Could you be named salon of the year?

Tommy's Hair Company won Salon of the Year 2 at HJ's 2014 British Hairdressing Business Awards. The judges called their entry 'an utterly amazing submission' - but what did winning do for their salon? We find out. Why did you enter the British Hairdressing Business Awards? When we first started entering awards eight years ago, we thought: "If we don’t try, we won’t win." Looking back, it gave us an opportunity to really dissect our business and put what we do down on paper, from team performance and financial indicators to why we choose the branding in our marketing campaigns. The whole process gives you the opportunity to really put your work under a magnifying glass. Obviously you can’t deny the recognition a win or finalist place gives either. We are very proud of being located predominantly in North Wales and the majority of our group are based in Welsh towns and not in big cities. This means we have to find new ways to market, research and build our brand in the area. To get recognition for this amongst colleagues in the industry is a great badge that we wear with pride. What is the value of winning a British Hairdressing Business Award? The value is priceless. Regardless of which category you enter, the process of putting together the information, reviewing your performance and pulling apart processes and policies is a fantastic opportunity to aid future growth and create a working profile to help build on. Entering our category helped us identify our strengths and gave us performance indicators for where could be modified for enhanced performance. Naturally it boosts morale, opens up business opportunities and gives us a platform to shout about a salon group from North Wales too. How did it feel to win? Just pure elation! We always attend awards with hopeful expectations, but the standard of competition has grown exponentially since we started eight years ago. To hear your name called out, and see the team's faces, is one of the best feelings there is. Regardless of winning or not, we are like a family and to be recognised for our efforts just makes our heart swell with pride for them. What has your win done for business? The win established our reputation locally and also further afield. The businesses, salons and suppliers that are there on the night became more aware of us as a brand, which helped us gain more avenues of opportunity. We gained exposure through local news, media and social media, which in turn helped us increase our guest recommendations and made us a more desirable employer. Being a business that can prove it takes its work seriously is a great thing to be known for, no matter what your location. The Judges said... "An excellent submission that met all the criteria." "A clear passion for training, developing and ultimately retaining their staff." "Fantastic attention to detail in all areas of the salon, from the client journey to being very community-focussed."