Head For Business

SPRING/2019

FOR SALON OWNERS & MANAGERS

cH CREATIVE HEAD

FOR BUSINESS

NEW RULES: Have fun

Make lots of

Money Be number one TH I

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Pictured above, from left to right: Jason Dunn, Amy Fredriksson, James Davies, Rachel Todisco, Zoe Vears, Ken West, Nickey Televantou and Simon Tickler

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CR EATIV E HE AD PA RT NE RS HIP

Hello! Ỳ

We are Salon Success FUNDAMENTALLY, we’re a distribution company. We pick, pack and ship literally truckloads of shampoo bottles across the UK and Europe. But hey, anyone can do that!

Relationships are at the heart of everything we do; we aim to be The Distributor of Choice to our salon partners around the UK, providing a true consultancy service backed up by extensive marketing and education programmes.

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Quite simply, your success is our success.

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So, would you like a rent-free salon? We have people, products and programmes (not to mention the passion) to help solve every challenge you might be facing, from team motivation and staff retention to creating the wow factor for every guest.

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What makes us different? The clue is in our name – we want your salon to be successful. We also want your day to be more fun, rewarding and profitable.

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CR EATIV E HE AD PA RT NE RS HIP

“At Salon SucCesS we are proud to be working with Creative HEAD to tackle the chalLenges and opPortunities you face today when runNing and managing your salon businesS. “This magazine is a great source of information and apPlied knowledge, and we are pleased to supPort any vehicle that helps salon owners gather tips and ideas to become even more sucCesSful.

“We are not a product company. We seE ourselves as an education and marketing businesS and celebrate 40 years of helping hairdresSers stay one (or more) steps ahead. Everything we do is geared towards helping salons be more sucCesSful and having fun doing it – if it ain’t fun, we ain’t doing it right!

“If you’re loOking for the world’s top salon brands, provided by a team of people who love what they do and dedicated to be your best and biggest businesS relationship, then the people at Salon SucCesS are worth talking to. CalL us anytime on 0845 6590012”

Simon Tickler managing director of Salon Success 001-002_BH_Cover_Salon Success_16pp_GW11.indd 5

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The Salon Success brand portfolio

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CR EATIV E HE AD PA RT NE RS HIP

our brands

WHAT DO WE SELL? We are a business that is about the ‘sell through’ not the ‘sell to’. So what is it that we sell? We sell ideas and we sell people. We provide industry-leading education and marketing to our salon partners to help them to sell products and services and grow profitable and rewarding businesses.

We work with around 3,000 salons in the UK. We have distributor partners in 23 countries across Europe.

In 2018 we had 26,900 individual salon searches by consumers via our websites. Could they be looking for you next?

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Support with education

“Education doesn’t neEd to be a big event. It can just be an hour in your salon with one of our regional technical consultants, or you could get one of our senior stylists to teach your team a simple hairup or braiding technique.

The important thing about education is that it makes people feEl part of a team and gives the salon a sense of direction”

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Jason Dunn director of European sales at Salon Success 001-002_BH_Cover_Salon Success_16pp_GW11.indd 9

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We are not

reps

James Davies As a regional

technical consultant I’m here to help our customers grow the technical side of their business.

That includes hands-on work like demonstrating techniques, but it’s also about looking at a salon’s colour ratio and how they can make more money.

Rachel Todisco We focus on commercial techniques like balayage and contouring – the kind of looks that clients are seeing on social media.

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Pictured above, from left to right: James Davies, Nickey Televantou and Rachel Todisco

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James Davies I’ve seen salons automatically

giving their guests the same colour as last time; it’s like they’re on auto-pilot. The difference we bring is inspiration and ideas – whether that’s teaching the team a trends-based collection of looks from Paul Mitchell, or showing them how to create a menu around the grey shades that are so popular now.

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SUPPORT WITH EDUCATION

RETAIL – THE MISSED OPPORTUNITY

Nickey Televantou is a Regional Sales Manager for Salon Success

Rachel Todisco We teach everyone from assistants right through to managers, and all our education is completely free of charge. We’ll come in on a Sunday, if that’s what you want, we’ll teach you in your salon, or in a local hotel.

Whatever works for you.

James Davies

Keeping up with trends is so important. You can always tell when you walk into a salon that’s on top of trends. Everyone looks great, and there’s a real buzz in the air.

Rachel Todisco At Salon Success, our salons aren’t just a number. We are family! We genuinely care about the success of each and every single one of our customers, and everything we do is tailored specifically for them. It’s about giving salons the right products and tools that they are going to enjoy using, and which will help create looks their clients will love.

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Gone are the days when all a salon owner had to do to be salon-ready was turn on the coffee machine. You’ve got to be an expert now in everything from GDPR, pensions and the National Minimum Wage to team management and finance.

And there’s no escaping the pressure of keeping that bottom line out of the red…

I always say retail is the silent stylist in a salon – never off sick, never on holiday, just always bringing in the money.

Clients love talking about themselves and they especially love talking about how their hair has behaved (or not) since their last salon visit. They want that dialogue with their stylist and they want those product recommendations. I wouldn’t class it as selling – you’re fulfilling a need.

Times are tough out there, for sure, but the salons that are busy and successful are the ones that are well-organised and have systems in place. These salons value the expertise and professionalism of their staff and their teams always upgrade each client service with a retail sale. It makes a huge difference to salon turnover and profitability.

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Support with business

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ì “In today’s chalLenging market hairdresSing skilLs are simply not enough. You neEd to truly understand how to run, manage and motivate a profitable team and a profitable salon. BusinesS skilLs are just as esSential as hairdresSing talent” Ken West director of 3•6•5 Education

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GROW A STRONGER BUSINESS Without change we can be stuck with the same results.

Learn how to become a 3•6•5 member and take the first step in driving your salon businesS forward for long-term sucCesS IF YOU’D WANTED to go cross-eyed looking at spreadsheets, create marketing campaigns and deal with challenging team members, you probably wouldn’t have chosen to be a hairdresser!

3•6•5 is the iconic subscription-based salon business coaching system that’s been helping salon owners, managers, stylists and receptionists take control of their businesses since 1982, with systems that are simple to use, easy to understand, and which leave you more time for what really floats your boat.

Used by successful businesses such as Headmasters, Lee Stafford, Barrie Stephens, Cheynes and Charlie Miller, the programme is ever-evolving to support you with the right tools to tackle key challenges that businesses like yours often face on the high street, steering you towards a stronger, more profitable future.

The 3•6•5 programme is spearheaded by lifetime member and respected industry expert Ken West, and delivered by an expert team of salon business coaches who have faced reallife business challenges first-hand and overcome them within their own teams. They can help you measure the reality of how your salon business is performing and coach you on how you can drive it forward.

Running a salon can be a lonely business, so one of the biggest benefits of being a 3•6•5 member is the network of support available to you. From like-minded coaches who themselves have salon experience as owners or managers,

to the 3•6•5 team and all the specialists working at Salon Success, there’ll always be someone with the answer!

As a 3•6•5 member, you’ll also work through the core Business Builder salon coaching programme over the course of two years. Forming the framework of your business, the eight Business Builders arm you with all the essential information you need to drive your salon towards success.

For example, Business Builder 1 shows you how to create a stand-out experience for your clients that will see them returning to your salon time and time again. Business Builder 2 deals with financial systems and forecasting, providing you with the skills you need to ensure financial stability for your salon.

Following this core programme you can choose to revisit elements that you feel you may need help with, as well as exploring our specialist courses and exclusive team days.

On top of this you will gain access to our annual Business Boutique and Symposium events, these fun-filled conferences are created to inspire and motivate members for the coming months, with practical ideas to take back to their salons.

