Winners' advice for entering the british hairdressing awards

HJ's British Hairdressing Awards is the industry's biggest photographic competition. Follow this advice from a selection of the current winners and make sure your entry makes the grade. "It's important for me to enter HJ's British Hairdressing Awards because I'm upholding a brand as well as my personal profile. I also enter because there's always a global eye on the event. It's one of the most important in the world, and with that there are lots of spin-offs. It's a great achievement for your business and hugely beneficial if you get through. If you're entering, go with your gut feeling. Research is really important but you have to go with what you feel. Be different from any other collection." 2007 Afro Hairdresser of the Year Errol Douglas, London "You have to be in it to win it - and like lots of things in life you have to give it a go because you never know what the outcome will be. From a national and international PR perspective, it gets your name out there and opens doors. Write ideas down, pick and choose the best team for your photographer and make-up artist, and choose good, professional models. Their faces and hair are the selling points so this has to be right. Then just go for it." 2007 Avant-Garde Hairdresser of the Year Darren Ambrose at D&J Ambrose, Pinner, London "Entering HJ's British Hairdressing Awards is a must for me because of the positive impact it has on my business. Firstly, becoming a finalist gives your salon a great buzz and to win is a great motivator for the whole team. It stretches my imagination and makes me think out of the box to create fashionable, commercial looks. Planning is of the utmost importance - be prepared to be disappointed and be self critical." 2007 North Western Hairdresser of the Year Harry Boocock at The Hair Studio, Leeds, Yorkshire "Winning has made a huge difference to my career and helped me make my mark on the industry. Winning awards and getting publicity means people know all about you and your work. It is important to keep your head up and keep pushing yourself and the boundaries until someone notices. Once people know about you, they will want to find out more and it will keep snowballing. When it comes to your shoot, if all the components are right, the day will run beautifully. But if just one small area not quite right, it can change the whole dynamic. " 2007 Scottish Hairdresser of the Year Tracey Devine at Angels, Aberdeen "HJ's British Hairdressing Awards has helped us raise the profile of our salon both in the industry and with clients in our area. My advice would be to create mood boards so that everyone involved on the day knows exactly what is expected of them and what the feel of the shoot is going to be. Remember that it is a hairdressing competition and that hair should be one of the main focuses." 2007 North Eastern Hairdresser of the Year Robert Eaton, Russell Eaton, Barnsley, Yorkshire "HJ's British Hairdressing Awards is part of what keeps us at the forefront of the industry, inspires us, challenges us and make us work harder to improve our skills. My advice would be to do your research, know your category and be prepared to face some of the hottest talent in the UK. On the day of the shoot, make sure that you stay completely focused and do not let anyone distract you from your vision." 2007 Schwarzkopf Professional British Colour Technician of the Year Mark Leeson at Mark Leeson Hair, Body & Mind, Mansfield, Nottinghamshire "Although I have been hairdressing for nearly 40 years, I think it is still really important to enter competitions such as HJ's British Hairdressing Awards. Not only does it keep you in the loop of what's happening at the fashion end of our industry, it's also a great motivator for our salon team. It's important to get your mood boards right, so that you can cast the correct models to enhance your ideas and your make-up artist and clothes stylist understand where you are coming from. Having a good rapport with your photographer is essential as their view through the lens might not be the same as your vision. Remember to enjoy the whole experience and if it doesn't happen this year don't give up trying." 2007 Wales & South West Hairdresser of the Year Liz Shipton, Style Collection, Bristol "Entering the awards is a way of everybody seeing your creativity, a great way to generate excitement among the team as well as generate new business for the salon. Since winning my career has sky-rocketed! My advice would be to be true to yourself and do what you do best. If it is your first time entering get advice from award-winning hairdressers. There are lots of us in the industry that are more than happy to offer advice." 2007 Midlands Hairdresser of the Year Tim Scott-Wright, Lisa Shepherd Salons, Kidderminster "In an industry that does not always get the best press, it is important to show the world just how talented we are. We work very hard making our clients and models look amazing and there is nothing better than the recognition of winning such a prestigious award. The press has taken a lot of interest and our regular clients love all the attention. They feel part of it because they've heard us all talk about the preparation of the shoot, getting into the final and, the best bit of all, the winning. My best advice would be to start looking at every magazine, look at what has been shown on the catwalks and in the art world. Great inspiration also comes from the streets - people-watching can give you great ideas." 2007 London Hairdresser of the Year Karine Jackson, Karine Jackson Hair & Beauty, London "To grow creatively and develop your hairdressing skills, entering HJ's British Hairdressing Awards gives you focus - it is a motivating journey from start to finish. If you are thinking of entering, do something original, be influenced by other hairdressers' work but don't copy it. Practise your hair ideas before the shoot, create a story board to communicate your ideas to your team, be organised on the day and have a plan of what looks you are going to do and in what order." Joanna Cree Brown, artistic director of 2007 Artistic Team of the Year Trevor Sorbie "It is so important to enter HJ's British Hairdressing Awards. The opportunities and recognition winning has given me have been unbelievable. The whole journey has been so rewarding and I have learnt so much. My advice would be to work hard, stay focused and follow the trends." 2007 Men's Hairdresser of the Year Jim Shaw at Essensuals, Billericay, Essex "If you wish to make your name creatively within the industry then entering the awards is a must! Winning helped endorse our name and gave us recognition. The PR has resulted in TV, radio and media publicity and this has attracted new people into the salon, resulting in an increased turnover beyond our expectations. It's essential that your work moves forward and continues to make a mark within the industry. It's important that you get on well and respect everyone's expertise - be honest and value their input. Without a great photographer and amazing models you can't really achieve your aims!" 2007 Eastern Hairdressers of the Year Clive Boon and Kelly Smith at Boons, Retford Download your British Hairdressing Awards Entry Form