Viva La Vida Celebrates 20 Years

Viva

La Vida!

Hairdressing salon celebrates 20 years in Biggleswade

Last month marked an important birthday for La Vida Hairdressing in Station Road, Biggleswade when, on 3rd May, they celebrated an impressive 20 years since their opening. Owner Rachel Relihan was only twenty-three when she started the small, friendly salon, which is conveniently situated just off the town centre. “When I qualified, I never planned to open my own business,” she says. “I went into hairdressing straight from school, working in Bedford then Potton. When I moved to a salon in Ampthill after six years, my clients wanted to come with me.” With a loyal following of clients travelling to her, and Rachel commuting herself, it seemed the perfect idea to take the plunge and open her own hairdressers more locally. She found the perfect premises and took on her first stylist after a month. Business built up from there. Today, La Vida has four stylists, two of whom have completed their apprenticeships with the salon: Lauren, who has worked there for five years; Shannon and Zoe, both of whom have worked at La Vida for 11 years; and Rachel herself. The client base is varied, ranging from families, a youthful generation who have ‘grown up’ attending the salon, to older customers, all of which Rachel is really pleased about. Most of the clients she brought with her all those years ago are still with her too. “I’ve known some of them for 24 years,” she says. So what is La Vida’s secret to success? “We are constantly complimented on our friendly welcoming atmosphere and we have built a very loyal client base” says Rachel. “I think the key to our success is our personal touch.” It’s clear that as well as taking good care of her customers, Rachel also looks after her staff who she describes as “family”. “I’ve always been passionate about staff training and education. It’s something I heavily invest in as it’s a must to keep up-to-date with the latest trends, developments and techniques in hair,” Rachel explains. As a result, La Vida’s stylist team offers a substantial range of services, while colour and cut are particular specialties, so much so that they are never fazed when asked to do colour corrections.

La Vida uses the latest quality products by Matrix and K18, a company that supplies a revolutionary spray and mask that is a competitor to Olaplex. They also offer a new organics range for those keen on sustainability. With Biggleswade having such a wide choice of hair salons, it’s no small feat that La Vida has remained so successful for 20 years. As well as having a talented team and a welcoming atmosphere, the salon has always aimed to be competitive, affordable, and value for money. All salon prices are listed on their website and unlike some hairdressers, there are no hidden extras or add-ons. “Our pricing structure is transparent and straightforward,” explains Rachel, “and your hair journey starts and ends with your stylist who is trained to do it all. Rachel is at the salon most of the time looking after her own clients, keeping an eye on the business, and supporting her staff. “I’m very hands on” she admits, although it hasn’t always been easy. “I’ve had two children since starting the business so have had to juggle managing it with being a mum.” As with all small businesses, the Covid pandemic has also been a challenge. Rachel made a big effort to maintain team morale during lockdown and ensured clients were kept safe when they were open. She admits it was very stressful at the time but was determined to remain positive. “Fortunately, both our landlord and our clients were amazing during the pandemic – so supportive” she says. She used the time to update the salon in February 2021, giving it a modern, fresh look with eye-catching backlit mirrors. For their birthday celebrations, the salon was decked out with balloons and Rachel had anniversary biscuits made as gifts for her clients. The staff team was treated to a day out, a special meal, and drinks. In recognition of their success, Rachel would like to thank La Vida’s clients and staff for helping them reach this milestone through both good and hard times. “We wouldn’t be here without our clients, and my staff mean everything to me” says Rachel. “Business is good. We look forward to the future, welcoming new clients and another successful 20 years.”

La Vida Hairdressing, 1 Station Road, Biggleswade, Beds. SG18 8AH Tel: 01767 600510 Facebook: @lavidahair1 www.lavidahair.co.uk Instagram: la_vida_hair