salon focus march-april 2011

Daniel Galvin: my ‘4Cs’ of colour

Salons facing straighteners’ probe

THE ESSENTIAL MAGAZINE FOR SALON OWNERS MAR/APR 2011 | £3.50

Tesco moves into hairdressing

New NHF strategy for grassroots

www.nhf.info MAR/APR 2011 SALONFOCUS PAGE 3

WAVELENGTH

PILE IT HIGH HAIRDRESSING IS NOT THE ANSWER

Baked beans, check. Carrots, check. Flat-screen TV and a whole new spring wardrobe, (increasingly these days) check. Haircut, styling, colouring and a manicure? Check. The announcement that high-street behemoth Tesco is venturing into hairdressing and beauty salons (News, page 5) will be enough to send a shiver down the spines of many hard-pressed salon owners. This is an organisation, it has to remembered, with seriously deep pockets when

it needs them and one renowned for never venturing into something new without very careful research, modelling and projections to show it is a viable proposition.

The fact its partner in this new departure is Federation member Regis is, at one level of course, good news in terms of raising the profile of the NHF as well as an indication of the growing

strength and dominance of what we might term the reputable, respectable, end of our sector. Regis, much like Tesco, is a skilled operator in its field and, again like Tesco, is not known for taking a punt lightly. For the moment the jury may still be out as to how well a frazzled hour spent wrestling with a wonky trolley on a Saturday morning sits alongside indulging in a bit of hair and body TLC but if anyone can make it work Regis probably can. The fact John Lewis has coincidentally announced it will be dipping its toes into the beauty salon space from this summer (and, who knows, maybe one day hair too?), not to mention the revelation that other supermarkets have now also approached Regis, is a sign the big boys of retail do increasingly see opportunities here to be taken.

For independent salons, analyst Neil Saunders is surely right in advising that the way to respond to this encroachment on their territory is not through chasing ever further down on price. Tesco may have to an extent moved on from the “pile it high, sell it cheap” mentality for which it was once best known, but there is no way most salons will be able to compete with the margins and potential economies of scale this sort of venture might be able to achieve.

Rather, the way salons will need to fight back is through emphasising their innate advantages – their expertise, skill and intimate knowledge of “your” hair; their fabulous, friendly, personal service; their depth of client relationship; their, to cite Saunders again, “specialness”. These are all, of course, things salons should be doing anyway but, when you have the biggest retail player in

the country starting to breathe down your neck, it’s going to become even more of an imperative that salons not only raise their game but keep it raised, constantly and consistently.

Away from Tesco, it has been heartening to see the Federation’s new Cut & Dried? VAT campaign gaining some immediate traction since its unveiling in January (News, page 6). It may still be early days but the fact president Mark Coray was able to take the NHF’s message to one of the country’s best-read Sunday newspapers, the Mail on Sunday, as well as to other regional and professional audiences has shown that restructuring this country’s VAT regime to make it more flexible and responsive to the needs of small businesses is a debate people are keen to have. The ball now is very much in the court of the politicians, both government and opposition. Let’s hope they, too, can raise their game

and consider our proposals in a positive light. You can keep track of how the campaign is developing at our CuttheVAT website, www.cutthevat.org.

Finally, it was with great sadness that we heard of the deaths of Clipso founder and president of the Fellowship for British Hairdressing Terry Calvert in February and former chairman of the fellowship Christofer Mann in January. Our condolences go out to both families, their colleagues and friends. They will be missed.

Nic Paton Editor

“Salons will need to fight back through emphasising their innate advantages – their expertise, skill and knowledge; their fabulous, friendly, personal service; their depth of client relationship; their ‘specialness’“

SALONFOCUS MAR/APR 2011

CONTENTS

NEWS05 Tesco to offer haircuts alongside weekly shop 06 Support building for VAT ‘revolution’ 08 Trading watchdogs to crack down on

straighteners09 PHAB Standard under fire10 NHF threatens to sue online firms 11 Salons urged to offer young jobless work

experience12 Strategy to make grassroots more vibrant13 National Census could give salons bigger voice14 How to make royal wedding a happy day (off)

FEATURES25 Regis – success through succession planning27 Franchising – Toni&Guy on going multiple28-29 Focus on computer systems – more than

appointments in a box30 Daniel Galvin – my “4Cs” of colour

INSPIRED17-20 Luxe-urious looks – Luxe men’s collection by

Sassoon, with creative direction by Mark Hayes

BEAUTY12 Beauty spots26 Pamper your business – setting up a beauty

treatments room32 Male grooming – don’t mention the weather

REGULARS03 Wavelength – pile it high hairdressing is not

the answer11 Movers and Groovers – Fellowship win for

Trevor Sorbie16 Cutting Brief – your legal problems solved22-24 Federation Focus – get ready for Blackpool

championships33 Events – key dates for your diary34 Backwash – you have to laugh

Anne Veck runs

salons in Oxford

and Bicester.

She has reached

the finals of

the British Hairdressing Awards on three

occasions, for

Avant Garde Hairdresser of the Year 2007

and 2009 and for

Schwarzkopf Professional British Colour Technician of the Year 2009.

A protégé of

Vidal Sassoon

and Leonard Lewis, hair

colourist Daniel Galvin is one of

most recognised

names in the

industry. He

was the first

UK colourist

to launch a

signature line of

professional hair

colourants and

was made an

OBE in 2006.

Jason Shankey

is resident male

grooming guru

for Urban Retreat and

stylist to stars

such as Callum Best, Jenson Button, David Furnish and Olly Murs. He runs

salons in London

and Belfast

and has twice

been a finalist

in the British Hairdressing Business Awards.

Jackie Lang has

been managing

director of Regis UK since 2008.

She is responsible

for 450 salons that

include Regis’s UK branches

and Sassoon salons in the UK,

Germany and

USA

After six-and-

a-half years

as a style

director with

Trevor Sorbie, Tim Avory

opened his

first Toni&Guy

franchise in 1989

in Guildford,

Surrey, and

now runs 24

salons. He has

won Southern Hairdresser of the Year

three times and

the L’Oreal Colour Trophy

Southern on

three occasions.

Gillian Dowling works for Croner as employment

technical

consultant

Tiffany Tarrant is development manager at Habia

OUR CONTRIBUTORS

SALONFOCUS IS PUBLISHED BY:National Hairdressers’ Federation,One Abbey Court, Fraser Road,Priory Business Park, BedfordMK44 3WHt: 0845 345 6500t: 01234 831965f: 01234 838875e: [email protected]: www.nhf.info

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EDITORNic Patone: [email protected]

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While every care is taken in compiling this issue of SalonFocus including manuscripts and photographs submitted, we accept no responsibility for any losses or damage, whatever the cause. All information and prices contained in advertisements are accepted by the publishers in good faith as being correct at the time of going to press. Neither the advertisers nor the publishers accept any responsibility for any variations affecting price variations or availability after the publication has gone to press. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without the permission of the publisher, to whom application must first be made. The views expressed by contributors to SalonFocus are not necessarily those of the NHF, the publisher or its editor. © 2011 The National Hairdressers’Federation.

Material for consideration in this section of the magazine should be submitted on CD-ROM as high resolution jpeg or tiff files to The Editor, SalonFocus. Submissions should be made on the understanding that the National Hairdressers’ Federation has the right to use the material in any part of the magazine and any of its other publications, promotions or website, free from any copyright restrictions, or appearance fees other than the issue of artistic and photographic credits where applicable. Please include salon name, photographer & stylist.

Front CoverHair: Luxe men’s collection by SassoonCreative Direction: Mark Hayes | International Creative DirectorPhotography: Colin RoyHair Styling: Scott CottisClothes Styling: Tabitha OwenMake-up: Daniel Kolaric


NEWSFOR TODAY’S SALON OWNER

Supermarket giant Tesco is throwing its substantial weight behind a new in-store hairdressing and beauty spa concept that is likely to send ripples through the independent salon sector.

The Your Beauty hairdressing and health and beauty concept is being piloted by Regis as a concession in six stores.

Assuming it goes down well with shoppers, the grocer is understood to have pencilled in plans to roll out the concept to at least 70 stores by 2012.

And it may not stop there. According to Regis director of merchandise and marketing Paul Taylor the move has led to it being approached by rival supermarket chains.

“Since the announcement we have had interest from other major supermarket chains. Because of all the publicity the phones have been ringing. So, you never know, it could grow and be taken somewhere else in time,” he told SalonFocus.

Different concepts are being tested in different stores, with Tesco’s Wembley, Cambridge Bar Hill, Milton Keynes Kingston and Manchester Walkden stores evaluating offering nail bars and threading.

Two standalone beauty salons, but also offering hairdressing services, were opened in the Leicester and Chesterfield stores at the end of January.

These latter pilots will offer hair styling, colouring, waxing, manicures and threading, as well as sell haircare ranges

such as Redken and TIGI Bed Head, said Tesco.

Much like Regis’ existing Hair Express and Supercuts formats, the emphasis will be on convenience and offering a fast turnaround, so clients can be styled either quickly before or after their shop or while their partner is going around the store.

Prices will be £20 for a cut and blow dry, £15 for a shampoo and hair cut and £12.50 just for a cut, with a half leg wax £10 and full leg £15.

“It will be a walk-in, no-appointments system with a price point that makes it a value proposition,” explained Paul.

“It is in essence a hair salon, although it also offers waxing, beauty and other services. It is a hair salon with hair removal concept.

“It has been constructed in partnership with Tesco and is being located within the stores as part of a new health and beauty area,” he added.

“At the moment it is just about testing and piloting it, trying things out, but I’d say within perhaps 90 days we should both have a fairly good idea of how it is working.

“Salons should not see this as a threat; it is about creating opportunities. It is creating jobs in the industry and it is raising the profile and professionalism of hairdressing,” he said.

Andrew Carpenter, beauty category manager at Tesco, said the beauty market potentially offered a “huge opportunity” for the chain.

“We are only at the testing stage currently and keen to understand how our customers receive the service in these stores,” he agreed.

Following Tesco’s lead, department store chain John Lewis has also announced plans to test an in-store beauty spa concept in its Reading and Cheadle stores from this summer.

These will offer facials, manicures, pedicures, eyebrow/eyelash tinting and threading, targeting both women and men, said John Lewis head of beauty and accessories Amanda Scott.

