For British Hairdressing Business Awards Hall of Fame member Sean Hanna, entering awards has never been solely about taking home a trophy
Having entered the British Hairdressing Business Awards throughout his career, Sean Hanna, founder of Sean Hanna Salons, has experienced both the highs of winning and the disappointment of missing out.
But, he says, it is the process of entering that can have the biggest impact on your business.
“I think the process is probably more important than the award,” says Sean. “We’ve entered lots of times and not won – we haven’t won everything.
"Of course, like everybody else, you get some wins and you get some failures – it’s just the way that it goes – but we learn at each and every stage.”
A Chance to Take a Closer Look at Your Business
Putting together an awards entry gives salon owners and their teams an opportunity to step back from the day-to-day and take stock of what they have achieved.
For Sean, entering the Marketing category proved particularly valuable. In fact, his passion for marketing eventually saw him recognised in the Hall of Fame for Marketing. “I loved the journey of entering – the whole process was very exciting,” he explains.
“I think it actually helped to improve what I was doing. I was always passionate about marketing, but entering the award made me think about what I was doing more closely – it made me get more involved in it.”
Whether you are looking at your marketing strategy, business performance, team development or leadership, putting your achievements into an entry can help highlight areas that are working well – as well as opportunities to improve.
Celebrate the People Driving Your Business Forward
Awards are also an opportunity to recognise the individuals and teams who make a business what it is.
“I think it’s really important to shine the light on the people that are really driving our business forward, our industry forward,” Sean adds.
Perhaps you have a standout manager, an exceptional assistant or a stylist who is excelling on social media; entering gives you the opportunity to put those people – and their achievements – in the spotlight.
“This is your opportunity to bring them to the fore,” says Sean.
