Five Big Takeaways From Salon Smart 2025
Five Big Takeaways From Salon Smart 2025
Creative HEAD’s networking event was just what hair business owners needed
by AMANDA | CONNECT
“Whoever says the hairdressing industry is dead should eat their words. Far from throwing in the towel, business owners are facing challenges head-on with razor-sharp thinking around pricing and an increased emphasis on customer service. It’s the kind of creative response that underlines why this industry is the most resilient out there.” Catherine Handcock, publisher, Creative HEAD
Let’s get one thing straight: Salon Smart 2025 was much needed. At a time of industry turmoil, this was a day where business owners and employers could get together to discuss the challenges and share ideas on how to power through – and there were fresh takes on everything from pricing and profit margins to learning how to rub along with younger team members. With no fewer than 21 presenters and panel members taking to the stage, the Salon Smart agenda was varied and wide-ranging. But as the day played out, some key themes emerged:
Sophia Hilton
1. Gen Z are ready for the world of work, but are you ready to work with them?
Do you think your generation is smarter than your parents’ generation?
Of course you do!
That’s because every generation answers that question exactly the same. Every single generation thinks they’re elite to the one above and the one below.
So, said Sophia Hilton in her session entitled Navigating The Next Generation, it’s really not constructive to say things like, “Kids don’t want to work nowadays,” or that “They are just lazy,” or that “They are going to get a shock when they see what the real world is about.”
Nor, as fellow speaker Michael Young advised, should you start sentences with the words, “When I was your age,” because that puts you firmly in the past, when you need to focus on the future.
Instead, what the new generation want is a sense of control over decision-making; breaks, holidays and flexibility; to be able to bring their problems to work (within professional boundaries); and a boss that can hold a conversation about the new topics of the world (such as gender activism, consumerism, sustainability and maybe even anti-capitalism).
Think about investing in some resilience training, to help you develop skills and strategies to cope with challenges. Meanwhile, map out growth and development plans for each member of your team to keep them motivated and loyal to your business.
Monica Teodoro
2. Always keep an eye on the future of your business
It’s not just your team that’s changing; your clients are evolving too. Monica Teodoro shared invaluable insight from L’Oréal Professional Products Division to remind us that while it’s imperative we look after our current customers (42 per cent of women claim to be watching every penny they spend, so give them what they’re looking for – personalised, expert-led experiences that will lead them to book services based on your recommendation), we need also to be sure we are tapping into the clients of tomorrow. She highlighted that while consumers classified as Growing Minorities (eg, Southern Asian and African) account for just 16 per cent of the population, they also account for 30 per cent of spend because of their reliance on a high degree of specialisation. Men, too, offer untapped potential, and 70 per cent of this category will come from Gen Z and Millennials.
“However,” said Monica, “while all around us is changing, it’s important to focus on the things that will never change: consistency creates a sense of stability and trust, while empowering your team will make them feel comfortable to learn. Continuous upskilling is no longer optional – it’s a must.”
Jacob Morris
3. Financial education, goals and stability contribute to employee satisfaction
“Staff are more loyal if they are financially empowered,” argued Jacob Morris from Salon Smart software partner, Phorest – a powerful insight, given the challenges around recruiting and retaining staff nowadays. Phorest data shows that using Phorest Tips increases not just the number of clients tipping, but also the amount of tip they leave. However, while tipping is seen by staff as a second income, a lifeline for paying rent or saving for their first home, around 30 per cent of them still choose to spend their tips on having fun. Employers could look to provide their teams with a toolkit for handing their money better, said Jacob. However, if that feels too invasive (or beyond your skillset) he also revealed that Phorest will be releasing a series of financial literacy masterclasses this year to help tackle the problem.
Colour panellists Sean Butt, Sophie Hill, Lorraine Naughton and Tony Walmsley
4. Salon colour is your superpower!
Desire for luxury continues to boom, especially among Gen Z, revealed Viktoria Vinnichenko from L’Oréal Professionnel Paris – clients aged 16 to 35 spend 10 per cent more per appointment. Tap into the trends they see on social media by offering colour services that deliver the Gen Z must-haves of healthy shine and a multi-dimensional, natural-looking result (spoiler alert: L’Oréal’s iNOA colour does it all!) or try the hidden colour placement ‘peekaboo’ trend spotted by the L’Oréal colour hack team on TikTok.