365hair.com is the exclusive, members-only website designed to coach you between courses and outside of office hours, so that all members are constantly connected.

It includes coaching videos to recap on key course content, tracking of the seven numbers that are integral to your business and PDF downloads to help you track your success.

With prices starting from just £197 (plus VAT) per month, the only thing we don’t coach you is how to cut hair.

Interested in joining 3•6•5? Call 0845 659 0015 or email hello@365hair.com

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Support with business

“Until I joined 3•6•5 I felt so alone, running my business with no direction... Every time I attend a course I feel my problems are resolved and we all as salons owners have been in the same situation at some point in our careers”

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Julie Caporaso, Nutters Hairdressing, Cambridge

Book now!

BusinesS Builder dates March to June 2019. CalL the 3•6•5 team on 0845 659 0015 or email helLo@365hair.com MARCH 11th – Salon Management MasterclasS 11th & 12th – BusinesS builders 1, 3 and 6

Lane End Conference Centre, West Wycombe Lane End Conference Centre, West Wycombe

APRIL 1st – #five 28th & 29th – BusinesS Boutique

Exeter Fawsley HalL, Daventry, Northampton

MAY 13th – Salon Management MasterclasS 13th & 14th – BusinesS Builders 1, 2, 5 and 8

Lane End Conference Centre, West Wycombe Lane End Conference Centre, West Wycombe

JUNE 10th – Salon Management MasterclasS 10th & 11th – BusinesS Builders 1, 4 and 7

Lane End Conference Centre, West Wycombe Lane End Conference Centre, West Wycombe

“3•6•5 has given us the confidence to grow from eight styling stations to 16. We also won silver in the 2017 Yorkshire Region of the British Hair and Beauty Awards for Excellent Customer Service and bronze in The Salon of The Year. All this is down to what we have learnt from 3•6•5” Garry Farr, Anthony James, Halifax

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Support with PR & Marketing

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“If alL we do is distribute products then we are not helping hairdresSers to run great businesSes, and that’s what makes Salon SucCesS difFerent. We are not just about the ‘selL to’, we are about the ‘selL through’ – supPorting our salon partners with the marketing toOls and education they neEd is at the heart of everything we do”

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Zoë Vears director of publicity at Salon Success

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THE DEVIL IS IN THE DETAIL

Get your PR & marketing head on!

EVERY YEAR AT SALON SUCCESS we lovingly pour the expertise of our entire team into a range of PR & marketing initiatives to help you promote your salon and your team and to give you tips and ideas to put more bums on seats.

We also offer a variety of loyalty programmes – designed to help you to save on education and professional costs – and provide you with free seasonal point-of-purchase material that links to national advertising campaigns and promotions, thereby driving customers into your salon to buy.

But it doesn’t end there – by constantly talking to salons up and down the country, we can come up with an endless supply of tried-and-tested ideas for putting your salon on the map. For example, connecting with local bloggers can be a great way to attract new guests and create a buzz about your salon locally. Offering services in return for a review and social media coverage can be very cost-effective as well as a great way to generate wordof-mouth. New services, colour or product launches can all be tied in, but as with all activity you need to decide on your objective first and ensure that you communicate this to anyone that you partner with.

Social media is serious business nowadays, and as such should be treated as any other business function. There needs to be a purpose and established objectives in place to make your activity and results measurable. Do you need to boost sales, enhance brand awareness or increase engagement with your guests? Once you’ve set your goal, keep it in mind when planning your strategy.

And finally, don’t forget about trade magazines like Creative HEAD – a great way to dip your toe into more traditional PR channels. If you’ve got a great news story, some trend predictions, launched a unique service in your salon or undergone a gorgeous refurb, then these guys want to hear from you! Just make sure you have beautifully shot high-res images and all the key information ready to share.

To discover more about how Salon Success supports its salon partners, call the Club Services team on 0845 659 0011 or email hello@salon-success.co.uk

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WHO WANTS A HUG? Relationships are at the heart of everything we do – we genuinely care about you and your salon businesS (it’s why our logo is a representation of a hug!).

So, if you want to work with a distributor that is fun, friendly, profesSional and inNovative, choOse Salon SucCesS. Pick up the phone today, and we’lL conNect you with the right people with pasSion, programMes, products and a truly profesSional promise.

0845 659 0011 or email hello@salon-success.co.uk

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WHAT’S INSIDE

contents spring 2019

24 30 32 40 48 50

cH

It’s all about time – find out how to manage your business better and beat the clock Siobhan Jones has taken the plunge and opened her own salon – we take a look around Rose & Wild in Fulham Meet the exciting new entrepreneurs stirring up the beauty status quo We investigate the future of apprenticeships, how your salon can attract more and what it’s like to be one Beautiful furniture for makeover inspiration and education to revamp your business Hannah Kernick of H&Co Salons argues we should come together to fight rising costs and competition

EDITOR Amanda Nottage DEPUTY EDITOR Deborah Murtha ART Graeme White ART DIRECTOR Nick Jabbal CHIEF SUB EDITOR Adam Wood CONTRIBUTORS Rachel Lawler, Anna Samson DIGITAL DESIGNER Eva Vestmann ONLINE AND DIGITAL EDITOR Alison Rowley DIGITAL ASSISTANT Kelsey Dring SPECIAL PROJECTS MANAGER Jenny Brooks SPECIAL PROJECTS DIRECTOR Joanna Andersen PUBLISHER Catherine Handcock

CONTACT: 21 The Timber Yard, Drysdale Street, London, N1 6ND | 020 7324 7540 | enquiries@alfol.co.uk Head For Business is a supplement of Creative HEAD, which is published by Alfol Ltd. Creative HEAD is a registered trademark. No part of this supplement may be reproduced without prior permission of the publisher.

All information correct at time of going to press. Printing by Buxton Press, Environmental Printer of the Year and Printing Company of the Year.

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BUSINESS PLANS

Squad goals A few of our Most Wanted winners share their business goals for 2019…

This year I want to… surround myself with collaborators Ky Wilson, The Social “THIS YEAR IS ALL ABOUT getting the most incredible artists from around the world through The Social’s door. It’s about constantly surrounding yourself with like-minded, positive people and understanding what really makes you happy. Recently I’ve added a natural daylight photo studio at our London site called The Social STUDIO, which has really expanded the already multi-functional space and really concreted what we are all about! The future is most definitely social…”

2018

2018

WINNERS HAIR ICON

22 HEAD FOR BUSINESS

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BUSINESS PLANS

This year I want to… push our salon group’s commitment to sustainability Perry Patraszewski, director of Blue Tit, London “THIS YEAR WE plan to recycle all our waste – we already only use disposable and biodegradable towels that can be safely thrown away after use – and we aim to reduce our carbon footprint by only using green energy. Having recently moved over to Haven Energy suppliers, we are already 100 per cent green in terms of the electricity we use and as green as possible for gas. It also means we’re producing 86 per cent less carbon than coalgenerated power so we’re significantly reducing our carbon footprint.

Becoming an entirely plastic-free salon has been on our radar for a while, and is something we aim to achieve this year. We also plan to hold talks and seminars on sustainability in the salon, to inform and educate as part of our eco agenda.”

This year I want to… cement our salon as the best experience in Leicester Joe Causier, co-founder of Malcolm Murphy Hair “WE HAVE A brilliant reputation in Leicester, and we plan on building on that in 2019. We’re always busy with events, photoshoots and competitions, and I hope that creative energy will attract new clients and encourage talented stylists to join us. Another goal for us this year is to really nurture our team to grow and flourish within our company. A few of our stylists have worked really hard on entries for the L’Oréal Colour Trophy, which is always fun and creates a buzz around the salon. We also have some apprentices due to qualify this year who have a lot of potential. We have re-vamped our in-salon training for 2019 in order to accelerate their progress and get them to the level they need to be at to work on the salon floor.”

