SalonFocus Sept-Oct 2010

THE ESSENTIAL MAGAZINE FOR SALON OWNERS

Hairdressers falling prey to ‘payday’ lenders Prepare for pensions and payroll revolutions Alan Austin-Smith on creating a fantastic salon Momentum building for Britain’s Best

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2012 | £3.50

WAVELENGTH

Salons have a duty to recognise

the perils of ‘easy money’

Many hairdressing salons will be family-run businesses that its business loans are transparent and simply offer hardpressed entrepreneurs a short-term funding alternative. successfully pass down the generations. Many close-knit The worry is that salon owners who go down this route salon teams, too, even if not actually related by blood, and whose projections then prove over-optimistic or will think of themselves as “families”, with the salon owner where “events” somehow transpire to make meeting the acting almost as a parental influence, and certainly a repayments impossible, will risk slipping all too quickly mentor and guide, to their often young team of stylists. into an unsustainable spiral of debt. In an economic So the warning we report on page five by the environment where many high streets are already Consumer Credit Counselling Service (CCCS) that salon struggling, the arrival of payday lenders staff are among the most vulnerable to for business finance has the potential to aggressive “payday” lenders is worrying at a ‘In an economic be a very thin end of a very nasty wedge. number of levels.

On a more positive note, I do The, it must be stressed entirely environment where recommend you take the time to read legitimate, activities of payday lenders have been ringing alarm bells for some many high streets are Alan Austin-Smith’s advice on pages 28 and 29 on how to create not just a good time now, as evidenced by the fact they salon but a fantastic one. Hairdressing at are being investigated by the Office of Fair already struggling, its most basic level is not a complicated Trading, not to mention the warnings that the arrival of payday business model but getting it right, as have been made by organisations such Alan makes clear, is much more than as National Debtline and the consumer lenders for business just about being a good hairdresser. watchdog Which?.

It is about theatre and experience, It is also somewhat ironic that an finance has the delighting and surprising the client, as economic crisis caused in part by excessive potential to be a very well as sending them home with a great, and irresponsible lending by our banks has confident look. Even if your focus is just helped to spawn a high-profile industry thin end of a very surviving in this toughest of business that, many would argue, encourages climates, embedding this mindset is exactly the same sort of irresponsible, nasty wedge.’ something that will make a difference. dangerous worship of “easy money” by Alan will, of course, be sharing his those who can least afford it. expertise at conference next month and, if his “taster” in Salon owners cannot, of course, stop salon staff taking this edition is anything to go by, should be one not to miss. out payday loans, nor is it technically their responsibility to Finally, you may have noticed there’s no triumphalism pick up the pieces if they do so. But in the “parental” salon in this edition about June’s Trade Association Forum working environment owners can play an important role Best Practice Awards. That’d be because, and there’s no in offering wise counsel. There is a fine line between advice other way to put this, the NHF did not win in any of the and nannying but it is in everyone’s interest – for both the categories in which it was nominated. short and longer term good of the sector – to be creating Of course we were disappointed on the night, but once an environment where young staff feel confident enough that passed there were, on reflection, some positive lessons to come forward to broach concerns, ask for guidance or to take away. First, to my mind, it actually validated the real even admit to their financial woes. More practically, in a achievement and progress the NHF, and SalonFocus, made cash-based sector where it can also be relatively easy to in winning last year – these are tough awards not given out sell on product illegally should you be so minded, salon lightly. It also emphasised how simply being nominated as owners should be vigilant for signs staff may be getting a finalist this year – and don’t forget, in all three categories into difficulties or, even worse, at risk of the Federation entered – was a great achievement in itself, being tempted to do something out of one members should be proud of. Finally, I very much hope desperation, such as stealing from the it will act as a spur to all of us – the SalonFocus team, head business. office, NEC, regions, grassroots members – to keep pushing The fact Wonga, the payday lender forward as a Federation, to keep on raising the profile, with probably the highest public profile, professionalism and excellence of British hairdressing. That is now actively targeting the small business sector is simply further cause for in itself will be a reward (as opposed to an award) to savour. concern. There is, of course, an argument that, if high street banks are continuing to fail in their duty to support entrepreneurs then it is not surprising alternatives, however unpalatable they may appear, will spot an opportunity. Wonga argues

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SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2012 SALONFOCUS PAGE 3

CONTENTS OUR CONTRIBUTORS

05 06 08 09 10 11 14

25 26 28-29 30 32

18-21

12 12

03 06 11 16 22-24 33 34

News

Salon staff vulnerable to ‘payday’ lenders Salons warned to prepare for payroll change War of words over safety of laser treatments Salons urged to join review of apprenticeships Nicky Clarke eyes first overseas expansion Device to turn phones into payment terminals Analysis – what you need to know about chair renting and VAT

Features

Consult with confidence – getting the colour consultation right A world at your fingertips – how salon software is changing Good is not enough anymore – Alan AustinSmith on the fantastic salon Don’t be retiring about pensions – autoenrolment explained Living the look – creating a ‘uniform’ look

Karine Jackson is owner of Karine Jackson Hair & Beauty in London. She was Men’s Hairdresser of the Year finalist in the British Hairdressing Awards 2009, London Hairdresser of the Year in the 2007 awards and a finalist in the same category in 2008.

Alan AustinSmith is owner of The Fantastic Hairdresser in Chiswick, London, and became a hairdresser at the age of 16, working with Vidal Sassoon in his New Bond Street salon. At 23 he moved to L’Oréal becoming its youngest ever departmental head before starting The Fantastic Hairdresser Company, which is dedicated to teaching salon owners how to turn their creativity into a business.

Pure style – Purity, the latest collection from the NHF Inspire art team

Beauty

Regulars

Wavelength – salons have a duty to recognise the perils of ‘easy money’ HairClips – warning on solvents Movers and Groovers – Inspire mentoring day Cutting Brief – your legal problems solved Federation Focus – Central England and Wales pave way for Britain’s Best Events – key dates for your diary Britain’s Best – what you’ve been missing…

PAGE 4 SALONFOCUS SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2012

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

Graham Vidler is director of communications and engagement at NEST, the UK’s new national pension scheme

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Inspired

Skincare market booming, but at what price?

Beauty Spots – QVC ‘facewalk’

Gillian Dowling works for Croner as employment technical consultant

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NEWS

Salon staff among the most vulnerable to ‘payday’ lenders, says debt service

Exclusive

The hairdressing sector is one of the most vulnerable to aggressive “payday” lenders charging eye-watering rates of interest, amid growing concerns that a generation of young, low-paid salon staff are at particular risk of being sucked into a spiral of debt and money woes.

The warning by the Consumer Credit Counselling Service (CCCS) comes as payday lender Wonga has raised eyebrows in the sector by launching a new business loans service.

CCCS external affairs director Delroy Corinaldi told SalonFocus that, while the service did not formally monitor callers by sector, anecdotal evidence from its call handlers had identified hairdressing as a key area of concern.

“We receive around 350,000 calls a year and, within that, there are a high number of people working in hairdressing who call us because they have taken out a payday loan as well as having credit card debts,” he said.

This was normally people who simply needed money to tide them over to the end of the month or those who took advantage of “quick money” for a relatively trivial purchase, such as a new pair of shoes, without properly thinking it through.

“Three years ago you would never had heard of payday loans but now they are everywhere – you can’t turn on the TV without seeing their advertisements – they have become almost mainstream,” Delroy added.

Payday lenders such as Wonga and QuickQuid have become ubiquitous through their high-profile advertising campaigns, as well as the fact they charge very high rates of interest – sometimes more than 4,000 per cent APR – with the argument being that because the loans will normally be for small amounts and over a very short timeframe they are still affordable.

In an intense, close-knit salon

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DELROY CORINALDI: DEBT WORRIES

WONGA: BUSINESS LOANS

environment owners should watch out for signs of stress or for employees taking a lot of “difficult” calls during the day, which could be a sign of lenders chasing them, advised Delroy. Owners should also be alert to youngsters acting out of character or even, in desperation, stealing from them.

“Unmanageable debt can have a massive effect on someone’s ability to hold down a job, especially if they’re very young and don’t have that much experience of managing their own money or it is their first wage,” he said.

A survey by consumer watchdog Which? in May found a third of people who had used payday lenders admitted it had simply deepened their financial problems as they had not been able to pay the money back on time.

The debt counselling charity National Debtline said in May it had seen a huge rise in the number of calls about payday

loans, from 288 in August 2010 to 1,547 in March this year. The Office of Fair Trading also launched a review into payday lending earlier this year.

The fact Wonga is now moving into business loans has caused some concern within the sector.

The lender launched the Wonga for Business service in May, targeting owners of small businesses and offering loans of between £3,000 and £10,000.

Money, it said, could be in salons’ accounts in anything from 15 minutes to 24 hours, with “a risk-based pricing structure” meaning fees and interest rates would vary from business to business.

A spokeswoman told SalonFocus: “Applicants will always know the actual cost in pounds and pence before agreeing to a loan. Wonga for Business is a fast and flexible alternative that is designed to be a short-term alternative to bridge a short-term funding gap.”

Weekly interest charges range from 0.3 per cent to two per cent, plus a variable arrangement fee of one per cent to five per cent. This meant a £10,000 loan taken out over 52 weeks at weekly interest of two per cent would cost £10,400 in interest alone.

However, NHF president Mark Coray urged salon owners to think very carefully before going down this route.

Working with your existing bank to extend overdraft or credit facilities might take longer to agree but in the long run would normally be a much more preferable option, he advised.

Karine Jackson, owner of Karine Jackson Hair & Beauty in Covent Garden, in London’s West End, also dismissed the idea as “a desperate way to run your business, and not very business savvy”.

