SalonFocus July-Aug 2013

THE ESSENTIAL MAGAZINE FOR SALON OWNERS

Quarter of salons have suffered staff theft Get involved in landmark members’ survey Find out how to enter this year’s Britain’s Best

JULY/AUGUST 2013 | £3.50

PAGE 2 SALONFOCUS MAY/JUNE 2013

WAVELENGTH

Don’t assume a link between debt and staff theft, but do stay vigilant discuss and try to hide or deal with themselves until it Sometimes in journalism you pursue something on a all gets too much. To that extent it’s quite possible that, hunch. That’s what we did this edition in running a survey even in the often intimate working environment of a small to gauge the views of members on the salon, a salon owner – “the boss” – wouldn’t necessarily be damage – or not – so-called “payday” lenders the one who would know if a stylist was struggling, until or were wreaking on financially vulnerable unless it spilled into the salon environment. That’s why it people in the hairdressing industry. You makes absolute sense for salon owners to remain vigilant may recall last year (SalonFocus, September/ about the threat easy credit and debt can pose not only to October 2012) we highlighted how debt individuals but potentially to their salons as well. handling counsellors at StepChange, then On a different note, you’ll see in this edition we’ve called the Consumer Credit Counselling devoted quite a lot of space to the launch of Britain’s Best.

Service, had identified hairdressing, The competition proved an undoubted anecdotally at any success last year and was an excellent rate, as a key area ‘Nearly two thirds of salon showcase for the talent within the of concern.

Federation and, more widely, British At one level, owners have enough trust and So I would very much as a journalist confidence in their staff to vouch hairdressing. urge you to take the plunge and enter who likes a good yourself or nominate someone you news story, I was disappointed for their honesty. And, while a feel deserves the accolade. It’s easy, at what we found. At another quarter have indeed experienced interactive and high profile. Help us level – the more important to make Britain’s Best even more of a one – the fact we found payday theft, more than 60 per cent talking point this year. lenders don’t appear to be have not. That, I think, shows the Finally, I’m more of an Android as much of an issue for salon owners as had been originally attitude and commitment of the than an Apple person myself, but even if there wasn’t an iPad going begging, feared is very clearly good vast majority of salon staff and, I’d still be jumping up and down and news. Salon owners, as we telling you, if you haven’t already done report on page five, by and just as importantly, how well so, pull your finger out and get on and large had no evidence staff they are being managed and fill in that members’ survey that were falling into spirals of should have landed on your doormat unmanageable debt; there was looked after.’ in the last few weeks! little sign of employees being We’re all busy I know but the pestered by debt chasers while “getting to know you” initiative launched by your new chief at work; very few had ever had to help pick up the pieces executive/secretary general Hilary Hall (News, page six) is of a staff member going into financial meltdown. important. Money is tight for everyone and it’s very easy Yet the survey also identified relatively significant to look at something like membership of a federation or levels of concern among salon owners that otherwise other trade body as one more expense rather than, as it trusted employees who get into financial difficulty could should be, an investment in something that’s going to help be tempted to steal from their business. Even more your business grow and survive, stretch your talent and, at worrying was the finding that more than a quarter had the very least, just be a great place to share best practice actually experienced this scenario. and build networks and contacts. But the NHF can only do So, what should we make of this? First, let’s not ignore that effectively if it knows what it is you, its members, want the fact that, while a third of salon owners may be worried, from it, what it needs to prioritise and focus on, what it nearly two thirds have enough trust and confidence in needs to be doing more and less of. So don’t ignore it! And their staff to vouch for their honesty. And, while a quarter while you’re at it, do take a look at what Hilary has to say have indeed experienced theft, more than 60 per cent have not. That, I think, shows the attitude and commitment about her priorities and goals for the Federation in our interview on page 14. I think you’ll find it an of the vast majority of salon staff and, just as importantly, interesting read. how well they are being managed and looked after.

But there is another interesting point, one highlighted

by Delroy Corinaldi of StepChange. Often money woes are something people are embarrassed or ashamed to

www.nhf.info

JULY/AUGUST 2013 SALONFOCUS PAGE 3

CONTENTS OUR CONTRIBUTORS

Zoe Irwin is a session stylist and creative director for ghd

Boyd Roden is owner of Boyd’s Hair Design & Beauty in Chase Terrace and Hednesford, Staffordshire

Paul Fileman is a director at business strategy consultancy Results-Zone

SALONFOCUS IS PUBLISHED BY: National Hairdressers’ Federation, One Abbey Court, Fraser Road, Priory Business Park, Bedford MK44 3WH t: 0845 345 6500 t: 01234 831965 f: 01234 838875 e: sfenquiries@salonfocus.co.uk w: www.nhf.info ACTING PUBLISHER Tina Beaumont e: tina.beaumont@nhf.info EDITOR Nic Paton e: sfeditor@salonfocus.co.uk EDITORIAL CONSULTANT Andrew Don e: sfeditor@salonfocus.co.uk

News

12 14

A quarter of salons have suffered staff theft Survey to find out what sort of Federation you want NHF’s blueprint for reform of apprenticeships Britain’s Best opens for nominations ‘Safety first’ must be priority in wake of Keogh review Barbers win right to state registration Meet your new chief executive

Britain’s Best

05 06

08-09 10 11

17-20

22-23 24

The countdown has started… everything you need to know about how to enter, nominate and vote in this year’s Britain’s Best

Business Focus

Expansion – five steps to success, and how one salon’s done it Social mediation – have a policy on social media

Toolbox 25 26 28

Be a brighter spark – carry out an energy audit to save money All systems go – how hair systems could boost your revenue Tried and Tested – our panel testing page

Regulars 03 06 11 12 16 30-31 32 33 34

Wavelength – Don’t assume a link between debt and staff theft, but do stay vigilant HairClips – NHF seminars proving popular Movers and groovers – British Hairdresser of the Year nominations Beauty spots – cosmetic regulation in Wales Column – the benefits of lifelong learning Federation Focus – Mark Coray’s ‘master’ accolade Case confidential – a helpline call resolved Events – key dates for your diary (including Britain’s Best) @nhfederation – all the online gossip and tweets

PAGE 4 SALONFOCUS JULY/AUGUST 2013

Basil Long is senior legal consultant at Croner, operator of the NHF’s Legal Lifeline

Paul Cochrane is owner and director of Frankie Cochrane Hair and Beauty in London

Les Marshall is sales and marketing director at Miele Professional Victoria Hammersley is employment consultant at Croner, operator of the NHF’s Legal Lifeline

EVENTS Melanie Collins t: 01234 834385 e: melanie.collins@nhf.info AD SALES Mainline Media Ltd The Barn, Oakley Hay Lodge Business Park, Great Oakley, Northants NN18 9AS t: +44 (0) 1536 747333 f: +44 (0) 1536 746565 w: www.mainlinemedia.co.uk Advertising Sales Manager Tricia McDougall e: tricia.mcdougall@mainlinemedia. co.uk Advertising Production Manager Craig Barber e: craig.barber@mainlinemedia.co.uk DESIGN & PRODUCTION Matrix Print Consultants Ltd t: 01536 527297 e: julie@matrixprint.com While every care is taken in compiling this issue of SalonFocus including manuscripts and photographs submitted, we accept no responsibility for any losses or damage, whatever the cause. All information and prices contained in advertisements are accepted by the publishers in good faith as being correct at the time of going to press. Neither the advertisers nor the publishers accept any responsibility for any variations affecting price variations or availability after the publication has gone to press. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without the permission of the publisher, to whom application must first be made. The views expressed by contributors to SalonFocus are not necessarily those of the NHF, the publisher or its editor. © 2011 The National Hairdressers’ Federation.

Material for consideration in this section of the magazine should be submitted on CDROM as high resolution jpeg or tiff files to The Editor, SalonFocus. Submissions should be made on the understanding that the National Hairdressers’ Federation has the right to use the material in any part of the magazine and any of its other publications, promotions or website, free from any copyright restrictions, or appearance fees other than the issue of artistic and photographic credits where applicable. Please include salon name, photographer & stylist.

NEWS

A quarter of salon owners have experienced staff theft,

warns survey E xc l u s

i ve

into difficulty regulation of these controversial lenders.

More than a quarter of salon owners have might be As one salon owner who filled in the had money or product stolen from their tempted to survey put it: “The payday industry needs salon by a member of staff who has got steal from to be regulated and monitored. It has into financial difficulty, an exclusive NHF their salon. preyed on vulnerable staff members who survey has revealed.

Even more can find themselves in a constant cycle of The poll of more than 100 NHF concerning, borrowing quick-access money without members wanted to gauge the extent more than a ever knowing if they are going to be able to which so-called “payday” lenders quarter – 27 to pay it back, and then get hit by high are targeting the industry, given its per cent – interest rates.” reputation for relatively low wages and admitted Where staff had turned to payday a young, often financially inexperienced DELROY CORINALDI: this scenario lenders, most of the time it was only for workforce.

BE VIGILANT had actually small loans, of £100 or less, estimated 44 Last year the charity StepChange happened to them. per cent of those polled. (formerly the Consumer Credit While a significant minority – 27 Another positive finding was that Counselling Service) warned that per cent again – said they would try to more than seven out of 10 said staff had hairdressing was potentially one of the resolve such a situation informally if at not been pestered or pressured by such most vulnerable to such lenders, which all possible, especially for a first offence, lenders while at work, although nearly normally charge extremely high rates of the vast majority, nearly 83 per cent, a tenth (seven per cent) said this was interest on short-term loans (SalonFocus, agreed they would have no option but something they had experienced.

September/October 2012).

Just six per cent, too, had experienced to take disciplinary action against the In May this year the charity also staff member, with more than 15 per cent staff getting into serious financial warned that twice as many people – from saying they would go so far as to call in difficulty because of payday loans. all walks of life – had sought its help the police.

But the temptation of salon stock and last year compared with 2011, with the Delroy Corinaldi, external affairs cash to those who did fall into a spiral average debt being more than £1,600. director of StepChange Debt Charity, of debt and were unable to cope was a Payday lenders were not the only said salon owners would be wise to genuine fear for many salon owners. problem – credit cards and unpaid bills remain vigilant.

More than a third – 36 per cent – were a growing issue – but the rapid rise “Recent findings show that more than worried that, in principle, staff who got of such lenders was a cause for concern, a third of people who used payday with the charity having seen a 109 loans earn under £15,000. This per cent increase in clients with Have you ever been concerned a staff member means people in professions such payday loans. who has got into financial difficulty might be as hairdressing may be particularly Back in March, a review by the tempted to steal from the salon, eg cash or vulnerable to falling into financial Office of Fair Trading said it had product sell on? difficulty. found evidence of “widespread, “While it’s positive that relatively irresponsible lending” among percentage few salon owners have experienced payday lenders and outlined their staff using payday loans, it is plans to refer the market to the 36.4% Yes often the case that people hide their Competition Commission.

63.6% No financial difficulties from friends, For the hairdressing industry, families and employers. the good news from the NHF poll Has this ever actually happened to you?

