MEE T THE 2023 AHIA BUSINESS TE AM OF THE YE AR
TONI&GUY Cronulla Nestled in the heart of the Sutherland Shire, the TONI&GUY Cronulla salon, led by Louise Blake, has evolved into a celebrated hub of style and community connection since its inception in 2004. Beyond the establishment’s brand recognition, Louise and her team have diligently crafted a distinctive identity, seamlessly blending global standards with a locally resonant experience. Their commitment extends far beyond hairstyling, evident in innovative community engagements such as the Mardi Gras Balloon Pop and impactful fundraising initiatives. Recently honoured with the 2023 AHIA BUSINESS Salon Team of the Year award, this salon stands as a testament not only to its exceptional styling but to the unwavering unity and kindness embodied by its team.
We recently caught up with Louise Blake…
Louise Blake
Can you tell us a bit about TONI&GUY Cronulla?
We opened in 2004 in the beautiful Sutherland Shire and are proud to be a TONI&GUY Australia high performing salon and top commercial performer for the last 5 years. However, whilst an iconic brand name frames our salon window, we also know that we must provide our own unique experience. Our salon clientele is diverse, but the geographical catchment is 90% within a 15-kilometre radius. There’s a real local feel, and often our clients will know one another during their visit. We offer tailored colour, cut and styling services as well as specialist hair extensions, keratin smoothing, and chemical straightening services. Plus we also have a strong barber and bridal wing to cover all bases.
How have you focused on setting yourself apart and creating your own identity?
The big brand name is a big deal but so is the time we spend brainstorming with other local businesses or being part of social initiatives that matter to our local clients. We believe we have to value add at a local salon level if people are going to choose us as their hairdresser. Our clients want to support small businesses, they want to ‘shop local’, so we have tried to authentically be the ‘local hairdresser’ by creating and resourcing lots of additional activities and initiatives beyond what we have access to us as a TONI&GUY salon.
What have been some of your most successful local initiatives?
A few recent ones have been the Mardi Gras Balloon Pop, a retail promotion that saw us erect a huge rainbow balloon arch in the salon, with retail promotions inside each balloon and an invitation for all clients to pop the balloon to retrieve a special retail offer. The activation delivered record retail results and a clear message about our salon being a safe space. We have also just raised a whopping $290k for the National Breast Cancer Foundation with a high end local business collaboration and giveaway of over $110k of prizes that opened us up to a fresh and new, but like-minded, potential clientele. We love to look at unique ways to engage with our community and have some exciting plans in the mix for 2024.
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Hair Biz Year 18 Issue 1
Congratulations on your AHIA win as Salon Business Team of the Year 2023! What does the competitive arena mean to you?
Thank you! Entering awards has been a massive highlight for the whole team as each stage of the process has provided so much opportunity to learn about ourselves and each other. This win in particular was really important to me though as it recognised the work we put in as a team both on and off the floor. It covers everything from photographic work to successful salon figures to team personal development to education to local community and everything in between! It is a true testament to what we were able to achieve together over the awards period, and it isn’t often you get the chance to reflect and celebrate together in that way. We have been so proud to support the AHIA’s for four years now and we are proof that it can take time to take home the big wins, but, if you keep at it, you can absolutely get there.
What do you think is the definitive element that set you and your team apart?
Consistency isn’t a super sexy word, but it’s what sets us apart and made us worthy of the team award. Our team are consistently kind to their clients and to each other and have each other’s backs when they are sick and need to cover columns. They consistently raise
