Issuu

AUTUMN 2020

TH E ES SENTIAL M AGA ZI N E FO R SALO N OWN ERS

Why di Wh diversity i iin the h h hair i and db beauty industry is here to stay P22: ITâ€™S CHRISTMAS! End the year on a high by bringing in some festive cheer

Cover_Autumn 2020_Salon Focus 1

P26: NEW TARGETS As the industry resets, where do you start with planning ahead?

P33: VITAL SIGNS How to use nonverbal cues to keep colleagues and clients at ease

P36: LOYALTY Going the extra mile to ensure your clientele come back for more

15/09/2020 11:10

Digital Signage for Salons from New Era Group

Ultra-High Brightness Window Displays at Dangerﬁeld and Keane- Harrogate

Styling Unit Screens at House of Hair Hostess – Solihull

Internal Touch screen at Charles Worthington – London

“

Special Offer with this advert only

£35 a week + vat

As with any new idea there is always that thought in the back of your mind that it may not work, but I can honestly say that the styling unit screens have been my best marketing investment ever. I’m over the moon I took the decision to get them installed and since we re-opened on July 14th I’ve generated over £2,000 in revenue from the internal screens already. Fay Smith, Owner at House of Hair Hostess, Solihull

1 x Ultra High Brightness Window Display 3 x Styling Unit screens Package Includes: z Survey z Supply z Software z Installation z No Upfront Fees z 5 years of unlimited marketing support, design and content creation worth over £30,000. z Full Warranty z Offer is available on lease purchase only and weekly costs are subject to credit status 60 month lease term z Additional once a year £250 + vat annual payment for each year of the lease

“

Outright purchase also available and content service if you already have a screen but are not getting the results you were hoping for

Contact matt@neweragroup.co.uk for a free initial phone consultation and artist’s impression video of how your screens could look and work in your salon before you commit to spending any money. Main Ofﬁce: 0203 950 1968 | Mobile: 07387 787287 Email: matt@neweragroup.co.uk | Website: www.neweragroup.co.uk

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AUTU M N 2020

contents

THE CUT 5

Hello and welcome President Ian Egerton on how we can all adjust to Covid’s ‘new normal’ and follow the NHBF’s #DoItRight campaign

The 9 things you need to know this issue From the state of the sector post-pandemic to the rules around selfemployment, and a boost in skincare knowledge

THE BUSINESS 18 Celebrating diversity

COV STORER Y

Improving inclusivity and appreciating the input of everybody in the sector

26 22 Seasonal top tips This year will be a Christmas unlike any other. Salon owners and experts give their tips on how to make the most of it

26 New targets Covid has caused radical rethinks and altered everyone’s aspirations but one thing remains vital – you still need something to aim at

THE INSPIRATION 40 Mood board The NHBF’s #DoItRight campaign, designed to help keep salons safe and open

42 What’s trending It seems we’re not over summer yet as neon nails shine bright, while 90s hair is making a comeback

29 Public perceptions Lockdown revealed that salons offer far more than just hair and beauty treatments – it’s ﬁnally been recognised that we’re a vital social service too

44 How to... Maintain your physical health

THE NHBF 47 Round-up

33 Body language How to read nonverbal signs that might indicate staff or clients are uncomfortable

36 Loyalty Salons need repeat clients more than ever right now – and the way you treat them is key to them coming back again and again

Key news and messages from the NHBF, including the lowdown from vice president Amanda Lodge-Stewart

THE END 50 60 seconds with... WAH Nails and Beautystack founder Sharmadean Reid

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HELLO A ND W ELCOME T HE CU T

NHBF PRESIDENT The magazine of the National Hair & Beauty Federation

IAN EGERTON

THE NHBF One Abbey Court Fraser Road Priory Business Park Bedford MK44 3WH 01234 831965 nhbf.co.uk sfenquiries@salonfocus.co.uk

IT’S UP TO US ALL TO DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO REDUCE THE RISK OF LOCAL LOCKDOWNS

CHIEF EXECUTIVE Hilary Hall

DIRECTOR OF MARKETING Victoria Priestley tori.priestley@nhbf.co.uk 01234 834386

hile much of our industry is back up and running to a certain degree, it is still a difﬁcult time and the ‘new normal’ ways of working are not without their challenges. Frequent changes and updates to government guidance are no doubt causing confusion and changing the way we all work. The government has also warned that it could close the hair and beauty sector if guidelines aren’t adhered to. Which is why we must follow and abide by the latest rules! To ensure you know exactly what these rules are and carry them out correctly, the NHBF has launched the #DoItRight campaign. It’s vital that we follow guidelines and restore consumer conﬁdence to get clients back in salons and barbershops – especially as further challenges could lie ahead this winter. Find out more about the #DoItRight campaign on page 40. It’s up to us all to work in a Covid-secure way and do everything we can to reduce the risk of local lockdowns. Continuing the theme of changing work environments, our cover feature (page 18) draws on the Black Lives Matter movement and asks how our industry can be more inclusive, and what we can alter for the better. We

EDITORIAL Editor Emma Godfrey emma@salonfocusmagazine.co.uk Deputy editor Katie Smith Assistant editor Hollie Ewers Content sub-editor James Hundleby

DESIGN Lead designer Carrie Bremner Picture researcher Claire Echavarry

ADVERTISING advertising@salonfocusmagazine.co.uk 020 7880 6230

PRODUCTION Production director Jane Easterman Account director Will Hurrell will.hurrell@redactive.co.uk 020 7880 6248

PRINTER Manson Group, St Albans

COVER Getty

© The NHBF 2020 All views expressed in salonfocus are not necessarily those of the the NHBF. All efforts have been taken to ensure the accuracy of the information published in salonfocus. However, the publisher accepts no responsibility for any inaccuracies or errors and omissions in the information produced in this publication. No information contained in this publication may be used or reproduced without the prior permission of the NHBF. Recycle your magazine’s plastic wrap. Check your local LDPE facilities to ﬁnd out how.

speak to leading industry figures from BAME backgrounds, celebrating their contributions and listening to their ideas around achieving true equality. With the UK officially in recession for the first time in 11 years and potentially more difficult times to come, it’s important to continue to plan for the future and the NHBF is here to help. There are some useful tips on setting new targets for your business on page 26, and you can find advice on client loyalty – to keep them coming back each time – on page 36. In NHBF news, vice president Steven Scarr has stepped down from his role and Amanda Lodge-Stewart has taken over as the new NHBF vice president. I’d like to say thank you to Steven for his support of the NHBF over the years and congratulations to Amanda. As 2020 begins to draw to a close (thankfully), the festive season is fast approaching. Take a read of our tips for a successful Christmas (page 22), with suggestions in light of Covid-19. I’d like to wish you all a safe few months ahead and look forward to seeing you all in the New Year.

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TH E CU T SU RVE Y R E S U LTS

THE

The 9 things you need to know this issue... SALONFOCUS SALONFOCUS | | ASUTUM P R IN GN 220019 20

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S URV EY RESULTS T HE CU T

POLL: POSTLOCKDOWN CONCERNS

SURVEY FAST FACTS WHEN WAS IT DONE? Between 20 and 31 August

WHY WAS IT DONE? To obtain data that will inform and inﬂuence government decisions and policies regarding the industry

HOW MANY TOOK PART? More than 2000 respondents

MONEY

68%

41%

expect the lead-up to Christmas to be quiet, based on upcoming bookings

are not sure their business will survive until the end of 2020

STA F F

SOLUTIONS

21%

679

predicted redundancies in the next three months without further government support

respondents felt that an overall reduction in VAT to 5% could help their business

The responses showed that... Three-quarters reported being less busy than the same period last year, with most seeing a slump after the initial rush of appointments after reopening Over two-thirds (68%) expect the lead-up to Christmas to be quiet this year, based on upcoming bookings 41% of businesses are just about breaking even, while a quarter are making either small or unsustainable losses A further 41% are not sure their business will survive until the end of 2020…

IMAGE: ISTOCK

BOOKINGS

A sense of nervousness presides over the industry following the Covid-19 pandemic, findings from the NHBF’s State of Trade survey suggest, with many salon and shop owners reporting a negative impact on finances and staffing.

…with 75 respondents sure they will have to close Almost half (44%) have had to reduce staff hours to save costs Over a ﬁfth (21%) predicted redundancies in the next three months without further government support Just 5% are likely to take on new staff in the coming months… …while two-thirds were sure they would not take on any new apprentices

Respondents felt that, in the next 12 months, the following initiatives that could help their business… Something similar to the ‘Eat Out to Help Out’ scheme (678 respondents) An overall reduction in VAT to 5% (679 respondents) Relaxation in the level of PPE required (almost half of respondents).

The NHBF says: ‘A failure from the government to commit to further support during this time will be the difference between many businesses within the hair and beauty sector surviving or being forced to close. As a signiﬁcant contributor to the UK economy, and a sector that employs over a quarter of a million individuals, this must be avoided.’

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TH E CU T N EW S

BEAUTY

LEGAL

A revolution in skincare knowledge?

Self-employment: are you clear? THE STORY: A self-employed hairdresser was entitled to the beneﬁts of an employee at the Manchester salon she worked at for six years, an employment tribunal has ruled.

The restrictions of lockdown could uld have e of skincare, boosted the public’s knowledge research from Cult Beauty suggests.

Listing the most searched-for skincare ingredients of 2020, these ﬁndings indicate a huge increase in consumers carrying out online research during lockdown. Vitamin C topped the poll at 1.2 million searches – a rise of 204% on last year – followed by retinol (915,500) and castor oil (683,000) But clay saw the biggest spike in searches, with a year-on-year increase of 217%. The most Googled questions relating to these ingredients have focused on what they do to the skin, the researchers found.

THE CLAIM: Meghan Gorman told the tribunal that the salon kept 67% of her takings and set her hours of work while enforcing its own dress code and use of its products. She also said she had to inform the salon if she wanted to take time off. ‘I had thought for some time that the contract they had in place was not right, saying I was self-employed ce,’ when they had all those rules in place,’ she said.

