SalonFocus May-June 2011

THE ESSENTIAL MAGAZINE FOR SALON OWNERS

MAY/JUNE 2011 | ÂŁ3.50

Fears over 19+

apprenticeships

Survey on

future of

training

How to stop staff leaving Focus on

artistic teams

A CHANCE TO

WAVELENGTH

SHAPE OUR CRAFT

apprentices, so why shouldn’t they at least be asked to How do you judge the value, the worth, of somebody? make a contribution for older recruits? Nevertheless, Is it measured by what you pay them or the targets they the news has led to warnings such apprenticeships meet, their paper qualifications, the fact clients ask for could wither away or that we may end up returning to them or their laughter echoing across the salon? OK, the days of salons independently training people on the perhaps this risks getting a bit “deep” and philosophical, job, old-fashioned “apprenticeships” if you will, an ad but it is a question that goes to the heart of hairdressing hoc arrangement that, of course, can lead to excellence and, specifically, what sort of talent hairdressing needs or, equally, narrow incompetence. Either way, salons, it now and in the future. appears, are going to be needing to make a judgement Huge changes have been taking place in vocational on the value of investing in the futures of such people. education over the past few years – the launch of Away from funding, there is also a lively debate to Diplomas, the establishment of the government’s be had about what skills actually need to be prioritised Qualifications and Credit Framework, in training the next generation of stylists. One of the new (from April) apprentice standards for criticisms of the current vocational England, the apprentice education system is that courses have national minimum wage, “If we want to ensure become too “generic”, they don’t leave to name but a few. We young people with the proper skills, or also in March had the future generations shop-floor experience, they need. This is publication of the Wolf one reason why the lead the Federation Review into vocational remain attracted is now taking in surveying members as education (see News, to hairdressing, it is a possible first step towards ensuring page five), which was qualifications have a much greater NHF highly critical of the vital we send out a “imprint” on them (see News, page eight) quality of much training is so important. provision, though in fact message, not just If you’re anything like me, surveys highlighted hairdressing and market research, whether crackly as one of the honourable of competence, cold-calls, polls thumping through the exceptions. In the Budget, but of excellence, letterbox or those irritating pop-ups you too, chancellor George get on so many websites these days, Osborne made a major commitment to tend to get completely ignored. But this expanding apprenticeships, a move that achievement and is one survey – which you can find in this could be very positive for hairdressing aspiration“ edition and on the website www.nhf. (see News, page 11). info – I would definitely urge you to take No one, of course, expects salon the time to fill in and become engaged owners to become professional with. Its findings are likely to make for an intriguing educationalists and keep up with each and every policy discussion at the annual conference in Newcastle this twist and turn. Moreover, in the current climate, salon October, for which, incidentally, more details can be found owners are (probably rightly) going to be more focused in Federation Focus, page 22. on client foot-fall now than the need to be nurturing As importantly, whatever the conclusions, it is perhaps talent “pipelines” for tomorrow. But what sort of people we not an exaggeration to say that, as now the largest want to pass our craft on to – and what we are prepared employer body within the sector, the Federation has a real to pay to ensure excellence and expertise in the future – opportunity to make a difference here. If we want to ensure are becoming pressing questions. As we also report on future generations remain attracted to hairdressing, it is page five the government is poised to get tough on 19+ vital we send out a message, not just of competence, but of apprenticeships by tightening rules requiring salons to excellence, achievement and aspiration within the training stump up 50 per cent of the cost of training. of young people coming into our industry.

Even though the number of 19+ apprentices in hairdressing has historically been low, they are still important. It will often be those who have made an early mistake in their career and specifically switched tack to make a firm commitment to hairdressing or who aspire to gain higher, Level 3, qualifications. The National Nic Paton Apprenticeship Service has also made the argument Editor that salons get a good deal, and good returns, from

www.nhf.info

MAY/JUNE 2011 SALONFOCUS PAGE 3

CONTENTS OUR CONTRIBUTORS

Stuart Holmes runs The Stuart Holmes Hair and Beauty Spa in Cheltenham and last year launched a bespoke App for the iPhone, which attracted more than 220,000 users globally.

05 06 08 09 10 11 13 14

24 26 28-29 30

NEWS

Fears for 19+ apprenticeships National press highlights straighteners Tell us what you think about training Go to police, Lifestyle TV victims advised Migration change poses challenge for salons Welcome for Budget proposals Join mobile revolution, salons told Tribunal reform may have sting in the tail

FEATURES

Become a mobile salon (the good sort) – how to develop a salon App Cleaning power – choose the right laundry and washing machines for your salon The school of life – ways to hang on to your staff once they’re trained Product knowledge – what “extras” manufacturers and wholesalers can offer

INSPIRED

BEAUTY

17-20

12 13 32

03 09 11 16 21-22 25 33 34

Hairdressing icon Beverly C has twice won the British Hairdresser of the Year Award and she was the first female hairdresser to be awarded an MBE. She is a brand ambassador for Goldwell and Babyliss, and is a regular face on TV and in the press.

Be part of the cutting edge – how you can get involved in the NHF’s artistic activities Tesco’s ‘Your Beauty’ could be a winner Beauty Spots – therapists win health pay-out Sunbed Satisfaction – get up to speed on new sunbed rules

REGULARS

Wavelength – A chance to shape our craft HairClips – Taxman to probe record keeping Movers and Groovers – RUSH celebrates prestigious workplace award Cutting Brief – your legal problems solved Federation Focus – preview of this year’s Newcastle annual conference Beverly C – on her cover shoot for Goldwell Events – key dates for your diary Backwash – you have to laugh

PAGE 4 SALONFOCUS MAY/JUNE 2011

Julian Sampson is a partner in Wright & Wright, a firm of solicitors based in Guildford, Surrey, which specialises in employment law.

Gary Lipman is chairman of The Sunbed Association and managing director of solarium and sunbed company Ergoline UK.

Simon Shaw is co-founder of salon group Haringtons.

He runs Simon Shaw Education and is the driving force behind the Fellowship for British Hairdressing’s Clubstar programme for younger industry members

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 PUBLISHER Eileen Lawson BSc FCIS FRSA e: eileen.lawson@nhf.info EDITOR Nic Paton e: sfeditor@salonfocus.co.uk EDITORIAL CONSULTANT Andrew Don e: sfeditor@salonfocus.co.uk EVENTS Tina Beaumont t: 0845 345 6500 e: tina.beaumont@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

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Ian Cuthbert is development director of Paterson SA, which runs salons in Edinburgh and Dalkeith.

Carl Mitchell is the director of Bonce Hair & Beauty salons in Walsall and Wednesbury in the West Midlands.

Raoul Perfitt is managing director of organic hair treatments and systems manufacturer Herb UK.

Front Cover Hair: Beverly C for Goldwell Photography: Desmond Murray Make-up: Lauren Mathis Styling: Bernard Connolly

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 FOR TODAY’S SALON OWNER

FEARS FOR 19+

APPRENTICESHIPS

Salons are being warned they will increasingly find themselves being asked to pay for half the training cost of 19+ apprenticeships from the new academic year, leading to concerns such apprenticeships could “wither”, thereby denying older would-be stylists a chance to enter the industry.

Bill Shaw, an independent training provider and director of Habia, the government-approved standards setting body for the hair, beauty, nails and spa sector, said bulletins from the Skills Funding Agency had made it clear the government was going to be looking for salons to bear some of the training cost of 19+ apprenticeships.

“This is what we are being told is going to happen. The expectation certainly seems to be that there is going to be a toughening up from this summer,” he told SalonFocus.

Technically, employers have always been supposed to pay 50 per cent of the training cost of 19+ apprenticeships, although 16-19 apprenticeships have been fully funded by the government, and will continue to be so.

However, the reality has been that providers have tended to meet the 19+ bill in full, leaving employers simply having to cover an apprentice’s wage.

Shagufta Mustafa of the National Apprenticeship Service, emphasised it was a tightening up of existing policy, not a new policy. Moreover, salons, even if they had to make a contribution, still got a good deal out of apprenticeships.

“The Skills Funding Agency has always encouraged providers to engage with employers. There is an expectation that the number of employers and learners making a contribution towards the cost of learning will increase over the next few years.

“All 19+ apprenticeships, competency and knowledge-based qualifications are publicly funded with the expectation that the employer will make a contribution of 50 per cent towards the cost of delivery,” she added.

www.nhf.info

APPRENTICES: 19+ TRAINING COULD ‘WITHER’

The agency, she stressed, will be requiring providers to ensure that, before a learner starts learning, the learner or their employer is fully aware of any contributions they will have to pay.

But Bill Shaw warned the change could mean talented youngsters who have, for whatever reason, come to hairdressing late might in future struggle to gain entrance to the craft.

“One of the problems is advanced apprentices tend to be the ones who are often most serious about the job and will be wanting to stay in the craft for longer; they will have made a real commitment to hairdressing. People are just not going to take on apprentices, especially more advanced Level 3 apprentices,” he said.

Jacky Jones, hair and beauty adviser for City & Guilds, warned: “I think 19+ apprenticeships may well wither as a result, because not only will the employer be paying a 50 per cent contribution towards the training they are also going to be paying the national minimum wage.

What will probably happen is that salons will look at it and simply think, ‘do they need to have a qualification?’.

“They may still take on 19- and 20-year-olds but it may just be a case of paying them the NMW and training them themselves, a bit like an old-fashioned apprenticeship used to be,” she added.

In March, the Wolf Review into the vocational education of 14-19 yearolds, argued many courses were failing adequately to prepare young people for

ALISON WOLF: REVIEW CRITICAL

future employment or further training.

But its author, Professor Alison Wolf, did single out hairdressing training as generally being of a good standard, telling the BBC’s Today programme it offered “very good apprenticeships which are extraordinarily popular”.