This year I want to… achieve as many of my goals as possible Stewart Roberts, founder of HAIRCUTS 4 HOMELESS

This year I want to… really work on my mental health Sophia Hilton, founder of Not Another Salon, London

“YEARS AGO, I came across the story of the 1979 Harvard Goal Study about writing down your life and career goals.

Seeing the logic in this, in 1996 I wrote mine down and I’ve made sure I read them every day since.

Although not all of my dreams have been realised, I have achieved some things that I would never have thought possible.

Sometimes I didn’t get the outcome I perhaps wanted, but it would lead to achieving another goal I hadn’t expected.

There has been much controversy about whether this study is in fact an urban myth, but either way I’ve rewritten my goals for 2019. It started as a theory but now has become a personal fact for me. The charity is growing all the time, so keeping track of our set goals is important to mark our progress.”

“EVEN JUST BY mentioning the words ‘mental health’, I bet the vast majority of readers’ eyes will widen. Taking care of mental health is something we seem to see as serious, rather than something completely normal. So perhaps the word ‘wellbeing’ is more comfortable? I want to stop, breathe and take a moment. I want to allow myself proper lunch breaks and I want to see my family and rest, instead of filling up every moment of my life. I want to remember that I am in fact living the dream I once had and not to get lost in thoughts of ‘what’s next?’ As a salon owner, it’s equally as important to take care of yourself as it is to take care of your team members.

Yes, this year I really want to be present; right here, right now.”

This year I want to… develop the skills of the entire team Kevin Kahan, founder of Kevin Kahan Salon, Bangor, Northern Ireland “THE TRAINEES starting on their hairdressing journey will be following their individual programmes to ensure they’re being given the tools with which to operate as great stylists. In addition, I’m going to identify any skills gaps with experienced stylists and make sure that they are offered the required training. I’m actually rolling out a brand new online training programme that is individually tailored to meet the training needs of each and every team member – they will be able to see step-by-step videos and learn new skills and enhance existing ones. There is so much competition in this area that I want to make sure that we offer the best service possible and that each and every stylist is up to speed.”

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TIME MANAGEMENT

All in good time Do you feel like someone is always speeding up your day? Saving time on different jobs can help free-up precious minutes on the regular. Here’s our guide on how to get more out of your hours

Don’t let social stop you being sociable!

MANAGING YOUR social media presence is a task that can often eat into your spare time. Caroline Sanderson, director at Ego Hair Design and founder of Salon Jedi consultancy, suggests using scheduling tools to keep a steady flow of updates on your profiles. But it’s also important to be responsive to online comments and requests. “If you can, set-up automated responses to emails and look at getting a chatbot for your site,” she says. “These days it’s easy to get bogged-down in responding to comments and questions and it can really add up.”

SalonIQ

L’Oréal Professionnel Instant Highlights

Make stock takes less painful WITH THE SALONIQ Stock App, it’s easy to keep your stock up to date, one of the most timeconsuming (and let’s admit it, pretty boring) tasks in the salon.

“With the pre-installed barcode scanner you can check and adjust stock levels directly from your phone or tablet,” explains SalonIQ’s Sam Kendall. “There’s no need to log on to a main system – just launch the Stock app and away you go.”

Light up their lunch hour HIGHLIGHTS ARE another service that traditionally take up a lot of a column, as colourists can see time taken up with weaving and foil packets, while clients wait for colour to develop. L’Oréal Professionnel’s Instant Highlights can deliver up to six levels of lift in half the usual time. Anna Short, colour director at Daniel Galvin London, says: “With many women living fast-paced lifestyles, there is an ever-increasing demand for speedier services.”

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Mindbody

Versum

“ALTHOUGH IT MAY sound strict, salon owners cannot afford to waste even the smallest amount of time during working hours,” says Juliusz Dzierlatka, business development specialist at Versum. But business owners need to be careful of any shortcuts they take to save time as any booking mix-ups, forgotten appointment reminders, miscalculated sales reports and staff commissions that might result could take up a significant amount of time to correct.

It’s why a salon software system is a no-brainer. With Timely’s software, you won’t need to guess at how your business is performing, thanks to its real-time dashboards

…and the team!

SUCH SOFTWARE systems are also there to help with the team side, too. Functions such as reporting, staff management, data security and bookings all make life a little easier. To tackle more monotonous assignments, Versum generates sales, inventory, commissions and tipping reports.

“You can limit employee access to more sensitive parts of the system, as well as have insight into each members’ sales, bookings and login history,” explains Juliusz.

Don’t hang up that phone YOUR RECEPTIONIST stretched to breaking point? Perhaps it’s worth looking at Salon Call Manager from Mutu, which can help book your profits and ensure your team never misses a call. “It automates many routine reception tasks letting you streamline your front desk, save precious time and improve client service,” explains salon owner Barry Stephens. Caroline Sanderson has updated her phone system so clients are now given a menu of options when they call allowing them to ask for a call-back when the salon is quieter or directing them to the online booking system.

She has also recently moved all the salon phones into an office, so that whomever answers can focus on the call properly, without all the hubbub.

Add longer lengths in shorter slots CUTTING DOWN on average appointment times is another way to free up time. Fitting extensions is usually a lengthy process, but express services can reduce this. “Tapes are fantastic – clients love the speed of the transformation,” says Asya Cannur, owner at Hair

by Asya, who is using Remi Cachet tapes to fit extensions in just 90 minutes. Speedy hair extensions can also offer a faster way of introducing new colours. GL Tapes are the same 100 per cent human hair as Great Length’s usual extensions, but with a quicker fit-time.

Gemma Roberts, creative stylist and manager at Mode Hair Salon, says: “My clients’ hair can be transformed in as little as one hour.”

Before

Great Lengths

Get digital with clients…

and fully customisable reports.

Many online systems will allow you to send customers automated appointment reminders via email or text, as well as birthday and anniversary messages, that could help boost bookings and reduce cancellations.

With Mindbody’s system, customers can set up an appointment anytime anywhere – even after business hours, which is when most appointments are made. And if you’re concerned about lastminute cancellations or filling appointment gaps, Mindbody’s clever automated marketing software, Frederick, syncs with your schedule and automatically sends highly-targeted email and text marketing campaigns to keep your business top-of-mind.

Mutu

Mindbody’s Frederick

TIME MANAGEMENT

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Reed Hair

TIME MANAGEMENT

On the clock Is charging by time not service right for your salon?

MOST SALONS CHARGE customers solely by service, rather than time, which makes hairdressing different from many professional services. Yet many salons are concerned about how their clients would respond to a pricing structure based on time rather than service. However, consider how you pay for professional services such as time with a solicitor or an accountant, your bill will be calculated by the time spent doing the work.

Should hairdressing follow suit? Two salon brands certainly think so…

A better service

The Chapel

The Chapel, which opened its first salon in Tunbridge Wells in 2001, has been charging by time since its inception. Co-founders Amanda and Toby Dicker feel that stylists often undervalue their work when charging by service. In contrast, by charging clients in 15-minute segments, stylists at The Chapel focus on just one client at a time. “This may mean that you need to charge more per hour, but the upside is that you will need fewer

customers to be busy,” Amanda explains.

“Stylists will have more creative time with customers and they won’t be working as hard to turn over the same money.” This could also mean that your salon turns over a similar profit as before, but with fewer clients.

And it doesn’t have to mean a bigger client bill. “This removes one of the key negative factors in the hairdressing experience – the embarrassing final bill,” argues Toby “Most hairdressers are people-pleasers, they truly care about the customer and that’s great, but it shouldn’t be to their detriment.”