‘With more time at home in the last few months, the rise in searches for products containing clay suggests we’ve been indulging in more selfcare and warding oﬀ “maskne” (acne or other skin irritations from wearing a mask),’ Cult Beauty said. ‘Firm favourites vitamin C and aloe vera have seen the biggest increases, suggesting many of us are looking for a chemicalfree glow-up.’

THE OUTCOME: The ruling gives Meghan egh the id and d right to claim for notice, holiday sb redundancy pay in what has been called a ‘landmark’ case.

THE BOTTOM LINE: To avoid similar tribunals, rib ls,

To see the results in full, go to bit.ly/most-searched-skincareingredients-2020

hat salon owners must recognise that ing a self-employed professionals renting ng chair or a room from them are running their own business. They are not salon employees and cannot be treated as such, so the NHBF renting agreements make it clear that salon owners can’t dictate the hours renters work, the prices they charge, the products they use, the clothes they wear and so on. The agreements can be downloaded at bit.ly/self-employed-agreements

What? #DoItRight is a campaign launched by the NHBF to ensure hair and beauty professionals understand exactly what’s required of them to keep working and reduce the risk of further restrictions or lockdowns.

Why? After the government’s Department for Business, Energy

8 The cut_Autumn 2020_Salon Focus 8

and Industrial Strategy warned the sector could be closed once again if it doesn’t follow safety guidelines, the NHBF stepped in to clarify exactly what is required in England and each of the devolved nations. Where? You can ﬁnd out more at bit.ly/NHBF-do-it-right

IMAGES: SHUTTERSTOCK / ISTOCK

#DOITRIGHT – AND KEEP INDUSTRY DOORS OPEN

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TR ENDS T HE CU T

5 SURVIVING POST-LOCKDOWN BEAUTY / HAIRDRESSING

Weathering the storm As research from global market analyst Mintel reveals the impact of Covid-19 on beauty habits and consumer trends, we look at the key ﬁndings.

GLOBAL TRENDS 2030

IMAGE: ISTOCK

Salons and shops can expect to see more savvy clients and work to restore their trust as... Consumers rely more on their instincts and knowledge, calling the role of the ‘expert’ into question. Information sharing and marketing tactics employed by many brands comes under ﬁre and threatens consumer trust. Consumers do more research than ever before when making informed product choices, wanting complete brand transparency. How you should act: As consumers grow tired of the follow-the-leader mentality created by social media and wary of being

sold to by brands and influencers, control and limit what you showcase on platforms, focusing on quality rather than quantity. The fast beauty and fashion movement has led to overpurchasing and clutter. Keep in mind the more minimal approach consumers are moving towards, and include reuse and upcycling in your business wherever possible. Top prediction: Artificial hair Global wellness company Aderans and Japanese biomaterial company Spiber will develop artificial hair made of 100% protein, which can be permed and coloured and won’t easily break.

A report that looks at European countries like Italy and Spain, which are ahead of the UK in terms of tackling the pandemic, oﬀers the following observations and advice... Visits to salons may become less frequent and consumers will be looking for cheaper treatments. High cost and lack of necessity are persistent barriers when it comes to visiting the hairdresser. Salons can be creative with their space, bringing new revenue opportunities. Complying with social distancing guidelines, there are opportunities to oﬀer new activities outside opening hours, like hosting live gigs or selling clothing. For even more on this, turn to page 42.

BEAUTY AND PERSONAL CARE The beauty market will see significant value decline in 2020 due to limited retail sales and a shift in priorities. Lockdown has seen sectors such as colour cosmetics, fragrances and hair removal decline in priority. Growth in sectors that promote wellbeing and self-care, such as skincare, won’t be enough to offset losses in other sectors. Ethical considerations will become more important post-Covid. Brands that increased their charitable efforts to help tackle the pandemic will be fondly remembered by consumers. Health and safety concerns will remain paramount for consumers, accelerating the trend towards complete transparency.

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Bringing the best to the haircare community with Sericite and Alchemy.

KINDER TO YOU. KINDER TO YOUR CLIENTS. KINDER TO EVERYONE. VISIT cloudninehair.com/professional

JOIN US ON

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BEAUTY

Research reveals lockdown beauty woes A third of women who attempted at-home hair and beauty treatments unsuccessfully during lockdown have called on beauty therapists and hair stylists to ﬁx their mishaps, ﬁndings from centre:mk, the Milton Keynes shopping destination, suggest.

The attempts: The top three at-home treatments among respondents were face masks (64%), hair removal cream (64%) and hair colouring (61%). The problems: The women polled said their DIY efforts ended in disasters such as upper lip burns caused by hair removal creams, streaky fake tans, stubborn wax and reactions to homemade face masks. The good news: The services that respondents missed the most during lockdown included eyebrow shaping and threading, gel polish manicures, pedicures and waxing, while a quarter said they now wanted to take more time out for themselves. What else? Further research, by digital marketplace Glowday, suggests over a quarter (27%) of UK women feel lockdown has aged them – especially those aged 25 to 34 (44%). As a result, almost half (43%) of those polled said they would now consider an aesthetic treatment. Laser hair removal and Botox topped the treatments being considered (43% and 23% respectively).

TOP THREE

IMAGES: SHUTTERSTOCK / ISTOCK

AT-HOME TREATMENTS

64% 64% 61% Face masks

Hair removal cream

Hair colouring

STATS A ND POL LS T HE CU T

HAIRDRESSING

Rising costs drive up hair service prices

The average cost of hair services across the UK has increased since the Covid-19 pandemic, research reveals. Looking at the prices of the most common hair services across cities up and down the UK and averaging them out, Harvey Water Softeners’ hair price index shows that: The price of a gents’ cut and ﬁnish is now £34.97 on average London has the costliest average overall hair service cost at £68.57 – closely followed by Brighton (£66.71) and Birmingham (£64.39) Yorkshire cities Leeds and Shefﬁeld were revealed to have the lowest average prices for hair services (£38.43 and £43.71 respectively).

The research looked at the prices of popular services in hair salons including ladies’ and gents’ cut and ﬁnish, full and half head of highlights, a full head tint and a blow-dry. Meanwhile, the NHBF’s survey of more than 2000 businesses showed that 65% had put their prices up slightly, while a further 8% had increased them signiﬁcantly (check out more on the survey results on page 7). Have you increased your prices since lockdown? How did you decide to set the new rates? Join the conversation at @nhbfsocial

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8 EYES OPEN TH E CU T SKIL LS

BEAUTY

During a routine manicure, Linda Bartram (pictured below) made an observation that would help save her client’s life. She tells us why skills must always start with the basics. Q: What happened?

A: Joan Martindale – my client of 10 years – always had beautiful nails, long and healthy. But within three weeks, when she came back for her appointment, they had arched up. If I ever see clubbing nails that rings alarm bells for me. I can remember covering it in anatomy and physiology at college.

Q: How did you broach the subject? A: I said to Joan: ‘I’ve noticed your nails are starting to curve upwards and over, and I strongly advise you to get them looked at by the GP.’ She went to the doctor and they sent her straight to the hospital for an X-ray. [Joan underwent a number of tests and was told she had a

tumour on her lung, which was removed during a ﬁve-hour operation.]

Q: How would you advise other professionals who see something that concerns them? A: It’s not about alarming or scaremongering, but we know nails, we know the structure of the skin, bones, cuticles, nail bed, nail plate. Everybody who does nails should know all of this. I know not everybody does, but I would like to think more do than don’t.

Q: What if they don’t know? A: So many other therapists have said to me: ‘I’d never have known what clubbing of the nails means’, and it’s quite worrying. They need to go back to basics and learn about anatomy and physiology of the hands and skin and feet. It alarms me that people can do online courses or one-day courses to become a nail technician and then they think they know everything, when it’s much more in-depth than that. It is highly skilled.

Q: Are you proud of your role in Joan’s diagnosis and treatment? A: If I hadn’t recognised the change in her nails, Joan might never have gone to the doctor, and it’s scary to think what could’ve happened. I don’t regret for one second advising Joan to get it looked at. I am proud, and I’m so thankful that she listened to me.

WHAT IS FINGER CLUBBING? Finger clubbing means specific changes in the shape of your fingers and fingernails. People with heart or lung problems sometimes have these changes. According to Cancer Research, clubbing happens in stages: The nail bed becomes soft, and the skin next to the nail bed becomes shiny The nails then curve more than normal when looked at from the side The ends of the fingers may then get larger. Finger clubbing is unusual, so a doctor must be alerted if you notice it.

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ADVERTO RI AL

SALON REVENUE ROCKETS AFTER LOCKDOWN Thanks to New Era’s in-salon screen technology, House of Hair Hostess in Solihull has seen its retail sales boom.

ike many salon owners, Fay Smith of House of Hair Hostess in Solihull has faced high levels of stress, anxiety and uncertainty due to the eﬀects of Covid-19. However, rather than panic and let the pandemic ruin her business, Fay focused on new ways to communicate with her clients and maximise her income opportunities. This ambition started to become reality thanks to Alan Howard - one the UK’s leading haircare distributors. In partnership with Halifax-based New Era Group Limited, Alan Howard recently launched a digital screen roll-out aimed at supporting its clients. After an initial phone consultation with New Era Group to discuss potential

CONTACT US If you are interested in learning more about how digital screens could work for your salon, please get in touch with New Era Group Limited by emailing matt@neweragroup.co.uk. Quote ‘salonfocus’ in your email for a limited edition special offer in October and November. Or if you prefer, call 07387 787287 or 0203 950 1968 for free advice.

solutions, Fay decided to install three small point of sale digital advertising displays on styling units facing clients.

Sales without a salesperson ‘I wanted to see how I could start to sell additional products more effectively, as well as incentivise our clients to engage more with our social media pages and extend our marketing reach,’ Fay says. And crucially, Fay needed to achieve all this without dedicated salespeople. ‘It’s difficult for staff in the salon to sell additional products and services because they’re not trained salespeople. Most conversations they have with clients are about everyday life,’ Fay says. ‘But my thinking was, if we could focus the customer on the screens advertising our range of additional services, then that would guide conversations and enable the stylist to take orders from clients who respond.’