She added: “Everybody’s rude about hairdressers – they shouldn’t be rude about hairdressers. Hairdressers do a great job. They have a career they can take all over the world, and they always come out top in terms of the occupation that’s happiest.”

New apprentice standards in England were also due to be unveiled last month, as part of the implementation of the government’s Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Act. These mean it should become clearer for employers to tell exactly what qualification level (such as Level 2 Apprenticeship, Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship or Level 4 Higher Apprenticeship) will be attained, the total number of credits an apprentice will gain within the government’s Qualifications and Credits Framework, the annual number of “guided learning hours” (GLH) he or she must receive as well as the number and percentage of off-the-job GLH they can expect.

MAY/JUNE 2011 SALONFOCUS PAGE 5

NEWS

NATIONAL PRESS WADES INTO

STRAIGHTENERS DEBATE The fears and worries salon owners have long been expressing over chemical hair straighteners finally burst out into the public domain during February and March, with the BBC and The Daily Mail both running high-profile “exposés” of the issue.

The publicity is vindication of SalonFocus’s year-long campaign to highlight the growing concerns expressed by salon owners, regulatory bodies and reputable manufacturers about formaldehyde levels in some chemical hair straighteners.

SalonFocus editorial consultant Andrew Don helped Radio 4’s You & Yours programme cover the issue in February, and The Daily Mail published an article in March under the headline, “Could Your Blow-Dry Poison You?”.

NHF president Mark Coray welcomed the publicity, arguing that, while the Federation recognised many manufacturers had moved swiftly to ensure their products now fell within legal limits, or had removed formaldehyde altogether, there remained a clear need

DAILY MAIL: HIGHLIGHTING CONCERNS

PAGE 6 SALONFOCUS MAY/JUNE2011

for greater education and transparency on this issue.

“The science involved in chemical hair straighteners is complex. While salon owners, of course, need to have an understanding of what is in their products, what The Daily Mail has made clear and what the NHF has been saying for some time, is that salons cannot be expected to police this all by themselves,” he said.

The Daily Mail interviewed Richard Dandy, marketing and media manager at Spires Hairdressing in East Grinstead, West Sussex.

Richard, who had agreed for his details to be supplied to the paper by SalonFocus, explained how staff using first-generation KeraStraight, one of the products subject to a Rapex (Rapid Alert System for Non-Food Products) warning, had suffered headaches, nausea, stinging eyes and sore throats.

He then tried the second-generation product and still experienced problems, although not as great.

KeraStraight has now launched a KeraStraight KS Complex which Jez Barnett, managing director, said had been tested both here and abroad and “passed because it is built differently, so we expect to not have any adverse issues with the coming storm”.

By this, he was referring to a growing expectation among many within the industry that the Health & Safety Executive is now poised to investigate the sector, something that may mean the days of chemical hair-straightening products made with aldehydes could be numbered.

New-generation formulations have already started to hit the marketplace following the issue of five Rapex alerts in Ireland on products found to include in excess of the 0.2 per cent European legal limit for formaldehyde.

Jez told SalonFocus he believed aldehydes formulas would disappear as a result of either compulsory withdrawal or because salons would just stop buying them.

KEBELO: NEW GENERATION OF PRODUCTS

He added: “The low pH protein is the future, but proteins have always been hard to master until now. I believe that this will drive even greater product development and it will not be too long before the world of keratin treatments will be 100 per cent aldehyde-free and all the companies will have found that there is another way.”

Jonathan Shipman, co-founder of new-generation product Kebelo, said the category was “worth a lot of money to salons”.

He added: “It is now the job of likeminded brands which are actually taking steps to develop safe formulas, as well as the trade press, to properly educate professionals who are, quite frankly, being exposed to extremely dangerous chemicals who, in turn, can properly advise their clients.”

Mark Coray agreed, reiterating the need for greater transparency on this issue within the industry.

“At the end of the day salon owners, their staff and customers need absolute reassurance the products they are using are safe, are legal and are not going to damage anyone’s health. We would like to see manufacturers working even more closely with regulators to ensure we all have peace of mind now and in the future,” he said.

www.nhf.info

MAY/JUNE 2011 SALONFOCUS PAGE 7

NEWS

TELL US WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT

HAIRDRESSING QUALIFICATIONS what is optional.

The NHF is carrying out a “In general, the major survey of members awarding bodies and in what is hoped will be schools will look for x, y, a first-step towards the and z skills to be part of Federation having a much a qualification. We want greater input in how to become more active hairdressers of the future in that process,” John are trained. told SalonFocus.

The move is being led “Once we know

by Federation education what members think committee chairman John we can go to providers Armstrong, and the survey and organisations such is being included within JOHN ARMSTRONG: as Habia or City and this edition of SalonFocus as TRAINING SURVEY Guilds and say, ‘this well as on the NHF website, is what we would like www.nhf.info. to see included in a Level 2 or a Level 3 The aim is to gauge what members qualification’. We are very keen to open feel should be prioritised by training a dialogue about preferred choices and providers and colleges and, in turn, establish networks between the NHF and give the Federation an opportunity to local colleges,” he added. work more closely with providers on Responses will be gathered between what is included within courses and now and June and July, with a position qualifications, what is mandatory and

PRESIDENT BACKS Federation president Mark Coray has experienced an upsurge in client-footfall since signing his Cardiff salon Coray & Co up to “deals” website Groupon.

Now Mark is urging other members to check out whether it and similar sites might work to help salons through the current difficult economic climate.

Mark initially registered with the website in February, offering 600 new customers the chance to pick up a sharply discounted offer.

“It went up at midnight on February 12 and had completely sold out by midnight on February 14,” he said.

“Since then the phones have not stopped ringing. We have three lines into the salon and it has been amazing. I have not crunched the numbers yet, but we are now fully booked up until May,” he added.

But managing this new influx of “cheaper” clients while at the same time maintaining valued relationships with existing customers is something salons need to consider carefully, he added.

• Look out for a fuller account by Mark of his experiences as a Groupon novice in the July/August edition of SalonFocus.

PAGE 8 SALONFOCUS MAY/JUNE 2011

paper being developed during the autumn, which will then be debated at the Federation’s annual conference in Newcastle in October.

“As the largest employer body within hairdressing we need to develop a stronger voice in how we talk about this to government; often there can be a sense our views, much like those of other employers, do not get listened to enough,” John added.

The education committee is also looking to establish a more proactive contacts’ network around the country to report on what is happening within hairdressing education in each area as well as working to raise the Federation’s voice and profile with the Department for Education and the Department for Business Innovation and Skills, he said.

• Budget pledge on apprenticeships, page 11.

‘DEALS’ WEBSITES

GROUPON: SALON DEALS

HAIRCLIPS

GO TO POLICE,

LIFESTYLE TV VICTIMS ADVISED Victims of defunct crystal mirror television screens supplier Lifestyle TV have been advised that the easiest way to extricate themselves from finance deals where they believe their signature was fraudulently added is simply to go to the police.

Legal firm Wright & Wright has warned salon owners who fell foul of Lifestyle TV, which was wound up in the summer of 2009, it is only possible to get long-term third-party finance agreements cast aside if the authenticity of the signatures on those documents is in doubt – not the signature on the Lifestyle agreements.

Hairdressing salon victims of the rogue supplier of diamond crystal mirror television systems are continuing to come forward.

JULIAN SAMPSON: LEGAL Wright & Wright OPTIONS solicitor Julian Sampson managed to get insurer Lombard to agree to set aside its contract with Carrie Rutter, of Carrie Hairdressing, in Darlington (SalonFocus, November/December 2010), because of doubts about the signature Lifestyle submitted with the finance agreement.

Sampson recommended that in other cases where there were doubts about the finance agreement signatures, salon owners should: • file a formal complaint with police • get a criminal reference number • ask police to have forensic science experts analyse the signature as part of the criminal investigation • send the forensic experts’ report to the finance company.

“The finance company will turn around and give the money back and tell them to keep the screens if they do this. This is the easiest option,” Julian told SalonFocus.

One salon still suffering from its dealings with Lifestyle is Serenity Hair and Beauty, in Atherstone, Warwickshire, which has been hampered by the fact the signature it is contesting is not on the finance agreement but on the Lifestyle contract itself.

Owner Jayne Sansom told SalonFocus she had so far spent £6,500 trying to get out of

www.nhf.info

TAXMAN PROBE

HMRC is urging small businesses to check their record-keeping is up to scratch before a crackdown on firms employing fewer than 250 people begins in the second half of this year.

A range of free tools were unveiled in February, which can be accessed at: www. hmrc.gov.uk/factsheet/ record-keeping.pdf

INSURANCE ADVICE

LIFESTYLE TV: WOUND UP

a five-year leasing agreement with Shire Leasing for equipment she says never worked, with estimates of further costs of £6,000-£8,000 to go to court.

Jayne said Shire had offered to reduce the cost of the £15,000 five-year lease to £9,000 in final settlement but she had rejected this, suggesting £4,000 in total.

SalonFocus asked Shire to comment but director Richard Hayes declined, saying he would get his solicitors to call but they never did.

But Julian stressed a situation like this was complex. “With previous salons, we’ve found misrepresentation by Lifestyle is both costly and difficult to prove but can’t be held over Shire’s head. There might be elements of fraud but it has nothing to do with Shire. Jayne feels a sense of injustice because Lifestyle never delivered,” he pointed out.

“The problem is that her right of action is against Lifestyle, but there is simply no opportunity to recover against that company now so it could be throwing good money after bad. Shire is in the same boat in that it has advanced money... but Shire is protected as it does have a binding finance agreement with her.

A cautionary tale is perhaps for salons to take legal advice before entering any major purchase or binding financial commitment,” he added.

Durham Constabulary, meanwhile, has confirmed that former Lifestyle director Anthony Lloyd is still on the police national computer as wanted, believed to be out of the country.

