Working smarter not harder

Closed. Closed. Closed. Closed. Closed. Five independent hair salons within walking distance of each other in London’s Soho locked up for the day by 7pm this evening just as the streets were beginning to fill with their target clientele.

Four of the five are also closed on Sundays, the day most people have the least to do. At least two thirds of the surrounding shops shared the same opening hours. A few minutes’ walk to Oxford Street and the big brands were still milking every minute of shoppers’ paradise.

Am I missing something here? Can small independent traders really afford to turn away business?

I guess it tells you who's running a lifestyle business and working the hours they want and who's running a profit driven business servicing the hours its customers' prefer.

Thing is it needn't even mean working longer hours, maybe just smarter hours. For instance, I'd wager all the salons I passed tonight could take more money from 7-9pm than the 10am-12noon they're open for.