“I would urge all employers to be was that more than nine out of 10 vigilant for signs that their staff may of the salon owners polled said percentage be struggling financially and ensure they were “unaware” of staff using 27.3% employees are made aware that free Yes payday lenders.

But a similarly high proportion No 61.6% advice and support is available from organisations such as ours,” – 91 per cent – said they would 11.1 Don’t know he added. nevertheless welcome tighter

www.nhf.info

JULY/AUGUST 2013 SALONFOCUS PAGE 5

NEWS

Tell us what sort of Federation you want to see

IPAD: SURVEY PRIZE

The NHF has launched a major consultation exercise to gauge the profile and priorities of its membership, a move that will set the agenda for its campaigning activities and how it targets and delivers benefits and support to salon owners.

The “getting to know you” initiative was unveiled in June and will ask all 6,000 NHF members to complete a 10-minute survey outlining who they are, what sort of salon they run, what they value about Federation membership, what they would like to see the Federation offering or doing more of and what they see as their key challenges and priorities.

The move is one of the first big pieces of activity carried out by new chief executive/ secretary general Hilary Hall since arriving at the Federation in April.

Hilary told SalonFocus one of her priorities was membership – retaining, recruiting and re-invigorating members – and, in a tough economic climate where salons are naturally looking closely at all outgoings, it was vital the Federation offered both value for money and compelling, positive member benefits.

“The Federation’s biggest strength, and asset, is its membership. We already know

members value highly a lot of what we offer – the Legal Lifeline, bespoke contracts and SalonFocus, to name but three.

“But if we are to continue to offer the best value for our membership, and continue to attract salon owners to join our ranks, I need to know what it is you, our membership, wants from the Federation, what matters to you and how the Federation can help you to nurture your businesses and continue to be profitable and sustainable,” she added.

The paper-based and online survey was sent out in June and members are being given until July 12 to complete and send it back to NHF head office.

The findings will then be collated and are expected to be published in SalonFocus.

As an added incentive, all members who complete the survey will be entered into a draw to win an iPad. Any member who has not received their survey questionnaire should contact head office on 01234 831965 or 0845 3456500 or via email at enquiries@nhf.info

•

PAGE 6 SALONFOCUS JULY/AUGUST 2013

Meet your new chief executive, page 14

HAIRCLIPS POPULAR SEMINARS The NHF’s first two employment law seminars will be on July 11 in Norwich and Cambridge, with a third now set for July 29 in York. The seminars are being run by Croner, operator of the Legal Lifeline, and will cover topics including conduct, absence, redundancy and disciplinary procedures. Further seminars are due to take place in Glasgow, Dundee, Cardiff and Blackpool in September and October. Full details can be found on Events, page 33.

Seminars are free for NHF members but non-members can attend at a cost of £20.

BOTTLE SCAM

vouchers” can be found at: https://vouchers. innovateuk.org/. The BIS has also published guidance to help small businesses protect themselves better.

FRAUD TOOLKIT

The National Fraud Authority has developed an online “toolkit” to help small businesses prevent fraud.

The authority has estimated that last year fraud cost small firms £18.9bn, with one in four small businesses affected. The toolkit can be found at: http:// www.actionfraud.police.uk/ small-businesses-know-yourbusiness

Salon owners are being warned to be alert for a possible scam at the more disreputable end of the market, where salons refill expensive brand containers with other products and then use them without a client’s knowledge. The practice was brought to the attention of the Cosmetic, Toiletry and Perfumery Association (CTPA) in April by a TV production company, Betty TV, which said it was planning an “exposé” .

The CTPA has stressed that, even if such activities are being carried out by some salons, it would be illegal and invalidate any insurance they had.

EDUCATION LOBBYING

HAIR RESEARCH

One in five high street stores could disappear in the next five years, a report has predicted.

The Centre for Retail Research forecast competition from online and other factors would mean some 61,930 high street stores would close across the UK by 2018, with the loss of 316,000 jobs. Specialist retailers such as record, computer and games stores, butchers, book and antique shops would be among the hardest hit, though pharmacies and health and beauty stores would also be likely to suffer.

Injections using a person’s own blood could hold the key to treatment of a common form of hair loss, according to research published in the British Journal of Dermatology. Researchers at the International Hair Research Foundation and University of Brescia in Italy and the Hebrew University Medical Center in Israel examined the role of so-called platelet-rich plasma in the treatment of alopecia areata, a common hairloss disorder.

CYBER WARNING

The government is offering small firms the chance to bid for up to £5,000 to improve their “cyber security”, after research by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) found 87 per cent of small firms had experienced a web-based security breach last year, up 10 per cent.

Information on the “innovation

NHF education committee chairman John Armstrong spoke at a high-level education seminar in Whitehall in May. The event by the Westminster Education Forum discussed quality and standards in vocational education, and John outlined the NHF’s aspirations for more employer-based and employer-led training.

The forum brings together policymakers, interested parties and government agencies to discuss education issues.

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News: apprenticeships

NHF outlines blueprint for reform in wake of Richard Review The NHF has submitted a high-level blueprint to the government outlining in detail how it believes apprenticeships and vocational training could be improved.

The submission was made as part of the government’s consultation on its proposals for the reform of apprenticeships published in March, and itself made in response to last year’s Richard Review (SalonFocus, May/June 2013).

The government has proposed the creation of employer-led apprenticeships, with employers being responsible for putting “recognised and meaningful” standards at the heart of every apprenticeship.

In its submission – a full copy of which can be found online at www.nhf.info – the NHF has argued that the current tight limits on funding for vocational training encourage training providers to offer the shortest and most cost-effective route to completion.

But fully mastering an occupation and being made ready for employment can take time. Therefore, it said: “Employers should define the length of time it takes for trainees to reach an employable standard, not only in hairdressing skills but in the softer skills too as these are equally important in the workplace.”

But the Federation expressed doubt about the government’s proposal that contests be run to select standards for each occupation, arguing this could potentially disadvantage small employers.

“Standards need to be developed and supported by a broad crosssection of employers working together.

Our preferred option would be for a consortium to be selected to develop the standards on behalf of the sector as a whole, preferably led by a qualifications’ awarding body rather than a sector skills council,” it said.

On the question of whether there should be just one standard per apprentice occupation or job role, the NHF broadly answered “yes”.

“While employers will have different views, there is a strong case for having

PAGE 8 SALONFOCUS JULY/AUGUST 2013

APPRENTICESHIPS: STANDARDS ARE UNDER SCRUTINY

a single standard. A core and options model would cater for those industries, such as hairdressing, where there are variants,” it said.

“One overarching qualification with core covering skills, which are essential to all entrants but with optional modules providing the flexibility to meet the diverse needs of the industry, will be more straightforward for employers to understand and to support trainees through to completion. It also ensures consistent standards of training within a sector,” it added.

When it came to ensuring employers remained engaged in the process, the NHF emphasised that, in sectors with a lot of small and micro businesses, such as hairdressing, the role of trade associations and federations in disseminating and communicating information would be vital.

It also urged the government to put practical, workplace-based experience at the heart of assessment.

“Working in the hair and beauty industry requires trainees and qualified staff to work in open salons, a public environment. The industry also has a culture of demonstrations and competitions, which also take place in the live environment,” the submission argued.

“It is important therefore that employees can function effectively in the live and public environment. The

NHF would therefore fully support ‘live’ practical assessments at the end of the course, covering the core hairdressing activities an employer would expect from a competent (albeit inexperienced) employee.

“Assessment could take place in central locations with employers significantly represented on panels responsible for final ‘live’ assessments.

This would be a much truer reflection of the realities of working with the public in a salon and would be welcomed by employers in the hairdressing industry,” it added.

The consultation called for views on how requiring apprentices to achieve Level 2 in English and maths might affect employers, providers and potential learners.

In response, the Federation recommended that, if the school system had failed young people in this way, it was essential to provide apprentices with functional skills.

“These should be limited to what is realistically needed within the job roles they will be performing. Training programmes can then focus on filling the critical gaps that would prevent apprentices from becoming effective employees.

“Allowing more time for the completion of apprenticeships in the hairdressing industry would be

News: apprenticeships welcomed, and the NHF anticipates that an employment-ready qualification is likely to take three years rather than two years. As well as giving trainees more time for learning on the job, this would also allow for the introduction of more innovative training delivery by providers,” it added.

Youngsters ‘put off’ hairdressing while at school Young people who start secondary school interested in hairdressing as a career have often been put off the idea by the time they do their GSCEs, new research has suggested.

The study, by the UK Commission for Employment and Skills, the b-live Foundation and the Education and Employers Taskforce has led to calls for schools to much improve the careers’ advice and guidance they offer young people.

The poll of 12,000 pupils found hairdressing was the 18th most popular career choice for 13-14-year-olds out of nearly 70 possible jobs, with beauty therapy coming in 19th on the list.

But when it came to 15-16-year-olds, hairdressing slipped to 27th place, (now behind beauty in 23rd). The situation was JANE NIXON: AMBITIONS even worse among 16-17 yearolds, by which time hairdressing was in the bottom half of the pile, at 39th in the rankings and beauty at 35th.

The finding appears at odds with research by the National Apprenticeship Service published in January that suggested hairdressing apprenticeships were massively over-subscribed, with more than nine young people applying for every vacant place last year (SalonFocus, March/April 2013).

But it does chime with a report by schools’ inspector Ofsted last year that highlighted how some teachers

www.nhf.info

consistently talked down the industry and even tried to deter more academic students from pursuing hairdressing as a career (SalonFocus, July/August 2012).

That research, and other studies last year, prompted NHF president Mark Coray to urge schools vastly to improve the careers’ advice they offered young people.

Federation education committee chairman John Armstrong has echoed this stance.

“We need to ensure the young people who embark on a career in hairdressing and beauty come in with the right skills – both educational achievements and personal – to be successful,” he told SalonFocus.

Jane Nixon, a L’anza educator and owner of Hair Eden in Manchester, told SalonFocus how she was pushed into sixth-form college after she was told she was “too bright” to do hairdressing. But she dropped out of college after six weeks and has never looked back.

“Becoming a hairdresser should not just be made to be a job for those deemed not clever enough for higher education. If young people want to become hairdressers, they should be encouraged and nurtured instead of pushed into careers they are told are right for them,” she said.

Apprenticeships’ manifesto is finalised The NHF’s manifesto on education and apprenticeships, The Future of Hairdressing and Barbering Apprenticeships – a Manifesto for Change, has been formally published.

A copy of the manifesto is being included within this issue of SalonFocus and can also be viewed online at www. nhf.info The manifesto, first revealed in SalonFocus in November, contains four pledges, each backed by a number of proposed activities designed to promote change and reform within training and apprenticeships. The pledges are that the NHF will work to: • improve the relevance and quality of publicly-funded apprenticeship programmes in hairdressing and barbering; • raise the awareness among

NHF members as to the extent to which publicly-funded apprenticeship provision can provide skills solutions for their employees; identify and champion • continuing professional development “pathways” for sector staff once they have completed a publicly-funded apprenticeship so as to enable them to become fully competent, experienced and economically viable stylists; and identify, and seek to address, • the design features of apprenticeships that may discourage NHF members from adopting them as a form of staff development.

