TH E ES SENTIAL S ENTIAL MAGA ZI N E FO R SALO N OWN ERS
From client to claimant
SPRING 2020
Don’t let slip-ups at work bruise your business
P23: BULLYING Make sure your policies are clear for tackling toxic behaviour
01 Cover_Spring 2020_Salon Focus 1
P28: WEBSITE DESIGN Ready for a spring clean? Don’t forget your online windows
P31: SUSTAINABILITY Creating an eco-friendly business, one step at a time
P34: EXTENSIONS Could extensions prove a profitable addition to your salon services?
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S PRI N G 2020
contents
THE CUT 5
44
Hello and welcome President Ian Egerton highlights the latest changes in the industry and looks forward to awards season
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The 11 things you need to know this issue
23
From ditching gossip magazines in salons to tackling knife crime and L’Oréal’s new degree
23 Bullying
THE BUSINESS
COV STORER Y
Could ould salon owners do more to tackle harassment and c behaviour? toxic
18 Compensation Although you might hope an aggrieved client never sues, here’s what to do if you find yourself facing legal action
26 Salon interiors Finalists of last year’s NHBF Best Salon Design Award share their renovation success stories
THE IN INSPIRATION 40 Mood board Is it Instagrammable? Scratch magazine readers show off their nail creations
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42 What’s trending New products and the latest market trends
28 Website design
31
Spring cleaning should include the digital side of your business too
31 Sustainability Climate change is a hot topic, but how easy is it for salons to become eco-friendly?
34 Extensions As popular as ever, hair extensions could be a lucrative addition to your business. Three experts suggest what to consider
44 How to... Create PR for your salon
THE NHBF 46 Round-up Key news and messages
47 Events The finalists of the Step Up & SHINE Scholarship, and three other awards to enter
THE END
36 Staff differences Not everyone gets on so it’s crucial salon owners know how to manage differences
50 24 hours with... British Hairdresser of the Year 2019, Robert Eaton
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S P O N S O R E D F E AT U R E
It’s time to stop spending money on your salon software
A top-rated t t db beauty t platform l tf is 100% subscription free alon software is a game-changing investment for your business – when you pick the right one. Fresha was rated as 2018’s best salon software by Capterra, a Gartner Inc. company. The platform came out on top in all three rating categories for salon software; most popular, most affordable and most user-friendly. Fresha streamlines business operations for salons and spas with intuitive, fully featured, subscription-free software. The platform takes the hassle out of running a business by managing appointment bookings, point-of-sale, customer records, human resources, inventory, and financial reporting. Fresha also has no trial period and no limits on usage. Taking the world by storm, Fresha is
S
acquiring a vast user base of salons and spas in more than 120 countries, primarily in the US, UK, Australia, Canada and New Zealand. In 2018, the company launched an all-new online booking system, Fresha.com, for clients to easily book and manage their own appointments. The system offers mobile apps for clients and real-time booking integrations to Instagram, Facebook and Google. Fresha.com also comes with integrated card payment processing to protect against no-shows and late cancellations. ‘Over 80% of our appointments are booked online directly by clients. We run our whole business on the Fresha platform for salons. The system is very easy to use, our team and clients love it!’ says Leith Matthews, owner of Akin Barber & Shop.
A growing number of consumers expect to be able to book services online and this trend will continue to increase as younger, tech-savvy clients take over the market. Some 40% of online bookings are made outside of normal business hours. This relieves pressure on salon staff having to push pre-booking, or answer as many calls from clients asking to book. Fresha CEO and co-founder William Zeqiri says: ‘At Fresha we’re incorporating intelligent features for our online booking system to help salons grow revenues. For example, smartly displaying price and availability options, based on the client’s purchase history and the salon’s projected schedule. Our system analyses client preferences and the business’s activity, providing an unbeatable booking experience. This frees up salon staff to do what they do best and spend more face time with clients.’ William Zeqiri Founder, CEO | Fresha.com
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HELLO A ND W ELCOME T HE CU T
NHBF PRESIDENT The magazine of the National Hair & Beauty Federation
IAN EGERTON
THE NHBF One Abbey Court Fraser Road Priory Business Park Bedford MK44 3WH 01234 831965 nhbf.co.uk sfenquiries@salonfocus.co.uk
SEEMINGLY SMALL CHANGES LIKE THESE WILL MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE TO UK WORKERS
"
CHIEF EXECUTIVE Hilary Hall
DIRECTOR OF MARKETING Victoria Priestley tori.priestley@nhbf.co.uk 01234 834386
s the season changes and spring arrives so do a few important changes for our industry. The government is upping the National Living Wage (NLW) and National Minimum Wage (NMW) rates from April. The NMW for 21- to 24-yearolds will rise to £8.20, while for over 25s the NLW will be £8.72. And a move we very much welcome at the NHBF is the introduction of Jack’s Law, which entitles parents who lose a child to two weeks’ paid bereavement leave, irrespective of how long they have worked for their employer. Seemingly small changes like these will make a big difference to UK workers. Meanwhile, in line with our name change to NHBF, we’ve given our website a refresh. The update includes a new blog, which makes it easier for you to access the latest tips to boost your business and keep up to date, and a tool to download your NHBF membership card online rather than having to wait for a paper one in the post. Check it out when you have a spare moment! One thing that hasn’t changed is our commitment to covering the important issues in salonfocus – and this issue is
A
EDITORIAL Editor Emma Godfrey emma@salonfocusmagazine.co.uk 020 7324 2751 Content sub-editor James Hundleby james@salonfocusmagazine.co.uk Assistant editor Hollie Ewers hollie@salonfocusmagazine.co.uk
DESIGN Lead designer Carrie Bremner Picture researcher Charlie Hedges
ADVERTISING advertising@salonfocusmagazine.co.uk 020 7880 6230
PRODUCTION Production director Jane Easterman Account director Will Hurrell will.hurrell@redactive.co.uk 020 7880 6248
PRINTER Manson Group, St Albans
COVER Getty © The NHBF 2020 All views expressed in salonfocus are not necessarily those of the the NHBF. All efforts have been taken to ensure the accuracy of the information published in salonfocus. However, the publisher accepts no responsibility for any inaccuracies or errors and omissions in the information produced in this publication. No information contained in this publication may be used or reproduced without the prior permission of the NHBF. Recycle your magazine’s plastic wrap. Check your local LDPE facilities to find out how.
no exception. To mark our Colour Check campaign, which launched in February to highlight the importance of allergy testing in salons, our cover story looks at the rise of public liability claims and what you can do to protect your clients, your team and your business. Since forewarned is very much forearmed when it comes to avoiding such claims against your salon, I’d highly recommend giving this a read (page 18). On a lighter note, we look to another awards season with excitement as it means celebrating the most dedicated, talented teams and individuals the hair and beauty industry has to offer. But, as ever, judging panels need your help to discover you! If you’re considering entering one of our awards events this year, be smart with your entry, keeping in mind which category would best suit your business, and keep it concise. Take a look back at our summer 2019 issue (page 44) for more tips and good luck – this could be your year!
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TH E CU T TAKIN G A STA N D
THECUT CUT
The 11 things you need to know this issue...
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TA K ING A STAN D T HE CU T
NEGATIVITY AND SHAMING IS SOMETHING WE DO NOT WANT TO PROMOTE IN THE SALON
SALONS DITCH ‘NEGATIVE’ GOSSIP MAGS
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KAREN THOMSON, OWNER AND DIRECTOR OF KAM HAIR AND BODY SPA
Hair and beauty salons across the UK are boycotting gossip magazines after the death of TV presenter Caroline Flack.
WHAT’S THE REASON? A growing number of salon owners have joined the movement after the former Love Island host – who was the subject of much tabloid scrutiny and suffered online trolling – took her own life in February. Many took to social media to announce their decision. WHAT THEY SAY: Karen Thomson, owner and director of KAM Hair and Body Spa in Scotland, said: ‘Negativity and shaming is something we do not want to promote in the salon. We want good, positive vibes only, and therefore we only want to supply magazines that are positive and inspirational.’
Haylee Benton, founder of three hair and beauty salons in Berkhamsted, said: ‘Instead of promoting magazines that can ridicule and have negative gossip about people, we want to enhance lives and will now only be providing wellness, fashion and lifestyle publications.’ Perfectly Posh Hair Design in Hungerford has abstained from buying gossip magazines ‘for a number of years’. Owner Krysia West said: ‘In light of recent events it’s encouraging to see other salons removing this ilk of magazine from their space too – it’s about time.’
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TELL US: Have you boycotted gossip magazines? Is it a recent decision? What do you offer instead? Let us know at marketing@nhbf.co.uk or @nhbfsocial
IMAGES: SHUTTERSTOCK / ALAMY
Alarming news? The sounds you wake up to could be affecting how groggy and clumsy you are in the morning, according to new research. A study by Australia’s RMIT University suggests melodic alarms could improve alertness levels, with harsh alarm tones linked to increased levels of morning grogginess. ss. ✘ Don’t listen to: A ‘beep beep beep’ sound ✔ Do listen to: Good Vibrations by the Beach Boys or Close To Me by The Cure
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HAIRDRESSING
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Paying itt fo forward rward Norwich-based salon n owner Shelley Line has found a way to combine great hairdressing with giving back.
BUSINESS
REAL SMART
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L’Oréal has launched its own bachelor’s degree combining hairdressing and entrepreneurship. What? Real Campus enables students to develop their technical hairdressing skills alongside management, customer care and digital training. Why? The programme represents L’Oréal’s ‘ongoing commitment to support the positive development and growth of the hairdressing industry and offer customers an enhanced experience’, said Béatrice Dautzenberg,
managing director of the brand’s UK and Ireland professional products division. Where? The new school is being piloted in Paris with a view to ‘exploring future opportunities for the UK and Ireland’, Béatrice added. Who? The pilot class has 20 students, but eventually it’s thought Real Campus will see 150 per year. They’ll spend the first three months of the year at the school, followed by nine at a salon.
Hair Care Share, which opened in December, offers clients the option to pay a little extra for their service to help a homeless or low-income client get their hair done free of charge.
Find out more at bit.ly/LOreal-degree
BEAUTY
Crackdown on advertising botox The rules on advertising botox injections have been tightened by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA). Non-compliant adverts, including those posted on social media, are now subject to enforcement notices when detected by the ASA’s monitoring technology.
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The ban on advertising does not apply to dermal fillers since these are not prescription-only medicines.
