Are You Ready For The Second Half of 2011?

1. CND Shellac 6 new shades coming this September

2. OPI Gel Polish coming late Fall

3. NaYo Healthy Hair for a Healthy Body campaign. Already, NaYo is gaining traction is the USA’s best salons as they all crave it’s no ammonia, no PPD and no odor high lifting formula.

4. Updated kemonusa.com website

5. Enhanced supplier-buyer software to increase order efficiency, enhance delivery dates and increase our fill rate of 99.1%.

6. New TEXAS store openings

7. black 15in1 new product launch this October, truly one of the most exciting launches ever

8. Ginger Lily Farms Botanicals launch this October. This one will be a homerun for salons looking to capture the magic Graham Webb once had with its Back to Basics line

9. Launching Coverderm in the USA- this is by far the best camouflage makeup line I have ever seen

10. Believe it or not, little square white and orange buffing blocks that you tear off. Cost about a nickel and are disposable for each client. This is very cool. The economy should grow about 3% in the second half  boding well for employment. It sure would be nice to see the unemployment rate get closer to 8% than 9%. And it sure would be nice to see housing finally moving back in the right direction. For salons and spas, those that survived the downturn should be in good shape and need to continue to tweak their brands, pricing and services offered. Retailers and service establishments are raising prices-salons and spas need to do the same. And brands are more important than ever with the continued success of ULTA and amazon.com, brands that differentiate and not available everywhere will dominate. On the personal side, exercise, healthy eating, and sleep still remain the keys to success. New warning photos on cigarette packs will help smokers quit but we need to take more responsibility for our own actions. And this will mean we will pay more to indulge. Already companies have quit hiring smokers or have increased premiums (we charge smokers more), but more increases will be on the way for many more categories. It’s motivating to see people take up running, weight lifting and other physical activities. It’s summer, now is the perfect time to at least start walking. Yes, the second half is encouraging and there are no elections to deal with. 2012 will be a whole new game but until then, let’s make the best of the second half of 2011. Happy Tuesday!