Screen success ‘The results have been amazing so far. Since July 14, I’ve generated over £2000 of additional income from the screen advertisements,’ Fay says. ‘If you’re a salon owner who is afraid of losing your business, I would recommend getting some screens installed. They will do so much of the work for you in terms of growing your retail sales and social media reach.

FAY SMITH

OWNER OF HOUSE OF HAIR HOSTESS

‘The team at New Era have been great right from the start and have continued to support me after delivery of the screens. Their ongoing and unlimited advert design and account management service is all built into an aﬀordable monthly payment with no upfront fees via leasing. They are customer-focused and care about how well we are doing.’

Instant results, quick returns In fact, so happy is Fay, she’s just ordered another screen for the beauty section in the salon. ‘Our first screens have already pretty much paid for themselves in the first six weeks, so everything from now on is profit,’ Fay says. ‘As with any new idea, there is always that thought in the back of your mind that it may not work, but I can honestly say the digital screens have been my best marketing investment ever. I’m over the moon I took the decision to get them installed.’

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REDEFINE COLOUR EXPECTATIONS Boost colour performance and outcomes with transformative processing technology. Roller Ball F halves processing time, intensiďŹ es results and increases the value of your colour business.

www.takarahairdressing.co.uk

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INS PIRATI LASHON ES T HE CU T

BEAUTY

Going for it As beauty brand London Lash Pro takes home a Queen’s Award for Enterprise, owner and founder Hanna Putjato tells us about making success happen. Determination and hard work paid off… When I ﬁrst came to the UK from Belarus, I couldn’t speak any English, and I worked in a pie factory. I decided the best way to learn English was to take a course in a local college – I chose beauty and fell in love with eyelash extensions. It got to a point where I was getting asked to teach them – especially with Russian volume lashes, because nobody else was doing it. I contacted a few training academies and they turned me down, so I decided to do it myself.

And I took it further… I started creating my own kits with products that I was happy with. Then eventually, my students became my customers, word began to spread and London Lash Pro (then Lady Lash) really started to take oﬀ. I was working in the salon and training all day, and packing products at night to post before work the next morning.

Hands-on experience is crucial… We’re a brand founded by and for lash artists – when we bring out a new product or improve an old product, it’s because we know there is a gap in our lash kit for it. We understand the problems that a lash artist can face because it’s how we all started out.

We used lockdown productively… We are fortunate to have a global reach, so for countries where the lockdown was less strict or non-existent, we were

still taking orders. In the UK, we focused on keeping skills and knowledge up to standard and created some extra practice kits and online resources. We still don’t know what will happen from one week to the next, but what the past ﬁve months has shown us is that the beauty industry is resilient – in one way or another we will always bounce back.

Gender equality is an important theme in my business… Women are smart, brave, strong and passionate. However far feminism has come, there is a lot of work still to be done before

we are completely equal to our male colleagues. Giving women a safe place to come, to learn and to grow is really important at the moment.

Aspiring beauty entrepreneurs should go for it… This industry has largely been built on people taking chances, and if there is an opportunity in front of you, then you should grab it with both hands. It won’t be easy but you have the opportunity to create something, and at the end of every struggle you’ll ultimately be able to look back and see how worth it everything was.

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TH E BU SI N E S S C E L E B R AT IN G DIVE R S IT Y

WORDS GEORGINA WINTERSGILL

People of all backgrounds have contributed to the hair and beauty industry, but is it diverse enough? We look at how you can become more inclusive – and the beneﬁts of welcoming everyone.

SPR P T

he Black Lives Matter protests shone a spotlight on inequality in the UK. All industries were inspired to take a long, hard look at themselves and ask: what can we do better? Like most sectors, the hair and beauty industry is a work in progress when it comes to inclusivity. However, hairstylist Errol Douglas MBE broke barriers when he opened his Knightsbridge salon – which caters for all hair types – in 1998. ‘In those days, when you went into the West End or Knightsbridge, you couldn’t have your hair done if you were black,’ he says. ‘You’d have to search. But my team do everything.’

He hopes that in the future, all salons will cater for all hair types. But he’s frustrated that change is so slow. ‘To be talking about this in 2020 seems crazy. You have to embrace the community you’re serving. People with afro hair should be able to go to the salon round the corner. They shouldn’t have to travel miles just to get a haircut.’ He believes practical experience on all hair types should be an essential part of hairdressing and barbering qualifications. As a salon or barbershop owner, it’s your responsibility to educate your staff so they’re skilled and confident in treating all clients, and have the appropriate products in stock.

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CELEBRATING DIV ERS ITY THE BU SI NESS CELEBRATI

Errol would like to see more salons investing in training. ‘We rigorously train our staﬀ,’ he says. ‘I’d never say, “I can only do this”, because that my that would wou ould ld llimit imit im it m y business busi bu siness and nd llimit imit im it tthe he person I am.’ He believes some hairdressers are frightened of afro hair. He says: ‘There’s a myth about it being diﬃcult, but it’s not – you just have to learn. Now’s the time!’

Practical experience Since 2013, all hairdressing and barbering students have had to learn the theory on the full range of hair types. However, However learners won won’tt necessarily get practical experience on all hair types. NHBF director of quality and standards Caroline Larissey explains: ‘It’s very much dictated by who the colleges and training providers can get in terms of models. It depends where you live and what they oﬀer.’ Would it help if learners were required

DIVERSITY IN RECRUITMENT

IMAGES: GETTY

CONFRONTING UNCONSCIOUS BIAS Many people make snap judgements about others without realising. Here’s how unconscious bias can affect recruitment decisions – and how to minimise the risk. Diversity and inclusion expert Dr Jill Miller says people tend to make quick judgements about others based on lots of factors, including gender, skin colour, clothes and even their educational background. She says: ‘We make decisions about people based on our biases and

assumptions, not evidence of their suitability for the job. We also tend to want to recruit people like us – we might see them as a safe choice. So unconscious bias can affect who gets in and who gets on at work.’ What can we do to minimise unconscious bias when recruiting? ‘Anonymise CVs when going through them,’ Jill advises. ‘Commit to a set of interview questions that are directly related to performance on the job, and ask those questions of everybody. Be able to justify your decisions with evidence about why that person is best for the job.’

MARK MACIVER BARBER AND FOUNDER/CEO OF SLIDERCUTS, EAST LONDON

I started cutting hair 21 years ago, at 14. Then I got an internship in a barbershop at 18. I love the fact you get to see the whole community and watch people grow up. They get a haircut on all the important occasions of life and you get to share those occasions with them. When I did my barbering qualiﬁcation, the tutor didn’t have any experience with afro hair. I often had to give her information as her experience was from a European hairdressing background. In the past couple of years, there’s been more crossover. White barbers have been doing more afro hair and black barbers have been doing more European hair. An area where the industry hasn’t been inclusive is award shows. The biggest UK shows still don’t properly recognise afro barbering. My hope for the future is for afro barbering to be respected as a proper skill, especially with the industry elites and the people who set up the shows.

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TH E BU SI N E S S C E L E B R AT IN G DIVE R S IT Y

to get practical experience on all hair types? ‘We’ve always said, where practical, that is the way to go. But in less ethnically diverse areas it’s very difficult for colleges and training providers to be able to do that – although that might change in the future as we become a more multicultural society. Together as an industry, we’re pushing for standards and qualifications to reflect the skills that are needed to deal with all hair and skin types.’ Similarly, beauty therapy learners’ practical experience doesn’t always include different skin tones. Make-up artists tend to work with particular brands, which usually offer in-house training. But until recently, many brands didn’t cater for darker skin tones. Things have started to improve. Rihanna’s make-up line, Fenty Beauty, was launched in 2019 with 40 shades of foundation (there are now 50 and the slogan ‘Beauty for all’). Its success proved that inclusivity sells, and prompted other brands to extend their shade ranges. That’s not only good for consumers, but also for make-up artists, giving them more opportunities to work with darker skin tones.

TRY TO TAKE THE PERSPECTIVE OF CUSTOMERS WITH DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS AND IDENTITIES

AESTHETIC SKIN HEALTH SPECIALIST AND DIRECTOR OF WEST ROOM AESTHETICS, LONDON

I’ve been in the beauty industry for 12 years. It’s fascinating and fast-paced, with so much innovation to keep you excited and on your toes. I like the fact it’s an industry dedicated to making people feel good about themselves. I love helping women achieve healthy skin and understand what skincare is all about – especially black women, who are often left out of that conversation. Compared with when I started out, there are more black women working in the industry and setting up their own brands and businesses – that’s fantastic. I think the industry will continue to make positive strides with diversity and inclusivity, but there’s still work to do. I’d love to see more black people in senior roles, helping to inﬂuence decision-making.

Ensuring inclusivity Dr Jill Miller is senior diversity and inclusion policy adviser for the

IN NUMBERS

DIJA AYODELE

BEAUTY

Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development. Similar to Errol’s sentiments, she recommends that your marketing materials, images and salon menu reﬂect the diversity and requirements of your local community. ‘If they don’t, your business is going to be narrower in its appeal, and that has commercial implications,’ she says. ‘Try to take the perspective of customers with diﬀerent backgrounds and identities, and imagine how each of them might feel if they were coming to your premises as a client. Consult with a wide range of people and ask them to challenge the way you might instinctively think. Otherwise you might not understand the challenges

£1.72bn

£6

Value of the haircare market in Britain in 2019

Black and Asian women spend £6 on hair and beauty for every £1 a white British woman spends

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CELEBRATING DIV ERS ITY THE BU SI NESS

that diﬀerent people face, and it’s not until you understand those challenges that you can address them.’ She also recommends providing diversity and inclusion training for staﬀ. She says: ‘People need that so they can give clients the best customer experience.’ There’s still a way to go before achieving true equality in the industry. But at least we’re talking about it – and that’s a start. The great news is that every salon and barbershop owner can be part of the solution. Not only because it’s fair, and makes good business sense, but because we know the industry wouldn’t be the exciting, vibrant and creative place it is without the contributions of people of all identities and backgrounds.

