Taylor ferguson's scottish success

Coming from a family of hairdressers it only seemed natural that a young Taylor Ferguson would carry on the family business. With a salon on the outskirts of Glasgow, Taylor trained with his mother before heading off for London and learning new skills to take back home. And, once he was back he knew he wanted his salon to be one of the most respected in the area."We knew that we would have to work hard but we were working at a successful salon and we wanted to take it to the next level," recalls Anne, who was Taylor's junior before the two got married. When his mother retired, they moved the business to the centre of the city and 30 years later they have achieved their initial goals and are one of the most respected, recognised and successful salons in Scotland. So what is the secret to their success? According to Anne it is dedication and passion for the industry. "Hairdressing is a great job but you have to work hard," she says. "It is our philosophy that you have to be leaders in the industry not followers. You have to be aware of emerging trends and systems and lead in everything you do and offer to clients. We have always done this and it is the key to our success." When the salon moved to Glasgow city centre in 1976, Anne and Taylor were joined by six other team members. Today, they employ around 30 people and encourage their staff to live life to the full. "We encourage our staff to take a year out and travel and experience new things," Anne explains. "It makes them a better person. When they return they bring a new enthusiasm and sense of life to the salon than they had before." Looking after their team is really important to Anne and Taylor and they invest much of their money back into their team through training, sending them on courses and improving their skills. "You have to reinvest the profit back into the business, whether it is training your team or giving the salon a facelift evey year with new furniture and systems," she says. "Without profit you can't move the business forward and explore different avenues. No business wants to stay stagnant and by reinvesting the money you make back into the business you will get better and better." Anne and Taylor have many strings to their hairdressing bow, and have been regulars on the seminar and show circuit. "We started by travelling to London and taking part in shows and the more we did the more we were asked to do," Anne says. And this, combined with running a successful salon, gained them a highly respected reputation in the industry and with consumers. Appearances by the couple on local radio and television confirmed their salon's status as one of the most sought after in the area - and soon celebrities started to call too. "No one is going to send a celebrity to someone who is mediocre and the fact we have celebrities regularly coming to us reinforces our reputation - it's like having a special qualification," Anne explains. Taylor's celebrity clients include Lulu, Cherie Blair, Penny Lancaster and Rachel Hunter. So, with 30 successful years under their belt, what has been the most important thing they have learnt? "Firstly, the art of listening to people and secondly, appreciating what a great industry we work in. We get to touch people's lives, on their wedding days, birthdays and share in their special times. No other job can give you that." Name: Taylor Ferguson, Glasgow Owners: Anne and Taylor Ferguson Salon size: 3,000sq ft Team size: 30 Philosophy: Whatever you do be a leader and not a follower.