Anyone concerned about debt, either their own or someone else’s, should contact National Debtline on 0808 808 4000, the CCCS on 0800 138 1111 or their local Citizens’ Advice Bureau.

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2012 SALONFOCUS PAGE 5

NEWS

Salons warned to prepare

for payroll ‘banana skin’ Salon owners are being warned to start preparing for a major change in the law around how payrolls operate that will come into force next year.

HM Revenue & Customs is introducing Real Time Information (RTI) from April 2013 which is designed to streamline Pay as You Earn (PAYE).

At the moment employers can issue PAYE information at their payroll year end using electronic versions of the P35 and P60 forms.

Under RTI, however, firms will be required to send this payroll data via the HMRC’s online “Government Gateway” on or before the date each employee is paid.

Any business not currently submitting electronically will under the new regime be required to make this transition.

Another sting in the tail is that employers that fail to comply with RTI will risk incurring a minimum penalty of £100 per week for each late or nonsubmission per 50 employees. Penalties will increase depending on employee numbers and the duration of a late submission, HMRC has stressed.

NHF finance director Simon Thomson said: “The new RTI system is coming into effect next year and our strong advice to members is don’t ignore it, especially those salons that do not currently use payroll software, as a full review of payroll records will be essential.

“Our main concern is that salon owners don’t leave things too late, as delaying could prove time consuming, costly and disruptive. It is important to be getting started on the preparation so salons will be in a position to submit RTI data to HMRC electronically,” Simon said.

“Another important point to note is that the transition to RTI will be mandatory for all employers by JOANNE NIEMAN: October 2013, and DON’T DELAY

PAGE 6 SALONFOCUS SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2012

failure to meet that deadline may result in fines. The NHF between now and next October will be working with members to raise awareness so salons fully understand their new responsibilities and take the right actions,” he added.

However Simon emphasised that RTI will only affect the submission of payroll information, the payment arrangements themselves will remain unchanged.

Law firm Mitchell Charlesworth has also warned small businesses about the change.

Payroll manager Joanne Nieman said: “This is the most significant change to payroll in many years. If firms are not careful it could be a nasty banana skin.”

What should you do?

Members can prepare for RTI in four key areas, said Simon Thomson.

• Consider submitting employee data to HMRC before RTI goes “live” to give you time to correct any inaccurate or incomplete data.

• Update, improve and maintain existing data, such as ensuring dates of birth, full names and addresses of employees on your payroll are accurate.

• Contact your payroll software supplier or payroll provider to ensure they can deliver on RTI – they may also be able to help with specific questions.

• Review your banking arrangements and consider whether you need to upgrade your BACS facility to accommodate RTI. A number of commercial software payroll providers provide free products for employers.

If you have nine employees or fewer you can use HMRC’s free basic PAYE tools. HMRC is offering a new version to download once a firm has been invited to operate PAYE in real time.

Further information on RTI can be found at www.hmrc.gov.uk/rti

HAIRCLIPS SOLVENTS WARNING

Pregnant women exposed to organic solvents at work could have a slightly higher chance of having a baby with a heart defect, a medical study has shown.

The US research, published in the journal Occupational and Environmental Medicine, identified hairdressers and nail bar workers as potentially at risk. However the study stressed the level of risk was very small and it was even impossible to be absolutely sure exposure to chemicals in the workplace was to blame.

TRIBUNAL FEES

Fees for bringing a case to an employment tribunal are to be introduced from next summer, the government has said. Claimants who want to take an unfair dismissal, equal pay or discrimination case to a full hearing (known as level 2) will have to pay a fee of £1,200, payable in advance. However, people on low incomes or benefits will be able to apply to be exempted meaning where someone has been sacked and has not yet got a new job, no fee will apply.

APPRENTICE IGNORANCE

The vast majority of salon owners are unaware the government is offering small businesses a potential windfall of up to £1,500 to take on apprentices. A survey of 1,000 businesses

by Skills Solutions, the training provider for Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce, found 80 per cent of the salon bosses polled were ignorant of the scheme, launched last November.

However, as SalonFocus revealed at the time (SalonFocus, January/ February 2012), the incentive is only on offer to businesses that have never before hired an apprentice, therefore in effect ruling out most salons anyway.

RUSH WIFI

Hair and beauty group RUSH Hair is to offer free WiFi to its customers after signing a deal with WiFi provider The Cloud. The deal covers all of its 66 salons across London and the south of England. It will mean customers will be able to access the internet on their smartphones and tablet computers during appointments.

HABIA AGREEMENTS

Standards-setting body Habia has launched a set of online Apprenticeship Agreements, or “deeds”, that cover legal requirements for learners and employers and comply with the Apprenticeships, Children, Schools and Learning (ASCL) Act 2009 in England. They can be ordered online from www. habia.org/apprenticeships.

HOLIDAY RULING

Workers who fall sick while off on annual leave should be able to reclaim and retake their holiday leave at a later date, the European Court of Justice has ruled.

The ruling is a confirmation of an original decision made back in 2009 and will come into effect from October.

SCOTS TOOLKIT

The Confederation of British Industry in Scotland has developed a “toolkit” for businesses to assess what, if any, impact Scottish independence might have on them. The Scottish government has said it intends to hold a referendum in 2014, and the CBI document raises hypothetical questions around taxes, regulation and other concerns businesses might need to be thinking about should it become a reality.

NEWS

New war of words over

safety of laser treatments combat wrinkles, thread The beauty industry and veins, hair removal and skin cosmetic surgeons are at resurfacing. loggerheads again over the “You only have to see use of lasers in high street one person who has... been salons. scarred for life by someone Tensions have always using a laser inappropriately been high between the two to realise these are not sides but escalated when necessarily lunchtime the government swept away treatments while you are regulation of non-surgical buying a new pair of shoes,” use of lasers nearly two added Kevin. years ago.

KEVIN HANCOCK: The BAAPs is trying Now a new war of CONCERNS to get use of lasers rewords has broken out, with regulated, but admits it is surgeons arguing salons probably on to a hiding are potentially risking to nothing, especially clients’ health, and the considering the costs beauty industry responding involved of regulation. by accusing surgeons of Kevin said the protectionism.

European Committee for Kevin Hancock, Standardisation, which consultant plastic surgeon examines European trading and a council member of standards, was looking at the British Association of the issue and there would Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons “almost certainly” be (BAAPs), has said that, while standards introduced for the medical fraternity has JULIE SPEED: REBUTTAL such treatments, which in no problem with lasers “for turn would force the UK to something like hair removal” address the issue. in salons with appropriate However, when pressed premises and using properly trained staff, it still has serious concerns in about the number of patients who had suffered burns or other problems general about high street, cosmetic laser from laser treatments in salons, he also treatments. admitted he suspected it was relatively “The point we are trying to make is small in proportion to the total number of that these types of treatment fall into treatments. a sort of grey area between beauty The Confederation of International treatments and medical treatments, and Beauty Therapy and Cosmotology has consequently it seems as if the boundary struck back by unveiling a new intense is constantly trying to be pushed further pulsed light (IPL) and laser qualification, and further,” he told SalonFocus. which is expected to be launched this Botched treatments where people autumn. have reportedly been left scarred for life Julie Speed, director of operations have been highlighted in the national for the British Association of Beauty press, yet at the same time there Therapy and Cosmetology, told appears to be soaring demand from SalonFocus she was concerned opposition the general public for laser services to

PAGE 8 SALONFOCUS SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2012

to the industry from surgeons was just a way of maintaining their monopoly “as it appears to be a high income stream for them”.

She added: “For this reason, certain sectors and health professionals resort to discredit beauty therapists once again who take their training, skills, careers and client safety very seriously.”

Accountability and blanket optimum training was the way forward, regardless of profession. “We stand firmly by this,” she said.

Jonathan Staiano, a consultant plastic, reconstructive and aesthetic surgeon at BMI Priory Hospital in Birmingham, strongly denied the stance by surgeons on the beauty industry was “sour grapes”.

He said: “This is an attempt to educate the public that treatments such as laser are medical procedures. Just because they are being used for cosmetic purposes does not make them any less significant.

You would not go to the high street for any other aspect of your medical care, so why for this?

“At the end of the day, it is your body and your health and cosmetic treatments must be treated in the same way as other medical treatments that you may need or choose to have,” he added.

Hellen Ward, managing director of Richard Ward Hair & Metrospa in south-west London, provides IPL for hair removal and is planning to introduce laser.

However, she conceded she would only let her spa director perform the treatment because “you have to be careful with it”.

She cautioned: “I’ve heard of salons and a lot of things about girls who don’t do it correctly, and don’t know it can blind you, so that concerns me greatly. I still think the whole time we are unregulated there’s room for disaster.”

NEWS

Salons urged to get involved

in major review of apprenticeships members to get The NHF has issued involved, either by a “call to arms” to contributing to the members to get Federation’s survey involved in what is or by submitting being seen as the most evidence directly significant review of themselves. apprenticeships and “This is an vocational training opportunity for in England since the everyone in our 1980s. industry to shape The government the future direction in June announced of apprenticeships. it was appointing For years the NHF entrepreneur Doug has been arguing Richard to undertake TRAINING: GOVERNMENT apprenticeships a wholesale review APPRENTICESHIP REVIEW need to become less of apprenticeships in classroom-based England, with a “call for and more focused on the skills that evidence” closing in the next couple are really required on the salon floor – of weeks. this I hope will be a chance to make a The review, which will report real difference,” he said. in the autumn, will aim to cover The call for evidence concludes a number of questions about on September 7. vocational qualifications (below) that Salon owners wishing to submit the NHF, as the biggest employer evidence direct to the review can body within the hairdressing write to the Richard Review of industry, has long argued need to be Apprenticeships, 2nd Floor SPUR 1, addressed.

