1. Set up shop down the hall from a retirement residence - the Merrill Gardens retirement community - near Seattle's University Village.
2. Make it a trip to the salon a fun spa-day, the majority of residents will embrace it.
3. Keep the background music subdued: Seattle's KIXI-AM (880) plays Johnny Mathis, Henry Mancini, Barbra Streisand — the music they're used to listening to.
4. Use special sensitivity, and special equipment, to serve some of the elderly customers. Senior Salons makes use of "comfort cape" so Seattle seniors in wheelchairs can stay seated while getting their hair shampooed.
5. Get rid of a no-show fee. Some residents have memory loss. The salon phones customers the morning of their appointment as a reminder.
6. Change up the salon according to the time of year. In autumn, for example, hang wreaths of artificial orange leaves over the salon's mirrors. This autumnal feel helps seniors feel more of a sense of place and time. Seasonal decorations make seniors with memory-loss issues feel more comfortable.