British Hairdressing Business Awards Manager of the Year 2025 winner, Gemma Midwinter, HOB Epping, is known for her people-focused and driven approach. Here, she gives her top tips on what it takes to be a great salon manager…
“Culture is how you speak to people when they’re struggling, how you celebrate small wins, and create an environment where your team members feel they can always talk openly and honestly with you,” Gemma explains. “A motivated, confident team will always outperform a fearful one. A manager’s behaviour sets the tone – your mood, consistency and integrity drip-feeds through the salon. When culture is nurtured, your team genuinely want to succeed together.”
5 Tips on How to Be a Great Salon Manager
Obsess Over Customer Satisfaction
Customer satisfaction isn’t a department you bring out or pack away. I focus on creating memorable experiences, and when clients feel genuinely cared for, they return, recommend, and become part of your community. At HOB Epping, our 86% retention rate comes from consistency, warmth, and service. I teach my team to treat every client like family; to listen properly, and to always go the extra mile. Reputation is everything, especially in a close-knit community. When satisfaction is embedded into everyday behaviour, growth becomes a natural by-product.
Manage People as Individuals
Great management starts with understanding what makes people tick. I never take a one-size-fits-all approach as ambition, motivation, and confidence look different for everyone. My strategy is built on values, behaviour, and tailored goal setting, supported by six-weekly one-to-ones and open communication. I lead with kindness but uphold high standards, correcting weaknesses with empathy. When people feel seen, supported, and challenged in the right way, performance always follows. My role as salon manager is to cheerlead, guide, and create clarity so individuals within my team can thrive. When they thrive, the business thrives with them.
Balance The Three P’s: Productivity, Performance and Profit
My daily approach to management is based on the principle of the three Ps – productivity, performance, and profitability. If you want to achieve a sustainable business you need to have a balance of all three Ps. Productivity and performance must come first. It begins with looking after your people; if people aren’t nurtured, your profitability is fragile. I track daily and weekly markers, review progress regularly, and celebrate small wins to keep momentum strong. This structure ensures targets feel achievable, not overwhelming. I make sure team members understand how their actions contribute to the bigger picture, that way accountability increases and results become consistent and repeatable.
You Can’t Manage What You Can’t Measure
I use data to inform my decisions, not to control what my team members are doing. Weekly trackers, KPIs, and client feedback allow me and my team to clearly see progress, take ownership, and stay focused. Measurement builds confidence, it highlights growth, identifies opportunities, and gives us reasons to celebrate success. When people understand their metrics and feel supported in achieving them, performance becomes consistent across the entire business.
Operational Excellence in Non-Negotiable
I was raised in a military-style environment where structure, discipline, and accountability were ingrained from an early age, and those values naturally influence how I manage the business today. Over time, I’ve learned that great leadership is about balance. I am dedicated to becoming the best version of myself so I can support my team fully. Self-development is just as important as team development.
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