Proposed activities as a result include the establishment of an “expert reference group” of employers and others to review the “fitness-for-purpose” of existing apprenticeship frameworks.

A review will also be carried out into the quality, frameworks and structures of existing training provision, with the ultimate aim being to establish apprenticeship frameworks that can be endorsed by the NHF. There will be work to raise awareness of the professional nature of hairdressing and barbering and an JOHN ARMSTRONG: awareness-raising RESPONSIBILITY campaign among NHF members to provide clarity as to what skills salon owners can reasonably expect staff undertaking a Level 2 or Level 3 apprenticeship to achieve.

Other areas of activity include working with the Hairdressing Council to re-invigorate the statutory register for hairdressers and forging campaigning links with trade associations representing sectors that face similar challenges when employing apprentices.

John Armstrong, education committee chair, said: “As an industry historically attractive to young people with entrepreneurial spirit, but against a backdrop of record youth unemployment, all of us have a deep responsibility to ensure we are getting the training of future generations right.”

JULY/AUGUST 2013 SALONFOCUS PAGE 9

NEWS

The countdown has started…

Britain’s Best opens for nominations!

The details and categories of this November’s Britain’s Best competition have now been agreed, and members are being urged to get entering and nominating.

This year’s Britain’s Best will take place at the Metropole Hotel in Birmingham on November 17, and this year is being sponsored by colour giant L’Oréal.

Last year’s event, which included the innovative use of text voting and camera-phones, created a buzz in the industry and saw more than 250 people attend on the day.

This year’s event will, once again, include a “Text Vote” Popularity Poll and the popular “Click ‘n’ Send” Head of the Year Photographic Competition as well as a standard floor competition.

NHF president Mark Coray said: “I’m really excited about this year’s Britain’s Best. Last year’s event exceeded our expectations and was a huge success. Naturally I am hoping – and confident – this year’s Britain’s Best will be better still!

“I urge NHF members to get involved, get voting, get

nominating, enter their work and spread the word. Britain’s Best is a great opportunity to showcase the talent, passion and creativity within the Federation,” he added.

The winners of the NHF’s Photographic Stylist of the Year Competition will also be announced at Britain’s Best, after the judging took place last month.

The judges for that competition have this year included Desmond Murray, Jamie Stevens, Catherine Handcock of Creative Head magazine and Nicola Shannon of Professional Hairdresser magazine.

Jamie, resident hairdresser on The X Factor and nominated as British Hairdresser of the Year in this year’s British Hairdressing Awards, will be following in the footsteps of Lee Stafford by holding a Q&A session at Britain’s Best and discussing his work and influences.

Full details of this year’s competition can be found on pages 17-20 of this edition and online at www.britainsbest.me.

Ofgem dragging its feet over fuel bill ‘contract roll-overs’ Automatic contract roll-overs, the controversial mechanism often exploited by energy companies to lock small JULIAN MORGAN: businesses into ACTION NEEDED uncompetitive and expensive fuel deals, look like being with us for at least the next two years, despite repeated promises by market regulator Ofgem that they will be scrapped.

Automatic contract roll-overs can be imposed by an energy company when firms fail to contact their supplier within a specific timeframe in the run-up to their contract end-date.

They are something the NHF has long objected to, arguing they potentially severely disadvantage small salon owners who will be busy simply keeping their businesses afloat and do not have the time or expertise to spot when they are

PAGE 10 SALONFOCUS JULY/AUGUST 2013

at risk of being bounced on to a more expensive deal.

Back in 2008 Ofgem said it was going to ban automatic roll-overs for micro businesses, only to change its mind and permit them for a maximum of one year for such firms (SalonFocus, September/ October 2009).

SalonFocus played an important part on behalf of NHF members in Ofgem’s original probe, providing the now defunct watchdog Energywatch with crucial evidence that formed part of its submission.

But Ofgem has now said it does not expect its work on roll-overs, part of its Retail Market Review, to be completed until the end of next winter, following a consultation planned for this autumn.

A Private Members’ Bill from Brighton Green Party MP Caroline Lucas to limit roll-overs for micro businesses to 30 days was “talked out” earlier this year.

Small firms are disadvantaged by the fact they are unable to negotiate contracts in the way larger businesses do and lack expertise or time, which

makes them vulnerable to unfair contract terms and conditions, she pointed out.

NHF president CAROLINE LUCAS: Mark Coray said MEMBERS’ BILL the behaviour of some energy firms particularly annoyed Federation members because “we are three-quarters micro businesses”.

He added: “If you are doing everything yourself, the last thing on your mind is remembering the date of the contract.”

Julian Morgan, managing director of specialist SME comparison service Energy Advice Line, agreed Ofgem should have ended roll-over contracts for all SMEs four years go.

“It’s not just the issue of roll-overs and the prices that they are rolled over into, it is also an issue to make suppliers adopt a consistent message on what the customer needs to do at the end of the fixed term,” he said.

NEWS

‘Safety first’ must be priority in wake of Keogh review, says NHF The National Hairdressers’ Federation broadly welcomed the publication of Sir Bruce Keogh’s review of cosmetic procedures in April, arguing that ensuring the safety of the public has to take priority over any concerns within the industry about the potential cost implications for salons.

The report by NHS medical director Sir Bruce looked at both the cosmetic surgery industry and the growth of non-surgical treatments within high street hairdressing and beauty salons.

Its recommendations included: • making all dermal fillers prescription only; • ensuring all practitioners are properly qualified for all the procedures they offer (a recommendation covering everyone from cosmetic surgeons offering breast enlargement to those offering “injectables” such as dermal fillers or Botox); • a “register” to be created to show the public that practitioners are suitably trained and all providers of non-surgical interventions must be properly qualified through new accredited qualifications; and • the establishment of an ombudsman to oversee all private healthcare, including cosmetic procedures.

The report argued that cosmetic interventions are a “booming” business in the UK, worth £2.3bn in 2010 and estimated to be worth £3.6bn by 2015.

Non-surgical procedures now accounted for nine out of 10 procedures and for three quarters of the market value.

But Sir Bruce added: “We were surprised to discover that non-surgical interventions, which can have major and irreversible adverse impacts on health and wellbeing, are almost entirely unregulated.

“In fact, a person having a non-surgical cosmetic intervention has no more protection and redress than someone buying a ballpoint pen or a toothbrush,” he said.

In response NHF president Mark Coray urged the medical profession to work with the hairdressing and beauty industry to improve safety, training and standards for non-surgical beauty treatments.

Mark said: “Cosmetic beauty treatments on the high street remain a popular and convenient option for many people, and the Keogh report has highlighted, absolutely rightly, that health and safety has to be the paramount consideration for any salon offering these services. There should be no place in our industry for ‘cowboy’ operators who put the public at risk.

“We’re keen to see more details of exactly what the training will involve and how registration will work in practice so we can assess the cost and impact on salons that carry out beauty treatments. But if it means being able to offer the public the reassurance that, if they come to a salon for a treatment, it will be safe and of a high standard, that is definitely a price worth paying, and will be something very much welcomed by NHF members,” he added.

The British Association of Beauty Therapy and Cosmetology (Babtac) said it remained “quietly optimistic” about the cosmetic interventions market. Association chair Carolyne Cross said: “We believe that there will be some significant changes in terms of regulations and qualifications. For therapists, it is likely that they will have to undertake additional training to become compliant, and whilst this has a cost implication for each salon, the outcome – better protected clients – will be worth the additional expenditure.”

Rob Young, managing director of standards-setting body Habia, added: “It is important we act now. Habia intends to bring together a wide range of representatives of the beauty sector so that government can be presented with a united response before any decisions on legislation are made, and to ensure that beauty therapists are fairly and adequately represented.”

www.nhf.info

MOVERS&GROOVERS BRIT HAIRDRESSER NOMINEES

Good luck to NHF members Errol Douglas and Jamie Stevens who are among the nominees this year for British Hairdresser of the Year in the 2013 British Hairdressing Awards. The other nominees are Tim Hartley, Mark Hayes, Gary Hooker and Michael Young, Akin Konizi, Mark Leeson and last year’s winner, Angelo Seminara. The winners of the awards, sponsored by the magazine Hairdressers’ Journal, will be announced on November 25 at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London.

DOUBLE IDENTITY

HABB FUNDRAISER

Hair & Beauty Benevolent (HABB) welcomed business expert Judy Deuchar, vice president of merchandise, planning and merchandise operations at shopping channel QVC UK, to its seventh fundraising event in March.

Judy was interviewed by Hellen Ward, former HABB president and managing director of Richard Ward Hair & Metrospa, about her background, achievements and tips for business success.

YORKSHIRE BRAND

A Pembrokeshire salon has won a top regional hairdressing and beauty award for the second year in a row. Sarah Louse Jones, owner of Identity in Haverfordwest, won the Salon Cymru award in April after buying the salon off last year’s winner Marcus Scott in February. The award, held at the SWALEC Stadium in Cardiff, is run by training provider ISA Training.

BLACKBURN STALWART

A stalwart of the NHF, Jeff Stone, is handing over his salon, Jeff Stone Hairdressing, to his business partner of 20 years, Catherine Smith, after 50 years in the industry.

However, Blackburn hairdresser and former NHF branch president Jeff has said he plans to use his semi-retirement to continue to campaign to make Blackburn town centre more shopper- and trader-friendly as well as work to raise money for the charity Child Action Northwest.

PRESIDENT ERROL

Errol Douglas has been inaugurated as president of the Fellowship for British Hairdressing. Errol took over from Mark Creed in May and will serve a two-year term.

A Yorkshire hairdresser is to be the face of national marketing campaign run by hair brand Clynol. Gary Taylor, of NHF member Edward & Co in Brighouse, is a winner of the British Hairdressing Awards’ Western Hairdresser of the Year and has been chosen to be a brand ambassador for Clynol Salon Exclusive’s Pure Volume product line.

BOLTON INVENTOR

An NHF member from Bolton has invented an innovative new pushchair. Julie Devenney, who owns Berengers Hair & Beauty in the town, has developed the Urban FreeWalker, a pushchair with a removable base and folding seat that allows it to convert into a “walker” for toddlers, which she recently exhibited at the Harrogate Nursery Fair.

IBIZA CYCLE

Congratulations to Marc Sampson, owner of The Lounge in Truro, who has been cycling around Ibiza to raise £5,000 for a children’s charity.

Marc, who underwent heart valve replacement surgery in 2011, joined more than 100 other cyclists during May to ride in aid of the HAIRraising charity set up by celebrity stylist John Frieda to raise money for Great Ormond Street Hospital. Anyone interested in supporting him can go to: www.justgiving.com/ marcsampson.

JULY/AUGUST 2013 SALONFOCUS PAGE 11

NEWS

Barbers win right to state registration The government has for the first time acknowledged barbering as a discipline in its own right for the purposes of state registration, to the delight of barbers after many years battling to be regarded as the equals of women’s hairdressers.

Barbers can now register as state-registered barbers, stateregistered senior hairdressers and state-registered SALLY STYLES: GROWTH graduate hairdressers.