ADVICE FOR ADS: Remove any direct reference to botox or other botulinum toxins Don’t use alternatives such as ‘wrinkle-relaxing’ or ‘antiwrinkle’ injections Don’t refer to treating medical conditions, such as hyperhidrosis, in a way that suggests you are promoting botox or other brands. For more information, see nhbf.co.uk/botox-news
Shelley said her biggest considerations and challenges in setting up the salon were: Registering as a community interest company (CIC) rather than a limited company, meaning all profits from the business are invested back into the community. ‘It takes a special type of person, which makes for a brilliant team,’ she said. Making sure the location was right: a place ‘where both beneficiaries and benefactors are happy to visit’, that had ‘the right vibe’ plus good transport links and parking. Getting the public engaged with the salon’s ideology and explaining the concept of helping others through their regular hair service. It meant ‘being extremely transparent’ and spreading the message through ‘lots of media coverage’. The greatest rewards, Shelley added, are ‘the act of giving’ and ‘the reaction when people have their new haircut’. Search @haircareshare on Facebook for more.
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Call now new 2019 brochure New models new finishes Expert salon design
www.albertewandesign.com T.016 70 73 89 79 studio@albertewandesign.com
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SKI L LS T HE CU T
n 1999, beauty therapists were allowed to enter WorldSkills – the international competition to find the cream of the crop in just about every trade. Jenna Bailey was that competitor for the UK. Since then, she has trained all the beauty therapy contenders that have followed her; three of whom have won gold medals. ‘WorldSkills was always something that I did alongside my day job,’ she explains. And after working her way up from therapist to salon manager by the age of 21, Jenna’s ambition took her into teaching. Again, she rose through the ranks from lecturer to head of department. Success is clearly part of Jenna’s philosophy.
I
BEAUTY
As the first beauty therapist to represent the UK at WorldSkills, Jenna Bailey has gone on to coach three gold medallists. We ask her what it takes to be at the top of your game.
STRIVING FOR BETTER
More than skills How does the former WorldSkills UK international training manager identify talent? ‘Technical skills are probably about 50% of what you’re looking for,’ says Jenna. ‘What you’re looking for is 50% personal attributes: committed, motivated – even things like being punctual and polite. ‘You can train somebody to perform a massage but they’ve got to be a beauty therapist – have that client care, the attention, the warm personality. Even
smiling makes a massive difference when you’re being judged against 20-plus competitors from around the world.’
Changing perceptions The fact that the beauty industry can be portrayed as unskilled is frustrating to Jenna, who is on the board for the new T-level qualifications that will classify beauty therapy as a technical rather than vocational skill. ‘When I’m assessing other countries in beauty therapy and I look at everything those competitors are doing, it’s an extremely skilled industry,’ she says. ‘A lot of the time they’re running their own salons, so they have to have business acumen, they need communication skills, and beauty therapy is so vast, you need to be good at everything. It’s a real shame that there is this poor perception of what we do.’ Jenna’s proudest moment? Not her MBE, perhaps surprisingly, but seeing her mentees when they return from a competition. ‘When they walk in they’re like a rabbit in headlights; by the time they come back they’ve blossomed into professional, highly skilled people,’ she says. ‘That’s what you can do with beauty therapy.’
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PUSH YOURSELF Whether a worldwide competition or an industrywide award, here are Jenna’s reasons to put yourself – or your salon – forward. The feedback ‘Whether you win or not, you get feedback. And to get feedback at that level is extremely precious, not only to enter further competitions but to improve your own skills.’ The inspiration ‘It’s an amazing opportunity to network, to meet people and to see what the best of the best are doing.’ The boost to business ‘The best salons where I live are plastered with award wins. It’s really good for promoting yourself.’ The credentials ‘There are so many salons opening up, but not all of them have completed the right courses, or they’re not qualified. So if you’re winning awards it shows that you’re professional.’
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GEN-Z SHOPPERS BUCK ONLINE TREND Generation Z consumers (aged 25 and under) favour good oldfashioned in-store shopping for health and beauty products, data from The Pull Agency suggests.
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Sharp and short Wages, leave and licenses – what you need to know
1
2
After calling it to a halt in 2018, the government will again start to ‘name and shame’ businesses that fail to pay their workers the correct NLW or NMW rates. From April, the identities of those who owe £500 or more will be published. Those who owe less will not be named but will still have to pay what they owe and possibly face fines.
Pantone’s P colour our of the y year for 2020 is Classic B Blue – a shade reminiscent o the sky at dusk of a apparently. Expect to s hues of blue ue trending g see o everything. on
Picking up pace in popularity, cannabidiol (CBD) skincare iss h expected to grow further, with or forecasts that it could accountt fo for y 10% of global skincare sales by e 42 2. 2024. See more stats on page 42.
The animated short film Hair Love won an Oscar for its charming story following an African American father learning to do his daughter’s hair for the first time.
Do you adapt your retail approach for different age groups? We’d love to hear about how @nhbfsocial or at marketing@nhbf.co.uk
A third of Gen-Z shoppers research products online but buy them in-store.
From 1 April, the National Living Wage (NLW) and National Minimum Wage (NMW) increased, affecting salon staff across the UK. The NLW (age 25 and over) increased by 51p from £8.21 to £8.72. All the new rates and further details on the changes are available on the NHBF website. See nhbf.co.uk/nmw-2020
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Almost half (48%) buy health and beauty products in a highstreet chemist. Gen-Z is also most likely to visit a specialist store (like Holland & Barrett or The Body Shop) for their products – 10% do so. Over half (52%) said they mainly discover new looks and trends on Instagram, with YouTube the second-largest source of influence. Seven in 10 said they’d prefer to always feel good than always look good. Meanwhile, millennials (aged 25 to 39 are the most likely to both research and buy online.
WHAT’S HOT, WHAT’S NOT
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A chipped black manicure was presented by Bella Hadid on the Khaite runway at New York Fashion Week – nail artist Jin Soon Choi said: ‘It’s realistic.’
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Parents in the UK who lose a child will be entitled to two weeks’ paid bereavement leave from April. The new law applies to parents who lose a child under the age of 18 or who suffer a stillbirth from 24 weeks of pregnancy. All employees share this right, regardless of length of service.
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Beauty salons in Scotland that provide dermal fillers or lip enhancements could soon have to be licensed under plans being considered by the Scottish Government. The proposals would require all non-health professionals to be licensed to carry out invasive cosmetic procedures. A consultation on the views runs until 30 April. Go to bit.ly/cosmetic-consultation
IMAGES: SHUTTERSTOCK / GETTY / ISTOCK
TH E CU T N E W S
Prev Previously the make-up stapl pl it seems mascara is staple, lo no longer a girl’s best friend. Figure from the US show Figures o false eyelashes have sales of soared in recent years, while masca sales have declined. mascara
faci fuzz that Farewell to the facial was Justin Bieber’s moustache.. Finally, Justin relented to fans’ pleas and shaved off his tache. He took to Instagram to reveal his new clean-shaven look.
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TH E CU T BU S IN E S S
10 Standing out HAIRDRESSING / BARBERS / BEAUTY
Moulsham Street in Chelmsford, Essex, hit the headlines recently for being ‘crammed’ with 12 salons – all within a 400-metre stretch of each other. We asked a few how they stand out from the competition.
‘We’re like a community’ Leanne Jenkins, director, Lema Hair & Beauty Believe it or not, on Moulsham Street we’re like a community. A lot of people think we’re in competition with one another but we get on well. To get new clients through the door, we use Facebook and Instagram. We used to have an A-board outside, because we’ve
‘Our work is good’
‘We’re always looking ahead’ Stephen Young, director, Stephen Alexander Hairdressing We have a vast amount of competition in the area so we focus a lot on social media. My team is always uploading their work on Instagram or Facebook. This helps us to keep bringing
in new clients plus keeps our name out there. We look after our customers, obviously with great work but also with birthday pamper treatments, which include one of our hair treatment packages. We also have raffles for customers who buy our products, with exclusive prizes such as theatre tickets plus a meal and hotel. We’re always looking ahead so we can be up competing with the best.
got a nice shop front. But the council put a ban on it, which hit us quite hard with getting walk-in clients. So we’ve put a digital screen in our window. We also do same-day booking, where if you ring in the morning and you want an appointment for that same day you can get 25% off the service. That’s offered to regular clients as well as new ones. It helps to fill up a quiet day as well – we can get quite busy through that.
IMAGE: ALAMY
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Dermot McGivern, owner, Hair Company It’s horses for courses – I know that’s a very Essex saying – but in this street you can have a cut for £85 or you can go down the other end and have a cut for £20. So people are loyal to who they are. Our clientele is usually lawyers, doctors and other professionals. We’ve just started to use social media, but only because we’ve had to. The reason we’re successful as a salon in a street of say, 13, 14 other hairdressers is we have people travel for miles: clients who fly in from France, Spain, London... Our work is good – that’s how we survive.
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K NIF E CR I ME T HE CU T
BARBERS
THE GOOD FIGHT Prevention is the key to tackling knife crime, says Josh Westwood – and it can start in barbershops.
WHO? Josh Westwood, owner of Westwood’s Barbershop and Social. WHERE? Ripon, North Yorkshire. WHAT? I’ve signed up to Barbers Against Blades, a campaign to raise awareness of knife crime and educate people about knives at street level.
WHY? We see it in the news a lot about people in large cities being stabbed. And when you talk to people in the community, especially younger people, you realise that people carry knives in your own town, and they do in most towns. They might not be aggressive, and they might not have any intention of using them but for that age group, it’s sort of ‘the done thing’. Even some older people as well. It’s not like Ripon has had a knife
epidemic and we’re the superheroes trying to stop it: far from it. We just want to try and raise awareness and stem a problem before it arises. We can try and do a little bit to educate people and let kids know it’s not cool to carry a knife.
HOW? Often we’ll start a conversation between the staff, or very subtly with someone in the chair, and just talk about the campaign and say things like: ‘If you’re carrying a knife, you’re more likely to be stabbed and if you get stopped by police and you’re carrying a blade, the chances are you’ll be arrested for carrying an offensive weapon. That’ll go on your criminal record, and that affects everything from your job to your UCAS application.’ It’s trying to say those sorts of things in the shop rather than directly to people. And then it’s up to them.
WHAT ELSE? It’s not a knife amnesty, and it’s not for us to replace the police. But if somebody
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wanted to anonymously hand their knife in because they felt more comfortable than doing it in a police station, that’s fine.
WHY ME? In barbering we’re very different to hairdressing because we’re seeing a higher turnover of people, and it tends to be more of a social thing for men. The reason I put ‘social’ in my shop name is because I wanted to get involved in the community, and I want this community to be involved with the shop. It doesn’t interest me to just come into the shop, cut hair and go home. I was a hotel manager before I went into barbering, so I’m used to working with people and making sure they’re looked after. A big part of that is trying g to work with people and trying to make them enjoy njoy the th experience, but also just connect onne with them a little bit.