CHARLOTTE MENSAH MOVING FORWARD

HOW DOES THE NHBF HELP ENSURE THAT STANDARDS AND QUALIFICATIONS CONTINUE TO EVOLVE? NHBF director of quality and standards Caroline Larissey says: ‘The NHBF is always in the hub of anything to do with training and education. We are an apprenticeship intermediary organisation, and we’re on all the apprenticeship trailblazer groups for

hairdressing and beauty, representing employers to make sure we’ve got the standards and qualiﬁcations that are right for the sector. We also sit on the government T Level panels. The NHBF is constantly doing surveys and consultations to ﬁnd out exactly what employers want, and we feed back to the government to say what’s needed.’

2013

£5bn

The year students began to learn the theory of all hair types

Rihanna’s make-up line, Fenty Beauty, has 50 shades of foundation

The current value of the UK market for beauty

HAIRSTYLIST AND OWNER OF HAIR LOUNGE, WEST LONDON

There’s a massive need for the industry to become more inclusive. It’s getting there, but we need more work. I’m loving the trend of seeing black creatives front and centre in editorial campaigns. But inclusivity is more than what you can see with the naked eye – it’s about the whole process. All areas of the industry need to offer more opportunities for black stylists. When hired for shoots or fashion shows, it’s often for a speciﬁc use, such as braids. But black stylists can do so much more. Salons of all types, in all locations, should be looking to deliver a comprehensive experience, with at least one specialist in the team to cater for all curl types. Remember there are people with curly hair textures living in places with no real ‘afro’ community. They also deserve the opportunity to have their hair done by stylists who understand their hair type.

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TH E BU SI N E S S S E A S O N A L TO P T IP S

CHRISTMAS 22 2

Christmas C hristmas is is coming, com ming, and what year a nd w hat a y ear iit’s t’s been. b een. We We ask ask industry industry how best eexperts xperts h ow b est tto o ccope ope with w ith a very very diﬀ diﬀerent erent kind kind off ffestive o estive sseason. eason.

o sa say y Ch C Christmas rist ri stma st mass 20 ma 2020 020 0w will il il unlike any other bee u nlik nl ikee an ik ny ot o herr is he i probably pr rob obab ably ab ly ssomething omet om ethi et hing hi ng g off With an understatement. und nder erst er stat st atem at emen em en nt. t. W itth ith Covid-19 and Covi Co vidvi d-19 d19 a nd tthe h possibility he pos ossi s bi si bili l ty lockdowns still of rregional egio eg iona io nall lo na lock ckdo ck d wn do wnss st stil illl lurking likely lurk lu rkin rk i g – an in and d a li like kely ke ly lack lacck Christmas of C hris hr istm is t as parties tm par arti ties ti es – it es it could and coul co u d bee a tricky ul tri rick ck cky ky ti ttime m for me for salons sal a on onss an a d barbershops. However, are ways b ba rber rb ersh er hop ps. s H o ev ow e er e , th tthere eree ar er re wa w yss you still make most y yo u ca ccan an n st stil illl ma ake tthe he m ostt of iitt an os and d enjoy en njo j y some so ome festive fessti tive ve cheer. che heer er. er

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S EA S ONA L TOP TIPS THE BU SI NESS

MARC’S

TOP TIPS

Think carefully about your retail this Christmas. We’re focusing on stocking ﬁllers this year – around £10 to £20 – not big ticket items. Use this Christmas as an opportunity to pace out business. We don’t want to keep dealing with surges – stable businesses have good, steady trade throughout the year. Don’t let any Christmas feature, whether it’s a tree, decorations or even product displays, take up any precious social distancing space.

MARC MCCUNE Marc has styled in London, Sydney, Paris and Milan during his 20+ year career. As well as being the owner of the Eutopia salons in Glasgow and Helensburgh, Marc is also a brand educator for Sebastian. In some ways, Covid has sped up some of the trends we were already seeing at Christmas. For example, I had a lot of regular clients who were choosing to

have appointments any time in November and then in early January, rather than cope with the hassle of Christmas. With restrictions on Christmas parties this year, that trend will expand. One positive from this is that it could help in-salon retail sales as clients may not have ﬁnished their shopping in November. That said, it looks like product companies are cutting back on the packs they’re selling this Christmas. Many clients have been buying products online during lockdown, so that will affect our retail sales. We’ve been cutting back on retail stock at Christmas for a while, so this year’s circumstances might speed up that trend.

" IN SOME WAYS, COVID HAS SPED UP SOME OF THE TRENDS WE WERE ALREADY SEEING We’ll see salons experiencing more steady business this year, which might not be a bad thing because we traditionally end up with a bottleneck with everybody trying to get in at the same time. Christmas doubles your turnover in December but halves it in January. I’d be quite happy if it means we’ll be quieter in December but busier in November and January.

IMAGES: GETTY / ISTOCK INTERVIEWS: MATT LAMY

LISA CATHCART Lisa has more than 25 years' experience in the business and is the owner of Salon Sienna, which she established in 2003 in Middleton, North Manchester. Lisa is also the founder of the Salon Sienna Training Academy. Normally we start planning for Christmas now, but this year we started discussing it much earlier. If we plan and

market it correctly, we could have one of the best Christmases we’ve ever had. Of course things could change if there are more redundancies or if the recession gets worse. But a lot of clients have been working at home during lockdown, and they now want to be pampered.

" WE'LL STILL HAVE A FANTASTIC INVITING DISPLAY, BUT IT'LL BE DIFFERENT

Clients are desperate to get all their appointments in, so we’ve been telling them to book the next three and we’re booking right up to Christmas. We’ll continue with our current opening hours of seven days a week with three late nights, but we might go up to four nights. In terms of getting the salon ready for Christmas, we’re looking at doing a lot of plastic displays. I think it will all have to be done with Perspex, baubles, things hanging from the ceiling – things we can wipe down and won’t collect viruses. We’ll still have a fantastic inviting display, but it’ll be different from previous years.

LISA’S

TOP TIPS

If you have a Christmas shopping day or special evening events, hold those online with video via Zoom and allow clients to log in from home. Use leaﬂets to give customers info about products and Christmas packs – to maintain safe hygiene and keep products away from direct contact. When it comes to decorations, think about displays that are wipe-clean.

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TH E BU SI N E S S S E A S O N A L TO P T IP S

STEPH STEVENSON As well as a highly respected celebrity stylist, Steph is the founder of the new Marie Claire Jetstyle range of salons and products and the owner of HNB: a 4000 sq ft hair, beauty, aesthetics and cosmetic dentistry salon and spa in Sandbanks, Dorset. I feel that this year i more everyone requires a bit ent in of an emotional element o – we w everything that we do

need to give our clients even more of a ‘get off the world experience’ than before. Although we have all the PPE and safety measures in place, we’ve worked hard to make sure having a great time is still the main thing for our clients. That means we will be decorating the salon this Christmas and offering clients treats. We may even give gifts – we feel that it’s really the right time to show how much we value our clients. As there won’t be so many parties this year, we’re offering the local corporate ity team pam pamper per community the h y follow w the e days. Ensuring they n England d latest guidelines in of having no more than six

" WE NEED TO GIVE OUR CLIENTS EVEN MORE OF A 'GET OFF THE WORLD EXPERIENCE' people, they can hire the salon out of hours and have a different type of party (see Spotify playlists below). We’ll also be majoring on online retail and gift vouchers, and maybe some pay-forwards with discount, which we haven’t done before. The more we we celebrate cele cele elebra brate bra te e Chr C hrist istmas ist is mas mas more Christmas offer er, the the e better bet etter ter our our and off er, cha hance es of of entering enterin ente t rin ring g the the e New chances he hea ealthy althy condition. condit con dition dit ion. ion Year in a healthy

STEPH’S

TOP TIPS

On social media, provide more competitions and giveaways. Increase packages – add on rather than take money off. The party market is a big part of a salon’s business at Christmas so ﬁnd ways to plug that revenue gap with other ideas. Be creative! Pamper your staff. With restrictions in place and in light of how hard everyone has worked, they’d probably value a couple of extra paid days off rather than a Christmas party this year.

GRAHAM SOULT

TIPS FROM THE RETAIL EXPERT Graham Soult is a high street champion who runs retail consultancy CannyInsights.com. Here are his key suggestions for Christmas 2020. No one quite knows what Christmas is going to look like, so being ﬂexible and able to cope with uncertainty is important.

Excite Exc ite th the e cust c ustome omerr customer ith great p roduct rod uctss and and with products ervic er vices es – you you hav haven’ en’tt services haven’t st got got to ent entice ice just eople into you o r salo on people your salon barber bersho shop p this t i ye y ar, orr bar barbershop year, ou’ve ou ’ve al also so got to you’ve ntice nt ice pe peopl ople e out out of entice people eir hom homes. es. their Make Mak e your your wi windo ndow w window ppeal pp ealing ing,, eyee ye-cat catchi ching ng appealing, eye-catching nd In Insta stagra gramma mmable ble.. and Instagrammable. eople eo ple ar are e goin g oing g to to People going hotog ho tograp raph h it it and and sha share re photograph sprea read d the the wor word. d. it and sp spread If you wa want nt to att attrac ractt attract eople eo ple to o yo your ur tow town n or or people usine us iness, ss, yo you u have have to business, ake ak e it it w orth ort h thei ttheir he r hei make worth hiile wit w h a fe ffestive stt ve sti v while with mospher osp spher e e. Mak Make atmosphere. e cl clien ientt want want to the client ome om e as as much much fo forr tthe he come xp peri erienc ence e as as for forr a experience roductt o ro ervice erv ice ce. product orr sservice.

