Sara Rigby-Holmes: F*%ked up… but fixed it!
As part of a new series here on the HUB, we’re asking salon and barber shop owners to get real with us about a mistake they’ve made in their business and the steps they took to secure a solution. Kicking things off we probed Sara Rigby-Holmes, owner of luxury hair salon, 5 On The Square in Cheltenham (who has managed to successfully run her prestigious business for over 20 years) about a time she messed up and how she went about fixing it. This is what she had to say…
MESSING UP
I think there are so many times that I’ve made a mistake over the years and then faced the dilemma as to ‘now how do I fix this?’. Whether it’s a wrong decision or working out how to juggle the numbers – it’s hard to pinpoint one thing, as in reality, you never stop learning or working things out. However, what I have learnt, when you are faced with a stressful or challenging situation in front of you – it’s always best not to overthink it. Focus on the here and now and what the priorities are that are right in front of you.
SOLVING IT
For example, let’s take VAT. It’s very relevant right now to so many businesses struggling to make ends meet after the pandemic who are worrying about the enormity of juggling their cash flow – I have been one of them. But, stop worrying – there are always solutions and ways round things no matter how drastic you feel they are in that moment. Talk to HMRC, work out a time to pay to ease the impact on your cashflow and/or talk to your bank and look into what overdraft facility might be available to you to implement or increase. Believe it or not, they are there to help and support you – and trust me, you won’t be the only one asking.