Six steps to salon success with leah durrant

Still recovering from the impact of the pandemic, salons in the UK are now faced with a national recession and cost of living crisis. That’s why Leah Durrant, business coach and Owner of Leah Durrant Hair Salon and Beauty Retreat in Chertsey, is tapping into her 25 years of industry experience to help other hairdressers to boost their business in 2023. Leah said: “It is a really challenging time for hair salons. Some have only just recovered from the impact of the pandemic and now we are dealing with a national recession. “As someone who has built a successful salon business from the ground up, I want to help as many salons and hairdressers as I can. There is money to be made in hairdressing, but many just don’t know how or where to start. That’s where I come in!” By focusing on six key development areas, Leah says salons can weather the economic storm and future proof their businesses. These are:

1. Mindset and personal development
2. Manifest and visualisation
3. Goal setting
4. The 3 Rs: Retail, Rebook, Refer
5. Marketing
6. Knowing your numbers

Beginning her career as a junior at Toni&Guy, Leah worked her way up to become Art Director and then salon owner of Essensuals in Guildford aged just 24. Leah has also worked alongside Trevor Sorbie and managed a Gina Conway Aveda Salon in London before opening her own salon in Chertsey in 2010. In 2020, during the pandemic, many fellow salon owners and hairdressers reached out to Leah for advice and guidance. This led Leah to train as a business coach so that she could further support salons to recover from the pandemic and work towards future growth. Leah adds: “Since lockdown, I have gained many coaching qualifications, but I truly believe it is my lived experience as a hairdresser and salon owner that allows me to help salons in the way that I do. I understand their worries and anxiety and I also share their hopes and ambitions.” For 2023, Leah is launching her Salon Success Squad. From Salon Owners to Freelancers, members will receive a monthly squad schedule, four live coaching sessions with Leah, Q&As, goal setting and mentoring sessions and the opportunity to hear from business and industry pros. Hairdressers will also have access to a private Facebook group where they can feel part of a welcoming community focused on business growth and access to a private portal, featuring educational content and training videos to watch in their own time, covering everything from social media, marketing, recruitment, goal setting, boosting columns and much more. Leah adds, “My coaching isn’t a one size fits all approach. I work with salons to understand what success looks like for them, what their business issues are and what they want to achieve, to create a bespoke strategy and coaching plan that meets their needs.” Interested hairdressers can view a free webinar hosted by Leah, called Six Steps to Salon Success. Visit www.leahdurrant.co.uk/coaching to sign up and follow @leahdurrantsaloncoach on Instagram to find out more. With success in mind, here's how you can get your salon organised for the New Year with stock taking.