Reassure staff

Reed Hair in Essex decided to switch to charging its clients by time after 10 years of trading. Jane Williams, director at the salon, admits that some of her team were apprehensive. “Our stylists were scared of change as much as anyone else would be and fretted over losing long-standing clients.”

But Jane was confident clients would be happy to pay more if they could see and feel the difference in the level of service they were offered. The whole process involved about six months of planning and a three-week long closure to get everything ready.

One of the biggest positives of the system is how her staff feel. “Sometimes stylists feel like they are working in a ‘conveyor belt’ environment, churning out haircuts as quickly as they can to make money,” Jane admits, but making the switch to charging by the hour helped to change this for Reed Hair. “Our stylists now have to time to be the artist they want to be.”

KEN WEST, DIRECTOR OF 3•6•5 EDUCATION, WEIGHS UP THE PROS AND CONS OF CHARGING BY TIME “I love the idea of charging by time.

Providing the right percentage has been factored in for stock usage, the idea makes a lot of sense. If we were inventing hairdressing all over again then we could even charge just like a garage does – ‘parts and labour’. Most other skilled trades charge like that but somewhere along the line we hairdressers decided to be different. Now salons invariably look at what their competitors charge and try and undercut them. If hairdressing services were charged logically and salons understood the true costs of delivering a service, then I believe they would also reconsider running colour sales or discounts. For example colour sales can raise turnover but devastate profitability. What salons should be careful of doing though is changing to charging by time without considering all of the ramifications of doing so. If I were opening a brand new salon, I would absolutely adopt a time-based, genderneutral pricing policy with not one single printed price list in sight!”

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21/02/2019 13:31

Ma

e

TIME MANAGEMENT

m

kin g ti

Leading a business can be hectic, even without a column. How can you make better use of your time away from the salon floor?

Owners share their five top tips on making the most of their time…

1

Delegate

Caroline Sanderson, director of Ego Hair Design in Inverness and founder of hairdressing consultancy Salon Jedi, believes delegation is key. Speaking with members of your team about when they are ready to take on more tasks can make a real impact. “It can save you a lot of time, but you need to make sure everyone in your team is aware of their role,” she says.

Consider also outsourcing some small non-hairdressing tasks, using specialists from sites such as fiverr.com. “These tasks aren’t worth your time,” she argues. “You should outsource if you can get it done by someone else for less than your usual hourly rate.

It’s about realising your worth.”

Plan your day

Darren Fowler, founder of Fowler35 and Fowler Hair Academy in London, finds that planning is the key. “The more you plan, the more prepared you are and the better the business runs. I plan pretty much every hour of my day,” he says.

However, planning in itself can take time and it’s important not to underestimate how long tasks will take you. “If you think something will take an hour, I’ve learnt that it will probably take three. Be honest with yourself.”

3

It’s important to make sure that taking care of training and other HR issues don’t fall down your to-do list.

“Without a team, we don’t have a business,” Darren Fowler says.

“Helping people find out what they are all about and coaching them to their possibilities as a hairdresser can be very exciting and is definitely a priority for me.”

Take advantage of downtime

Days when you are not booked to be on the salon floor are a key chance to get some of your non-hair work out of the way. Darren Fowler makes the most of Mondays – when Fowler35 is closed to clients. “I will meet with my marketing and social media colleague and have a call with our PR so that we can all update each other,” he explains. “I will then use the rest of the day to focus on tasks that need uninterrupted attention.”

Anne Veck

2

4

Prioritise staff issues

5

Be realistic

Keith Mellen, director at Anne Veck salons, says salon owners sometimes need to accept that there is no easy way to make extra time. “You either reduce the hours you spend on hair or you bring in someone else for their business expertise,” he says. For example, Keith focuses on financial aspects of the two salons, while Anne spends four days each week in the salons and leads on training and development. The result is still busy, but it works for their team. He explains: “Someone has to work on the business as well as in the business.”

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20/02/2019 14:59

The internationally renowned

HO B

ACADEMY

has just released course details for 2019

BUSINESS

For salon owners and teams to maximise their business potential

“The Successful Salon Business” for salon owners and “How To Build Your Column” for salon teams are both 1-day courses.

Learn how to get the very best from your column or your team in order to maximise turnover, time efficiency and client bookings.

CREATIVE

For hairdressers of all levels to be inspired and motivated

Delivered by: HOB Salons Director Clive Collins Venue: The HOB Academy in Camden, London or at your salon Dates: arranged to suit Cost: from £150 per person or £1500 per salon team

BESPOKE

For whole salon teams to receive truly personalised education

“HOB Uncut” and “HOB Uncut Plus” is a brand new course for 2019 that has the choice of a 1-day or 2-day format.

Day 1 involves a look and learn seminar at the famous Dingwalls club in Camden, and the optional day 2 add-on is a practical workshop on live models. Both days are suitable for both stylists and colourists.

Delivered by: HOB Salons Director Akin Konizi & the HOB Creative Team Venue: Dingwalls & The HOB Academy in Camden, London Dates: 8/9th July and 7/8th October Cost: £75 (day 1 only) or £275 (both days)

A completely tailored offering available to qualified individuals, groups and salon teams, delivered by the award-winning HOB Creative Team. Available from 1 to 14 people, with course content and format designed entirely around your needs and requirements.

Delivered by: HOB Salons Director Akin Konizi & the HOB Creative Team Venue: The HOB Academy in Camden, London, or at your salon Dates: arranged to suit Cost: from £235 per person (group discounts apply)

Untitled-2 1

FULFIL YOUR POTENTIAL For more information and bookings, please call Olivia, Academy Manager, on 0207 485 7272 (option 5) or email olivia@hobsalons.com or go to www. hobsalons.com/academy

19/02/2019 17:25

Siobhan Jones

ROSE & WILD

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20/02/2019 15:08

ROSE & WILD

Where the wild roses grow After years at a high street salon brand, Siobhan Jones is venturing out on her own with Rose & Wild in Fulham.

She shares how she’s taken what she’s learned to craft her own new salon business...

SHE’S HELPED DEVISE the colour menus for one of the biggest salon brands in the UK (that’s Headmasters, of course); been on stage around the world educating and presenting on colour with L’Oréal Professionnel and she’s also been the one transforming the colour looks for Little Mix and other celebs. Now Siobhan Jones has stepped out on her own to launch Rose & Wild, her first independent salon venture.

The concept was to create a space that’s more than just a hair salon; it’s a feel-good location.

“It’s a happy place for not only the clients but also for the stylists and colourists that work there,” she explains. “I was conscious of everyone being extremely time-poor; this is a haven in which clients are able to relax, touch up their manicures, catch up on work, tick off their to-do lists as if they were at home, or simply soak up the colourful atmosphere, all while their hair is being transformed.”

It was important to approach key elements of the salon differently so here, Siobhan talks us through how Rose & Wild has come to be...

The hours

“I’ve often found in hairdressing that there is a very regimented and strict way of working. The hours and pay structure can be tough and salon businesses seem to expect extreme working habits. In talking with stylists and colourists, it became clear that the majority were fed up of the increasingly anti-social commitments, causing many to lose interest.

“I wanted to create a system that gave the colourist and stylist more freedom. A stylist that has chosen their hours is definitely more likely to want to be there. It’s important that the stylist wants to be in the Rose & Wild space as much as the client does.

“We offer an option of self-employed and employed, and those wishing to work in an employed method will just have a set quota of hours they need to meet each month. This means the team is always busy when they are there, so both the salon and the stylists reap the

benefits. We have more team members than we have chairs and they work on a kind of revolving system.

“One thing is for sure, it has become incredibly hard to find good staff within the hairdressing industry. Your priority has to be your team. Treat them well and your business will flourish. I believe that mindsets need to change about wages, working hours and general day-to-day work habits. If this isn’t given a bit of a shake-up, our industry will suffer.”