Anything that added to the pressure in an already challenging market would in all likelihood be seen as a threat by many salons owners, conceded Neil Saunders, principal consultant at retail analysts Verdict Research.

Yet, while Tesco offered a familiar name and convenience, there were question marks over whether shoppers would really want to be getting their hair styled in a supermarket environment.

“A lot of women drive the purchasing in this market and, for them, getting their hair styled is often a treat or an indulgence – something special – and so there is a question about whether having your hair done at a supermarket, even if it is being offered by a very professional firm, will serve that function,” he said.

For salons, the answer will need to be very much about differentiation rather than trying to compete on price, he suggested.

“It is going to have to be about pushing their expertise and their specialness. Salons are going to have to be even more sure they are offering great customer service,” he added.

The venture is not Regis’ first tie-up with a UK supermarket chain, as a number of its 13 Hair Express outlets are currently located within Asda superstores.

WEMBLEY TESCO EXTRA: PILOT SITE

JOHN LEWIS: HOW BEAUTY SPA WILL LOOK

TESCO TO OFFER HAIRCUTS ALONGSIDE WEEKLY SHOP

Momentum has been growing steadily behind the NHF’s new campaign for a VAT “revolution” since it was unveiled in January, with coverage in national and regional newspapers, lobbying of MPs and pledges of support.

The Federation’s report Cut & Dried? The Case for a VAT Revolution for Hairdressing Salons outlined the benefits for salons and the UK in general of switching to a more imaginative and flexible VAT regime.

It included arguing for a reduction the headline rate of VAT for labour-intensive industries and sole traders from 20 per cent to 10 per cent and a reduction in the rate of VAT for salons under the government’s Flat Rate scheme from 13 per cent to 5 per cent.

On top of this it called for a review in the threshold for VAT registration from its current £70,000 possibly to bring it down to £40,000 and for better communication by the government of small business-friendly VAT options such as the Flat Rate scheme to encourage greater take-up.

The Federation’s message was picked up by national newspapers in January, with president Mark Coray being interviewed for the Mail on Sunday.

Regional newspaper The Lancashire Evening Post also ran a story highlighting the campaign.

The Federation has been active in lobbying for support from ministers, MPs and key decision makers.

For the government, Chancellor George Osborne, business secretary Vince Cable and small businesses minister Mark Prisk have all been sent letters and a copy of the report.

For the opposition, the same has been done to shadow business secretary John Denham, while letters are also due to be addressed to the relevant ministers at the Scottish Parliament and Welsh Assembly.

NHF secretary general Eileen Lawson is set to meet Richard Fuller MP for Bedford – where NHF head office is located – this month,

while MP Brian Binley, chairman of the small business-focused Genesis Initiative has also been contacted.

Meetings have been held with the Federation of Master Builders, one of the organisations behind the Cut the VAT coalition of building and home improvement firms, to explore common ground and the potential for joint action on this issue.

Many individual members have also been in touch, with the majority (although not all) coming out in favour of the campaign.

Eileen said: “If this government is as serious about helping small and micro-enterprises as it claims to be, what we have suggested in our Cut & Dried? paper should be music to its ears.

“What we are proposing is a more responsive, less crude tax-gathering regime that could encourage more small businesses to register for

VAT at a rate appropriate to their business size and might even, as a result, increase the revenue going into the Treasury.

“What we are hoping for now is for politicians to be bold and engage in an open-minded, positive debate with us about what is the best way forward for small businesses and the country,” she added.

Other organisations, however, have been taking a different tack, with the Federation of Small Businesses in December arguing that what in fact is needed is an increase of the VAT registration threshold from £70,000 to £90,000 to stimulate enterprise.

In a separate development, back in 2008, the NHF won a significant victory over the HMRC on VAT being charged on membership subscriptions. At the time the Federation made a promise to members this money would be refunded when HMRC paid up. We are pleased to say that at the end of 2010 the Federation received part payment from HMRC. Therefore all members able to make a claim for a VAT refund will be contacted individually towards the end of March or beginning of April.

NEWS

PAGE 6 SALONFOCUS JAN/FEB 2011

SUPPORT BUILDING FOR VAT ‘REVOLUTION’

FROM TOP, GEORGE OSBORNE, VINCE CABLE AND MARK PRISK: LOBBIED

INSOLVENCIES WARNINGThe number of salons going bust fell last year, but could start to creep up again, according to insolvency experts RSM Tenon. Public services insolvencies, the category into which salons fall, fell by 10 per cent compared with a peak in 2009. But rising prices, interest rates, higher VAT and cutbacks in the HMRC’s Time to Pay scheme could all put small businesses under greater pressure.

SHARED MATERNITY LEAVE The government is to press ahead from April with plans to allow couples to share maternity leave, with mothers able to pass up to a maximum of six months to the father. The European Union, meanwhile, has backed down on plans to offer new mothers five months of fully paid maternity leave (SalonFocus January/February 2011), with ministers sending the plan back to be re-considered.

REGIS DEALRegis has awarded the development of its UK social media work to a Manchester-based creative agency Photolink Creative. The company will be tasked with monitoring the group’s multimedia content production.

TIGHTER PURSE-STRINGSNearly four out of 10 shoppers say they intend to cut back on beauty treatments during this year, with three fifths believing they will be worse off in the next 12 months, a poll by the Institute of Grocery Distribution has argued, more than double the level it reported in October.

HAIRCLIPS

HAIRCLIPS

The NHF is pleased to announce that, from the end of March, it will begin contacting all members who are eligible for a refund on VAT previously paid on their membership subscription with further details about getting their money back.

It follows the Federation’s victory back in 2008 over HMRC on VAT that had been charged on subscriptions. At the time the NHF made a clear promise to members that it would refund this money when HMRC paid up. This process is now underway, as the Federation received part payment of this money at the end of 2010.

Victory!VAT


TRADING WATCHDOGS TO CRACK DOWN ON STRAIGHTENERS London trading standards officers led by Hammersmith & Fulham Council are launching a major crackdown on salons that use illegal chemical hair-straightening products.

The North West London Safety Group, which as well as Hammersmith & Fulham includes Barnet, Brent, Haringey, Ealing and Enfield trading standards, plans to meet later this month with a view to launching a full-scale investigation from April into salons that use products that contain or release more than 0.02 per cent of formaldehyde, which is the legal European limit for this potentially lethal ingredient.

Hammersmith & Fulham said it would combine its investigation with guidance to salons about the legal limits for

formaldehyde, which all NHF members should be aware of through the lead SalonFocus has provided in terms of coverage.

News the issue is being taken seriously will come as a relief to people such

as Mark Holmes, managing director of TCQ Nanoscientific, and Christopher Flower, director-general of the Cosmetic, Toiletry & Perfumery Association, who have both tried to get local and central government to sit up and take notice.

The London authorities appear to have been prompted to act after the Department for Business Innovation and Skills (BIS) waded into the debate, beseeching local authorities to take “appropriate action”.

Edward Davey, minister for employment relations, consumer and postal affairs, wrote to Desmond

Swayne, Conservative MP for New Forest West, who told him some products banned under European Union (EU) regulations were being illegally imported and sold to the trade.

The MP acted when TCQ Nanoscientific’s Mark Holmes wrote to him “out of desperation” that Rapex (Rapid Alert System for Non-Food Products) warnings had been issued on several chemical hair-straightening products but the UK seemed to be ignoring them “and therefore the health and wellbeing of UK salon staff and indeed their clients, is being compromised”.

Desmond told SalonFocus: “The potential danger of some of these products is very worrying. When my constituent raised it with me I thought it important to draw it to the attention of ministers.”

SalonFocus has previously highlighted buck-passing between trading standards, environmental health and the Health and Safety Executive, all of which have responsibility for different elements, and the effect of spending cuts on enforcement (SalonFocus, January/February 2011).

The BIS minister replied to Desmond Swayne that his officials were “aware of the safety concerns about these products and are actively encouraging trading standards departments... to take appropriate action”.

Janis Wilderspin, solicitor and principal of Jones Wright Legal, is looking into the potential of a class action on behalf of some clients but said she needed to establish whether there had been “a significant number” of hairdressers who had suffered “permanent damage or loss”.

She said: “I have certainly seen information that leads me to believe that in other countries there are class actions beginning, and I am aware of the alleged dangers associated with such products.”

The temperature has risen in France where Afssaps, the country’s health authority, has issued a warning about products that it says contain high levels of formaldehyde, and it has removed several from the market.

Its investigation with the Directorate General for Competition, Consumption and Repression of Fraud revealed the presence of formaldehyde at concentrations 0.61 per cent-5.87 per cent. The legal limit in European countries is 0.2 per cent.

Meanwhile, new products continue to be launched in the UK. Celebrity hairdresser Daniel Field described one of them, KeraSpa, as “definitely formaldehyde free”.

KeraSpa said two amino acids, combined to form proteins that structurally changed the hair. Field said: “You could describe it as second-generation keratin treatment rather like our Kebelo.”

Another called Brocato Curlinterrupted also claims to be 100 per cent formaldehyde free and does not release any type of gas.

The Brocato website, www.brocato.co.uk, includes a letter from Aveda to salons encouraging them to look into the formaldehyde issue themselves because “we became aware of products and services... being used in our network that we feel to not align with Aveda’s mission”.

NEWS

EDWARD DAVEY: CALL FOR ACTION

Exclusive by Andrew Don


PHAB STANDARD QUESTIONED

A new standard designed “to recognise levels of excellence” in hairdressing and endorsed by industry heavyweights such as Michael Van Clarke, Errol Douglas, Trevor Sorbie and Lisa Shepherd has come under attack from several quarters.

The PHAB (Performance in Hair and Beauty) Standard, renewable annually, is described as a performance-based industry standard for beauty therapists, nail technicians, stylists, colourists and barbers and can help guide prospective clients when choosing a salon as well as aid recruitment.

But the standard has been criticised for being costly, lacking in credibility and, as yet another standard in an industry that operates many similar schemes, potentially confusing.

The standards of bronze, silver and gold are determined by client count, repeat visits and retail sales figures supplied by the applicant. Applications cost from £118.80 to £478.80 including VAT, with unsuccessful applicants getting most of their money refunded.

Successful salons get a certificate, a trophy (which costs extra), window stickers, permission to use the PHAB logo in recruitment advertising and a listing on the PHAB Standard consumer website (http://www.phabstandard.com/).

