Salonfocus March - April 2016

£3.50 Mar/Apr 2016

The essential magazine for salon owners

For RICHER How to make bridal packages stand out, and make you money

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Are you ready for the National Living Wage?

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Making the client experience a ‘journey’ to remember

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Stretch yourself with the NHF’s competitions

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Contents

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P6 NEWS Join in National Apprenticeship Week

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P10 LOOK THE PART Salons are divided over staff uniforms P12 DON’T BE APRIL FOOLED Are you ready for the arrival of the National Living Wage in April?

P14 BECAUSE YOU’RE WORTH IT Salons rethinking their pricing to cope with the National Living Wage P16 BRIDAL PATH How NHF members maximise the benefit they get from bridal packages P22 SALON PENSIONS Your seven-point checklist P24 TRUE COLOURS The verdict on a new client rating system P26 THE EXTRA MILE What NHF members are doing to improve their client experience P30 LICENCE TO THRILL If you offer alcohol, don’t forget you’ll need not one but two licences

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P32 BE MY GUEST? The risks around offering guest Wi-Fi P34 SKIN DEEP New guidelines on non-surgical treatments P36 SET YOUR SALON APART By investing in scissor maintenance P38 READY, SET, ENTER Stretch your team at the NHF’s competitions

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P40 EVENTS P42 YOUR QUESTIONS Your legal headaches answered

CONNECT WITH US AND HAVE YOUR COMMENTS AND TWEETS IN THE NEXT ISSUE OF SALONFOCUS March/April 2016 | salonfocus

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Welcome

PRESIDENT’S

L E T T E R irst, an apology. We got rather ahead of ourselves in the last salonfocus in suggesting there are now three million people working in hair and beauty. The figure should have been 300,000! A revised copy of the statistics is enclosed.

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SALONFOCUS IS PUBLISHED BY: National Hairdressers’ Federation, One Abbey Court, Fraser Road, Priory Business Park, Bedford MK44 3WH t: +44 (0) 1234 831965 f: +44 (0) 1234 838875 e: sfenquiries@salonfocus.co.uk w: www.nhf.info PUBLISHER Hilary Hall e: hilary.hall@nhf.info EDITOR Nic Paton e: nic@cormorantmedia.co.uk EVENTS AND SOCIAL MEDIA Victoria Priestley t: +44 (0) 1234 834386 e: Victoria.Priestley@nhf.info ADVERTISING SALES MANAGER Andy Etherton T: + 44 (0) 1536 527297 e: andy.etherton@nhf.info DESIGN AND PRODUCTION Rick Fraterrigo Matrix Print Consultants Ltd t: +44 (0) 1536 527297 e: rick@matrixprint.com 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. © 2016 The National Hairdressers’ Federation.

Material for consideration in this section of the magazine should be submitted via email or digital file transfer 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 and stylist.

These show there are more than 40,000 hair and beauty businesses, so competition is fierce. The client experience is one way salons can set themselves apart from the competition. By using new at-the-till technology, as Ian Egerton has found in London, as we highlight ABOUT PAUL on page 18, or picking up valuable advice from Paul Curry is president of the NHF and a registered our NHF business events, as we show on page hairdresser. For more than 25 years he has run 20, successful salons are increasingly taking Studio 12 in York, a busy high street salon that faces a systematic approach to client experience, exactly the same challenges looking at every little detail. and pressures as the majority of NHF members.

This includes pricing. Salons recognise the word “value” has many meanings, only one of which is “low cost”. We happily pay a premium for things like occasionally splashing out on a posh hotel or buying a more expensive brand in a supermarket. So why not promote all the unique selling points your salon offers, such as expert advice and care, great products, a good chat, a beauty one-stop, relaxation and pampering, all of which deliver great value to clients?

If we are to cope with the arrival of the National Living Wage from next month, we’ll need to do more to celebrate and put a figure on all the fabulous “value” we offer.

PAUL CURRY NHF president

COMING UP IN MAY/JUNE

THE PROFITABILITY EDITION Practical tips to boost your bottom line and turn your ‘nice to have’ add-ons into more effective money spinners

salonfocus | March/April 2016

The discounting dilemma – we debate the pros and cons Understanding hair loss and trichology

Do you have a salon story to tell? Would you like to be featured in salonfocus?

Get in touch with the team, on 01234 834385, or send an email to sfenquiries@salonfocus.co.uk

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News

SCOTT BAILYE: APPRENTICE ‘AMBASSADOR’

SA LO N S U R G E D TO B AC K APPRENTICESHIP WEEK HF salons are being urged to get behind this month’s National Apprenticeship Week, which runs from 14-18 March.

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NHF member Scott Bailye, who runs Leicester salon Scott Bailye Hairdressing, has become an apprentice “ambassador” for the National Apprenticeship Service (NAS), which organises the week as well as the National Apprentice Show, which is taking place from 14-15 March at the Arena MK in Milton Keynes.

Scott is among a number of employers featured in a new video created by the service, and will be running interactive workshops for children thinking about apprenticeships during the show.

Scott will also be taking part in an apprenticeships webinar on 17 March with NHF chief executive Hilary Hall and Barbara McNaughton of Elements Lifestyle salon in Oxted, Surrey.

Scott told salonfocus: “I would like to see NHF members getting actively involved in helping to promote apprenticeships. The NAS is looking for more ambassadors, so why not get in touch with it?

“I’ve been running my salon for 20 years and this is something I believe in passionately. I started out as an apprentice myself and the salon has always had apprentices.

Apprentices are the future of our industry and they bring real benefits to salons.”

Among other activity, Milton Keynes College is carrying out a ‘swap’ with salons, including NHF members, whereby trainers go into salons to carry out common apprentice tasks, such as shampooing or sweeping up, alongside their apprentices.

FIND OUT MORE Full details about National Apprenticeship Week will be available at apprenticeships.org.uk

DEMAND FOR FILLERS Dermal fillers, mole removal, lip augmentation and thread lifts were the most popular non-surgical treatments demanded by the public last year, according to a survey by the healthcare search engine WhatClinic.com.

Enquiries for dermal fillers had risen 113%, while mole removal and lip augmentation were both up 114%.

salonfocus | March/April 2016

Thread lifts had seen the biggest increase in enquiries, up 470%, it said.

The findings have come as Health Education England published two SEE SKIN DEEP reports in January outlining the Pages 34-35, for an analysis of the Health skills and qualifications people Education England should have to perform nonreports surgical cosmetic procedures and hair restoration.

News

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BE 'INCREDIBLE' Members are being reminded they only have until the end of this month (31 March) to enter this year’s NHF “Incredibles” competition.

The competition offers up-and-coming young stylists the chance to work with and be mentored by industry experts. Turn to pages 41 for full details or go online to nhf.info/events.

NEW HEALTH AND SAFETY FINES A tough new regime of fines for health and safety offences came into force from last month (February).

Businesses found guilty of health and safety offences will now have to pay fines based on the size of their turnover, according to the guidelines for courts drawn up by the Sentencing Council. Sentences will vary depending on the level of culpability and the harm risked.

NHF TOOLKIT Businesses will also now be split into four bands, starting from “micro” (turnover up to £2m) up to large (more than £50m).

For micro businesses, fines for the worst offences – normally “corporate manslaughter” where an employee or customer has died or been killed by a health and safety failing – will be a maximum of £450,000.

The NHF is as a result urging hairdressing salons, barbershops and beauty salons to review their health and safety practices and to full make use of the Federation’s new health and safety “box” toolkit.

STRATEGY SUPPORT Separately, the NHF has been helping the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) develop a new five-year strategy for work-related safety and health.

The HSE has said it wants to better support small firms around health and safety issues and get across messages about the cost of work-related ill-health to small business owners more effectively.

The NHF’s health and safety “box” costs £65 for members and £99 for non-members and can be bought through the NHF’s online shop, at nhf.info, or by calling 01234 831965.

PENSION FEARS Nearly half (45%) of business owners without a workplace pension scheme say they are still unclear about their new responsibilities under pensions auto-enrolment, and a quarter (25%) are worried about whether they will be able to

cope, research has suggested.

The study by the Federation of Small Businesses has echoed NHF research that has suggested nearly a fifth of salon owner members remain unclear about even when they need to begin offering a

pension to their employees.

The government has estimated that more than half a million micro businesses will need to begin offering pensions during this year.

• Turn to page 16 for your seven-point pensions checklist

HAIRDRESSERS

'MOST TRUSTED' Hairdressers are one of the most trusted professions in Britain, with over two thirds (69%) of people saying they would trust their hairdresser to tell the truth, a survey has said.

This was the same level of trust as the public put in the police (68%), the Ipsos Mori Social Research Institute said, and much higher than charity chief executives (47%) and even TV newsreaders (65%).

In all, hairdressers were fifth, behind doctors, teachers, judges and scientists. Politicians, estate agents, bankers and journalists were down the bottom.

March/April 2016 | salonfocus

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News

OWNERS TOLD: ‘MAKE SURE YOU’RE READY FOR NATIONAL LIVING WAGE’

WARNING

OVER EMAIL

‘SNOOPING’

alons are being warned a recent ruling by the European Court of Human Rights should not be thought of as giving firms the green light to “snoop” on personal emails or social media messages sent by staff while at work.

