HPS 15: Add Recurring Revenue to Survive ANY Pandemic - Interview with Ray Hornback
Oct 12, 2020
On today’s episode of The Hairpreneur Show, host Ryan Weeden chats with Ray Hornback about how the COVID-19 pandemic has changed their approach to business, finding fulfillment in taking care of yourself, learning new skills through teaching, and more.
Episode Highlights:
- Ryan asks Ray how his business has changed during COVID, and Ray says there’s a lot less chatting among stylists on the floor and he’s able to take far fewer clients since reopening. However, they got reopened pretty quickly once Colorado allowed it.
- Ryan is based in California, so reopening his salon has been slightly slower going.
- Both Ray and Ryan are working fewer days per week and focusing on themselves and their families on their days off.
- In building his salons, Ray had been working very hard, and the pandemic forced him to pivot his business and find a different source of revenue.
- Ray wanted to start his online business for a long time, and he used the pandemic as an opportunity to get it going since he wasn’t able to go to the physical salon location.
- Ray utilized search engine optimization and hired people to make his website stronger.
- Both Ray and Ryan utilize the Kajabi platform for their online businesses.
- Ray specializes in bob haircuts, and posted a master class for stylists who then posted photos of their work. He and another judge evaluated the photos and gave feedback.
- Ray has learned a lot about marketing through expanding his business to online.
- Ray and Ryan have also both found fulfillment through teaching other hair stylists online through Ryan’s business, Masters of Balayage.
- Ray has been posting YouTube hair styling tutorials throughout the pandemic.
- Opt-in value offers are a good way to bring in new customers.
- Ryan recommends using Facebook ads to help generate sales and reach people who are far outside of your current circle.
- Hair styling is a “relationship business,” so it is important to build a community of people who trust you.
- Ray utilized his business analytics on Instagram to evaluate where his niche was and where his viewership was coming from.
- Ray has found a niche in teaching bob hair cutting online.
- Ryan has honed in on balayage as his niche.
- Ray says if he could do anything differently, he would have gotten a better work-life balance sooner, and paid more attention to his social media sooner.
- Ray has been helping stylists who are ready to go out on their own and be independent.
- Ryan emphasizes the importance of finding a new source of recurring revenue during this time, and says that the skills you gain will be applicable to your business once things return to normal.
3 Key Points:
- The current situation with the pandemic can be an opportunity to take a step back from your career and spend time and energy on yourself and your family.
- Niche marketing is very important in building an online business.
- Creating a brand for yourself is a key benefit of being an independent artist.
Tweetable Quotes:
- “You have to take those risks sometimes in order to see a reward.” - Ray Hornback
- “If you don’t put anything out there, you’re never going to know what to fix.” - Ryan Weeden
- “It’s okay to ask for help, it’s okay to fail, it’s okay to just try things out. Things don’t have to be perfect, just start something.” - Ray Hornback
Resources Mentioned:
- Ryan Weeden Instagram Twitter YouTube
- Ray Hornback Instagram YouTube
- Ray Voltage Beauty
- Masters of Balayage Facebook Instagram
- Kajabi