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To find out ut more and d get involved, go to barbersagainstblades.co.uk be blades.co.uk des.co and follow #fadetheblade w# lade de
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TTHH E BBUU SSII N E S S C O M P E N S AATT IIOO N
FROM CLIENT Accidents A ccidents h appen, a nd happen, and although you a lthough y ou might hope an m ight h ope a n aggrieved client a ggrieved c lient never n ever ssues, ues, here’s what h ere’s w hat tto o do you nd o iiff y ou fin d d yourself ghting y ourself fig hting action. egal a ction. llegal
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TO CLAIMANT
WORDS WORD S BY GEORGINA GEORGINA WIN WINTERS WINTERSGILL TERSGILL TERS GILL
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COM PENS ATION THE BU SI NESS
A
ccidents cc cid iden en ents nts t h happen, ap ppeen, n and and n in busy salons all salo sa lons lo ns and and d barbershops, bar arbe bersho be bers sorts potential so ort rtss of p oteenti ot enti t all rrisks issk are lurking. lu urk rkin in ng. g Clients Cliien ents tss ccan an n sslip on wet get burnt hairdryers floors, oo ors rs,, g ge et bu burn rn nt by yh to o have or hav ve allergic alle al lerg le rgic rg ic rreactions ic e ct ea ctii eyelash days, ey yelas ellas ash h dy dye. e Th e. Theeese se d a unhappy much unha un h p ha pp py clients c ie cl ient ntss are nt a em ar prepared more mo re p r pa re pare r d to ttake re ak their grievances g gr ieva ie vanc vanc nces ess to to court cour co urtt – and ur and successful ssu ucc ccees essf essf s ul claims lead payouts. ccan ca n lle ead to to hair-raising ha air i -r -rai aisi ai ssiin ng gp ay you outs ts.. Here’s ts H r what He do turns to d to o if a cclient lien li en ent nt tu turn r s into rn in nto a cclaimant. laim la iman im antt
£5500 A CLAIM OF £7800 MIGHT BE £1500 TO THE CLAIMANT, £800 INSURANCE FEES, AND £5500 COSTS TO SOLICITORS
Claims culture Type Ty pe ‘salon ‘sa alo l n compensation comp co m en mp nsa ati t on cclaim’ la aim im’’ in into nto t Google bombarded with ads and an d you’ll yo ou’ u’ll lll be be bo b m arrde mb ded d wi ith ha d ffor ds o no-win, no-fee no o-ffee ee solicitors sol olic icit ic ittor orss encouraging enco en cour co urag agin i g unhappy in u ha un h pp p clients salon owners to o ttake ak ke sa salo lon lo n ow o neerss tto o co ccourt. our urt. urt. t Heidi He eid i i Morton Mo ortton o iiss schemes sche sc heeme m s underwriting un nde d rw wr manager Coversure, NHBF’s preferred mana ma n ge na gerr att C o er ov e su sure re,, th re thee NH N BF’s BF ’s p r insurance broker. She says: ‘We’re insu in sura su ranc ra ncee br nc brok o err. Sh ok he sa says yss: ‘W We’ e’re re cconstantly o bombarded no-win, ads. So people b bo omb o mbar mb mbar a de ded by by n o wi o-wi ow n, win, n no-fee noo fe feee ad a ds. s S feel lot easier bring claim as there’s fe eell iit’s t’ss a lo t’ ot ea asi s er tto o br b rin ing in g a cl lai aim ma upfront no u pfro pf ront ro nt ccost.’ ost. os t’ t. Coversure, the At C over ov errsu ersu ure r , th he number n mb nu m er of of claims clai cl aim ai m brought against and barbershops has agai ag ains ai nstt salons ns salo sa lons lo ns a nd b arbe ar bers be rsho rs hops ho ps h as rremained 2016, but average thee sa th same me ssince ince in ce 2 016, 01 6, b ut tthe he a vera ve rage ra ge amount perr cl claim has Heidi p pe clai aim ai m ha as in iincreased. c ease cr ea aseed. d H eidi ei d ssays: di ays: ay s: ‘‘We’re nding average claims are find din ing g av ver erag agee cl ag clai aims mss ccosts o ts a os ree iincreasing ncre nc re duee to b bad practices d du ad dp ract ra ctic ct ices ic e iin es n some s me ssalons. so alon al ons. on s.. ‘We’ve done analysis ‘We’ ‘W e’ve e’ ve d onee a lo on lott of a naly na lysi ly siss of cclaims si laii la recently, average liability claim rece re cent ce ntly nt ly,, and ly and th thee av aver erag er agee li ag liab abil ab ilit il ity it y cl clai ai has escalated almost £7000, esca es cala ca late la ted te d to a lmos lm ostt £7 os £700 000, 00 0, and and d looks loo ooks ks set rising. Solicitors’ can be to o ccontinue ontti on tinu nuee rri isi s ng n . So Soli lici li ciito t rrss’ co ccosts ost stss ca three-quarters off th total. of £7800 thre th r ere e qu quar arte ters rss o thee to tota tal. l. A cclaim l im o la might £1500 the claimant, £800 mi m ig gh ht be b £ 115 500 00 tto o th he cl clai a ma ai mant nt,, £8 nt £ 0 insurance fees, and £5500 costs insu in nsu ura r nc ncee fe fees es,, an es nd £5 550 500 0 co cost stts to ssolicitors.’ o
Damage done The most obvious impact of a claim is financial. If your salon or barbershop doesn’t have public liability insurance, the costs could bankrupt you. There’s another cost, too: negative publicity could cause huge damage to your business’s reputation. Heidi says: ‘With social media these days we see a lot of posts on Facebook with people saying their hair looks lovely, then two weeks later: “See what this hairdresser’s done!” If the claim goes to court, the details could also be published in the press.’
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The right insurance Public liability insurance protects businesses that deal with the public by covering accidents that affect the public – and it’s a vital way to keep your business safe. Imagine a client takes you to court because their property was damaged or they suffered an injury due to a breach in your duty of care. If you have public liability insurance, your insurance company will deal with the claim and cover pay-outs and legal costs. Standard public liability insurance covers accidents, such as trips, but doesn’t cover treatments – so make sure yours covers the treatments you offer. Coversure’s public liability insurance for salons and barbershops includes treatment liability cover. This covers most treatments, but with some exceptions. See nhbf.co.uk/public-liability
Types of claims At C A Coversure, oversure ov re, th the most mo ost common com ommo mon n public p b pu liability claims against liab bil i it i y clai ims brought ht a gainstt ssalons allon are damaged and forr da fo dama mage ged d hair, hair ha ir,, allergic alle al lerg rgic ic rreactions eact ea ctio ions ns a bleach burns. Heidi says: ‘Claims blea bl each ch b urns ur ns.. He Heid idii sa ays y : ‘C ‘Cla laim im ms are a e mostly ar do hair colouring to d o wi with th h airr co ai colo lour lo urin ur ing in g or overprocessing. oveerp rpro rocc We see fewer beauty bea claims, because we w have fewer beauty Members, but we have had claims and clai cl aims ms ffor or IPL IPL [[intense inte in tens nsee pulsed puls pu lsed ed llight] ight ig ht]] a waxing burns. also gett a fe claims waxi wa xing xi ng gb urns ur ns.. We a ns lso ls o ge g few w cl clai aim ai m for trips and falls.’
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TH E BUSI BU SI N ES E S S C OOMM P E NSAT N S AT IO N
Iff y ou ssupply uppl up ply pl y products, prod pr oduc od ucts uc ts,, make ts make sure sur uree you products prod pr oduc od ucts uc ts lliability iabi ia bili bi lity li ty iinsurance nsur ns uran ur ance an ce iiss included, incl in cllud clud ded ed,, too. to oo. o Self-employed Sel e f--empl em mpl ploy oyed oy ed cchair hair ha ir and need their an nd space spac sp acce re a rrenters nter nt e s wi er will ll n eed ee d th thei eirr ei own public own pu publ blic bl ic lliability ia abi b li lity ty insurance. ins nsur uran ur ance an c . ce
What to do
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NEED MORE INFO? Download D Dow wnlo nlo l ad the NH NHBF’s HBF BF’ Fs guide gui de to t allergy allerg all ergy y testing test test sting ing at nhbf.co.uk/allergy-guide a and n th guide guide to ha handl ndl d ing co ompllain aints tss the handling complaints at nhbf.co.uk/complaints-guide R Read e th ead the e NHBF N NHBF’s HBF F’s blo blog g o pub on u lic li liabi abilit lity y insu iinsurance nsu n uran nce public liability att nhbf.co.uk/public-liability a V View iew w th the he Colo C Colour olour olo u Che ur Check h ck scheme sch eme em m att nhbf.co.uk/ colour-check
If y o know ou kno n w or suspect sus uspe peect a cclient’s l en li e t’ t’ss you planning what should you do? pl lan a niing to to su ssue, e, w hatt sh ha shou ou uld y ou d o? First, bee careful about what you F Fi rsst, t, b care ca reffu re ful ab ful abou outt wh hatt y ou u say. Heidi advises: ‘Don’t admit sa ay. yH eidi ei di a d is dv ises es:: ‘D Do on n’t a d it dm i lliability. li ab bil ilit ity. y. Don’t Don on’tt say, say y, “I’m “I’m “I ’m m sorry, so orrry rry y, we messed up” ass it ccould m me sssed u p” a ou uld ccompromise o pr om p om mis isee your ability you. yo our u insurer’s ins nu urrer e ’ss a bili bi liity y to to defend defe de feend fend n y ou u. Instead, empathy help Inst In sttea ead, d sshow d, ho ow eem mpa ath hy to oh e p ca el calm lm m the situation something like, th he si itu tuat atio io on an and d sa say y so ome meth th hin ng li like ke,, ke you we’ve acted “I’m “I ’m ssorry o ry or yy ou ffeel eeel we e’v ve ac a ted te d inappropriately. Let me look in nap pprrop opri r at ri a el ely. yL y. et m et e lo ook ok iinto no nt your y yo ur cconcerns.”’ on nce cern r s. rn s ”’ ”’ Report any potential your R Re p rt po r a ny y cclaim, laim la im,, or p im otten enti t al cclaim, ti laim la im,, to y im ou our ur insurers att wa way, consider insu in sure rers rs immediately. imm med e ia iate tely te ly.. ‘Th ly Tha Th a w y,, tthey h y ca he can n co cons n id ns i er e response and contain the issue ttheir th eirr re ei resp spon onse se a nd ttry ry tto o co cont ntai ain n th he is issu sue su ue ass soon soo oon n ‘Most companies as possible,’ pos o si sibl ble, e,’’ says says Heidi. Hei eidi di.. ‘M Mos ostt insurance insu in su ura ranc ncee co comp mp pan a ie iess require re equ quir iree you ir you to tell telll them th hem m about abo b ut u any any claim, cla laim im, or potential im pot o en enti t al ti cclaim, cl aim, ai m, anyway.’ any n wa way. y.’’ brings insurers will If a cclient lien li entt br en rin ings gs a cclaim, laim la im,, the im the in nsu sure rers re r w rs illl send il send adjuster statement a loss loss a djus dj uste us terr or te o iinvestigator nv vessti tiga gato ga torr to ttake to akee a st ak tat a em men nt fr from om thee employee th empl em ploy pl oy yee concerned. con o ce c rn ned ed.. After Afte Af terr investigating, inve in v sttig ve igat a in at ng, g the the insurers will compensation, deny liability insu in sure su r rss w re illl off il o eerr co omp mpen en nsa sati tion ti o , or d on e y li en liab abil ab ilit ity y and court. an nd go tto o co our urt. t.