Department for Business, Innovation The Federation will be submitting evidence to the inquiry and in August & Skills, 1 Victoria Street, London, SW1H 0ET. launched a survey of members to Or submissions can be emailed to: gauge their views.

RichardReview@bis.gsi.gov.uk NHF president Mark Coray urged

The Richard Review questions: The remit of the review as a whole is wide-ranging, but some key questions likely to be of particular relevance to salons are: •

What should be the aims and objectives of apprenticeships?

•

Who should apprenticeships be for?

•

How can we ensure training offered really reflects employers’ needs?

•

What role should qualifications play in an apprenticeship, and how can we ensure these qualifications are fit for purpose?

•

What should be the role of employers?

•

Who should pay for what?

•

How can we ensure value for money for government investment in apprenticeships?

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NHF leads Euro lobby on health and safety The NHF has gathered unprecedented panindustry support in its campaign to get European politicians to reject proposed draconian health and safety rules that could cost the industry millions of pounds.

JOSÉ MANUEL A consortium of the BARROSO: EU LETTER NHF, standards-setting body Habia, the Guild of Hairdressers, the Fellowship for British Hairdressing and the Hairdressing Council lobbied three key European politicians in July to highlight their concerns about the proposals.

Letters were sent to European Commission president José Manuel Barroso, vice-president Antonio Tajani and to Laszlo Andor, the European commissioner for employment, social affairs and inclusion.

The proposals put forward earlier this year

by European salon bosses through EU Coiffure and hairdressing trade union Uni Europa Hair & Beauty, could cost the industry as much as £75m in a worst-case scenario, the UK’s Health and Safety Executive has warned (SalonFocus, July/August 2012).

In the letters, the NHF highlighted the fact there is already “very comprehensive” EU health and safety legislation in place to cover these issues and the proposals, in many instances, had the potential to create further health and safety problems (such as gloves trapping moisture that, in turn, could cause skin problems) and/or lead to expensive and excessive duplication.

The burden they would potentially place on salons would be “disproportionate”, could compromise growth and potentially lead to job losses in a sector that traditionally employed many women, the Federation added.

It argued the case for any new agreement to be framed as an “autonomous agreement”, or one that allowed businesses the flexibility to implement the measures that worked best for them.

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2012 SALONFOCUS PAGE 9

NEWS

Nicky Clarke eyes first overseas expansion…

Exclusive

Nicky Clarke, the eponymous salon group fronted by one of the biggest names in the business, has divulged plans for an unprecedented overseas expansion.

In an exclusive interview with SalonFocus, managing director Lesley Clarke said she was in talks about opening master franchises in India and the Middle East – with Dubai a hot favourite.

“We are looking at 10 salons in India and four in the Middle East,” Lesley said.

“There’s only about four territories it could possibly be in.”

Abu Dhabi was among the options being considered for the Middle East, while Lesley said she had also visited Oman.

“India’s a bit different from the Middle East because it’s vast and you have different communities very far apart,” she added.

Parts of eastern Europe, such as Estonia and the Czech Republic, are also on the Nicky Clarke hit list.

On top of this the company has developed new training and operations manuals designed for use by master franchises or individual franchisees.

“We’ve done all the groundwork, we’ve invested in all the training manuals – now hopefully, for all our outlay, we will get some return. We’ve invested an awful lot of money into it – hundreds of thousands,” Lesley said.

The expansion is significant because it would be Nicky Clarke’s first overseas move. The chain currently has four salons in London, Leeds, Manchester and Birmingham.

The London salon has recently moved from Mount Street in Mayfair to a unit in nearby Carlos Place, after landlord Grosvenor Estate tripled the £160,000 a year rent. The new site is also owned by Grosvenor.

“We looked at many properties. There were hardly any available in Mayfair. We wanted to stay in Mayfair and eventually this one came up a few yards from the old salon,” explained Lesley.

The Leeds salon has recently moved too, from King Edward Street in the city to Queens Arcade, again for rent reasons.

“The rent was going sky high and

PAGE 10 SALONFOCUS SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2012

we were already paying about £100,000 a year in rent and rates – very high for a Leeds-based hairdressing salon. We can’t command the same sort of prices we command in London although we are probably the highest hairdressing salon there. It was a very high rent for us to be paying,” Lesley told SalonFocus.

The London salon has around 26 styling positions, two beauty rooms and a VIP room. The Leeds one has 26 styling positions but the scope to develop further because it is substantially larger than the salon it replaced.

Among other developments, the company has just launched a new range of premium-priced wet products, priced at between £10 and £22.

By Andrew Don

NICKY CLARKE: INDIA AND MIDDLE EAST

… as entrepreneur sees

Europe’s kids as growth market “quirky” mirrors, A newly opened fashion items, south-west London accessories, games children-centric salon and televisions. has revealed ambitious It offers plans to franchise its children’s parties, brand in Paris, London including “Ballerina” and Rome. parties for girls Entrepreneur with hairdressing, Clemence de Crecy, manicures and who launched Bigoodi BIGOODI: FRANCHISING pedicures, light – French for “roller” – in make-up and Kapla Parsons Green in May, parties for boys, focused on the French told SalonFocus she hoped to open building game another London salon, in Bermondsey, Hairdressing charges are £15 for within the next few months. under-twos and £30 for two years old “Having two or three in London would be great, two or three in Paris and and upwards, with nail art at £8 using non-toxic water-based nail products. two or three in Rome in the next five The salon, which has seven styling years,” she predicted. positions and charges £25-£35 a head The children’s market was relatively for kids’ parties, opens seven days a untapped compared with Italy and the week, although it just offers the retail US, where the biggest brand, Snip-its, element on Mondays. has about 70 branches, she added.

Other specialist UK children’s salons Bigoodi describes its influence as include Happy Faces Children’s Hair “Parisian exclusive and quirky boutiques Salon in Clapham, south west London, in the fashionable area of Le Marais”.

Fidgets in Whitley Bay, Tyne & Wear and It incorporates “fun chairs”, that Snips at Snakes & Ladders children’s resemble American cars, airplanes or adventure indoor playground in Ipswich. princess thrones, playroom, nail bar,

NEWS

Device to turn salon phones MOVERS&GROOVERS

into payment terminals A device that can turn a hairdresser’s iPhone or iPad into a debit and credit card payment terminal is poised to be tested in the UK. Swedish start-up iZettle CLIVE KAHN: launched the CARD USE small plastic card reader at the end of last year in its own country but told SalonFocus it was now actively targeting the UK market.

The device clicks into the charging socket of hand-held Apple devices and turns them into payment terminals.

Stewart Roberts, managing director of iZettle UK, told SalonFocus the company planned to launch an Android solution in Sweden this summer and was in turn aiming to bring this to the UK at the beginning of next year.

The device, which has Europay, MasterCard and VISA approval, costs £25 but the company is marketing it with a voucher that pays for the first £20 of fees.

The company takes a 2.75 per cent slice of each transaction, although there is no set-up or monthly fee or minimum transaction amount. Merchants can receive a maximum £2,500 of payments daily and a maximum single payment up to £1,000, it added.

The use of mobile devices, whether to pay for salon services or to accept payment, is still very much in its infancy.

New “wave and pay” technology that can turn a mobile phone into a “digital wallet” is being piloted by a number of retailers but, as yet, can only be used for relatively small transactions (SalonFocus, November/December 2011).

However, technology experts are predicting this is an area that could see explosive growth in time.

David Maisey, managing director of Chip & Pin Solutions, said: “Retailers are still very much testing the water on this at the moment. The size of transaction is gradually going up. It was £15 but now it is £20, which will soon start to make

www.nhf.info

it something of interest to hairdressing salons. More and more retailers are joining the bandwagon, and more consumers will expect it.”

Clive Kahn, chief executive iZETTLE: SMARTPHONE of Cardsave, OR TABLET PAYMENT a specialist in card payment solutions for small businesses, said salons that did not accept payment by plastic were increasingly finding themselves out of kilter with the rest of the high street.

“With the boundaries of card payment technology being constantly pushed, there is little reason for hair specialists, from large salons to one-man bands not to offer card payment to their customers.”

However, latest evidence from the British Retail Consortium has also shown a surprising resurgence in payment by cash during the economic downturn.

Its annual Cost of Payment Collection survey found cash was now being used in 5.7 per cent more transactions last year compared with the previous year.

In a separate development, salon owners are being reminded that if they move into “e-marketing” with emailbased mailshots and campaigns they must also offer consumers the option to opt out, or risk being on the receiving end of a £5,000 fine.

Tom Bentley-Taylor, chief executive of software firm Shortcuts, pointed out that the Data Protection Act of 2008 made it illegal for firms engaging in electronic marketing not to offer this.

“At the moment many salons do not realise that if you send out electronic marketing you need to offer the client the option to opt out.

“The Data Protection Act specifies businesses must offer this and must not respond to that person if they opt out. A lot of salons send out communications that are technically in breach of that,” he added.

INSPIRE MENTORING DAY HOB GOES MANLY The NHF’s Inspire artistic team attended an educational technical day in June with Nathan Walker, international technical director and head of technical education at mentors the Trevor Sorbie Art Team. The team watched Nathan demonstrate four looks from the Trevor Sorbie ID Collection and then recreated them themselves.

BHBA FINALISTS

The finalists for this year’s British Hairdressing Business Awards have been announced. The awards cover 16 categories and will be revealed on Monday September 17 at the Lancaster London Hotel.

