Why retail is crucial to your hair salon

When it comes to the creative side of the hairdressing business, the key mantra is 'never stop learning', and it is just as important philosophy for the business side too. With this in mind, we have asked some of the brightest business brains - the finalists of the British Hairdressing Business Awards 2009 - to share their wisdom. Here Linda Evans of TIGI, sponsor of the Retail Salon of the Year category, asks:

 "To what extent do you feel that retailing enhances the professionalism of you and your team and what are the 3 key benefits that retailing bring to your business?"

Michael Van Clarke, Michael Van Clarke A well-equipped retail offering shows a professional concern for the client beyond their salon visit. I feel the three key benefits are:

• It helps the team communicate a position of expertise in hair care
• Retail shows a stylist's concern for the clients welfare beyond that appointment, so helps build loyalty
• Creates useful salon income.

George Phouli, Rush London Retail is an integral part of any salon business and adds another dimension to your client's overall salon experience. There are many benefits of retailing, including:

• Increasing team members' product knowledge through training
• Sharing important information and advice with clients on hair care
• Allows your clients to recreate their salon professional look at home.

Jason Brierley, Hair @ Jibe Providing our guests with a first class professional aftercare service is vital to our business as it portrays a professional image of both our staff and our salon as a whole. Three key benefits of retailing are:

• Profitability for the salon
• Helping to build a trust relationship between the client and the staff member
• Giving your salon a professional image to your guests.

Chris Amos, Chapters Hair Retailing provides the framework within which we build a trusted advisor relationship with our clients from initial consultation through to the moment they book their next appointment on leaving the salon. Key benefits of retailing are:

• Educating clients on the latest products gives clients the confidence to maintain the salon look at home and builds strong client loyalty
• Merchandising provides a reliable revenue stream which ensures highly motivated staff through opportunities for increased benefits.
• Retailing helps create a fabulous salon experience and enhances the salon image for both clients and staff

Paul Shakeshaft, Yazz Number One Hair Studio Retailing enables the team to offer a complete service to all of our clients from entering the salon until they come for their next appointment - after care is as important as the experience they receive in our salons. The three key benefits of retailing are:

• Providing ongoing education and excitement to each stylist.
• Enables the client to recreate the look at all times which builds trust for the salon.
• Building a strong link with leading retail brands which leads to creative merchandising in the salons so we are bang on trend at all times."

Akin Konizi, hob salons Retailing is a must within our salons. To ensure our clients receive the 'hob experience', conditioning treatments and home care products are offered to all our clients. The three key benefits that retailing brings to our business are:

• Offering our clients the highest quality tools to help ensure they remain looking fantastic in between salon visits - this makes them a walking advert for hob salons, which in turn helps to generate new business
• By building a great relationship with your product company there are fantastic profit margins to ensure that both partnerships are maximizing their profit
• Working in partnership with high quality professional haircare brands adds kudos to our brand, and further echoes our commitment to quality.

More advice for making the most of retail in your salon