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The court ruling related to an employee working for a company in Romania who had brought a case after he’d been sacked for sending personal emails from a work computer.

The court decided that, in the specific circumstances of this case (which were complex and related to the employee using a company email account), the company had been within its rights to monitor personal messages being sent during working hours.

But the NHF is warning salons not to assume they can now automatically do the same.

Croner, the employment law firm that runs the NHF’s Legal

salonfocus | March/April 2016

Lifeline, has advised that a policy of “blanket, automatic, continuous monitoring” could still be considered “disproportionate” by a court.

CULTURE OF DISTRUST The HR body the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development has also pointed out that monitoring of employees often simply creates “a culture of distrust”.

Nevertheless, NHF chief executive Hilary Hall said that, in light of the ruling, now was a good time for salons to revisit their workplace social media and email policy.

With more and more salons encouraging employees to “shout out” about what was going on in the salon through their own Twitter, Facebook or other social media accounts, it made sense for owners to be very clear with staff about what was and wasn’t considered acceptable in this area, she added.

FIND OUT MORE See Your Questions on page 42 for Croner’s full explanation of this case.

The government’s new compulsory £7.20-an-hour National Living Wage for employees aged 25 or over will come into force from 1 April, the NHF is reminding salons.

The new wage will mean all older staff currently on the National Minimum Wage of £6.70 an hour will need to receive a 50p-an-hour pay rise.

The government has indicated it expects this to rise to £9 an hour by 2020 but, for now, the NHF is advising salons, if they haven’t done so already, to use March to check and double check that their payroll systems and payment processes will be able to cope with this change.

NHF president Paul Curry said: “The adjustments salons need to make to their payroll processing should be relatively minor, but they are important. The government has made it clear it is going to be very focused on enforcement when the new wage comes in. Salons need to make sure they’re not caught out.”

The government has advised all employers they need to do four things: • Know the rate (in other words £7.20 an hour for employees aged 25 or over) • Check which staff will be eligible • Update your payroll before 1 April • Tell staff about any changes to their pay It has also set up a dedicated website, livingwage.gov.uk, and a hashtag, #NationalLivingWage FIND OUT MORE Turn to pages 12-14 for more practical tips on how to prepare for, and respond to, the arrival of the National Living Wage.

News

TWITTER FOLLOWERS 8,940

NHF SAVES YOU MONEY Most NHF salons will be well aware of member benefits such as the 24/7 Legal Lifeline and, indeed, salonfocus magazine.

But there are a wide range of other discounted and subsidised deals that members may be less up to speed on.

As a reminder to members, these are: • Free employment and apprenticeship contracts and chair renting agreements • 20% off salon insurance • 10% off PPL music licences • Discounted fees for entry to the NHF’s pension (and see page 22 or go to nhfpensions. info for details) • Discounted rates on NHF events (and see Events pages 40-41 and nhf.info/events) • £34 off the NHF’s new health and safety “box” toolkit

FACEBOOK LIKES 11,413

WHAT’S TRENDING ARE YOU AWARE OF THE NEW NATIONAL LIVING WAGE RATE WHICH WILL BE INTRODUCED IN APRIL 2016? @EmilySpurling We are! Thanks to being #NHF members! @Head_Romance #HairHour HAVE YOU RECEIVED YOUR COPY OF #SALONFOCUS? @truehair @NHFederation Can't deny very chuffed my daughter and I in the same NHF feature @GravesendTCM @ToxicCherryA Loving #salonfocus from @NHFederation WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE MOTIVATIONAL AND INSPIRING QUOTES? @KaboodlesHair @NHFederation @ Hair_Hour clients are the most important people!!! It's all about the clients.

FOR FULL DETAILS ON ALL THE NHF’S MEMBER BENEFITS, GO TO NHF.INFO/ MEMBER-BENEFITS

HABB PHOTOSHOOT HABB, the official charity for the hairdressing and beauty industry, is running a competition for members of its new “HABB Supporters’ Club”.

The club was launched last autumn and was created to recognise salons and stylists that regularly supported the charity, with three levels based on the size of contribution, “Cherub”, “Saint” and “Angel”.

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Members who join the club can enter a competition to take part in a photoshoot with British Hairdressing Awards’ British Hairdresser of the Year Darren Ambrose.

The charity is also running a “Hairdressing Helping Hairdressers” fundraising activity day on 24 June.

Full details on these activities and the club itself can be found at habb.org

@Rutherfordshair @NHFederation @ Hair_Hour make every haircut better than the last one. Said to me as a trainee, I've remembered it everyday since @sixthsensesalon @NHFederation @ Hair_Hour ours is not to get lost at the NHF photographic finals

JOIN IN THE CONVERSATION @NHFederation

facebook.com/national hairdressersfederation

March/April 2016 | salonfocus

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Salon uniforms

DO PEOPLE WORKING IN YOUR SALON/BARBERSHOP WEAR A UNIFORM? 100

LO O K THE PA R T

32%

Yes – everyone wears the same style clothes in the same colour

WHAT DO YOU THINK? Join in the debate on social media

DO SALON UNIFORMS MAKE YOUR TEAM LOOK PROFESSIONAL OR, FOR A CREATIVE, FASHION-CONSCIOUS INDUSTRY, SEND OUT COMPLETELY THE WRONG MESSAGE? NHF MEMBERS, IT APPEARS, JUST CAN’T AGREE. The NHF’s latest snapshot poll of members, carried out in February, looked at the topic of staff uniforms. And the result was a surprisingly passionate reaction.

More than 330 members took the time to respond, and many commented at length on what they felt were the pros and cons of having a “uniform” salon look.

The verdict? Well it appears salons are pretty divided as to whether uniforms are a good or bad idea. Nearly a third (32%) said everyone in their salon had to wear the same clothes in the same style.

Slightly more (39%) sat on the fence, leaving it to team members to choose… as long as this fitted in with a general salon dress code (often black). So, in other words, a uniform look of “anything as long as it’s black” but not, technically, a uniform.

Nevertheless, a significant minority, around a fifth (20%), came down hard into the “anti” camp, allowing employees to wear what they liked.

BEAUTY IMAGE It was also clear uniforms are more common for people working on the beauty side of salons, perhaps because of the more “clinical” appearance they can give. Nearly 10% of salons said they required their beauty therapists to wear a uniform but not their hairdressers.

For salons that did require a uniform, trousers and tunics were the most common look, with 39% also branding their uniform with the salon name or logo. Of salons that required staff to wear a uniform, most (82%) said they provided it for employees themselves.

For those who’d decided against uniforms, the most common reason why not (more than 73%) was “we want team members to express their individuality”.

The cost, either to the salon or to staff, was another important factor (both 21%), as was uniforms not fitting with the salon brand or image (25%).

salonfocus | March/April 2016

39.5%

Yes – but people choose what they wear as long as it's within salon dress code

9%

Our beauty therapists do, but not our hairdressers

19.5% No – people wear what they like

Zero

WHY DON'T THE PEOPLE IN YOUR SALON WEAR UNIFORMS. TICK ALL THAT APPLY: UNIFORMS GO AGAINST OUR SALON IMAGE:

25% LACK OF GOOD UNIFORM SUPPLIERS:

9% WE ENCOURAGE EMPLOYEE INDIVIDUALITY:

74% IT'S EXPENSIVE PROVIDING UNIFORMS:

21% STAFF DON'T WANT TO PAY FOR UNIFORMS:

21%

W H AT M E M B E R S H A D TO S AY. . .

"I LIKE UNIFORMS AS MY STAFF ALL LOOK SMART. IT PUTS EVERYONE LEVEL WHILST AT WORK, AS SOME PEOPLE HAVE BIGGER BUDGETS FOR FASHION AND IT ALSO STOPS INAPPROPRIATE DRESSING FOR WORK. MY STAFF SAY THEY FEEL PROFESSIONAL IN UNIFORM AND APPRECIATE THEIR OWN CLOTHES ON DAYS OFF."

"THE STAFF LIKE THEM BECAUSE IT SAVES THEIR OWN CLOTHES; WE ALSO USE APRONS TO PROTECT OUR CLOTHES AND UNIFORMS FROM HAIR AND COLOUR. ON SATURDAYS WE DRESS DOWN SO THE STAFF CAN WEAR THEIR OWN STYLES."

"I HAVE TRIED UNIFORMS OVER THE YEARS, THE STAFF GET BORED. WE ARE A FASHION INDUSTRY, ALWAYS CHANGING SO I DON’T THINK IT WORKS WELL FOR US." “MY CLIENTS LOVE COMING TO MY SALON TO SEE WHAT THE STAFF ARE DOING WITH THEIR CLOTHES AND HAIR… I HAVE RECENTLY BEEN TO FRANCE AND PASSED SALONS WHERE THE STAFF ARE WEARING UNIFORMS; IT LOOKS SO CLINICAL AND COLD. WHAT NEXT, NO MAKE-UP, ALL THE SAME HAIR DOS, FACE MASKS AND RUBBER GLOVES? LONG LIVE FASHION AND CREATIVITY.”