The consultation

“The pressure of a busy salon can make it hard for clients to decide on the perfect look, so I have not only created an inspirational area but also devoted time before the client’s appointment to listen to their needs. Any new clients coming to visit Rose & Wild will receive a form prior to their appointment that allows them the space to think about their wants and needs.

“We then spend time in what we call the Consultation Hub, confirming what’s best for them and their hair. We strive to be the salon that really spends time to get to know the client and will do our utmost to create a look bespoke to them.”

The space

“The space focuses on creating a relaxed environment for the staff and clients. I wanted everyone to feel so comfortable that it almost felt like home. So throughout the boutique there are lots of soft furnishings, sofas, cushions and plants that help to evoke the feel-good factor. We also wanted to set ourselves apart from other salons on the high street, so we have created a ’grammable living area at the front window.

“So many people walking past the salon stop to look at our swing and sofa! This not only draws attention to the business but also encourages clients to want to take a selfie in the space so they can share the salon with their friends, which is great free publicity!”

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21/02/2019 13:33

ENTREPRENEURS

Meet the new beauty disruptors

Beauty is one of the most consolidated sectors on the planet: some 70 per cent of all make-up brands are controlled by just 10 conglomerates.

But ‘big’ often means ‘slow to react’, and right now the giants of the business are being shaken by a new generation of start-up independent brands.

Meet a new wave of entrepreneurs doing their own thing…

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ENTREPRENEURS

2018

Jason, India and Joshua Miller – creators of Charlie Miller Haircare A range of sulphate- and paraben-free shampoos and conditioners embodying the luxury feel of the Charlie Miller experience

Syd Hayes – creator of the #SydPin and the #SydCuff Luxury hair accessories seen on Victoria Beckham, Lara Stone and Bella Hadid “AT THE START OF 2018 I made the decision that my goal would be to turn ‘Syd Hayes’ into a brand. I’d had an idea for a simple but effective way of securing hair in a topknot – inspired by a Scottish kilt pin I’d used to accessorise ponytails when working at the Pringle of Scotland show at London Fashion Week. I sat down with one of my closest friends, Richard Carter, who is a graphic designer and brand developer, to brainstorm the #SydPin, the packaging and everything else that comes with developing a product.

“It was all new to me: a tough project involving learning about stock management, profit margins and sales, and trying to source manufacturers. The #SydPin launched in 2018 on my website, sydhayes.com, available in four different finishes and two bespoke designs featuring 0.75 carats of diamonds.

“Demand from the outset was amazing. Consumer press fell in love with it and later in the year we had another stampede with the launch of the #SydCuff, a handmade leather cuff that moulds around the top of your ponytail. Thanks to the #SydPin, getting the attention of journalists and hair gurus was much easier second time around.”

“GROWING AND DEVELOPING our brand is part of our business strategy. We have a hunger to push ourselves and want continually to grow and excite our teams. Products were the next obvious goal and now it’s a long-term vision. It’s part of our succession.

“The idea came while we were working on a magazine celebrating the 50-year anniversary of the Charlie Miller business – there was a focus on our heritage and an awareness and appreciation of what we’ve done and what we still do: always moving forward, always surprising, always evolving. It was the catalyst to ask ourselves how we wanted to see, grow and develop over the next 50 years.

“For 15 months we worked on selecting the right ingredients and fragrances and then salon testing before launching in December 2018. The products are currently available in-salon only and an online shop is being developed. Future aspirations definitely include a presence in boutique stores and selling on the national and international market. The launch is a dream come true and we’ve had some fabulous feedback from our clients. Our teams are proud to be part of it and it’s given them a new energy.

What’s more, Charlie Miller Haircare is currently our number one retail brand!”

JASON MILLER’S TIP “Keep true to what you believe in and persevere for high quality, do not compromise”

SYD’S TIP “My dad always said to me: ‘If you know you have given 110 per cent to whatever you do then you can’t ask for anything more.’ That will stay with me forever” HEAD FOR BUSINESS 33

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ENTREPRENEURS

Tracie Cant – creator of S.C.D oil A unique, hand-crafted blend of ancient sacred oils, chosen for their innate high vibratory frequency and healing potential “I’VE STUDIED HEALTH, nutrition and energy medicine for most of my adult life, in tandem with my career as a session hairstylist. Ancient oils intrigue me, as they have a measurable electromagnetic frequency that can be uplifting and improve wellbeing. Having originally developed eight individual oils, I found myself using the most high vibratory oil time and time again, and ultimately decided to focus on creating and perfecting one unique S.C.D oil.

“I would use S.C.D oil on myself and around my working environment to elevate the energy levels. Everyone who came into contact with it loved it. So much so that I decided to gift little bottles of S.C.D oil to the people I was working with – actors, musicians and models. It has been an organic and personal process, which feels right and completely reflective of the oil itself.

“S.C.D oil is made bespoke, by hand, and with great consideration and is available online at traciecant.com. The individuality also extends to the fragrance; everyone comments the scent is truly divine, it is quite magical.

“I love the thought that there are little bottles of energy dotted around the world, sitting on the bedside tables and desks of people I’ve met. It’s very uplifting!”

TRACIE’S TIP “Try not to let finances deter you from a new creative endeavour.

Start small and work from there – the main thing is to believe in your idea and get it out there!”

Robert Masciave – founder of eBlade scissors A complete hand-to-scissors integration for balance and stability during cutting. Expertly shaped to become an extension of the hands, eBlade reduces RSI symptoms while increasing comfort and precision “I’VE ALWAYS HELD MY scissors in an inverted grip, and for years had been developing a design that I could use more comfortably but when I broke my wrist and elbow in an accident in 2017 I realised that my eBlade could help me get back to work more quickly as the design put no pressure on my injuries. I also started to think about how it could help others with injuries, posture problems or RSI. “To develop a prototype I bought scissors with a detachable blade and then had the handle modified with the help of a local jeweller. I taught myself 3D drawing to create a 3D printed prototype, which I sent to a scissor manufacturer I had sourced in Japan. It was the first time they had ever produced scissors from a 3D model, so this was a learning curve for us all. I’m naturally stubborn, persistent and obsessed with details, but these turned out to be positive qualities when developing my product. It has been created with passion!

“I’ve used Instagram to increase awareness of the eBlade and to showcase it at work, and I’ve also teamed up with several industry influencers, who share the work they’ve created using it, but it’s consumer feedback that really matters. The eBlade has helped two young stylists, who have each had fingers amputated, and the fact that my innovation has helped these two hairdressers to have a better career means the world to me. It’s a very longterm project – the possibilities are endless and my goal is to revolutionise hair cutting.”

ROBERT’S TIP “Stick to your guns, but with open ears” 34 HEAD FOR BUSINESS

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21/02/2019 13:36

ENTREPRENEURS

Tim Binnington – creator of The Manta The first brush to mould to the shape of your hand and the scalp, creating less tension on each strand while massaging the scalp for fuller, healthier hair “THE MANTA IS A project that was born out of love. I got the idea in 2014 while watching my wife brush through her postchemo hair with her fingers, because traditional hair brushes were too harsh. But developing my idea was tough and a big challenge. As there was nothing like it on the market I literally had to start from scratch, and many times we thought it just wouldn’t be possible. We went through eight different prototypes, three different designers and endless patent applications and trademarks that cost at least £30,000. Inventing a product is difficult, but getting a product to market is the real challenge!

“We’ve finalised in three national awards (including Creative HEAD’s Most Wanted) and when we went on QVC The Manta sold out in just eight minutes. The brushes are now stocked in store in Fenwick, London, and we’ve had phenomenal press coverage everywhere from The Independent to Get The Gloss.

