How to succeed at the british hairdressing business awards
The British Hairdressing Business Awards celebrate hairdressing's shrewdest business minds and most successful salons.
From the best training providers to the best marketing camaigns and even outstanding managers and directors; the awards are about recognising those that go the extra mile.
Each award has its own distinct criteria, and is judged by a panel of industry experts, including the sponsor or each award.
To help you to put your entry together, we've asked the sponsor of each of the awards to share their inside information about what they are looking for in an entry.
Customer Care, sponsored by Kérastase
Stephanie Reif, head of marketing UK and ROI, Professional Luxury Brands Kérastase, Shu Uemura and Kéraskin Estherics
"Providing excellent customer care is a key focus for top salons, as they know that it is not enough to simply offer clients a standard haircut, shampoo or colour service. In order to retain clients, especially in a challenging economic climate, leading salons must work hard to offer their clients an incredible experience. They must constantly re-evaluate and improve that experience over time, fine-tuning the expertise of the team, the salon environment, the menu of services and the level of personalisation offered to the client."
Independent Salon Newcomer, sponsored by Great Lengths
Philip Sharp, managing director
"We are looking to find entrants that can demonstrate strong planning, budgeting and a solid strategic vision for the future success of their new salon. This includes recruiting the right hairdressing talent, research into the appropriate target market to identify the relevant range of attractive services and supply partners. From the outset, they must prove their ability to have gained client trust, loyalty and commercial success."
Website of the Year/Innovation of the Year, sponsored by Merchant Cash Express
Richard Morley, director
"We will be looking for a hairdressing business that has embraced technology to enable their sales and profits to grow. We will be interested in stories of salons that have used techniques to attract new customers or who have created innovative ways of rewarding their existing customers. We will be looking for people who are using the web as a key part of their marketing activity."
Junior of the Year sponsored by Fudge
Terry Sierocki, CEO
"Entrants need to demonstrate passion, enthusiasm and a sincere desire to exceed. Also, being young they need to be aware of how they can make a difference to every client's salon experience. Some entrants have really grasped how much fun they can have in our vibrant industry. You see it in their entries, and, ultimately, it comes across in the second round interview process. It's also being recognised as having something special that makes them stand out from the crowd."
Manager of the Year, sponsored by L'Oréal Professional
Arthur Ehoff, commercial development manager L'Oréal Professional Products Division
"The perfect inspirational manager would be the manager who allies artistic and creative skills with a keen awareness of the financial reality of managing a successful salon, or group of high-performing salons, in today's challenging economic climate. The perfect manager would combine an astute commercial mind, be always open to new ideas and concepts, and have an appreciation of how to maximise marketing opportunities, allied with a keen awareness of the financial and economic truths of hairdressing in the 21st century."
Marketing Award, sponsored by Hairdreams
Karin Ekengren, UK customer service manager
"We are looking for innovative, smart and appealing ideas to increase salon traffic. The execution should match the salon's identity and positioning. It should give the consumer a good, relevant reason to prefer this salon and celebrate the value of the salon's service. By entering these awards, a salon is not only telling their clients, but also their peers throughout the industry, that they stand behind their business ethics and that they have the courage and integrity to find new innovative ways to distinguish themselves among others."
Retail Salon of the Year, sponsored by TIGI
Simon Ostler, TIGI managing director for European Operations
"We will be looking for a salon that demonstrates its commitment to increasing profits through the usage and retailing of products. Clients should be taken on a 'journey' through the salon, and be exposed to the retail brands from the point of entering the salon, to the backwash area, the dressing-out area, and, finally, on exit at the reception. How the salon staff use these areas to increase their retailing potential is important. We will look for innovative ideas and a demonstration of successful results linked to sales. We have seen some excellent entries over the last couple of years. Awards such as these are excellent to help team development, set goals and to assess and reassess what you are doing."
Salon Design of the Year, sponsored by Aston & Fincher
Oliver Fincher, managing director
"The British hairdressing industry is the best in the world. When entering awards in the UK, you are putting yourself up, not only against the best of your peers, but against the best of the best. To raise your game, to exceed your own expectations, and to find out where you really are, you must test yourself in the most demanding of arenas, and the these awards are a very challenging arena."
Salon of the Year 1, sponsored by Schwarzkopf Professional
Colin Sillery, managing director
"With some of the best known salon names in the UK falling within this dynamic category, the Salon of the Year 1 targets salons with a turnover of more than £350,000. The salons that will stand out will have stretched and tested their businesses and be able to demonstrate ultimate business kudos and performance in all areas of best-business practice. The salons that are great in this industry are the ones that continually perform at the top of their game, and are always looking for dynamic areas of improvement. There's been a shift over the years since the awards started that has shown an upward drive for excellence - what used to be outstanding is now normal - so we're looking for salons who are breaking the mould, and stepping out every day to do things differently and better than ever before."
Salon of the Year 2, sponsored by Clynol Salon Exclusive
Nick Biggane, trade sector marketing manager
"We're looking for a salon that stops us in our tracks with a different, new or unusual approach. Something that shows they are really moving business practice to a different level and taking the team along with them. It's such a fantastic category as it reaches businesses that are small enough to be flexible and big enough to be dynamic - start up businesses, grass roots hairdressing, young dynamic teams and risk-takers. Concepts can be simple or complex, but they need to be beautifully executed."
Salon Team of t
he Year, sponsored by Kerastraight
Jez Barnett, managing director
"We feel that without a fantastic team, even the best designed salon - with innovations, business direction and amazing treatments - will not take a business that far. Having a dedicated team that understand why and how a salon should run and how their clients should be looked after will always make the difference between success and failure. There are so many ways to get it right, but the salons who achieve have everyone from the newest assistant to the receptionist to the creative director all working to deliver their salons skills, service and unique way of spoiling their clients."
Training Award, sponsored by Wella Professionals
Sheila Jackson, Wella Professionals/partnership services/FS manager UK & Ireland
"Wella Professionals is proud to support HJ's British Hairdressing Business Awards for recognising not only entrepreneurial skills, but also business acumen. Winning and taking part in awards raises staff morale, and is the perfect tool to help recruit talented and experienced stylists, colourists and managers. I have personally seen some magnificent entries and every year they never fail to impress me. I'm sure 2010 will be no different."
British Hairdressing Business Awards Essential Information
Entries Closing Date: Friday 18th June 2010
Venue: The Lancaster London
When: Monday 20th September 2010
Book tickets: 020 8652 8845 of email Dan Eversfield