Female salon owners who drive are being advised to consider turning to an insurance broker to drive down their premiums, following March’s ruling by the European Court of Justice that premiums can no longer be rated on gender. Ross Wilkes, of Coversure Insurance Services, warned insurers will increasingly now take account of postcodes and occupations, as well as claims’ history, in determining premiums.

FOURTH SORBIE SALON

Trevor Sorbie International has scheduled the opening of its fourth salon for May in Hampstead, north London.

The group’s other salons are in Covent Garden in London’s West End, Brighton and Manchester.

EMAIL ETIQUETTE

Most small business owners believe dismissing an employee by email is unacceptable. A poll by research body YouGov found 98 per cent of senior decision makers in small to medium business enterprises believed the most acceptable way to inform an employee that they were losing their job was face to face.

WEBSITES WARNING

The Advertising Standards Authority took over the regulation of website marketing by companies from March. The move means companies need to be ensuring marketing information on their websites is “legal, decent, honest and truthful”, including external unpaid-for content that the advertiser is able to control.

MAY/JUNE 2011 SALONFOCUS PAGE 9

NEWS

MIGRATION CHANGE POSES

CHALLENGE FOR SALONS

A move to tighten up the rules governing the migration of overseas hairdressing managers into the UK is being seen as a clear signal the industry needs to be doing much more to nurture and bring on home-grown talent, including helping experienced salon staff step up into more managerial or leadership roles.

In February the UK Border Agency’s Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) announced it was shortening the list of occupations eligible for migration into the UK under the so-called Tier 2 of its points-based allocation system, which the government uses to decide how many work visas to grant to various occupations and at what sort of level.

Under the restrictions, which have seen a number of occupations that qualify for Tier 2 visas fall by 71, hairdressing and beauty salon managers have now been included within the MAC’s list of occupations ineligible for migration into the UK. What this means in practice is that hair and beauty salon managers from outside the European Union will no longer be able to come and live and work in the UK. Reaction to the decision among salon owners and industry leaders has been divided.

Alan Goldsbro, chief executive of Habia, the governmentapproved standards-setting body for the hair, beauty, nails and spa sector, agreed the government did need to make decisions on which migrants the country needed most.

Tier 2 restricted people from entering the UK unless they had graduate level skills, and it was therefore these skills managers in hairdressing needed in terms of relevant business qualifications and degrees.

“Ultimately the bigger picture is that the industry here in the UK needs to be training people to that level rather than bringing them in from overseas,” he told SalonFocus.

But others worried what sort of message this sent to talented hairdressers from other parts of world who might potentially want to come to the UK. Hellen Ward, managing director of Richard Ward Hair & Metrospa in south west London, ALAN GOLDSBRO: FOCUS said: “Good salon managers who have a wealth ON TALENT of experience cannot always be judged by their international qualifications... I have worked with many salon managers in my 25-year career in this industry, and the best and most gifted have unique qualities and skills that could only benefit the sector and the British economy in general.”

But Hellen also agreed that a greater focus on developing talented British stylists could only be beneficial for the industry.

“We are lucky enough to have some of the best, brightest and most gifted innovators and entrepreneurs in this trade and it’s about time their expertise was celebrated, not viewed in a HELLEN WARD: continually negative light,” she said.

CELEBRATE EXPERTISE

PAGE 10 SALONFOCUS MAY/JUNE 2011

LIFELINE TOP FOR

CONDUCT QUERIES How to deal with poor staff conduct remains the top reason why NHF members called the Legal Lifeline last year, the latest data released to SalonFocus has revealed.

Conduct accounted for 12 per cent of calls to the line during 2010, followed by absence/sickness (10 per cent), disciplinary procedures (eight per cent) and terms and conditions and redundancy (both seven per cent).

But the statistics also showed how tapping into the expertise within head office can be a useful first step for members with a query before turning to the helpline.

The number of calls overall fell from 16,636 to 13,833 last year, in part a reflection of the specialist training NHF head office staff have received in areas such as absence, holidays, sickness, maternity and associated statutory leave, apprentices, the national minimum wage and working time regulations.

And, in a sign that things may be beginning to ease economically for some salons, queries about redundancy fell from being the second most called about topic to fifth on the list.

The biggest climbers in terms of calls last year were fire queries (such as risk assessment and storage of products) which rose 65 places to 58th, questions about the workplace (particularly slips and trips) up 53 places to 88th and race discrimination, up 45 to 46th.

Advice on income tax was the biggest faller, down 60 places to 142nd, while concerns about registration/deregistration of VAT fell 50 places to 127th on the list.

The data also highlighted how some members never switch off from work. Eighteen calls were made between midnight and 8am in January 2011 alone, two of them between 3am and 4am.

MOVERS& GROOVERS

WELCOME FOR BUDGET EXPANSION

OF APPRENTICESHIPS In an effort to simplify the The National Hairdressers’ burden of regulation on small Federation broadly welcomed businesses, the government chancellor George Osborne’s will consult on the possibility of wide-ranging package of measures merging National Insurance to help small businesses unveiled in Contributions and income tax, the Budget in March. scrapped a previous decision to The chancellor announced force small businesses to offer a moves to deliver 250,000 more “right” to training from April and apprenticeships over the next pledged there will be no new four years, including setting Westminster-inspired regulations aside £180m to fund 40,000 JULIE LEWIS: SUPPORT for micro-businesses with fewer new apprenticeships and 10,000 FOR WATER BILLS than 10 employees for the next higher-level apprenticeships as three years. well as 100,000 work experience One announcement that placements for young people. pleased NHF members in the This, said president Mark South West of England was the Coray, all had the potential to chancellor’s pledge to look at how be great news for hairdressing in central government can help with terms of encouraging more young the region’s much higher water bills. people into the industry, but Because of the geography training providers and ministers of the South West, including the needed to listen to employers need for money to be spent on about the core skills young people improving the quality of beach required. water, individuals and heavy water“It is not just the quantity of GEORGE OSBORNE: use businesses such as salons, apprenticeships that is important, COMMITMENT TO which will normally be on metered but the quality. Apprentices must TRAINING bills, are disproportionately be properly equipped with the penalised. practical skills they need to make a Families alone tend to pay more than £500 better future for themselves. Apprentices need a year for their water, compared with just over to be offered more exposure to the workplace £300 a year in London. and less of an emphasis placed on college-based Bristol-based salon owner Julie Lewis, who learning,” he said. runs Jay Jay’s, said: “For too long now South A raft of other small business-friendly West businesses and individuals have had to initiatives were announced by the chancellor, stomach higher water bills simply because of including a reduction in corporation tax, an where they live or are based. This is good news extension of a one-year business rate relief at what is a difficult time economically for many “holiday” for small firms originally announced firms in the region.” in October and the establishment of a network • Tell us what you think about hairdressing of new enterprise zones offering tax breaks and qualifications, page 8 discounted business rates.

www.nhf.info

RUSH THE PLACE TO WORK

Salon group RUSH has been awarded a place in the prestigious Sunday Times 100 Best Companies to Work For index, in what is believed to be a first for a hairdressing salon or group. The chain came in at number 60 on the newspaper’s leader board, gaining a two-star recommendation. RUSH Hair’s head of HR, Claire Aitken, who collected the award, (pictured), said: “To be scored so highly is an incredible testimony to the team at RUSH.”

MP JOINS COUNCIL

Former hairdresser turned MP David Morris has joined The Hairdressing Council.

Conservative MP for Morecambe and Lunsdale in Lancashire, David was a stylist with Pierre Alexandre, eventually running five salons. He won his current seat in the 2010 election.

ASSISTANTS’ AWARDS

Cutting Room Creative’s Leeds City salon held a salon assistants’ awards night in March, judged

by British Hairdressing Hall of Fame members and salon owners Charles and Karen Dodds. First Year Assistant was Sacha Meerun, Second Year Assistant was Hollie Sackett, Third year Assistant was Steph Holroyd, who also won Assistant of the Year.

TSUNAMI SUPPORT

Congratulations to Kaizo hairdressing salon in Shoreditch, London, which raised more than £1,000 in March for ADRA, a charity helping those left homeless and needing medical attention after the tsunami in Japan. The salon, usually closed on Sundays, held a special Japanese-themed tea party on Sunday March 27, with all proceeds raised from haircuts and styling on the day going to the charity.

MAY/JUNE 2011 SALONFOCUS PAGE 11

NEWS

TESCO’S ‘YOUR BEAUTY’

COULD BE A WINNER, SAY ANALYSTS The chances are Tesco’s hairdressing and beauty salon joint venture with Regis will be rolled out across the country, and could even end up in more than the 70 sites originally suggested, a leading retail analyst has predicted.

David Gray, retail analyst with Planet Retail, visited the Your Beauty pilot site in Leicester in February and reported back to SalonFocus on his professional view of the new health and beauty and spa concept.

Six concessions operated by Regis are being piloted in stores around the country, with the possibility of the brand being rolled out more widely between now and next year (SalonFocus, March/April, 2011).

As well as Leicester, the concept is being tested in Tesco’s Wembley, Cambridge Bar Hill, Milton Keynes Kingston, Manchester Walkden and Chesterfield stores, with pilots offering styling, colouring, waxing, manicures and threading as well as selling a range of retail products.

“It is like a typical beauty and hair salon, but has a separate retail product area. And it seems to be doing well – the manager told me they were turning over around £3,000 a week so far.

In the store I was in it was also positioned next to a health and beauty section, so it could attract people who have been buying items there.

“I think it could work. The thing with a large supermarket is that you get such a footfall through it and such a broad spectrum of people that it doesn’t take much to make it work. I could see it being quite busy on a Saturday afternoon, for example, and over the weekend,” he said.

“I suspect Tesco could well roll it out to other stores, even maybe beyond the 70 that has been mooted.

“They will have done a lot of research before going into this but it isn’t cast iron – Tesco has in the past tried out things that it has then decided not to follow through on. And bear in mind, too, that even with 70 sites it will still have a low overall impact compared with the size of the hairdressing market as a whole.