There were also loads of tips and ideas for maximising colour revenue in a panel session featuring a quartet of business owners. These included:
• Ban colour notes to avoid the ‘same again’ attitude that can lead to clients eventually leaving (Tony Walmsley, Anthony John Salons)
• Check voice dynamics in the consultation to ensure clients can have confidence in everything your team is recommending. If the stylist’s voice goes up at the end of the sentence, that signals a lack of confidence in what they’re saying. If the stylist sounds like they don’t believe in what they’re saying then why should the client? (OB-1 Hair and Inside Outside)
• Look in-depth at your client base to see how and when they book. For those who come less frequently, introduce them to ‘interim’ services that tempt them back in between appointments. For time-poor clients, make sure you offer speedy services that can be done in a lunchtime appointment – and charge more for them. (Sean Butt, Alchemy & I)
• Make sure you keep your colour training up to date so your colour team can jump on trends and be enthused by the colour they’re creating. (Sophie Hill, Headmasters)
Oliver Blackaby, pictured with fellow budget panellist Katya Milavic Davies
5. Now, more than ever, you need to know your numbers
After THAT Budget, it’s not surprising this came up time and again throughout the day, as salon owners take a long, hard look at their business to see where economies can be made and new revenue streams found. For some, like Oliver Blackaby of The Hair Salon Collective, this meant facing up to one of his biggest fears (looking at the actual accounts side of his business), while for others, like self-confessed spreadsheet nerd Sheona Hill of Bloom Salons, it meant picking apart the complex commission structures she had created to help simplify the path to profitability. “I refuse to be a low-margin business anymore,” she said. “I decided what profit I wanted to make and worked back from there.”
Look out for tonnes more coverage from Salon Smart 2025 in the May/June issue of Creative HEAD, and see more photos from the event here.
Oh, Yes You Cannes!
Oh, Yes You Cannes!
An epic gathering of L’Oréal Professionnel Paris’s (LPP’s) élite salon owner Portfolio Club
by CATHERINE | INFORM
“A glamorous view, a legendary city, an iconic moment,” announced Aurélien Guibert, the newly appointed Managing Director of L’Oréal Professional Products Division, as he welcomed guests to the 2025 gathering of L’Oréal Professionnel Paris’s (LPP’s) élite salon owner Portfolio Club this April. And with a stay in the ultra-deluxe Hotel Carlton in Cannes, complete with gorgeous sunshine, a crystal-blue sea and the greatest people-watching opportunities on the planet along the palm-lined Promenade de la Croisette, all the ingredients were in place for an epic experience.
Aurélien Guibret, Managing Director of L’Oréal Professional Products Division
As leading industry business thinkers, Portfolio members are used to challenging the norms, and with UK hairdressing undergoing a period of massive reinvention, LPP delivered food for thought from two keynote speakers. Damian Hughes, co-host of The High-Performance Podcast, gave advice on how to help teams navigate change (“You don’t need the answers, but you need to know how to ask the right questions,” he advised), while Dr Anne-Marie Imafidon encouraged the audience to “get out of your comfort zone” not just to embrace, but to help shape, technology in the workplace.
Meanwhile, LPP general manager Sussan Verghese took the opportunity to highlight the strength of the brand in the UK market, with 3.5X growth ahead of the pro hair market, cutting-edge technological breakthroughs in its product portfolio and incredibly strong consumer awareness. Strategies moving forward include elevating luxury colour services and dominating on colour-based care, armed with products like Vitamino and Metal Detox.
Portfolio Summits also provide a unique platform for members to share ideas and learn from each other, and the LPP team laid on a host of networking opportunities, including an al fresco lunch at the Carlton Beach Club, a boat trip with wine tasting tour and dinner at the world-famous La Maison de Bacon in nearby Antibes. With everyone sat at a single table, looking out across the spectacular coastline and enjoying some of the finest cuisine in the South of France, it was hard to think of a better way to celebrate UK hairdressing at the very highest level.
ASP Celebrates 30th Birthday With Spanish Hair Carnival
ASP Celebrates 30th Birthday With Spanish Hair Carnival
Hundreds gather in Marbella to ‘be inspired and get creative’
by AMANDA | INFORM
Salon pro brand ASP has marked its 30th birthday with a two day hair carnival in Spain.