Reduce the risk The be best st way way to to avoid avoi av oid d claims cllai aims mss is is to prevent pre reve vent n nt incidents happening place. inci in cide dent ntss ha happ ppen en nin ing g in tthe h firrst he stt p lace la ce. ce Here’s how: He ere re’s ’s h ow w: Ask D a full Do ful ulll consultation. cons co nsul ns ulta ul ta ati t on on. A sk open ope pen n questions ques qu esti es tion ti onss to find on nd out o t what ou what your you ourr client c ie cl ient nt wants, check w wa nts, nt s, llisten i te is ten n to their the heir ir rresponses, espo es pons po nsses es,, ch chec eck k you’ve understood, you’ yo u’ve ve u nder nd erst sttoo o d, summarise sum umma ma ari rise se and and check chec ch e k what’s ec wh hat at’s ’ss been beeen agreed. agre ag reed ed.. dark-haired Be rrealistic. eali ea list stic i . IIff a da ic dark rk-h -hai aire reed client wants blonde, make clie cl ient nt w ants an ts tto o go ob lond lo nde, e, m akee ak understand sure su re tthey hey he y un u ders de rsta tand nd d iitt wi will lll ttake akee ak several sessions seve se vera ve rall se ra sess ssio ss ions ns and and try try to to manage ma ana n ge ge their expectations. thei th eirr ex expe pect cttat atio ions ns.. ns don’t. demands If in in doubt, doub do ubt, ub t, d o ’t on ’t.. If a client clien liien nt de dema mand ma n s nd something don’t recommend, no, some so meth me th hin ing g yo you u do d n’tt re n’ reco comm co mmen mm end, en d, ssay ay n o, off sign disclaimer, even ev en iiff th tthey ey o ffer tto o si ign a d iscl is clai aime mer, r, which wouldn’t up anyway. whic wh icch wo woul uldn dn’t ’t sstand tand ta nd u p in i ccourt ou urt a ny ywa way. y. Carry tests sensitivity tests. C Ca rrry out out allergy alle al lerg rgy y alert aler al errt te est stss an and d se sens nsit itiv ivit ity y te test sts. s. Heidi Heid He idii says: id sa ays ys:: ‘It’s ‘It’ ‘I t’ss not no ot just justt doing doi o ng g the the tests tesstss – you you u also alsso need n ed ne e evidence evid ev iden id ence en cee you’ve you ou’v ’vee done ’v done them. the hem. m. Th Thiiiss includes in incl nclud udes ud es the the
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COM PENS ATION THE BU SI NESS
customer signing something, preferably a card.’ Online software providers will have digital versions of allergy test cards. Keep up staff training. Heidi says: ‘Get your team members qualified and trained in what they need to do, even the most junior employees.’ Follow instructions. Use products and equipment according to manufacturers’ guidelines. Pay attention to health and safety. Regularly review potential risks and try to guard against them: put up notices warning clients about steps, and train staff to mop up spills immediately. Don’t forget personal belongings. Heidi advises: ‘Remind clients to take off earrings before hairwashing, and tuck bags away.’ And hang coats up away from where any colouring is taking place.
A MEMBER’S EXPERIENCE Nicola (not her real name) owns a hairdressing salon. A client claimed one of Nicola’s stylists had left bleach on too long, resulting in scalp injury – scabbing and weeping – and hair breakage. The stylist said she’d done a consultation and patch test. After the bleaching process, she’d noticed the client’s scalp was pink and applied a soothing balm. When the client returned to complain, the salon offered a course of treatments, but the client only took one. Nicola’s insurance company, Coversure, dealt with the claim. The salon denied liability, and the case went to court. Nicola provided evidence of the consultation, patch test, treatment, appointments and stylist’s qualifications. A trichologist for the claimant said he considered her hair damage was due to excessive bleaching time. When challenged in court, the stylist conceded it was possible she’d left the bleach on too long. The court awarded the claimant more than £14,000 in damages, plus legal costs exceeding £16,000. The insurance company’s legal costs were over £12,000.
THERE’S BEEN A CHANGE IN PUBLIC ATTITUDE OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS. THE PUBLIC ARE MORE EDUCATED ABOUT ALLERGY TESTING AND ARE STARTING TO EXPECT IT
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HILARY HALL CHIEF EXECUTIVE
Allergy alert Doing allergy tests for hair colour, eyebrow and eyelash tints, and recording results, is vital. That’s why the NHBF has just launched its brand-new Colour Check allergy alert testing campaign. The scheme, for Members only, will encourage salons to put client safety first, and encourage the public to choose salons that do so. Chief executive Hilary Hall believes increased allergy testing will lead to fewer public liability claims. But is there a danger that some clients will see the tests as a nuisance and go elsewhere? ‘There’s been a change in public attitude over the past few years,’ Hilary says. ‘The public are more educated about allergy testing and are starting to expect it. ‘Once we have a critical mass of salons on the scheme, we’ll promote it so the public understand that Colour Check salons put the safety of their clients first and work to the highest professional standards.’ Salons that sign up must commit to doing allergy tests for new clients, for returning clients once a year, and never on under-16s – and a ‘mystery shopper’ will check they’re being carried out. If successful, the salon will receive a Colour Check window sticker and website logo, and will be featured in the ‘Salon Search’ area of the NHBF website. If your salon isn’t already doing allergy tests, all the info you need is in two NHBF toolkits (available at nhbf.co.uk/allergy-alert-kit). These are approved for use with Coversure’s Salonsure policies. If you use any other insurers, you must check that they’re approved, or your policy could be invalidated.
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‘Easydry offers the most hygienic, sustainable towelling system in the world and with its consistently superb quality finish, it lives up to my and my clients’ high expectations.’ Ken Picton Multi award-winner
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‘Since we’ve been using Easydry towels, honestly I can say, from the bottom of my heart, that everybody has embraced it from my staff, the assistants, to clients.’ Jamie Stevens Jamie Stevens Salons
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02/03/2020 10:50 13:40 04/03/2020
BULLYING THE BU SI NESS
THE BULLIES As an investigation exposes claims of bullying in large beauty firms, could salon owners also do more to tackle harassment and toxic behaviour?
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Y
ou might think bullying is something you leave behind in the school playground, but all too often that isn’t the case – including for hair and beauty professionals. A recent investigation by the BBC’s Victoria Derbyshire programme shone a spotlight on widespread bad practice at all levels in the industry – but particularly within large cosmetic and beauty firms – including unfair dismissals and abuse. Following the coverage, the British Beauty Council called for an independent body or ombudsmen to be set up to investigate. Clearly, everyone in the sector needs to take bullying more seriously.
What does the law say? Business owners have a duty of care to their staff, including taking reasonable steps to prevent bullying and harassment. While there isn’t a legal definition of bullying, there are some useful definitions out there, explains Laura Chalkley, head of team for the
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TH E B USI N ES S B U L LYIN G FAST FACTS
ACCORDING TO RESEARCH BY THE TUC:
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29%
36%
46%
Nearly a third of people (29%) have been bullied at work
More than one in three (36%) people who report being bullied at work leave their job because of it
Nearly half (46%) of people say that it has an adverse impact on their performance at work
NHBF legal helpline. ‘The NHBF handbook defines bullying as offensive, intimidating, malicious or insulting behaviour, or an abuse or misuse of power intended to undermine, humiliate or injure the recipient, or which has that effect, regardless of intent.’ While bullying itself is not against the law, harassment is. The Equality Act 2010 says harassment is ‘unwanted conduct related to a relevant protected characteristic, which has the purpose or effect of violating an individual’s
dignity or creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment for that individual’. Protected characteristics include age, sex, race, religion and sexual orientation, says Laura: ‘Improper treatment concerning a protected characteristic could also be considered discrimination and have serious reputational and financial implications.’
What does workplace bullying look like? Bullying is not always hurling insults or a physical attack – it can also include spreading malicious rumours, unfair treatment, picking on or regularly undermining someone, or isolating and excluding them. When distinguishing bullying it can be helpful to focus on how a behaviour made someone feel, adds Laura: ‘You may have a someon of staff making a joke at a senior member m of staff’s expense. They may junior member m not intend inte to upset them, but it could have the effeect of being intimidating and offensive. must take into account the sensitivities ‘You m person on the receiving end.’ of the p
The golden gold rule is to have clear policies in place – and then apply them consistently, however junior or senior the staff. Laura says: howeve ‘It’s a good go idea to include in your policy some examples of what constitutes bullying and exampl harassment, and the behaviour that won’t be harassm tolerated, as well as the action that could be tolerate taken if you cross the line.
IMAGES: GETTY
Zero ttolerance
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BULLYING THE BU SI NESS
THE IMPACT OF BULLYING
22% Around one in five (22%) have to take time off work as a result of being bullied
‘Be clear that bullying or harassment can result in disciplinary action up to and including dismissal. ‘Just saying bullying isn’t tolerated isn’t enough,’ agrees Andy Bell, deputy chief executive of the Centre for Mental Health, which last year published a research report into bullying in the charity sector. ‘If someone discloses, take it seriously and provide emotional support as well.’
A culture of kindness Tony Walmsley, who owns Anthony John Salons in Lichfield, Staffordshire, has instilled a culture of ‘being kind to each other’ within his 20-strong team. This starts at the interview process and goes right through to the salon’s in-house awards, which include a monthly ‘kindness award’, presented by the apprentices to the stylist who has helped them the most. He says: ‘Most people aren’t bad people, they might just be hiding something, or their own anxiety comes across in a certain way, so when people join us we make sure they feel comfortable and that they know our culture and how we treat one another.’
IF SOMEONE DISCLOSES, TAKE IT SERIOUSLY AND PROVIDE EMOTIONAL SUPPORT AS WELL
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Taking action But if an employee does raise a concern, it’s important to listen and take it seriously. If bullying amounts to conduct defined as harassment in the Equality Act 2010 and no action is taken, the matter could end up at an employment tribunal. ‘Take the time to have a private conversation,’ says Laura. ‘Get them to give examples, dates, ask them why they feel that way, who else was there, speak to the witnesses too and the other person involved – it will all help with the investigation. You need to calmly piece together what has happened. Don’t just take one person’s word over another – you have to remain neutral.’ Addressing bullying ‘doesn’t have to be all doom and gloom’, says Laura. ‘You can express in a positive way the behaviour which is acceptable and what won’t be tolerated, setting the scene for the type of culture you want in your salon, for the benefit of staff and the client experience.’
