Summer means warmer weather, family vacations and kids home from school. Unfortunately for salon owners, these things also contribute to what the beauty industry calls the "summer slump." Avoid the summertime blues by boosting your salon business with sensational summer promotions. Good summer promotional ideas can energize your staff and catapult your business into the busy fall season.

Summer Breeze Blow Out

Nothing destroys hair like summer heat and humidity. Help clients fight the frizz while increasing your summer revenue by offering discounts on blow out services. These services should include a quick shampoo, blow dry and style. If completed in less than 45 minutes, blow dry services can generate extra cash with minimal overhead. Target career woman, who want to maintain a professional and polished look, by offering these services during lunch at a reduced rate all summer.

Sassy Sandal Season

As soon as temperatures rise, socks and boots come off and women want to flaunt their toes. Take advantage of this summer ritual by partnering with a local shoe store to host "Sassy Sandal Season." Cross promote services by offering discounts on pedicures to those who purchase sandals from the shoe store. Offer specials on sandals to your customers who book pedicures. End the week-long event with a sandal and pedicure fashion shoe, showcasing the latest nail colors and pedicure designs.

Cut-A-Thon

Hosting a Cut-A-Thon improves your salon's reputation in the community, attracts new customers and builds your business. Start by selecting a cause dear to your salon or the community. Hold the Cut-A-Thons on a day when your salon is closed -- you gain, instead of lose revenue. Offer cuts at discounted prices and donate proceeds to the charity of choice. Ask staff to donate their skills and time, explaining that they will have a chance to gain new clients while working for a worthy cause. Have a representative from the charity in attendance to give the Cut-A-Thon credibility and help garner publicity. Alert the local media before and after the event. Take plenty of pictures to post on your website and social networking sites.

Free Hair Color Event

According to a 2012 survey conducted by Clairol, more than 60 percent of women are unhappy with their hair color. Their dissatisfaction is an opportunity for you to create clients for life. Offer free hair color with any hair cut. Send out postcards to promote the event and limit the offer to first-time color clients only. Increase the likelihood of client retention by scheduling appointments with the salon's best colorists. When these new customers check out, present them with bounce-back coupons with discounts on their next color service. This incentive to come back, along with a bag of free product samples, will send them off singing your salon's praises, instead of the summertime blues.