But Habia, the government-approved standards-setting body for the hair, beauty, nails and spa sectors, has questioned the need for more quality standards in the hair and beauty sector, with the standard potentially “confusing the issue over what are and are not accepted standards”.

Chief executive Alan Goldsbro said: “You cannot have a system, as PHAB is trying to establish, that allows individuals or businesses to purchase levels of achievement based on a fee, and then use self-assessment and client testimonial as criteria, and still claim to be meeting standards.”

He worried people who had the money to pay the fees could claim to have met industry standards under PHAB’s scheme, regardless of whether they had achieved independently assessed qualifications such as NVQs, SVQs or apprenticeships.

The only standards independently verified, assessed and recognised by government, as well as used as the basis for NVQs, SVQs and apprenticeships and accepted by employers, were the National Occupational Standards, he stressed.

“PHAB makes no reference to levels of qualification, experience or even Continuing Professional Development in its literature – its aim appears to be to sell commercial workshops and business consultancies. Qualifications based on the National Occupational Standards cannot be bought. They can only be earned,” Alan added.

The Hairdressing Council said, while a PHAB membership indicated a person’s earning power, it could not “confirm quality of training or expertise”.

The council was the only government-backed body that had the official state register of qualified hairdressers and had a statute that could, at any time, be amended to require all hairdressers to become registered by law, it added in a statement.

Gareth Penn, director of Good Salon Guide, said the hairdressing industry had enough trade bodies that worked to promote salon standards.

“By adding another to the mix I think it will only lead to muddying the waters and greater expense for salon owners and stylists,” he worried.

Compared with the cost of entry to

PHAB, 2011 NHF fees are £115 to £232, while Hairdressing Council registration costs as little £34 annually.

In response, Nergish Wadia-Austin, PHAB chief executive, said she was “saddened” by Habia’s stance.

“It appears that he [Alan Goldsbro] has not understood... the fact that we do not accept a fee for the PHAB Standard. We clearly state that there is a standard administrative charge, irrespective of level of achievement... to process the applications. The levels are purely determined by the qualifying criteria of performance results. The PHAB Standard cannot be bought. It must be earned.”

But she agreed PHAB was a business and not a charity. “It is designed to be a ‘money making scheme’ because when it works, it will generate revenues for the industry professionals, business owners and hair, beauty, nail and tool manufacturers,” she added.

ERROL DOUGLAS (LEFT) AND NERGISH WADIA-AUSTIN: BACKING FOR PHAB

AWARDS: BRONZE, SILVER AND GOLD


NEWS

NHF THREATENS TO SUE ONLINE FIRMSThe NHF has warned it will not tolerate any unauthorised organisations or individuals trying to make capital out of its good name, and will if necessary take offenders to court.

The warning has come in the wake of two online firms, Wedotrades.co.uk and Wedotalk.co.uk, ringing up members and implying a relationship existed between them and the Federation.

Wedotalk is a business telecommunications provider and Wedotrades is a home improvements site, and both are in fact part of the same company.

Salesman Carl Watkins, of Wedotalk, made the mistake of implying such a relationship existed when he rang up Paul Curry, the NHF’s vice-president.

Carl told Paul he could get a good rate on his telecoms because he was a member of the NHF.

“When I asked him about it further he said he was using the NHF database to ring people from. He didn’t actually say he was working with us, but kept saying it was because I was a member that I would get the best price for my telephone,” Paul later emailed to head office.

Head office also got enquiries from other members who had been approached in a similar fashion.

The NHF emailed members and posted an alert at www.nhf.info after it became clear the representative was using the NHF website to identify members specifically to target them.

Eileen Lawson, Federation secretary general, asked the companies for “an assertion that your telesales advisors will cease making these calls”.

She did not get a reply although she had previously been promised in a telephone conversation that such calls would cease.

However, yet another NHF member subsequently notified head office of an approach from the business after the undertaking was made.

This is not the first time the NHF has had to take swift action to stop the Federation’s good name from being hijacked.

SalonFocus mounted an investigation at the beginning of 2008 after salespeople from LBM, a marketing agency acting for npower, tried to persuade thousands of salons to sign up with the utility company by falsely claiming to have a special affiliation deal with the NHF (SalonFocus, January/February 2008).

Eileen said: “Integrity and honesty form the cornerstones of the NHF and we will pursue any unauthorised individual or organisation that tries to ride on the back of our success. We will not allow anyone to take advantage of our good name.”

Members who are contacted by anyone claiming to have an affiliation with the NHF should contact head office to check they are who they say they are.

PAUL CURRY: WARNING

The payments services watchdog The Payments Council has contacted SalonFocus to alert members that they need to prepare for this summer’s ending of the UK’s Cheque Guarantee Card Scheme.

The option of accepting a cheque with a guarantee up to a specified limit will end on June 30.

The decision has been taken because the number of guaranteed cheques written has plummeted from more than £1bn in 1990 to £88m in 2009, and now comprise just 7% of all cheques.

Guarantee scheme manager Jaqui Tribe emphasised that salons will be able to continue taking payment by cheque if they so wish, as long as they are prepared to accept the inconvenience of needing to wait for six days after paying in to know the funds have fully cleared.

“Given that hairdressers tend to know their clients, they may be very happy to accept a cheque without the guarantee,” she pointed out.

Other options include accepting debit or credit cards, taking electronic payments for products bought online and, of course, accepting payment in cash.

Nevertheless, salons might want to start notifying customers well in advance of any changes they do make, so as to give them time to prepare for and accept it, she advised.

The Payments Council has set a provisional target date of 2018 to phase out cheques entirely, something that the NHF last spring urged the council to rethink (SalonFocus, March/April 2010).

ON THE CARDS: GUARANTEED CHEQUES WILL END FROM JUNE

CHEQUE-ING OUT: SALONS NEED TO BE PLANNING FOR CHANGE


OFFER YOUNG JOBLESS WORK EXPERIENCE, SALONS URGEDHairdressing salons are being urged to sign up to a government initiative to offer unemployed young people access to extended work experience.

The scheme launched in January by the Department for Work and Pensions will offer young people aged 18-21 and out of work access to an employer “matching” service through Jobcentre Plus.

This will allow them to do up to eight weeks work experience with an employer without losing any benefit. As the experience will be unpaid there should not be a cost to the salon.

Under the old system people were only allowed to do two weeks experience, and if they tried to do more they could face a loss of benefits.

Department for Work and Pensions spokeswoman Elise Simpson told SalonFocus small employers such as hairdressing salons were just the sort of businesses the government wanted to encourage to get involved.

“All they need to do is get in touch with their local Jobcentre Plus. Even one or two months work experience can be hugely beneficial in helping to get a more permanent job. In some cases salons may even find they want to keep them on,” she said.

Salons would also be given a choice as to whether or not they wanted to take on a person offered to them, she added.

Employment minister Chris Grayling added such work experience for young people could “make a real difference to their confidence, their employability and their prospects”.

The scheme is part of a wider government programme called “Get Britain Working”, which has been launched in response to rising numbers of jobless young people, with youth unemployment now up to 20.3 per cent, the highest level since records began 20 years ago.

Another element has been an expansion of an initiative called New Enterprise Allowance (NEA) designed to help unemployed people set up their own businesses.

The scheme was launched on Merseyside in January and is due to be rolled out nationwide

by the autumn, with Prime Minister David Cameron saying he now wants it to create up to 40,000 new businesses by 2013, twice as many as originally envisaged.

The NEA will offer people who have been unemployed financial support to go self-employed as well as access to a start-up loan and business mentor.

The NEA announcement coincided with the prime minister holding a “jobs summit” at 10 Downing Street at which he outlined plans for a new “employers’ charter” to offer more protection for firms from unfair dismissal claims.

Plans include doubling – to two years – the time someone must be employed before they can bring an unfair dismissal claim, introducing fees for bringing employment tribunal claims to deter opportunistic allegations and reducing the period for which small firms have to pay statutory sick pay.

But small business organisations including the NHF

expressed dismay that, while the summit included representatives from an array of big-brand high-street names, such as Tesco, Shell, Centrica, Microsoft and Marks & Spencer, among others, small businesses were left out in the cold.

NHF president Mark Coray said: “Marks & Spencer or Microsoft might make headlines by taking on thousands of workers, but small businesses such as hairdressers can have an equally important effect cumulatively. The more small businesses that are encouraged to take on even one extra person, the quicker the UK economy will recover,” he added.

And he urged the government to be even more radical in any reform of employment laws.

“We’d like the government to use this opportunity to carry out a fundamental review of the disciplinary procedures under which small, owner-managed businesses such as hairdressing salons are forced to operate.

“The fact a small family-run salon has to conform to the same procedures as a large employer with a big HR department to fall back on is madness. Small businesses need a simplified, accessible system fit for their size of operation,” he said.

CHRIS GRAYLING: CONFIDENCE BOOST

MARK CORAY: CALL FOR REVIEW

FELLOWSHIP WIN FOR SORBIE

Trevor Sorbie and his team won the Group Salon of the Year award at the annual Fellowship for British Hairdressing Awards in December. Trevor (centre, with, left, previous winner Sean Hanna and fellowship vice-president Mark Creed), said he was “stunned and delighted”.

HEALTH AND SAFETY HAT-TRICKYorkshire salons Indulgence, Spirit and Toffs completed a hat-trick in Habia’s National Health and Safety Awards before Christmas. The salons, all from East Riding, won top prizes in the hairdressing, beauty therapy and barbering categories respectively, for the second year running. Salons are nominated by their local authority.

CHARITY STYLISTS

Stylists from Clipso and HOB Salons were busy in the run-up to Christmas raising money for charity. Clipso Watford stylists Lucy Hopkins and Emilie Pearson helped raise more than £12,000 for local Peace Hospice as part of a “Strictly Come Hospice” competition. And HOB Salons raised £20,000 in aid of Cancer Research UK by running special “pink” days (pictured).

DATE FOR HABB HONOURSThis year’s Hair & Beauty Benevolent (HABB) Honours will be announced on Monday 28 March at the Fellowship for British Hairdressing President’s Night. The awards support hair and beauty professionals in a time of need as well as recognise those who have achieved against the odds.

