GROWING THE EMPIRE

Who’s involved?

INANCH London has been a salon to the stars for 18 years, with husband-and-wife team Inanch and Joe Emir at the helm. Since welcoming their daughters into the fold, they’ve expanded their boutique central London salon –renowned for hair extensions – so that it now also offers beauty and skincare services.

Why it works

‘When I first set up the salon, Joe joined me from his marketing background at Warner Bros Cinemas to help, and we were together 24/7 – we got a bit sick of each other,’ admits Inanch. ‘But once we got a receptionist, he was out and about meeting suppliers and driving footfall. My girls are in the basement and I’m on the ground floor, so we each have our own area.’

Eldest daughter Demet, 23, joined two years ago as a beauty therapist offering facial treatments and eyelash and eyebrow services. Younger sister Lema, 20, works parttime as a skincare specialist, offering non-surgical skin treatments.

Lessons To Pass On

Overcoming challenges

Knowing she can leave the business in safe hands gives Inanch peace of mind – but she realises it might not be so easy for her daughters. ‘They feel they have to prove

● ‘If you love your job and employ people you get on with (family or otherwise), you’ll create a peaceful and friendly environment for clients.‘

● ‘We deal with clients one-on-one, so if you disagree with another staff member – whether that’s your daughter, sister or another colleague – have that discussion in the staffroom. That’s how we create a calm atmosphere.‘

The Technical Bit

Some rules to follow when hiring family members, as per gov.uk:

● Avoid special treatment in terms of pay, promotion and working conditions

● Ensure tax and National Insurance contributions are still paid

● Follow working-time regulations for younger family members

● Have employer’s liability insurance that covers any young family members themselves more,’ she says.

● Check if you need to provide them with a workplace pension scheme.

‘And not because my staff think that – most of them watched my girls grow up – but because they feel others will say they got a free pass.

‘The girls always said they didn’t want anything to do with my industry, but if you see your parents working their butts off and they’re happy, you soon see the appeal.’

Resources

● Five ways to work well with family members: bit.ly/small-business-5-ways

● Contract types and employer responsibilities: bit.ly/GOV-contracts-responsibilities

● NHBF contract of employment: nhbf.co.uk/contract-of-employment