The change prompted intense interest at the Professional Hairdresser Live trade show in Manchester earlier this year.

Hairdressing Council registrar Sally Styles said: “It’s certainly taking off. We got a couple of dozen registrations from a single show and we didn’t even have our own stand... and now barbers who are registered as hairdressers have been asking to be registered as barbers.”

It showed barbers had great pride in their skills, she said, but they had previously been put off state registration because they could only be recognised as hairdressers.

Sally approached government contacts to find out if barbers could be registered as such under the Hairdressers (Registration) Act 1964 after Mike Taylor, MIKE TAYLOR: PROUD membership and training director at the British Barbers’ Association, explained that barbers did not want to be called hairdressers.

Mike told SalonFocus: “We are very proud to be barbers. Now barbering is finally getting the recognition it deserves.

Hairdressing’s a great skill but barbering

PAGE 12 SALONFOCUS JULY/AUGUST 2013

is a great skill as well. They are two separate trades and barbering is not hairdressing’s poor cousin, which is how it was regarded for years and years.”

Sally said she was keen to link with the JAMES BEATTIE: FANTASTIC NHF’s barbering membership, especially leading lights such as James Beattie, of Beattie’s Barbers in Ebbw Vale, Gwent, who is the Wales representative on the NEC. James was delighted about the new recognition for barbers. “It’s a fantastic step. Yes, we dress hair but we have a different skill-set to hairdressers. Lots of hairdressers frown on people who are barbers,” he said to SalonFocus.

He stressed, however, that the new state registration category was not about segregation. “I believe in us working together to push our whole industry.”

The growing importance of barbering and male grooming to the industry was highlighted in April with the publication of wholesaler Salon Services’ annual Beautiful Britain report.

The poll of more than 2,600 industry professionals found that growth was being led by the male market, with nearly a quarter of salons polled planning to hire more staff this year.

More than half had seen an increase in male customers, and reported hair colour and manicures as now being the top female services, after haircuts.

A quarter of those salons that did not currently offer male grooming treatments said they planned to expand into this area over the next 12 months.

But increased competition was also putting pressure on price, with the average price for a men’s haircut now £16, down from £19 in 2011.

Nationally, prices for other popular male treatments such as massage, hair removal and skin treatments had also fallen, it added.

BEAUTY

SPOTS

WELSH REGULATION

The Welsh government has set up an expert group to discuss regulation of the cosmetic industry in the country. The move, being led by Welsh government health minister Mark Drakeford, has come in response to the Keogh Review into surgical and non-surgical cosmetic procedures (see News, page 11).

SKIN WARNING

Half of Britons think their skin is darker than it actually is, potentially putting them at risk of developing skin cancer, according to new research by the British Association of Dermatologists. The statistics were published to mark the start of Sun Awareness Week in May and the launch of a “Be Sun Aware Mole and Sun Advice Roadshow” supported by skincare brand La Roche-Posay.

SUNBED POPULARITY

Just a third of sunbed users in the UK are concerned about the potential health risks associated with the activity, research has suggested. The survey of more than 2,000 women by discount website myvouchercodes.co.uk also highlighted the continuing popularity of sunbeds, with 37 per cent admitting to using them. A total of 42 per cent used a sunbed on a monthly basis, against 35 per cent who used them occasionally and eight per cent who used them weekly.

HEALTH CHALLENGE

Health and wellbeing company iGlobalWellness is carrying out an evaluation of health and wellness levels within the beauty industry. It launched a “Stay Active Challenge” from April inviting salons to improve their daily activity levels, from which it intends to develop an industry “Wellness Scale” allowing salons to compare how they are doing against other sectors. The results of the challenge will be announced at the end of the year, and more details can be found at www.stayactivechallenge.com

MEN’S MAKE-UP?

Men’s make-up could be the next beauty growth area in the UK, research has predicted. Market researcher Canadean has argued the UK is ripe to follow the example of India and China, where men’s make-up is growing fast. Men’s make-up and skincare currently accounts for 22 per cent of the personal grooming market in the UK, compared with 51 per cent in India and 41 per cent in China, it added.

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NEWS

Meet your new chief executive Hilary Hall joined the NHF in April as its new chief executive/secretary general. SalonFocus spoke to her about her priorities and what she feels are the challenges, and opportunities, facing the Federation.

Tell us about your background I have worked for education and training bodies for many years, first at RSA Examinations Board (now OCR, one of the UK’s largest vocational and GCSE/A Level examination boards), then Lantra Awards and most recently the Institute of Leadership & Management (ILM).

Lantra is the sector-skills council for land-based industries which, like hairdressing, mostly comprises small enterprises and micro businesses. ILM is a qualifications’ awarding body specialising in leadership and management, skills of course which every business needs, whatever its size.

What do you feel this experience brings to the NHF? My most recent role at ILM was director of customer service and operations, although I also spent four years as director of membership. Putting customers at the heart of any business is absolutely key, so my first question will always be “what’s best for members?”. The fact I have a strong interest in education and training will, I feel, be useful, given that preparing trainees for the salon floor is such an important, and topical, issue.

What do you identify as the main strengths of the NHF? Probably the sheer passion NHF members have for everything to do with hair and the hairdressing industry. As the UK’s largest trade association for salon owners, the NHF is proud – and has a vital role – to represent the interests of employers in this sector.

Internally, members constantly tell me how much they enjoy reading SalonFocus (of course!) but also the peace of mind they get from being able to pick up the phone and get expert employment law advice. The new website, now award-winning (see Federation Focus), is also a huge improvement. But there’s always more that can be done and challenges to be faced.

Such as what?

While some parts of the industry are doing really well and seeing growth (for example barbering and male grooming), others have been having a really tough time. Salons are the backbone of the high street; hairdressing is one of the few things that cannot be done online (thank goodness) but salons do face extremely stiff competition. Issues such as car parking restrictions, as SalonFocus highlighted in May, don’t help.

These challenges, of course, can have a knock-on effect, especially when it comes to membership. It’s very understandable salon owners are having to juggle bills and make savings. So, as a Federation, it’s vital we deliver value for

PAGE 14 SALONFOCUS JULY/AUGUST 2013

money and services that genuinely save time and reduce costs and risk.

Being able to offer salon owners accurate, up-to-date, expert information specifically tailored for their salons, and all in one easily accessible place, has to be at the core of what we provide.

There are also significant opportunities that we need to be grasping.

Getting the views of employers is increasingly recognised as being important, both within government and more widely, and so there is a great opportunity right now for respected employer-led bodies such as the NHF to make an impact and represent their members.

The backing the government has given to the Richard Review into apprenticeships, and its focus on putting employers at the heart of developing apprenticeships, is potentially very positive, for example. The work we are, and will be, doing in this area, especially through our new “manifesto” The Future of Hairdressing and Barbering Apprenticeships, will be very important.

I’d also like to see us working more with other organisations that have a strong interest in the state and health of the high street, for example on car parking. The impact of payday lenders in a sector where many workers start out on low salaries and are often young and perhaps not financially astute is another area where I think the Federation could perhaps work in partnership with others to offer advice, raise awareness and even campaign for reform.

So what’s going to be at the top of your in-tray as chief executive/secretary general?

It has to be membership. I want the Federation to be an organisation that is led by, and listens to, the concerns of its grassroots membership. We can only be strong and effective as an organisation if we are championing, and responding to, the things that really matter to salon owners.

To that end my number one short-term priority is simply getting to know you, Federation members. For example, you’ll see in this edition we’re asking members to complete a survey (with the chance to win an iPad!) to tell us about themselves and their businesses. I’m keen, too, to meet as many members as possible, both individually and within regions and networking groups.

It’s early days, and I feel I am beginning to get to know the Federation and the potential it represents. But I need to hear your views. So please get in touch and let me know how you’d like to be involved in the NHF, or how you’d like the NHF to be involved with you. Please come to activities, meetings and events and make your voice heard. Oh, and please complete the survey!

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COLUMN

A thirst for knowledge

Whatever your level, and however long you’ve been in the industry, there’s always room to learn more. Lifelong learning can be a great way to spark your creativity and imagination as well as help to boost your career, explains Zoe Irwin.

I am a huge advocate of constant education and believe passionately you’re never too old (or too good) to learn!

For many years I have Zoe Irwin is a session taken partstylist and creative time courses director for ghd in a variety of subjects.

My quest for knowledge began many years ago when I reached a point in my career when I realised that my presence on stage and how I inspired the audience was as important as the skills in hair I was demonstrating.

I decided to sign up for a part-time course in voice production at the London City Lit College in Covent Garden where, over three months, I had intense training from a teacher who had taught many famous actors the same skills.

I took my whole art team along with me and it bonded us in such an amazing way and showed me how having new skills and learning about different things could push me forward in the hairdressing world. I was hooked!

Greater confidence Around this time, too, (any maybe because of my new-found confidence), I was being asked to talk about hair and fashion to journalists.

I noted how many stylists were hiring PRs to help them with this and to help them get coverage but I felt if I could develop my own written and spoken style it would help me gain access to the big consumer titles as well as the industry magazines without it costing a fortune in consultancy fees and so I embarked on a number of courses studying fashion and then fashion journalism.

The wonderful people I met on the courses – from all sorts of fields and from

PAGE 16 SALONFOCUS JULY/AUGUST 2013

all over the world – helped me as often as the course itself.

The more I talked to journalists in a language they were familiar with, the more it helped me to be understood and gain coverage for all the ideas I was bringing to life in the salons I worked with.

I learned how they put together their beauty pages and it inspired me to come up with salon services that would fit into these and made me think like a consumer instead of a hairdresser.

Ever since then and for many years I’ve been doing intense weekly courses at Easter and in the summer holidays at Central St Martin’s and the London School of Fashion.

LONDON CITY LIT COLLEGE: LEARNING

Even now in my job as an educator for ghd I’ve looked to educate myself still further to inspire my students in a different way.

I turned to the art world and studied “Developing Creativity” which is a course that gives you the skills that are used by artists and music producers to come up with new ideas.

We looked at famous artists and what inspired them to create the many works of art that we all see and admire. We were given an insight into the creative exercises they take to develop their ideas.

Collaboration and creativity We used the same exercises to come up with fresh ideas of our own – sitting for a week with graphic designers and fashion designers. Together we collaborated on projects that made me open up my mind in a way that I had never thought of before.

It changed my hairdressing and my approach to creating styles.

Most recently, having studied “CoolHunting” at St Martin’s – a course looking at what makes a city like London a cool and vibrant place to be – I’ve realised how important this is for my role as creative director.

While working with scientists and chemists to advise on the future hairstyling products our clients will be using, I’ve realised it’s only through the skills I learned on this course that I’m able to do this.

As a result I’ve decided to take my studies further and am now studying with the Future Concept Lab in Milan on coolhunting and cult searching to give me the skills to identify trends and drive our industry forward in new and even more interesting ways. It’s so exciting and motivating!

But finally, of course, it is always important to keep yourself alive to the practical skills and importance of hairdressing. Keeping a balance is key.