MOVERS&GROOVERS

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NEWS

MAKE GRASSROOTS MORE VIBRANT,SAYS NHFThe NHF has launched a major new initiative to re-energise grassroots activity within branches and areas in an effort to create a more vibrant national network.

Picking up on national president Mark Coray’s call in the autumn for a Federation that passes on its positivity and passion to others (SalonFocus, January/February 2011), the National Executive Council (NEC) governing body is looking to encourage members to hold more local networking and profile-raising events.

Eileen Lawson, secretary general, said: “It is about getting away from a committee-bound structure and concentrating more on activities. It is looking to bring salon owners in a geographical area together and setting up seminars, photo-shoots, displays and skill teach-ins, for example.”

Examples of activity already under way include Eastern Counties, which was in the early stages of planning a photo-shoot for members when SalonFocus called.

John Armstrong, Eastern Counties’ NEC representative, said a greater emphasis on networking would encourage more young people to get involved in areas that interested them without all the formalities.

West of Scotland, too, has been active, holding a series of meetings towards the end of last year that determined members wanted sessions on issues such as chair renting and VAT.

To this end, a seminar on chair renting took place at the end of January, confirmed Hamish Wilson, a past national president and past chairman of West of Scotland area.

The NEC will hold special strategy review sessions at the end of May to review progress and look at building, or further developing, what the NHF has accomplished so far in this area.

Harry Walker, immediate past president, emphasised in the NHF’s Strategy for the 21st

HABIA CALLHabia, the standards-setting body for the hair, beauty, nails and spa sectors, has called for government-funded full-time college-based training programmes to offer a minimum of 21 hours contact time per week and structured work experience. The proposals were made in a submission to the government’s Wolf Review into 14-19 vocational education, due to report this spring. It also called for tax breaks for employers that provide effective training, a single funding agency for all training provision and a single rate of pay for learners.

SQUAD UK SHORTLISTTwo young beauty therapists and three hairdressers have been short-listed to represent Squad UK, which promotes vocational training among young people, at this October’s WorldSkills competition in London. St Ives beauty therapist Katie Wright, 18, and Bridgwater therapist Hayley Wright, 19, will join hairdressers Charlotte Macey, 18, from 201 Hair and Beauty in Bristol, Hannah Clague, 19, who works for Red Edge in Quedgeley, Gloucestershire and Elizabeth Hale, 18, also with Red Edge in Ross-on-Wye in going through to the next round in June.

BEAUTYSPOTS

JOHN ARMSTRONG: NETWORKING

NEW GATWICK BEAUTY SPAA new beauty spa is to open at Gatwick airport’s north terminal this summer. The travel spa will be part of a new passenger lounge run by the firm No.1 Traveller. For a £20 entry fee it will offer hairdressing as well as a range of massages, manicures and beauty and revitalising treatments.

DERMALOGICA BACKING FOR ENTREPRENEURSSkin-care products company Dermalogia has given its backing to a global initiative to help fund the businesses of 25,000 women worldwide over the next two years as well as encourage more entrepreneurialism among women generally. The Financial Independence Through Entrepreneurship initiative (FITE) officially launched in January, and Dermalogica will be a founding partner.

JOICO JOINS PRINCE’S TRUST GROUPHair products firms Joico has joined the Prince’s Trust Health & Beauty Leadership Group, the body launched last year to promote more corporate social responsibility initiatives within the health and beauty sector, as well as providing opportunities for young people in the workplace.

HAMISH WILSON: SEMINAR

Century, published in 2008 (SalonFocus, May/June 2008), that members would get more say in Federation matters through networking groups.

The vision outlined in the consultation was that head office would support and promote events and activities nationally and in the regions to bring members together to exchange news, views and make contacts.

The NEC is keen to hear people’s ideas. Eileen said the NHF wanted to find ways of making the networks as easy to benefit from as possible without tying them up in bureaucracy.

“It is about how members can start caring and sharing at a local level, about their businesses and about liaising with like-minded people,” she added.


NATIONAL CENSUS COULD GIVE SALONS BIGGER VOICE

It may feel like a drag, but salon owners are being urged not to ignore this year’s National Census if they want to ensure their trade has the voice and clout it deserves in the future.

The 2011 Census is being run from this month by the Office for National Statistics and could reveal key data such as whether hair and beauty is still a growing occupation.

The last census, for example, showed that between 1991 and 2001 there was a doubling of employment in the hair and beauty industry – and this year’s survey could provide valuable evidence of whether this has continued or whether the downturn has had a significant effect.

There were some 68,438 hairdressers and barbers and 13,787 beauticians in employment in England and Wales in 1991, compared with 139,104 hairdressers and barbers and 28,950 beauticians in 2001, it found.

At that time Birmingham had the highest number of hairdressers and barbers in employment (1,825), with Leeds the highest number of beauticians and related occupations (382).

The census is run once a decade in England and Wales. What it’ll mean is that from March 27 a white envelope with a purple “C” emblazoned upon it will drop through the letterbox.

Inside will be a questionnaire which can be completed online through the census website www.census.gov.uk or on paper. The ONS has estimated it should take about 10 minutes per adult to complete.

It will include 14 questions about the household and 43 questions about the individual (such as language spoken, work habits and health).

The information gathered will be used by government and other agencies in future planning and investment decisions and can often be of benefit to individual business owners, argued

Peter Stokes, 2011 Census statistical design manager.

“If a business is looking to expand or relocate, census stats can help it choose somewhere by identifying areas where there are a significant number of people with appropriate work experience/qualifications. This could make recruitment easier,” he said.

“The census will show a wealth of information about the sector and the people who work within it. It will show the age, sex, qualifications and a host of other characteristics about people working in any industry. The census will also give information about the type of people who live in an area, such as their age, occupation and how they travel to work, which could be useful in targeting offers for example,” he added.

ONS research in 2009 suggested the average household spend on hairdressing and beauty treatments was £3.40 per week, or around £87m across the UK

And last year the office’s Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings found that, on average, male hairdressers working full-time earned more (£15,227 a year) than females (£12,633), while full-time beauticians earned more (£15,254) than full-time hairdressers (£12,844).

PETER STOKES: CENSUS AN AID TO SALONS

INCREASE IN DIPLOMATAKE-UP Vocational qualifications awarding body City & Guilds/AQA has seen a 20 per cent increase in learners registering this year for the new Diploma in Hair and Beauty Studies, according to figures released to SalonFocus.

Almost 2,000 new learners registered during September, while rival body the Vocational Training Charitable Trust said it had so far recorded 620 registrations for the current academic year, against 847 in 2009/10.

Habia, the government-approved standards-setting body for the hair, beauty, nails and spa sectors, said the level of take-up had exceeded its expectations, despite the fact changes in government policy have now led to it back-tracking on bold predictions made two years ago that the new qualification would eventually overtake National Vocational Qualifications in popularity.

Habia chief executive Alan Goldsbro told SalonFocus the figures showed “there is confidence in the qualification among young people and their teachers, especially when put in the context of the considerable changes happening to the education sector”.

He added: “We also hope this will encourage more employers to get involved and offer to help learners and schools in the delivery of what is an extremely useful qualification for the sector.”

But he conceded the coalition government’s move to scrap the previous Labour administration’s pledge to make the Diploma every child’s entitlement across every local education authority in England would mean take-up would not be as fast as once thought.

“That requirement has now been withdrawn so no, we would no longer expect the diploma to attract more participants than NVQs based on that,” said Alan.

ALAN GOLDSBRO: SUPPORT FOR DIPLOMA


ANALYSIS

MAKE ROYAL WEDDING A HAPPY DAY (OFF)

If it’s not already highlighted in your business diary, go and get a big fat marker pen and circle April 29 right now. That is, of course, the date that has been set for the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton in Westminster Abbey in London.

Like most people, salons owners and their staff will undoubtedly be looking to join in the day of celebrations, which Prime Minister David Cameron has declared will be a one-off public bank holiday.

But there is a serious side to this event for businesses, namely how much will this additional public holiday cost and what are your employees entitled to be paid (or not) as a result?

NO STATUTORY ENTITLEMENTThe first thing for salon owners to note is that there is no statutory entitlement for employees to be able to take paid annual leave on a statutory or public bank holiday. An employee’s legal entitlement to holiday is set out in the Working Time Regulations 1998, which provide that employees must receive a minimum of 5.6 weeks paid leave each leave year. This entitlement is not in addition to, but inclusive of, any public holidays.

Whether or not you have a contractual obligation to pay your employees for bank and public holidays will depend very much on the wording of the employee’s contract of employment. The most up-to-date version of the NHF’s Contract of Employment states that: “you are entitled to … day’s holiday during each holiday year. This is includes the usual public holidays in England, Wales Scotland and Northern Ireland. This holiday entitlement shall be reduced pro rata if you work on a part time basis.”

Most NHF members limit holiday entitlement to 28 days inclusive of the usual public holidays. If this is the case, then employees will still only be entitled to a maximum of 28 days paid holiday,

irrespective of the fact there will be nine public holidays in 2011. In which case, if the employee wishes to take leave on the additional bank holiday, it will have to come out of their 28-day “allowance”. NHF members who do not use the NHF Contract of Employment will need to check the wording of their contracts and should seek advice from the Legal Lifeline.

PREPARE FOR GRUMBLESEmployers can of course decide to be generous and give the additional bank holiday in 2011 even if the contract does not provide for it. If they decide not to allow employees the additional day, they need to consider and be prepared for any potential “grumbles” from employees or adverse publicity implications.

Employers also need to ensure they do not unlawfully discriminate against employees because of one of the protected characteristics or because of their part-time status. If you decide to award the extra day’s holiday to employees – then part-time employees will be entitled to the extra leave, calculated on a pro rata basis.

The additional bank holiday falls between Easter and May Day, meaning that if employees are entitled to bank holidays, there will be a four-day week followed by a three-day week and then another four-day week! It is therefore advisable to think carefully how this is likely to affect your workload and business capacity. It may well be a good idea to highlight this anomaly to regular clients so they, too, can plan their next visit around this issue.

PLAN AHEADIn the event you decide it will be “business as usual” on April 29, yet still allow employees to elect to book a day’s leave, then it is imperative you review your business needs for that day and decide in advance how many

employees can be absent. Any requests for holiday should follow the usual holiday request process and should normally be dealt with on a first-come-first-served basis.