DO YOU PROVIDE THE UNIFORM? (SALONS THAT REQUIRE THEIR EMPLOYEES TO WEAR A UNIFORM):

WHAT DO YOU LOOK FOR IN A UNIFORM? AVERAGE RESPONSE RANKED FROM ONE (LEAST IMPORTANT) TO SIX (MOST IMPORTANT): STYLE/FASHION/LOOK

QUALITY/DURIBILITY

NO: 18% GOOD RANGE OF COLOURS

PRICE

ABILITY TO ADD BRANDING

COMFORT

YES: 82%

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Preparing for the National Living Wage

DON’T BE

AP RIL FO OLE D THE NATIONAL LIVING WAGE IS A MONTH AWAY AND WILL BE COMPULSORY. SO WHAT SHOULD SALONS DO TO PREPARE FOR ITS ARRIVAL?

rom 1 April all staff aged 25 or over will have to be paid the government’s new compulsory National Living Wage of £7.20 an hour.

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If you haven’t already, now the time to be making sure your salon, and your payment processes, are ready for this change. Here’s what you need to be doing over the next month.

1. Review your payroll. This is the critical one. In an ideal world, of course, your payroll provider should already have this well in hand. In reality, and given the government has said it intends to pursue an extremely tough enforcement regime against businesses that fail to pay the National Living Wage, the buck stops with you to get this right. So make it a priority to speak to your payroll provider about the change and whether they’re ready. Be sure your processes are reliable and flexible.

2. Review your staff details. Check and double-check that you have correct details for all your employed staff, especially their ages. The new rate comes into force as soon as someone turns 25, so make sure any birthday celebration includes adjusting their pay rate.

3. Tell staff about the change. Your employees may already have heard the National Living Wage is coming. But take some time to tell them about the change and what it’s going to mean. It may, after all, affect things like the amount of tax they pay or the in-work benefits they receive. This could be a good moment to kill two birds with one stone and also explain what pensions auto-enrolment is going to mean for them.

4. Tell your clients about the change. This is especially the case if, as discussed by Richard Wallace overleaf, you’ve decided to increase your prices. Take “ownership” of the increase but explain your hand has been forced by the government and it’s something you have no option to do if the salon is going to maintain its service and staffing levels.

5. Look at your costs and other overheads. Many salons have since the 2008/09 recession got really good at keeping a lid on costs. Nevertheless, take another look at what you’re spending, not so much on wages as these are increasingly becoming a fixed “minimum”, but outgoings such as energy usage, where being proactive and perhaps switching supplier or changing habits could help to save you money.

6. Make sure you’re taking advantage of all offsets and benefits. When revealing the National Living Wage last summer, chancellor George Osborne announced that Employment Allowance, which allows small employers to reduce the amount of National Insurance they pay for their employees, would also double from this year to help cushion the blow for smaller businesses. So, check you’re making your full use of it. Also make sure you’re benefiting from Small Business Rate Relief if your salon is eligible and any minimum wage offsets, such as if you pay for an employee’s travel to work or provide accommodation.

7. Ask the NHF for help. If in doubt, speak to the NHF to make sure you’ve got things right before 1 April. Don’t forget, too, to read the NHF’s A Guide to the National Minimum Wage which contains lots of practical tips and advice. It can be downloaded at nhf.info/nhf-guides TELL US MORE How is the National Living Wage going to affect your salon? Tell us on Twitter @NHFederation or Facebook: facebook.com/nationalhairdressersfederation

salonfocus | March/April 2016

ADVERTISING FEATURE

Perfect Your CLIENT JOURNEY rom the moment a client makes contact with your salon, every action you take will influence their opinion of your business. While this may sound scary, it isn’t. It is actually your opportunity to wow them in a way no other salon has before. So how do you do this? It’s simple – consistency. The client should have the same amazing experience every time they visit, and Premier Salon knows just how to achieve this.

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Premier Salon’s client cards enable you to gather information about your clients, allowing you to send meaningful, targeted messages about treatments and offers that are of interest to them specifically. You can also improve the client experience by offering web bookings out of hours and by sending an all-important SMS reminder to a client before their appointment. Recording key information about your clients and utilising the tools in Premier Salon enables you to deliver an expert consultation and a flawless client journey.

Anything you can do to make the client journey smoother can only add to their sense of loyalty. As well as improving the client’s experience, your

client data can also help to improve negative situations that may occur, such as missed client appointments so that you can easily identify the repeat offenders.

Data stored in Premier Salon’s client cards can also help to add the personal touch that an exceptional, consistent experience requires. On the cards you can even store a client’s favourite drink or magazine. Remembering simple things like this will make your clients feel comfortable and welcome as soon as they step through the door.

The client notes section also allows you to record any health details or allergies and opens up an opportunity to discuss past appointments.

Following up an appointment is just as important in helping to make your business stick in your client’s mind (for all of the right reasons). Premier Salon’s Automated Marketing means you can send key messages to both new and existing customers. We all live busy lives, but Premier Salon ensures you have all of the tools and information so your clients’ journey is as smooth as possible, leading to happy, loyal clients who become advocates for your business.

T: 01543 466 580 | W: www.premiersoftware.co.uk | E: sales@premiersoftware.co.uk @premiersoftware /PremierSoftwareSolutions

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Preparing for the National Living Wage

BECAUSE YOU'RE

WORT H I T SALONS ARE, UNDERSTANDABLY, WORRIED ABOUT THE EFFECT APRIL’S NATIONAL LIVING WAGE WILL HAVE ON PAY AND MARGINS. BUT THERE ARE THINGS YOU CAN DO, ARGUES TRAINER AND SALON OWNER RICHARD WALLACE. Richard Wallace

he National Living Wage will mean wage bills in many salons go up. Most will probably cope with the rise to £7.20 an hour. While the expected rate of £9 an hour by 2020 probably seems a long way off now, it will come around quickly. So salons need a plan as to how they’re going to respond.

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You’ll probably also see increases in other areas of your cost base. For example, our cleaning company has already raised its prices to us.

And let’s not forget, our industry is having to come to terms with paying for pensions under pensions auto-enrolment.

Indeed, add in the cost of pensions and employers’ National Insurance, and that £9 an hour quickly becomes more like £10.50-£11, a 50% increase.

But, while you do have to pay the National Living Wage – it will be a legal mandatory right for anyone aged 25 or over, just like the National Minimum Wage is for everyone else – you shouldn’t just sit back and assume you have to take this as a “hit” on your business. There are things you can do.

salonfocus | March/April 2016

THE PRICE IS RIGHT One way you could respond is by laying off staff, reducing hours or even converting the salon to chair renting. But that, I’d argue, is a very negative response.

The first thing to recognise, as highlighted in the NHF’s recent member survey, is that, if you already operate a properly structured bonus and commission system, an experienced stylist (which most will be by 25) working a busy column should be earning at least £7.20 an hour already.

That means responding to the National Living Wage all comes back to pricing. The big question is, “will I be able to pass this (or even some of this) back to the client?”.

When we raise this in our workshops, the response is always, “what about the mobile hairdresser, or the guy down the street who’s not paying VAT, how are we to compete?”

But you have to recognise that’s not who you’re competing against – that’s a completely different business model.

As consumers we pay a premium for things we value all the time. It’s exactly the same with hairdressing. As consumers, too, we recognise and accept prices do go up. We see it in our household, energy, fuel or transport bills, we see it in inflation.

Preparing for the National Living Wage

EDUCATE CLIENTS ABOUT THE REAL VALUE THEY’RE GETTING. WHAT IS IT MOST CLIENTS WANT FROM THEIR HAIRDRESSER? EXPERTISE. OTHERWISE IT’S JUST A NICE PLACE TO SIT IN.

Salons are often terrified to raise prices because they fear the client will just up and leave at the first opportunity. So the question is less “how can I increase prices?” and more “how can I increase prices without losing clients?”.

This comes back to understanding what is the “value” you are offering as a salon; how is it you are exceeding expectations or offering something a client couldn’t just get at home or from a mobile hairdresser or pick up off the shelf?

This might mean working harder on the hairdressing skills or services you offer or updating your retail or marketing. It will probably mean constantly striving to offer a client journey that differentiates your salon from a cheaper rival.

You may need to look long and hard at what you can afford to continue to offer. Are there services that actually lose you money, perhaps dry trims, wet cuts or heavily discounted children’s prices? What would happen if you eliminated, or just reduced, those services?

EDUCATION AND COMMUNICATION If a stylist gets a promotion, often their price to the client will go up slightly to reflect that. So salon prices do rise intermittently anyway. But if there’s a general price increase, and the client asks why, make sure you’ve trained the team to be able to explain it.

You need to get the client to understand why it is you have had no option but to increase your price. Explain it is because of prices and wages going up, of having to offer a pension, of the National Living Wage – and it’s down to the government that this has happened. Explain it’s about “their” salon trying to maintain the level of service, skill and professionalism that makes them a satisfied client in the first place.

Every salon, of course, goes out of their way to make clients feel valued and special.

But it is also important to educate them about the real value they’re getting. What is it most clients want from their hairdresser? Expertise.

Otherwise it’s just a nice place to sit in.

The National Living Wage is going to force us to examine our prices, look at where we add value and what our services are “worth”.

Therefore, to an extent, perhaps we should see this as an opportunity, an opportunity to explain more clearly to clients about the consistent excellence of what we do and offer.

If clients understand that better, even just a bit better, I am convinced they will be prepared to pay for it.

