HJ Business Academy, a new programme in association with award-winning salon owner and entrepreneur Sean Hanna has launched. The aim? To nurture the future business brains of our industry.
We know it's tough to take the leap to opening your own salon. So Sean, award-winning salon owner and industry entrepreneur, will provide practical and genuine real life business education to prepare you for opening your own business.
Meet the Delegates
Nine aspiring entrepreneurs will join the mentoring programme which will see Sean impart more than 40-year's worth of business knowledge and experience.
Alex Burt - In 2023, he was shortlisted as the Best Overall Barber and is committed to building the ultimate barbering experience at his three Teddy Edwards barbershops.
Emily Huggett - Emily started her apprenticeship at Guy Kremer and this year became director of the Guy Kremer Salon in Winchester along with two other colleagues.
Chloe Clavin - Chloe has been hairdressing for 13 years and opened Editorial Hair Design in 2023. She has started entering competitions and is a passionate perfectionist!
James Foster – James is third generation hairdresser, who always wanted his own business. Three years ago he opened James at Atelier 18 in Surrey.
Corey Taylor – Corey is co-owner of NOCO Hair in Bristol, and has already been a finalist in many industry awards. Now she wants to build on her business skills and strengthen the foundations of the salon.
Casey Dale - A natural curly textured hair specialist, Casey works as a freelancer with a growing clientele. With over 17 years hairdressing experience she wants to learn more about the business side of the industry.
Rachael Dee – Currently self-employed, Rachael is a global educator for Hair in Motion and with nearly 18 years of experience, she is eager to take the next step to opening her own business.
Amelia Todd – owner of Frances Marshall in Sunderland, Chloe won the L’Oreal Colour Trophy Specialist Award in 2024. Her passion is running a thriving business and transforming apprenticeships into quality stylists.
Jade Williams – Jade specialises in colour and spent four years renting a chair before opening her own salon two years ago in Queens Park, London.
Follow the delegates here:
@guykremersalon
@frances_marshall
@corey_nocohair
@rachaeldeehair
@chloeeditorial
@jamesatatelier18
@yuhair.london
@iamcaseystyles
@allex_burt
The First Session: Back to Basics
The HJ Business Academy launched with a day of business inspiration from Sean Hanna, who shared his highs and lows from his 50-year career.
The business programme – which will see Sean guide aspiring salon owners – brought together nine hairdressers looking to boost their business skills and ultimately their business over the next six months.
The mentees are Amelia Todd, owner of Frances Marshall in Sunderland; Emily Huggett, new co-owner of Guy Kremer Winchester; Jade Williams, owner of Yu Hair London; Corey Taylor co-owner of NOCO Hair, Bristol; James Foster owner of James at Atelier 18, Banstead; Rachel Dee, who is self-employed looking to open her first salon; Chloe Clavin owner of Editorial Hair Design, Worthing; Casey Dale, freelance stylist looking to open her own academy; Alex Burt, owner of Teddy Edwards barbershops in Sussex.
Sean says: “Most of us get into the business of hairdressing almost by mistake. Opening a business feels like a logical step forward from running a successful column – but we don’t have a credible business plan. So we either get lucky or we fail. Or even worse, we drift into a painful and frustrating merry go round of simply keeping our head above water. The aim of the HJ Business Academy is to give new business owners insights and strategies that can genuinely point them in the right direction and help them transition from being successful hairdressers into successful business owners.”
The day opened with each of the mentees discussing their own businesses – which ranged from salons opened for a few years to aspiring entrepreneurs looking to open their first ventures.
“I can’t do it for you, you’re the only ones that can do that, but I can share tools and strategies to help you. You guys here today are the ones that will be changing the future of the industry and become role models for other hair entrepreneurs,” Sean added.
Day one was essentially a finanacial boot camp. Starting with the basics and understanding the importance of knowing your critical numbers. “How much you charge, how do you grow, what does success look like for you – it’s the ‘boring’ stuff but it’s absolutely essential to being successful,” Sean said.
Once the figures had been explained, it was time to look at everything entrepreneurs should include in their business plan. “50% of businesses fail within the first two years; of those left 50% of those will fail in the next three years. Most businesses launch without a credible business plan, which is a just a business jigsaw that includes overheads, variable costs, the team and pricing. I opened my own first salon without a proper business plan – it wasn’t pretty. We believe the HJ Business Academy will make sure you are more prepared for the next steps you take.”
Sean added: “I really enjoyed the day. The team are super bright and their energy and focus was inspiring. You can already see that many of them are destined for success. I also want to thank Jayne Lewis-Orr from HJ for putting this project together and also to L’Oreal Professionnel who have been quietly supporting things in the background.”
The Second Session - All About Marketing
For the delegates second session with Sean, the focus was firmly on salon marketing.
So what is marketing? “Marketing is the secret weapon for your success,” Sean stated. “It’s the process of promoting and selling products and services by communicating the value of what you offer. It’s more than just advertising; it includes branding, experience, reputation, and connection.”
Sean advised salons to look at how other businesses market their products and services, both inside and outside the industry. “From fashion to food, cars to music we are bombarded with marketing messages every day. Nike sells trainers but their marketing never just sells trainers. It sells the feeling of being empowered, being able to do things that are impossible. They don’t tell you how great their trainers are, but tell you how you will feel and what you can achieve if you wear their brand. Marketing is like putting fuel on a fire, it will ramp up your business and help you grow.”
For salons and hairdressers, the key to growth is to attract new clients, retain existing clients and increase the average client bill. “When you get busier you can charge more,” said Sean. “Developing loyalty is what makes clients come back again and again. You can’t just rely on word of mouth, you have to tell everyone what makes you unique. The cost of retaining clients is a lot less that attracting new ones, so build that community and make them feel part of your journey.”
The delegates created their own marketing campaigns that would drive clients into their salons. “Use a marketing calendar to plan your campaigns for the year ahead. Create a signature cut or colour, make your clients feel like they are getting something that is bespoke to you and something they can’t get at the salon down the road. It doesn’t have to be dramatic – it could be a bob or a balayage – but you are selling a feeling, an emotion, a reason for them to come to you.”
What the Future Holds for the HJ Business Academy Delegates
In the last session, participants will pitch their own business plan - and the person who presents the best plan will have the opportunity to present at Salon International 2025 on the Business Live stage, alongside Sean.
HJ executive director Jayne Lewis-Orr added: “The HJ Business Academy in partnership with Sean Hanna is a unique opportunity for aspiring salon owners to learn from the very best in hairdressing business. It’s important we support business acumen as well as creativity and the HJ Business Academy and Sean will offer guidance, knowledge and mentorship.”