Bullying can have devastating consequences for the victim’s mental health and performance at work, as well as workplace relationships more widely. As one anonymous NHBF Member describes: ‘Our salon culture was extremely toxic – so bad it left myself and another stylist with panic attacks and PTSD after we left. That was six years ago and I’m still working on my self-esteem. It’s the quiet scheming, constant belittling, that chips away at your self-esteem, which makes you very vulnerable and an easy target to manipulate.’ While it’s clear from their account just how badly the experience affected them, the Member has moved on and now owns a successful salon. She says: ‘I’ve made it very clear from day one that the main thing for anyone who works for me is that we are a team and everyone cares, helps and works with each other. It was so important to me to create a safe space and happy working environment with a zero tolerance for bullying.’ She adds that with the news of Caroline Flack’s death, it couldn’t be clearer how badly toxic behaviour can affect people. Laura says: ‘Bullying affects morale and team cohesion, and impacts on communication and productivity. If people feel their employer isn’t doing anything, they are more likely to get signed off with stress. In a salon you also need to be mindful that clients will be picking up on it too.’
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For more information, read the NHBF blog on bullying at nhbf.co.uk/bullying
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TH E BU SI N E S S S A LO N IN T E R IO R S
Investing in a salon refurb is a costly commitment, but if it’s done right it can create an improved workspace and attract new business. Here’s what three finalists of last year’s NHBF Best Salon Design Award have created.
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HARRIS & FOX, ABERDEEN
BEFORE
The ethical and modern salon harris-fox.co.uk
Owner Ryan Harris says he wanted to offer first-class hairdressing services in a contemporary space with an ecoconscience, and he has done just that with his brand new salon’s interior. The awardwinning space provides a calm and tranquil haven for both male and female clients. The simple industrial style is softened with earthy colours, lots of plants, wooden floors and natural light. A quirky addition to Harris & Fox is the use of the salon’s downstairs space, which has been styled into a relaxed and homely ‘living room’ for clients to use while waiting for treatments or colours to develop. It even includes a bookshelf and record player for clients to use.
AFTER
WINNER of NHBF’s Business Award for Best Salon Design 2019
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S A LON INTERIORS THE BU SI NESS BEFORE
AFTER
DEBORAH ALFA LTD, WIRRAL The community hub deborahalfa.co.uk
Deborah Alfa Ltd has been a hair salon for more than five years but in May 2019, having acquired bigger premises, they set to work to build a community hair, beauty, health and wellness centre, which would include a hair salon, wig salon, beauty salon, and community space and yoga room. As the building was an old barn, they decided to work with the character of the structure and mix old with new to create a modern feel without ruining the features that were already there. Deborah designed the whole project herself, researching night and day, and taking inspiration from Instagram, Pinterest and Google. She says: ‘We tried to up-cycle where we could and get the best price for all of our purchases by opening wholesale accounts, shopping sales and using local builders, upholsterers, decorators, family and friends to get involved with the project as much as possible.’
HIGHLY COMMENDED in NHBF’s Community Awards for the Community Impact category 2019 and FINALIST of Best Salon Design 2019
GATSBY & MILLER, AMERSHAM The ‘culture concept’ salon gatsbyandmiller.co.uk
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This redesign project originated from a growing client base and the need for more space. It was an opportunity to provide clients with multiple services under one roof, shifting the commodity of a haircut to an emotive experience. The idea became known as a ‘culture concept’ salon, innovative in design and accessible in services. The new-look salon houses a mix of hair and beauty services, as well as a licensed cafe, work areas and seating. The final design shows a free-flowing environment where colours, textures and materials were used to delineate each area.
FINALIST of NHBF’s Business Award for Best Independent Hair Salon and Best Salon Design 2019 AFTER
BEFORE
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TH E BU SI N E S S W E B S IT E DE S IG N
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Your website is the window into your business. So leave behind the limp, outdated design and boring calls to action. Steve Smethurst shows you how to whip your website into shape and freshen up your ďŹ nances.
UP YOUR SALONFOCUS | S P R IN G 2 0 2 0
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W EBS ITE DES IG N T HE BU SI NESS
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or salon Sorella, in the village of Knaphill in Surrey, footfall isn’t what it would be in neighbouring Woking. This puts pressure on Sorella’s website to drive customers to this awardwinning business. Hairdresser Lucy Mitchell runs the salon day to day, but her sister and co-owner Jo Moulton looks after finance and marketing, so it fell to her to oversee a refresh of the website last autumn. ‘The website was created when we first opened, but as we developed, it didn’t feel like us anymore,’ she says. Fortunately for the sisters, their brother Nick is a web designer. ‘The new site isn’t too different,’ says Jo, ‘but we’d employed somebody to put together branding since it was first created, so we wanted the website to reflect that.’ Sorella doesn’t pay for Google advertising and has to ensure the content reflects the words potential customers will search for. ‘We made sure we included local town names, and the words Surrey, hair salon, hairdressers and so on,’ says Jo.
Gaming Google Keeping a close eye on your website is vital, says Phil Evans, managing director of Salon Guru, which creates and runs websites for more than 150 UK salons. ‘What many salons don’t grasp is that the website is a tool. The quality of your colouring and cutting is important, but what’s vital is the amount of money in the till at the end of the day. I always focus on the numbers and ask “How busy is your website?”’ Phil urges salon owners to check where their salon is ranked on Google: ‘Are you the number one for hair extensions or colour in your area? It used to be all about SEO [search engine optimisation] and metadata, but Google is much more sophisticated these days. It’s more about having something like a good balayage page, with explanations and examples – how it’s different from ombre and what babylights are. ‘Salons should do this for all the key services and phrases relevant to their business. So, for a beauty salon, this could be “hair removal”, “gel nails” or “eyelash extensions”. For barbers the phrases could include “gents’ hair salon”, “barbershop” and “wet shave”. And the search phrases for a hair salon may include “Olaplex”, “wedding hair”, “colour correction” and “keratin smoothing”. Salons often think it’s about the look and feel, but in terms of effectiveness it’s all about search engines.
WHAT MANY SALONS DON'T GRASP IS THAT THE WEBSITE IS A TOOL
IMAGE: GETTY
SITE
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CHECKLIST Build up a list of keywords/search terms and sprinkle them liberally throughout your site. Update content regularly to show off your work and drive Google rankings. Ensure your site is secure with an ‘https’ prefix: buy SSL certification. Optimise all photography for the web. Ensure your site is mobile/tablet friendly. Spell-check everything and fix errors/broken links quickly. Use plug-ins to link to your social media feeds. Show off your amazing work.
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‘Content comes first, although SEO still has a place. If you have the alt tags [on pictures], H1 titles [using header tags correctly] and so on, it adds another level of confidence from Google.’
Freshen it up It’s also important to add fresh content to your website regularly. ‘In December, it was all about Christmas party hair, opening hours and gift ideas,’ says Phil. ‘Then it’s into spring hair colours, Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day – it’s constant storytelling, which will also give you lots of new material to promote on social media.’ For new content, Sorella
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TH E BU SI N E S S W E B S IT E DE S IG N
HAVING A SITE THAT DOESN'T WORK ON MOBILE IMMEDIATELY AFFECTS YOUR BUSINESS
had professional images taken of the salon and regularly uses smartphone pictures for Instagram. ‘We use a plug-in so that our Instagram feed appears on the website. It’s always updating with posts of the stylists’ work going directly to their page. We really push hard for reviews too. We send a text message to our clients after they see us asking for reviews. Yell, Google, Facebook… all those kind of reviews help to keep it high in the rankings.’ Web designer Scott Noble, who specialises in working with small businesses, is keen to
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remind salons that images must be optimised for the web. ‘Images taken on a phone are typically about 4MB,’ he says. ‘It might not sound like a lot, but if you’ve got five images on a page it’s going to take a while to load. More importantly, it will eat up a lot of mobile data. The other positive of having optimised image sizes is that Google will rate your site more highly.’ Talking of mobiles, it’s also vital to ensure your site is responsive. ‘There’s nothing worse than coming to a site and having to use two fingers to zoom in to read the text,’ says Scott. ‘More traffic now comes from mobile than desktop. Having a site that doesn’t work on mobile immediately affects your business.’
Snags and security Another common failing is spelling and grammar. ‘You may be the best salon in the world,’ says Scott, ‘but if you have
multiple typos, it won’t reflect that. And it’s a really easy fix.’ Sorella’s site has been built using WordPress, which Jo says is user-friendly. ‘It is quite easy to use. I have no web design skills but if we tweak our prices, for example, I can log in and make the changes – it doesn’t require any coding knowledge.’ And, finally, don’t overlook security. Phil says: ‘Without a secure website – using ‘https’ rather than ‘http’ – you’re going to struggle with search engines. Many browsers will warn people not to visit. It’s a nuisance, but it has to be done properly if you’re doing sign-up forms and capturing people’s emails.’ For information on how to protect your website from cyber attacks, see page 28 of the Winter 2020 issue of salonfocus.
USEFUL RESOURCES For NHBF tips on building a website, see nhbf.co.uk/create-website See Sorella’s website at sorellasalon.co.uk Check out Salon Guru at salonguru.net For Scott Noble Digital Services, visit noblescott.co.uk For Nick Mitchell’s services, see nick-mitchell.co.uk
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S USTA INA BILITY THE BU SI NESS
ONE STEP AT A TIME
Climate change is a hot topic, but how easy is it for salon owners to make a difference?
C
limate change is happening, and we’re all being asked to do our bit. Whether you’re a salon owner wanting to make a dramatic change and go completely eco-friendly – earning yourself the coveted Sustainable Salon Certificate from the University
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of Southampton – or whether you just want to make small adjustments, there is plenty that can be done. NHBF ambassador Anne Veck says: ‘Everyone needs to be thinking about their personal and business environmental impact and then take action. We are all in a climate and extinction emergency. Hair and beauty businesses consume enormous amounts of water and energy, for example, not to mention generating packaging and chemical waste.’
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TH E BU SI N E S S S U STA IN A B IL IT Y
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KARINE JACKSON Karine Jackson Hair & Beauty London
Aiming to be plastic-free by 2023, Karine has also created a plastic assessment for salons, which she launched at Pro-Hair Live.