Conversely, should you decide you wish to close for the day and employees do not wish to take one of their days, the employer can, under the Working Time Regulations 1998, serve the employee with (no less than two days) notice forcing them to take a day’s annual leave on that date.

In practice, rather than leaving it to the last minute, what is probably the most sensible option is for salon owners to communicate clearly what will be the compulsory shut-down periods, including potentially the wedding, at the start of your annual leave year. That way at least everyone should know where they stand and any issues or tensions can be managed and resolved early on.

The country will come to a standstill for next month’s Royal Wedding. But don’t let your business

get in a tangle over the extra day’s public holiday that will come with it, writes Gillian Dowling.

Gillian Dowling works for Croner as employment technical consultant.

If you read nothing else, read this….

There is no statutory •entitlement for employees to take paid annual leave on a statutory or public bank holiday, but double-check contracts of employmentAssess how the extra holiday, •Easter and bank holidays will affect business and work flowsCommunicate in advance what •your intentions will be

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CUTTING BRIEF

YOUR LEGAL PROBLEMS

SOLVEDIf we serve notice of dismissal on a junior, can we ask them to take any accrued holidays (calculated to their final finish date) within this notice period? If so, will they still be entitled to holiday pay in addition to notice pay? If an employee agrees to take annual leave during their notice period, the leave and holiday run concurrently, so the leave is not paid for separately at the end. In this circumstance, notice pay and holiday pay is one during this period. If there is no agreement from the employee to take their annual leave during their notice period, you could still ask them to take any accrued holiday by serving double the amount of notice as to the leave to be taken (ie two days notice per one day’s leave) in order to force them to

take any holiday accrued during this notice period.

One of our staff members has been in the role of senior stylist since last March when the need for the post was identified. It has now been decided that her role should become permanent and we wish to keep her in the role and make an official change to her job title. The other members of the salon have

accepted her in the role. Are we obliged to advertise the role internally, or can we just formally appoint her to the post on the grounds that she has been doing the role for a few months already on a trial basis? There is no general legal obligation to advertise the post in these situations. The only legal risk in not doing so is whether any of your other employees believe that there is a discriminatory reason as to why they have been denied the opportunity to apply for the role. If all staff are accepting of the employee in this post and understand that she would effectively be guaranteed the job should it be advertised, then it should be low risk to just appoint the employee into the post of senior stylist.

However, best practice would be to follow a fair recruitment process to appoint to the role, including interviewing all of those who are interested in the post. This will allow you to consider which of your current employees are interested in the position and show that you are seeking to appoint based upon skills and ability and not for a discriminatory reason. In addition, knowledge of those interested in promotion within the salon will allow for effective management planning in the event that any other vacancies unexpectedly arise.

We would like to introduce a rule preventing employees from smoking outside the salon on the high street as we have recently received complaints from some of our clients. Can we do this? We allow smoking outside at the back of the salon and therefore provide employees with a place to smoke.Unfortunately you will not be able to ban an employee from smoking outside your premises if they are smoking in a public place such as the high street. The laws regarding smoking cover smoking in an enclosed public space, and not on the public highway.

However, you can ask your employees to refrain from doing so, though in practice this will be difficult to enforce. As an employer you can only control what activities take place and where on your premises, in compliance with the smoking legislation.

In tackling this issue, it is advisable to discuss your concerns with your employees and encourage them to smoke to the rear of your building as an alternative to smoking outside the front of the building.

We have a stylist on maternity leave who has requested to come in for some training sessions which are spread out across 20 days. These days will only be half days. Is this ok? An employee is entitled to up to 10 keeping-in-touch (KIT) days during her maternity leave without affecting her entitlement to statutory maternity pay (SMP) or ending her leave. KIT days, and the corresponding payment for work done, are to be agreed between employer and employee ideally before the employee starts her maternity leave. There is no legal requirement to pay for KIT days however, and if any payment is agreed it will be offset against any maternity pay payable.

You can agree with your employee that she can come in for some of the training sessions as her KIT days. If training is spread across 20 days, only 10 training sessions could be covered by KIT days as any part KIT day will be considered a full KIT day.

If an employee exceeds her entitlement to the 10 KIT days her maternity leave will end and she will be required to return to work. For this reason you may want to consider re-organising the training wherever possible so that this employee can have the benefit of your full training schedule within her entitlement to 10 KIT days.

This article provides guidance only. If you have any general •queries for Cutting Brief please email [email protected]. NHF members are entitled to specific advice on the telephone from the Legal Lifeline on 0844 561 8180 but you must quote your membership number. Legal Expenses Insurance can only cover restrictive covenants where NHF standard contracts of employment are used.

Gillian Dowling from Croner, operator of the NHF’s Legal Lifeline,

answers your questions

INSPIRED

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ILLUMINATE BLACKPOOL

FEDERATION

FOCUS

Over the weekend of March 13-14 Blackpool will be buzzing as it hosts one of Britain’s biggest and best hair and beauty events, the Blackpool International Hairdressing Championships.

The championships will take place at the town’s newly refurbished Winter Gardens, with Sunday’s contests taking place in the Empress ballroom, before the juniors take to the stage on the Monday in the Pavilion Piazza, along with the Goldwell College Teams Award.

The Blackpool branch of the Federation will be running 23 competitions over the two days, ranging from first-year trainees to major championship contests for ladies and men, and also featuring the popular photographic challenge.

At least 600 contestants will be entering with their models from all over Great Britain and Ireland, with trophies, diplomas and prize money all up for grabs.

A trade exhibition will run alongside in the Olympia, including free hair shows and new products.

For further information please contact director Dorethea English on 01253 294760.

Just a reminder that the Welsh Newcomer

Hairdressing Championships are being

held on Sunday 10 April.

Doors will open for the event, being

held at the Legacy International Hotel

in Cardiff, at 9am for a 10am start, with

admission £5, including programme. There

will be refreshments and a bar will be

available all day.

For further information please contact

Carl Hinder on 07931518642 or go to

www.nhfwales.co.uk

WELCOME WELSH

NEWCOMERS

By Stephanie Munno

Nearly £300 was raised for Help for Heroes by Bournemouth and Reading Region as part of a successful Errol Douglas show in November.

More than 200 people attended, and saw Errol not only presenting but judging a catwalk competition that was open to all hairdressers, juniors, trainees and seniors. The stylist simply had to produce a model suitable for a catwalk.

The winner was Rage of Bournemouth. The prize was the “Icon” cup and a day with Errol either in his salon, working on a show or at a photo shoot.

The £5 entry fee for the catwalk competition and all raffle money was donated to Help for Heroes, with £287 in total being raised.

BLACKPOOL: BUZZING

HELP FOR HEROES

The NHF is launching a new Barbers Élite artistic team to work along its renowned Inspire team, and is now looking for seriously talented new recruits to join both teams.

NHF Inspire is headed by artistic manger Rebecca Dickenson and mentored by creative greats such as

Charlie Taylor, HOB creative team, Sassoon creative team and for 2011/12 the British Hairdressing Awards Artistic Team of the Year RUSH.

The Barbers Élite team will launch in 2012 and is looking to attract four innovative, creative, fashion-inspired barbers. It will be headed by James Beattie and all levels of barbering can enter.

Auditions for both teams are open to NHF members, with entries needing to be in by a deadline of July 31.

First-round entries must include a photograph of your work and CV entry form. Shortlisted stylists will also need to be available to attend the final

audition in London for a live model presentation on September 5.

Stylists applying for Inspire are required to have at least five years hairdressing experience. For more details please contact Stephanie Munno at NHF head office.

ÉLITE TALENT WANTED FOR BARBERS TEAM

HAPPY RETIREMENT, ARTHUR

Former national president Arthur Nevay has retired from active involvement in the National Hairdressers Federation after 68 years of dedication and commitment to the industry.

First appointed to the NEC in 1977, he became national president in 1987. In a distinguished career, he represented Scotland on the Hairdressing Undertakings Wages Council, was NHF representative on SCOTEC, the Scottish Technical Educational Council, was chairman of Hairdressing Training Board and a vice-president of Confederation Internationale de la Coiffure.

National president Mark Coray said: “His achievements as a hairdresser, salon owner and leader of the Federation were inspirational. I for one will miss his knowledge, energy, humour and boundless enthusiasm.”

NEC member Audrey Morgan added: “It has been my pleasure to have known him and to have seen the great things he has done for our trade of hairdressing.”


SUPPORT NHF AT BRITISH OPEN CHAMPIONSHIPS

The countdown is continuing to this year’s British Open Championships, which will take place in just three months time in Cardiff.

It is one of the most important competitions in the hairdressing industry calendar, and brings together competitors from all over the country.

This year’s championships will be held on Sunday 12 June at Cardiff City Stadium, home of Cardiff City Football Club.

Categories will cover juniors (under 25s), trainees, and newcomers as well as the seasoned professional, with the different competitions giving an opportunity for any

hairdresser of any age and experience to show off their artistic flair.

NHF Inspire, the Federation’s fantastic artistic team, will be showcasing throughout the day and the event will see the unveiling of the NHF’s Photographic Stylist of the Year Awards. Representatives from Aston & Fincher will also be in attendance.

For a brochure and application form please call 0845 345 6500 or 01234 831965 or download it from the website www.nhf.info

BRITISH OPEN: THREE MONTHS TO GO

ARTHUR NEVAY: RETIRING

INSPIRE: COULD YOU CUT IT?


FEDERATION FOCUS

The position of honorary treasurer will be up for re-election at the Federation’s AGM to be held on Sunday 2 and Monday 3 October.

Nomination sheets and further details can be obtained by contacting head office. All nominations need to be received no later than Thursday 28 April.

CALL FOR

NOMINATIONS

BRIDAL SHOW: SOUTH OF ENGLAND DISPLAY

BRIDAL WINNER: FIONA HARDY (RIGHT) WITH MODEL

PHO

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YORKSHIRE STYLE

The Yorkshire area will be presenting an evening with Martin Fox, a member of the Wahl Artistic Team UK on Monday 7 March.

Martin will be presenting an evening seminar of gents styling. Tickets are free to NHF Yorkshire members, with extra tickets available to be purchased for £5 from Paul Curry, on 01904 792039.

REGIONAL ROUND-UP

There was a full house at the Holiday Inn, Coventry in November to see Lee Stafford, one of Britain’s best loved hairdressers.

