Creative HEAD Enters A New Era

A letter from Creative HEAD founder, Catherine Handcock

by CATHERINE | INFORM

Catherine Handcock

Dear Creative HEAD Readers,

Can a magazine not only reflect an industry, but influence it, too?

Ever since launching 25 years ago, Creative HEAD has blazed a trail of innovation and energy through UK and Irish hairdressing, revolutionising and re-shaping the landscape with concepts like Salon Smart, The Coterie, the Big Hair Do, Most Wanted and the It List and so much more.

It has been an incredible ride, and at every step of the way we’ve always worked with superb talents – hair artists exploding the world of colour; business owners transforming how salons looked and behaved; independent and session stylists collaborating with creatives outside of the industry to redefine concepts of beauty…

And now the Creative HEAD journey is taking a bold new direction – and yet again, we’re working with the best.

Today, Thursday 5 June, we’re announcing a dynamic new venture with The Assembly Events, creators of the revolutionary new hairdressing and barbering trade show, HairCon. Together, we’re forming a new organisation, The Assembly Media Group, which will offer unprecedented opportunities to showcase, celebrate and champion hairdressing professionals and the brands that serve them.

We had been so impressed by HairCon when it launched last year and even put in a guest appearance with a panel discussion on their Social Stage featuring speakers from our Salon Smart business networking event. Walking around the venue in Manchester, we loved The Assembly’s collaborative approach to the industry – the way they’d teamed up with exciting event concepts like Noise and partnered with influential organisations such as The Fellowship for British Hairdressing. The event was packed with brilliant hair talents, exciting hair brands and innovative new ideas.

HairCon 2024

So, I was very happy when I happened to bump into The Assembly founder, Michael Dynan, earlier this year, and got to compliment him on his event. And as we got chatting about our respective brands, it became clear there was a really great synergy between Creative HEAD and The Assembly, that we were so similar in our approach to, and passion for, the hairdressing industry… And as discussions continued over the following weeks, we realised that there was so much we could do together. And that’s when the idea was born.

Forming The Assembly Media Group means we at Creative HEAD will continue to do what we love – but now we can do even more, and even better. Working with the team at The Assembly gives us access to their expertise in events and awards, their amazing creativity and their smart business thinking (honestly, you should see them in action – it’s breathtaking!). That will result in exciting new opportunities for you, our readers – new platforms for you to perform and share ideas, new showcases for your skills, new events to celebrate your original thinking.

As the person who founded Creative HEAD 25 years ago back in June 2000, I could never have dreamt of the incredible successes we have enjoyed so far, nor that we could be in such a position of strength today, alongside the brilliant team at The Assembly, ready to innovate, inspire and influence for many more years to come.

Together with Creative HEAD’s Editorial Director, Amanda Nottage, and Creative Partnerships Director, Joanna Kidd, I hope you enjoy what you’re about to see – that it excites you about hairdressing and makes you feel proud to be a hairdresser. Because that is what’s important to us and everyone within The Assembly Media Group.

With love,

Catherine Handcock

Founder and Publisher, Creative HEAD

The Pricing Mistake 68% Of Hair Pros Are Making

Are you charging enough? We have the pricing tips you need

by AMANDA | INFORM

Salons are feeling the squeeze more than ever, especially those employers hit by the changes introduced in the Autumn Budget. The rising cost of living has impacted everyone, and you’ll know from your own bills how the prices of, well, just about everything are continually nudging up. The obvious step is to raise your prices too – even though salons hate to do it! But you can’t stop there. Now is the time to get savvy about pricing – incorporating ideas such as dynamic pricing and price reviews – to see a real impact on your profitability. We’ve asked Fresha, the go-to platform for beauty and wellness bookings, for the six steps you need to be taking right now!

Step 1: Set discounts that keep your salon’s profits healthy

Keep your profits in mind as you choose which services to discount with smart pricing and by how much. Making your off-peak prices and last-minute discounts too high could undervalue your services or impact your self-employed staff’s earnings. So, determine the perfect amount that will let you make a healthy profit while attracting plenty of clients.

Choose whether to offer a percentage or fixed amount for each discount based on the service’s original price. For example, with lower-priced services, a percentage discount may offer better perceived value; 15 per cent off a service that costs £20 may sound more appealing to your clients than £3 off.

Step 2: Identify the best times for off-peak prices in your reports

Check your sales reports to see when your least busy periods are, and set your off-peak prices to automatically switch on during those times. You can even set multiple off-peak times per day. For example, if your salon tends to be quiet right when you open and during the afternoon lull, set your off-peak prices for services booked between 10am to 11am and 1pm to 2pm.

Be sure to examine a big enough sample of your sales reports to identify patterns in your bookings. A few months or even a year’s worth of reports will give you the clearest possible picture of your off-peak periods and help you stay booked during those off-peak times.

Step 3: Offer bigger last-minute discounts closer to the appointment time

To create a sense of urgency and encourage clients to book quickly, offer bigger discounts for bookings made closer to the appointment time. Be sure to strike a balance with a discount that tempts clients to quickly book empty slots, without encouraging them to only book last-minute. For example: offer 10 per cent off bookings made between 24 to 48 hours before the appointment time, and 20 per cent off bookings made on the same day of the appointment.

Step 4: Switch your smart prices on and off at optimal times

Be strategic about when you activate your smart prices to maximise your revenue. For instance, if you get more walk-in appointments during the summer season, deactivate your off-peak prices and last-minute deals to avoid offering discounts on booking slots that would have sold at full price anyway. Then activate them again once walk-in traffic starts to slow down.

On the other hand, if you typically get booked by clients preparing for seasonal events like holidays, and weddings, you could switch on your off-peak pricing ahead of time to fill up your calendar in advance, then switch it off again once you’ve got a few weeks’ worth of bookings.

Step 5: Promote your smart pricing to as many audiences as possible

Make the most of your smart pricing and encourage clients to book by promoting your discounts at every opportunity. Ask your staff to mention your smart prices in their conversations with clients. Share your offers regularly on social media to make sure your followers are kept in the loop; always make your posts engaging and shareable to increase your chances of reaching new clients.

You can also use a blast campaign to instantly share your smart prices with clients who are most likely to book. For instance, you could send your most frequent clients a text message to promote a last-minute offer on next-day bookings. Or send an email highlighting your off-peak hours to clients who have more time during the day, like students or parents whose children attend school.

Use your off-peak pricing and last-minute offers to stay booked and get more value out of each day. For example, when your clients book through Fresha, they can only use one discount at a time, so you don’t need to worry about accidentally doubling up on discounts. Plus, you can switch them on and off in minutes, so don’t be afraid to try out different discounts to figure out what works best for you.

Not signed up to Fresha yet? Sign up now for free, and see what the go-to booking platform for beauty professionals can do for your salon.