The full list of finalists can be found at: http://www. hji.co.uk/blogs/2012/07/ hjs-2012-british-hairdressing. html

GAY KITEMARK

A group promoting equality in the workplace among lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) employees is hoping salons in Barnsley will get behind an embryonic new “kitemark”, and that eventually it might be rolled out across the country. The Barnsley Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Forum’s Rainbow Tick accreditation scheme costs £10 a year for businesses with fewer than 14 staff, rising to £150 for salons with 15 employees or more.

Accredited salons will be actively promoted within the LGBT community, it said.

HOB Salons opened a dedicated men’s grooming salon in June to take its portfolio to 24 salons. The HOB Man salon in the Brent Cross Shopping Centre in north west London is being run as a franchise by barber Adam Carvin. It will offer services including men’s cut and finish, brush-on colour services, men’s treatments and hot towel shaves.

PINK FRIDAYS CALL

Hairdressing salons are being urged to take part in charity Breast Cancer Care’s “Pink Fridays” initiative during October. The charity is encouraging people to wear pink, eat pink or party pink to raise money during the month. More details can be found at: www. breastcancercare.org.uk/ pinkfridays

DOUBLE AWARDS The “IT List” Awards by Creative Head magazine will be held on Monday September 3 at the Royal Courts of Justice in London.

The awards aim to celebrate the best and brightest of UK hairdressing, all aged under 30. The magazine’s “Most Wanted” Grand Final will be held at the same time.

GOLDWELL SEMINAR

A group of Goldwell salons were treated to a day of brand-boosting PR and social media advice during July.

The event included a talk

by Sam Field, manager of public relations firm KPSS, on how to identify key messages, develop a brand and communicate with the press while in the afternoon Jo Gifford of social media and design agency Cherry Sorbet explained how Facebook can be used to promote a business and create a salon fan club.

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2012 SALONFOCUS PAGE 11

NEWS

Skincare market is booming,

but at what price?

BEAUTY

SPOTS

QVC ‘FACEWALK’

Shopping channel QVC ran what it billed as the world’s first “facewalk” in June, or catwalk celebrating beauty rather than fashion. The runway show was part of the channel’s “Beauty Month”.

CELEBRITY DREAMERS

The UK’s skincare market is defying the economic gloom, and is even poised to break through the £1bn turnover mark next year, with facial skincare now one of the biggest and fastest growing beauty categories, latest research has suggested.

However, a separate study has argued that, five years on from the credit crunch and with the economic outlook still deeply uncertain, 40 per cent of Britons are still happy to slap beauty and grooming purchases on to their credit cards, raising concerns this growth may be coming at a longer term financial cost.

The Here Comes the Science report by Mintel and L’Oréal estimated the UK skincare market was worth £956m last year.

More than half of the women polled said they believed the claims made for their skincare brand, while four out of ten used products specifically to protect their skin from the environment, sun and pollution.

Cleaning skin was the top motivator for consumers to use skincare products, cited by 62 per cent, although for more than half “looking after dry skin” was their main motivator.

Other reasons included “age” (37 per cent) and “for wrinkles” (36 per cent). Age awareness started to become a purchasing factor at around the age of 25, and nearly half of all those polled said they used anti-wrinkle eye creams.

When it came to facial skincare, moisturisers and treatments were now worth £249m, cleansers £179m, lip salves £41m, masks £10m

PAGE 12 SALONFOCUS SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2012

and toners for £9m, it added. Nine out of 10 said they used facial skincare products and cleansing creams, while eight out of 10 said the same about make-up removers.

The Mintel/L’Oréal study, published in July, came as a poll by internet comparison site Confused.com suggested 35 per cent of adults were spending more than they could afford, with four out of 10 using credit cards for beauty and grooming purchases.

More than one in 10 – 11 per cent – even argued they considered fake tan to be an “essential” expense.

Many men, too, were now viewing imageenhancing purchases as something they could not live without.

A total of 14 per cent of men agreed waxing was an “essential” part of their grooming regime, with 10 per cent in London saying the same thing about Botox.

Nerys Lewis, head of credit cards at Confused.com, warned people not to be loading themselves up too much with debt, especially on these sorts of purchases.

“We would urge people to think carefully about what’s essential versus what’s desirable when it comes to using their cards for buying things such as fake tan.

“People should ensure they have a solid plan in place for paying back any debt, and if anyone is struggling, they can speak to a specialist debt advice organisation such as Citizens’ Advice,” she added.

The UK’s “dream woman” would combine Cheryl Cole’s hair and eyelashes, Katie Price’s tan, Rihanna’s nails and Angelina Jolie’s lips, according to a poll of 1,500 hair and beauty professionals by hair and beauty supplier Salon Services.

NAIL BAR APP

A new app has been launched to help clients find their nearest UK nail salon. The free download Daily Nail Salon Locator app lists more than 800 salons and has been created by Birmingham salon owner Tony Teano of the Nails 4 U franchise.

HOLIDAY WARNING

A law firm issued a warning to holiday-makers over the summer to be wary of using unregulated hair salons and beauty therapists while away from home. Personal injury solicitors NewLaw said holidaymakers booking treatments needed to check first the salon was regulated and fully insured.

TALENTED TOMATOES Eating tomatoes can help keep you younger looking, scientists have suggested. Lycopene, the natural pigment in tomatoes that makes them red, also helps to protect against sunburn and skin ageing caused by sunlight exposure, a research team from Newcastle University told the Royal Society of Medicine in June.

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ANALYSIS

Chair renting and VAT: what you need to know There has been some confusion around March’s Budget announcement that the law covering chair rentals is changing from October. Sally Atkins explains exactly what it all means.

Chair renting is not just about the chair in front of the mirror. The charge a chair renting stylist pays to the salon includes a range of other services, such as the use of washbasins, the services of a junior, reception, storeroom, booking/payment facilities and so on.

It is this that is at the heart of the recent Budget announcement about VAT and chair renting.

Clarification

In fact, what the government has done is not change the law at all. It is simply a clarification and tightening of the existing law.

Current HMRC policy, supported

by VAT tribunals, is that the supply of facilities to a hairdresser is standard-rated for VAT purposes.

Where some confusion has arisen is that the rental of a designated area of space that allows a licensee exclusive occupation, which in law is known as a “right over land”, is exempt from VAT. But the distinction with chair renting is that the stylist is not just getting space, he or she is also acquiring a whole range of facilities.

As HMRC has stated: “The supply to a hairdresser of the facilities to carry out a hairdressing business is not a supply of land and is already taxable according to current policy and case law. However some salon owners continue to get this wrong and treat this as an exempt supply of land.”

So what will this mean for salons in practice?

VAT-registered salons will see probably Sally Atkins is a little change, as they VAT consultant at will simply have to Wolters Kluwer, carry on charging VAT owner of Croner, on chair rentals. operator of the Unregistered NHF’s Legal Lifeline

PAGE 14 SALONFOCUS SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2012

salons, however, will now have to include chair rentals in the total value of taxable sales. This of course may affect their turnover and so they will need to gauge whether they as a result now exceed the VAT registration limit.

Get advice

Salons that have been incorrectly exempting chair rentals should speak to their accountant as a matter of urgency about correcting their position with HMRC. It should be noted this measure is not intended to tax the rent of a whole floor, separate room or clearly defined area by a salon to a stylist – unless services are provided such as laundry, booking and reception services.

If these are also provided then the charge is treated the same as normal chair rental and is standard-rated because there is a bundle of services being supplied. This will apply whether it is the salon owner supplying the extra services or a connected party.

Furthermore, the rental of a separate designated area to a beautician, say, will remain exempt unless the salon owner has opted to tax the premises.

However, care should be taken with nail technicians, as they are less likely to have a separate room and more likely to have a table in the general salon area which amounts to standard-rated facilities akin to a chair rental agreement.

If in doubt, take advice. Guidance on setting up a chair rental agreement and draft contracts can be obtained direct from the NHF and don’t forget our team of VAT experts are always on hand to discuss your queries and concerns.

They can be contacted 8am-6pm Monday to Friday on 0844 5618180. You just need to quote scheme number 82135 and your NHF membership number.

What HMRC has said HMRC, in guidance published in the wake of the Budget, has made it clear that, although a licence to occupy land remains VAT exempt (under what is known as Item 1 of Group 1 of Schedule 9 of the VAT Act 1994), because a chair renter receives much more than just a licence to occupy that space, this becomes VATable at the standard rate.

Businesses operating below the VAT threshold may well incur “irrecoverable” VAT. In other words, because they are not registered for VAT they will be unable to reclaim any VAT that has had to be charged, and so may be forced to pass this on in the form of higher prices. Alternatively they may simply decide they now have little option but to become VAT registered.

For the vast majority of salons, this move will be about levelling the competitive playing field, it has added.

“It is estimated to affect under 1,000 hairdressing salons that have incorrectly treated land supplied together with other services as VAT exempt and under 5,000 selfemployed businesses receiving these services and unable to recover the VAT,” HMRC stated.

The NHF will explain it all…

The Federation intends to hold a special seminar for members later this autumn running through the changes and explaining the implications of the new chair renting VAT regime for salon owners.

The exact date and venue has yet to be confirmed but spaces will be limited so, if you think you might be interested in attending, head office is looking to gather expressions of interest.

Call 0845 345 6500, 01234 831965 or email sfenquiries@salonfocus.co.uk, putting “VAT seminar” in the title.

CUTTING BRIEF

Your legal problems

solved

Gillian Dowling from Croner, operator of the NHF’s Legal Lifeline, answers your questions

Does an employee who has raised a complaint of bullying and harassment have any right to see the notes taken during investigatory interviews with witnesses?