HNB’S CHRISTMAS SPOTIFY PLAYLISTS Spotify – New Year’s Eve Party Bangers, Christmas Is Coming, Christmas Crackers Gaspard Royant – I Can’t Believe It’s Christmas Gavin Boyle – Best Christmas Songs 2020 Stephanie Stevenson – Christmas 17

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I’ve

escaped my

partner

SUPPORTING HAIR AND BEAUTY PROFESSIONALS AND THEIR CHILDREN

ÀȌǐƵɈǘƵȲ ɩƵ ƧƊȁ ǘƵǶȯ ǿƊǲƵ Ɗ ƮǞǏǏƵȲƵȁƧƵ ȺɐȯȯȌȲɈǞȁǐ ɈƵȲǿǞȁƊǶ ǞǶǶȁƵȺȺ‫ ل‬ƮȌǿƵȺɈǞƧ ƊƦɐȺƵ‫ ل‬ǘȌǿƵǶƵȺȺȁƵȺȺ‫ ل‬ ȯȌɨƵȲɈɯ‫ ل‬ǿƵȁɈƊǶ ǘƵƊǶɈǘ‫ ل‬ƊȁƮ ˸ ȁƊȁƧǞƊǶ ǘƊȲƮȺǘǞȯ Thanks to our charity sponsors

Hairandbeautycharity.org | Registered Charity in England & Wales No: 1166298

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TH E BU SI N E S S N E W TA R G E TS

HIT

WO R D S STE V E S M E TH UR ST

OR MISS Salon and barbershop owners will need to tear up old plans and reset targets. But without a crystal ball, where should you start? NHBF RESOURCES

arrel Starkey-Gettings says it will be hard to plan ahead until his salon has been open longer. ‘Our projections for this year have gone to pot,’ he admits. His salon, Taylor’s Hair Studio in Skegness, Lincolnshire, reopened fully on 7 July to a very diﬀerent world. ‘I took the decision not to open any extra days or hours because

when it comes to rebooking, I didn’t want to have any capacity issues later on. That’s had an impact on our income as we can’t fit as many people in as we used to.’ The good news is that Darrel had a backlog of clients and was fully booked for his first five weeks. And at the time of interview, he was expecting an influx of summer visitors to the resort town. ‘But our targets from before lockdown will certainly be different,’ he says.

For more on managing staff performance, visit nhbf.co.uk/ staff-performance To read the Business finances, prices, wages and profits guide, go to nhbf.co.uk/businessfinance-guide The Managing performance guide can be found at nhbf. co.uk/managing-people-guide

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NEW TA RG ETS T HE BU SI NESS

" MOST SALONS HAVE HAD TO RECONFIGURE THEIR STAFF ROTA AND IT’S HAD AN IMPACT ON HOW MUCH REVENUE A SALON CAN GENERATE

EMIL MCMAHON

AIM HIGH Hairdressing consultant Emil McMahon nominates four key areas where business owners will need to take action…

Training Salons and shops will have to ﬁnd different ways to educate their teams with owners taking on the responsibility, whether it’s upselling services, retail or even introducing new concepts. It might mean taking a look at each of their team and assessing their strengths and weaknesses.

IMAGES: GETTY

Retail boom Hairdressing consultant Emil McMahon says that Darrel’s situation is typical. ‘Unless you have a huge salon, most salons have had to reconfigure their staff rota and it’s had an impact on how much revenue a salon can generate. ‘However, retail is doing well. One salon told me they’d made £400 worth of sales in retail in one day, which, unless you’re an amazing retailer, is unheard of.’ It’s certainly true for Darrel: ‘Within the first two weeks of reopening, we had a 60% increase on retail sales year on year. It’s partly people who haven’t been able to buy anything for four months, but also people who’ve never bought anything from us before.’ He’s also been able to rebook clients earlier. ‘Around 90% of our clients are doing that because they’ve experienced not having their hair done.’

2 3

Motivation It’s down to the senior members of the team to encourage everyone to develop skills or to ﬁnd things that help maintain a level of motivation in the coming months. Incentives Incentives for staff need to be appealing and achievable to all levels, and they need to give staff something to strive for. If an incentive is easy, it doesn’t serve any purpose. It doesn’t create a long-term growth pattern.

Plan to succeed Owners need to start building a plan for their future, to look at what’s going on around them and be aware of the competition. Those who have businesses that just trundle along will need to build a plan to grow in the future.

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TH E BU SI N E S S N E W TA R G E TS

One concern for Darrel is the potential for a further lockdown. ‘I worry that my town will be one that gets a localised lockdown. Lincolnshire had very low infection rates during lockdown, but visitor numbers are rising and more than 60% of the population is aged 50 plus. Many of our clients have been shielding for weeks.’

Uncertainty reigns

So where does this leave salons/shops and their targets? ‘We’re still in a very uncertain phase,’ says Emil. ‘If we get a second spike, it will scupper everything. Until things settle down, planning is probably the last thing most are thinking about. They just want to get back into doing work they love after three and a half months of trying to be administrative. ‘Planning may not be possible in the traditional sense, but I am encouraging owners to analyse what’s going on day to day – what are clients looking at, what are they buying into and what can you do to make them think ahead? We have

" WITH THE FUTURE SO UNCERTAIN, I’M NOT TAKING ANY RISKS to ensure the client knows that we’re thinking about them and their next visit’ (see box-out).

Pulling the rug Darrel is certainly taking a cautious approach. ‘I’ve been lucky that my rent isn’t too expensive, and the business was doing well before lockdown.’ For now, his stylists have more hours currently than they’re contracted for, and he feels morale is high. ‘I’m not letting them burn themselves out with overtime, which I think could be easily done. The team is working well, although it is hard with the PPE.’ But he refuses to take anything for granted: ‘One salon has already had to shut for 14 days after one of the staﬀ contracted the virus. We take clients’ temperatures even though we don’t have to. With the future so uncertain, I’m not taking any risks.’

Q&A

PAUL MATTHEWS What should salon and barbershop owners be thinking about? Dealing with the emotional aspects around safety for staff, speciﬁcally for those who might be feeling at risk. There will be those for whom it creates a lot of anxiety. Retail staff have a higher incidence of problems with the pandemic as they’re stuck in the same room all day with people coming and going, and it’s the same for salons. How can you embed protocols for Covid? Keeping the vigilance going will be tricky. It might slip as people get used to it and they don’t have an experience of Covid. People revert to old ways if they don’t see any immediate repercussions. It is therefore important to continue to follow the guidelines and not lose sight of the risks which could impact owners and their businesses. How important is scenario planning? What are the different possible futures? One is that a vaccine is created and in three months’ time we can forget it ever happened. Another is no vaccine, a second wave and total lockdown. A third is some kind of middle ground where we’re still muddling along. The redundancy surge that will hit at the end of October will have consequences on disposable income. Business owners need a plan for each eventuality. Paul Matthews is the author of Informal learning at work: how to boost performance in tough times. See paul-matthews.com for more.

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PUBLIC PERCEPTIONS T HE BU SI NESS WO R D S K ATH Y OXTO BY

HAIRDRESSER

airdressers, barbers and beauty therapists have an easy job. After all, how hard can it be to cut and colour hair, or do a manicure? Lockdown changed these perceptions, as the images of disastrous DIY cuts and failed gel nails that ﬂooded social media demonstrated. So, in July, when salon doors reopened, clients ﬂocked back. Some will have vowed never to take their stylist, therapist or barber for granted again. Christian Wiles, salon owner at Christian Wiles Hairdressing, Northampton, reports the gratitude he’s received from returning clients. ‘The majority of clients were glad to be back and had missed the experience of having their hair done,’ he says.

Covid-19 has changed public perceptions of the hair and beauty industry for the better. But why has its value to society only just been recognised?

Salon stalwarts But why only now is the industry being valued? Hilary Hall, NHBF chief executive, says: ‘It’s not until something is taken away that you think: “This actually leaves a big gap in my life.” ‘And people who have tried to do their hair themselves have realised it’s much more difficult than they appreciated.’ Hellen Ward, managing director at Richard Ward Hair & Metrospa in London, agrees. ‘Lockdown has made everyone understand that there are certain things you will never be able to do online, and one is going to a hair salon, spa or barbershop.’ But it’s not just the ‘superficial’ results clients have missed. Researchers at the University of Essex identified

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TH E BU SI N E S S P U B L IC P E R C E PT IO N S

CAROLYN HARRIS MP

HAS BEAUTY BEEN LEFT BEHIND BECAUSE OF SEXISM?

How is the beauty industry perceived and valued? A debate began when government allowed barbers and hair services to open – but not beauty, a predominantly female, self-employed industry. Is this because the government benches are stacked with middleaged men? Carolyn Harris MP says the government was too slow to get beauty salons and spas reopened, favouring pubs, restaurants and golf clubs. ‘Guidance for the industry has been woefully lacking and I honestly believe it’s because it just isn’t taken seriously enough, and that is something I want to change.’ She says this is because of a lack of understanding about the size and importance of the industry, and a ‘sexist attitude’ in government and the media towards beauty. HILARY HALL says ministers laughing in the House of Commons about the beauty industry at a time when businesses couldn’t open, and people’s financial future was hanging in the balance was ‘unforgivable’. However, she says the reason barbers and hair services not beauty salons opened first was down to risk. ‘Unlike work done by stylists and barbers, a lot of beauty treatments are done directly in front of or on the client’s face, which is a high-risk zone and, unfortunately, these tend to be the most profitable treatments as well.’

a lockdown loneliness epidemic, especially among women. Many have missed the social element of visiting the salon or shop. The role of stylist, beauty therapist or barber runs far deeper than their job title: to clients they become a conﬁdant – even a friend. Clinical psychologist Dr Hamira Riaz says it is only when people can’t make that regular appointment that they realise the relationship is ‘not shallow but something more substantive and meaningful’. ‘It’s a rare thing,’ adds Dr Riaz. ‘It is a place of psychological safety; somewhere you can let oﬀ steam without fear of judgement. The trusted stylist, manicurist or barber acts as a supporting player in a lifelong journey to realise the best version of oneself.’ Will this new discovery last? Hellen is optimistic. ‘People will really start to value their experiences at the salon. We’ve earned a bit of recognition that we’ve never had before – and I hope it will last.’ Christian believes some people will be ‘quick to forget’ and has already noticed a few no-shows and occasional rudeness. ‘But thankfully there’s been more positivity than negativity,’ he says.

Restoring conﬁdence Not all clients will be beating down the doors. Though missing their usual treatments, some may be wary of going to salons and shops for a long time – possibly for good. Hilary says the NHBF has encouraged businesses ‘to reassure clients about safety measures and that they are taken very seriously’.