We’re proud to support The Little Princess Trust, and for every 10 Manta brushes sold we gift a Manta to a child.

“It’s not only illness that causes hair loss and thinning – more than 50 per cent of women will experience some type of hair loss during their life, which is why The Manta is perfect for every woman and hairdresser who cares about hair condition. It was a personal challenge for all involved – and I think we have a product to be proud of.”

TIM’S TIP “Source experts and ask questions. There are lots of people who will give you valuable advice. Enjoy the journey because it’s an expensive rollercoaster ride, but worth every penny”

Charlotte Mensah – creator of the Charlotte Mensah Manketti Hair Oil care range Infused with sustainably sourced oil, the Charlotte Mensah Manketti Oil Hair range was created to deliver moisture, softness, weightlessness and shine “THROUGHOUT MY CAREER I’ve used every Afro and curly textured hair product on the market, and knew there was room for improvement. I had always wanted a product range but I was looking for the right ingredient. It was only when I went to Kenya to work on a wedding that I discovered manketti oil. The beauty therapist at the hotel gave me a head massage using it, and that’s when I knew my dream was going to become a reality.

“I started to work on the logistics. I had to test, try and evaluate many formulas, prototypes and versions before approving the final elements. The fragrances (reminiscent of my childhood in Ghana) and ingredients needed to work harmoniously together, and the performance needed to meet my own high standards.

“The biggest challenge I faced was funding. Being self-funded can be extremely challenging as you can’t do everything in one go. That means your timelines and budgets have to be on point.

I don’t have investors, so I have to work really hard and continue to re-invest. However, we’ve won 11 awards, we’ve been featured on national TV and we have a number of prime retailers and e-tailers knocking on our door to stock our products!”

CHARLOTTE’S TIP “Knowledge is of no value unless you put it into practice” HEAD FOR BUSINESS 35

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21/02/2019 13:37

MAKE TIME F

HOW TO CREATE SUCCESS WITHIN YOUR

CREATIVE HEAD’S BUSINESS NETWORKING EVENT FOR SALON OWNERS AND MANAGERS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH

ASSOCIATE SPONSORS

@creativeheadmag #SalonSmart19

036-039_Salon Smart.indd 1

19/02/2019 14:59

FOR CHANGE BUSINESS – NOW AND IN THE FUTURE

24-25 March 2019

THE PARK PLAZA LONDON RIVERBANK HOTEL

LAST CHANCE TO BOOK – CALL 01434 610944

WEEKEND PASS £295 plus VAT* or buy two tickets for £450 plus VAT** DAY PASS £100 plus VAT More details at creativeheadmag.com/salonsmart

•Based on single room occupancy ••Two delegates share a twin/double room

036-039_Salon Smart.indd 2

19/02/2019 15:00

Paul Percival Percy & Reed

Bruce Masefield Bruce Masefield Hair

Sara Holmes Stuart Holmes Salon

Carolyn Sweeney Creations

Richard Phillipart The Boutique Atelier

Nicola Clarke Nicola Clarke at John Frieda

Sarah Black Linton & Mac

Darren Fowler Fowler35

BRILLIANT PEOPLE. GREAT

Andrew Collinge Andrew Collinge Dale Herne and Angelo Vallillo DNA Artspace

Charlotte and Dylan Bradshaw Dylan Bradshaw

Mark Maciver SliderCuts

CREATIVE HEAD’S BUSINESS NETWORKING EVENT FOR SALON OWNERS AND MANAGERS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH

ASSOCIATE SPONSORS

@creativeheadmag #SalonSmart19

036-039_Salon Smart.indd 3

19/02/2019 15:00

Simon Shaw Simon Shaw Education

Frieda

Ken West 3.6.5 Education

Bex Ohta Trevor Sorbie

Simon Tickler Salon Success

Monica Teodoro L’Oréal Professionnel

Bree Davie Trevor Sorbie

Sophia Hilton Not Another Salon

Jak Bakewell and Scott McKay Re-Invention House

Luke Hersheson Hershesons

MINDS. EXPERT INSIGHT Tom Connell Trevor Sorbie

Jo Robertson Brand artist

24-25 March 2019

Ken Picton Ken Picton Salon

THE PARK PLAZA LONDON RIVERBANK HOTEL

LAST CHANCE TO BOOK � CALL 01434 610944

WEEKEND PASS £295 plus VAT* or buy two tickets for £450 plus VAT** DAY PASS £100 plus VAT More details at creativeheadmag.com/salonsmart

•Based on single room occupancy ••Two delegates share a twin/double room

036-039_Salon Smart.indd 4

19/02/2019 15:01

APPRENTICES

Is hairdressing ready for the next generation?

It’s been all-change with modern hairdressing apprenticeships.

But are they now measuring up to the needs of salons… and are more changes on the horizon?

IT’S BEEN A TIME OF enormous upheaval for hairdressing apprenticeships in the past two years. The Trailblazer standards at Level 2 for hair professionals launched in May 2017 were promised as more demanding than the previous framework now being phased out. The standards include an end-point assessment, similar to a trade test, which is carried out by an independent party to ensure that learners are salon-ready.

“Employers and trainers were initially wary of the new standards, because they are more demanding and the end-point assessment was new,” admits Hilary Hall, chief executive at the NHF and NBF. “However, employers are fully assured that when apprentices have completed them they are fully competent to run a column in a salon.”

Funding rates

The Level 2 Trailblazer standards launched with £9,000 of funding for training providers, but last year the Institute for Apprentices

(IfA) announced that this would reduce to £7,000 from January this year. “The hair professional standards took two years for employers to develop and, just as the industry is adopting the new style standards, this blow falls,” says Wendy Cummins, chair of the hair professional Trailblazer steering group.

In 2017/18 there were 6,049 apprentices following the new Trailblazer standards, compared with just 1,788 on the previous framework. However, due to a combination of these changes, and new funding rates, 2017/18 saw a 26 per cent drop in the number of hairdressing and barbering apprenticeships. Andrew Collinge, owner of Andrew Collinge Hairdressing and Training, explains: “Employers and training providers are only just getting their heads around the new standards and now the funding system is changing again. This can only further hamper take-up for apprenticeships.”

However, salons that do not act as a training provider will not have to pay towards

the cost of their apprenticeship. They still get a £1,000 incentive when employing young people aged 16 to 18, as will their trainer.

Salons may save money under the reduced rates, as they still need to contribute costs for apprentices aged 19 and over. “Employers will actually be better off financially because they will be paying 10 per cent of £7,000, rather than £9,000 – a saving of £200 per apprentice,” Caroline Larissey, quality and standards manager at NHF, explains.

Further changes

In April, the government is also expected to implement reduced contributions for salons, as promised in the autumn Budget. This will see this drop from 10 per cent down to 5 per cent. However, Caroline heeds caution: “This will be a false economy if employers cannot be fully confident that training providers can provide high quality programmes within the funding available to them.”

A report published by the Education Select

40 HEAD FOR BUSINESS

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21/02/2019 13:38

Saks Academies

APPRENTICES

Committee in October 2017 recommended that Apprenticeship National Minimum Wage rates continue to rise above inflation rates, with a long-term goal of removing them.

“If the apprenticeship rate was scrapped altogether, apprentices would become unaffordable, while the competition for qualified and experienced hairdressers would further intensify,” Hilary says. “We know that salons up and down the country already struggle to recruit staff.”

New standards

On top of this, the Level 3 Trailblazer programme is expected to launch this summer, after plans were approved last year.

The IfA has also suggested that it may review the hair professional standards in 2019, as they currently cover both hairdressing and barbering. The IfA is expected to ask the Trailblazer group to split the standards, opening up the potential for different funding bands. Hilary says that time to get used to

all these changes would be the best thing for the industry now. “It has been a hectic period with constant change for both employers and training providers,” she says. “A period of stability is now needed to allow the changes to bed in.”