Your grievance process should be as open and transparent as possible and your investigation process will be essential to deciding whether to uphold the grievance or not. Unlike a disciplinary hearing there is no need to present the employee with the investigation notes or any other information upon which your decision is based.

Instead, you would be expected to communicate with the employee whether the grievance was found to be valid or not and provide relevant assurances that appropriate action has been or will be taken.

If the employee is dissatisfied with the outcome he/she has the right to appeal and should the individual make a relevant request under data protection principles it will be appropriate, at that point, to provide access to the relevant documents. But you may need to retract any anonymous confidential information and you would only need to provide information which relates to and identifies that individual.

We employ a stylist to work Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. She has recently announced she is pregnant and so far she has booked all of her antenatal appointments on Thursdays or Fridays, rather than any of her non-working days. Can we require her to arrange to visit on non-working days and only agree to time off for medical appointments with a doctor or midwife?

You can ask your employees if they could arrange their appointments on their days off, however, where this is not possible, you would need to allow a pregnant employee reasonable paid time off to attend their antenatal appointments (which includes travel to and from any appointment where appropriate).

Where a booked appointment falls at a difficult time, and this is happening regularly, you can discuss with the employee the possibility of rearranging the appointment, outlining the difficulties it is causing for the rest of the team, but you could not insist.

If you suspect the employee is not telling you the correct time or date of an appointment, you may wish to ask for proof of appointments. With the exception of the first appointment, you are entitled to ask for evidence of appointments, and the employee should be prepared to show an appointment card or some other document showing an appointment has been made.

Care should be taken to make sure a pregnant employee does not feel victimised, therefore if you decide to ask for

PAGE 16 SALONFOCUS SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2012

appointment cards, you should apply this practice to all employees within the salon.

Antenatal appointments cover any appointments made on the advice of a registered medical practitioner, registered midwife or registered health visitor. Antenatal care is not restricted to medical examinations; it may also include things such as relaxation, or parent craft classes. Employees are entitled to reasonable time off to attend all of these appointments.

One of our employees went off on maternity leave 11 months ago. Someone has mentioned she would have to give us eight weeks notice of her return. If this is the case she will be off for more than 52 weeks, is this right?

Provided the correct notification procedures are complied with all employees are entitled to take 52 weeks maternity leave and, unless anything to the contrary is agreed prior to the employee going off on maternity leave, it is assumed she will return after the full 52 weeks. It is advisable to send a communication to this effect before the employee begins maternity leave.

If she wishes to return before that then she will need to give eight weeks notice of the earlier return date. However, there is no need to give notice of return if the employee intends to take her full entitlement and you should simply expect them to return after 52 weeks.

If the employee fails to present themselves for work once the 52 weeks have passed you should then investigate the reason behind their absence and establish whether they intend to return.

What the Legal Lifeline offers you: • •

24/7 employment-related queries Advice and commercial matters, 9am-5pm Monday to Friday Access to the Legal Lifeline is available by calling 01234 834389. Alternatively NHF members can log on to www.nhf.info. A full summary of cover can be found on the reverse of your legal card carrier or by logging onto to www.nhf.info/membershipbenefits/legalsupport.

The NHF operates a “fair use policy” for the lifeline.

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

INSPIRED

Pure style Purity, the latest collection from the NHF Inspire art team Hair: NHF Inspire art team Photography: John Rawson Stylist: Jared Green Make-up: James O’Riley

PAGE 18 SALONFOCUS SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2012

INSPIRED

www.nhf.info

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2012 SALONFOCUS PAGE 19

INSPIRED

PAGE 20 SALONFOCUS SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER JULY/AUGUST 2012 2012

INSPIRED

www.nhf.info

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2012 SALONFOCUS PAGE 21

Central England and Wales pave the way for

Britain’s Best

The innovative use of email-based voting at two of the highlights of the NHF regional calendar – the Central England Awards and the Welsh Open Championships – has served as a valuable springboard to this autumn’s Britain’s Best Competition, organisers say.

Both events, held in May, successfully used email-based voting for the first time, with Federation members predicting the lessons they learned will prove useful for Britain’s Best in November as well as future regional events.

The Central England Awards, held at Aston Villa Football Club on May 14, attracted more than 11,500 email votes from around the region.

“The idea was simply to get everyone involved. We sent out 20,000 flyers to hairdressers in the region to give out to clients and encourage them to vote,” said Colin Gardner, Central England NHF secretary.

“It was really successful in that it got everyone talking about their salon and customers talking about their stylists.

It also helped to raise awareness of the NHF because, obviously, people were seeing it on the flyers and wanting to know more about it.

“I hope it will be really useful in terms of creating momentum ahead of Britain’s Best. We certainly have learned a lot to make next year’s competition even better and more interactive,” he added.

There were awards in 21 categories, with notable winners including SalonFocus columnist Beverly C who won Celebrity Hairdresser of the Year

PAGE 22 SALONFOCUS SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2012

and Trevor Sorbie, who was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award.

Salon of the Year was Syer Hair and Beauty in Sutton Coldfield, Hairdresser of the Year was Andi Needham of Josephs Hair Team in Tamworth, while Mark Leeson and Umberto Gianinni were inducted into the NHF “Hall of Fame” and Val Young and Gillian Lydster received NHF silver medals.

An additional bonus was that a charity auction at the show raised more than £1,000 for Trevor Sorbie’s My New Hair cancer charity.

The Welsh show, at the Coal Exchange in Cardiff Bay on May 20, included a “Shoot and Send” competition open to hairdressers and stylists of all levels, with entrants able to showcase images taken on their mobile phones.

Carl Hinder, Welsh region officer and owner of Hair.com in Caerphilly, predicted the popularity of the Shoot and Send approach would see it expand rapidly.

“It was a completely new kind of competition and I believe it is just going to grow and grow. I think it will be the biggest growth element of our competition for the next two years.

Younger entrants said they really enjoyed it,” he said.

The competition attracted around 100 entrants, with 14 being taken through to the final shortlist at the Coal Exchange.

“One thing we have learned this time round is that you we really need to encourage people to send in better quality pictures as otherwise it can make

Credit: www.frankshiptonphotography.co.uk

FEDERATION FOCUS

WELSH OPEN CHAMPIONSHIPS: POPULAR

the judging quite hard. The other thing it is important to make clear is the entry fee.

“For us, while it was free to enter, finalists attending on the day were charged a £5 per person fee. So you need to make sure there’s not confusion around that. It has been a valuable learning process. And I am sure next year entries will run into the hundreds,” he added.

The interactiveness of the format made it appealing to colleges but Carl said next year the region was going to look at following the example of Britain’s Best and offering a text-based voting format.

“This has been a great learning experience for us as the Federation builds towards Britain’s Best in November,” he said.

A full list of finalists and winners from both competitions can be found online at www.nhf.info.

Full write-ups of these and other regional events and photographs can also be found online at the NHF’s new Facebook page, at: www.facebook.com/ nationalhairdressersfederation/notes The Britain’s Best competition on November 18 at the Birmingham Metropole is including a Text Vote popularity poll and a mobile phonebased Click ‘n’ Send Head of the Year Photographic Competition.

Full details of how to enter and get involved can be found at www.britainsbest.me and there is an update on how the competition is already gaining momentum and interest on page 34.

Credit: ARC Studios

FEDERATION FOCUS

CENTRAL ENGLAND AWARDS, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: BEVERLY C DEMONSTRATING; STUDENTS FROM WALSALL COLLEGE; HALL OF FAME INDUCTEE MARK LEESON; REGION PRESIDENT KEITH BROUGHTON AND LEE STAFFORD WITH NHF SILVER MEDAL WINNERS GILLIAN LYDSTER AND VALERIE YOUNG; WHOLESALER OF THE YEAR RICHARD FINCHER; KYMBERLY SYER OF SALON OF THE YEAR SYER HAIR & BEAUTY; KEITH AND LEE WITH MISS BIRMINGHAM AND LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT WINNER TREVOR SORBIE

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2012 SALONFOCUS PAGE 23

FEDERATION FOCUS

London focuses on photo-shoots

From the

NEC

Launching a new regular column from the NEC, Federation president Mark Coray looks at key initiatives debated over the summer

PROFILE-BUILDING: LONDON AGM EVENT

London salon owners were given a valuable insight in May into how to make better use of specialist hairdressing publications to cement their reputation with their peers and how to create successful and compelling photo-shoots to attract the attention – and spending power – of the general public.

The first “salon owners” event was held by London Region at its annual general meeting and was well-attended by members.

The event was presented by Lauren Margrave, deputy editor of Creative Head magazine, Sophie Knight of Babel Fish PR and star photographer Desmond Murray.

Region secretary Ian Egerton said of the event: “It was extremely well received, and one of the really promising things for the future was the number of new faces that were there. People were completely engrossed and many were making notes.”

A raft of further events is being planned by the region, including photographic workshops, junior team member events and an annual social event.

Regional committee member Andrew Flower added: “All three speakers were very useful to me as a salon owner and I could see future events would be popular with salon owners.”

The event was held immediately after the AGM, at which Mikaela Martin and Ian Egerton were appointed chair and secretary respectively, replacing Audrey Morgan and Alan Rapkin, who have both stepped down after many years of service to the Federation.

Meanwhile, Ian told SalonFocus he was training hard ahead of his Cape Cod charity bicycle ride in aid of hairdressing charity HABB, which runs from September 29 to October 5, and already the money is beginning to flood in.

“To date we’ve managed to raise £700, through a donation of some art and a fund-raising dinner,” he said.