WE NEED TO KEEP REUSING WHAT WE HAVE GOT RATHER THAN MAKING NEW PLASTIC
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SUZIE GILLESPIE The Players Lounge Edinburgh
A full refurbishment of Suzie’s men’s hair and grooming salon in 2016 gave her the perfect opportunity to go eco-friendly. Our refurb meant we could make some big changes. We used lots of reclaimed timber, including railway sleepers, and made our mirrors from old church pews. The flooring came from an old cottage. We now use a greener energy supplier and gradually replaced our hairdryers as they broke with Parlux eco-dryers. You can make small changes so easily. We wash our towels during the day and hang them up overnight. They then have a quick spin in our eco-friendly dryer in the morning just to fluff them up. Our clients are served water from a dispenser in a glass, or a cup of Fairtrade tea or coffee, and we recycle everything we can. We’ve also made a big change with our products and use a lot of ethical and natural ones, including the vegan range Moohair. The most important thing is getting the team involved. We have a team meeting every month, in part to discuss ways to help the environment. When you ask your staff for ideas, they come up with incredible solutions that you won’t have even thought of. The response from clients is amazing too. They really appreciate that we’re trying.
IMAGES: ISTOCK
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The plastic-free seed was planted five years ago when I was in Wales. I walked along the beach after a big storm – the amount of washed-up plastic was awful. Then I looked at all the plastic coming through the salon and was horrified. We’re a long way off being plastic-free, but we are working towards it. It’s overwhelming if you try and do it all at once. I bought my team reusable cups and water bottles, as they aren’t allowed to bring in disposable ones, and we’ve got a box for single-use plastic that ends up in the salon. It’s not to shame anyone, but just to see how much is coming in. The salon has also started a ‘reuse, refill and recycle’ system, meaning clients can refill their bottles. You can’t force people to do things, you just have to help them to understand without preaching. The reason plastic was invented was because we were taking too much from our natural resources, so we’ve got to be sustainable and get the balance right too. We need to keep reusing what we have got rather than making new plastic. Even baby steps will make a difference.
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S USTA INA BILITY THE BU SI NESS
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DENNES JAMES-KRAAN Tabitha James Kraan Gloucestershire
Dennes and his wife Tabitha set up their sustainable salon in 1999 and have now created their own organic haircare products.
IMAGES: GETTY
NHBF’S ONE STEP AT A TIME In May, the NHBF is launching its One Step At A Time campaign. Tori Priestley, NHBF director of marketing, says: ‘We hope our campaign will give salons ideas on how to become more sustainable and eco-friendly one step at a time. ‘We know making radical changes can take a lot of time and money, so we want to offer advice that isn’t overwhelming or conflicting. ‘We’ll be supporting salons by giving them blogs and checklists that they can follow packed with simple tips. ‘Even something as small as switching to eco-shower heads can make a big difference.’
I moved to the UK from the Netherlands in 1998 and had a bit of a culture shock because I’d grown up in an environment where absolutely everything was being recycled. Tabitha was already aware of the dangers that the high synthetic content in salon products can pose to staff and clients, so together we embarked on a mission to make the salon more sustainable and eco-friendly. We changed our electricity supplier to one who provided renewable energy, started using recyclable towels to avoid water and electricity waste and began looking for more natural and organic haircare products. And that’s where we got stuck. Those kinds of products were more consumer-led back then, so we began searching the world. We found brands that were better, but which still contained ingredients we wanted to avoid, so we concluded that the only way to get what we wanted was to make it ourselves. We started learning about natural ingredients, plants and ancient rituals, and to our delight we got amazing results. After seven years of working on a home care range, we launched our products in 2015 and now sell in 30 countries. Our latest Clean Range uses certified organic aloe vera juice, meaning our shampoo is more than 80% certified organic. It makes it a luxury product in terms of price but, because it is so concentrated, you end up using less and don’t need to wash your hair as often. This makes it more economical in the long term, as well as being better for the environment.
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WE CHANGED OUR ELECTRICITY SUPPLIER TO ONE WHO PROVIDED RENEWABLE ENERGY
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There’s a lot to consider when adding extensions to your salon’s menu but, done well, it can pay dividends, say the experts.
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rom micro-rings to wefts, hair extensions continue to be a hugely sought-after service. And while trends may change – gone are the Barbie-blonde, Rapunzel lengths we saw in the early 2000s – the desire from clients to have luscious, photo-ready hair remains. But the decision to add extensions to your salon’s offerings should not be taken lightly. Here are some points to consider…
THE LONG GAME
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Know your client base
Will extensions appeal to your clients? Firstly, you should know what makes your clients tick. ‘There’s a real social media influence, especially on young girls now,’ says Danielle. But the service can also appeal to more mature clients looking to add volume, she says. Use social media posts to gauge the level of interest.
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Educate yourself
Training is ongoing, vital and goes beyond the techniques of microrings, micro-bonds, tape extensions, clip-ins and wefts. Understand how they affect and work with natural hair, which types work best with different lifestyles and how best to look after them between appointments. For stylists with no experience, training can take three to five months, says Danielle, or a two-day refresher might be enough for those who have worked with extensions before.
IMAGE: SHUTTERSTOCK
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EXTENS IONS THE BU SI NESS
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Educate the client
Making sure the client understands what to expect is equally crucial, says Caroline. ‘Spending time to complete a detailed consultation is paramount to understanding the client’s expectations and what can realistically be achieved.’ She also advises establishing the client’s hair condition (it should be good before extensions can be applied), colour aims, budget and lifestyle. Taking notes and before and after photos is a good idea too.
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Know the hair source
The quality of extensions can vary hugely, so it’s important to build a good relationship with a reputable supplier and to know about the source of the hair. ‘Big companies need a lot of hair and you don’t always know where it comes from, but we work very closely with our supplier,’ says Danielle. Extensions made from 100% remy hair are the highest quality, adds Caroline, as it ‘holds style and texture’.
WHAT COULD GO WRONG? It’s important to understand the potential pitfalls…
POOR APPLICATION
MEET THE EXPERTS
LAWRENCE TAYLOR Education sales manager at Racoon International
DANIELLE PINK
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Embrace the creativity
Extensions are unlike any other hair service, in that transformation is (almost) instant. ‘We’re able to create and exaggerate techniques [like balayage or fusion colour] in the client’s natural hair, creating truly bespoke looks,’ says Lawrence. ‘In some cases, extension placements allow looks that simply aren’t achievable with the condition or colour of the natural hair. Within a few hours, you can provide that creamy blonde or icy white balayage that just would not be achievable using bleach.’
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Make a difference
Tailoring extensions to clients recovering from cancer is another rewarding aspect of the service, says Lawrence. ‘It’s just a joy to transform people who have been through some of the worst times of their life and give them back their hair. Expert techniques allow you to blend out even very short hair and you would never know.’
Co-owner and director at Vixen & Blush
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CAROLINE LARISSEY NHBF director of quality and standards
Reap the rewards
‘The profits hair extensions can bring to your business are unreal,’ says Lawrence. ‘After application you’ll see that client every six to 10 weeks for maintenance, returning your investment time after time.’ However, there can be huge scope for extensions to fall short of expectations (see box, right), but making sure you’re the best at your craft could win you clients for life.
If applied incorrectly, extensions can cause damage to the natural hair. Incorrect placement includes application too close to the hairline, root lift or inaccurate weight distribution. Lawrence recommends stylists hold an NVQ level 2 in hairdressing as minimum standard before training.
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CUTTING CORNERS Adding extensions to your salon menu shouldn’t be a half-hearted approach. Invest in training, highquality hair and aftercare products as though you’re specialising in the service.
NO AFTERCARE ADVICE ‘Ensure that aftercare is explained in detail – particularly products and handling – and information is given to the client on the day of the appointment and discussed verbally in detail,’ says Caroline.
NO COMPLAINTS POLICY If an extension-related complaint does arise, it’s crucial to have a policy in place. See nhbf.co.uk/ADR
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TH E BU SI N E S S STA F F DIF F E R E N C E S
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fter employees at Daniel James Hair & Beauty in Colwyn Bay, North Wales, complained about their colleague’s ‘offensive’ behaviour, the salon owner decided to terminate the hairdresser and beauty therapist’s contract. But judges at an employment tribunal brought by the sacked hairdresser said the decision had been based on ‘hearsay and opinion’ and the employer had failed to conduct a ‘reasonably thorough and fair investigation’. The salon owner was ordered to pay £525 in compensation as a result of unfair dismissal. This is an extreme example, but it
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illustrates what can happen when differences between staff are not managed effectively by salon owners.
Different strokes It’s inevitable that there will be employees who do not get along within businesses. ‘This can be for a wide variety of reasons,’ says Dr Rachel Lewis, occupational psychologist and director of Affinity Health at Work. ‘It may be to do with a feeling that one is treated better or more fairly than another, or that one has a better relationship with the manager. ‘It might be cultural, religious or other group-based differences that create a feeling of distance or lack of understanding. It could
MAKE STAFF CONFLICT EXTINCT There will w ll always alw ways b be e tteam eam members that hat d don’t on’t g get et a along. long. But what’s what’ crucial cru uciall is is that that salon salon owners manage differenc erences ces effective ectively, y, says Anna Scott.
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STA F F DIF F ERENCES T HE BU SI NESS
relate to an event, a behaviour or attitude, such as one staff member coming in late, causing an impact on another, or it may be as a result of a difference in personalities.’ Anne Veck, NHBF ambassador and owner of a salon in Oxfordshire, believes that different personalities come with different attitudes to work. ‘I don’t think conflict is ever good,’ she says. ‘Healthy competition, yes! Differences should be celebrated. Diversity is great for business. Today’s market is multi-ethnic, multi-faith, all ages, all sexualities. A diverse team helps clients from all backgrounds feel welcome and comfortable.’
IMAGES: GETTY
Not all conflict is bad Differences between staff can be a force for good in business, if the working environment is one in which a no-blame culture has been developed and where team members are encouraged to speak out against issues, says Rachel. ‘You can create a safe environment where concerns and differences can be discussed, and you can really see how different focuses, priorities and ways of working can be helpful, and how conflict can spark innovation and debate, which ultimately lead to improvements in ways of working,’ she says, adding that,
‘within a culture which is not psychologically safe, it is unlikely that staff conflict can ever be a force for good’. The crucial aspect is not necessarily what has caused the relationship breakdown but the impact that it is having on the salon, Rachel says. ‘If two employees don’t get on but respect each other despite their differences, are civil to each other, perhaps work different shifts when they can, don’t demonstrate their feelings in front of the rest of the team or customers, are aware of their behaviours and don’t demonstrate it on the salon floor, then this is arguably less of an issue. ‘If, however, differences affect their work, affect others in the team or are witnessed by customers within the salon, they need tackling immediately – regardless of what the issue is.’