Richard Wallace runs Richard Wallace Hair in Solihull and, with salon owner Chris Amos, also runs training consultancy Winning Ways, which delivers many of the NHF’s business events

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IF NOTHING ELSE READ THIS…

• Salons are going to need to think how they’re going to respond to the National Living Wage, not just this year but once it hits £9-an-hour from 2020 • Look at the “value” of what you offer, but also whether there are any services you could cut back or even eliminate • Educate stylists to explain why prices are set a certain way, and why they’ve gone up • Focus on explaining and showing to clients the value and worth of what they’re getting

March/April 2016 | salonfocus

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Bridal and wedding packages

Bridal and wedding packages

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BRIDALPATH

BRIDAL PACKAGES CAN BE A LUCRATIVE PART OF A SALON’S INCOME. BUT TO DO THEM WELL TAKES PLANNING, TEAM-WORK AND DEDICATION, AS MEMBERS TELL SALONFOCUS.

EACH MEMBER OF THE TEAM NEEDS TO BE FULLY AWARE OF THE ROLE THEY PLAY, WHETHER IT’S OFFERING ADVICE, WORKING OUT COSTINGS OR SIMPLY REASSURING THE BRIDE it’s our job is make her aware of the preparation she needs to do in the lead up to it.

Suggest to her the preparation you believe she will need but may have not thought of. For example, cut, colour, body exfoliation, facials, eyebrow shaping and tinting, eyelash tinting, manicures, pedicures or waxing.

GAVIN HOARE IS SALON MANAGER AT RICHARD WARD HAIR & METROSPA IN LONDON Gavin Hoare

'WE MUST BE THE EXPERTS’ At Richard Ward, bridal packages are focused on making the bride feel like an individual – it’s a totally bespoke service customised to the bride and her bridal party.

The key is to establish a “bridal wish list” that works within the individual’s budget – it’s important for the salon to manage expectations by getting an idea of budget to see what you can realistically offer your bride.

Every bride has a preconceived idea of “the big day”, but

SET BOUNDARIES The bride may go for some or all of your suggestions but, for many, these services will be on the essential pre-wedding request list. Further to this, consider whether a pre-wedding hair trial is necessary for the whole party – bridesmaids, mothers, mothers-in-law, the list goes on! It’s obviously essential for all brides.

A successful bridal party needs to be well managed, with boundaries set and a clear running order established for pre-wedding preparation. Remember to take into account time for any pre-wedding photo opportunities, as well as travel time to the venue and so on. The perfect salon experience should cater for all of this, so the bride doesn’t have to worry.

We find the best way to promote packages is simply by your team acting like the experts they are. Each member of the team needs to be fully aware of the role they play, whether it’s offering hair or make-up advice, working out costings to suit a bridal budget or simply reassuring the bride that your team will make this part of her day run without a hitch.

Always be ready to meet the bridal party's needs, any services for the groom, best men and maids; match the bride’s pace and expectations. The reputation of your professional, well-executed bridal package will follow!

March/April 2016 | salonfocus

IT IS IMPORTANT NOT TO UNDER-SELL YOURSELF, NOT TO BE FRIGHTENED OF CHARGING WHAT SOMETHING IS WORTH

JANINE O’CALLAGHAN IS JOINT OWNER (WITH DONNA FRIEND) OF SPIRIT HAIR TEAM, YSTRAD MYNACH, SOUTH WALES, WHICH HAS BEEN RUNNING SINCE 2005 Janine O’Callaghan

‘WE HAVE A SPECIALIST BRIDAL TEAM’ The first consultation is very important. When the bridal party comes in, they meet all the staff who will be working with them. We are unusual in that we have a designated wedding co-ordinator, Caitlin Wilson, but it is really useful.

She’s able to co-ordinate everything, manage any queries and, perhaps most importantly, be a reassuring single point of contact for the bride or her family.

With that first consultation there’s no commitment; it’s just a meeting and chat, probably over coffee. We do aim to be flexible and accommodate changes along the way but at this stage it’s just a question of understanding their expectations, getting an idea of what they want and any special requests, and the sorts of services they’re likely to be wanting, and then going away and quoting it all up.

That’s all sent to them by post and email, and everything is broken down – including things like travel and then the wedding day itself – so they can see very clearly what’s what and cherry pick what they’d like. We tend to calculate it on time as we find that’s the most accurate way of doing it.

Then it’s 50% upfront to secure the booking.

BRIDAL CO-ORDINATOR With charging it is important not to under-sell yourself, not to be frightened of charging what something is worth and, if something is being added that wasn’t in the original price, being prepared to add that on. No bride is going to

salonfocus | March/April 2016

compromise her wedding day for a few pounds; it’s just a case of being diplomatic and professional about it, saying, “yes of course we can deliver that, but yes there will be an extra charge”.

We have bookings sometimes as far as two years in advance, so it’s very important that we keep in touch with them regularly, which is again where Caitlin comes in. The trial appointment is normally no later than two months before the wedding; we have had some brides that have decided not to do a trial at all, although that is unusual.

At the trial, the bride is allocated a stylist to do their hair, who she knows will be her stylist on the day. We can accommodate big wedding parties too; our biggest so far has been 16. But it is important to be flexible, as you can find people get added to the party at the last minute.

We also offer services for the groom, such as cut throat shaving as well as haircuts; and they can even have a trial too! We don’t specifically promote hen and stag nights as a package but what we often find happens is the bride will arrange to have her hen night after the trial.

On the day itself it comes down to planning and good communications. There’s obvious things like making sure you know where you’re going and how long it’s going to take, but they are important to remember.

We pride ourselves on staying constantly in touch with the bride, or the bridal party, as that just builds that relationship and confidence. You have to keep talking to them and reassuring them.

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20

Bridal and wedding packages

MAUREEN HARRISON HAS RUN HARRISON HAIR & BEAUTY IN IRVINE, AYRSHIRE FOR THE PAST 20 YEARS WITH HER DAUGHTER CAROL-ANN Maureen Harrison

‘PLANNING IS KEY’ We started off with just four stylists but now have 20, so it’s grown a lot. We also have three beauty rooms, where the therapists rent the room, and three nail bars.

The fact we have all the services a bridal party will need under one roof makes it an attractive offer. We can also offer things like facials.

It’s quite straightforward. The bride or the family will come in and we will sit with them and talk them through the whole process and what they want, and from there work out a price. We tend to give a discount, normally 10-20%, because it’s such a big combined package.

THREE OF MY GIRLS REALLY EXCEL AT BRIDAL WORK SO I ALWAYS TRY TO ENSURE THE BRIDE GETS ONE OF THEM CHAMPAGNE AND STRAWBERRIES We of course do a trial run. The bride will come in and get her hair up and nails done, just like she will be on the day – and she will look immaculate. There will also be champagne and strawberries, which adds a nice touch. Three of my girls also really excel at bridal work so, where I can, I always try to ensure the bride gets one of them.

We don’t tend to go to the bride’s house or the wedding venue, though it does occasionally happen. We normally prefer to do all the services in the salon where everything is much more easily to hand. And, although we do cater to hen and stag nights as well, it does depend on how many people there are.

We, obviously, want to get everything right and so we normally spend quite a lot of time planning out how things are going to work. The key is simply always to be ensuring you’re putting the bride at ease as well as the rest of the wedding party.

We’re a very friendly, light-hearted salon and so doing a wedding is always a fun time; many of our clients will get a kiss and a cuddle because it’s their big day of course!

And it can also be a great advertisement for the salon.

TELL US WHAT YOU DO What are your tips for a successful, and lucrative, bridal package? And do you have any weird and wonderful wedding tales to tell?! Tell us on social media.

salonfocus | March/April 2016

We have other styles of insurance When you choose Salonsure you get excellent Salon Insurance, but did you know that Coversure also offers a wide range of other insurance policies? For example: • • •

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Countdown to pensions auto-enrolment

YO U R S E V E N - P O I N T PENSIONS CHECKLIST MORE THAN HALF A MILLION SMALL AND MICRO BUSINESSES WILL NEED TO BEGIN OFFERING PENSIONS DURING THIS YEAR. IF YOURS IS ONE, YOU NOW NEED TO ACT FAST, THE NHF IS WARNING.

DON’T DELAY, FOLLOW THE NHF’S SEVEN-POINT PENSIONS CHECKLIST:

f as a salon owner you’ve buried your head in the sand about pensions auto-enrolment up to now, the only bit of good news is you’re by no means alone.

I

The Federation of Small Businesses issued a stark warning in January that half of small businesses without pensions still had no idea what they needed to be doing, or by when.

The NHF’s own figures have suggested nearly a fifth of salon owner members remain unclear about when they need to begin offering a pension to their employees.

But even if many small businesses are struggling to get their heads their new legal responsibility to offer, and pay into, a staff pension, the bad news is pensions auto-enrolment isn’t going to go away. Any firm found not to be offering a pension when it should can be fined as much as £50,000.

Most small salons are expected to hit their pensions auto-enrolment “staging date” or starting point either this year or in 2017. But it can take quite a number of months, even up to a year, to put in place everything you need.

FIND OUT MORE The NHF is running events around the country on “Are you prepared for pensions auto-enrolment?”. Turn to Events, pages 40-41, or go to nhf.info/events for more details.

salonfocus | March/April 2016

Find out your staging date. If you still don’t know this, you need to find it out as a matter of urgency. Use The Pensions Regulator’s “Finding your staging date” tool at thepensionsregulator.gov.uk

Nominate someone to take charge of the process. And tell The Pensions Regulator.