Lee was on top form, demonstrating some stunning cuts and breaking them down in his unique way so the audience could take his knowledge home and try it out for themselves.

This event was subsidised by Central England Region and information on future region events can be found at www.nhfce.co.uk

The South of England Championships were held in Southampton at the Novotel in November.

The overall winner was a team from City of Bristol College, while other winners included Helen Gerrard from Trevor Mitchell International – North Baddesley, who won the South of England Fashion Award. The Bridal competition was won by Fiona Hardy from Jason Cousins, Andover.

Among the judges were James Beattie from Cardiff and two Team GB members, Allyson Clewlow from Wolverhampton and Caroline Gerrard from Somerset.

www.nhf.info JAN/FEB 2011 SALONFOCUS PAGE 25

GROOMING SUCCESSHaving the right people with the right skills to do the job is, of course, essential in any business. But for a labour-intensive industry such as hairdressing, and for a business the size of Regis UK, it is crucial we have a plan and process in place to develop our people. We need to ensure our people have and are given the skills to grow and develop, that we instil and share the values we value and that we actively encourage them to progress within our company and our salons.

All this means it is vital to have good succession planning in place. For us, succession planning simply means

ensuring people are being developed at all levels. Culturally, we prefer to promote from within whenever possible and great succession planning is the only way this can happen. We need to have stylists ready to be deputy managers, salon managers ready to be area managers and area managers ready to take on a regional manager’s role.

DELEGATE TASKSThe key to successful succession planning is, quite simply, identifying the right people. A good salon manager, for example, will spot the stylist to whom they can delegate tasks and responsibilities and develop them. Giving him or her responsibility, say, for the retail space can really motivate them and help them to start gaining a wider knowledge of the business. But it is also important to give people extra tasks and responsibilities in bite-size chunks so they do not become overwhelmed and demotivated.

Although hairdressing has traditionally had a reputation for high team member turnover, effective succession planning has the potential to create a virtuous circle. By spending time and effort developing the team and giving them greater job satisfaction and career prospects you increase employee retention. And by increasing employee retention you make it much easier to put in place effective succession planning!

Another important point is to recognise that not everyone wants to progress in the same way or has the same goals. Not everyone wants to become a business manager, but they may love what they’re doing and pride themselves on being a real expert in their

area, an ambition that is just as valuable to your team and business. So you need to understand and discuss someone’s prospects and what direction they want, and then make clear decisions on how you are going to help them to get there.

OWNERSHIPUltimately, succession planning needs to be owned by line managers, as they are the ones who know the team members, their ambitions and the needs of their own area of the business. In a small business, of course, this may well simply be the business owner, partner or immediate deputy. Whoever is leading it, however, succession planning has to be something that becomes second nature, something that is simply “what you do”.

In difficult economic times, it can be tempting to put succession planning, which can feel “long term” and therefore less of a priority, on the back burner. But in fact we believe it is even more important in a downturn to ensure you are retaining the best people by showing you see them in the future of your company. In fact, effective succession planning is potentially one of your most important survival strategies – in good times as well as bad – and a key way of differentiating yourself from your competitors.

It may be your salon and your business, but good succession planning is vital if you want to be

successful over the long term, says Jackie Lang.


Good succession planning can •help with retention and give you a competitive edgeIt means identifying future •leaders, at all levelsGive people responsibility, but •don’t overwhelm themUse appraisals effectively to help •people developRecognise not everyone will want •to progress in the same wayDon’t ignore it because it feels •“long term”; it needs to be a priority

Jackie Lang has been managing director of Regis UK since 2008. She is responsible for 450 salons that include Regis’s UK branches and Sassoon salons in the UK, Germany and USA.

REGIS


In the current difficult economic climate, one way for salon owners to boost clientele, and something which more and more hairdressing salons are now offering, is beauty and nails services.

Yet adding a beauty therapy element to your businesses is not easy. First, there is the cost. Even a relatively basic beauty salon or treatment room could cost a minimum of £20,000. To do it properly, you’ll probably be looking at a budget of between £30,000 to £50,000 or more.

However, bear in mind that you do not necessarily need to open your own beauty salon from scratch. Simply offering beauty treatments from a room or workspace within your salon can be a start, although you will still need a realistic budget.

If you do want to offer an inclusive hair and beauty service under one roof, here are six key checklists to be ticking off:

Decide on the level of equipment •you will be offering

This will of course depend on the treatments. The absolute minimum should include a good quality couch, trolley, therapist’s stool, mag lamp, waxing equipment, sterilisation unit, bins, and tools specific to the offer (for instance, micro-dermabrasion, body and

facial electrical therapies, epilation). If you are offering nail services you will need nail desks, extraction fans and filters.

Ensure staff are fully trained and •qualified

It is imperative to ensure you have qualified staff to perform the treatments. If you are finding it difficult to source full-time beauty therapy staff consider recently qualified beauty students looking to make a start, freelancers after a more permanent base, or people looking to return to work after a break (for instance, for childcare).

Look at the possibility of •contracting out

You may want to contract out your beauty services. Plenty of salons use this arrangement and find it useful, but make sure you have a comprehensive contract that is legally binding and covers as many eventualities as possible, including holidays and times of service. Even freelance staff are covered by employment law legislation.

Make health and safety a priority•There is some crossover between hair and beauty in terms of the proper storage and use of chemicals, sterilising equipment and working with water and electrical tools. However, beauty and nails have their own particular issues that need to be taken into account. Likewise, nails and waxing have their own codes of practice that need to be followed. Habia and the NHF are able to offer guidance on this.

Consider what services will go •down best in your area

Research what is available in your area and see if there is a gap that isn’t being filled. Comprehensive or “holistic”

packages that involve hair treatments, manicures, pedicures and make-up are also now popular with clients looking for a pampering experience.

You also need to ensure you are offering a range of realistic appointment times (including lunchtimes, evenings and so on) and using good scheduling and appointment booking software if you don’t do so already. Juggling clients who are coming in for two or three treatments or group bookings can be challenging.

Have a promotional and marketing •strategy

To get clients in, especially at first, you will probably need to consider promotions. Common offers are 12 treatments for the price of 10 or discounts on your beauty treatments for those booking certain hair treatments (colouring for instance).

Other options might be offering discounts for group bookings or seasonal offers. Make sure you update promotional materials or public relations to reflect what is happening in your salon in terms of new treatments. Likewise special events, celebrations, charity and community events are always useful to piggyback on to generate some free publicity in your local press.

More salons are offering beauty treatments to create new revenue streams. But getting

started can take careful planning, writes

Tiffany Tarrant. FULLY QUALIFIED STAFF ARE AN ABSOLUTE MUST

If you read nothing else, read this….Don’t expect establishing a beauty therapy offer to be cheap, •£20,000-£50,000 is not unusualResearch the level of service that will fit the local demand•Look at feasibility of renting out space or a room•Ensure staff are fully trained and qualified and that all health and safety •boxes have been tickedThink carefully about your promotional and marketing strategy•

PAMPER YOUR BUSINESS

Tiffany Tarrant is development manager at Habia.

BEAUTY

MULTIPLE CHOICES

It was five years after I opened my first franchise in Guildford that I felt it was well enough established to allow me to cast my net a bit wider. Having studied my client pool at Guildford, I found that a number of clients were travelling from Camberley to Guildford to visit the salon, so it seemed obvious that Camberley might offer a potential opportunity.

The next thing was to look at the area’s statistics in detail – and you have to be cool-headed and realistic about this because you are potentially making a big investment on the back of what you discover. We were pleased to find it had a high

percentage of home ownership and a good percentage of car ownership per property, both of which reflected the town’s affluence and therefore potential disposable income.

LOCATION, LOCATIONThe next step, of course, was to find the ideal salon. Here the fact I was a franchisee for a larger organisation was really helpful because Toni&Guy was able to help when looking into the locations as well as with the shop-fitting.

Counter-intuitively, opening the salon right in the middle of the recession of the early 1990s proved perfect business timing. Because the bottom had fallen out of the property market you didn’t need a huge deposit for a location and landlords were eager to fill vacant locations. Our landlord even contributed a sum of money for the shop-fit! We were also lucky enough to have financial support from L’Oreal.

The next challenge, of course, was staffing. Expanding to multiple locations, obviously, offers a business a great opportunity to expand but you need to be sure you are going to be

able to maintain the consistency and quality of service for which your original salon has been known. Also, you will not physically be able to be in two places at once so you become much more reliant on your staff; you need to have people in place on both sites who you can trust, who you know understand the business and what it stands for.

In my case, one of my senior team members at Guildford had expressed an interest in furthering his career with Toni&Guy.

It meant when we opened in Camberley 1993 I knew I had a manager in place I could really rely on.

IMPORTANCE OF TRUSTFrom my experience the key is very much trust; the knowledge that you have a strong management team in each of the salons you are running. This means I can step back a little and see how the different management styles develop. I often find the salon as a whole is a reflection of the manager. If the manager is artistically driven, for example, the salon will be extremely creative. So it’s very insightful.

Staff retention and keeping the teams motivated are other big challenges. Many of our assistants join at 16 so we get them involved in lots of company competitions. As one of the official sponsors of London Fashion Week we offer stylists the opportunity to go on to join the Toni&Guy Session Team working on catwalk shows.

I also make a point of continuing to work two-and-a-half days a week on the salon floor with my regular clientele. However many salons you end up running, working on the salon floor is really important. It keeps me in touch with my clients and it allows me to get an economic insight from their point of view which has proved invaluable in the current recession.

Stepping up from a single salon to running multiple outlets presents a whole new array of challenges, as well as

opportunities. Toni&Guy’s Tim Avory, who now runs 24 salons, explains the steps he took.

If you read nothing else, read this….Multiple sites can create challenges around quality, •consistency and the impossibility of being in two places at onceYou need to be sure both sites will be viable, and •especially will not cannibalise each otherYou need managers and teams in place you can trust •to be successful in your absenceDon’t stop spending time on the salon floor, however •many sites you run


TIM AVORY: TIME IN SALON KEEPS YOU GROUNDED

After six-and-a-half years as a style director with Trevor Sorbie, Tim Avory opened his first Toni&Guy salon in 1989 in Guildford, Surrey. He has won Southern Hairdresser of the Year three times and the L’Oreal Colour Trophy Southern on three occasions. In 2002 he was inducted into British Hairdressing Awards Hall of Fame.