“For independents, it is going to be about

PAGE 12 SALONFOCUS MAY/JUNE 2011

emphasising their difference, whether that is service, extra treatments or a personal focus.

They also need to recognise that these are not going to be anywhere near town centres so they can still capture that trade, as well as passing trade,” David added.

Management consultant Nigel Sillis, a former director of Vidal Sassoon UK Salons who has worked for John Carne, Urban Retreat and Sanrizz, among others, agreed the new venture could have growth potential.

“For me personally, going to a supermarket is not something I find pleasurable or relaxing, but then there will be people for whom it could be quite convenient.

“I do think it will mostly be at the lower price end and, from Tesco’s point of view, it is probably never going to be anything like a core business. It could even work as a loss leader, something that makes a lot of ‘noise’ in store and attracts people but doesn’t actually make the store much money.

“Having said that, I don’t think it will turn out to be a massive problem for salons. If I were a salon owner on a high street I don’t think I’d be too anxious. It’ll still be about being local and offering differentiation, competing on product, service and recommendation, not price,” he added.

YOUR BEAUTY: PILOTS APPEAR POPULAR SO FAR

BEAUTY

SALONS URGED TO JOIN

MOBILE REVOLUTION Nearly half of “smartphone” owners say they would be prepared to buy products and services related to hair and beauty via their mobile phone, yet salon owners are still often “behind the curve” when it comes to so-called “m-commerce”.

A poll of 1,000 people by Glamoo, an online and mobile-based buying “club”, found 43 per cent of British smartphone users would be open to hair and beauty promotions and retail over their mobiles.

With 14 million such phone users in the UK, this equated to a potential market of more than six million people, the company estimated.

But more than half of those polled also warned they would be put off by a site that was difficult to use on their mobile, irrespective of the quality of the products on offer.

Of those who would be happy to shop for hair and beauty via their mobile, 61 per cent were female, with 18-34 year olds making up the largest customer demographic, although 37 per cent of 35to 54-year-olds also said they would be happy to shop this way.

The fear that it is going to cost a fortune plus simply uncertainty about how to get started will often put small salon owners off, conceded Louisa Killeen, business development director at Glamoo.

“One of the big challenges facing small, local hairdressers is that it can take a lot of time to get right. It’s not just a case of setting up an App and using it to allow people to book appointments or sending them latest offers,” she told SalonFocus.

“You can use Apps for that but what people want increasingly is a social element, for it to feel a bit special, like a club. We are also seeing more ‘gamification’ of Apps, so people are wanting a gaming element within

www.nhf.info

SPOTS

THERAPISTS WIN DAMAGES

Two beauty therapists who suffered repetitive strain injury after giving hours of massages to Virgin Atlantic passengers were awarded damages in the High Court in March. The pair, Jayne Evans and Michelle Hindmarch, won £230,972 and £69,458 respectively after chronic muscular pain forced them to give up their work. The airline had accepted liability but had disputed the compensation claimed.

SKIMP AND SPLASH SPENDING

Consumers have been developing a “skimp and splash” attitude to beauty, according to researcher Mintel. Its latest poll has suggested nearly a third of shoppers did not change their beauty shopping habits in 2010, despite improving economic conditions. A quarter were still spending less and 40 per cent were shopping around more for bargains or splashing out on promotions and special offers.

M-COMMERCE: SALONS NEED TO CATCH UP

whatever App they download,” she added.

When it comes to money, while the price will depend on the functionality and sophistication of the App, a start-up cost of between £5,000 to £10,000 is not uncommon, said Louisa.

“You can keep it simple and the investment need not be that huge. But the App space can be quite brutal. What we find is that 90% of Apps that get downloaded are never used again or quickly deleted. So as a salon you have a very short timeframe in which to engage people, which is why the gaming element can be so important,” she emphasised.

“It is about creating a bit of a conversation with clients, having a bit of fun and developing a real relationship.

“Another option may be to consider setting up in partnership with, say, a local restaurant or fashion chain. And it might be a good idea to offer something that is not necessarily category specific but will just be useful to clients,” she added.

• Become a mobile salon (the good sort), page 24

HANDBAGS GIVE UP SECRETS

British women carry £256 worth of make-up in their handbags everyday, according to a study by department store chain Debenhams. A total of 13 essential products made up the average cosmetics bag, with each item costing on average £20. Mascara was the “must have” item, with 95 per cent of women saying they wouldn’t go anywhere without it.

NEW BEAUTY MAGAZINE

A new bi-monthly trade publication targeting beauty salons and spas is due to be launched at the beginning of May. Beauty Salon News, which is being published by Hamerville Magazines, will be distributed free to beauty salon and spa owners, managers and therapists.

SUNBED REGULATIONS

The Sunbeds (Regulation) Act 2010 came into effect in April, making it illegal for people under the age of 18 to use sunbeds on commercial premises, a change in the law previously pushed for by the Federation. More details on what it means for salons, Sunbed Satisfaction, page 32

MAY/JUNE 2011 SALONFOCUS PAGE 13

ANALYSIS

TRIBUNAL REFORM MAY HAVE STING IN THE TAIL The government’s overhaul of employment tribunals may reduce unnecessary claims, but salons that lose cases could also face fines on top of damages for the first time, warns Julian Sampson.

The news in January that prime minister David Cameron was launching an “Employers’ Charter” and a consultation process around reforming employment tribunals and workplace disputes should have been cheering to most salon owners.

According to the government, tribunal claims rose to 236,000 last year – up 56 per cent on 2009. Its motivation for reform has been concerns being raised by businesses that the system has become too costly, takes too much time, places unnecessary strains on small businesses and that it is too easy to make unmerited or vexatious claims.

In the consultation, which ran until last month, what the government has therefore proposed is: • Increasing the qualifying period for employees to be able to bring a claim for unfair dismissal from one to two years, with the intention being to reduce the number of disputes that go to tribunal.

• Encouraging parties to resolve disputes between themselves and requiring all claims to be lodged with the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS) to allow pre-claim conciliation to be offered.

• Speeding up the DAVID CAMERON: tribunal process, EMPLOYERS’ CHARTER including introducing the use of legal officers to deal with certain case management functions.

• Tackling what the government has called “weak and vexatious” claims by giving tribunals more flexible case management powers.

KENNETH CLARKE: FEES A separate REFORM

PAGE 14 SALONFOCUS MAY/JUNE 2011

consultation has been run by the Ministry of Justice, under justice secretary Kenneth Clarke, to look at feasibility of introducing fees for employment tribunal cases and appeals. On top of this, the government’s also wants to: • Require more information to be included on the nature of the claim being made, including a statement of loss.

• Withdraw the payment of expenses to encourage parties to either settle earlier or reduce the number of witnesses they call.

• Introduce financial penalties for employers found to have breached rights.

While anything designed to encourage greater (and earlier) mediation and deter vexatious claims will undoubtedly be welcomed by salon owners, it is this final proposal – on financial penalties for employers – they need to keep a close eye upon.

In more detail, what has been proposed is that tribunals could automatically levy a financial penalty on an employer who loses a claim. This would be in addition to the damages awarded to the claimant, and would be payable to the Treasury. The penalty would be 50 per cent of the award, subject to a lower limit of £100 and an upper limit of £5,000.

Assuming this reform gets the go-ahead it will be the first time organisations will be penalised in this way for losing a case. It is also in stark contrast to counter proposals by the Institute of Directors suggesting claimants should instead be required to make a payment of £500 before making a claim.

The Department of Business, Innovation and Skills has estimated this fine could cost employers some £5.5m a year. But official figures show employers lost 28,500 cases last year and, with a typical tribunal payout being £4,000 (according to ACAS), then simple maths

Julian Sampson is a partner with Wright & Wright, a firm of solicitors based in Guildford, Surrey, which specialises in employment law, among other areas. shows a far greater potential loss to employers – some £57m – through lost claims.

The real concern we have for salons is that, knowing this, a salon might be inclined to settle a case unnecessarily rather than take the risk to attend tribunal. This might be the right commercial decision but ultimately it could send out completely the wrong message to frivolous claimants.

So, on the one hand, if, as the government has calculated, increasing the qualification periods for unfair dismissal from one to two years results in 3,700 to 4,700 fewer employment tribunal cases per year, that will obviously be good news for salons.

On the other, it is going to become even more important for salons not to try to “muddle through” when it comes to employment and legal advice.

If you read nothing else, read this….

• Tribunal reform may speed up system and reduce unnecessary claims • But employers that lose cases could be fined, on top of damages, for the first time • Salons will need to be even more mindful to take advice on legal or employment issues

CUTTING BRIEF

YOUR LEGAL PROBLEMS

SOLVED Gillian Dowling from Croner, operator of the NHF’s Legal Lifeline, answers your questions A customer has complained that, because of the height of the step in front of the salon, she cannot get in. Is there anything I should be doing, or should she just go somewhere else?

There is a legal obligation under the Equality Act 2010 to ensure services, such as hairdressing, are available to everybody; regardless of any ability or disability. This provision is not new and has been taken from the previous legislation – the Disability Discrimination Act. You will therefore be required to make reasonable adjustments to ensure that everyone can get access to your salon.

So, firstly, do you own the salon or do you have a landlord? The law places the obligation on you, rather than on the landlord, but if you are making any permanent alterations you will need to have permission. Then have a look at the step and see what can be done – do you have room either outside or inside to lower the floor to a ramp?

You should always consider a ramp rather than steps to ensure access for wheelchair users. If a permanent ramp cannot be built, you should consider some temporary wooden ramps to put out when anyone needs them.

On occasions the cost of changes can far outweigh the number of customers it would benefit, but these are rare and the Equalities and Human Rights Commission takes a very dim view of anyone trying to avoid their obligations.