Assess who you need to enrol. Check your staff ages, birthdays, earnings and eligibility to be enrolled in a pension scheme, and make sure this is reflected accurately in your payroll software.

Work out what your, and their, contributions will be.

Currently the employer contribution will be 1% until 30 September, 2017, 2% for the following year and 3% for the year after that.

Choose your pension scheme. You can find details of the NHF’s scheme at nhfpensions.co.uk It offers guaranteed entry to members and is available at a discounted registration fee of £295, compared with £395 for non-members.

Tell your staff. You need to communicate what’s happening to your team, how auto-enrolment applies to them, its benefits (ie an income in retirement), what scheme you’ve chosen and what contributions will now be deducted.

Begin enrolling your staff at your staging date. At this point you’ll also need to fill in and submit a “Declaration of Compliance” to The Pensions Regulator. This is a legal requirement.

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Give Your Clients A Say When They Pay With truRating

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• Get valuable client feedback in near real-time • Quickly understanding whether there were any issues, which may help lead to repeat business • Tailor the questions to fit your needs • Compare multiple outlets to identify issues • Review your business performance on an easy to use dashboard • Increase number of client responses for more accurate insight.

Time is important to all salons. So, wouldn’t it be great if you could: • Process payments quicker – No need to re-key amount on the terminal • Reduce opportunities for internal fraud • Reconcile easily at the end of a long day • Have your terminal compliant with the latest industry regulations.

You can now connect your terminal to your till or point of sale kit with our integrated solution Global POS Link and achieve all of the above.

As members of the NHF you also benefit from preferential card rates, to find out more, call us today on 0800 731 89214.* *Lines are open 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday (excluding public holidays). To help us continually improve our service and in the interest of security, we may monitor and/or record your communication with us.

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GP361

Improving the client experience: special report

FACTS & FIGURES

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Monday 10am-11am Weekday evenings Saturdays When clients spent the most

3,053

1pm

Number of visits to The Stress Exchange between October and December where clients offered feedback

Time of the week when rating was consistently highest

Monday Day when clients tended to be most satisfied

90% Clients who gave an eight or nine rating

salonfocus | March/April 2016

TRUE COLOURS A SYSTEM THAT ALLOWS CLIENTS TO RATE THEIR SALON EXPERIENCE AT THE POINT OF PAYMENT HAS THE POTENTIAL TO BE EXTREMELY VALUABLE, SAYS IAN EGERTON, MANAGING DIRECTOR OF THE STRESS EXCHANGE IN LONDON. Ian Egerton

ost salons will, like us, have many ways of gaining client feedback about what their experience has been in the salon.

M

We speak to clients, obviously, and our salon software system allows us to email clients to ask them about their experience.

So when I was asked if I would test a new system that got client feedback at the point of payment, I was intrigued, if not a little sceptical.

But I have been pleasantly surprised. In the time that we’ve been testing it – since October – the TruRating system has been able to show where the most common peaks and dips are in our performance.

SCREEN PROMPT How it works is that when the client comes up to reception to pay, they put their card in the chip and PIN PDQ payment machine as normal. But the difference is, before they put in their PIN, there is a prompt screen to ask them to rate their salon experience, from zero (terrible) to nine (awesome).

Just as we would when they’re putting in their PIN, we turn away and leave them to it. The client can ignore it by pressing “clear” and go straight through to payment, although we’ve found so far about 85% are happy to take part.

WHAT IS MOST POWERFUL IS IT TELLS ME THAT ON SPECIFIC DAYS, AND AT SPECIFIC TIMES OF DAY, CLIENTS CONSISTENTLY REPORT A BETTER EXPERIENCE OR SERVICE

It’s quick and easy and it’s not us asking them “would you like to do a survey?”. It all happens at the point of transaction.

So, what have we discovered? Some of the initial findings are presented opposite but, for me, what is most powerful is it tells me that on specific days, and at specific times of days, clients consistently report a better (or poorer) level of service/ value for money.

Why that is we’ll have to look into and deal with, but just having that knowledge is extremely valuable.

I’m certainly going to continue to use it in the salon.

HOW IT WORKS The truRating system works by asking clients just one question, which they rate zero to nine before they enter their PIN to pay. The feedback is anonymous.

You can rotate around five core questions to ask clients, and can add two specific ones of your own, for example what clients felt about the salon’s “meet and greet” or the décor.

You can see the data gathered on a “dashboard” that you can look at on your computer, tablet or even your smartphone.

The cost of the system starts from £15 a month for businesses that have up to 50 transactions a day. However the NHF has agreed a 10% off deal for members.

However, be aware truRating currently is only compatible with systems using Global Payments’ Ingenico terminals.

March/April 2016 | salonfocus

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Improving the client experience: special report

THE EXTRA MILE

THE NHF’S ‘HOW TO DELIVER A GREAT CLIENT EXPERIENCE’ COURSE WAS ONE OF ITS MOST POPULAR BUSINESS EVENTS LAST YEAR. WHAT DID MEMBERS WHO WENT ALONG LEARN, AND HAS IT MADE ANY DIFFERENCE TO WHAT THEY DO? SALONFOCUS SPOKE TO THREE TO FIND OUT.

wouldn’t forget it. For me, the priority was not just what I was learning, but that I would be able to pass it on to the team. I got the whole team together and took them through everything about the course.

It’s vital to have consistency; to have standards you know the team will hit time after time after time. There’s no point one client having a great experience if the next one doesn’t. So the first thing is simply to make sure your team is delivering consistently and that standards remain consistently high. And it is something you have to keep on doing; you have to keep pushing and reminding people and making sure they’re getting the education. You might end up sometimes feeling like you’re constantly on their backs, but for us it’s really working.

ROSS CHARLES HAS RUN ROSS CHARLES HAIRDRESSING IN YORK SINCE 2008 Ross Charles

‘YOU NEED TO STEP BACK AND LOOK AT THE BIGGER PICTURE’ For me, client experience is all about detail. I try to imagine myself as the client and what I would want if I were them.

If you’re paying good money you don’t just want a good haircut, you want good service and you want a good experience. But it’s about getting your team to tune into that completely as well.

I saw the course come up and simply thought it would be a good thing to try. It has made me think about things in a different way; even the advice that was obvious was reassuring because you knew it was something you were either already doing, or had thought of.

One thing that inspired me was recognising that clients want an experience that lasts in the memory. If you get to the end of the month and you have a bit of cash left, what are you going to spend it on? Going for a drink, going out for a meal with friends? If you can offer a really pleasant, relaxing salon experience, plus (of course) a really good haircut, I’d like to think “going to my salon” could be one of the things you think of.

I took loads of notes and wrote everything down so I

salonfocus | March/April 2016

GREAT FEEDBACK We’re getting great feedback from clients; there’s a sense they’ve really noticed a difference. One way we know this is we now have customer comment cards. Even bad feedback is something you can learn from. I think we’ve only had one bad comment since I went on the course, and that was only asking why we didn’t sell alcohol!

Another important thing I learned was the importance, as the salon owner, of dropping back a bit, of not always being flat out on the salon floor. Sometimes you need to take a step back so you can look at the business and the bigger picture.

You’ve got to spend time thinking about the business and planning properly.

I used to try and do that in the evenings after the salon had shut, but it always cut into family time. So I’ve started making sure I don’t cut hair on Tuesdays and spend the day on the business, planning and looking at the detail, looking at things like marketing and promotion.

I also try and make time to see the salon as a client would.

So I deliberately step back and look at the walls, at the door, how comfortable the reception area is and so on. I sit in the chair; is it clean and comfortable? What about the music or the temperature? Would I like to spend my money here, irrespective of whether I’m getting my hair cut?

I try to think about every single detail using every single client experience detail.

Photography: David Charles Creative Imaging

FIND OUT MORE Turn to Events, pages 4041, to find out when 2016’s “How to deliver a great client experience” is next in your area. Or keep an eye on nhf.info/events

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Improving the client experience: special report

JOANNE MYLES HAS RUN MYLES HAIRDRESSING IN EDINBURGH FOR THE PAST 18 YEARS Joanne Myles

‘WE’VE INVESTED IN RECEPTIONISTS’ Like most salons we’ve been through lots of changes; we’ve had a lot of changes of personnel and I’ve become a parent twice over!

One of our biggest changes right now is that last month (February) we opened a second salon on the east side of Edinburgh, which has meant taking on a few new staff and training them up. We have a team of eight in the existing salon and will have five to start off in the new one.

I went on the ‘How to make your salon more profitable’ as well as the ‘How to deliver a great client experience’ course, and found them both really useful; they both definitely delivered. We’d been looking to restructure the business, including becoming VAT registered, and I simply wanted to gain more control of the business, bring more structure to it.

Over the 18 months we have exceeded expectations and the decision to grow has undoubtedly been the right move.

The courses have given me more confidence, especially around things like, from the profitability course, having a proper pricing structure and setting clear targets and goals for the team. Getting feedback from two salon owners who have tried this in their business gave me confidence in setting up a transparent wage structure that has allowed our team to strive towards promotions based on real figures.

When it comes to client experience, we’ve extended our opening hours on three nights a week, and we’re now open on Sundays too.