About 500 guests from around the world took over Marbella’s exclusive Hard Rock Hotel for the line–up of hair shows and seminars. The mission? For the British-born brand to show its support for the professional hairdresser with inspiration and creativity.
ASP’s education manager & head of creative, Sara Solomon-Jones, joined sales & commercial director, Ross Jones, to open the event with news of innovations launching in ASP’s portfolio in 2025 while also paying tribute to the company’s 30 year heritage. “Our ethos remains the same, the hair professionals are always at the core of our business, and the professional hairdresser makes us who we are,” said Ross.
A ‘90s neon’–themed opening party set the scene, with a neon-rich hair show headed by ASP’s global ambassador, Tracey Ann Smith, and the ASP Colour Rebels – Maisie Oddy, Poppy Goodwin, Megan Grant, Morgan Workman and Maire Abbett, working on their first global hair show.
On day two, masterclasses covered colour (with ASP ambassadors Terri Nadin and Let Lew), cutting (by Paul Thomas-Farr and Jon Ahern) and photography and social media (with ASP ambassador Sheree Tomic and hair stylist and photographer Desmond Murray).
The final night delivered a carnival themed spectacular, culminating in a hair show created by Tracey Ann Smith and the ASP Colour Rebels and ambassadors ahead of suitably thrilling party for all 500 guests.
VTCT Skills Survey Reveals More New Stylists Are Older And Hungry For More
VTCT Skills Survey Reveals More New Stylists Are Older And Hungry For More
Findings question if salons are casting the recruitment net wide enough
by AMANDA | INFORM
In a survey of 260 newly qualified stylists, VTCT Skills found a significant number of newlyqualified stylists are older, more experienced in life and already focused on upskilling and adding value from day one.
The survey showed that while 46.3% of newly qualified stylists have already pursued additional training, the biggest group actively seeking to upskill isn’t the youngest – it’s those who qualified in their 30s and 40s. Nearly 33% of those investing in extra training qualified in their 30s, and almost 20 per cent in their 40s. And unlike their younger counterparts, these professionals don’t struggle with confidence; they’re thinking about long-term career value, leadership and specialised expertise.
VTCT Skills are now urging employers and the industry to analyse recruitment strategies and ensure they’ve evolved to engage with all newly qualified stylists, not just the traditional school-leaver demographic.
Three Top Tips From VTCT Skills
1. Remember – Newly Qualified Doesn’t Always Mean Young & Inexperienced
Many assume that newly qualified stylists are young and hesitant, but a significant portion of this group is entering hairdressing later in life with confidence, experience and a proactive approach to training.
These professionals bring transferable skills from previous careers and are often focused on building business nous, specialising in high-value services or taking on leadership roles.
2. How Are You Targeting Your Recruitment Campaigns?
Are your recruitment ads and salon messaging aimed only at school leavers and early-career stylists? If so, you could be missing out on key potential talent.
Older newly qualified professionals are already looking for ways to upskill. How can your salon provide opportunities that appeal to them?
3. Engage A Broader Pool Of New Talent
Speak Their Language: Older stylists may be less focused on beginner training and more interested in structured career progression and specialist education.
Showcase Growth Potential: Highlighting leadership opportunities, advanced training and pathways to salon ownership could make your salon a more attractive prospect.
Rethink Mentorship: Not every new stylist needs hand-holding some may be great mentors themselves, bringing knowledge from other industries that could be valuable to your team.
“The future of hairdressing depends on attracting a diverse range of talent. If salons only target young, early-career stylists, they may be missing out on a confident, business-minded group of professionals who are ready to invest in their careers from day one,” says Nicola Steinbach, business development manager at VTCT Skills. “By thinking more broadly about recruitment, the industry can better support the needs and ambitions of all newly qualified stylists.”
“At 24, I was single parent, returning to work. Out of everything, hairdressingstood out. I could make it work around my life.”
The Older Apprentice: Emma Dixon, Ruby Tuesdays, Coventry
“At 24, I was single parent, my son was 18 months old and I started thinking of returning to work. I wanted that job to be something I wanted to do rather than just because I could do it. I thought back to what I was interested in before leaving school. Out of everything, hairdressing stood out. I could make it work around my life.