Hairdressing without constant education will never move on, but learning without doing is a waste of our talents.

Britain’s

Best Help us to celebrate

The NHF’s most talked about hairdressing event is back, and even better!

The countdown has started…

Be a part of Britain’s most innovative, interactive hairdressing event •

Nominate your favourite stylists online then vote by text

•

‘Click and send’ top designs from your mobile phone

•

Compete against the clock on the main floor in Birmingham at the Metropole Hotel on November 17

www.nhf.info

Find out more at www.britainsbest.me

Proud sponsor of Britain’s Best

MAY/JUNE 2013 SALONFOCUS PAGE 17

The National Hairdressers’ Federation has long had a reputation for having the most talented hairdressers in Britain within its ranks – and now’s the chance to show what you can do.

Britain’s Best is back! After a hugely successful debut in 2012, this year’s Britain’s Best will return to the Birmingham Metropole Hotel on November 17.

d n e S ’ n ‘ k Clic Britain’s Best “Click ‘n’ Send” Head of the Year Photographic Competition The Britain’s Best “Click ‘n’ Send” Head of the Year Photographic was an undoubted talking point in the way it was able to reach out and attract young and upand-coming talent to get involved; to realise what they could achieve in this industry.

“Click ‘n’ Send” allows anyone with a cameraphone to shoot their own competition portfolio – without having to go to the expense of studios and photographers – and, at the click of a button, get noticed!

All you have to do is grab your phone and snap your favourite style. This could be work you’ve done on a client, colleague, family member or friend, even a self-portrait.

But remember, even though it’s a mobile snap, to get on in this intensely competitive category you’ve got to take your time and practise hard; think of it as a

proper, high-quality fashion shoot and do the very best work you can.

Once you’ve got what you think is a competition-winning picture, then either upload it on to www. britainsbest.me or email it to clicksend@ britainsbest.me, pay the £5 entry fee, sit back and wait to see what happens!

All images will be judged, with those lucky enough to be shortlisted invited to attend the Birmingham competition in person.

There the pressure will be on as they will be asked to present their style on the competition floor – and an overall winner will be announced.

The closing date for entries will be October 11, with those shortlisted informed

by October 14. To reiterate, competitors for this event will be required to pay a £5 entry fee, payable through the website when submitting their entry.

Genius, it’s long been said, is one per cent inspiration, 99 per cent perspiration.

Even natural talent has to be nurtured, developed and properly directed. That’s why, as one of the industry’s leading educators, L’Oréal Professionnel is proud to sponsor Britain’s Best and support our country’s most talented hairdressers.

At L’Oréal Professionnel we give hairdressers the chance to be educated by the

best in the business.

Whether it’s learning up-to-date colouring, cutting or styling techniques, learning to re-engage the salon experience, getting up to speed on products on our Ateliers course or channelling cutting-edge artistic trends through our long-standing partnership with Central St Martin’s, we have the course for you.

We also attract the very best hairdressers to pass on their knowledge and insight, including this year Brooks and Brooks, Royston Blythe and Nic Malenko, as well as solo stars such as Ken Picton, Sean Tetlow, Steve Rowbottom and Dylan Bradshaw.

L’Oréal Professionnel courses are taught in four academies across the UK and Ireland as well as in additional regional centres.

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Sponsored by L’Oréal, it promises to be not only a celebration of the most creative and innovative British hairdressing, but also a showcase of the growing global reach and talent of the UK industry.

The physical floor competition is just one small part of what is a truly national, interactive event, allowing you to join in at the touch of a button through your mobile phone.

Text Vote Britain’s Best Text Vote Popularity Poll Back by popular demand, the Britain’s Best “Text Vote” Popularity Poll created a buzz across the industry, giving the industry and clients alike a chance to recognise and applaud talent across the board.

How it works is simple. Members of the public, peers, family, friends and valued customers will all be able to vote by text for their favourites in seven special Britain’s Best categories, covering:

• • • • • • •

Stylist of the year Barber of the year Salon owner/manager of the year Receptionist of the year Junior stylist of the year Charity worker of the year College lecturer of the year

The poll will happen in two stages.

First, anyone will be able to go online and nominate those they feel deserve to win by registering at www.britainsbest.me, with a cut-off date of September 13.

All nominations will then be assessed by a panel of NHF judges, from which a shortlist will be drawn up.

These shortlisted contenders will be sent a special Britain’s Best code, which will be the key to a second round of text-based voting, with nominees needing to canvass for votes as hard as they can!

The final whistle will then be blown at the end of October, after which all votes will be counted and the winner of each category announced in Birmingham.

Find out more at www.britainsbest.me

Last year more than 250 people descended on Birmingham to soak up the atmosphere and excitement of the Britain’s Best floor competition, making it a truly memorable and inspiring day – and this year you could be there too!

Meet Jamie Britain’s Best Competition The floor competition will be held on November 17 at the Birmingham Metropole Hotel and will be a day of nail-biting, intense competition, with 11 competitions running across the following categories:

• • • • •

Ladies Fashion (senior and junior) Men’s Fashion (senior and junior) Newcomer British bride Colour of the day

The competitions will be open to juniors, trainees and newcomers, as well as seasoned professionals – everyone is welcome! The closing date for entries will be November 8.

For the first time this year, eight of the floor competitions will be open to international as well as UK competitors,

and judged by international as well as British judges, so bringing a wealth of experience and authority to the competition. British stylists will have the chance to pit themselves up against the best of the rest of the world and, vice versa, international and European stylists will have an opportunity to showcase their talent.

If this wasn’t enough, competitors and audience alike will be able to meet celebrity stylist and resident hairdresser on The X Factor Jamie Stevens, who has also been nominated as British Hairdresser of the Year in this year’s British Hairdressing Awards.

Jamie will be holding a Q&A session revealing some of the secrets behind his talent and the world of TV hairdressing, as well as giving you the chance to have your photograph taken with him.

Full entry details can be found at: www.britainsbest.me

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BUSINESS FOCUS

Five steps to success Being successful is about realising you cannot spin all the plates all the time. It’s important to step back, regroup and think strategically about what you have achieved and what you now need to be prioritising, argues Paul Fileman.

A successful business is a constant jigsaw; there will always be elements that need to be put in place, watched, refreshed or renewed.

Especially for a small business owner it can sometimes feel as if you are spinning Paul Fileman is a plates: if you are, director at business say, concentrating strategy consultancy on increasing Results-Zone capacity is there a danger you have taken your eye off increasing sales and what about, then, marketing and promotion?

Even if, as a salon owner, you’ve become successful there is always the question of how to maintain that success and, even more, sustain and (hopefully) accelerate the momentum you have created.

The first thing you need to be doing is looking at how you can carve out some breathing space; you need to step off the day-to-day treadmill of just running the business and take time to consider the bigger picture of where you are going and what it is you are looking to achieve.

At a practical level this might be something as simple as hiring a bookkeeper so there’s one less thing to be doing late at night. Or it might be delegating more responsibility to your team so you are actually managing rather than always feeling you need to step in.

To my mind, an effective strategy for growth needs to include the following five steps:

Ask yourself what your goals are, what it is you want to achieve.

You need to have a very clear idea as to why it is you are trying to grow the business (as if you don’t know no one else is going to).

What are your goals here? Is it so, ultimately, you will be able to sell up and

PAGE 22 SALONFOCUS JULY/AUGUST 2013

fund your retirement? Is the aim to build it into a chain? Or is your ambition just to have something that give you enough of an income to be comfortable? The decisions you make will, inevitably, be coloured by what you see as your final destination for the business.

Take time to look around you.

Look at the influences on your business – the business’ strengths and weaknesses, your local (and wider) competition, any

How I’ve expanded to a second salon If you’re going to succeed and grow your business, it’s important to get beyond a “we’re all doomed” mindset, argues Boyd Roden who has recently opened a new salon.

I’ve been running my salon, Boyd’s Hair Design & Beauty in Chase Terrace Staffordshire, for 15 years. So why, with the economy as it is, have I taken the gamble of opening a new salon in nearby Hednesford?

regulatory issues or constraints, the availability of staff, your access to funding and so on. For example, are parking restrictions an issue, are there planning decisions in the pipeline that might be going to affect you, how healthy is your local high street and might you, even, need to think about relocating?

Formulate timed, stepped strategies.

You do not necessarily need a different There were a number of factors. First, while the Chase Terrace salon was doing very well, and continues to do so, it just felt right that we needed a new challenge.

I employ 16 people, some of whom have been with me since we started, so there was an element of things stacking up and feeling maxed out where we were – of needing to give some staff members a new opportunity and new motivation.

Empowering staff

To expand you have to have the right people around you. My salon manager Dawn has played a key role in the expansion and together we carry out quarterly reviews. Staff development is Boyd Roden is very important owner of Boyd’s Hair to us and Design & Beauty also helps to in Chase Terrace gauge who is and Hednesford, motivated and Staffordshire who may need to be focused on. It’s very easy to lose people if you are unable to motivate them, and we’ve been able to empower people through the new salon.

For example, we have promoted one of our stylists to creative director and it’s completely changed the way she sees her

BUSINESS FOCUS strategy for each goal, but you do need a plan that is clearly laid out, with targets and all linked to a manageable, realistic timeframe.

So it might be the steps you intend to take over the next year, beyond just dayto-day organic turnover, to grow sales, improve your marketing, refresh your premises, skill-up staff and so on.

Develop from here “breakout” strategies – again with set timings and manageable steps.

Design projects that people can get working on, tasks both for you the owner and ones that your staff can do or take responsibility for.

You may not, of course, wish to share all your business goals. But you will at some point need to start sharing information with your senior team, your job – giving her extra responsibility has made her grow into the position; I could see several members of the team were keen to expand their skills and take on new responsibilities.

It was clear to me there was a gap in the market in Hednesford.

Yes, opening in the current climate did feel brave, risky even, but there are many housing estates there and new units opening on the high street, and so potentially I felt there was a large customer base.

Intensive planning

stylists and so on. It might be a project to take the salon upmarket, reach out to a new client demographic, create a new feel or ambience or new ways to promote the business locally or more widely.

The important thing is to end up with a list of projects, but definitely fewer than 10, that you but, just as importantly, your staff can lead or drive. This will help to engage and motivate the team and create “buy in” but also mean it won’t all fall on your shoulders; if you have too many projects on the go at once you can just end up giving up.

For example, it might be you conclude the answer is something as straightforward as simply needing to recruit a new stylist.

But, rather than just assuming this will all fall to you, look at how that’s going to work from the salon team perspective. vouchers to local shopkeepers inviting them to come in. It was really busy and, really, since then it’s been non-stop.

I did spend a lot of time looking at the figures and speaking BOYD’S HAIR DESIGN & BEAUTY: MULTIPLE SITES, SINGLE IDENTITY to Wella – we are a key account Wella We’ve made a point of having a single salon – who said they were prepared to identity for both salons; the aim has been loan us the £50,000 needed to set up the to try to extend and build on the Chase new salon. Careful market research is, of Terrace salon’s reputation. So they both course, critical. It took six months of quite have the same name, look and furniture – intense planning. But largely it was sheer through Aston & Fincher. gut instinct that this was the right thing I did find, unsurprisingly, that the to do!

