Nashwhite: F*%ked up… but fixed it!
As part of our ‘F*%ked up… but fixed it!’ 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. This month we interrogated Rob White and Lee Nash-Jones, co-owners of the incredible Nashwhite salons, and this is what they had to reveal…
THE F*%K-UP
Being in business for 12 years means that without a doubt, we have had our fair share of F*%k ups. But, as we have said many times before, we are grateful for them. Noticing you have F*%ed up, means that you realise you have made a mistake and this realisation is the start of your growth and development.
When we were in our late twenties, we believed that having more salons and more staff meant that our brand was growing. This gave us a false perception of growth. We thought the more salons and staff = more money. Now call this naivety, or our egos talking, but noticing this was not the case, was realising the F*%k up.
We had three salons and were recruiting at every opportunity. We had too many staff, and managers that did not think like us – but why would they? If they did, they would be setting up their own salon. We were still establishing our brand, which to this day evolves monthly. Trying to maintain our vision was exhausting, and meant that our brand, and service, fell away from the standards we set out from the start.
THE FIX
We all have our opinions on Covid, but for us it was an opportunity to take a step back and re-evaluate the business. What was working and what wasn’t. We realised that three sites were not working because: (1) we were paying too much rent; (2) we couldn’t control the quality of service and brand; and (3) we weren’t able to give the staff the time and attention they deserved.
We closed two of our salons and opened one larger space with a brand new concept, The Heist House. This new project ticked all the boxes for us. It meant we could have the staff from two salons in one space and we bought this building rather than renting two. We have a completely fresh approach to our service, introducing other spaces to bring in new clients (yoga, photography, wellness, coffee shop, garden, roof terrace and co working space). This has increased business and provided additional revenue.
F*%k ups are good, so long as you learn from them. If you are not making them, you are likely not progressing your brand. Welcome them with open arms and keep your business moving forwards.