Olympic gold medallist Dame Kelly Holmes, who is a client of Ian’s, has also pledged to come into the salon and shave the head of a member of staff, something Ian hoped would raise as much as a further £1,000.

“We’re looking for as much support as we can from NHF members and others,” he added.

Anyone wishing to support Ian on his charity ride can go to: www. justgiving.com/Ian-Egerton In a separate development, Ian presented certificates in June at the first graduate ceremony of new Surrey-based apprentice learning academy The Academy of Hair, which opened last year.

The event at the Addlestone Community Centre saw 17 up-and-coming stylists awarded NVQ Level 2 and three achieving NVQ Level 3.

PAGE 24 SALONFOCUS SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2012

The NHF’s European lobbying activity over EU Coiffure and Uni Europa Hair & Beauty health and safety proposals (for more details see News, page nine) was high on the agenda when NEC met in August.

Members were updated on progress made and where the campaign goes next, and there was lively debate over the potential impact the legislation, if it ever were to be enacted to the full, might have on the UK hairdressing sector.

Another topic of debate was the work the NHF is MARK CORAY undertaking through its World Hair joint venture with the Fellowship for British Hairdressing.

Although plans are very much still in their infancy, the aim is to establish an award in honour of Christofer Mann, who made such a huge contribution to our sector.

One certainty is that the award will identify and celebrate raw “grassroots” hairdressing talent. You can expect more announcements on this during the autumn but the thinking at the moment is to draw on the inspiration and lessons we have been learning from the Britain’s Best ‘Click & Send’ Head of the Year Photographic Competition.

On the subject of Britain’s Best, NEC was updated on how interest and momentum is building towards the competition in Birmingham on November 18, which is fantastic news.

Other issues that came up for discussion included the work that is going on to appoint a new design agency for the NHF’s website, something that, again, will link back to the way the Federation is now promoting itself and its activities much more through social media.

Finally, I was honoured ahead of next month’s conference and annual general meeting to be formally re-elected by NEC as president, with Paul Curry being similarly re-elected as vice-president and Jeffery Bonn as honorary treasurer.

ADVICE

Consult with

confidence Clear, confident communication is the key to an effective colour consultation, argues Karine Jackson.

Over the past decade we have seen an increasing trend towards clients becoming much more aware of, and wanting to know much more about, what goes into their colour and whether it contains parabens, ammonia or PPD. We use OCS, which uses low levels of PPD and where possible only natural ingredients, but we don’t of course force clients to use this range. We present it as a lifestyle choice and the choice is always the client’s.

You have to understand a client’s expectations, give them all the information they need and explain clearly what the results will be like. The colour consultation is one of the most important elements of this process.

You need to find out how often a client is going to visit the salon and advise on the best technique to suit. A client’s lifestyle is important. For example, if they swim a lot, go to the gym or attend a lot of glamorous or work events.

Hair history

Karine Jackson is owner of Karine Jackson Hair & Beauty in London.

She was Men’s Hairdresser of the Year finalist in the British Hairdressing Awards 2009, London Hairdresser of the Year in the 2007 awards and a finalist in the same category in 2008.

www.nhf.info

I build up a plan for my clients for the year. I find out if they have any special events they want to look their best at and we work out the best times to do their colour.

Our brides have a clear plan for the build up to their weddings.

It’s important to find out about the history of your client’s hair. They know their hair better than anyone.

The key things to ask are: does the hair take colour well, does it fade quickly, does it look darker than you expect when it’s first coloured, does it look red, gold or too ash? These questions will help choose the correct colour.

The team produces mood boards with trends for the coming season. We also have an in-salon colour guide with images the salon has produced. This helps the team provide clients with exciting and informative options when choosing the colour.

Patch testing

We offer complimentary 15-minute consultations prior to each service. At this we can do our patch test, or give it to the client to take home, and offer advice on pre-treatments, which can help get the client’s hair into optimum condition. It also helps us in terms of booking the right amount of time for the service on the day as well as gives the client time to think about what their colour will look like.

We sit down as a team twice a year and come up with our colour application trends because it is really important to look at the style of clothing and trends in lifestyles. It’s also important to look at other trends out there, like dip-dyeing.

Patch testing is vital now, especially with all the reactions we have been seeing in the press. It’s not easy educating the client to colour test 48-hours prior to every colour appointment but it is so important! We need to be responsible colourists and if every salon did this the industry would not have trouble with clients going elsewhere.

What I have found is that if you approach the subject with confidence and explain the importance of colour testing and the consequences of not testing, clients are generally really receptive. Give your client some examples in the press and let them know they can

COLOUR: SCOPE OUT APPLICATION TRENDS

react even if they have been colouring their hair for years.

We give our clients the test on departure so they don’t have to come back to the salon and when confirming their appointment 48-hours beforehand we remind them to apply their test.

For new clients who can’t get to the salon we have a service where we can post the test out.

Once the client is in the habit, they don’t mind doing it. It’s all about educating your team and the clients.

We need more salons following this procedure so it becomes the norm for everyone.

TESTING KIT: GET CLIENTS IN THE HABIT

If you read nothing else read this…

• Understand your clients’ lifestyles, hair history and plan out their needs for the year • Mood boards and complimentary pre-treatment consultations are a good idea • Patch testing is becoming ever more vital • Be confident about explaining the importance of colour testing

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2012 SALONFOCUS PAGE 25

TECHNOLOGY

A world at your

fingertips

Salon software is taking client marketing to new levels of sophistication, and the future is looking ever more like science fiction. SalonFocus gets out its crystal ball.

You’re consulting with a client and they want to know what a particular style is going to look like. In a second you’ve tapped into the salon’s holographic projector to bring up a 3D model. Then, with a few quick motions of your hand, you adjust the colour, shape and body of the look.

It sounds like the stuff of science fiction. But, according to salon software providers, this is the way technology is rapidly going and could well be being used by salons in the not too distant future.

“I think five years from now we may be looking at more Wii-like technology coming through, so hand-specific positioning and holographic technology in the chair,” explains Ian McCallum, founder of The Salon Doctor and owner of McCallum Hair Design in East Kilbride.

“The ‘holographic eye’ could also act as security device to monitor what is happening in every part of the salon,” he adds.

Mobile payments

“There will also be more paying via mobile or from the chair. We will increasingly move away from a static desk and reception area and it will become more of a ‘meet and greet’ service,” forecasts Tom BentleyTaylor, chief executive of Shortcuts.

So, when a client comes in the stylist will immediately be able to bring up on their smartphone vital “experience” information such as what sort of drink they like, what colours and cuts they’ve previously had TOM BENTLEY-TAYLOR: or product purchased.

E-MARKETING

PAGE 26 SALONFOCUS SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2012

The growth of smartphones has huge potential within the salon sector, agrees Mariyam Azher, director of Salon Booking App. “The future of the internet is all mobile! Businesses need a smartphone strategy,” she explains.

Marketing tool

Booking online is now a standard feature offered by systems, allowing clients to book appointments via the salon’s website or through Facebook, adds Nichola Hayden, marketing manager at Integrity Software (i-salon).

“It’s important to check the online booking solution can also take care of vouchers, courses and integrate with your Facebook page – this is a growing area of new business for many salons and is highly cost effective,” she advises.

“There has been a gradual move away from traditional keyboard-driven applications and towards web style or touchscreen-driven applications that are very simple to use and require little or no training – very important in a busy salon environment!” she adds.

“Software is also becoming a more important marketing tool, for example to allow salons to run highly targeted emailor text-based campaigns. There is the potential here to create a huge amount of revenue. I know of a salon that gets £10,000-20,000 a month now just through automated marketing campaigns,” says Tom Bentley-Taylor.

“We are seeing a lot more targeted marketing and client profiling. There is greater linkage to mobile functionality and greater use of tablet computers. People, both staff and clients, want to be able to access information on the go or from their chair,” agrees Anna Moors, sales and marketing manager at Salon Genius.

SALON SOFTWARE: INCREASING FUNCTIONALITY

At a more day-to-day level, for any salon owner thinking of upgrading their software, there are a number of key questions they need to be asking, advise the manufacturers.

“What you need to be looking for is the extras, the detail, the nuances of the system,” explains Tom Bentley-Taylor.

“For example, how easy will it be to do stock transfers, especially if you have multiple sites? How will it ensure you do not, say, end up with too much or too little stock in the run-up to Christmas?

How easy and intuitive, too, will it be to put in client contact details? Will the system flag up duplicate details and will it show whether data is potentially out of date?” he adds.

“It’s important to remember that it isn’t all about the appointment diary.

Many systems may look the same when comparing booking appointments and taking bills, but salon owners must dig a bit deeper if they are to find the features that can truly transform their businesses, like marketing tools and reporting,” agrees Nichola Hayden.

Ask, too, how, and how easily, any new system will sync with your existing devices, advises Anna Moors.

“You should also ask about the sort of support that comes with the system – it needs to be there for you on a busy Saturday morning!” she says.

If you read nothing else read this…

• Salon software is evolving rapidly • It can now be a key client marketing and promotional tool • Security, reliability and support are all important

FIFTI ESFU SION The latest collection from NHF Avon’s Fusion local artistic team. The assignment was to create styles with a 1950s feel.

The team has recently showcased its skills Gloucester and Cheltenham branch as well as demonstrated at City of Bristol College.

Stylists: Carl, Ellie, Skye and Kristie of the NHF Avon branch Fusion team.

Pic credit: Kirk Woodward Photography

FIFTI ESFU SION

ADVICE

Why good is not eno A busy salon is good, a fantastic salon is better.

Ahead of his keynote speech to conference next month, Alan Austin-Smith explains how to take your salon to the next level of successe.