This is all well and good, but salons need young talent intrigued and encouraged to enter hairdressing and barbering to begin with, and that’s another challenge. Progressive think tank the Institute for Public Policy Research has reported that fewer than two in five schools – 37.6 per cent – are allowing other education and training providers access to their pupils to inform them of technical and vocational qualifications. That’s a year after the Baker Clause’s introduction, which requires secondary schools by law to allow such access in an attempt to improve the technical education system.

If vocational training is to be considered a truly attractive career option, then this needs to improve… and quickly.

APPRENTICESHIPS IN BRIEF Before – Apprenticeship frameworks are now being phased out, after the government said they were too focused on qualifications.

Candidates were previously awarded an NVQ after completing the course with no final assessment.

After – Introduced in May 2017, the new Trailblazer standards are said to be more focused on learning an occupation and require all apprentices to complete a final assessment before they are awarded a Level 2 Diploma in Professional Hairdressing or Barbering.

HEAD FOR BUSINESS 41

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21/02/2019 13:39

Gina Conway Salons

SALON MANAGERS

On the hunt Gina Conway

Carolyn Sweeney

owner of Gina Conway Salons and Gina Conway Academy “WE HAVE REALLY embraced the new apprenticeship standards for hair professionals, which launched in May 2017.

For too long, many training providers were sending out apprentices who were not workready. Our biggest challenge has been the funding cuts and if Brexit makes it more difficult to recruit students from abroad, then we will be faced with a skills shortage.

“The fact that so many 16 to 18 year olds have been kept on by schools has also made recruiting a challenge. If apprenticeship funding was consistent, we might see how the industry would flourish and allow more people to consider this as a career. Putting some funding into advertising apprenticeships would also help to increase awareness and fill vacancies, as there’s always a recruitment gap for quality assistants. However, I’m grateful that I can now deliver a qualification to my team who need a five-star professional, ready to face the challenging and exciting career ahead of them.”

founder of Creations

It’s a common complaint – salons struggle to find apprentices and the school system is set up against them.

Here’s how four salon owners are getting to grips with the new standards and finding the next generation of talent they so desperately need…

“APPRENTICESHIPS HAVE become a challenge but times are changing and we have to change too. Schools are preventing teenagers from exploring alternatives to A-levels to avoid losing pupil funding in the sixth form. But now secondary schools are legally required to allow us to advertise vocational qualifications to pupils, so we invite students to career days in the salon and run afterschool clubs for 14 and 15 year olds alongside work experience, taster days and Saturday jobs. The best way to come up with new ideas like these is to spend time with other owners at meetings with 3•6•5 Business Education. Also, it doesn’t help that parents lose benefits if their child becomes an apprentice; if they stay on at school or college, benefits are unaffected. For some families on low incomes, this makes a huge difference.

“An average UK worker changes employer once every five years, which means just under a quarter of employees are looking for a new job at least once a year. So we don’t restrict our apprenticeships to just school leavers.”

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21/02/2019 13:40

SALON MANAGERS

Hob Salons

Paul Simbler

director of HOB Salons and HOB Academy “AS A SALON-OWNER, the recent changes in qualifications have been really valuable.

Previously we had to train the apprentices for an additional six months at the end of their qualification before they were salon and clientready. However, we now spend an additional six months preparing them for work so we are still carrying out more training than the qualification suggests we have to!

“Many of our salons are short of apprentices as we cannot afford to have unsuitable young people working within the business. The 16 year olds who come to us are

Andrew Collinge

owner of Andrew Collinge Hairdressing and Training

not ready for work, or able to communicate with clients. We hear of more and more salons giving up on apprentices and carrying out their own shampoo services, but we have always trained and grown our own staff. We would really struggle to recruit apprentices without the option of a traineeship first. This 12-week programme has been invaluable and enables us to prepare young people for working life and gives them valuable experience before they commit to an apprenticeship. We still hope that our apprentices are our future stylists, mangers, trainers and salon owners.”

“DUE TO THE SLOWDOWN on the high street and rising costs, salons are already employing fewer apprentices so to remove the Apprenticeship National Minimum Wage could be very detrimental to the industry.

There are also concerns about the reduced funding for training, particularly as the vast majority of apprentices are yet to take the new end-point assessments. The very least the government should have done would have been to see the first cohort through and then taken another look. It’s difficult to foresee exactly what the impact will be as a result of the cuts, but it’s certainly going to be challenging. The end-point assessment is a good thing and should also help for consistency in determining abilities – both for apprentices and training providers.

“However, it’s still early days for these apprentices and for many the subsequent experience they get on the salon floor and ongoing training they receive will really make more of a difference. I think there will always be changes to apprenticeship training, but hopefully the changes will be for the good and not just for change’s sake.”

HEAD FOR BUSINESS 43

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APPRENTICES

Absolute beginners What is it like on the frontline as a hairdressing apprentice in 2019? Three assistants share their experiences of choosing hair as a career...

Chloe Fisher HOB Salons Camden

May Humble Saks Yarm

Beth Wakeling Headmasters Guildford

“THE GRAMMAR SCHOOL I went to never even mentioned hairdressing as a viable career choice; the emphasis was definitely on college and then university.

The perception of hairdressing among my friends, teachers and even my parents was that it was some kind of ‘easy way out’.

I honestly believe an apprenticeship is the best thing you can do, working and earning money while learning a valuable trade.

I think young people like me are scared to break away from education, especially when everyone around them is advising them to stay in it as long as possible. But an apprenticeship is a happy medium between learning and working. For 16 year olds, I feel the hardest part is the jump from school to the workplace. You get treated like a child at school, but then suddenly you get treated as an adult when you’re in the workplace. It can be a big shock to the system. The HOB Salons traineeship does help this though. For me, the hardest part is that there’s so much to learn; retaining and then applying all the information is sometimes really difficult. But, when you do manage to remember everything and apply it to produce a great cut – and get praised – it feels great!”

“I TRIED A FEW career options before starting my hairdressing apprenticeship but wasn’t getting the job satisfaction I was looking for. As I got older, I became more passionate about hair and I decided to turn this into a career. The only people that really encouraged me were friends and family. I don’t think schools realise the career opportunities hairdressing offers.

As soon as I started my apprenticeship with Saks I knew this was the career for me. I love being around people and making them feel good. I’ve learnt a lot from being in a busy sales environment and it’s really helped me to prepare for my future.

I’ve developed skills that I never knew I had! But being a hairdressing apprentice is a hard job. You need to be flexible and motivated and have to work really hard, but I feel proud to be part of my salon. Saks offers extra courses that help me to train above and beyond standard apprenticeship training, too. I’ve recently progressed onto my Advanced Apprenticeship with Saks after being the first to pass the new endpoint assessment with a distinction grade.

I’m really excited to take my training to the next level and hope to have a hairdressing business of my own one day.”

“I REALLY WANTED to get into a creative industry and thought that hairdressing would be the perfect choice for me. I started my apprenticeship when I was 21, which is later than normal but I was really pleased to find that Headmasters can arrange funding for students at any age and discovered that there are some great opportunities available through them. I went to a private school and was pushed to go to university, but I really didn’t feel that it would be right for me. I wanted to have a guaranteed job at the end of my training, so thought an apprenticeship would be best. One of my friends already worked at Headmasters and recommended them. It’s nice to have the balance of training at the Headmasters Academy one day a week as well as one day training in the salon. I’ve had the opportunity to do lots of additional courses as well and this continues as you qualify, so you can always improve your skills. Hard work pays off and you can have a successful career with so many opportunities available to you. I would like to start building a clientele base, and in the future would love to get involved in more creative work, possibly session styling or with the Headmasters Artistic Team.”