To ensure his clients felt safe returning to the salon, Christian held training days before reopening. ‘Staff felt comfortable guiding clients through the salon experience, which helped to restore people’s confidence,’ he says. Some clients may be happy to continue with DIY treatments or stop having services altogether, resulting in a loss for businesses. But there are still ways that the industry can encourage people back to the chair or treatment room. Advising clients about home haircare and upselling products, such as conditioning treatments, can help claw back revenue. And clients may eventually return once they realise their DIY efforts are compromising on quality and condition.

Properly recognised It seems a lack of awareness that stylists, barbers and therapists are skilled professionals could be damaging perceptions of the industry. Christian says it’s ‘unfair’. ‘Those unable to take on academic roles are advised: “There’s always hairdressing.” But our skills should be recognised: we’re more than just hairdressers,’ he says. The NHBF has been campaigning at the highest levels to ensure its voice is heard, with guidance for close contact

THE TRUSTED STYLIST, MANICURIST OR BARBER ACTS AS A SUPPORTING PLAYER IN A LIFELONG JOURNEY TO REALISE THE BEST VERSION OF ONESELF

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PUBLIC PERCEPTIONS T HE BU SI NESS

REVEALING RESEARCH

IMAGES: GETTY / ISTOCK

A LIFELINE FOR MENTAL WELLBEING After the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, a decline in mental health has been documented...

2X The decline is twice as large for UK women than men. Researchers say the mental health gap is explained by social factors and engagement, such as going to a hair or beauty salon.

services just one example of the government’s recognition of the industry. Carolyn Harris MP, co-chair of the Beauty, Aesthetics and Wellbeing All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG), has been championing the beauty industry throughout the pandemic, and says the APPG is calling for a strong financial support package for it. ‘I would like to see the government take action to properly recognise and support the beauty industry, including in terms of how it’s funded and regulated,’ she adds. Hilary hopes there will be a greater awareness that hair and beauty is a ‘good career to enter’. ‘There’s been a lot of press coverage about hair and beauty, so young people may well have shifted their perceptions of the profession and now see it not only as a secure environment to work in, but a career that is valued and offers great benefits.’

29-31 Perceptions_Autumn 2020_Salon Focus 31

1 IN 5 17% Around one in ﬁve people also say that a visit to the salon is one of the very rare moments when they get to relax.

Almost one in ﬁve (17%) Brits have been with their hairdresser for over 11 years – the same period of time as the average UK marriage, according to recent research.

14/09/2020 15:14

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BODY LA NG UA G E T HE BU SI NESS

Social distancing and PPE have made creating rapport with clients harder than usual. How can managers and stylists use nonverbal cues as clues to ease client and colleague relationships?

MORE THANN WORDS W WORDS ANNA SCOTT

ith the easing of lockdown, a new fear of returning to normality – or ‘coronaphobia’ – has emerged. Business owners and stylists need to be able to put clients and colleagues at ease by picking up on nonverbal cues. But with masks and visors on, and one-metre plus rules, this has been made much harder. ‘Social distancing seems to have made people warier in their behaviour and less interactive with others – smiling less at strangers, having fewer conversations in queues,’ says body language expert and ‘face whisperer’ Adrianne Carter. ‘They’re not revealing the normal cues that help build relationships,’ she adds.

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TH E BU SI N E S S B O DY L A N G U AG E

52%

of women who choose to have their hair cut at a barbershop say they do so because they ‘enjoy the atmosphere and casual vibe’

What is NVC?

Nonverbal communication (NVC) includes body language, facial expressions, appearance, voice pitch, power and pace, and the use of space. ‘The words that we speak are a small amount of the impact that we have,’ says Jude Jennison, author and leadership expert on the role of NVC in managing staﬀ. ‘It’s much more than that – what we are thinking, feeling, and our energy, emotions, intentions. Our body language is shaped by what we are thinking and feeling.’ Nonverbal cues must be read as a whole, Jude adds. ‘Somebody can fold their arms because they are relaxed, bored or defensive. If you read it in isolation, you can misread it. Misunderstandings happen

The most effective way to deal with anxiety and put clients at ease? Simply a good chat!

because we have made assumptions nonverbally and not validated them verbally.’

What to look for ‘Communicating with masks or visors on can be tricky as we can’t see the client’s facial expressions or lip-read what they are saying,’ says Liberty Rock, salon director of Kate Preston Salons in Fareham and Gosport. ‘So we really have to focus and read clients’ behaviour.’ She says a ban on hugging has been difficult for staff. ‘We have many clients who have been coming to us for over 20 years, so they feel like family. Not being able to give them affection has made us feel a bit cold, so we have to find other ways to make them feel at ease.’ Noticing changes about a client or team member’s appearance, or how they hold themselves, has become important to make sure issues are addressed, she adds. In Annette Munslow’s salon, Peaches Hair and Beauty in Derbyshire, the team had used mirrors to lip-read what clients were saying, but now this isn’t possible. ‘We use our hands to show where we are shaping the hair,’ she says. ‘We are interpreting each other’s body language and supporting each other by encouraging with smiles. You can see if someone is smiling by their eyes and how their shoulders lift.’

NVC is also important when working with people with hearing impairments. Hannah Klewpatinond, owner of HK Salon in Milton Keynes, went deaf in one ear three years ago, so she’s acutely aware of this. ‘We have some clients who have problems with hearing. All consultations are done over Zoom before appointments, so we don’t have to wear masks.’ If business owners have an employee with a hearing impairment, says Laura Chalkley, head of team for the NHBF legal helpline, they should ‘sit down with them following their wider health and safety training with the team and discuss any reasonable adjustments they may need to support them. ‘They should also ﬂag any employees with a medical condition or requirement on their risk assessments as there may be adapted mitigation practices which they can put in place to assist them.’

IMAGES: ISTOCK

Hearing-impaired clients

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BODY LA NG UA G E T HE BU SI NESS

Relying on words Luckily, hair stylists are natural communicators, says Penny Etheridge, business coach, lecturer and presenter for the hair and beauty industry. ‘We are great conversationalists and used to adapting to diﬀerent situations that arise. The hairdressing industry will ﬁnd it a lot easier to adapt and work within the new code of conduct. After all this is an emotionally led THE FACE WHISPERER industry, and how our client feels is important adriannecarter.com to us. ‘We need to remember CHECKLIST that it’s still important to talk to our clients about their home haircare. DO Accommodating lots of Pay attention to your tone clients is stressful, but – voice pitch is an important stylists cannot forget to part of NVC. recommend retail during Focus on others’ body their service. This is an language – when the words

ADRIANNE CARTER

HOW TO IMPROVE NVC

ever-important extra revenue stream that cannot be neglected.’ She adds: ‘And let’s not forget to keep talking to one another! During lockdown, many companies started hosting weekly Zoom meetings with their teams in order to keep team spirit and morale levels high. Even though it’s pretty frantic at the moment, we need to get back into the habit of having team meetings, preferably weekly, either in salon or remotely. Having positive conversations is the best way to keep each other motivated and focused.’ Liberty says: ‘Our team have been amazing, taking on all the changes we have made, creating what has become the new normal.’ Managers should still ensure there are opportunities for two-way verbal feedback with team members and make sure the meaning of any NVC they’re not certain of is clariﬁed with verbal communication, Jude says. ‘People will need to rely on words more than ever before.’ As businesses embrace post-lockdown life, not making assumptions about people, and honestly and openly communicating with them will be just as important as ever.

and the body don’t match, it is usually the body language that is more reliable. Look at other people’s nonverbal cues – people may be struggling and may not feel they can speak out. If we pick on any distress or struggle – such as ﬁdgeting, talking very quickly or a stiff body – we can help people when they need it. Make eye contact, but not too intensely. DON’T

✘ ✘

Neglect your own body language and the importance of non-verbal skills in your communication. Forget to practise improving your own NVC skills and incorporate effective nonverbal skills into your own communication style – being more aware of facial expressions and body language cues can revolutionise relationships. Mistake a polite smile for a genuine one – working in such close contact with people, you should learn the difference between the two.

✘

THE HAIRDRESSING INDUSTRY WILL FIND IT A LOT EASIER TO ADAPT AND WORK WITHIN THE NEW CODE OF CONDUCT

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TH E BU SI N E S S LOYA LT Y

S R U YO ULLY F H T I A F 36

WORD S NATASH A RI GL E R

Client loyalty has been put to the test this year. But what is it that really keeps people coming back to your salon or shop?

f 2020 has taught salon alon and shop owners anything, it is that client loyalty is a business bedrock. ck. After months of closure, a faithful client lient base has never been more vital. But loyalty isn’t built uilt overnight, and if you think your technical hnical know-how is what keeps people returning, you’re wrong, says Philip Hesketh, h, a professional speaker on psychology in business. ‘We all have a deep-seated need to o feel important,’ he says. ‘Going to a salon iss a an n enjoyable event. You get a coﬀee, you chat to p people eople you know and you feel important. ‘You know you are only important mport rtant for the rt time you are there, but when en you’re you’r u’r ’re greeted properly and they remember er that you yo like a

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LOYA LTY T HE BU SI NESS

Take note latte and not tea, it creates this lovely warm feeling of being part of something.’ adds: The former advertising CEO add ‘People are loyal when they like nice someone, so the real key is being n them.’ to people and remembering them.

JESSICA WARE

‘LOYALTY WORKS BOTH WAYS’

The extra mile Beauty business expert, coach and trainer Liz McKeon echoes Philip’s words. ‘If you want your clients to be loyal to your business then yes, of course, how you cut their hair or do d their nails is important. ‘But how they feel before they come co in, while they are in the building and an how they feel when they leave is probably more important. That iis really what makes them come back.’ Liz often uses the phrase: ‘The business only mile that matters in busi is the extra mile.’ ‘When people are struggling to base, it’s build up a returning client base often because they don’t understand understa the about importance of this,’ she says. ‘It’s a giving the building a rapport, trust and givin client 100% attention. If it’s not there, th there is no great reason to return.’