Most salon owners when they first open their door will work ferociously hard to establish their customer base, local reputation and team ethos.

They will be out there with balloons on the street, speaking to the media, connecting with people and networking.

But then they become established and somehow this activity stops. A few things might be added here and there – a bit of upselling, online retail, dabbling in social media, perhaps even a salon-specific range – but because they are so busy just running the business they stop driving it forward, stop expanding and innovating.

So, how can a salon maintain and even accelerate its momentum; how can it keep on expanding, even in a difficult economic climate?

More to the point, how can you develop a joinedup, strategic expansion plan, a plan that will help to take you to new places or, in the worst case scenario, simply help to protect your business if things get really difficult?

Decide where you are going

Having this as a first step often raises eyebrows.

People assume you should jump in and start doing things such as appointing a deputy to take some of the “day job” off your shoulders and create space to think and plan.

But I argue, in fact, what you need to be doing before anything else is sitting down and thinking “where is it I’m trying to go?”. After all, how can anyone follow you if you don’t know yourself where you want to take the business?

It is astonishing how many businesses are on a hamster wheel. They might have some vague idea of what success is – “profit” or “growth” perhaps – but it is not focused. It’d be like me setting out on a journey and saying, “I’ll meet you up north”. It’s only when I say, “I’ll meet you at 2pm in Leeds at the Grand Hotel” that we start to get somewhere.

It’s also important you don’t get frozen by the fear of not achieving your goals. Obviously, if your goal is to leap across a chasm, it is going to be quite important you succeed. But with most goals it is actually OK if you fail. So, for example, if your goal is to open three salons within five years and you only

PAGE 28 SALONFOCUS SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2012

manage two, is that really such a big issue? After all, you at least expanded from one to two.

Goals are about momentum. So, and though it may sound strange to say this, it does not matter if you do not achieve your goal – it is better to have started the process and failed than to have never even started.

Decide why you want to get there Alan AustinSmith is owner of The Fantastic Hairdresser in Chiswick, London, and became a hairdresser at the age of 16, working with Vidal Sassoon in his New Bond Street salon. At 23 he moved to L’Oréal becoming its youngest ever departmental head before starting The Fantastic Hairdresser Company, which is dedicated to teaching salon owners how to turn their creativity into a business.

This is the question everyone always seems to miss – they go straight from “where” to “how” – but it is so important.

You need to be thinking why your goal is important, as it will give you the passion, discipline and motivation to keep on going for it even when things get tough or you get knocked back.

Decide where you are starting from

It stands to reason that you cannot work out how to get somewhere without knowing where you’ve started from.

So you need to have a very clear understanding of your business – the statistics, its (and you and your team’s) strengths and weaknesses and so on.

Decide how you are going to get there

Finally, we’re at the “how” question, which is really simply about filling in the gaps created by all the other questions – which is why the other questions are such an important part of this process.

So it may be that, yes, you need to be training someone to be able to step in and take on responsibilities in the salon. Or it may be you need to be booking specific time out to work on other things, or spending more time on the development of all salon staff.

Equally, it may be that you in fact need to spend more time on the salon floor because that’s where you love to be and where you can most benefit the business. Every business will be different.

ADVICE

nough anymore The five pillars of a fantastic business

Hear Alan speak at conference

Alan Austin-Smith will be the keynote speaker at this year’s NHF annual conference and annual general meeting, which runs from Saturday October 6 through to Monday October 8 at the Hilton Cardiff.

Member registration forms are available from the National Hairdressers’ Federation, 1 Abbey Court, Fraser Road, Priory Business Park, Bedford MK44 3WH. Tel: 0845 345 6500 or 01234 831965. E-mail: enquiries@nhf.info To find out more about how to get a The Fantastic Hairdresser coach in your salon or for information on its academy courses go to www.fantastichairdresser.com

www.nhf.info

First, you need a “revolutionary” strategy. Too often strategies are evolutionary, but you need to think big and be ambitious about what you want and want to change – this comes back to not being afraid of achieving goals and understanding why you want to reach your particular destination.

Second, be focused on profit not just sales.

Recognise your salon is not just somewhere people come to to get their hair cut or styled, it is your brand and an experience – there may be many other ways of using it other than just footfall from a high street.

Third, aim to achieve a committed team, not just a great team. You need a team that is going to be totally committed to what it is you are doing – so of course you need to be very clear about that yourself.

Fourth, you need to be attracting “fans” not just clients. A client, however loyal you may think they are, may still go down the road to a competitor if they’re offering a deal. A fan will be unbelievably loyal and will sing your praises.

Fifth, develop unique marketing strategies. So don’t just follow the herd and offer deals or 50 per cent off sales, be innovative!

At The Fantastic Hairdresser, for example, we have a fan club that clients actually pay to join. I got the idea from a squash club I play at. Clients pay £5 a month and in return get a completely different price list. It is a reward for loyalty as well as showing we are a bit different.

We do things such as giving cakes out on the street or, on hot days, setting up a table with jugs of iced water. We have a deal with three coffee shops where we give each one £30 a month, which buys 20 coffees for their customers. So you’re at the counter, buying your latte and, chosen at random, they can say, “don’t worry it’s free, it’s been bought for you by The Fantastic Hairdresser”.

Our goal is to make Chiswick love us, even if they never come to us as a customer.

The final element – the foundation upon which each of these pillars has to sit – is authentic leadership.

You need to focus on trust, honesty, consistency and transparency in how you lead your team, how you act and behave.

You need people to believe in you and be prepared to follow you, to trust where you are leading them. That doesn’t mean you can’t be tough or demand high performance, but you do need to be consistent.

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2012 SALONFOCUS PAGE 29

ADVICE

Don’t be retiring

about pensions Pensions’ auto-enrolment begins next month. It will not affect small and micro salons for some years yet, but that doesn’t mean you should stick your head in the sand and ignore it, warns Graham Vidler.

By the time you read this the UK will be just one month away from perhaps the biggest change to happen to workplace pensions for a generation – the start of auto-enrolment.

The first thing to stress for the owners of small and micro salons is: don’t panic!

Auto-enrolment, which formally starts from October 1, will mean employers that do not already offer their staff access to a workplace pension scheme will be required by law automatically to enrol them in one, unless they specifically state they wish to opt out.

However, auto-enrolment is being introduced in stages, with exact staging dates able to be found on the website of The Pensions Regulator, www. thepensionsregulator.gov.uk/employers So next month’s launch date is solely for the country’s biggest employers (based on number of employees on the payroll rather than turnover).

Broadly, the staging dates are: • October 1, 2012 – February 1, 2014 Companies employing more than 120,000 staff tapering down to firms employing more than 250.

• April 1, 2014 – 1 April, 2015 Companies employing fewer than 250 staff tapering down to those employing 50 or more.

• June 1, 2015 – April 1, 2017 Employers with fewer than 50 staff tapering down to micro firms (under 30) and those without a PAYE scheme.

Breathing space

This means, of course, that small and micro hairdressing salons do have a degree of breathing space and time to prepare for the arrival of auto-enrolment.

But the important point is not to ignore the fact it is coming, with salon owners being well advised to start thinking about what they need to be doing and how it might affect them sooner rather than later.

Depending on the size and complexity

PAGE 30 SALONFOCUS SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2012

of your business the likely “run in” time you will need may vary. But, typically speaking, larger employers are being advised they should start planning at least 12 months ahead of their staging date.

As part of the reform, the government has specified what sort of worker will be eligible for automatic enrolment. These will be those: • aged at least 22 but not yet of state pension age; • working, or ordinarily working, in Great Britain or Northern Ireland • earning more than £8,105 a year Such workers will be known as “eligible workers” and once their employer hits the staging date they will have to make a minimum contribution on their behalf unless the job-holder decides to opt out.

Graham Vidler is director of communications and engagement at NEST, the UK’s new national pension scheme

workers who haven’t saved in a pension scheme before?

• How will it deal with large numbers of joiners and leavers (especially, for example, if your business has a high staff turnover)?

• How easy will it be to administer?

• How will it work in terms of workers who wish to say no to being automatically enrolled?

We at NEST certainly expect the vast majority of workers to stay in and benefit from employer contributions.

However, all workers will have the right to opt out within one month of being automatically enrolled if they don’t think pension saving is appropriate for them.

Minimum contribution

This minimum contribution is currently set at two per cent of qualifying earnings, of which the employer must contribute one per cent. Qualifying earnings are currently defined as between £5,564 and £42,475 per year.

Once the contributions process starts, contributions will gradually increase to a total minimum of eight per cent of qualifying earnings, of which employers will have to put in a minimum contribution of three per cent of those earnings.

While there are, of course, many financial providers that offer workplace pension schemes, as part of autoenrolment the government has set up NEST as a national, easy-to-use pension scheme with a public service obligation to accept any employer, large or small, that wants to use it to meet its autoenrolment duties, either as a sole scheme or alongside other provision.

When considering what scheme to put in place, the sorts of questions an employer should be asking will normally include: • Is the scheme going to be suitable for

How will a NEST pension scheme work?

Members enrolled in a NEST workplace pension will have a single NEST retirement pot for life, or until they take their money out of it.

They can keep contributing to it whether they change jobs, stop working or become self-employed.

This means there will be no ongoing administration for employers when their workers move jobs.

NEST will be able to help employers manage opt-outs by allowing members to opt out electronically, through its website or by telephone.

It’ll also notify employers automatically if a newly enrolled member has opted out.

Finally, NEST has created an employers’ guide to auto-enrolment that can be found at: http://www. nestpensions.org.uk/auto-enrolmentemployers

BACK TO BASICS

Living the look

Mig article ht this within be useful y Pass it our salon? share round and it with stylists your !