FRANCHISING


ALL SYSTEMS GO

It’s hard to imagine it now, but when my Oxford salon first went computerised 11 years ago I had never even used a computer and so felt intimidated and a bit suspicious about it. I kept a paper appointments book alongside the computer for a full six months because I was afraid it would fail us! It didn’t, and now of course I honestly wonder how we coped before.

At that time the main thing I was looking for was simply an appointments book and sales/book-keeping function. There was no such thing as online bookings then and most of the customer service and marketing effort was based around appointment cards, birthday and Christmas cards and simply providing great hairdressing.

The way we went about it – which is just as valid an approach today as it was then – is that we simply asked several leading providers to visit and demonstrate their system to us. We prepared a list of key questions in advance to ensure we knew exactly what we needed to find out and what to test. We also asked for customer references and made sure we followed them up.

LOOK FOR SUPPORTIf you’re upgrading or investing in a new system – which can of course be a big investment – you can probably assume the top three or four systems on the market are going to be able to do a good basic job. The basic functionality is probably going to be pretty similar. So a key extra to look for is support.

As a minimum I’d argue you need to be going with a supplier who offers support from 9am to 8pm Mondays to Fridays and probably 9am to 6pm on Saturdays. The latter element is vital as, of course, Saturday tends to be one of the busiest days in any salon, and so is also most likely to be the day when something goes wrong! Yet, in my experience Saturday support is still a fairly recent development for some suppliers; so make a point of checking what’s on offer.

The size and complexity of your business will need to be an important consideration. Some systems will be better suited to single salons, some more so for groups. This will

inevitably be reflected in pricing. If you are a small salon, look out for “lite” systems that will suit your business needs as well as your pocket. Most suppliers can advise on this aspect and will offer versions that scale up or down.

THINK UPDATESIt’s a good idea, as with any big purchase, to check you are dealing with an established company that is going to stick around. Also, look for a system that has the potential to evolve with your business. We, for example, receive new features and updates regularly.

The latest thing we’ve introduced is online bookings via our website. Clients can book at any time, without calling the salon. Functionality around online bookings, you can be sure, is going to become more sophisticated, as are how computers interlink with emailing, email marketing, retail sales and in-house networks. Your salon computer is most definitely not just an appointments book in a box anymore!

Another important thing to think about is staff training. In-salon staff training should be provided by pretty much any competent software supplier, with the possibility of away-day training for more advanced marketing and businesses functions also something to look for.

My partner and I have real-time access to both salon computers from our laptops and this is very useful. We have considered investing in a “call centre” or central bookings approach but as yet have decided it’s not cost effective with just two salons. Security is a vital consideration of course (see panel) and our system makes it simple to restrict each team member to the appropriate level. Our salon manger has access to everything, whereas our apprentices can only access the system to book in appointments.

MARKETING POTENTIALA well-constructed computer system makes running the salon much slicker and easier. It’s cleaner and clearer than a paper

Upgrading your computer system needs careful research, as a good

system nowadays is much more than an appointments diary in a box,

writes Anne Veck.

Anne Veck runs salons in Oxford and Bicester. She has reached the finals of the British Hairdressing Awards on three occasions, for Avant Garde Hairdresser of the Year 2007 and 2009 and for Schwarzkopf Professional British Colour Technician of the Year 2009.

ADVICE

ANNE VECK: LOOK FOR SUPPORT, TRAINING AND MARKETING


appointments book. It removes the element of guesswork when we want to find out the percentage of our business that came from a particular service or from retail sales. So these are all things you need to be ensuring your system will do in a way that works for you.

Both our salons have experienced growth in client visits over the past 12 months. You can’t, of course, put this all down to technology but it is undoubtedly true that at least some of this growth has come from how we have marketed and promoted the salon, an area where technology and our systems have been vital. We can send texts and emails to clients from the salon PC and there are address label options, which make it easy to stay in touch with clients between visits.

This also means each time a client visits, the stylist can greet them knowing what service they had last time, what cut, what products they’ve bought, even where they went on holiday! Everything we note in the system can be found the next time they make an appointment. No matter how infrequently a client comes in, even if it’s just twice a year, we are able to “remember” about them from the detailed records we keep on our system. It can make all the difference. n


Speak to a number of leading •suppliers and get a range of viewsThe basic functionality should •be much of a muchness, so look for the extras: support, staff training, upgrades and added functionalityConsider the size of your business •now but also what its future computer needs will beRecognise systems nowadays •have much more potential than just bookings, so think how you are going to use it to the fullLook at how you can link your •system to your marketing and promotional activities

KEEPING SECURE

We all like to think the best of people, and in a people-intensive industry such as hairdressing you probably couldn’t survive as a business if you did not. But when it comes to the security of your computer systems, what we at HSBC Merchant Services have learnt over the years is that you can’t be too vigilant, and the people you need to be most vigilant about, sadly, are those you probably naturally trust the most – your staff.

This doesn’t mean jumping to the conclusion that everyone working in your salon is a potential thief, hacker or fraudster, far from it. What it does mean is it is important to recognise the tough economic climate is putting financial pressure on everyone, pressure that can sometimes make people act in ways or do things you would not think them capable of in a million years. Yet who best knows your systems, its possible gaps, weak spots or opportunities?

When we think of, say, cash-till fraud, we often imagine it’ll be the snatch-and-grab thief who bursts into the salon. That does still happen, and it is remarkable how often you find salons placing their tills just inside the doorway. But when you think about it, who has the most access, through your computer system, not only to your “intelligent” till but also to your most valuable customer and financial data?

So, do you know who is allowed access to your system, who has passwords (and how often are they changed) and what level of access can they achieve? It may seem obvious but it is important not to stick with the “generic” password that perhaps came with the computer or have passwords that can be easily guessed

(such as “password1” or “computer”). It can’t be emphasised too strongly how important it is that passwords should not be written down, left lying around or – and this has been known to happen – never, never, never taped to the computer screen. Who, too, can open the till drawer, who can ring up sales or order product or process refunds? What’s your policy for when discrepancies do arise?

What sort of security came with your system and are you using it to its full potential, or have you got into the habit of over-riding or ignoring it?

Very understandably at the moment, the salon owner will be focused on sales and front-of-salon activities, meaning vigilance around back-room activities such as processing refunds or orders or managing the till can be lost, especially if it is small amounts that may be hard to spot until the damage is done, but which can quickly add up. We are also seeing increasing instance of hacking of “stored” data. This can include physical hacking of computer servers, “selling on” or leaking of customer information, theft or copying of till receipts and other records.

Apart from the financial loss, there is also the reputational damage such fraudulent activity can do to your business. Consider (and shudder) at the thought of one of your most valued customers discovering their card has been “skimmed” or used fraudulently and, when it is traced back by their bank (as it will be), it is found that the weak link, or even the crime itself, was within your salon.

So the message is: don’t be paranoid, but also don’t be complacent and don’t make it easy for your computer system to be taken advantage of.

No computer system is infallible or impregnable, but it’s important not to forget that most fraud and security breaches are down to people not systems,

writes Ian Wright.

Ian Wright is senior fraud liaison manager at HSBC Merchant Services

Even as a colourist, I am a strong believer hair was put there as protection to the scalp and not necessarily as a beauty asset. This means we can colour hair as little as possible to make hair look more beautiful, yet still retain its natural essence.

The demand we have for hair colour today was not always apparent when I first started in the industry. At Leonard’s in the 1960s I found it extremely difficult to build up my colour clientele. Ninety per cent of my clients came in for colour simply to get rid of their grey. There were only a selective few who opted for fashion shades of reds or the Marilyn Monroe blondes. Clients at this time had the perception that the colour they were born with was the only colour that would suit them.

Obviously this was extremely frustrating; everyone in the styling department was extremely busy, in comparison I was finding it a struggle to make a living. I decided that I needed to expose the word “hair colour” and in doing so, I gained

publicity on vegetable colours and fashion colours.

CRAZY COLOURSMy main aim and focus was to shock the public with the colour they saw. In doing so, I was the first colourist to bring out “crazy colours”, with shades such as bright pink and every colour of the rainbow!

In the same era, fashion designer Zandra Rhodes had walked into Vidal Sassoon’s and asked for her dark brown hair to have green highlights put in. The creative director told her that the only person who would do this would be me. She came to me and I highlighted her hair giving her emerald green lights, however the dylon and nylon dyes I was currently using achieved a dull effect.

Zandra advised me to try out silk dyes, which is what she used to print her silks. The outcome was bright, luminous colour which made the hair colour look rich and unique. It was at this point that I started doing creative beauty spreads for English and Italian Vogue.

The use of bright and vibrant hair colour was never intended for people to actually wear, but instead used to shock

the reader into thinking about colour. The mid-1960s saw the unveiling of Twiggy. I remember her

coming into the salon with long ginger hair, which Leonard cut off. She was then sent to me, where I proceeded for eight hours to highlight her one inch hair! The following day, a double page spread in The Daily Express launched Twiggy as the world’s first supermodel.

It was then I introduced the “brickwork” technique, which I developed to provide fine movement for hair colour throughout the hair and which is today being used universally.

Colour finally began to take off – I was advising my clients to let me recreate the colour they had when they were a child. This concept I regard as natural movement, which is hair that looks softly kissed by the sun.

Skin is always lighter than your natural hair colour and, in the same way that a woman uses make-up on her skin to highlight her features, I use hair colour to bring out the best in the hair. After all, hair is the one beauty asset that a woman never takes off when she goes to sleep.

I believe that when you have the perfect hair colour, your complexion is lifted and people should notice your eyes and not your hair colour. In the same way, with the wrong hair colour, the first thing you notice is the hair.

With hair colour, perfection is a journey and not a destination. We want our clients’ hair to look better than the last time they came in, but hopefully not as good as the next time – we strive for excellence!

FOCUS ON CONDITIONIn the salon we have the “4Cs” of hair colour: cut, colour, condition and curl. Even though we specialise in a massive way in colouring and styling, the foundation of our salon is the biggest C of all – condition!

A client can have the best colour and the best cut, but if they do not have the condition, everything else is lost. Therefore we teach our staff and clients to respect hair, so they learn to treat hair in the similar way they would a fine cashmere sweater; with regular moisturising treatments every two to four weeks.