Remember, disabled and less-abled people are still paying customers, and it may be that if you make access easier, word gets around that you have an accessible salon and you get more customers. It is no excuse to say there are other salons around – this is an obligation placed on each and every service provider.

Finally, while there are no criminal penalties, the individual can claim for any costs or damages that they have suffered and the court may also allow an exceptional award for damage to feelings.

A former employee wants to return to the salon.

However, there were significant issues relating to their work as a junior previously. Are we obliged to invite this ex-employee to interview? I believe it would not be in the best interests of the salon to re-employ them; however they do meet the criteria for the role we have.

Can the salon decide not to give them an interview based on their previous employment with the company?

An employer is able to reject applications from candidates based on whatever selection criteria the employer chooses to apply to their recruitment process. However an employer will need to act carefully to avoid the risk of discrimination

PAGE 16 SALONFOCUS MAY/JUNE 2011

by ensuring there are non-discriminatory reasons for the failure to interview. This is especially the case in the situation you describe, as on paper they are likely to meet the criteria for a junior’s post. Therefore, given that it would be down to you in tribunal to disprove any claim for discrimination, rejecting the candidate at this stage could expose you to risk.

It may therefore place you in a stronger position if you interviewed the candidate. This is because an interview will highlight any issues in relation to the applicant’s suitability for the role and you would therefore have objective reasons for why you do not wish to take their application any further. This would assist you, should the applicant issue a claim to an employment tribunal that your decision was based upon fair and objective criteria and was not discriminatory in nature.

We are looking at providing eight-week placements for individuals to gain some work experience in our salon.

Are we bound by law to pay them the national minimum wage (NMW), or can we pay them a nominal amount (ie £50 per week) to recognise their efforts?

If the individual will be carrying out work that is of value to the company (for example shampooing, sweeping up, booking appointments or any other work that an employee would do) and they are not an apprentice, then there is a risk the NMW should apply, as they are likely to be considered employees (or workers) of your salon.

However, if the individual is “shadowing” only, in other words simply undertaking a variety of tasks over a limited period of time designed to give them an opportunity to learn about the working environment and work life, then the NMW should not be applicable as they are not carrying out “work” as such. Work experience should be an opportunity to watch and learn to gain workplace experience only, and no work should be undertaken by the individual in order for it to remain this way.

Having said that, it is common practice for organisations to offer placements with or without payment, even if the individuals do perform work of value for the company. Ultimately these organisations rely on the goodwill or gratitude of the individuals in not bringing a claim for payment of the NMW.

DGE TTING E THE CU RT OF BE PA

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MAY/JUNE 2011 SALONFOCUS PAGE 19

ME O S E R EA R E TO H S D Y A AN W OTHERLVED…

O V N I GET Photographic

Styl

ist of the Year Would you like to see your photogra phs published? Yo could do so by en u tering the NHF’s Ph otographic Stylist the Year competit of ion.

Entering a compe tition can be a grea t way to market yourself and gain awards, and is also a vital way to inspi and motivate your re work. It really does n’t matter how expensive or soph isticated your cam era is, it all comes down to a keen ey e, and artistic flair.

Although entries have now closed fo r this year’s competition, the Fe deration’s annual photographic competition is for photographers of all levels or ability and each year we welcome entries fro m beginners as well as the more ex perienced stylist.

Competitors are as ked to create a fas hion look suitable for the fro nt page of a fashio n magazine for ladies or men’s ha ir, showing a cont emporary fashion trend hairstyle, wh ich, with the hairc ut, colour, makeup and design en hancing the total loo k.

The awards cerem ony for this year’s competition will take place at th e British Open Ha irdressing Championships (se e below) and all en tries received will featu re in the Federatio n’s publication Inspirations. The wi nners will also be featured in the July/August issue of SalonFocus. So come along and be inspired to ente r your work for 20 12!

Credits: NHF Inspire – Rebecca Dickenson Team GB – Linda Cornell Barbers Élite – James Beattie Photographic Stylist of the Year and British Open Championship – Audrey Morgan

PAGE 20 SALONFOCUS MAR/APR 2011

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FEDERATION

By Stephanie Munno

FOCUS

REGIONAL ROUND-UP Southern region put on a fantastic show for more than 200 hairdressers in Bournemouth at the end of February by inviting the aweinspiring Sassoon team to demonstrate their work in a look-and-learn seminar.

The team travelled from London to give a compelling two-hour insight into their latest collection Neue-Kraft which showcased the complete repertoire of ideas with eight looks altogether, three of which were cut on stage and two coloured.

Bruce Masefield, Sassoon UK creative director, demonstrated and talked though the inspiration for the collection, alongside Danielle Harvey, Sassoon senior creative director and Alliah Baterip, Sassoon colour director.

North East region also held SASSOON TEAM: IDEAS a successful and well-attended business seminar in February with SHOWCASE Julie Eldrett and Mark Wilson on getting business and keeping customer focused, with a key focus on how to get more clients and how to get them to spend more money more frequently throughout the year.

Julie will also be holding a seminar in Gateshead at the Marriott Hotel in October to coincide with the Federation’s annual conference (see opposite page).

The pros and cons of chair renting were discussed at a West of Scotland and Glasgow-Lanarkshire Networking Group seminar in January.

Taking part were secretary general Eileen Lawson and office manager Tina Beaumont-Goddard, with Eileen encouraging members to talk about their own experiences as well as going through a standard contract.

JULIE ELDRETT: BUSINESS ADVICE

www.nhf.info

RUSH: MENTORING RENOWN

INSPIRE READY FOR REAL RUSH The NHF’s Inspire artistic team is to be mentored during 2011/12 by RUSH, the multiple awardwinning and current British Hairdressing Artistic Team of the Year.

RUSH co-owner and creative director Stell Andrew and the RUSH Artistic Team will mentor NHF Inspire throughout the year to educate and help develop the art team through seminars, photo shoots and presentation demonstrations.

The changeover follows a hugely successful year when the team was mentored by Bruce Masefield and the Sassoon Creative Team.

Stell told SalonFocus how excited he was to be working with the Inspire team: “We hope to inspire them with our own unique way of working and sharing our thoughts and inspirations with them.”

SASSOON: STUNNING And NHF Inspire manager Rebecca Dickenson said, after an “amazing” year with Sassoon, “we are all in awe of the opportunity”.

She added: “To be able to spend time with these inspiring and forward-thinking people is a great opportunity for the NHF Inspire members and I know everyone is very keen to push forward and start sharing ideas.”

The RUSH team will be working with NHF Inspire throughout the year across a range of activities, including a signature hair trend collections and tailor-made educational days with the team.

Rebecca added a big “thank you” to Bruce and the Sassoon. “The journey with Bruce and the Sassoon Creative Team has been outstanding and we thank everyone involved in making this happen,” she said.

MAY/JUNE 2011 SALONFOCUS PAGE 21

FEDERATION FOCUS

Y D A E R T E G !

E C N E R E F N O C R O F In recent years Newcastle upon Tyne and, on the other bank of the river, Gateshead have most definitely shaken off any reputation they once had for gritty deprivation.

Nowadays the North East is as synonymous with the Angel of the North, the Metro Centre, the Millennium Bridge, a buzzing night-life and a thriving entrepreneurial culture encompassing digital and communications start-ups as well as a range of top-notch hairdressers and salons.

It’s also going to be the venue for this year’s National Hairdressers’ Federation Annual Conference and Annual General Meeting (see panel) on Sunday October 2 and Monday October 3.

With an array of social events and artistic shows on offer, the chance to catch-up with friends and colleagues and the President’s Banquet and Ball, the Newcastle Marriott Hotel Metrocentre in Gateshead will be the place to be!

Newcastle is home, of course, to the Federation’s North East Region, which will be launching the proceedings with an exciting “At Home Evening” on Saturday 1 October, starting at 7.30pm, with bucks fizz and two-course dinner. Tickets are priced at £20 and available from head office, as are tickets for all the events.

Sunday will be members’ day and events will include a seminar in the morning by Julie Eldrett of Julie Eldrett Consulting on how to become more customer focused.

The afternoon will be dominated by “Show Time” artistic demonstrations that are not to be missed, including celebrity hairdresser Lee Stafford and the Federation’s own

PAGE 22 SALONFOCUS MAY/JUNE 2011

NHF Inspire, which will be demonstrating their skills led by team manager Rebecca Dickenson and will be recreating some of the looks from their latest photo shoot with mentors RUSH. If that wasn’t enough, Team GB will be in action, showing just what it’s like to compete at international level by running a mock international competition and explaining how to cope with the pressure of working to competition deadlines.

In previous years conference demonstrations have been oversubscribed and space is limited, so make sure you book early to avoid disappointment. Tickets for the afternoon are priced at £20.

The evening will see members gather for the glamour and excitement of the President’s Banquet and Ball, tickets for which are priced at £45.

The serious business will then commence on Monday 3 October with the Annual General Meeting from 10am.

Members are reminded to submit any questions arising from the minutes of last year’s meeting or the accounts to head office at least seven days prior to the meeting. After the formal motions have taken place there will be an open forum for all.

Member registration forms are available from the National Hairdressers’ Federation, 1 Abbey Court, Fraser Road, Priory Business Park, Bedford MK44 3WH. Tel: 0845 345 6500 or 01234 831965. E-mail: enquiries@nhf.info Delegate Registration Forms will be sent to all regions and networking groups during the week commencing July 1, 2011.

AGM NOTICE Formal notice is hereby given that the 69th Annual General Meeting of the members of the National Hairdressers’ Federation will be held at the Newcastle Marriott Hotel Metrocentre, Marconi Way, Metrocentre, Gateshead, NE11 9XF, on Monday October 3 2011 beginning at 10am.

