[00:00] Antony Whitaker: Hey, it's Antony here and welcome to another episode of the grow my cell on business podcast. And whether this is your first time, or perhaps you are a regular listener, thank you for tuning in today. And as this has been released on Tuesday, the 31st of December, 2024. I want to take this opportunity to wish you and your family a safe and happy and prosperous new year.
[00:27] Antony Whitaker: Okay. Our podcast is growing and we need your help to continue growing because we want to get to help as many people as possible. And you are our only marketing budget. So if you're listening on your favorite podcast app, then give us a five star review and a follow and make sure that you share it with your friends.
[00:46] Antony Whitaker: As that would be very kind of you and much appreciated now over the next few weeks, we will be promoting both our online money course, which launches soon as well as our business school live two day event in the house of Sassoon in London. So keep an eye on your inbox or click on the link in the show notes of today's podcast.
[01:09] Antony Whitaker: Now, I also want to take this opportunity to thank Melinda, who, as well as being my wife, is also my business partner. And although she likes to take a back seat in terms of any sort of public profile, I can assure you that without her here, absolutely nothing would get done. So thank you, Melinda. So with that said, on with today's episode.
[01:32] Antony Whitaker: Now for most people, the last few days of December are a time for winding down as 2024 draws to a close. But it's also a time to reflect and to reinvigorate as you get ready for a new year ahead. I recognize that the beginning of the year is an important time for most of us, and that's usually because it feels like a new beginning, an opportunity to start with a clean slate.
[01:59] Antony Whitaker: Now, of course, every day has the potential for a new beginning. And you don't have to wait until the beginning of the year to start afresh, because you can start afresh at any time you decide. But the beginning of the year has lots of Symbolism and tradition around change and new beginnings, and perhaps in some ways that might make it easier, as you know that you're not the only one that's using a new year as a chance to start again.
[02:26] Antony Whitaker: Now traditionally, Many people start the new year with goals of fitness and getting back into shape. And so they hit the ground running, meaning that they start with great intentions on January the 1st, and then they go out and they join the gym or they start pounding the streets.
[02:43] Antony Whitaker: But unfortunately, all the data says that most of them don't have the stamina to maintain the discipline needed and so the overwhelming majority of people don't last more than a couple of weeks before slipping back to their old ways. But I'm not here to talk about physically getting back into shape.
[03:05] Antony Whitaker: I am here to talk about getting your business in shape. Now, 2024 was a great year for many people in business, but let's face it, it was also a very challenging year for others. If I go back to my analogy of physically getting in better shape for a moment, usually the catalyst for change will revolve around seeing the numbers on the bathroom scales or perhaps the reflection in the bathroom mirror.
[03:32] Antony Whitaker: Either way, whether it's the numbers on the bathroom scales or the numbers on the tape measure. We think to ourselves that things can't go on this way. And so we decide that we need to make some changes to our lives, usually around diet and exercise. Now, from a business point of view, the same thing applies, except that the numbers aren't on the bathroom scales or the tape measure.
[03:56] Antony Whitaker: Instead, they're on the weekly computer printout or the profit and loss or the numbers on the bank account statement. And so, whether you're committing to lose 10 pounds in weight or run a half marathon this year, either way, There are numbers and measurable goals that will define your success or not.
[04:19] Antony Whitaker: And the same applies to business, except the numbers will be measuring things like the amount by which you want to increase your total sales, whether that's on a weekly, monthly or annual basis, and whether that increase will come from retail sales or service sales. And if it's coming from service sales, then what particular services will it most likely come from?
[04:39] Antony Whitaker: On the other hand Some of you might have goals around the staffing levels or numbers for rebooking percentages and average bills and client retention rates and total client numbers etc. And then some of you might have goals around decreasing the numbers in relation to expenses. Either way, I encourage you to start the year with an understanding of what the numbers were in 2024, and then set some goals for what you would like those numbers to be in 2025.
[05:13] Antony Whitaker: But regardless of what you're measuring, the numbers are simply a reference of the reality, the unemotional facts of what's happening in your business. But if you're serious about change, knowing what the numbers are and then setting some goals around what you want those numbers to be is just the first step.
[05:35] Antony Whitaker: Because what's more important than the numbers themselves is the next step, which is acknowledging that the numbers are simply the results. And the results are a reflection of the actions and behaviors that drive those numbers. And so if you want to change the numbers, you need to focus on changing the actions and behaviors that drive the numbers.
[05:59] Antony Whitaker: And that's the hard bit. So if I go back to my getting fit and losing weight analogy for a moment, obviously if you wanna lose weight or get fit, the actions and behaviors are gonna revolve around changes to diet and exercise. And what's driving the change is a desire for a different outcome. But the problem is that self-discipline doesn't last because it's hard and statistically most people give up.
[06:28] Antony Whitaker: So what's the solution? How do you bring about lasting change in any area of your life or business? Well, I think the key to creating lasting change in your business and in your life is about changing your habits and creating new habits that reinforce the person that you want to be and the business that you want to create.
[06:47] Antony Whitaker: Changing the habits that you have is the key to changing who you are and the actions and behaviors that determine the results you get. Now, I know that might sound all counterintuitive, but what's important here is that you think less about the goals and more about the habits that you need to create that will get you there.
[07:08] Antony Whitaker: You see, we all have habits, we have good habits like getting out of bed at a certain time, taking a shower, brushing your teeth, getting dressed, making coffee, eating breakfast, etc. These are just habits that we do without thinking and they become a system that you follow, in most cases, literally without thinking.
[07:28] Antony Whitaker: Now, in a successful business, the salon owners have habits such as looking at their numbers on a daily, weekly, monthly basis, looking for patterns, looking for opportunities. They're setting goals and evaluating what is and isn't working, and they're spending time training their team and making time to give those on their team feedback and coaching them one to one on ways to improve performance.
[07:52] Antony Whitaker: And all of those things. Are the habits that successful salon owners have because they recognize that when you combine all of those small habits, you are in effect creating a system because that's all a system is a collection of daily habits. So as we begin 2025, start by identifying the goals that you want to achieve this year.
[08:18] Antony Whitaker: Then ask yourself what would need to happen for those goals to become a reality? I always find that a good question to ask yourself is, what are the habits that someone who is good at doing whatever it is, what are the habits that they have and do? 
[08:36] Antony Whitaker: So, for example, what are the habits that someone who is good at rebooking does? Or what are the habits that someone who is good at achieving a high average bill does?
[08:47] Antony Whitaker: Or what are the habits that someone who is good at managing a team does? I'm sure you get the idea. So what are the habits that you would need to have and in place in order to achieve your goals, whatever they are? And whatever the answers are that you then come up with, you then repeat those daily habits again and again and again.
[09:08] Antony Whitaker: So that over time they become a system, they become part of who you are. And then focus on the system, not the goal, because the goals have an end point. You either achieve the goal or you don't. But following a system lasts forever. So think less about the result and more about the habits that will get you there, because that way, the results will take care of themselves.
[09:36] Antony Whitaker: So with all that said, we do need to start winding this episode up, but before we do, we have multiple free resources on our website from our weekly podcast to the two minute salon manager, as well as our paid for resources, whether it's our books, our one to one coaching or our online courses.
[09:53] Antony Whitaker: So thank you so much for joining me this week. If you've enjoyed this episode, then please leave us a review. Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated. They do matter in the rankings of the show and they help other people to find my podcast. So until next week, happy new year.
[10:10] Antony Whitaker: Thank you for being a listener and together let's make 2025 a great year.