Going on the course has given me more confidence to plan a budget for full-time receptionists. We don’t have them all day every day yet, just at what we know are normally the busiest times, but my aim is eventually that we will have full-time receptionists to “meet and greet” clients.

We want our clients to have the best possible salon experience and understand that we are more likely to achieve that if we have an “experience manager” in place.

We see this role as much more than just a receptionist.

The course focused on what it called the five “Cs” – contact, consultation, cleanse, care and “cheerio”, which were really helpful in terms of focusing my own thinking. You need to look at your own culture as a salon and how to make sure every small detail contributes to the whole client experience.

For example, it is important to think about what it is the client expects when they’re in the chair. Do they really want to chat about I’m a Celebrity…? They might, but what they’ll probably prefer is professional, expert advice about their hair. So we encourage stylists to talk about the products they’re using and to be strong about giving advice. There’s still a great rapport but not so much “hairdresser talk”.

If we want to be taken seriously as professionals, then we need to maintain professionalism throughout the whole service.

salonfocus | March/April 2016

CLAIRE TIMLIN HAS BEEN MANAGER OF EN ROUTE HAIR & BEAUTY IN WAKEFIELD FOR THE PAST FIVE YEARS. THE SALON, OWNED BY MELENIE TUDOR, IS 18 YEARS OLD Claire Timlin

‘WE DO ROLE REVERSALS’ Even though the economy is improving, the tough times over the past few years have meant all salons need to be looking at what they can be doing better. You can be OK at doing colours or your cutting or whatever it is, but it is about constantly looking for what you can do that little bit extra.

I went on the course simply because I wanted to find out what other people were doing and whether what we were doing was right. It is easy to get into a rut, and you do need to step back and take a look at things from time to time.

STAFF TRAINING I found it extremely useful, both hearing what the trainers Richard and Chris had to say as salon owners, but also

Photography: Derek Cooknell Photography

SOMETIMES WITH JUNIORS, BECAUSE THEY’RE ‘JUST’ WASHING HAIR, THEY MIGHT NOT FEEL THEY NEED TO INTRODUCE THEMSELVES – BUT A CLIENT ALWAYS LIKES TO KNOW THE NAME OF THE PERSON THEY’RE WITH talking to other salon owners on the course. I’ve made sure we’ve added a lot of what I learnt directly into our training schedule so any juniors we hire now come into the salon much better equipped to understand the importance of client experience.

It is just remembering little things, things that will often be second nature to a more experienced stylist, and so it’s

easy to forget someone new might not know them. For example, we do role reversals – we get the stylist to pretend they’re a client coming in and to think how they’re being treated, and then we swap them over.

We get them to look at how they go about helping clients into their gown and even how they introduce themselves to clients. Sometimes with juniors, because they’re “just” washing hair, they might not feel they need to introduce themselves – but a client always likes to know the name of the person they’re with, especially if it’s someone new they haven’t met before.

I emphasise the importance of consistency, not just in service but also in experience.

All salons want to make their clients feel good, but if Mrs Smith has a different experience to Mrs Jones that’s not right. We all have to be singing from the same hymn sheet and doing the same things.

TELL US WHAT YOU DO How do you make sure you’re delivering a great client experience day in, day out? Tell us on social media.

March/April 2016 | salonfocus

30

The law: serving alcohol

LICENCE TO THRILL OFFERING ALCOHOL CAN BE A GREAT WAY OF ENHANCING THE SALON EXPERIENCE. BUT WITHOUT A LICENCE, YOU RISK AN EXPENSIVE HANGOVER. t’s been an exciting time for Headromance salon in Hampshire. With a successful salon in Havant since 2012, it opened a new branch in nearby Chichester just before Christmas.

Facts and figures

£20,000 Penalty for serving alcohol without a licence

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“We started off with three stylists in Chichester, and now have 18, so we’ve grown fast. And we’ve now got three stylists in Havant, too, and it’s all going really well,” says director Emily Warne.

Emily might be forgiven for wanting to celebrate all this success by raising a glass with a client or two – and she’d be well within her rights to do so as she’s made sure her salon is licensed to sell alcohol.

“Like many salons it didn’t even cross my mind that we might need a licence. The fact the wine was complimentary, we weren’t charging them for it, meant we assumed we didn’t need one. I thought it was just like complimentary tea or coffee,” Emily says.

“It was only when I got chatting to other salons I realised that, even if you’re not charging for it, if you offer it regularly to clients as part of the ‘service’, then that is considered to be part of the sale and therefore you need a licence,” she adds.

SPEAK TO YOUR COUNCIL Fortunately, the process was straightforward. “I simply rang up the council and filled in a one-off form, which I now have to update yearly at a cost of around £100 a year,” says Emily.

“We’re also very strict about not letting anyone under 18 – any of our juniors or apprentices – serve alcohol. We also, of course, don’t serve it to under-18s or clients we believe to be under 18,” she adds.

“Serving alcohol in salons is a grey area,” agrees Hellen Ward, managing director of Richard Ward Hair & Metrospa in London, which even has a dedicated bar area.

“What is not grey is that no salon can sell alcohol without a personal licence holder or premises licence; to do so is illegal,” she emphasises, (and see the panel opposite for an explanation of these).

Indeed, Hellen makes the point that many local authorities are now clamping down on retail establishments that offer complimentary alcohol to customers. Some insist a salon has both forms of licence in place regardless of whether customers are being charged for the alcohol or not.

“As a personal licence holder there is a duty of care to prevent the consumption or sale of alcohol to under 18s and within the strict hours listed on the premises licence. My advice? Check with your council and get the correct permissions in place!” Hellen advises.

salonfocus | March/April 2016

6 months Time you could even spend in jail

Two Number of licences you will need, personal and premises

EMILY WARNE: STRICT RULES ON SERVING DRINKS

HEADROMANCE SALON: LICENSED TO SERVE ALCOHOL

RELAXING DRINK: RICHARD WARD HAIR & METROPA’S BAR AREA

W H AT T H E L A W S AY S If all you’re doing is serving a complimentary glass of fizz for a one-off salon celebration or party – and, crucially, those attending aren’t having a haircut or other service – then you won’t need a licence.

But anything more than that, even if you’re not charging the client, and you will need a licence.

You’ll need two different licences to sell alcohol: personal and premises.

A PERSONAL LICENCE This is, as it sounds, a licence that gives you, the salon owner (or whoever’s name is on the licence), permission to sell alcohol. And, to repeat, “sell” in this context also means offer for free alongside a haircut.

This licence will mean you become the “designated premises supervisor”, in other words the person in charge of drinks sales.

One complication here is that, to get this licence, you need what is known as a “National Certificate for Personal Licence Holders”. You can physically go on a one-day course to get this

or many providers offer online courses. Google courses in your area or ask your council for advice.

A PREMISES LICENCE This is the licence for the salon itself. This should cost between £100 to £635, depending on the rateable value of your business.

The licence will need to be renewed each year, and there will be a fee for this too.

Both licences will normally be available through your local council, which should be your first port of call for general advice as well. Alternatively, you can download applications for both through the gov.uk website.

If you serve alcohol without a licence the penalties can be stiff. You can be fined up to £20,000 and even sent to jail for six months.

Finally, while there are ways to allow under-18s to serve alcohol (for example if they’re working in a pub), for a salon the basic rule is under-18s should not be serving or dealing with alcohol in the salon. And certainly not drinking it!

March/April 2016 | salonfocus

32

Technology

BE MY GUEST OFFERING GUEST WI-FI IS NOW THE NORM IN MANY SALONS, AND OFTEN SOMETHING EXPECTED BY CLIENTS. BUT YOU NEED TO BE CAREFUL YOU’RE NOT INADVERTENTLY BREAKING THE LAW.

ore than half (56%) of NHF members now offer Wi-Fi to clients as part of their salon experience, the NHF’s most recent member survey concluded in the autumn.

M

Therefore, it is arguable we’re nearly at the point where free Wi-Fi stops being considered “extra” and becomes “normal”; something clients expect to get as standard when they come into a salon.

At first glance, offering “guest” Wi-Fi to your clients seems simple enough. You just give them the access code to your router and leave them to it, right?

Wrong. Very wrong. Having an “open” guest Wi-Fi network is a recipe for trouble, and one that could get you into seriously hot legal water.

This is because if you offer public Wi-Fi access, you immediately have a number of new legal responsibilities.

There are three key laws, in particular, you need to be aware of. First, the Data Retention Regulations 2009. These were brought in to help the police and security services investigate and monitor criminal and terrorist activities.

Under this law, any “public communications provider” – in this case your salon – must retain key bits of data on whoever is using their public Wi-Fi. This includes user name and address, ID, log-in and log-off dates and times, and various other pieces of technical information, such as IP (internet provider) address.

ILLEGAL DOWNLOAD Second, there’s the 2010 Digital Economy Act. This is more focused on copyright theft and piracy.

Imagine a client comes into your salon, logs on to your Wi-Fi and then illegally downloads a movie while they’re waiting. If you have no record of who that user is – and your site has no terms and conditions regarding this – you’re the one deemed responsible and therefore at risk of being fined or prosecuted.

Thirdly, there’s the Data Protection Act. This states that anyone providing public Wi-Fi must retain details

salonfocus | March/April 2016

of those who have been using the site, and be able to provide these when requested.

