Essensuals men - jim shaw's men's grooming oasis

It's a good benchmark of the growth of a market when a major high street brand like essensuals recognises its importance.

This was the case in 2008 when the sister salon group to TONI&GUY entered the men's salon arena with the opening of essensuals MEN in Billericay, Essex.

With Jim Shaw, HJ's 2007 Men's Hairdresser of the Year, at the helm - he is also salon director of the unisex essensuals salon in the same town - it was never going to be a half-hearted effort.

Essensuals MEN not only offers hairdressing for men, it also sports a treatment room, offering massages and facial treatments; while in the main salon men can get far more than just a quick trim, with staff all kept up to date with the latest cutting and colouring techniques.

"The business model for essensuals MEN was basically the same as a unisex salon - with the key objectives of delivering exceptional service while maintaining a focus on the bottom line," says Jim.

"However, the culture and environment of a men's salon needs to be different and I spent a lot of time creating the right look and feel, as well as gathering together the right team to achieve this."

Perfect time and place

Jim believes 2008 was the ideal time and Billericay the perfect place to open the men's concept salon. "There was evidence of significant growth in the male grooming market," says Jim. "

I believed there was enough awareness and desire from men to provide demand for a place where they could come and experience the ultimate in male grooming.

"Billericay was ripe for a business like this as it is densely populated with men who commute to London and appreciate the importance of personal grooming, particularly in the workplace.

"I also constantly heard from male clients at the existing essensuals salon in Billericay that they loved the concept of looking after themselves but didn't want to do it in a female-dominated environment."

Jim also recognised that the potential scope for clients was much broader than he originally thought. Says Jim: "While the young corporate commuter was the first and obvious target consumer, it was clear from feedback gathered from our existing male client base that the desire to look good and be pampered was shared by a much more diverse group of men.

"Our client base ranges from toddlers to retired gentlemen and everyone in-between. We seem to have an offering that ticks every box.

As an example, we have children's specialists who are fantastic with the younger clients to the point where the children are excited about coming to have their hair cut. We also have mature gentlemen who say it's like the good old days of the barber shops but with a luxurious twist."

Positive feedback

This feedback was instrumental in devising the salon design. Says Jim: "I spent considerable time coming up with an interior concept that would give a feeling of luxury and simplicity while still feeling very masculine.

From the colour scheme and materials to the smell as clients walk in - it's all about making the client feel they are in a masculine environment. Using retro barber's chairs in the waiting area immediately helps make men feel at ease."

Salon design is only part of creating the right environment, of course staff are intrinsic to the feel of any salon. Jim started thinking about the team for essensuals MEN several years before the salon actually opened, keeping his eye out for stylists who were passionate about men's hair.

The front of house team was hand-picked from a range of businesses outside of hairdressing so that they would bring a diverse skill-set to the business.

So far, staff retention has not proved a problem, mainly because of the investment Jim makes in his team members.

Says Jim: "I am a great believer that each individual is responsible for their own development and I encourage everyone to come forward and talk to me about their personal learning journey. Every staff member gets an annual appraisal which is their chance to discuss their contribution to the business. This is coupled with on-going discussions on a day-to-day basis."

Team motivation

Motivating team members is vital to the continuing success of the business and Jim recognises that this means treating each person as an individual.

"It is crucial to reward and recognise but this varies depending on the person as everyone is motivated by different things - whether it's earning commission, getting a special mention at a team meeting or receiving a treat for doing something outstanding."

Another big draw for clients is the extra services offered by the business, with massages, facials and wet shaves all proving popular, although Jim acknowledges that this wouldn't work for every men's salon/barbers.

"I believe some owners may be too blinkered or nervous to introduce additional services to their business. However, demographics play a huge part in the success of a fully operational male grooming centre and some locations may not be suitable."

Jim sees the demand for businesses like his growing over the next few years, however. "I believe the men's grooming market will continue to grow and that the on-going trend for high profile celebrities to endorse products and services will encourage more men to spend more time and money on looking after their appearance."