The purpose of the meeting is to receive and approve the minutes of the meeting held on October 3, 2010, the annual report and accounts for the year ended December 31, 2010, 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 E A Lawson Secretary General May 2011 Members are respectfully requested to submit questions arising from the minutes of last year’s meeting or the accounts to head office at least seven days before the meeting.

www.nhf.info

MAR/APR 2011 SALONFOCUS PAGE 23

TECHNOLOGY

BECOME A MOBILE SALON

(THE GOOD SORT)

Apps and other marketing tools for mobile phones may feel cutting-edge and a bit scary, but with expert help they can take your salon to new promotional heights Stuart Holmes explains how.

Never a day goes by it seems when there isn’t a new gadget, piece of software or social media site being launched. Such is the abundance of new technology it is perhaps not surprising many salon owners do not have the time to decipher what is actually worth the time and effort pursuing.

At The Stuart Holmes Hair and Beauty Spa I’ve made a point of trying to keep up to date with all the latest interactive trends. And it’s not just because I happen to be interested in new technology. Our investment last year in an iPhone App – HairPod – has proved to be one of our most successful ventures to date. It has provided a great talking point, improved our brand awareness and has been a valuable tool for our clients to use.

What the App does is it allows users to take pictures of themselves then test out new hairstyles and colours. The pictures, Stuart Holmes runs adorned with our The Stuart Holmes branding, can then Hair and Beauty Spa be uploaded onto in Cheltenham but Facebook and is also a passionate Twitter pages. Users “techie”, embracing can also send the everything from social pictures to their media through to new friends via text or mobile technologies. email.

Last year, he launched As well as this, a bespoke App for the App acts as a the iPhone, which mini-website with attracted more than profiles of all our 220,000 users globally. staff, images from

PAGE 24 SALONFOCUS MAY/JUNE 2011

If you read nothing else, read this….

• Apps can be effective marketing and communication tools for salons • They need to be fun as well as have a serious business element • It’s worth finding a good App developer who you feel you can work with • Consider how you are going to market it, and whether or not you’ll offer it for free our collections and a link directly to our bookings system so people can make appointments. Six months since its launch HairPod now has 220,000 users globally.

GETTING STARTED

Apps need to have an element of fun, while also being useful and driving business. Think about what your clients may be interested in and go from there.

Interactivity is always good.

I did a lot of research to find a good App developer. We spoke to lots of different companies. It’s important you feel you can work well with them and they can deliver what you are looking for.

Technical people can baffle you with jargon and charge a lot of money for the pleasure. Make sure that if you are going to be working remotely with someone that they are on the ball with responses to your communications. We selected a developer in America so never actually met them face-to-face. However their customer service and delivery was fantastic.

GET EXPERT HELP

To develop an App, you will need expert help unless you are a technical genius.

I have a good knowledge of all things technical but not to the level needed for such a thing as App development. It is a relatively new discipline and there are not that many developers out there yet. This means that pricing can vary considerably.

It is a good idea to have a budget in mind in terms of what you would be prepared to pay.

We received quotes ranging from $250 to $50,000. If you want to create the look and feel of a Gucci, Fendi or Coca-Cola App then expect to pay a small fortune. But we found that it really doesn’t need to be that extravagant. There are companies that can produce great Apps for perfectly realistic budgets.

MARKETING YOUR APP

Once you have your App, you need to market it to your clients. We promoted it through a billboard campaign, in-salon promotional literature and through our Facebook and Twitter pages. The App was also made available to download for free through Apple’s App Store.

We decided to make it complimentary as we wanted it to act as an enhancement to our website and salon literature. You can, however, set it up so people have to pay to download your App from the App Store.

COLUMN

THE

BEVERLY C COLUMN

It’s been a hectic but certainly exciting start to the year! It kicked off with a shoot I was asked to do by Goldwell for some imagery to relaunch their Colorance range.

The shoot was inspired by Vogue’s front cover from Spring/ Summer 2010 and I fell in love with the fresh, colourful yet sophisticated composition of the image. To bring my I-Conic collection right up-to-date I incorporated key global trends for 2011 – strong colours with defined texture, simplicity with an expensive feel; aspirational but accessible. The beauty of the collection (featured on the front cover of SalonFocus) is that, although the colours and cuts are technical, they appear to flow seamlessly, much like that of high-couture fashion.

The photography was done by an old friend of mine, the hugely talented Desmond Murray. Des is a fantastic hairdresser and has won many awards in his own right and has always shot his own work. For the past few years he’s been really perfecting the art of photography and has helped to launch the awardwinning careers of several high profile stylists by shooting their collections.

The “dream team” was completed by lovely make-up artist Lauren Mathis and the utterly amazing Bernard Connolly. It was such fun and reminded me how much I love working with a team and creating beautiful images.

I think Goldwell were pleased too! I took my collection on tour – the Colour Regeneration Tour 2011 – with Mark Leeson during April, calling at Manchester, Cardiff and London, and will be hitting Glasgow with Mark on May 12. It should be great fun!

SAINSBURY’S LAUNCH

Hairdressing icon Beverly C has twice won the British Hairdresser of the Year Award and she was the first female hairdresser to be awarded an MBE. She is a brand ambassador for Goldwell and Babyliss, and she is a regular face on TV and in the press.

www.nhf.info

My product line is nearly ready for launch. It’s been a long road and has taken much longer than I expected it to, but that’s partly because of wanting to get it all absolutely “just-so”. The packaging had to be a perfect brand fit, the products themselves had to work brilliantly (and be tested and tested to make they performed consistently) and the fragrances needed to be right.

I’m delighted with the finished range, which is due to launch in Sainsbury’s in the summer. I’m currently working on promotional plans and am so excited! Having my own product line has been a dream

SHOOTING STAR: BEVERLY C AT GOLDWELL SHOOT

for so long. I have to pinch myself that it’s almost a reality.

I’m also currently working with a TV production company on a new programme idea. It’s a sort-of “Salon Nightmares” concept (as in Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares), whereby I go into salon businesses and look at not just the décor, the branding and the levels of hairdressing and service, but also the management structure and business plan to really get under the skin of the salon and to get the foundations right – which then allows the business to grow creatively, too. If all goes ahead – and we’re in final discussions now – my plan is to take a softer and more compassionate line than Gordon, but to be totally honest too.

No point in pussy-footing round all the important issues!

OVERSEAS JUDGING

Away from the UK, I’ve been to two very chilly destinations in the past few months. First, I was in Poland, were I ran a very successful seminar for a big salon group there, and then I was in Russia to help judge the Russian Hairdresser of the Year Awards. It was an amazing event held in the iconic Bolshoi Theatre. Included in the judging panel were none other than Angelo Seminara, Akin Konizi, Phil Smith, Tim Scott Wright and Charlie Taylor, so I was in very esteemed company!

Finally, some of you may remember I was lucky enough to join Nicky Clarke, Mark Leeson and Andrew Collinge to produce the first of the Fellowship for British Hairdressing’s Signature Style Collections. The project was, of course, the brainchild of president Terry Calvert, who tragically died at the start of the year after a very courageous battle with cancer.

He was an amazingly talented hairdresser and session stylist, a successful salon group owner, a great friend, and an inspiration to everyone he met. It was such an honour to work with him for the last time on that day and he’ll never be forgotten.

MAY/JUNE 2011 SALONFOCUS PAGE 25

LAUNDRY

DON’T GET IN A SPIN… Bringing your laundry in-house can be a great way to minimize costs and need not be daunting, writes Les Marshall. and tumble dryers might In any salon, towels, robes seem like an attractive (and and other linens can just cheap) option, it is vital to enseem to accumulate and sure any equipment complies accumulate. Your options with the European Machinfor dealing with this laundry ery Guidelines 2006/42/EG. mountain are limited: trek These came into force at down endlessly to the local the end of 2009 and regulaunderette, send it off-site late the use of machines in to be cleaned or bite the commercial environments. To bullet and invest in an onLes Marshall is this end, it can make sense to site laundry room facility. commercial director invest in a proper commercial These are all viable at Miele. washer-extractor and tumble options, although the first dryer you know is compliant one can be a drag and timeto avoid any danger of being consuming and, for many salons, the mounting costs of outsourcing forced to change it later on.

So, here are some factors to consider your laundry needs are becoming a growwhen fitting out your laundry room: ing concern.

Yet, while replacing old laundry equipment or starting from scratch can MEASURE UP seem like a challenge, in fact installing You need to be sure the product will fit in commercial laundry equipment and hanthe space you have, as well as able to be dling your laundry in-house can lead to got in through the door! significant savings, not just on your time If space is at a premium, a range such but on your energy, electricity and water as our Little Giants could be a soluconsumption too. tion. Here the tumble dryer rests on the The first thing to stress, however, is shoulders of the washer-extractor to form that, while installing domestic washers a washer-dryer stack, with a kit ensuring the tumble dryer is secured to the washer-extractor.

A washer-extractor can also help to keep water usage to a minimum, so reducing water bills and running costs such as detergent. Another good tip is to ensure the engineer who installs your products sets up customised programmes so any staff can take care of the laundry with a simple push of a button.

LEASE OR BUY

The next key question is whether to buy your equipment outright or rent or lease it instead. Most customers who rent equipment do so because they like the convenience of being able to assign a daily cost to running their salon. Other attractions of renting are that you do not “own” any problems it may develop or the cost of maintenance.

Against this, if you can afford the capital outlay, the cost of purchasing outright may well be less than what you will pay overall for a lease or hire agreement.

PAGE 26 SALONFOCUS MAY/JUNE 2011

Modern machines, too, do tend to be pretty reliable so you may well get good service out of it for many years. It’s pretty much a case of swings and roundabouts.

SERVICE CONTRACTS

If you do decide to purchase outright, you’ll need to consider whether to take out a service contract. Even if you know a few local contractors, in a busy salon, can you afford downtime with your laundry equipment?

At Miele, for example, we offer a threeyear “total protection plan” covering all parts and labour, inspections and repairs, carried out by authorized and specially trained engineers or service dealers.