DR RACHEL LEWIS Occupational psychologist Affinity Health at Work
Risky business Any differences need to be addr addressed as soon with as possible, Anne agrees. ‘One person p a negative attitude can influence uenc the entire team’s performance.’ Laura Chalkley, head of team for the NHBF erences that aren’t legal helpline, says staff differen managed properly can have an impact on staff experience and, morale, productivity, client exp discrimination or in some cases, a claim for discr unfair dismissal. members ‘This is why we encourage m use of managing employee issues to make m the NHBF legal helpline at an eearly stage in the process,’ she adds. ‘As soon as a manager becomes aware of an issue, they should sit down with the staff members concerned c to discuss – with minutes taken – and take statements from any witnesses and the
ANNE VECK NHBF ambassador Owner of a salon in Oxfordshire
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LAURA CHALKLEY Head of team for the NHBF legal helpline
RESOURCES If you’re experiencing any employment issues within your salon, consult the NHBF legal helpline for support and advice. Go to nhbf.co.uk/legal-advice
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TH E BU SI N E S S STA F F DIF F E R E N C E S
USING AN EXPERIENCEDD AN HELP MEDIATOR CAN EN PROMOTE OPEN DISCUSSIONSS
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person who reported the issues. ‘Open questions should be used so that the person concerned can describe what has happened in their own words. The manager or business owner should then build a picture about what has happened so that they can determine whether things can be managed informally through mediation or formal action is required. For example, if there is evidence of possible misconduct that would warrant formal disciplinary action.’ Official policies and general staff training can help salons make it clear what their expected behaviours are and what conduct is not acceptable and could result in disciplinary action. ‘Using an experienced mediator can help promote open discussions and they have the tools to guide discussions to staff working together in a professional manner,’ Laura adds.
Solving disputes A salon owner since 1991, Anne has had her ‘fair share’ of disputes. ‘My experience is that if a situation reaches the stage at which you are considering using external mediators, then it’s gone way too far,’ she says. ‘Ideally, who the best policy is to recruit staff wh ho bu buy y in into to problems your ethos 100% and don’t cause caus ca usee pr us prob oble lems ms iin n the first place.’
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it’s nott IIn reality, lit off course, it’ always easy to foresee issues. So when problems do arise, managers need to take them seriously. ‘If any employee comes to them with a complaint, or if they notice an issue, managers have a responsibility to tackle this, in as objective a way as possible,’ Laura says. Salons need a culture in which employees feel they have a voice to speak out against any issue at all, she adds – where they feel able to speak up and feel heard without fear of repercussions, employers are more likely to ‘nip any issues in the bud’. And happy staff rubbing along together nicely means avoiding friction at work – or even in the courtroom.
NIPPING NIGGLES IN THE BUD Have a comprehensive book of rules and procedures that all employees have read and understood. Ensure that equal opportunities and bullying and harassment policies are in place. Set clear behavioural expectations of all employees, such as a competency framework against which staff can be assessed or an organisational ethos. From the recruitment stage set out the organisation’s ethos. Be consistent with the Equality Act 2010: all policiess and processes that include pay and promotion must explicitly represent fairness, regardless of gender, age, ethnicity and religion. Give any negative feedback in private, and positive praise e in front of others, if possible. Role-model good behaviour, like effective communication and strong working relationships that are encouraged by getting to know team members.
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TH E I N SPI R AT ION MOOD BOARD EMBELLISHED
Scratch magazine is offering NHBF Members 25% off an annual print subscription. Use the discount code NHBFXSCRATCH at scratchmagazine.co.uk/ store
IS IT INSTA GRAM MABLE?
@beckywicksnailartist Rotherham
@nailykayley Billericay
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Scratch magazine has taken over the mood board this issue. We take a look at what its readers and followers have created. Have you created a style that's a bit different? Something you're particularly proud of and want to shout about? Then post a picture to Instagram with the hashtag #salonfocus and your shot could end up on these pages.
@andreea_nails London
@fereidalydiate Manchester
@scarlett_senternailartist Norwich
@virag_timar London
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MOOD BOARD THE I NSPI RAT I O N ORGANIC
@paigeďŹ nch_nails Sudbury
@nailchark Leicester
POP ART
SUBTLE
@luxebeautyltd Oldham
@sammimay.beauty Bulkington
@dailynailspa Newcastle
@dream_nails_ewa Polgooth
@nailedit_beauty Billingham
@nafsalon Glasgow
@westbeauty_byharriet Leeds
@beauty_basecoat Stockton-on-Tees
@michelleclassnails London
@simoneradleynails Lincoln
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TH E I N SPI R AT ION W H AT ' S T R E N D IN G
FASHIONABLE OR A FAUX UX PAS PAS? S? Whether you embrace them or buck them, we take a look at the latest trends.
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MALE GROOMING
THE LONG AND SHORT OF IT
IMAGES: GETTY / @MYTOWNHOUSEUK
HAIR
Spotted on Brad Pitt, Keanu Reeves and Joaquin Phoenix at the Oscars, long hair definitely appears to be making a revival. While facial hair, on the other hand, was kept short or non-existent on many of the stars, with few beards seen on the red carpets this awards season. The clean-shaven look was spotted on the likes of Timothée Chalamet, George Mackay and Rami Malek, to name a few.
DIAMONDS AND PEARLS Actress Lucy Boynton’s red carpet Boyn for wearing a the Oscars reflected the growing trend hair at all along her parting. pearls d sporte she when s stone us precio preci long Justine Marjan used crystals dotted onto s Hair stylist ’s show at New Olivia and Alice for glue lash with hair wavy by Bibhu York Fashion Week, reflecting similar looks les in models’ hair. spark and ls crysta used also who ptra, Moha
CBD BEAUTY STATS
THE GROWING TREND FOR CBD SKINCARE According to figures in the Disrupting beauty report, cannabidiol (CBD oil) is making big waves in the beauty industry for its perceived skincare and wellness benefits, including powerful anti-inflammatory effects.
£544m £735m In 2018 the global CBD skincare market was valued at US$710m (£544m).
By 2024 projected global sales for the CBD skincare market is US$959m (£735m).
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W HAT'S TRENDING THE I NSPI RAT I O N AUTUMN INSPIRATION AUT
, Although we’re only just in the throes of Spring New York Fashion Week was the place for y of Autum Autu n 2020 nail inspiration with a variet tones) reds (from oxblood to berry and red-brown at ing featur – es textur glossy and both in matte . design desig ers like Jason Wu and Oscar de la Renta rn’ ‘ The ‘mode Frenc Fren h manicures were also spotted ys, using ru on runwa bold colours like black and red for t the tips.
HAIR
SHAGGY The ‘shag’ cut for 2020 is a trend that seems to have developed from 2019’s curly fringe (as mentioned in the Summer 2019 issue of salonfocus). With long, curtain-style bangs and lots of layers framing the face, the shag cut works on both long and short hair as worn by Selena Gomez and Elizabeth Olsen. MAKE-UP
MAKING IT MAINSTREAM While we highlighted male make-up as a big trend for 2020 in the last issue, we didn’t quite expect stalwart retailer John Lewis to announce it’s to sell a range of make-up for men nationwide online and in its flagship London store. Their decision was made following a successful pop-up, with sale expectations exceeded by 50%. The range includes a foundation, bronzer and concealer.
HAD ANY THOUGHTS ABOUT WHAT YOU’VE READ? TELL US WHAT YOU THINK ON OUR SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS
NAILS NAIL
10% 300,000 CBD skincare could account for around 10% of global skincare sales by 2024.
According to Verdict Media Ltd, the number of people in the UK using CBD oil is estimated to be around 300,000.
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GOOGLE YOURSELF Salon Guru, experts in websites and online marketing, are offering a FREE Google Search optimisation report. The report will show your salon’s position on local search results for over 50 high-value phrases and suggestions on how you can improve your rank. Salon Guru managing director Phil Evans says: ‘The best way to gain the trust of potential new clients is by demonstrating your exceptional skills for free. Our rank report will help you improve your website and get more clients.’ Request your report at salonguru.net/rank
DISPOSABLE TOWELS Celebrating 15 years since the launch of their first eco towel, Easydry’s most popular product is the Easydry Medium Towel. Available in black and white, the towel is super-absorbent, so only one is needed to dry and wrap any length of hair. It is FSC certified, packed in OK compost bags and shipped in recyclable cardboard cartons on recycled cardboard pallets. Blot-drying hair with smooth Easydry towels is better for hair than drying with cotton towels and is kind to the scalp – better for clients and the planet! easydry.com/gb
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SHEDUL REBRAND The free-to-use salon management software Shedul has been rebranded as Fresha. The move sees the Shedul product, which includes an advanced appointments calendar, point-of-sale features and customer management tools continue to be offered subscription-free under the Fresha name. Founder and CEO William Zeqiri says: ‘Unifying our salon management software under the Fresha brand brings a cohesive experience for our partners, putting us in the best position to power their success. As ever, our team remains committed to offering industry-leading management software.’ fresha.com
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TH E I N SPI R AT ION HOW TO...
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CREATE PR FOR YOUR SALON Not everyone can afford to pay an agency to handle their business’ PR, so how can you best do it yourself? ? Sam Johnson at communications agency SLBPR gives his step-by-step guide to PR perfection.
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HOW TO... THE I NSPI RAT I OONN
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KNOW YOUR BRAND
To paraphrase RuPaul: ‘If you don’t love yourself, how in the hell are you gonna get someone else to love you?’ There’s no golden rule to PR, but if there were, this would probably be it. You need to be proud of what you have created and know your brand inside-out before you expect anyone else to understand it. Only from there can you start to shout about yourself.
IMAGE: GETTY
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CLEAN YOUR ONLINE WINDOWS
You wouldn’t expect a potential client to walk into a salon with dirty windows – so why would you have a messy website? Your online presence nowadays is your shop front, especially if you’re a chair/room renter or you don’t have premises on a busy high street with lots of footfall. A clean cut, professional looking website says ‘we care’. Websites can be daunting but you can take matters into your own hands and sign up for an easy-to-use building tool
OUR EXPERT
SAM JOHNSON Sam is account director at lifestyle communications agency SLBPR, which has been around in the hair and beauty industry for the past 21 years. The agency has offices in Leeds and London and is best known for its disruptive PR campaigns for some well-known brands. Want to know more? Check out SLBPR on social @teamslbpr
(like SquareSpace) that you can content manage yourself daily, and never have to pay a huge developer bill ever again. Or you could ask us!
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SORT YOUR SOCIAL
Your social media should be a continuation of your brand. We can’t tell you when to post or what to post, because it works differently for everyone. Use your analytical tools to work out when your audience is most online, and post at that time. Go through your posts to see what worked well, and post more of that. Reply to comments quickly; offer advice to potential clients and never (ever) critcise or insult. For any business that wants to thrive in a competitive tech-savvy world, social media shouldn’t be on the bottom of your to-do list.
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ONE PICTURE = 1000 WORDS
This is such a cliché, but it’s true. As PRs, we would never approach journalists with a story without an image to go with it, and you shouldn’t either. You don’t need to call in the big guns every time you have a photo opportunity. Just grab your phone and shoot it yourself. Nobody expects you to be a pro, but just think about things like lighting (the sun, or a window should always be behind you) and framing (are you shooting landscape for a magazine, or portrait for social media?) and you should be good to go.
