Transforming Utopia: How Strategic Changes and Team Empowerment Revitalized a Beauty Clinic

In this episode, Susan sits down with Stefania Rossi, the owner of Utopia Advanced Skin Care and Beauty Clinic in Hornchurch. They reflect on their decade-long journey together, discussing Stefania's transformation of a failing salon into a multi-award-winning business. Stefania shares her insights on recruitment, emphasizing the need for employers to present themselves as desirable workplaces and to be proactive in their hiring processes. Stefania's story is both inspiring and informative for anyone in the beauty business.   KEY TAKEAWAYS The journey of turning Utopia Advanced Skin Care from a discount-driven, failing salon into a multi-award-winning clinic involved strategic changes, including removing discounts. Building a strong team culture was crucial. The focus was on making team members feel like they had a stake in the business, which led to increased motivation and retention. Utilizing salon software, such as Phorest, allowed for better data collection and analysis, enabling informed decisions about treatment times, and pricing. A structured recruitment process is essential. By defining the ideal candidate profile and having a clear recruitment plan. Ongoing training and development for both the team and management are vital in the beauty industry.   BEST MOMENTS "I came out from a very different background from a corporate world... I bought Utopia, which came with its own challenges, and it was the best choice of my life." "Once we took the discounts out straight away, that was really where we started to unfold what was actually going on inside." "Winning that particular award... was a massive credit to my team. It was this is you guys, you know." "It's a process. That's all it is. It's like stripping your business back, looking at what you've got and then building it back from there." "Recruitment becomes a reactive process... when we rush and we make mistakes and we run around and we employ the wrong people." SPONSOR https://www.phorest.com/ https://share.hsforms.com/1Z3Q1VRM8TNqfn11f4cZyPA1c4ta   HOST BIO Susan Routledge is a distinguished figure in the beauty industry with over 38 years of experience. As a multi-award-winning salon owner and international business consultant, she's recognized among the top UK industry influencers for her passion and dedication.  Known for her down-to-earth, light-hearted approach, Susan is an international speaker and established awards judge. She founded the exclusive Beauty Directors Club, a global membership community for salon, clinic, and spa owners, offering business resources and multi-expert advice. Susan also created the online "Salon Success Freedom" program to help beauty businesses thrive. Susan founded and has grown her clinic of 36 years in Co. Durham into the largest independent beauty salon in Northeast England. She is the creator of the trademarked STABLE business formula and author of "The Little Book of Client Retention" and the world's No. 1 bestsellers "Beauty and the Best" 1 and 2.  She serves on the Professional Board for BABTAC, helping to represent and raise industry standards, and on the advisory board for the prestigious PHAB Service Stars. Susan's expertise continues to shape and elevate the beauty industry worldwide. GUEST LINKS https://www.instagram.com/stefaniarossirecruitment/ https://www.stefaniarossi.co.uk/ USEFUL LINKS https://susanroutledge.com https://www.instagram.com/susan_routledge/ https://marketing.susanroutledge.com/beauty-and-the-best-chapters  https://marketing.susanroutledge.com/blueprint-masterclass   

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