How to grow your salon business in a new international market

The Australian hair salon brand Just Cuts has opened its first franchise salon in the UK. Here, Amber Manning, UK CEO at Just Cuts gives her view on how a business can adapt to survive and thrive in a new international market. For nearly 30 years, Just Cuts has been growing through franchising, leaving Australia and New Zealand almost saturated and the UK was its next target for expansion. Here is Ambers top tips for expansion:

1. Walk before you can run in your new international market

We set up a pilot company-owned salon to supply us with details on what British consumers want and to find out what is transferable from our salons in Australia and what would need to change to meet market demand.

You might think you’re an expert in your field and know everything there is to know but, trust me, there’s always so much more to learn. Markets constantly evolve, which means that businesses need to be at the top of their game to move with it, and quickly!

2. Listen to your new international market's clientele

It pays, quite literally, to know what’s happening in your industry and to keep up with the latest trends. Clients will expect to see you innovating and adapting without making big mistakes in the process. You’ll need to demonstrate that you really know your stuff. The professional hairdressing  industry is very erratic – no two days are the same so one minute something’s on trend and the next it’s something entirely different.. The whole Just Cuts team put their beautifully-styled heads together and cracked a formula to stay ahead of the game when it comes to hair care and styling. Over the last few years, we’ve seen a rise in popularity of premium barbershops as men look for a better quality of haircut. We’ve kept our 50:50 split with male and female clients by ensuring our stylists are trained in the latest men’s styles and cuts as well as creating a unisex product range. Our pricing strategy hits the middle ground, providing a great experience but without the premium price tag, or the bargain basement prices which put the more style-conscious men off.

3. Remember clients come first

Most changes have to be consumer-led. Whether our clients are demanding a specific product or looking for the latest innovations, they continue to influence our service. In the professional hairdressing industry in particular, the focus has shifted towards a more natural and ethical approach to looking after ourselves. We listened to our clients and realised they longed for products to use at home to maintain their salon finish. For us, the answer was to design, produce and manufacture our own paraben-free/cruelty-free product range to enhance the salon experience for our customers. People are savvy and crave convenience – we perfected our service and tailored it to their needs.

4. Use technology to help clients book when they want 

The advancement in technology has given clients the power to get what they want almost instantaneously and that’s had a direct impact on the way we do business. Every day, a new app appears with the hopes of revolutionising our lives but rarely do we see one that makes it easier. Here at Just Cuts, we came up with our own concept that kept us up-to-date and made our customers’ experience more special. We created a bespoke app that stuck with our “no appointment necessary” ethos but allowed people to check in and join the queue remotely. We spotted the opportunity to stick to our values but evolve with the development in technology. Our relationship with technology gave us the opportunity to manage our business remotely from Australia. With a team based in the UK, a lot of the operations can be handled from the southern hemisphere with our CRM system that gives us access to everything happening in our salons. And there’s no reason why this couldn’t work the other way. Adapting our business model to work in a new international market was necessary for replicating the success, but it didn’t come without discovering the ins and outs of the UK market. By knowing your industry and taking the time and energy to research into the state of affairs, it can help take your business to new heights. We now have our first franchisee-owned salon in Wandsworth, beginning the multi-salon journey for our franchisee Magda and the start of a great adventure for Just Cuts in the UK.