Focus 2022 -Move forward what matters.

Focus 2022 -Move forward what matters.

I’m sure that you’ve noticed that the pressures on our Beauty and Skin business owners and business leaders because of COVID lockdowns. Our face-to-face discussions, often over coffee, with our colleagues in business have been destroyed by lockdowns and the impersonal nature of zoom does not replace these face-to-face interactions. And because we do not have these avenues, where we can talk and check our thinking, or get another opinion or ‘sound out an idea’ or ‘new way of looking at a problem’ we have become stressed in business.

 I have noticed that business owners and leaders have internalised their problems and then allowed them to disproportionately affect their minds. What happens in this environment is that the problems are not being addressed. And the fact there then is a business owner or manager with a problem that is growing out of proportion.

 For some, this could be a major issue and may require professional direction. For others that will be a case of understanding what is happening, learning how to manage the narrative that is occurring in their minds, or having resources, as professional business coach, available that will enable them to get back on track.

As always, there are a lot of different factors at play in this February business community now. Here are three factors that I see in New Zealand Beauty Therapy and Skin Industry 2022.

1.Record high inflation

Though interest rates were already low before COVID-19, the start of the pandemic only complicated things further. New Zealand Government and banks {around the world} resorted to increasing the supply of money and handing out stimulus cheques indiscriminately to offset the effects of the pandemic. As the economy began rebounding, a combination of issues in supply chains, tighter labour markets, and excess money led to an imbalance of supply and demand in the markets – pushing inflation to record high levels. When inflation is high, each dollar has less spending power, everything is more expensive, and interest rates need to start going back up again to try to manage it.

Government and our Federal bank [ and globally] typically increase interest rates to tame high inflation but doing so can also negatively affect consumer spending and businesses. All this impending change has contributed significantly to the current market volatility.

2.Low unemployment and Industry staff shortages

With our border closed we have no additional assistance that our overseas Skin Therapists, Beauty Therapists and masseuses usually provide to our market. We have also been affected with regards the vaccine mandates. Near 15 % of our Industry workforce has been affected – selecting their rights to not choose to vaccinate and disenabling them to stay within their current Government mandated vaccine required role.

As I visit the Beauty Therapy training providers to share OBSERV and Skin Analysis Education I am reminding the students that there are many vacant positions awaiting those who graduate in Industry.

3. A Paucity in Industry specific Skin Education

Did you know that almost 80% of women and men do not have a realistic and physiologically based knowledge of their Skin Type and Conditions? As I travel throughout New Zealand Medi-Spas and clinics I have seen a change to a focus on “Skin Health and Non-Surgical aesthetic treatments”. This focus has led to the creation of results -driven skin treatment modalities in clinic and the necessary increased use of diagnostic technology that allows every Skin Therapist to track the progress of their clients over the years and to prescribe bespoke retail home care regimes.

These days, there are many types of treatment to correct the differing skin conditions and signs of ageing in the skin. The key to provide a tailored approach to our client skin needs and goals is to have unbiased insights and visual proof of the starting point, the skin type and condition. To bolster this move in Industry there is a need for specific skin education knowledge to capture the complexity of these skin types, conditions, and skin health and to be able to then share the data, interact with the client and discuss at a level of client understanding the professional skin treatments that are required to achieve 2022 skin goals.

Skin Specific Education will enhance your brand and all team members with credibility and expertise.

What next then Margaret, you may well ask?

Let us acknowledge that our brain is wired to resist what it perceives as hard to welcome what is perceives to be easy! My suggestion is to take the problems I have outlined and ask, ‘What if these three essential problems could be made easy to deal with?’

Set aside a planning and strategy morning for yourself away from work. You are now in a state of focus, clarity and calm.Ideas may include.

• Shrink your menu to skin- focus only delivery?
•  Market and Sell package deals to clientele to save them dollars and keep your columns full and increase prices on single visits.
• Talk with your broker or bank to rejig interest rates on loans
• Could you utilise an apprentice to assist with staff shortages?
• Liaise with the Beauty Therapy training providers to invite students in for on -job experience so you could offer someone a role in the future if they gelled with your Work Culture.
• Work only with Industry providers of Skin Education to enhance the retail ranges or diagnostic equipment you purchase that will enhance your credibility and expertise and grow #skinnerds in 2022 for your business.

When we remove the complexity, even the slightest effort can move what matters forward!

Yours Positively,

Margaret Walsh – OBSERV NZ.