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2019

event

20/02/2019 15:27

The Chapel’s Pause Day

THE CHAPEL

How to bust the salon formula The decline of high street shopping and growth of online retail means the importance of providing a special experience and making customers feel personally valued is greater than ever. Salon group The Chapel is all about offering an experience beyond the standard formula.

Co-founders Amanda and Toby Dicker outline their approach…

Remove barriers between the team and guests

“The first part of busting the traditional formula, and even our own, has been removing the barrier between our guests and our ‘hosts’ – the reception desk. This simple change has made the whole experience more personal and far more human; all guests are instead greeted by the door and made to feel at home in a setting that feels more like a welcoming living room.

“All appointment bookings and bills are

carried out in the comfort of the sofas on a laptop; there’s no formal check-in/check-out and we’re thrilled that guests have commented on what a difference it makes.”

Reinvent retail

“While people buying online are searching for competitive prices, what they don’t buy online are expertise and experiences; we believe that expertise is to be shared, and the purchase will follow. Part of this is breaking down language barriers, so we’re redesigning and reorganising

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THE CHAPEL

our retail areas into categories of the guests’ most used descriptive words. For example, instead of shopping by brand name or entire ranges, we’re now grouping in areas such as moisture, styling and volumising.

“We’re also looking to downsize to just one ‘sample’ of each product. The idea is that this will allow our customers to try out and see the viscosity and texture before buying. Reducing product quantities means that instead of six identical shampoos next to six identical conditioners, we would have one of each – it’s much more minimalist and easier on the eye.”

part of our ‘Pause Day’. They brought mood boards reflecting themselves along with their styling tools, hairdryers and products from home. After showing us how they blow-dried and styled, we were able to teach them how to cut their blow-drying times by half in some cases, and how to eliminate some hair problems that had always annoyed them!

But it also taught us so much more in return; a vision of what today’s needs are and that with these approaches, we can further tailor hairstyles and prescribe products to suit people’s routines at home.”

Introduce a pause

Embrace technology

“The demand from customers today is so much more than it used to be, so we wanted to invent a day where we recreated what we did 20 years ago, but with today’s guests and today’s stylists. So all our salons were closed and just a handful of guests came in to be

“With so much focus on how we can improve the client journey, we found that it can be difficult for our hosts to be all things to all people while running around the salons to look after our guests. We knew there would be a solution that makes everyone’s lives better.

“We moved to cloud-based software and the extra benefit, beyond being able to lose our desks, is that we’ve introduced a fully focused ‘hub’ separate to the salons that’s purely for taking calls, live chats, emails and our app booking requests.

“How does this redefine the salon experience? Our hosts in the hub can now dedicate much more time to give in-depth advice and to explain far more about why and how we do things differently. There’s rarely a queue at the salon door – most of the calls, emails, chats and more are being handled in the hub. In-salon that equates to even greater hospitality, with time to really talk to our guests.

“We firmly believe that by listening to the customers’ and stylists’ needs, we’ll change the future of hairdressing, putting ourselves at the forefront of an occupation that deserves more recognition than it gets.”

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20/02/2019 15:29

Arcadia Series from Takara Belmont

INTERIORS AND EDUCATION

Inner beauty

Is your salon looking as good as it should? Perhaps we can tempt you with a little makeover inspiration…

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INTERIORS AND EDUCATION

MANAGEMENT MAKEOVER That’s your interiors sorted – now focus on those other daily challenges!

HOB Academy’s business courses include The Successful Salon Business (with insight from director Clive Collins on topics such as increasing client bills and techniques to monitor your competition), and How to Build Your Column, perfect for the newlyqualified or those who want to be busier!

020 7485 7272/olivia@hobsalons.com

The plumply-padded B-Side double-seated waiting sofa from Salon Ambience adds extra seating to a reception area in a rather elegant fashion, and comes in two versions to best suit your space. £559 until 30 April (usually £699) 07554 990965 salonambience.com

The Smart reception desk from Salon Ambience in white ash melamine includes an upholstered front panel available in a choice of colours. It curves at a 90-degree angle to allow for a variety of desk positioning. Clever!

From £1,179 until 30 April (usually £1,479) 07554 990965 salonambience.com

The Vintage Alt chair from Takara Belmont can be customised from a choice of six upholstery colours and fabrics and foot-rest options in wood, black metal or antique finish. Choose from six classic designs, too.

From £1,500 020 7515 0333 takarahairdressing.co.uk

Is your vibe more Japanese minimalism?

Then you’ll love the practical designs of the Rhea and Cassia styling stations, with marble plated surfaces and the option of an add-on hairdryer holder.

Cassia £1,200; Rhea £1,840 020 7515 0333 takarahairdressing.co.uk

If you need a helping hand on the regular, 3•6•5 Salon Education has you covered with its line-up of business coaches. It’s a subscription-based membership programme that ensures you have a helping hand whenever you (or a member of the team) need it.

Prices start from £138+VAT a month.

365hair.com

With chic button detailing, a five-star chrome base and lockable hydraulic height adjustment, the Brianna styling chair from Salon Services is a little bit of luxe for your clients to sit upon. £179 plus VAT 0330 123 1907 salon-services.com

WANT TO BE SEEN AS AN ECO FRIENDLY SALON?

GET A SUSTAINABLE CERTIFICATE FOR YOU AND YOUR SALON… FREE! SAVE ENERGY, SAVE WATER, REDUCE WASTE, SAVE MONEY AND REACH NEW CLIENTS THROUGH OUR SUSTAINABLE SALON LOCATOR To find out more, visit ecohairandbeauty.com Get in touch at ecohair@soton.ac.uk

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21/02/2019 13:46

H&Co Salons

OPINION

Opinion

Co-op the future Hannah Kernick, co-owner of H&Co Salons in Devon, has a radical suggestion for businesses facing local chair rental competitors.

Could her idea work?

“

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WHEN WE OPENED in Torquay two years ago there were 44 hair salons in an area with a population of around 60,000; now there are more than 50, excluding barbers and mobile hairdressers. This increase in businesses lowers the number of clients available for each salon and certainly not enough where each salon would be considered reasonably busy.

“We employed six stylists from day one, all on PAYE without any established client base.

This meant that our marketing really had to be on point; in just under two years we’ve become one of the busiest salons in the area.

However, the competition and the limit of potential clients in our area has played on my mind, making me consider what can be done to improve our own business.

“One idea I’ve considered is collaborating with local employment-based hair salons to share resources and costs. This could include colour and retail stock to get the best deals and help each other if we are short of products. This could go further with joint apprenticeships, collaboration on visiting schools on careers days and even helping each other out to cover sickness where possible.

“I’ve also considered joint marketing. In Torquay, more than 50 salons are posting on Facebook and Instagram and often putting

out unsustainable offers to get more bums on seats. We are increasing our client base and while this is fabulous, we also lose clients due to offers put out by competitors, which we cannot compete with and stay profitable.

“A co-op with joint marketing could also produce a collaborative client membership scheme where members could enjoy fixed pricing across all salons, and could visit any salon within the group, safe in the knowledge that the service, experience, standards and products would be of a similar quality. Each salon could pay a monthly fee to be part of the collaborative, which would be used on joint marketing initiatives to benefit all salons in the group. The clients could also pay a nominal fee for being part of the scheme, gaining access to special deals and offers across the salon co-op and with other local businesses.

“Not all salons would offer all services – some offer extensions, others excel in wedding hair – and the co-op could recommend other group salons, perhaps earning collaborative points to be used for training within the group or help with sickness or holiday cover.

“There is a huge amount of competitive secrecy between salons, where many are not prepared to share resources and ideas. This, I feel, is an area that needs to change.

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