Similarly, it’s worth checking if the manufacturer offers a spare parts guarantee. Again, we guarantee to provide spare parts for a period of at least 15 years from the discontinuation of series production of any given model. So that might be a good yardstick to go on.

Finally, bringing your laundry on-site may not only save you money, it can give you greater control over when your linen is available.

The flexible cycles and fast dryingtimes offered by the majority of modern machines mean you can adjust your turnaround times and customise the cycles to meet the particular laundry needs facing your salon.

If you read nothing else, read this….

• Make sure products fit the space, and can get through standard doorways • Check how much the equipment will cost to run and how much water it will use • Weigh up carefully the financial pros and cons of renting versus buying and, similarly, a service contract versus using a local engineer • Talk to colleagues and other salon owners to see which laundry products they use and if they have had any problems

www.nhf.info

MAR/APR 2011 SALONFOCUS PAGE 27

TRAINING

THE SCHOOL OF

LIFE

You spend time, money and effort ensuring staff become valued members of your team – and then they leave. The key is to remember training and mentoring should not stop when the apprenticeship finishes, argues Ian Cuthbert.

At Paterson SA our philosophy is simple: “every decision is client focused, yet team led”. This shows, right from the beginning, the importance for us of team retention and the careful management of our people. Of course, no salon is going to be the same and all salons will experience turnover of staff but, for us, it comes down to four key areas: recruitment, teaching real-life skills, onward training and constant refocusing on service.

Recruitment

We believe the notion of team retention has to be embedded right from the start of someone’s career, in fact even before the interview and selection process. We look for people who we feel will have the right “fit” as well as the right skills or potential, so people who are passionate, committed, have good dexterity and confident interpersonal skills.

We assess the extent to which candidates listen and learn (through a practical blow-dry session, which is evaluated and scored), how proactive and self-motivated they are but also how reactive they are, in terms of understanding something before acting.

All these can become crucial as their career progresses, and can give us an idea of how someone is motivated and what will motivate them in the future.

INSPIRING: EVENING EVENTS CAN MOTIVATE TEAM

PAGE 28 SALONFOCUS MAY/JUNE 2011

Teaching real-life skills

The key here is our PSA Academy. We have a commitment to educate all our assistants to NVQ Level 3 in hairdressing as well as in photographic work. But they also complete our own in-depth and intensive PSA education programme as part of their two-year apprenticeship.

Each new team member has an individual training plan and is assigned a mentor. We use a system called “representational analysis” to determine whether they learn primarily through auditory means (in other words through words and explanations, lists and questioning), visual (learning through watching, copying and demonstration), auditory digital (learning through systems, order and control and structure) or kinaesthetic (or learning through internal emotions and connections, feelings and empathy).

Throughout the programme we also run regular service training sessions based around the psychology of the client, body language and communication skills.

Onward training

Having completed their initial two years, the next priority is to ensure we keep people engaged, motivated and mentored throughout their career, which is where our onward training kicks in.

Both the stylist and their manager are required to monitor clearly set goals. Monthly “one2ones” are set aside for discussions on setting goals and objectives. Each stylist makes a “goal chart” which includes a visual representation of their goals and with positive affirmations supporting them.

These we find very useful in providing a daily reminder not only of why they do what they do and what they are striving to achieve but also as a management tool that helps connect team-members to

Ian Cuthbert is development director of Paterson SA, which runs salons in Edinburgh and Dalkeith. He has worked at PSA for 14 years, looking after front-of-house training, hairdressing team development and salon coordination.

their future within the business.

Another important element is our schedule of “evenings of inspiration” that run throughout the year under the title “an audience with….”. These, as the name suggests, are designed to inspire the team, with the team suggesting the topics for the 45-minute seminar.

Although attendance is not compulsory, the numbers are always high.

Recent evenings have included avant garde workshops, barbering seminars, art team presentations, goal setting and public speaking. Future topics for this year include dressing hair seminars, photographic seminars and a physiotherapist delivering tips on posture and caring for back and shoulders.

Refocusing on service

The final strands are our PSA “Service School” and “Friday morning” meetings.

These have one very simple objective – constantly to re-evaluate our clients’ insalon experience.

The Friday morning meetings, which are run once a month, have been a part of the PSA culture for the past 25 years. They are, very simply, time set aside to review the previous month’s performance and to focus on client service going forward.

The Service School has been running for five years now and involves all team members spending a whole day out of salon for activities and training, all focusing on the whole client experience.

HOW TO STOP GOOD STAFF LEAVING WHAT WORKED

FOR ME

My first memories of PSA were as a child walking past the salon and dreaming of working there.

Right from the very beginning of my career it’s never stopped being fun and exciting, as well as focused and educational.

The ongoing Layla McArthur has been support I had as a working at Paterson young stylist was very SA since the age of 15, important. Feeling rising from assistant to part of the various stylist to PSA “Stylist of focus meetings, being the Year” and finally to offered the chance to salon manager in the go on external training company’s Lothian Road courses such as “Zest salon. She is also part of for Life” and having the PSA art team and has the opportunity to do had collections published advanced training all worldwide. made a huge difference.

Initiatives such as the Service School I always found very useful, in that they help to refresh your mind and gave you the skills both to learn and to lead by example.

The “audience with…” evenings can be very inspiring and motivational, both for the team and me. They allow team members to demonstrate their passions.

Now that I have become a manager, having access to the PSA Academy has been essential. It’s so important to have a training standard for your next generation of stylists and a structured, motivated training plan that you and they can follow.

www.nhf.info

• Recruitment. Be clear from the start what type of person you need for your company. Just as a cricket team isn’t made up of eleven bowlers, so your salon will need different types of people to make it work. Consider how candidates will fit with existing members. And don’t discount the value of hiring very ambitious people – they may not stay as long as others but what they bring can be invaluable.

• Induction. Induction is a vital but often missed part of starting a new job.

This is your opportunity to spell out exactly what is expected of your new employee. It is also the employee’s time to get to know people, to understand and “buy into” the culture and ethos of your salon.

Simon Shaw is cofounder of salon group Haringtons. He runs Simon Shaw Education and is the driving force behind the Fellowship for British Hairdressing’s Clubstar programme for younger industry members.

• Training. It is vital to recognise training is not just for trainees, it must include the whole team. Everyone should have a training plan (and are less likely to leave if they do) as well as access to regular appraisal and assessment. Within this, it is imperative to have a vision for your salon and share it with your team. Let them know they are valued.

• Career development. Perhaps the most vulnerable time for staff leaving is after they have finished their training and have been productive for a year or so. They often get the sense of “is this it?” This is where communicating with and knowing your team pays huge dividends. Most team members will want the opportunity to further their career – and this can be something smaller salons especially find hard to handle. One thing that can help here is manufacturers and trade associations. For example, the Fellowship for British Hairdressing has a section for people aged between 16-25 that offers subsidised training days and events, access to competitions and the chance to see big-name hairdressers for up-close training. Similarly, L’Oreal runs a two-year programme called ID artist offering training in cutting, session styling and presentation skills, with entry by audition.

MAY/JUNE 2011 SALONFOCUS PAGE 29

ADVICE

PRODUCT

KNOWLEDGE You may think manufacturers are just there to sell you things. But they can help in many more ways to add value to your business, says Raoul Perfitt.

Salon owners often assume manufacturers are just there to sell them product. We do, of course. But manufacturers can also offer salon owners a lot more than just a “hard sell” or pitching up with the next delivery.

Manufacturers can give salons access to a whole range of “extras”, including education and information, advice on legal issues, trend tips and images and even press releases to promote your salon.

It stands to reason, first, if you have a question about the colour range you are using, come and speak to your manufacturer. After all, they make the product, they know what goes into it and how it works.

At Herb UK, for example, we offer our salons support on issues such as skin testing and ingredients to the best way to use products for a certain style. We have an in-house advisor who can answer queries that come in via phone and e-mail as well as a team of educators who are constantly on the road.

CELEBRITY TRAINING

Education is another crucial area if salons are to work with products confidently and accurately. Most product companies can give support with training, usually either at your salon or at an academy or even at another salon. For example, if you admire the work of another hairdresser at your product company, they might be able to arrange for you to go to their salon or them to come to you.

We’ve offered education with Karine Jackson, and as a former London Hairdresser of the Year other salon

PAGE 30 SALONFOCUS MAY/JUNE 2011

Raoul Perfitt is managing director of organic hair treatments and systems manufacturer Herb UK. owners have been interested in getting guidance and education on how to recreate techniques and colours in her collections. We also offer a training DVD, which includes grey coverage, reds, blondes and a few fun looks. The technical consultant for this was Nikki White, owner of Ragamuffins salon in Devon, who has used our Organic Colour Systems and Organic Care Systems brands since they were first launched.

On top of this, we’ve recently opened a studio at our head office where we run courses on everything from colour techniques to head massage.

ADVERTISING SUPPORT

Another service we have that is quite popular is checking adverts, press releases and websites run by our salons.

We believe in an open and honest policy about our products and encourage our salons to have the same, so we are quite happy to check artwork and copy to ensure it is correct and there is nothing misleading in what is being said.

Manufacturers’ social networking sites, such as on Facebook, can also be great for accessing latest information and picking up some tips on the latest trends.

It’s not just manufacturers who can offer “extras”…

Wholesalers are another great potential source for advice and training for salons. Oliver Fincher, managing director of Aston & Fincher explains some ways it adds value to the salon relationship.

• Salon design consultancy “We can draw up plans portraying a variety of workable layouts in your salon. We believe it’s important to create a floor-plan for your salon before you order your furniture, ensuring practicality is at the forefront.

Even if you have a clear idea of how you want your salon to look, it’s worth seeking professional advice from our salon designers to check the feasibility of your vision.”