For the would-be salon owner, how your staff look and dress will be a key part of the introductory “sell” to a client. SalonFocus investigates.

Any good salon owner will know instinctively just how important first impressions are to the success of their business.

Along with the décor and feel of the salon and the welcome a client experiences as they walk in the door, what your staff are wearing will be a vital part of the introductory “sell”.

So, for anyone thinking of starting up their own salon, the image of your staff needs to be an important consideration.

Creating a professional, uniform look for your team does not necessarily mean you have to invest in an actual uniform, as Martin Crean, owner of Mode in Chipping Camden in the Cotswolds, explains.

“At Mode, we pride ourselves on our extremely high professional standards and we want our clients to be assured they are in safe hands from the moment they first come into the salon.

“First impressions are crucial, so dressing the part is so important. Mode is a contemporary salon, with a young and creative look and feel, so I wanted this to be reflected through what the team wears,” he says.

“The team at Mode do not wear a set uniform, instead they are encouraged to wear clothes that reflect their personality – their individual style becomes their uniform.

“There are certain restrictions, of course. The team are required to look smart and professional at MARTIN CREAN: all times, so garments such COMFORT IS KEY as ripped jeans are not allowed.

“They choose clothes that give them the flexibility to move and work freely but most importantly they chose clothes they are comfortable in,” he adds.

Consistency

CLAIR SEYMOUR: BREATHABLE MIX

But if you do want to create a specific “look” then a uniform can be a good way

PAGE 32 SALONFOCUS SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2012

to go. It can bring consistency to your brand and highlight the fact the salon is a professional, serious operation.

“Uniforms create a sense of identity and professionalism that it is important to portray,” emphasises Clair Seymour, uniforms buyer at Sally Salon Services.

“The colours will often fit that of the surrounding environment. White tends still to be used in the beauty industry, however colours such as pink and red are now being considered. Greys, blacks and blues tend to stay with hairdressers, but tunics remain largely worn by those practising beauty.

“Our suppliers inform us colours such as teal, blue and coral colours are becoming more popular,” she adds.

When investing in a uniform it is important to look for comfort. So, for example, consider whether a tunic has split sides or a double action back that allows for movement when performing treatments.

“Also the material is of some consideration as it needs to be breathable, so the tunics we offer of both a cotton and polyester mix are perfect for this industry,” says Clair.

Footwear

Staff will inevitably be on their feet for long periods, meaning the footwear they choose is also important, as poor footwear can contribute to lower back pain, sore legs and feet, explains Chris Fitzpatrick, regional sales manager at Happy Feet UK. “While employers can do little about the shoes their staff choose to wear, they can have some control over what they wear inside them to help prevent many of the problems staff are experiencing,” he says.

“There are a wide range of insoles available on the market which will provide cushioning and support for the wearer to varying degrees and a good choice will help prevent long-term damage and loss of work through time off. We also offer massaging insoles (with a 30 per cent discount through the NHF), which are a recent addition to the UK insoles market,” he adds.

Finally, another important consideration

INSOLES: CUSHIONING

is how you will launder and care for any uniform you invest in, says Les Marshall, commercial director at Miele Professional.

“When you are working with oils, hair dye and other chemicals it goes without saying there’ll be a few drips and stains on your salon uniforms at the end of the day,” he explains.

It therefore makes sense to invest in commercial washer-extractors that will ensure uniforms come out looking fresh but which also have programmes that will care for the fabric of a garment, so prolonging its lifetime.

“We, for example, have developed a spin profile that uniformly distributes the items around the drum, eliminating problems resulting from out-of-balance loads leading to minimum stress levels on component parts. Gentle treatment of the wash load even at high spin speeds is ensured and machine service life is extended,” says Les. “Washer-extractors also keep water usage to a minimum, which is another consideration when weighing up your running costs,” he adds.

If you read nothing else read this…

• Go for comfort, movement and durability • Consider offering insoles to cushion footwear • Factor in laundering and cleaning costs

EVENTS NHF EVENTS OTHERS Please send your events to the NHF at enquiries@ nhf.info by September 3 for November/December, 1 November for January/ February and 7 January 2013 for March/April.

Updated events listed on www.nhf.info

17

SEPT British Hairdressing Business Awards, Lancaster Hotel, London Contact: www.hji. co.uk/events/britishhairdressing-business

29 - 5

SEPT OCT Ian Egerton Cape Cod charity ride for HABB, Contact www.justgiving.com/ Ian-Egerton

4

12

NOV Cheshire Championships Romiley Forum Theatre, Stockport Contact Michael Burgum on 0161 220 7375

26

NOV British Hairdressing Awards, Grosvenor House Hotel, London Contact: 020 8652 8845 or daniel.eversfield@ rbi.co.uk

16

OCT Deadline for AGM Notice of Special Resolution proxy form returns Contact Tori Priestley on Victoria.priestley@nhf. info or 01234 831965 if another copy is required

JAN London Region personalised photoshoot with Desmond Murray.

Contact: Ian Egerton on 0207 357 7070 or Ian@ ico-management.com

7/8

16/17

OCT Annual General Meeting and Conference Hilton Cardiff, Kingsway Contact NHF head office on 0845 345 6500

7

OCT Announcement of the winners of the NHF Photographic Stylist of the Year competition President’s Banquet and Ball, Annual Meeting and Conference Hilton Cardiff, Kingsway Contact NHF head office on 0845 345 6500

www.nhf.info

MAR Blackpool International Hairdressing Championships.

Winter Gardens Hotel.

Contact: Eileen Clough on 01253 343723 (day) or 01253 406834 (eve) or suloe@tiscali.co.uk.

25

MAR Patrick Cameron seminar, Derby College, Pride Park, Derby.

Contact: Ivan Blount on 01773 745580

Britain’s Best The first deadlines for this autumn’s Britain’s Best competition are looming fast. Here’s a reminder of all the dates you need to remember.

14

9

12

18

SEPT Deadline for nominations for Britain’s Best Popularity Poll Contact: www.britainsbest.me

OCT Deadline for nominations for Britain’s Best Click ‘n’ Send Head of the Year Photographic Competition Contact: www.britainsbest.me

NOV Deadline for nominations for Britain’s Best floor competition Contact: www.britainsbest.me

NOV Britain’s Best Competition Hilton Metropole Hotel, Birmingham Contact NHF head office on 0845 345 6500 or 0845 345 6500

See overleaf for a full update on Britain’s Best, including how to enter, vote or nominate.

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2012 SALONFOCUS PAGE 33

BRITAIN’S BEST

Britain’s

Best

The countdown is approaching to Britain’s Best!

There are just 11 weeks to go until the hairdressing world gathers at the Hilton Metropole in Birmingham to celebrate the very best of British talent – and you could be part of it.

The interest and excitement has been building fast since the competition – Britain’s newest, most innovative and interactive hairdressing event – was launched in July. Still not joined in?

Here’s what you’ve been missing…

Britain’s

Best Text Vote

Our text vote “popularity poll” has already caught the imagination of salon owners and stylists up and down the country.

Nominations started arriving within minutes of the dedicated Britain’s Best website – www.britainsbest.me – going “live” and already a significant number of entries have been received, but more are wanted!

The closing date for nominations for the six Britain’s Best Text Vote categories is September 14, which means you have just a fortnight either to nominate yourself or someone else.

It couldn’t be simpler. All you have to do is go to www.britainsbest.me and follow the instructions.

Shortlisted contenders will receive a special Britain’s Best code that will allow them to go out and canvass the public to vote for them via text. Participants ought to be aware, however, that while nominations are completely free, text votes will cost £1 plus your standard network charges.

After that they will have until the end of October to get in as many votes as possible, with the final winners announced in Birmingham. So get nominating!

Britain’s

Best Competition

The Hilton Metropole in Birmingham will be buzzing on November 18 when the Britain’s Best floor competition kicks off.

The closing date for entries is November 9, meaning there is still some time in hand but, again, putting together a top-quality entry can take time and planning, so if you want to become part of the future of British competition hairdressing, don’t delay.

There will be 11 competitions running across five categories, with all levels of hairdresser welcomed, from trainees and juniors through to seasoned professionals.

Entries for the floor competition are coming in fast. For full details of categories, individual competitions and how to enter simply go to www.britainsbest.me

PAGE 34 SALONFOCUS SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2012

Britain’s

Best Click ‘n’ Send

Have you ever created a style then not known what to do with it, whether it be on yourself, a client or a family member why not send it to Britain’s Best Click ‘n’ Send competition? And, with just six weeks to go until entries close on October 12, now’s the time to be getting on with snapping those competition-winning shots.

Entries have been arriving steadily, so don’t get left behind!

Again, it couldn’t be simpler. Just grab your phone, shoot your favourite style then either upload it on to www.britainsbest.me or email it to clicksend@britainsbest.me.

But do remember, even though it is via a mobile the judges will still be looking for high-quality images, so its worth really working hard to create the very best, most professional-looking image that you can.

So get styling and get sending!

Proud sponsor of Britain’s Best

Don’t forget Even if you don’t want to take part in this year’s Britain’s Best you can still join us to experience all the excitement and passion on the day at the Hilton Metropole.

Spectator tickets are still available, including a chance to meet celebrity stylist Lee Stafford who will be joining us in Birmingham for the day. This will be a chance to ask him a question, have your picture taken with him or just enter into our free prize draw – where you could even win a £25 retail voucher!

Again, full details can be found at www.britainsbest.me or in the Britain’s Best leaflets enclosed with this edition of SalonFocus. So hand out leaflets to your staff and spread the word!