“During Lockdown I discovered Instagram and a community of like-minded hair pros who wanted to upskill and share their education. I made the most of this and retrained in the areas I felt I lacked confidence and experience. I was also excited to be trying and achieving new modern on-trend looks. It opened my eyes to the creative possibilities and so much more. My view of the industry now is exciting and inspiring. It has lit a fire of curiosity and ambition. It challenges my skills in many ways and I am loving the variety my opportunities give me.”
“Age should never be a barrier to entering the industry”
The Employer: Robert Eaton, Russell Eaton Salons, Yorkshire
“Taking on an older apprentice has been an incredibly positive experience for us as a business. When we first met Luke (by chance at a coffee shop where he was working), it was clear he had a real passion for hair, and when he reached out about an apprenticeship, we knew he’d bring something special to the team.
“As someone with more life and people skills, he came in with a great work ethic and a natural ability to connect with clients. Fast forward five years and he’s now a fully qualified stylist on the floor, an amazing asset to the team and incredible with clients.
“Age should never be a barrier to entering the industry. A mixed-age team brings different perspectives, energy, and experience, which only makes the salon stronger. I wouldn’t hesitate to take on an older apprentice again – it’s about finding the right person, and Luke has been a dream apprentice from day one”
“There has been a noticeable increase in mature learners in the Level 3 hairdressing course”
The College: Chloe Woodbridge, senior lecturer in Further Education Creative Industries (Creative Services), University College Birmingham
“This year, there has been a noticeable increase in mature learners in the Level 3 hairdressing course. Specifically, six learners aged 19+ are enrolled, indicating a broader age demographic in the field. This shift may suggest a growing appeal of hairdressing as a career choice for older students, possibly due to career changes or personal interest.
“There are distinct differences between younger learners (straight from school) and older students. A common challenge with younger learners is the lack of problem-solving skills and initiative. These students may need more guidance when approaching tasks that require critical thinking or independent action. This could be a result of less practical experience or maturity in handling real-world problems.
“Older learners generally have more life experience, but attendance can be a significant issue. They may juggle multiple commitments outside college (work, family, etc), which impacts their ability to attend classes regularly. This challenge is important to address to ensure consistent learning and progress. Support in balancing these commitments or flexible learning options could help mitigate this issue.
“Confidence levels can vary widely among both younger and older learners. At times, younger students may exhibit lower confidence in their skills, particularly in practical settings where performance is observed. They may still be developing their professional identity and feel uncertain about their abilities.
“Confidence in older learners can vary depending on their previous experiences. Some may feel more confident due to their maturity and life experience, while others may struggle with self-doubt, especially when returning to education after a long break.”
VTCT Skills Survey – More Insights
The age of qualification, based on the survey of more than 260 newly qualified stylists:
23% – 16-18
24% – 19-25
25% – 26-35
23% – 36-50
5% – 51 and above
Their career path:
34% of respondents are successfully self-employed
26% are employed in salons and businesses, enjoying stable careers and ongoing development
17% are pursuing further study, demonstrating a commitment to skill enhancement and career progression
[LAURA – what about the rest?]
Their ambitions:
32% dream of running their own business and shaping the next generation of stylists
27% of the respondents wanted to be working in a salon, many of whom are facing challenges
13% referenced wanting to be freelance, self-employed or offering mobile hair services
5% expressed a desire to mentor and train the future workforce.
The biggest challenges for the newly qualified? 30% mentioned the challenge of finding work and clients, while 17% emphasised the importance of confidence-building, underscoring the need for ongoing mentorship and real-world experience.
Many wanted to expand their technical skills: respondents mentioned colouring expertise (mentioned 27 times), extensions (13 mentions), Afro, textured and curly hair techniques (15 mentions) and perming (15 mentions).
Nearly half (46%) of newly qualified professionals have actively pursued further training post-qualification, with courses in advanced cutting, barbering, business management and client acquisition proving popular, highlighting a strong dedication to continuous learning and improvement.
As part of its commitment to empowering hair professionals, VTCT Skills is launching a membership platform. This will give access to a range of bitesize training, discounts on insurance, individual portfolio pages so employers can recruit and more. Join the wait list to be the first to know when it goes live.
