump up at or pester other people
• Your pet must stay out of staff-only rooms, especially food preparation areas
• You can’t allow your pet to touch other people's beverages - and any other property
• You can’t leave your pet unattended or unsupervised
• You pay for possible damage done by your pet
• It’s your duty to clean after your pet

You have to prepare your salon

Now, allowing pets in your salon definitely requires some planning. Firstly, you need to have enough space, so that both clients and animals can be comfortable. Secondly, you have to make sure your salon is secure - meaning: there is no way for animals to run away, get hurt, burned or have access to dangerous tools and substances. You also need to invest into some comfy beds or pillows for your four-legged guests, as well as bowls for fresh water and preferably some dry food (separately for cats and dogs). Now you have to be even more conscious about hygiene issues and clean the area as often as possible. Also, even though you should keep all tools away from your fluffy visitors, be extra mindful about keeping them sanitised.

You have to be prepared for accidents

Even the most well-behaved pets have their days. It may happen that two dogs will suddenly start barking at each other or even start a fight, or a cat might cough up an impressive furball in the middle of the reception area. Worse-case scenario: a client who is unaware of their allergies may start feeling ill while in the chair. You won’t get bored in a pet-friendly salon, that’s for sure.

Turning your beauty salon into a pet-friendly place can be challenging. If you are thinking about it, you should definitely take your time to consider all the pros and cons. It may be an amazing opportunity, but only if you truly have a heart for it - if you want to do it only because it’s a current trend, you may quickly become tired and annoyed. The crucial part is to keep your clients informed on your pet policies and use your salon’s new point of difference to promote your business - and Booksy will help you with both. So invite four-legged friends and best salon software to your business today!