Chase Terrace salon saw a drop-off in We had a big open day when the new salon opened in March. We spent a couple clients when the new salon opened but it’s all now evened out. In fact our breakof months prior running “it’s coming” even point in the new salon is to ads in the local press and doing leaflet drops. We also did a lot of activity through be turning over £3,000 a week and we are already touching that, which is Facebook. On the open day we gave

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Yes, you’ll probably be the one who makes the decision to hire, but who is going to help you with training, learning, and development and support? Can someone on the team, apart from you, become their mentor?

Feedback, review, control.

Finally, whatever project or initiative you put in place it is vital to put in place a process of review and feedback so you, and your team, can learn from it and improve.

It is important to be prepared to go back and work through the numbers and understand when something is working, working better than expected (and so perhaps needs to be expanded) or not meeting expectations and so it’s time to cut your losses. hugely positive in terms of future growth.

My advice to members? Of course times are hard and we have all of us spent a lot of time over the past three years accepting the idea we are in recession and everything is terrible.

But if you’re waiting for things to return to how they were five years ago, I think you’re going to be hanging around for a long time. We need to accept how things are now is pretty much the way it’s going to be; this is the new normal.

So, it’s important not just to sit back and wait for things to happen. You have to look at your business and get on with it, adapt it to the current conditions and situation and, I think, just go for it.

JULY/AUGUST 2013 SALONFOCUS PAGE 23

BUSINESS FOCUS

Social mediation Social media can offer huge benefits to salons. But it is important to ensure staff know what is and isn’t acceptable when it comes to posting, whether at work or at home. Basil Long reports.

Social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter are becoming more and more popular, with many salons nowadays using them to offer discounts and promotions and Basil Long is senior generate dialogue legal consultant at with clients.

Croner, operator Yet alongside of the NHF’s Legal the many benefits of Lifeline social media there are potential pitfalls, which employers must be alert to.

One of the most common is when a disgruntled employee leaves negative comments about their employer, colleagues or general work issues either on an official salon site or on their own personal sites.

This can cause two problems. Firstly, it can leave employers feeling the reputation of their business has been damaged and secondly it can cause friction between employees, especially if one employee feels bullied or harassed as a result.

In order to be prepared for these challenges, employers are well advised to consider introducing a specific social media policy. The NHF’s standard contracts have now been revised to include an element on social media, so that should be a first port of call for any Federation member. But there are a number of key issues to consider.

Clear standards

A social media policy should detail clear standards of acceptable online behaviour both inside and outside the workplace.

In the majority of cases, posts will be left by employees outside work time and will only be viewable by a select group of friends. In such circumstances employers must ensure employees are aware of what is expected of them in respect of posts on both salon and personal sites.

The parameters of what is and what is not acceptable in terms of personal internet use within the workplace should

PAGE 24 SALONFOCUS JULY/AUGUST 2013

also be clearly defined in the policy.

For example, it might outline when social networking is allowed, perhaps during lunch or rest breaks outside of normal working hours, and whether company equipment may be used for these purposes.

Some salons choose to restrict social media use to non-client areas, such as the staffroom.

If permitted during working time or on salon equipment, it can be a good idea to set a maximum time limit. You may, too, want to consider whether to impose a restriction on sites that can be visited during working hours.

A social media policy should also set out the potential consequences of any breach, and the likelihood of disciplinary action; up to and including dismissal.

In order adequately to rely on your policy for disciplinary purposes, it is imperative to clearly state that inappropriate posting includes messages or comments made outside work time and on personal sites, and which may have an impact on the employee’s ability to perform their role, or posts that may damage the employer’s reputation or cause embarrassment.

Disciplinary action

However, employers must be mindful that the nature of social networking can make it difficult and even risky to take disciplinary action against an employee, as the conduct may well have happened outside of the course of their employment, and arguably there has been no detrimental effect on the employer’s business.

In 2011, for example, an employment tribunal found an employee of a large car manufacturing company who was summarily dismissed for making negative comments about the employer on a social networking site was unfairly dismissed on the basis the post had not specifically referred to the employer, nor was there any evidence the employer had suffered any embarrassment or was there any likelihood of any harm to the company.

Employers will therefore need to show they have acted fairly and reasonably in taking formal disciplinary action and, most importantly, any decision to dismiss has not been a knee-jerk reaction.

One final point of note. A strict social media policy on personal use, yet encouragement to post or tweet about the salons business on official sites can sometimes leave employees feeling they are receiving mixed messages from their employer in respect of their media use.

This is another good reason to have a clearly communicated policy in place to provide much-needed clarity.

If you read nothing else read this…

•

A social media policy should set parameters for internet use within the workplace

•

It should outline the consequences of any breach

•

It should cover posting about work from personal sites

•

But disciplining people over social media is not always straightforward

TOOLBOX: RELATIONSHIPS

Be a brighter spark Soaring energy costs are one of the biggest grumbles for many salon owners. But carrying out an “audit” of your laundry and other appliances can quickly reduce most bills, argues Les Marshall.

One of the biggest costs of running a salon is electricity and salons are notorious for burning energy. Switching providers is one very obvious way to save on your energy bills – and salon owners should be vigilant about looking for deals and being prepared to switch – but there are much smaller day-to-day things you can do to help reduce your running costs.

The basic message is you needn’t throw your hands up in despair and assume your energy bill is a “fixed” cost or, worse, one that can only carry on going skywards. With a bit of proactivity, especially around your use of laundry and cleaning appliances, you can stop throwing money (or at least quite as much money) at your utility provider.

The first thing to do is to carry out an “audit” of your appliances and what is eating up the most Les Marshall is sales electricity. and marketing director A good rule at Miele Professional of thumb is the older the

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appliance, the less efficient it now is and the more energy as a result it is using.

Along with the salon floor one of the key places to audit is your laundry area. Salons process a lot of laundry every day, and laundry equipment, including power hungry condenser dryers are often used many times a day and for long periods of time. If your washing machine or dryer is more than a decade old, you’re likely to be spending a lot more on energy than you need to.

Energy use

This is because today’s major appliances don’t consume energy the way older models do. Manufacturers have put huge resources in recent years into energy and water efficiency, putting minimising running costs at the heart of product development. This means any new appliance you buy today will use less energy than any model you’re replacing.

Today’s major appliances, moreover, don’t consume water the way older models do. Washer-extractors, too, nowadays accurately control the water consumption for each load, automatically adjusting it to load size, so water consumption again is dramatically reduced and the appliance is both effective and energy-efficient.

So, given this, what about outsourcing your laundry wholesale?

It’s, after all, historically been a popular option with many salons, especially where space is at a premium. So does it still stack up as a cheaper option than buying and running your own machine in-salon?

The short answer is “no”. Unless your

salon is absolutely tiny – and we, for one, can offer many space-saving solutions – having machines on-site rather than sending your laundry off-site is nowadays not only more cost-efficient in the longrun, it also allows you to keep, look after and care for your own towels.

One important point is to ensure any engineer who installs your products sets up customised programmes so staff can take care of the laundry, with a simple push of a button, in the most efficient way possible.

So investing in newer equipment, counter-intuitively, will save you money, both immediately and in the long run, on your electricity bill.

But there are other, smaller changes your salon can adopt as well.

• Use water-efficient products.

Where practical, choose waterefficient products, in other words washing machines, shower heads, toilets and taps that save water. Look for water-efficiency labels on products.

• Replace your towels.

Replace old, worn out towels with micro-fibre or bamboo versions. These absorb more so they can help cut drying time significantly, which in turn can cut down on your electricity bill.

This, of course, has the added advantage of being a “greener” benefit for your salon.

• Use timers.

If you can’t afford to upgrade your boiler, at least ensure your water heaters are fitted with timers that switch off half an hour before the salon closes – this could save you hours of heating bills each month.

JULY/AUGUST 2013 SALONFOCUS PAGE 25

TOOLBOX: EQUIPMENT

All systems go Positioning your salon as a destination for hair replacement services can be extremely valuable in terms of generating additional revenue and client loyalty, advises Paul Cochrane.

HAIR SYSTEM: LOYALTY

I have been running my current salon for nearly 16 years now and Paul Cochrane is have been a owner and director hairdresser for of Frankie Cochrane the past 25; Hair and Beauty in London. He trained at it is a brilliant industry and Alan International I love it. The under the guidance salon, which of Vidal Sassoon’s I named after inspirational stylist Dar and has worked my father, first with many of the opened in industry’s top names, Bloomsbury including Patrick in 1989 before Cameron moving to its current location, Lamb’s Conduit Street in Holborn, in 1997.

I’ve been bald since I was 21 and had always been sceptical about hair replacement systems – they were always either unaffordable, looked painful to do or just seemed ineffective. But since using the Total Cover Plus hair system I’ve been converted.

Hair confidence The membrane is very, very thin, so thin in fact you cannot see it; it feels like it is part of you and it doesn’t come off when

PAGE 26 SALONFOCUS JULY/AUGUST 2013

you sweat. More importantly, it gives people back not just their hair but their confidence. For me a hair system is just a different way of cutting hair, it is more sculpturing and free style and you do have to understand hair travel as well as hairdressing.

I’ve now offered the system for about three-and-a-half years and have hair replacement clients of both genders as well as children; with children in particular it is great to see the sparkle come back into their eyes, their shoulders go up and their confidence come flooding back.

Of course that’s fantastic to experience – and is one of the reasons why I love being a hairdresser. But how does something like this work as a business proposition?

For one thing, it generates loyalty.

I’ve barely had to market it, although it is advertised on the website. But I now have so many people who come to me solely for the hair system, and often from quite a distance away. With something like this you also tend to get a lot of regular preand repeat bookings, which can obviously help with cashflow and planning.

Additional revenue I wouldn’t go so far as to say something like this is recession proof – after all, what is these days – but it is now one of the strongest, most reliable revenue streams for my salon.

There’s also the fact that, while the system isn’t gender specific, it does obviously tap into the men’s and barbering market, which is growing strongly and where, if you get it right, you can generate a lot of loyalty. Once a client has a system another potential knock-on in terms of revenue is hair colouring; a lot of clients are now going for that.

How does the Total Cover Plus Hair System work?

The system incorporates an artificial “skin” that is 0.03 mm thin but has pores to make it “breathable”, writes Phil Ryan of Total Cover Plus Hair Systems.

Single human hairs are then implanted into it, with the system specified and customised to the specification of the client’s balding area.

It is then bonded to the bald area, with a treatment lasting on average around seven weeks. However, regular swimming in chlorine or salt water will degrade the system faster. Clients are also recommended only to use the Total Cover Plus styling products that come with the system.

The system will cost a customer £269 plus service charge (fitting and styling the system), which is set at around £100-£120.

Salons are advised to divide costs into a price for the system itself and a price for the service (in other words consultation, style advice, application, haircut, blow dry, styling and styling tips) for more transparency. An average procedure should take between one-and-a-half to a maximum of three hours.