WHEN THEY LIKE SOMEONE, SO THE REAL KEY IS BEING NICE TO PEOPLE AND REMEMBERING THEM

IMAGES: GETTY

" PPEOPLE EOPLE ARE LOYAL

NHBF Member Jessica Ware has around 100 beauty therapy clients and believes her client rapport keeps people returning. ‘It’s because of me as a person,’ says Jessica, from Minehead in Somerset. ‘I’m down to earth and just “normal”. ‘Many of my clients have followed me around since my trainee days. I treat my salon as a safe place where they can talk to me while receiving a treatment and people like that. ‘When I was training, I was taught to write five key points about a person on our client record cards. It could be their children’s names, what pet they have or a holiday they are going on. It means a lot to people to remember things about them, even down to what they like to drink. ‘If you keep these five key points in your head to talk about, you’ll find the conversation with the client runs smoothly. You just have to get to know people.’ Jessica runs a loyalty card scheme where she offers discounts on treatments when a set number of stamps are collected. She says: ‘People absolutely love it. I also feel it’s important to give back to people for their loyalty to you. It works both ways.’

The sixth visit to a salon is a turning point, says Liz. If rapport is lacking, clients will go elsewhere. Both she and Philip recommend keeping notes about clients’ interests, families and work lives to keep return rates high. Philip explains: ‘You can remember their best friend’s birthday, that they broke their leg skiing ﬁve years ago and what they like to drink. This is why they are loyal to you. ‘You obviously can’t remember everything about every client, but writing down these little tips is a big opportunity to increase loyalty. I’m talking about a 20-second scribble.’

Points win prizes Salons often run loyalty schemes in a bid to keep the return rate high. But Philip and Liz warn that complicated ones have little effect. Philip says: ‘People are loyal for emotional and psychological reasons, not for loyalty schemes where you rack up endless points. People like building these up but they don’t cash them in. ‘Schemes that work are the simple ones where you collect stamps on a card and get a reward on the 10th stamp, say. This is because it has a specific beginning, middle and end. ‘It works even better if you have 12 empty circles on the card then stamp the first two before you hand it over. Nobody quite knows the psychology behind this, other than that you feel as though you’re nearly there with two or three stamps.’

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TH E BU SI N E S S LOYA LT Y

EVERY CLIENT COUNTS… Women now spend on an average annual basket of treatments

£994

Men spend

£779

Exceptional experiences Are all your staﬀ providing a superb client experience? Asking members of staﬀ to come up with ideas to make your clientele feel special will improve their own loyalty to your business too. Liz regularly visits salons who need help boosting client loyalty. She often discovers that the salon owner is fully booked, while many employees have empty columns. ‘The level of customer service needed to retain loyalty comes to salon owners instinctively, but it is often missing in employees and needs to be taught.

THE NHBF’S LOYALTY CHECKLIST

MAKE YOUR CLIENTS FEEL SPECIAL

Take steps to ﬁnd out what your clients really think, including surveys. Get feedback and deal with issues quickly.

Don’t rush clients out of the door. Aim to book them in again before they leave. Keep loyalty schemes simple.

‘It is often a case of taking apart every detail of how the owner speaks to clients, down to how they wrap the towel around their shoulders. I analyse everything they do so they can make sure their staﬀ do the same. It is important and sounds simple, but isn’t always easy. ‘Salons and shops have a huge number of loyal clients that keep them open and alive, but they could deﬁnitely have a lot more loyalty. ‘If people did extra training on this, they could see clients spending more money and increasing word-of-mouth opportunities.’

Use GDPRcompliant salon software to make client retention easier. Make client experience sparkle.

Download the NHBF’s Client experience guide (free to Members) at nhbf.co.uk/clientexperience-guide for more top tips on making sure clients keep coming back time and time again.

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08/09/2020 11:25

TH E I N SPI R AT ION MOOD BOARD

IS IT INSTA GRAM MABLE? 40

@blazehairsalon Leamington Spa

@barbertownworcs Worcester

Masks and visors are the new norm as businesses adapt to industry guidelines post-Covid. We take a look at how you are doing it right. Have you created a style that's a bit different? Something you're particularly proud of and want to shout about? Then post a picture to Instagram with the hashtag #salonfocus and your shot could end up on these pages.

ÂŠagirlsbestfriend.x Bury St Edmunds

@alandhair London

@sophieameliahair Gainsborough

@architect_hair Leeds

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MOOD BOARD THE I NSPI RAT I O N

@craigsbarbershopbl2 Bolton

@redbarnhair Buckingham

@relaxation_rooms Guildford

@emmaadamsonjones Conwy

@naturalhairdesign58 Ashford

@sallymontaguehairgroup Derby

@staceynouu Crawley

@outshinehairdressing Brighton

@emmatell01 Tewkesbury

@francescarob Loughborough

@hebebeautysalon Waterlooville

@todarossalon Haverfordwest

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TH E I N SPI R AT ION W H AT ' S T R E N D IN G

FASHIONABLE OR A FAUX PAS? Whether you embrace them or buck them, we take a look at the latest trends.

EXPERTISE SELLS 42

IMAGES: PA / GETTY / @CASEYC HAIR / @HXHAIR / IMAXTREE

MIXING IT UP

BRAVE AND BOLD BRA most of you will know As m rst- nd, clients sorely ﬁrst-ha missed their hair salon time during durin lockdown. The braver result? result An emerging trend for clients being t predic s, choice cut and r r in their colou b and bolde ts. Think creative colour, short blunt cuts e hair exper are sty with lots of texture. The celebrity crowd or styles with her leadin leadi g the way of course. Cue Lady Gaga her army mermaid-inspired ‘Ocean Blonde’ hair and ers on social going gaga over it. fo of follow

SOCIAL MEDIA SURVEY

BEAUTY SEARCH TERMS – WHAT PEOPLE WANT The biggest search terms in beauty on Pinterest over the past year? Personalisation and searches based on skin tone...

While nudes and seasonal shades – mulled wine, caramel, cinnamon and the like – are predicted to be popular this autumn/winter, there’s a general feeling out there that spring/ summer nails didn’t get their time to shine. And clients weren’t permitted their usual time to express themselves care of their favourite salon. So neon tips and borders, tie-dye ombre, animal print and arty creations look set to e be in demand as the weather cools. Peopl their ing match about d are also excite masks to their manicures!

+62%

It’s all about the natural look: searches for ‘natural make-up videos’ were up by 62%, and ‘natural curly hair cuts’ were up 6x.

Mintel has compiled a thought analysis ho the beauty on how indust indus ry can survive and thrive whatever lies ahead financially. Reassuringly, it states that people escape financial woess with indulgence. d Italy for intel, it Looking to Spain and highlights the value you can add with your professional How the beauty expertise (in-salon survives industry indus n and via additional rec a recessio video consultations or on social) to fight against discount and DIY culture. Showcasing this value is key. looks to Spain and Italy Europe loo indicators of a post-COVID-19 for indicato future, but ttalk of a recession on the horizon makes it crucial for businesses to act now and beauty bus they should start by looking back.

+59%

Freckles are back! Searches for ‘Asian freckles’ increased by 59%, while searches for ‘black girls with freckles’ were up 2x, and ‘red hair freckles’ up 5.4x.

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LONG LIVE THE 90s LON nostalgic rewind to The n 90s – hair, make-up and fashion th all things to be standing the test of time. see – seems Along Alon with the resurgence of blue eyesh eyes adow, various celebrities have been embra emb cing hairdos with a 90s vibe. A prime examp exam le is Jennifer Lopez – who has been sporti sport ng full-on volume blow-dries and even space spac buns this summer. Others embracing h include Demi Levato, Ariana Grande, 90s hair ar Margo Marg t Robbie and the Kardashians. Popul mini hair, back d scrape looks also include plaits and accessories such as ﬂy clip. b the butter

GENDER-NEUTRAL BEAUTY FOR ALL Rihanna says she wants to end the stigma around men using skincare, ensuring her skincare range, launched in July, is as s gender-neutral as possible. Skincare brand clean the in some and with a science slant, beauty space with more gender-neutral packaging, have been reported as proving popular with men of late. Which is perhaps why some experts are theorising on the possibility of a big move towards more cts. gender-neutral skincare and make-up produ

+42%

It’s all peachy – searches for ‘peach lip gloss’ went up by 42% and those looking for a ‘soft glam aesthetic’ were up 5x.

HAD ANY THOUGHTS ABOUT WHAT YOU’VE READ? TELL US WHAT YOU THINK ON OUR SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS

W HAT'S TRENDING THE I NSPI RAT I O N

JUST RELEASED

NEW PRODUCTS GOING FOR GOLD If you’d like to bring the golden touch to your salon, say hello to the Alchemy Collection – the exclusive gift set that comes with everything your clients need to get their look. Finished with rose gold embellishments, the Alchemy Collection can only be purchased in salons. The gilt giftbox will catch your clients’ eye and the Kinder Styling Technology is sure to keep their hair healthier, stronger and shinier right up to their next visit. Join us on Cloud Nine – the best products, for you and your clients. cloudninehair.com/ pages/professional

SOFTWARE UPDATE A brand new Premier Mobile Arrivals page has been added to Salon by Premier Software’s web-suite – Online by Premier Software. In line with government guidance on social distancing, staff can now view all clients due to visit that day, review their medical questionnaire details and arrive them all from one screen. Free as part of Salon’s

support contract and accessible on a mobile or tablet, staff can also log on using their own device, avoiding cross-contamination from sharing screens. For more information or to book a free webinar or presentation of Salon, visit premiersalon.co.uk

ONE-STOP SHOP YourBeautyReview.com is the only service review website dedicated to the hair and beauty industry. Did you know by listing your business on our website you can build your online reputation and gain trusted reviews, as well as boosting your Google rankings? With speciﬁc focus on the hair and beauty industry, YourBeautyReview.com is the one place to go to ﬁnd the best salon or beautician in an area, while also helping salons get more business. Who better to inform potential new clients of the excellent service received, than existing clients? With free listings until January 2021, and no obligations thereafter, there is no better time to get involved in this exciting opportunity and grow your client base. Follow us on social media and look at our new website – we are so proud of it!

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TH E I N SPI R AT ION HOW TO...