TIP: Image quality is important when sending to print media. iPhone has the capability of shooting images to print at 300DPI (dots per inch), but be careful of screen grabs and sharing on messenger apps, as these will reduce the quality of your shots.
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KNOW YOUR MEDIA
Now you’ve got the basics covered, you’re ready to start reaching out to the media. If you don’t know much about your local media, go to the nearest newsagents and buy all of the local papers and beauty magazines and actually sit down and read them. Make a note of which journalist is writing about which topics, and figure out what you can do to get them to write about you. TIP: Take into account the lead times. For a local paper, they’re probably working on issues a week or two in advance, but for glossy magazines it’s about three months. Work on Christmas gift guides generally starts in July!
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TELL YOUR STORY
You’ll always need a ‘hook’ – something to grab the attention of a journalist. Keep in mind the end reader and what they will be interested in. It might be that you’ve just won a big national competition, or you’re celebrating a big birthday, just ask yourself - is this interesting? If it’s not, find a way to change it. Good PR isn’t the same as being famous. Even if it’s your name above the door, it’s always about the whole package. Some of the most well-known professionals in our industry admit they’re only where they are because of a solid, supportive team. The more you grow the profile of your team, the more your business will thrive. Think about your unique selling point and play it up. Journalists are always looking for something new to write about, so give it to them. Further marketing and PR information is available on the NHBF website.
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TH E N H BF R O U N D - U P
It’s nearly here! With the first salonfocus2020 event happening in Birmingham this month (27 April), everyone attending can expect a jam-packed day full of industry news, views, advice and support.
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There’s a choice of 12 sessions, of which you can attend four throughout the day. The sessions cover three themes – business focus, team focus and client focus – and include topics like the future of social media, how to create the ultimate client journey, and the power of a great client consultation. Keynote speaker Pete Scott, of Business Pro Academy, will be providing sales inspiration with a presentation on how to sell your salon’s services in new ways. He’ll also be offering practical business advice that you can
implement immediately too. The day ends with an interesting panel discussion on what you can do to make your business stand out from the crowd. Hosted by NHBF chief executive Hilary Hall, the panel includes top industry bods including Andrew Collinge, Laura Bull and Carolyn Sweeney. If you can’t come along to the Birmingham event, make sure you don’t miss out again and get your tickets for salonfocus2020 in London on 21 September. Go to nhbf.co.uk/salonfocus2020 to book your place.
WHAT’S HAPPENING? Here’s a quick look at what the NHBF has been up to, where they have been, and who they’ve met. The NHBF exhibited at Pro Hair Live 2020 in Manchester in February. Director of membership Tina Beaumont-Goddard and director of marketing Tori Priestley were there all weekend. The NHBF presented two sessions on the Business Stage with Laura Chalkley
on sustaining an effective team and an expert panel session. Our expert panel also discussed the importance of allergy alert testing, answered questions and shared practical advice. Panel members included NHBF quality and standards director Caroline Larissey, as well as Caroline Rainsford, head of scientific and environmental service at CTPA, Barrie Stephen from Barrie Stephen Hair, and Casey Coleman from Chair Salons who pioneers Patch Test Party, both NHBF Members and allergy alert testing advocates. The NHBF also launched its brand-new Colour Check scheme.
National Apprentice Week was held in February and NHBF director of quality and standards Caroline Larissey visited colleges and Members to celebrate. She attended the HaHa Annual Showcase at Portsmouth College and visited NHBF Member and Hair Professional (Trailblazer) Apprenticeship Steering Group Chair Wendy Cummins in her salon Quiffy’s. Caroline also made a surprise visit to Eastleigh College and spoke to students, apprentices and staff about the hair, beauty and barbering industry.
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EV ENTS T HE NHBF
The All Party Parliamentary Group on Beauty, Aesthetics and Wellbeing held a panel event in Westminster on ‘Beauty and the (Plastic) Beast: How can the beauty industry step up its sustainability game and do more to keep our planet beautiful?’ It was fantastic to see MPs Judith Cummins and Carolyn Harris, plus others, providing a platform that highlights and celebrates the British beauty industry and explores the challenges impacting the industry, for example sustainability, inclusivity and regulation, and facilitating discussion, debate and action to overcome those issues.
NHBF director of membership Tina Beaumont-Goddard, president Ian Egerton, vice president Steven Scarr and board members Mark Coray and Agnes Leonard all attended the Hair and Beauty Charity Ball in March. There was lots of celebrating, dancing and fundraising for the industry charity.
ARE YOU READY FOR 2020? Step Up & SHINE The NHBF and the Fellowship for British Hairdressing are excited to announce the finalists for this year’s Christofer Mann Step Up & SHINE Scholarship. Huge congratulations go to: Stacey Orrow, The Colour Room, Letchworth Holly Prior, Silhouette du Barry, Chelmsford Vicki Johnson, Vicki Hoskin Hair Artistry, Wadebridge Anita Patkos, Farah-Naz Hairdressing, Prestwich Lewis Wilson, Wilsons Hairdressing, Macclesfield Jill Hendry, Little Bird Hair Design, Peterborough Open to hairdressers of any level of experience, age or geographic location, the winner of Step Up & SHINE will receive £2500 to cover tuition fees, travel and overnight expenses. Entrants had to complete a short application explaining their hairdressing background, ambitions and submit a 60-second video telling judges why they would love this opportunity. The shortlist will be visited at their salons where the judges will observe them working before making their final choice, to be announced at the Fellowship President’s Night on 6 April.
Britain’s Best Launching in April, Britain’s Best will be back at Salon International with a new expert panel of judges for stylists and barbers of all levels to impress. Business Awards The Business Awards 2020 will be launching in May, so keep an eye out on the website and @nhbfsocial for the official launch of the awards for entries. This year the event will be held at a new venue, with new categories and sponsors.
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Photographic Image of the Year Launching in June, the Photographic Image of the Year 2020 is the perfect platform to showcase your skills and creativity by submitting a show-stopping image or collection of images suitable for publication in a quality magazine. For more information on each of these events, visit nhbf.co.uk/events/ competitions
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ROUND -UP T HE NHBF
m Coming soon… ruit Recruitment and employmentt discrimination guide discr c Employers must ensure they comply with discrimination on laws when dealing with job applicants and employees. mp s. This includes key requirements, such as equal pa pay forr equal work, making reasonable adjustments forr di disabled led employees and maternity and parenting rights. Further details will be published on the NHBF website bsite soon.
WHAT’S NEW?
MEET A MEMBER Director of policy and public affairs toria Brownlie met with NHBF Victoria Member and board bo member Carolyn eeney at herr sal Sweeney salon Creations. Caroly th our newest Carolyn shared with team mem bo the trade. member all about
The NHBF has launched NHBF Rewards for Members. Whether it’s a day out with friends, the weekly grocery shop or renewing your car insurance, NHBF Rewards can save you money. There’s an exclusive range of big savings, handpicked for NHBF Members: SHOPPING – get discounts on mobile phones, Apple products and up to 8% cashback on retail purchases. TRAVEL – discounted package holidays, worldwide attractions and currency exchange. LIFESTYLE – save on cinema tickets, gym memberships, spa treatments and family days out. MOTORING – great savings on new cars, breakdown cover and car insurance. INSURANCE – savings on home, travel, life and health insurances. BUSINESS – get discounts on CV and interview coaching, IT training and emergency childcare. Members can also see how much they could save annually by using the bespoke Savings Calculator. Simply log in using your membership details to start making great savings today! *Terms and conditions apply to all benefits. Offers subject to change. See website for details. NHBF Rewards is managed on behalf of the NHBF by Parliament Hill Ltd.
The NHBF has also extended its range of FREE Member benefits, which now include: Hair health and safety pack downloads Beauty health and safety pack downloads Gift voucher cards and envelopes (P&P applies) Child’s first haircut certificates (P&P applies) Loyalty cards (P&P applies).
Director of m sh Tina membership Beaumont-Go dm Beaumont-Goddard met with NHBF Members A mst Alan Armstrong and Michael Embleton from The Salon at Pro Hair Live. Afterr the w wind, rain and snow the ha as had over the last few months, UK has Alan and Michael were interested in hearing about what to do if you have to shut your salon due to extreme weather conditions.
Employment contracts As a result of the Good Work Plan taking effect from 6 April, changes will be happening to all of our employment contracts. These changes will include hours of work, benefits, family leave and pay, other types of leave, and training. Employers are not required to provide all staff with new contracts unless one has been requested, although the NHBF
For more information, go to nhbf.co.uk/rewards
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recommends that it is good practice to issue staff with the latest contracts to keep in line with the most recent legislation. If new contracts are not provided but an employee requests one, the new contract must be provided within one month of request. Our latest guide and nd employment contracts ntracts will w be coming soon on – ffollow us @nhbfsocial al to be kept up to date with the latest news ws or keep an eye ye in your inbox ox for the NHBF HB e-newsletter. tt tter.
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TH E E N D 24 H O U R S W IT H . . .
ROBERT EATON 50
The creative director at Russell Eaton in Leeds and Barnsley was crowned British Hairdresser of the Year 2019. My alarm goes off at… 6am, normally, but I’m a bit of a snoozer and it depends on what time my daughter Pearl wakes up. From then on the house is crazy and we have a very busy morning routine getting ready for work and school drop-off.
Hairdressing was part of my upbringing… Being surrounded by the family business and working in the salon on Saturdays from age 11, I loved it straightaway and knew it was the career for me. Working with my family is great and there are so many positives to working with people who have the same vision of how we want to take our business forward. As with all families we have moments where we may disagree, but it’s generally not that often.
I’m inspired by… Working with my dad [Russell] is always a great inspiration as I was exposed to shows, events and shoots from an early age. Dad also has a strong
sense of respecting heritage and really gave me an appreciation of some of the icons in our industry.
entering awards. So I hope the next five will be as exciting and fulfilling – watch this space!
Winning British Hairdresser of the Year was amazing… I was so
Switching off is tough… I always work at least six days a week. I think anyone who runs a business would understand and agree. My spare time is taken up with my family and trying to relax!
shocked to have won it first time as I was so happy just to be nominated alongside such great names in the industry. It was a night I’ll never forget, and it is such a great feeling to have achieved one of my personal hairdressing goals; not only for me but for our family business.
But the journey is far from over… I feel I am now entering a very exciting stage of my career. I have always set myself goals every five years: 10 years ago, it was establishing our Leeds salon; this enabled the next five years to be more focused on creativity and
Bedtime is… I normally get to bed around 11pm. It can take me a while to switch off and sometimes it’s my only chance to scroll through social media and post my content – usually several hours too late!
Why I’m an NHBF Member… Russell Eaton salons have been NHBF Members for 10 years – their essential insight into important issues like tax, pay and employment are invaluable for independent salons, and they campaign on our behalf for the biggest issues in the industry.
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