To that end, it is generating an income of around £95 per hour for each two-hour service. A salon therefore servicing five clients a week could feasibly be looking at adding £1,000 profit a week to their revenue.

But salons might be well-advised to consider offering promotional “pay-as-you-go” or “saver” packages as a way of generating loyalty and retention.

TOOLBOX: EQUIPMENT

Tried & Tested

The NHF’s Tried and Tested panel of top salon owners gives its regular verdict on a range of established and new product and equipment.

The product:

Did it work?

Our testers said: “Yes.” “It made hair feel smooth and soft.” “A very high standard repair system that brings hair repair to a different level.”

Would you use it in your salon?

Our testers said: “Possibly!” “Yes.” “Yes, without a doubt as it is a very highThe product:

NeoCape Uni-Gown Description: NeoCape’s “all-in-one” Uni-Gown includes a specially designed neoprene seal that, the company says, “keeps hair and liquids from going down the client’s neck”, so eliminating the need for towels or tissues around the neck.

Did it work?

Our testers said: “It stopped hair from going down the neck.” “Yes.” “Extremely well. I was able to do without a

Keratherapy Keracare After Care Collection and Kerastyle Styling Collection

class product offering a complete treatment.”

Was there anything that stood out, good or bad?

Our testers said: “Liked everything about it.” “The smell was nice and sweet, like a spa.” “I think it is a product that could extend profits, as it looks good, feels good to use and the finish is remarkable.”

Any other comments?

Our testers said: “I would recommend it.” “It was very easy to apply.”

HHHH

Tried and Tested overall rating: 4

cutting collar or neck strip.”

Would you use it in your salon?

Our testers said: “Yes.” “No.” “Without a doubt. I would exchange existing gowns to the Uni-Gown.”

Was there anything that stood out, good or bad?

Our testers said: “It was quite tight around people’s necks.” “It was too shiny.” “It gives full body cover and clients find it very comfortable. The neoprene neck seal works well with all neck sizes.”

Any other general comments Our testers said: “I would encourage careful undoing of the neck seal.”

“Just too shiny!” “It washed well.”

HHH PAGE 28 SALONFOCUS JULY/AUGUST 2013

The SalonFocus Tried and Tested panel is made up of NHF members who are not paid for their opinions. The rating is the opinion of the panel alone. Manufacturers who wish to submit items for testing should contact Tina Beaumont at NHF head office on tina.beaumont@nhf.info. Three samples will normally be required. Being accepted is not a guarantee a review will be published.

The product:

Cloud 9 Miracle Repair System Description: Cloud 9 Miracle Repair System from Brocato Actives comprises six products, including a shampoo, mousse and treatment. The sulfate-free shampoo is described as being designed to “nourish, strengthen and restore damaged, weak and vulnerable hair” while the mousse is a “nutrient-rich yet lightweight conditioning mousse” that provides “pliable, flexible hold”. The treatment is used after shampooing and “restores body strength and shine”.

How Tried and Tested works:

Tried and Tested overall rating: 3.3

Description: Keratherapy Keracare After Care Collection from Diora Professionnel comprises four products: a keratin-infused deep conditioning masque, leave-in conditioner spray, moisture shampoo and moisture conditioner. The Kerastyle Styling Collection comprises a keratininfused argan oil (which was not tested by our panel) and a daily smoothing cream.

The aim of both is to restore lustre, life, shine and bounce, says the company.

Did it work?

Our testers said: “A little.” “The product smoothed out the hair and made it feel nice and soft.” “It worked very well and was very manageable.”

A

Would you use it in your salon?

Our testers said: “I would have no hesitation in using it in the salon.” “We would use it in the salon.”

Was there anything that stood out, either good or bad?

Our testers said: “The package was appealing to the eye, with flowers on it.”

“You have to be very careful of the amount used; I would advise to use it sparingly. It gives good results if the manufacturer’s advice is followed.”

Any other general comments?

Our testers said: “I would recommend staff training in applying this treatment.” “All the Keratherapy products were really nice and I would highly recommend them; everyone loved the packaging.” “A nice smell and feel.”

HHHH

Tried and Tested overall rating: 4

Cloud9 Miracle Repair System

Cloud 9 Miracle Repair System is an amazing regimen designed to leave hair 3 times stronger!

Each product– shampoo, treatment, mousse, blow out and hot shapes– are Sulphate and Paraben free formulated with Brocato`s exclusive Cloud 9 Miracle Repair complex, a special blend of healing nutrients, fortifying plant proteins and UV protectants proven to leave hair 3 times stronger.

Weak, dull, lifeless hair is transformed. Body bounce take over. It's not a dream. It's a miracle! www.brocato.co.uk info@brocato.co.uk 08705 561 929 Call or e-mail to register your salon for a free sample treatment while stocks last!

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- Complete 2013 REM Hair Furniture Range - Unbeatable Opening Offers - Up to 50% Off! - Nationwide Weekly Deliveries Contact us on 01270 848612 www.salonhairsupplies.co.uk

FEDERATION FOCUS

NHF again up for awards, as website win praise relaunched with a completely new look The NHF has once again been shortlisted for this year’s prestigious Trade and extra functionality in February, and its Association Forum (TAF) “Best Practice effectiveness, design, content and ease of Awards”. use all won high praise at the Memcom The awards celebrate the work of trade Membership Awards. associations up and down the country and SalonFocus won “best magazine” in 2011.

This year’s the Federation’s annual report has been shortlisted in the “Publication of the Year” category while its membership pack has been shortlisted to win “Membership Pack of the Year”.

TAF is funded by its trade association membership, and supported by the Confederation of British Industry and the government.

The awards are due to be announced on July 11 at 8 Northumberland Avenue in London.

ANNUAL REPORT: SHORTLISTED The NHF’s new-look website has Memcom celebrates the also been applauded, being highly communications activities of membership commended in a respected industry bodies, charities and not-for-profit competition in May. organisations. Its annual awards cover The website, www.nhf.info, was a wide range of categories, including newsletters, annual reports and social media campaigns, among others.

While it did not win outright, the NHF came joint second, one of just two entries to be “highly commended” by the judges.

NHF director for membership and development Stephanie Munno said: “Against such high-powered competition coming second was a fantastic result. The feedback we have had from members is that they love the look, feel and extra functionality of the website, and it was great to have that recognised by a body WEBSITE: COMMENDED such as Memcom.”

Honorary treasurer ballot A ballot paper to elect a new honorary treasurer for the NHF has been enclosed in this edition of SalonFocus.

Those interested in voting for the role should look for the ballot paper printed on the reverse of the cover sheet used to

PAGE 30 SALONFOCUS JULY/AUGUST 2013

mail this edition of the magazine.

One vote is allowed per membership, covering salon, group, solo or honorary members elected before December 31, 2010.

The deadline for ballot papers to be submitted is July 30.

Members who have questions, or who for whatever reason do not have a ballot paper but wish to vote should contact enquiries@nhf.info or telephone 01234 831965 or 0845 3456500.

From the NEC Britain’s Best will, naturally, be the focus of a lot of hard work between now and November, writes artistic committee chairman Agnes Leonard.

The fact we have L’Oréal as sponsor this year is excellent news and having big names such as Jamie Stevens lined up means it is going to be a really exciting event. So please take a good look at what’s happening, as outlined on pages 17-20!

Last year’s Britain Best was a success but, being the first one, it was also a learning experience for the Federation.

So we’ll be sitting down over the coming weeks and looking carefully at what worked well and what could be improved upon.

One thing that won’t change is the interactivity of the competition, including elements such as text voting and the “Click ‘n’ Send” competition.

Britain’s Best is a fabulous opportunity for the Federation to use new technology to reach out to stylists, salon owners and the general public at all levels; really to show the excellence of our artistic side and to celebrate the talent we have within our ranks.

At Britain’s Best we will also announce the winners of this year’s Photographic Stylist of the Year Competition. This popular competition seems to grow every year, not just in number but in the standard of the entries, which is amazing! The competition closed at the end of May and the second round of judging took place last month, with this year’s panel comprising some of the industry’s best known names, including Desmond Murray, Jamie Stevens, Catherine Handcock of Creative Head magazine and Nicola Shannon of Professional Hairdresser magazine.

Finally, I am excited that this year’s Britain’s Best will have more of an international flavour to it. Since the NHF withdrew from OMC, how to maintain and boost our international presence is something the artistic committee has been considering closely, and I am hopeful Britain Best can, again, act as a platform for this. So join us in Birmingham on November 17!

FEDERATION FOCUS

Mark Coray honoured as ‘master craftsman’ NHF president Mark Coray has been honoured by the Hairdressing Council by being made a “master craftsman” of hairdressing.

Mark, owner of Coray & Co in Cardiff, said the award in April was the “icing on the cake” in a year when he will this autumn hand over the presidency of the Federation to current vice-president Paul Curry.

He said: “I have always loved hairdressing because of its ability to make people look and feel fantastic. I wasn’t one of those people who know from early childhood they want to be hairdresser,

but I am so, so glad I became a part of this industry.

“It’s so varied and fulfilling. You can treat it as a 9-5 job, do it as a hobby or, as I have done, turn it into a complete lifestyle. Cut me and I bleed hairdressing!

“This year not only do I complete my fantastic term as the youngest ever national president of the National Hairdressers’ Federation, I’ll be celebrating 20 years of Coray & Co,” he continued.

“I’m hugely proud and honoured, and believe this reinforces the continuing value of state registration, both for individual hairdressers and for the

Regional round-up Yorkshire Region held its popular annual “President’s Dinner” in May. Guests of AMERICAN CREW honour included president Linda Staveley, vice-president Phill Cooling, national president Mark Coray, NEC representative Michael Thornhill and former Hull secretary Bernard England.

At the evening Linda presented Bernard with a silver merit badge for his commitment to the Federation.

The evening ended with a disco, a band and much dancing!

Huddersfield COMPETITION TRAINING area joined forces with Kirklees College back in March jointly to host “An evening with…

American Crew”.

Members were treated to a demonstration of American Crew’s newest and most popular products.

Celebrity hairdresser Patrick Cameron demonstrated to more than 250 members from the East Midlands Region at Derby College in March.

Patrick created looks on long hair

for everyday as well as fantasy looks for the catwalk. Ivan Blount, East Midlands regional secretary said: “The evening as usual was a huge success, people came away inspired and motivated.”

Blackpool Networking Group was thrilled to be involved again in Hair and Beauty North West at the Winter Gardens in Blackpool in March where the Blackpool Hairdressing Championships are held.

The event has been running for 27 years and this year experienced another great turnout. “The competition floor was packed and the standard of work this year was fantastic,” said group secretary Eileen Clough.

London Region held its annual general meeting in May and presented an honorary membership certificate to Maureen Sylvester for her years of dedication in organising events and competitions. Former NEC member Audrey Morgan also received a gift in gratitude of her commitment to the Federation.

Finally, NHF competition “motivator” Stephen Coles has been working with members who are interested in building their skills in competition hairdressing.

The Federation is offering free six-hour training sessions at Aston & Fincher’s studios in Birmingham to all NHF members. Anyone interested in attending can call Stephen on 07980 641386.

industry as a whole,” he added.