On top of these legal responsibilities, you need to be aware of the importance of having filters in place limiting what can be accessed; for example, ensuring children in the salon can’t access unsuitable information.

It also stands to reason you have to be sure any sensitive commercial salon or client data is unable to be accessed from the guest area.

So, what’s the solution? On some routers you may be able to enable a “guest” setting. But this is a basic solution that is only going to offer limited protection and generally tends to be more suitable for home use rather than a commercial setting.

It’s a good idea to speak to your internet service provider about any more bespoke solutions or pieces of kit they may be able to provide.

SPECIALIST PROVIDERS Another possible option is to go to one of the guest Wi-Fi IT companies now on the market that specialise in offering products, tools or plug-ins that will ensure your guest Wi-Fi is both secure and legally compliant.

This is commonly achieved by adding a device that simply connects to your existing router, meaning you don’t have to change your internet provider.

It collects all the legal information you need to keep, gives you a branded front or “landing” page, and access to a “dashboard” where you can see all the data gathered.

“The landing page is where customers fill in their details. But they only have to do it the once; after that they will normally just get a welcome page and then can continue online,” explains Ryan StephensonBrown, director at guest Wi-Fi and technology provider Retail Secure.

“As a salon you need to make sure you are compliant and secure; you need to understand what you are offering to people. You also need to recognise the importance of having a system where customers are signing in, and you can track them, so you are not just giving out your Wi-Fi details,” he adds.

IF NOTHING ELSE READ THIS… • Guest Wi-Fi should not be “open” • If you are providing guest Wi-Fi, you also have to meet various legal and data gathering responsibilities • There are specialist providers that can help

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Non-cosmetic treatments

SKIN DEEP

THE GOVERNMENT HAS OUTLINED WHAT QUALIFICATIONS WILL BE REQUIRED TO CARRY OUT NON-SURGICAL COSMETIC TREATMENTS. SALONFOCUS LOOKS AT WHAT THIS MIGHT MEAN FOR SALONS.

ack in 2013, the government’s “Keogh Review” of cosmetic surgery standards criticised the fact non-surgical beauty procedures such as Botox, dermal fillers or laser hair removal were almost completely unregulated in the UK.

B

Dermal fillers should become “prescription only” and Botox injections should only be administered by “properly qualified” practitioners, it also recommended.

Scroll forward three years and we’re still no further on when it comes to industry regulation but progress is being made on agreed industry-wide training, qualifications and assessment standards.

In January, Health Education England published two reports, one making recommendations on the qualifications people should have to perform non-surgical cosmetic procedures and hair restoration, and a second on how such a new qualifications framework might be implemented.

The two documents are complex, and predominantly aimed at training, education and health professionals.

But there are nevertheless some interesting messages within them for salon owners and beauty practitioners.

salonfocus | March/April 2016

BOTOX INJECTIONS For example, the documents emphasise that Botox injections should only be carried out (or supervised) by people qualified to Level 6 (or degree level) or Level 7 (postgraduate). Similarly, permanent dermal fillers should only be administered or supervised by people qualified to Level 7. Permanent fillers can also only be administered by medical professionals registered with the General Medical Council while temporary or non-permanent fillers need to be subject to clinical oversight by independent prescriber.

By comparison, beauty therapists trained to Level 4 will be considered qualified to use lasers and IPL for hair removal/reduction, non-ablative lasers and be able to deliver “very superficial” chemical peels, the documents recommend.

Another important theme to come out is for therapists to be working alongside nurses or other appropriately qualified health professionals if salons want to deliver these more complex non-surgical treatments.

As Tiffany Tarrant, development manager at sector skills body Habia, makes clear: “Under the framework, beauty therapists will be able to do Botox or fillers, provided they are working alongside medical professionals who are overseeing their prescriptions.

“If you have a therapist on Level 4 or 5 they will probably be working in a clinic or alongside nurses and will

need to have access to an independent prescriber, as Botox has to be prescribed of course,” says Tiffany.

The development of the new framework has been a way “to give beauty therapists access to non-surgical areas, bringing them into the process rather than excluding them, which would have had the risk of just driving non-surgical high street cosmetic procedures underground,” she adds.

DAY-TO-DAY PRACTICE The next part of the process is for training providers and awarding bodies to work together to assess how this framework could become a reality within both training and day-to-day salon practice.

Emma Mackay, hair and beauty portfolio manager at City & Guilds, says: “Work has been going on in this area of cosmetic non-surgical procedures for quite a long time and it is good news these standards have now been signed off.

“The market for non-cosmetic procedures and services has been growing fast so, as an awarding body we will be looking to see where this fits and what this is likely to mean in terms of training, especially in terms of age 1619 advanced therapist and practitioner training,” she adds.

FIND OUT MORE The documents can be found on the Health Education England website hee.nhs.uk/

OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS • Although the requirements are currently voluntary, the intention is they will “be adopted as best practice and accepted as the standard that the industry should adopt” • A Joint Professional Council should be set up “to assume ownership of the cosmetic industry standards for education and training” • It is intended beauty and other practitioners should be able to demonstrate they meet the new standards from September 2018 onwards

March/April 2016 | salonfocus

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Set your salon apart: scissor sharpening and maintenance services

BLADE

RUNNERS PROFESSIONAL SCISSORS ARE PRECISION BITS OF KIT. BUT IF THEY’RE BLUNT OR DAMAGED, YOU’RE LETTING DOWN YOUR CLIENTS AND YOUR STYLISTS. SCISSOR MAINTENANCE IS THE ANSWER. WHAT IS IT? Scissor sharpening or servicing can be anything from someone who comes round to the salon with their kit in a van to a more bespoke arrangement where you regularly send away your scissors to their workshop. Your scissors are dismantled, cleaned, tested for any defects, then sharpened, oiled and balanced and any worn or old parts replaced, tested and then returned to you, good as new.

WHY WOULD I WANT TO DO THAT? Blunt or damaged scissors will not cut cleanly and they’re likely to tear or pull at a client’s hair, neither of which is going to lend itself to a good client experience. There’s also the issue that a stylist using a blunt pair of scissors is going to have to work their hands and wrists a lot harder, so putting them at greater risk of musculo-skeletal injuries.

CAN’T I JUST REPLACE THEM (THE SCISSORS THAT IS)? If as a salon your “selling point” is hacking away at a client’s head with cheap, almost disposable scissors, carry right on. But good salon scissors are expensive, precision and very visible tools of your trade – clients will notice, especially if they’re suffering through a poor cut – so why not look after them? As a salon you have a legal duty regularly to check and service your electrical kit, so why wouldn’t you extend the same TLC to your scissors?

SET YOUR

SALON

APART

WHAT’S IT ALL GOING TO COST? Man-and-van services can be anything from £15-£20 per pair of scissors. For workshop-based services, a company such as Spencer Scissors charges from £35 a pair. But, it points out, a proper service can take anything from 40 minutes to several hours per pair.

ANYTHING ELSE I SHOULD KNOW? Basic, old style scissors can normally be sharpened by a mobile service relatively easily, because of the lack of internal work.

But if you have contoured and curved scissors, such as clamshell or mountain blade scissors, where the internal workings will need servicing, a workshop-based service is more appropriate. Be aware you may need to book well in advance, and don’t forget to package the scissors up well before sending them off.

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Britain’s Best 2015: regional winners will be automatically entered into this year’s Britain's Best

The NHF’s 2016 competitions

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READY, SET, ENTER

THE NHF’S JAM-PACKED CALENDAR OF REGIONAL AND NATIONAL COMPETITIONS KICKS OFF THIS MONTH WITH THE BLACKPOOL HAIRDRESSING CHAMPIONSHIPS. SALONFOCUS LOOKS AT WHAT’S IN STORE.

he Spanish Hall in Blackpool’s famous Winter Gardens is set to be the venue in just a few days’ time for this year’s Blackpool Hairdressing Competitions.

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The competitions, this year encompassing 27 categories and running over Sunday 13 March (open to all) to Monday 14 March (students and trainees), marks the start of the NHF’s 2016 competition season.

NHF north west regional co-ordinator Kevin Fox tells salonfocus he expects this year’s competitions to be even more intensely fought. “The Blackpool Championships are getting better and better and stronger and stronger each year. The number of visitors keeps rising, and everyone stays right to the end!

“Taking part in Blackpool, and elsewhere around the country, is not only a great way to inspire and motivate your team, it could be a stepping stone to allowing you to compete for the accolade of Britain’s Best,” he adds.

ENTRY TO BRITAIN’S BEST The link Kevin is referring to between the regional competitions and this year’s Britain’s Best is new this year.

It means the winners in qualifying categories of regional competitions (in other words where there is a similar category at Britain’s Best) will automatically be entered into the NHF’s flagship national competition in November, including having their entry fees paid for.

And the benefit of entering competitions is much more than just winning (although of course that is important).

“Entering competitions gives your salon team greater credibility and respect, and also greater confidence. It gives them self-belief and lets them think, ‘I did that, I achieved that’,” explains NHF president Paul Curry.

“Competitions can also help stylists work better against the clock or to a deadline, something not many colleges help them to learn. They’re also a great place to experiment, try out new things and think outside the box,” Paul adds.

So, don’t be shy. Believe in yourself and your team and get competing.

