Getting stuck in at Salon Smart LIVE 2021
There’s always plenty to sink your teeth in and savour at Salon Smart LIVE, and this year we had loads to consider post-lockdowns. We turned to Monica Teodoro and a panel of hairdressing business brains to front up to the big challenges.
STATE OF THE INDUSTRY
Salons are back, business is on, so what’s new? Monica Teodoro, general manager of education and professional development, L’Oréal Professional Products Division UKI, started by quoting John Lennon’s Imagine: “Imagine all the people”. What will never change in an ever-changing world? People. For you in particular, you have two kinds of people that are critical to making your business successful long term – your team and your guests.
Monica shared some key insights: that 55% of consumers claim they now favour experience over things; 61% of consumers wish they had more time to spend with others and 68% of adults who get hair done professionally agree it supports their mental health and wellbeing. Engaging your team, seeing through their eyes will lead to better retention, better services, and your guests better spreading the word. You have the opportunity to find the balance between your clients, your team and your space – and you are at the centre of the sweet spot.
THE GREAT DEBATE: NOW AND NEXT
Following the most extraordinary period on record for the hairdressing industry, a panel of experts discussed and analysed the crucial changes affecting business right now – and what lies ahead.
Richard Lambert, chief executive of the National Hair & Beauty Federation, admitted that “salon owners are now actively looking at running their salons with a freelance model, because it eliminates a lot of the other costs of the business. A survey we ran said that 60 per cent of respondents were considering a move to this model within the next 12 months.”
Josh Miller, joint managing director of Charlie Miller, admitted that this past year has increased his business’s recognition of flexibility. “In the past, if someone asked to work Monday to Friday, we would have said no. Now, we say if your clients want it, and as long as we remain flexible, we can make it work. We don’t know what’s next. What will Saturdays be like in the future? It wouldn’t surprise me if there’s a shift. We’re seeing it in early and later appointments. Be open to what the team’s needs are because it is so fluid now, and to find that balance, it’s a dark art really.”
Sustainability is key for Keith Mellen, director of Anne Veck: “You’re talking about 40,000 salons and barbershops, 250,000 people employed; we are a really important industry. Think how many members of the public, how many people we meet every day. We have a real opportunity to influence people, and to set an example.”
And what does the future hold for young talent? “We need to give some real appreciation to the apprentice – they’re doing the jobs no one wants to do, they’re often fast-tracked through college without building up confidence, and are often passed over when they become too expensive,” argued in Sophie Webster, partner/manager at Simon Webster Hair.“As salon owners, we need to commit to progressing them.”
But has it been a lonely time for freelancers? Not according to Sheila Abrahams, founder of the Freelance Hairdressers’ Association.“They are members of our organisation and that’s a huge community with help 24/7. We have a virtual staffroom that’s amazing, it’s a very powerful community that cares about each other and what the members have created – the camaraderie, just like you might see in any salon staff room – I’m very proud of that.”