From First Hairs to First Systems: Helping a Children’s Salon Shine.

Snip-it's Haircuts for Kids of West Seattle provides children, especially those with sensory sensitivities, with more than just a haircut. They offer calm, patient, sensory-safe care in a world that can often be overstimulating. King's Dream Business Consulting was hired to develop systems, tools, logistical roadmaps, and brand strategy that would turn Snip-it's into a community-first salon with sustainable operations and a clear growth plan. 

The Challenge.

Running a niche children's salon is no easy feat, especially when you do it with passion, purpose, and a mission to serve a neurodiverse clientele. After nearly six years in business, Snip-it's has reached a tipping point. Despite providing a valuable and unique service, the salon was experiencing mounting troubles behind the scenes. The company struggled to cover operational costs and was unable to break the barrier to financial stability. 

All customers were derived through word-of-mouth, which is superb, but simply not sufficient, as high client attrition rates were seen as the core client base aged out. With no formal marketing, no community outreach plan, and the owner managing every facet, from budgeting to booking, growth was not just plateauing; it was draining.

When you are sick, you phone the doctor. When your business is ailing, you call a different type of professional: The Physician of Finance. The Counselor of Commerce. The Baron of Business.” - Molly Greenwald, Neighborhood Business Advisor

The Deliverables.

King's Dream offers culturally conscious interventions for organizations at all stages, from stabilization to growth and beyond. For Snip-its, we focused on core business hygiene: process development, customer retention, and outreach toolkits. Our consultants conducted an operational and brand audit to identify gaps in workflow, visibility, and growth planning.

From there, we devised a strategic blueprint to build internal systems and expand community engagement that consisted of the following categories:

• Brand Strategy and Differentiation

• Marketing Plan and Visibility Roadmap

• Strategic Partnership Identification

• Operational and Administrative Support Plans

• Performance Metrics and Tracking Guides

The Strategy. 

Our first step was to refine Snip-It's brand identity. We clarified its niche – "Seattle's go-to sensory-safe salon for children" and developed messaging that could be utilized across social media, flyers, advertisements, and website updates. We emphasized their unique partnership with Sensory-Safe, positioning them as a leader in inclusive hair care. 

Next, we introduced structured tools for visibility and retention, designed to attract various target market archetypes. We created a 30-day marketing calendar with simple, plug-and-play content ideas. Furthermore, we cultivated a social media strategy with low-lift, high-impact content ideas, including testimonial spotlights, behind-the-scenes clips, and sensory-friendly haircare tips. Additionally, to build retention, we launched the "Snip and Smile" referral and loyalty program, featuring a branded punch card and clear rewards. 

Given the importance of community engagement in achieving success for small businesses, our consultants have curated lists of potential partners for outreach, along with email templates and sample collaboration concepts. For instance, "Sensory-Safe Haircuts 101" with local PEPs groups, occupational therapy clinics, etc. Since this entity operates in a unique environment, success is derived from maintaining strong partnerships with values-aligned organizations. Ultimately, augmenting Snip-it's capabilities whilst simultaneously helping other businesses with a similar message. 

Once we tackled the external functions of marketing, branding, and community collaboration, it was time to shift the focus to the internal facets of the business by introducing tools and procedures to alleviate operational strain. The goal was to institute strong operating procedures, delegate workflow effectively among staff, and eliminate administrative bottlenecks. It is a common challenge in small businesses that lack capital to find the balance between running a lean, functional organization and maintaining clear task delegation and accountability among all members.

When the owner is entrenched in day-to-day operations, they lose their ability to be where they are needed most – in the community, serving as the face of the company. 

We advised on elements such as staffing and team dynamics, clear workflows, administrative tasks for delegation, tracking of Key Performance Indicators (KPI's), and process improvement protocols to streamline daily logistics. Every solution was designed not only to grow the business, but also to protect the owner's time and energy. 

“When there are too many hands in the proverbial pot, this engenders operational inefficiencies, redundancy and lack of accountability. All of which translate to one fundamental issue – detriment to the bottom-line." Says Greenwald.

The Results. 

A Calm Cut Toward a Clearer Future. 

By the end of the engagement, Snip-It's was not only more organized, but it was also more confident. The owner had a clearer understanding of her market, new partnerships in development, an arsenal full of tailored business instruments, and an outline on how to proceed. No longer was the business trapped at a plateau; it had finally acquired the right tools for growth and sustainability. Owner and CEO, Kimora Lee Siu, entered this collaboration with challenges and tribulations, and left with customized strategies furnished by Business experts. We cannot do what Kimora does, but this is how our business advisors at King's Dream play our part in ensuring the lasting success of each organization that grants us the opportunity for collaboration.