Employers in Small Businesses, especially, are feeling the drop off in customers thanks to the economic downturn. Services that people took for granted as having performed by professionals are now being relegated as do it yourself or DIY projects. Everything from lawn care to hair, skin and beauty care, are now being revisited ad DIY. People need to save money, and these are areas that shave more than a couple of bucks from the budget.
It seems like yesterday, in fact it was yesterday when people took for granted they would outsource these services. People thought they were financially comfortable enough to have their basis services performed. Some saw it as a spoiled generation, while others saw it as a natural evolution. However you saw it, that doesn’t matter. The fact is people had money to spend for the necessary maintenance as well as for the luxury goods and services.
The gardener tended to the lawn and shrubs, the hairdresser fussed over your hair length and color. You had massages, your legs waxed, nails done, manicures and pedicures. It seemed that everyone deserved to be pampered. It wasn’t a luxury, but a necessity.
You had the full-time nannies, even for women who were stay at home moms. You had dog walkers, personal trainers, and, speaking of pets, any number of accessories you could lavish on your furry loved ones. There are oil changes and tune ups for the automobiles, cleaning, ironing, all sorts of things we so rightly felt we deserved to have done for us. But to coin a Bob Dylan line, “It”s all over now, Baby Blue.”
Obviously, the businesses that offer these services are seeing a major problem. According to a recent article in the New York Times, not only is there a drop off off in business, the business owners ae often compelled to lower prices for existing customers. Otherwise they could loose these people as well. It is a tough situation, no doubt about it.
Conversely, many people have been outsourcing or sub-contracting their basic household services for so long, they really don’t know how to perform these tasks. With a more complex and techno9logical world, there are other services that are too sophisticated for them to address. Because of the necessary equipment and technology, some of these services will always be outsourced. As for the other, more basic types osf services, people will experiment until they get it right. Or not.
What to do? perhaps the smaller businesses should take a lesson from the large outfits and offer courses in how consumers can do it themselves. With thye understanding that this rotten economy will be around for awhile, it may be a long time before people decide to spend their money on such services. In fact, like the folks who lived through the Great Depression, who use that last piece of soap, finish everything, etc., there may be life lessons to which people adhere even after the economy starts to turn around.
So maybe it is good to offer traing. If you are a hair salon, you won’t be doing it for extra money, you will be doing it for aesthetic principles as well. We don’t need to see some bad dye jobs and some rusty orange hair bobbing along the sidewalks. Better you and your hair and beauty care instruments than the dangerous and ineffective stuff we see on those late nigh informercials. Train people how to do things well, so they don’t hurt themselves. Can’t have women coming to your nail salon with only one good hand.
Or price it down. Offer discounts. Group rates. Have Wednesday specials. Cut out the emphasis on the high maintenance areas and offer services that they feel they can maintain on their own for extended periods. Show them how they should still come to see you, but with lower maintenance they can visit your shop less frequently. Sell them green goods that won’t make them sick. Offer a variety, a mix of training and in-house services. Have a preemployment screening program, so you can pick up employees who are out of work and willing to work elsewhere, for a lot less money. People with experience or a given expertise. It may be time to beef up your services and not just trim them.
There are somethign like 18 million service people in our economy. some will be going out of business or out of work. Perhaps you can help out your favorite hair dress or manicurist when they are out of work by slipping them a few bucks to come to your house and tend to your needs. Not all the time, but here and there. Throw some money their way. If you can afford it. See if you can. After all, it’s better to put some money in another person’s pocket than to be overly indulgent. The dog can make do with last year’s coat.