Reopening during a pandemic and under new restrictions could take its toll on your health. Séverine Convenant and Antonio Caponigro from L’Oréal oﬀer advice and top tips on keeping yourself – and your staﬀ – in good physical shape.

TALK IT OUT

With stress at its peak for the industry, which can manifest in physical ailments such as musculoskeletal disorders, it’s vital to try and manage it, says Séverine. ‘There are many elements to this stress – ﬁnancial, health and client relationships. But when you’re under stress, it always ends up on the muscles.’ ‘We know musculoskeletal troubles make up 80% of occupational diseases for hairdressers,’ Antonio adds. ‘So the more we talk to each other, the more we release the pressure.’

WARM UP AND STRETCH

‘The feedback we’ve had from professionals is that they’ve had back issues as they have to clean everything after each client,’ says Antonio. ‘Constantly cleaning chairs and other equipment can be bad for your posture. So warming up and stretching is very important so you can be ready for the job and recover. It takes two minutes, and you can adapt stretches for the most impacted joints.’

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HOW TO... THE I NSPI RAT I O N

LOOK AFTER YOU

Taking regular breaks has never been so important for salon and shop staﬀ, says Antonio – especially when they’re performing more tasks than usual to minimise client contact. ‘It’s

OUR EXPERTS Séverine Convenant and Antonio Caponigro are health and safety corporate managers at L’Oréal, based in Paris. SAFETY AND COMFORT

IMAGE: GETTY

OPTIMISE YOUR PPE Test out different types of visors to find one that feels most comfortable for long periods. If you wear glasses, wash them with washing-up liquid then dry them with a microfibre cloth to stop them steaming up while you wear a type II mask – or apply a thin layer of shaving foam to the inside of the lenses then gently wipe it off. Avoid chafing from ear loops by sewing two buttons on to a headband and looping the mask around the buttons. Clean your visor regularly to get rid of residual build-up from spraying products. Take your mask and visor off during breaks (while keeping your distance) to give yourself short, regular rests from wearing them. When removed, a type II mask will need to be disposed of and a new one put on.

also important to drink lots of water,’ he adds. ‘Take time when you need to, take oﬀ your mask or visor for a few minutes and rest in a safe area.’

GET THE ENVIRONMENT RIGHT

STAY COMFORTABLE

It’s understandable for hair and beauty professionals to be anxious about catching Covid-19 in the salon and shop, which is why it’s so important to get the protective measures right. ‘Maintaining distance with welldefined areas, keeping doors open and putting information on the walls to remind staff and clients will help the whole team,’ says Séverine. And distance isn’t just important on the salon or shop floor: contact should be reduced in staff areas so that team members can keep a safe distance when they take breaks.

used to it, and to have a “normal” day with PPE and with the extra cleaning measures.’

FIND A HAPPY MEDIUM

Salon and shop owners may ﬁnd ultimately that they need to strike a balance between their bottom line and their own health and that of their teams, Séverine suggests. ‘They have to ﬁnd the right compromise. If they can reduce their opening hours, yes – they will bring in less money – but they will be healthier. It’s an adjustment.’

‘It’s not easy to wear a mask and visor on your face all day,’ says Séverine, adding that it’s important for staﬀ to make their PPE as comfortable – and eﬃcient – as possible (see Optimise your PPE, left, for tips). ‘I hope that this level of PPE won’t be necessary in a year, but globally we have to be

RRESOURCES ESOURCES Download L’Oréal Professional’s free 15’ Coach Pro app for ﬁghting musculoskeletal disorders from the Apple App Store at bit.ly/LOreal-Coach-Pro To ﬁnd out more about coping with a downturn in business, look out for the NHBF’s new guide coming soon at nhbf.co.uk

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ROUND -UP T HE NHBF

Meet new vice president Amanda We get the lowdown from newly appointed NHBF vice president Amanda Lodge-Stewart on her background, communication skills and adapting to the new normal. BACKGROUND The NHBF is a beacon for our sector and I have been a Member since I started my own salon. I am passionate about our industry and its sustainability. I want to share my experiences with Members and support them in adapting and evolving, especially during Covid-19. COMMUNICATION Our communication, empathy and counselling skills are massively undervalued. Most employees are not trained and often draw from their own experiences to support clients. I would like to see these skills added to the apprenticeship curriculum and oﬀered to staﬀ as training. My team are young, and I can see they have little life experience to date and sometimes struggle with information they are hearing. They need to know how to deal with situations and who to turn to for advice.

president, and Eileen Clough (North West) who stepped down from the Board in September. We’re grateful to all our Board Members for their support and the valuable contribution they make to the future direction of the NHBF. Lisa Cathcart (North West) and Susan Hall (North East) from Reds Hair & Beauty are new to the NHBF Board.

VIRTUAL APPOINTMENTS We need advice and training on how to run virtual consultations eﬀectively without feeling distanced from the client. Clients, especially those who are older, need support with the new rules and additional PPE measures in place.

MORE? Thanks to Steven Scarr for his time on the Board as vice president and Board Member (North East). Thanks also to Agnes Leonard, immediate past

HJ’s British Hairdressing Awards – Hilary helped judge the Hairdressers Journal British Hairdressing Business Awards 2020. The ﬁnalists have been announced and it was great to see so many NHBF Members on the list. Winners will be announced at the ceremony on 25 January 2021.

WHAT’S HAPPENING? Here’s a quick look at what the NHBF has been up to and who they’ve been networking with.

SPREADING THE WORD

NHBF IG Live – as part of the #DoItRight launch, the NHBF hosted an Instagram Live to talk about the campaign, the latest changes to guidelines and the importance of following them. To watch it back, go to bit.ly/IG-live-do-it-right

magazine to promote the guidelines and the NHBF’s #DoItRight campaign.

Kao Goldwell webinar – with lots of confusion over the guidelines, CEO Hilary Hall continued to talk about the latest changes.

Salon Smart Live – Hilary joined Creative HEAD magazine for their virtual Salon Smart. The day was packed with discovering, brainstorming and planning new ideas for the team, the business and the future. Hilary joined the great debate on moving on, staffing crises, HR issues and what businesses are facing now.

Scratch magazine IG Live – Hilary joined the nail

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08/09/2020 11:29

ROUND -UP T HE NHBF

Will you #DoItRight? ? The government has warned the NHBF it will close the hair and beauty sector if safety guidelines aren’t followed. The NHBF launched its #DoItRight Campaign to ensure hair and beauty professionals across the UK understand exactly what is required of them to keep working and reduce the risk of further restrictions or local lockdowns. It is important for everyone in the hair, beauty and barbering industries to follow the guidelines and operate in

LOOKING TO THE FUTURE

d-s a Covid-secure pro way to protect against ockd another lockdown. esses risk All businesses al action receiving formal from local authoritiess if they are not following their risk assessments. Failure to comply with an enforcement notice from a local authority officer could lead to prosecution in the criminal courts and penalties including ﬁnes or up to two years’ imprisonment. Follow @nhbfsocial to keep up to date with the latest developments.

SALONFOCUS2021 After unfortunately having to postpone our ﬁrst salonfocus live event this year, we can conﬁrm it will have three focus areas: Business Client Team. NHBF BUSINESS AWARDS 2021 will return next November and will launch in the spring. Keep an eye out for the categories coming soon. PHOTOGRAPHIC IMAGE OF THE YEAR 2021 will also be back, and the winners will be revealed at the Business Awards. We also plan to host more webinars and Instagram Lives, so a jam-packed programme of events and knowledge is coming your way in 2021.

IMAGE: ISTOCK

We hope next year we can get back to running a host of events for Members. Further details will follow, but we’re looking forward to:

What’s new? The NHBF has produced a series of new blogs to help you and your business during this challenging period. These include: Provide a great client experience despite restrictions Test and trace FAQs Cashless payments and tips

How to prepare ar for local lockdowns wn Marketing your ur salon or barbershop shop Work smarter not harder Mental health and wellbeing Annual leave – temporary changes. All available at nhbf.co.uk/blog

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TH E E N D 6 0 S E C O N DS W IT H . . .

SHARMADEAN REID

The entrepreneur and founder of Beautystack and WAH Nails shares her success story and pandemic experience.

The profile of beauty is far higher now… Eleven years ago – when I 50

started WAH Nails – the industry was completely diﬀerent. Beauty wasn’t really given attention in the mainstream. I worked in high fashion, and beauty wasn’t really cared about. Brands and designers saw it as just an add-on.

our industry do business on all of them. There are some industries outside of beauty where you wouldn’t WhatsApp people 24/7.

I’ve been supporting the industry through Covid… During lockdown,

I started WAH Nails… because I really wanted to have creative nails done in a cool space. There wasn’t anything like it at the time – nail salons varied in artistic style and standards. And likewise with Beautystack [Sharmadean’s app for booking beauty services through images]: there are no other beauty service communities that are transactional. That’s what I’m excited about.

I owe a lot to social media… The reason why WAH Nails got so famous so quickly is because I was really early on Facebook, Tumblr and Instagram to build up my business. Other salons may have been doing similar things but they didn’t

distribute their images in the same way. In hindsight it was a really strategic move, but at the time it was just something I was doing because I could.

But it’s not all about follower numbers… Beautystack came about because there was a point at which Instagram didn’t serve me as a salon owner anymore. It was good to get initial awareness but you can only ﬁt eight clients per person in a day and that’s maximum. So what does it matter if I have 400,000 followers? I just want my book full in a really strategic way.

Beautystack hosted a weekly brieﬁng for beauty pros. What started out as a communication channel to discuss the government’s daily brieﬁngs has turned into a safe space for the thousands of (mainly) women, out of work and in debt, to share their issues.

The reopening of salons has been bittersweet… There were so many people who still couldn’t operate as they were deemed too high-risk, which meant those who could almost felt guilty. The rules were made without full understanding of what the beauty industry does.

I’m motivated by… my own Too many platforms can be overwhelming… I hate emails – I get too many. I have way too many communication channels and I ﬁnd it hard to keep up. And people in

potential. I think ‘If I don’t do this, I won’t be reaching my full potential,’ and that makes me sad. I wouldn’t do anything unless I thought it was going to be good.

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15/09/2020 11:13

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15/09/2020 13:50