DAT E S F O R YO U R D I A RY: REGIONAL COMPETITIONS 13-14 MARCH Blackpool Hairdressing Competitions Venue: Winter Gardens, Blackpool 25 APRIL North East Hairdressing and Beauty Championships Venue: Marriott Hotel, Gateshead, Newcastle upon Tyne

9 MAY Central England Championships Venue: The Council House, Birmingham

19 JUNE Wales’ Finest, Welsh Open Championships Venue: Students’ Union, Y Plas, Cardiff

5 JUNE South West Hairfest Venue: Taunton

24 OCTOBER Pride of Scotland Venue: Glasgow

13 JUNE Red Rose Championships Venue: Warrington

6 NOVEMBER Welsh Awards Venue: Cardiff

NATIONAL COMPETITIONS 13 NOVEMBER Britain’s Best Venue: Heritage Motor Centre, Gaydon, Warwickshire

13 NOVEMBER Photographic Stylist of the Year (announced at Britain’s Best) Venue: Warwickshire

Full details and updates on dates and venues for all competitions and events, can be found at nhf.info/events and will be published in subsequent editions of salonfocus throughout 2016.

March/April 2016 | salonfocus

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Events

UPCOMING

BOOKINGS Anyone interested in attending events should Go to nhf.info/events, email events@nhf.info or call the membership team on 01234 831965.

EVENTS O N E - D AY E V E N TS

EVENING E V E N TS

HOW TO INCREASE YOUR PROFITS 7 March – Birmingham 16 May – Leeds 13 June – Bristol 11 July – Portsmouth

ARE YOU PREPARED FOR PENSIONS AUTOENROLMENT? 21 March – Middlesbrough 11 April – Liverpool 16 May – Glasgow 6 June – Basingstoke 20 June – Swansea 4 July – Edinburgh

HOW TO DELIVER A GREAT CLIENT EXPERIENCE 4 April – Durham USING FACEBOOK TO GROW YOUR BUSINESS 21 March – Glasgow 18 April – Nottingham 16 May – Birmingham 20 June – Edinburgh HOW TO GET THE BEST FROM YOUR TEAM 9 May – Darlington HOW TO MANAGE CONFLICT 27 June – Milton Keynes EMERGENCY FIRST AID AT WORK 7 March – Bristol 7 March – Newark 14 March – Wolverhampton 4 April – York 11 April – Exeter 18 April – Glasgow 18 April – Edinburgh 9 May – London 13 June – Sheffield 27 June – Stoke on Trent 11 July – Manchester

salonfocus | March/April 2016

(7PM TO 9PM)

AN EVENING WITH DESMOND MURRAY (7PM–9PM) 17 April – Swindon NAIL ART WORKSHOP (9.30AM–1PM) 16 May – Bedford CLIPPER OVER CHAT WITH MK (7PM–9PM) 11 April – Birmingham

THE DOS AND DON’TS OF CHAIR RENTING 14 March – Leeds TEN THINGS ABOUT EMPLOYMENT LAW 25 April – Leeds FRANCHISING OR LICENSING? 25 April – Wolverhampton

WORKSHOPS/ DEMOS FOCUS ON HAIR LOSS (9.30AM–1PM) 11 April – Cardiff 9 May – Dundee 16 May – Warrington 20 June – Durham INSIGHT INTO AFRO (7PM–9PM) 21 March – Southampton BRIDAL MAKE-UP (9.30AM–1PM) 14 March – Bedford

SHAVING DEMONSTRATION (7PM–9PM) 16 May – Guildford 27 June – Wakefield BARBER WORKSHOPS (7PM–9PM) 7 March – Newcastle (Tom Baxter) 21 March – Birmingham (Tom Baxter) THE NHF AGM IS OPEN TO MEMBERS! NHF AGM, 15 May Venue: The Holiday Inn Regent’s Park, London.

Starting at 1pm.

Contact if attending: tina.beaumont@nhf.info

Events

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‘MAGNIFICENT SEVEN’ FOR STEP UP & SHINE

CALLING ALL

‘INCREDIBLE’

ST YL I STS !

IF YOU WANT TO BE ONE OF THE NHF’S 2016 ‘INCREDIBLES’, YOU’D BETTER HURRY. he end of this month, 31 March, is the closing date for this year’s NHF ‘Incredibles’ competition designed to inspire young and up-and-coming stylists to take their creative skills to new heights. The Incredibles has three categories:

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NEWCOMER This is for first year students. Submit an A3 mood board showing us about your passion to become a hairdresser.

Entries cost £20 FUTURE GENERATIONS This is for second or third year students.

Again submit an A3 mood board, but this time showing us your inspiration for spring/summer 2016 hair and fashion trends.

Entries cost £20

NHF INCREDIBLES PHOTOSHOOT 2016 This category is for qualified stylists.

Submit a head and shoulders picture of a model showing a hairstyle (cut and colour) of what you think will be ontrend for autumn/winter 2016.

Entries cost £40 Eight winners will be chosen from each of the Newcomer and Future Generations categories, who will spend an inspirational day in London with the experts at HOB Academy.

The Young Hairdresser category finalists will also be invited to London, where they will take part in a oneday photoshoot with industry mentor Jerome Hillion and photographer James Rutland at the Goldwell Academy.

The best images will be printed in a special souvenir edition of salonfocus and in salonfocus. For full details go to nhf.info/events

Seven hairdressers are in the running to win this year’s Christofer Mann Step Up & SHINE Scholarship, in partnership with the NHF and the Fellowship for British Hairdressing.

The winner will be announced at next month’s Fellowship President’s Night.

The stylist who is chosen will receive a bespoke education package worth £2,500, which includes a chance to work with top industry stylists and mentoring from industry legend Debbie G. Our “magnificent seven” are: • Evangeline Barret, of BLONDZ Hair in Weymouth, Dorset • Sian Dimblebee, of Abacus Hair Studio in Bewdley, Worcestershire • Brooke Evans, of Tim Scott-Wright@ The Hair Surgery in Stourbridge, Dudley • Alice Flemming, of Morgan Hair Nail Bar & Spa in Stokesley, North Yorkshire • Frankie Harmon, of Abacus Hair Studio in Bewdley, Worcestershire • Sam Pullen, of Headromance in Havant, Hampshire • Danielle Smith, of Cabello Hair Design in Howden, North Humberside The scholarship is designed to help a UK hairdresser who would not normally enter a competition but who has a passion for education and a genuine desire to learn and improve his or her skills.

The winner will be announced online and in salonfocus.

March/April 2016 | salonfocus

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Q&A

Health and safety

YOUR

QUESTIONS mployees sending personal emails from work, requesting to work flexibly and wanting time off for ante-natal appointments were getting members hot under the collar during February.

E

Q

Our receptionist frequently uses the salon’s computer to send personal emails and messages. She has told another member of staff it will be “against her human rights” if we “snoop” on these. Is she right?

A

There was a recent court case about this in the European Court of Human Rights that made all sorts of media headlines (and see News in this edition). The court decided it was not against an employee’s human rights to monitor personal emails or messages sent during working hours.

However, things aren’t as clear-cut as they first seem.

This was a complex case, which revolved around the employee sending personal emails from an account he had been asked to set up for the company rather than personal emails from a personal account. He’d also been told he couldn’t use

the company computer for any personal communications, but then had.

What the court was looking at was the extent to which the employee had broken the rules in this very specific context, and therefore the extent to which the company had been within its rights to check up on him. Another important point was the ruling was not unanimous, making it more likely to be challengeable in any future court case.

Therefore, the advice to employers is not to assume you now have “permission” to monitor personal emails.

If in doubt, get professional advice from the NHF.

Q

We have employed a stylist and after a couple of months with us, she has handed in a “flexible working request”. In this she has asked us to change her hours and days to help with childcare responsibilities. Is she legally entitled to do this?

A

Back in June 2014, the law was changed to give any employee who had worked in a job for 26 weeks or more the right to request to work flexibly.

Employers are required to consider such requests in “a reasonable manner”.

However, if, as you say, the stylist has only been working for you for two months, she won’t yet have met the 26week cut-off and so you’d be within your rights to reject her request.

You may nevertheless want to bear in mind how valuable you feel she will be to the salon in the long run.

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LEGAL LIFELINE Members with a business, legal or employment question can call the Legal Lifeline on 01234 831965 or email enquiries@nhf.info.

Employment-related support is available 24/7 and advice on commercial issues 9am-5pm Monday-Friday.

If you’re keen to keep her – and, remember, after 26 weeks she will be able to make this request anyway – you may still want to consider this carefully rather than rejecting it out of hand.

Second, the new right is simply a “right to request”, not necessarily a right to be allowed to work flexibly. You can still reject her request, although you have to outline objective, business-related reasons why.

Q

A male member of staff has asked for time off to attend his partner’s ante-natal appointments. Do I legally have to allow him to attend these, and should it be paid time off?

A

Yes and no. The law says fathers and partners of pregnant women are entitled to take time off during working hours to attend up to two antenatal appointments. But the time they are allowed to take off is capped, and should be no more than six-and-a-half hours for each appointment.

On whether they should be paid, there is no legal right for paid time off to attend these appointments. However, it is sensible to double-check the terms and conditions of their contract with you, and to consider the potential goodwill and morale benefit of paying for this time-off.

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