Bold and bouncy

Freya Piper’s talent in hair styling has allowed her to build a business empire and win awards in the industry at just 20 years old. Featuring as this month’s Rising Star, Freya shares her story on how she found her niche, stands out from the crowd and built her large social following.

What ignited your passion for hair?

I had my mind set on a career in fashion; this all changed when I learnt to do my first blow-dry. Before I knew it, I left college to dedicate my time to styling hair. From a young age, I wanted to start my own business and my love for blow dries made it possible.

What steps did you take to build and maintain your large client base?

The first step to building my client base was offering a service that was hard to find specialists in. I was the first in the area (that I know of) to offer strictly bouncy blow-dries; presenting a niche service helped me stand out and soon enough I was known as ‘the girl that does blow-dries’. Building good relationships is a key part of maintaining your client base. You’re the face, heart and soul of your business.

To grow my business, my location mattered and I had to consider how accessible I was for an appointment whilst also finding a reputable salon to work in. After only a couple of weeks, I started working alongside the best in the area, which meant I gained clients quickly. I met potential customers, explained my services and really encouraged girls to come to me. If you’re struggling with building a client base, put yourself out there! If they can’t find you, you find them.

I have to be creative every day and consistency is key; reaching 10k will be a huge achievement. Branding on Instagram is important, a unique logo and name will make your page recognisable and quality content keeps your followers engaged. Good lighting, correct positioning, and a stylish background will make such an impact on your photos.

Instagram is your portfolio; people choose to follow you based on your content. Your mission is to convert these followers into customers. I like giving back to my followers through competitions and discount codes to make sure they know they’re appreciated.

Working with influencers is a great way to increase your followers and get noticed. When I started my business, I sent out messages to influencers offering them a free blow-dry. This was a good way of marketing as most influencers had a following that matched my target audience. Now I no longer need to approach them, most of them find me. This is strictly down to my social media portfolio.

How do you make sure your treatments stand out from competitors?

Keeping my services unique has been vital. The service I specialise in is in my brand name: ‘Freya’s Bouncy Blow Dry’s’ making it easy for clients to find me in their searches. Not over-saturating your treatment list gives people the understanding that you will carry out the service they want well.

If you have local competitors, research what they offer and how they market their services. Think about what differentiates you and why. It may be down to something simple, like how they photograph their work.

Another good way to stand out is by providing a range of services, stick to what you know and what you’re good at, however, having a few variations means you’ll appeal to a larger audience. For example, I have my Signature Bouncy Blow Dry, but some girls would rather have mermaid waves for a festival look, so I offer this too.

You placed in the HBA Entrepreneur of the Year awards, what advice would you give to aspiring hair and beauty businesspersons who also want to be a name in the industry?

I was shocked I was in the top fifty, let alone the top ten. I recognised a gap in the market that is yet to be filled with talented individuals, which led to the creation of my Online Blow Dry Masterclass. This has helped over two hundred stylists by giving them the opportunity to build a lifestyle where they can work on their own terms. It has also given them a ticket into the industry without the large tuition fees and years of courses, all for a low entry level price. @freyasbouncyblowdrys