When it comes to me and my salon, the best PR we can possibly have are our walking clients; so hopefully six weeks later at a dinner party they still hear: “Your hair looks great – where did you have it done?”

With a career spanning 50 years, hair colourist Daniel Galvin is one of most recognised names in the industry. A protégé of Vidal Sassoon and Leonard Lewis, he was the first UK colourist to launch a signature line of professional hair colourants, expanding into Japan and the Far East in the 1990s. He was made an OBE in 2006 and continues to be passionate about colour and the industry.

PAGE 30 SALONFOCUS MAR/APR 2011

COLOUR

MY “4CS”

OF COLOURWhen it comes to colour, the key

is to remember the “4Cs” – cut, colour, condition and curl – argues

Daniel Galvin.

COLOURS: BRING OUT THE BEST


Modern male grooming started only around a decade ago with a handful of salons in the UK. It was slow to take off at first but the real growth came when celebrities such as David Beckham began to take an interest in their grooming regimes. Guys noticed these well-groomed celebrities and movie icons had success, money and beautiful women and it was a natural progression. More help came when men’s magazines began to incorporate grooming sections and advice columns.

Partners have probably the most influence over a man’s grooming rituals, closely followed by the perception that to be successful in your career, you need to look and feel as good as you can. We have used this knowledge to sell our treatments to partners via gift vouchers, and we have developed special deals with corporate partners.

When we created our salon group, it was vital that everything, from the decor through to the language we used, was male orientated. We designed our interiors in the style of the film Ocean’s 11, which was an immediate hit as it’s a movie that’s all about style, sophistication and cool.

KEEP IT SIMPLEWhen it came to designing our treatments the phrase “keep it simple” was very much the watchword. I think it’s important not to bombard men with buzz words and industry jargon. Men like a product or service which “does exactly what it says on the tin” so we ensure all of our services are easy to understand and deliver great results.

As grooming is a relatively new phenomenon for men, it’s important to ease clients in gently. A hot towel shave followed by a mini-facial is a great introduction to grooming because it’s a

masculine treatment which also results in an improved appearance of the skin. This then opens the door to other services such as facials and massage once that trust has been built up.

We now offer a wide range of hairdressing, grooming and personal services, including “indulgence” packages. We also offer services such as personal shopping. During the summer months, we find waxing is by far our most popular treatment while facials and massage tend to be more popular in the winter.

What men look for from a salon is one sympathetic to their needs. They

don’t want to be blinded by science or be sold a treatment they don’t need. A simple menu of basic treatments tailored to his needs will make a man feel more comfortable – and more likely to spend money in the salon.

We also don’t talk about the weather when we’re treating our clients! We talk about their skin and its needs. This conversation easily leads to the products that would be most beneficial to them. We follow up their treatment with an advice card on which we detail the products which we have recommended.

FACIALSWe currently use a number of male-focused Dermalogica facials which are popular, as well as a facial designed by Baxter of California. Our Jason Shankey Expert hot towel wet shaving experience is now probably our most asked for treatment. The most popular product lines among our clientele tend to be Jason Shankey Expert, American Crew, Redken For Men, Dermalogica and Baxter of California.

Waxing has had a meteoric rise over the years. Excessive body hair on a man is not generally perceived to be attractive and while the hairless look remains fashionable the number of waxing treatments will continue to grow. TV shows such as 10 Years Younger and Celebrity Scissorhands, both of which I have worked on, have also continued to help to raised its profile. Male grooming definitely offers an opportunity to tap into a lucrative and growing market.

Male clients are increasingly open to the idea of facials, massage, eye treatments, self-

tanning and even waxing. Just try not to talk about the weather, says Jason Shankey.

IN STYLE OF HIT FILM OCEAN’S 11


Male grooming is a fast-growing •marketKeep it simple and ease clients •into the ideaFollow up a treatment with •an advice card and product recommendationsWaxing is increasingly popular•

MALE ORDERS

Jason Shankey is resident male grooming guru for Urban Retreat and stylist to stars such as Callum Best, Jenson Button, David Furnish and Olly Murs. Last year he launched the Jason Shankey Expert product range and he runs salons and a “gentleman’s club” in London and Belfast. He has twice been a finalist in the British Hairdressing Business Awards.

BEAUTY

13/14MARCHBlackpool International Hairdressing Championships Winter Gardens, BlackpoolContact Dorethea English on 01253 294760

15MARCHHABB Women’s Networking BreakfastGoldwell Academy, 29 Sackville Street, LondonContact Teresa Frise on 01737 212494

27 MARCHDevon and Cornwall Championships Redcliffe Hotel, Paignton, Devon Contact Pat or Doug Cording on 01386 561704

28MARCHNorth East Region and Networking Group Meeting Ramside, Durham Contact Avril Walker on 01642 597197 or 01642 591466

3APRILBournemouth and Reading Competitions Carrington House Hotel, Bournemouth Call 02380 227578

3/4APRILProfessional Hairdresser LiveManchester Central Contact: www.prohairlive.co.uk

10APRILWelsh Newcomer Hairdressing Championships,Legacy International Hotel, Cardiff Contact Carl Hinder on 07931518642

11APRILHABB Golf Classic 2011Marriott Forest of Arden Golf & Country Club WarwickshireContact Pete Statham on 07904 401533 or Teresa Frise on 01737 212494

17APRILNorth East Region Championships: Body Painting and Two Tone Colour Competition Marton Hotel and Country Club, Middlesbrough Contact Avril Walker on 01642 597197 or 01642 591466

14MAYYorkshire Region President’s Dinner Dance Dubrovnik Hotel, Bradford Contact Phill Cooling on 07818 306305

22MAYEn-Vogue Hair & Fashion Show Charity Fundraiser, by UK Style Hair Academy, in aid of Cancer ResearchBrook Theatre, Chatham, KentContact Just Soe Salon on 01634 302367 or Brook Theatre on 01634 338338

5JUNESouth West Region Championships Winter Gardens, Weston-Super-Mare, Somerset Contact Pat or Doug Cording on 01386 561704

12JUNEBritish Open Championships Cardiff Contact NHF head office on 01234 831965 or 0845 345 6500

27JUNENorth East Networking Group AGM Ramside, Durham Contact Avril Walker on 01642 597197 or 01642 591466

2/3OCTAnnual General Meeting and Conference Marriott Hotel, Metro Centre, Gateshead Newcastle Contact NHF head office on 01234 831965 or 0845 345 6500

14NOVCheshire Championships Romiley Forum Theatre, Stockport Contact Ian Barrell on 0161 4276953

20NOVSouth of England Championships Novotel, Southampton Contact John Light on 01794 521849


EVENTSNOT TO BE MISSED...

NHF EVENTS

OTHERS

Please send your events to the NHF at [email protected] by March 8 to appear in May/June, May 10 to appear in July/August and July 8 to appear in September/October. Updated events listed on www.nhf.info

Backwash does not need any convincing that Prime Minister David Cameron is a smooth operator.

But now that we hear the creator of his slickly updated pompadour is Lino Carbosiero, based at Daniel Galvin, in London’s West End, we are even more impressed.

Lino – whose spokesperson, in the best traditions of Whitehall and Yes, Minister, deflected Backwash’s attentions with a straight bat “no comment” – is also reputed to have attended the tresses of Madonna, among many others.

One of Madonna’s songs, you will recall, is Borderline – which might provoke thoughts of the state of our economy rather than dear Dave’s barnet.

BACKWASH

CARBOSIERO PUTS COOL INTO CAMERON

PAGE 34 SALONFOCUS MAR/APR 2011

Revlon ambassador Frank Shipton not long ago walked into the NHF’s Bedford head office and handed secretary general Eileen Lawson a box of competition archive material going back more than 70 years for safekeeping.

The former Federation NEC member was going to write a book about the World Hairdressing Championships but he has now decided to devote himself to his love of photography.

Frank, who has also managed the Ladies’ team and has chaired the Fellowship for British Hairdressing, told Backwash how the first World Championships was going to be held in Berlin in 1936, with Britain, France, Austria, Germany and Italy among the countries that were going to compete.

But Adolf Hitler decreed that Aryan women could not use hair cosmetics which meant the hairdressing fraternity had to wait until 1947 for their first competitive extravaganza.

What a loser!

NO FRANKS TO HITLER

You’ve got to hand it to Dyson.First it invents the world’s first

bagless vacuum cleaner. Now it has invented the £40 Dyson Groom for pooches.

The invention comprises a stiff brush at the end of a vacuum cleaner for removing and sucking up hairs before they leave your hound.

I don’t know about SalonFocus readers but every time Backwash goes anywhere near its own canine pal with a vacuum she attacks it.

But Dyson may have missed a trick here. How about a vacuum for barbers to suck up the hair that goes down clients’ shirts? As long as it isn’t too powerful of course!

HAIR OF THE DOG

Ginger-phobes are once again riling the nation’s redheads.

Insurance comparison site Go Compare has felt compelled to change the wording of an advert in which Gio Compario, the fictional opera singer asks what orang-utans have on their head.

When a voice replies “Ginger Hair,” Gio says: “I’m afraid they do.”

Redheads complained by the dozen forcing Go Compare to back down. Backwash suggests the answer is “simples”: offended redheads should simply make tracks to the distinctly gingery Aleksandr at comparethemeerkat.com.

PROUD TO BE GINGER BORN AND RED

Backwash recently had a haircut at a local barbershop and should have been delighted to receive a loyalty card offering a free haircut on every 10th visit.

But Backwash’s barber seemed to have a sinus problem, or was too lazy to get a tissue and perpetually sniffed throughout the haircut.

Backwash wasn’t sure whether said barber was depressed or merely disgusting, but was sorely tempted to leap out the chair and fetch him a box of Kleenex.

You know who you are... yes, it’s me. I’m Backwash!

GET A LIFE – GET A TISSUE

If you have stories for Backwash, send them to the editor at head office or e-mail to [email protected] putting Editor Backwash in the subject line.

Great to hear that the North Koreans take hair so seriously.

Apparently, for the past half decade the most popular television programme in what is the world’s most secretive country has been a series called Let’s Trim Our Hair in Accordance with the Socialist Lifestyle.

Catchy, ain’t it! Just a pity they don’t have Koreanation Street.

KOREANATION STREET

salon focus march-april 2011

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