• Training “Wholesale academies offer a variation of courses to help grow and maintain your business, from independent nonbranded courses which can be applied to any salon environment to branded training where delegates can get a taste of a new brand with no commitment and even business courses run by successful salon owners.”

• Local-level understanding “We understand each region is different. For example, Goldwell is successful in the Plymouth area while Schwarzkopf has a strong brand presence in Liverpool, and the knowledge of our individual store managers reflects this.”

• Try before you buy “Like a number of wholesalers, our stores are introducing electrical trial bars and developing ‘experience’ concepts. This not only makes your shopping experience more enjoyable but also gives you a chance to see and try products before you buy them.”

NIKKI WHITE: TRAINING DVD

BEAUTY

SUNBED SATISFACTION Salons need to make sure they are up to speed on new rules on sunbed use that came into force last month, writes Gary Lipman.

Hairdressing and tanning have a proven track record of working together successfully. Both have a customer base where people are focused on looking and feeling great, meaning there is great potential for synergy between the two.

But, whether you already have a tanning offer in place or are thinking of introducing one as a secondary revenue stream, it is important to be completely up-to-speed with the (quite rightly) strict regulatory and compliance climate for sunbed use in this country.

TALK UP FAKE TANNING

NEW LEGISLATION

In April, for example, the Sunbeds (Regulation) Act came into force in England and Wales (legislation was already in place in Scotland).

What this means is that it will be illegal to allow anyone under the age of 18 to use a sunbed. It also requires salons to display information about the health risks associated with the use of sunbeds, to ensure salon staff are properly trained and to make available appropriate protective eyewear – all things any reputable salon will be doing already.

This is, of course, a change in the law the NHF long campaigned for, including three years ago making it policy that Federation members should not let under-18s use sunbeds.

Another thing to look out for is the UV output level of your sunbed. In the association’s view, the new act missed an opportunity by failing to harmonise UK UV output regulations with that of other European countries.

Nevertheless, regulations have been in place since Gary Lipman is 2008 to enforce an chairman of The output standard of Sunbed Association 0.3W/m2. Therefore and managing director of solarium and sunbed any suppliers or operators of UV company Ergoline UK

PAGE 32 SALONFOCUS MAY/JUNE 2011

HOT TICKET: SUNBEDS WORK WELL IN SALONS

tanning equipment exceeding 0.3 W/ m2 are potentially putting themselves at risk of non-compliance with recognised safety measures, not to mention putting consumers at risk by providing equipment deemed unsafe.

In practice most sunbeds will already be compliant but, especially if you are buying a second-hand sunbed, it definitely pays to double check.

SUPPLIER ADVICE

Other things you should consider include space, ventilation, location and budget.

All reputable suppliers should be able to provide a costed business forecast and, importantly, advise of the appropriate equipment to suit your business. So do not be afraid to ask.

Finally, perhaps the biggest challenge facing any sunbed operator is the lack of consumer understanding regarding their responsible use. Sunbeds can be used by most people but, as we have seen, there are exceptions – under-18s, people with skin type 1s (sensitive, fair skin) and people with certain medical conditions.

Therefore, properly trained staff are crucial to the success of any tanning operation. Confident staff able to provide customers with the service and advice required will repay the investment made in training time and time again.

When it comes to promoting our fake tanning service, we actively encourage our beautician to mingle with our hairdressing customers and spend time on the salon floor, writes Carl Mitchell Offering complimentary nail paint, for example, can often help start a conversation about what other treatments she offers.

It’s also important the hair team are seen to be talking up the treatments, maybe having some themselves so they can talk with authority. With fake tanning, this works really well with newly blonde highlights or when customers are going on holiday or recently returned and their tan is fading. Knowing what your customers are doing leads to a natural “soft sell” of treatments. Also, if stylists are looking bronzed and healthy it’s a conversation starter and can then create appointments that way too.

The key is getting that balance of promoting treatments such as tanning to your current client base but also encouraging new customers into the salon. We, for example, have recently linked with deals website Groupon to offer a special beauty package, which has proved popular. We also organised a 30 per cent discount on specific beauty treatments plus a goody bag with samples and a £10 voucher.

Carl Mitchell is director of Bonce Hair & Beauty salons in Walsall and Wednesbury in the West Midlands

NHF EVENTS OTHERS

EVENTS

Please send your events to the NHF at enquiries@nhf.info

by May 10 to appear in July/August, July 8 to appear in September/October and September 9 to appear in November/ December. Updated events listed on www.nhf.info

NOT TO BE MISSED...

8

MAY Central Region Hairdressing Academy Awards Holiday Inn, Coventry Contact: 0121 378 3321

9

MAY Central Region Hairdressing Academy Awards Holiday Inn, Coventry Contact: 0121 378 3321

14

MAY Yorkshire Region President’s Dinner Dance Dubrovnik Hotel, Bradford Contact Phill Cooling on 07818 306305

22

MAY En-Vogue Hair & Fashion Show Charity Fundraiser, by UK Style Hair Academy, in aid of Cancer Research Brook Theatre, Chatham, Kent Contact Just Soe Salon on 01634 302367 or Brook Theatre on 01634 338338

5

JUNE South West Region Championships Winter Gardens, WestonSuper-Mare, Somerset Contact Pat or Doug Cording on 01386 561704

www.nhf.info

6

JUNE East Midlands Region presents Lee Stafford Derby University, Somerset Contact Ivan Blount on 01773 745580 or 01234 831965 or 0845 345 6500

12

JUNE British Open Championships Cardiff Contact NHF head office on 01234 831965 or 0845 345 6500

27

JUNE North East Networking Group AGM Ramside, Durham Contact Avril Walker on 01642 597197 or 01642 591466

2/3

OCT Annual General Meeting and Conference Marriott Hotel, Metro Centre, Gateshead Newcastle Contact NHF head office on 01234 831965 or 0845 345 6500

24

OCT NHF Inspire showcase their Rush Collection Festival Hall, Kirkby-in-Ashfield Nottinghamshire Contact Ivan Blount on 01773 745580

14

NOV Cheshire Championships Romiley Forum Theatre, Stockport Contact Ian Barrell on 0161 4276953

20

NOV South of England Championships Novotel, Southampton Contact John Light on 01794 521849

MAY/JUNE 2011 SALONFOCUS PAGE 33

BACKWASH

RED ALL ABOUT IT A study published in the British Journal of Dermatology has discovered that modest amounts of tomato paste consumed daily protect the skin.

This is great news for anyone who can’t wait to get back out into the sun after this year’s harsh winter, as well as, of course, all of those who enjoy year-round “topping up” at their local salon-based tanning service.

The protection is delivered through the presence of lycopene, the antioxidant that gives tomatoes their ruddy complexion.

Backwash is at pains to point out, however, that it is meant for consumption only… spreading tomato paste over one’s body is shoddy beach etiquette and if sharks mistake it for blood, you could end up, well, salad.

GREY NOTES Backwash has often marvelled at Labour brothers-in-arms Ed and David Miliband’s identical white streak at the front of their hair.

It looks distinguished on men so young and is in stark contrast with the rest of their dark mane.

But, according to the Institute of Trichologists, the “Mallen Streak” is the product of Poliosis, caused by a decrease or absence of melanin in hair.

David has departed the Commons since losing the Labour leadership to his younger brother but rumours have it that Tory opponents have been heard to reprise in earshot of his younger brother Sing, if you’re glad to be grey, sing if you’re happy that way, playing on that great Tom Robinson Band anthem.

Of course, two can play at that and, what with the pain of austerity cuts and tax rises, the joke might well be on them at the next election, however.

For Ed, another mischievous Westminster rumour has it, is looking forward to singing to prime minister David Cameron another classic – that delightful Bay City Rollers ditty: Bye Bye Davy, Davy goodbye.

PAGE 34 SALONFOCUS MAY/JUNE 2011

A TAILORED LOOK The wonderful thing about the hairdressing sector is that it is so entrepreneurial, innovative and inspiring.

No more so than Equus salon, in London’s Brompton Road, which is renowned for its excellence among the capital’s society ladies and VIPs. The salon has recently undergone a redesign of its two floors and one of the services it is now offering is an in-

BIT OF A MOUTHFUL? The Saks chain knows its onions or, should we say, clients when it comes to promotions.

Earlier in the year, Saks Hair and Beauty in Milton Keynes introduced a three-for-two promotion on all its services, no doubt to ease the pain of the VAT hike.

Backwash congratulates the salon on a great variation of the supermarket buy-one-get-one-forfree promotion, fondly known to shoppers as a “BOGOFF”.

But, however hard one tries, we do wonder whether “BTGTFF” (buy three get two for free) is ever going to roll off the tongue in the same way!

SHARP CUTTER Peter Bowler, of Bowlers Hair & Beauty in Plymouth, is a sharp cookie when it comes to running a business.

Which is why his Devonshire salon, which has been in NHF membership for 64 years, has invested heavily in a scissor sharpening machine, imported from the US with, he says, fantastic results.

Peter complains he has never been completely happy with scissors he has sent off for sharpening because he likes to keep his to a high standard.

And now that he is nearing retirement age, the new machine comes with an added benefit: “At least I can sit down,” he says.

house tailoring service from Shakeel Rabbaney.

Backwash wonders if this could this be the first instance of a “shampoo and suit” under one roof.

If you have stories for Backwash, send them to the editor at head office or e-mail to sfeditor@ salonfocus.co.uk putting Editor Backwash in the subject line.

CUT AND FINNISH

Trevor Sorbie is one of the hairdressing fraternity’s gurus and for good reason – he’s got top-notch skills.

His art team did him credit recently when they staged a presentation at the flagship Covent Garden salon in London’s West End, led by Tiziana Di Marcelli and artistic director Johanna Cree Brown for four Finnish beauty editors.

Asked about the looks the team presented Johanna replied: “We presented finished looks.”

Backwash is not sure whether this was an extremely subtle compliment to their guests or simply a case of something getting lost in translation!