The presidential transition will take place at this year’s MARK CORAY: conference and MASTER CRAFTSMAN annual general meeting, which is being held on Sunday October 6 at the Palace Hotel in Manchester.

For further information on the conference and AGM see the formal AGM notice below or contact events@nhf.info or telephone 01234 831965 or 0845 3456500.

AGM notice Notice is hereby given that the 71st Annual General Meeting of the members of the National Hairdressers’ Federation will be held at the Palace Hotel, Oxford Street, Manchester, M60 7HA on Sunday, October 6, 2013, commencing at 11am.

The purpose of the meeting is to receive and approve the annual report and accounts for the year ended December 31, 2012, to appoint the auditors, the installation of the national officers and to consider any other business of a general character of which due notice has been given.

By order of the National Executive Council H Hall, Chief Executive/Secretary General May 2013 Members are respectfully requested to submit questions arising from the accounts to head office at least seven days before the meeting.

www.nhf.info JULY/AUGUST2013 SALONFOCUS PAGE 31

CASE CONFIDENTIAL

Column conundrums Victoria Hammersley, employment consultant at Croner, operator of the NHF’s Legal Lifeline, analyses a real-life call to the helpline and the advice subsequently offered to the salon owner.

Stylists in hairdressing salons are often considered to be responsible for boosting their own columns or bringing in their own client base. But this is not necessarily the position from an employment law perspective.

The call to the Legal Lifeline came from a small, family-run hair salon employing one manager and three stylists, all of whom were competent and fully trained. But one stylist “Josie” (not her real name) was shy and quiet and often struggled to make conversation.

A new salon had recently opened up across the street, offering a 50 per cent discount during the first month. As a result, two stylists had lost a significant proportion of their regular clients. But Josie had lost all of hers.

After a few months, while the majority of regular customers had returned, only half of Josie’s customers had come back.

At this point the salon owner “Ken” (again, not his real name) called the lifeline for advice.

Redundancy option

He asked how he could go about making Josie redundant, as her column was half empty. We explained the options available to Ken were: redundancy, lay-off or performance management.

Redundancy posed a number of problems. He would not be able to select Josie simply because she had the least number of clients, as the two other stylists did the same job as her.

He would need to “pool” all three stylists and put them all at risk of possible redundancy, then select the two to stay using a redundancy selection criteria matrix comprising objective criteria (such as skills, qualifications, disciplinary record, length of service and attendance). But this of course meant any of the stylists would have been at risk.

Alternatively, as his stylists had all signed NHF contracts of employment, he could technically enforce a lay-off period, as there was a temporary cessation of work. However, this again would have to be across all employees of the same job grade on a rota basis, rather than just Josie.

PAGE 32 SALONFOCUS JULY/AUGUST 2013

friendly.

Ken felt these options had the potential to be too negative and damaging to wider morale.

The solution in many respects was simply for Josie to “up her game” in terms of boosting her column.

Salon support

To this end, we explained that, in law, there is a mutual obligation between an employer/employee to provide/be available for work during the hours of work as stipulated in the employment contract. Furthermore, it is the salon who “owns” the clients, rather than the employee.

Consequently, where a salon wishes to boost trade it should take reasonable steps to do so. Therefore it was up to the salon to provide support for Josie, perhaps advertise her services in the local press, offer an introductory discount for new clients, and so on.

Ken decided the first thing to do was put on a model night and observe Josie’s performance to assess whether there was anything that could be improved upon.

This was a success in relation to Josie’s technical skills, which Ken couldn’t fault, but the feedback was still negative, noting she “wasn’t friendly”, “didn’t speak” and “was moody”.

Ken contacted the lifeline again, and it was agreed the best course of action was to hold an informal meeting with Josie to explain all this.

Ken was advised to make her aware of what his expectations were in terms of the standard of performance required, and where she was not meeting those standards. It was also suggested he provide some practical guidance as to how she might go about ensuring repeat business.

Ken explained to Josie that in her role as a stylist she was representing the salon and, in order for customers to leave feeling satisfied, it was paramount they felt welcomed. To that end, he expected Josie to initiate conversations, display warmth and to be outwardly open and

Between them they agreed some “conversation openers” and did some role-play to practise the art of the conversation.

The good news was that Josie completely accepted this advice and worked hard to put it into practice. Her column was soon full to capacity and she was seeing more and more repeat customers. There was no need to go down a formal disciplinary route, and no need for redundancy or lay-off.

What the Legal Lifeline offers you: • •

24/7 employment-related queries Advice on commercial matters, 9am-5pm Monday to Friday

Access to the Legal Lifeline is available by calling 01234 834389.

Alternatively NHF members can log on to www.nhf.info. A summary of cover can be found on the reverse of your legal card carrier or by logging onto www.nhf.info.

The NHF operates a “fair use policy” for the lifeline. Members exceeding 50 calls within a 12-month period may be charged £20 plus VAT per call. All calls to the Legal Lifeline are recorded and monitored by Croner. If your chosen membership category does not include employer support service or your membership is unpaid at the time of any call a charge of £20 plus VAT will apply for all such calls made.

EVENTS NHF EVENTS OTHERS

Please send your events to the NHF at events@nhf.info by July 8 for September/October, September 1 for November/December and November 1 for January/February 2014 .

Updated events listed on www.nhf.info

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6

JULY NHF employment law seminar, The Red Lion, Cambridge. 6.30pm for 7pm start.

Contact: events@nhf.info

OCTOBER NHF Annual Conference and AGM, Palace Hotel, Manchester.

Contact: enquiries@nhf. info

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JULY NHF employment law seminar, The Kings Centre, Kings Street, Norwich.

6.30pm for 7pm start.

Contact: events@nhf.info

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JULY NHF employment law seminar, Best Western Monkbar Hotel, York, 7pm for 7.30pm start.

Contact: events@nhf.infoo

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SEPTEMBER NHF employment law seminar, Entrecote Café de Paris, Cardiff Bay. 7pm for 7.30pm start.

Contact: Carl Hinder on 07931518642 or events@ nhf.info

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SEPTEMBER NHF employment law seminar, Thistle Hotel, Glasgow. 1.30pm for 2pm start.

Contact: events@nhf.info

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SEPTEMBER NHF employment law seminar, The Best Western, Invercarse Hotel, Dundee. 12.30pm for 1pm start.

Contact: events@nhf.info

www.nhf.info

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APRIL 2014 Northern England Championships, Marriot Hotel, Gateshead.

Contact: Avril Walker on 01642 597197 or northeastregion@ nhf.info

OCTOBER NHF employment law seminar, Blackpool Football Ground, Blackpool. 1.30pm for 2.00pm start.

Contact Kevin Fox on 01253 624127 or events@ nhf.info

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OCTOBER Welsh Hairdressing Awards, The Coal Exchange, Cardiff.

Contact: Carl Hinder at welshregion@nhf.info

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OCTOBER Avon Networking Group catwalk show, The Paintworks, Bristol.

Contact: Martin Zullo on 07816 687394 or southwestregion@nhf. info

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NOVEMBER South of England Hairdressing Championships, Novotel, Southampton.

Contact: John Light on 01794 521849 or southern.region@nhf.info

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NOVEMBER Cheshire Championships, NK Theatre, Romiley, Stockport.

Contact: Michael Burgum on 0161 220 7375 or northwestregion@nhf. info

Britain’s Best

Deadlines and timings for this year’s Britain’s Best have now been agreed, so make a note in your diary!

Here’s a reminder of the dates you need to remember.

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SEPTEMBER Closing date for nominations for Britain’s Best Popularity Poll text vote.

Contact: www.britainsbest.me

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OCTOBER Closing date for entries for Britain’s Best Click ’n’ Send Head of the Year Photographic Competition.

Contact: www.britainsbest.me

8

NOVEMBER Closing date for entries for Britain’s Best floor competition.

Contact: www.britainsbest.me

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NOVEMBER Britain’s Best, Hilton Metropole Hotel, Birmingham.

Details: www.britainsbest.me

JULY/AUGUST 2013 SALONFOCUS PAGE 33

SOCIAL MEDIA

All the latest hairdressing-related tweets posts, pics and comments.

@nhfederation Get involved and let us know what you think of key issues that may affect your business. Get connected!

NHF - HQ@NHfederation The NHF has been picking up feedback to suggest that some salons are seeing clients come in who have used off-theshelf hair colour “remover” products designed to return hair to its “natural” colour but which haven’t worked properly. Has this happened to you?

Zoë Zeus Taylor Yes it’s ridiculous.

Should be taken off the shelves.

People coming in with patchwork orange hair. I have had ongoing training for 11 years and am still learning new things. Colour removal should not be allowed in the hands of a non professional x Lisa Curry Yes I have had hair went blue/green colour! Defo remove these products from the markets x Giovanna Kennedy Yes, same here.

A couple of clients have used this product; I feel the same as others – leave it to us the professionals!

Ann Biggs Same here. All the time orange patchworks. These products should be removed from the market!

Evolve Hair Design - Alfreton Don’t even get me started, not only should these be taking off the shelves, the amount of clients I get in from these!

Clients say it’s to save money but in the long run it will cost them more.

Casey Coleman@CaseyC_Hair3 May VERY PLEASED THAT MY IMAGE FROM THE @NHfederation CREATIVE SHOOT IS FRONT COVER! Thanks @ TrevorsorbieAT @boncesalons pic. twitter.com/rJ5iUBfdn2

THE ESSENTIAL MAGAZINE FOR SALON OWNERS

NetXtra@NetXtra Good luck to our friends at @NHfederation. We have our fingers crossed for you and the new website at #memcom awards today.

Parking curbs are killing the high street, warn salons Government plan for employer-led apprenticeships

MAY/JUNE 2013 | £3.50

‘Employment Allowance’ to benefit small businesses Check out three new member benefits

LaraBootHairdressing@LaraBootHair @NHfederation well done!

NHF - HQ@NHfederation @NHfederation Coming soon: employment law seminars to keep up to speed with all of the regulations that affect you, your staff and your business.

NHF - HQ@NHfederation Keep up to speed with the top 10 reasons of why you should be a member and what you get for your membership at www.nhf.info MasterClass@MasterClassHelp6 May Now following @nhfederation .

Another brilliant Salon Focus issue well done nhf.

Will Brown@w7brown29 Apr Check out my article on the @NHfederation website.

Michael Georgiou@MGeorgiou Things looking great so far.

Buzzing atmosphere @nhfwales @ NHfederation #WelshOpen #hairday

Wales Beauty Show@ walesbeautyshow Mark Coray, president of NHF attending show to speak to hairdressers about the National Hairdressers’ Federation. @nhfwales @NHfederation

Twitter followers: 1,457 Top Tweeter: MasterClass@ MasterClassHelp Facebook likes: 5,983 Top liker: Evolve Hair Design Alfreton Connect with us and have your comments and tweets in the next issue of SalonFocus.

www.nhf.info

MAY/JUNE 2013 SALONFOCUS PAGE 35

PAGE 36 SALONFOCUS MAY/JUNE 2013