Hairdressers use a range of cutting and styling techniques to enhance the personal appearance and confidence of clients. They may work in a salon catering for men, women and children. Some salons specialise in particular styles and clients. For example, African-Caribbean hairdressing techniques include pressing, braiding, plaiting and attaching hair extensions, while traditional male barber services may include trimming beards and moustaches.

Characteristics of a hairdresser

A hairdresser should have:

•    excellent interpersonal skills, and be able to talk with clients in a relaxed manner
•    good listening ability to interpret clients’ requests
•    the ability to work quickly and accurately with their hands
•    an element of creativity and artistic sense
•    a caring, positive attitude
•    a smart personal appearance and good personal hygiene
•    good manual dexterity
•    punctuality and the ability to stay calm when under pressure
•    stamina, as they are on their feet for most of the day
•    a willingness to learn new techniques and keep their skills up to date.

Getting into the hairdressing industry

The main routes into hairdressing are:
•    applying to a salon as a trainee/junior, learning on the job and attending college on day release
•    doing a full-time or part-time college course – it is important to make sure that the course leads to a recognised qualification
•    via an Apprenticeship.
There are many places to find current hairdressing job opportunities including local newspapers or visiting a salon in person. More and more salons however are choosing to use online job boards.  This makes registering your details with salonjobseeker.com an excellent idea for both current and future job seeking.
There are no minimum entry qualifications to begin training as a hairdresser. The right personal qualities are usually regarded as more important than academic ability.
Entrants work towards vocational qualifications, such as NVQs/SVQs in Hairdressing. Level 1 covers the basic introductory skills needed for a career as an assistant hairdresser; Level 2 includes the essential skills needed for hairdressers; and Level 3 covers more advanced hairdressing techniques and management skills.

The job description

New trainees usually spend most of their time greeting customers, washing towels and replenishing stock items, washing hair, and keeping the salon clean and tidy together with reception duties in some cases. Much of their training involves observing experienced stylists carrying out tasks such as:
•    consulting and advising clients
•    shampooing and conditioning hair
•    trimming, cutting, layering or thinning hair
•    colouring
•    perming
•    blow-drying and styling
•    diagnosing hair and scalp problems
•    putting hair up, or pinning and accessorising hair for special occasions.
As trainees gain experience, they may start to practise these techniques on mannequins and then client models.

Progressing in hairdressing

Experienced hairdressers may also decide to work towards more advanced qualifications, such as:
•    City & Guilds Level 4 Higher Professional Certificate or Diploma in Technical Salon Management
•    a Foundation degree in hairdressing or creative hairdressing, combined with salon management
•    degrees in beauty therapy.
Hairdressers working in television and theatre normally have experience in make-up as well.
Hair fashions change quickly, with new techniques and products constantly being introduced. Hairdressers must follow trends and keep their skills fresh. Manufacturers of hair products frequently offer short courses. Larger salons may have an academy or senior stylists who travel around demonstrating cutting techniques for the latest styles.
The UK hair and beauty industry is fast becoming one of the most exciting, popular industries for young people to start a career in.  This position will ensure that British hairdressing continues to be regarded amongst the best in the world.

Visitors are sure to be spoilt by the latest hairdressing products and equipment as well as demonstrations of innovations in cutting, colouring and styling from more than 250 exhibitors.  Exhibitors with live stages this year will include Toni & Guy, TIGI, Wahl and Babyliss to name but a few.

Some of the world’s most creative hairdressers will perform in the Salon Live theatre this year. Expect to see the Sassoon team, Toni & Guy artistic team and Patrick Cameron sharing ideas, revealing inspirations and giving their views on the future trends of hairdressing.

The business extra zone will offer sessions that are essential for salon owners and managers wishing to improve their business. Leading professional speakers including Jon MacLeod and Sean Hanna will provide invaluable advice on a range of topics from salon management to business development and how your effort and creativity can translate into success in business.

The Interiors Zone will again be the place to visit to source salon furniture or for tips on salon design.  Everything from accessories to re-fits can be discussed with some of the industries leading players including Aston & Fincher and Takara Belmont amongst many others.

For the first time this year salon owners and managers will have the opportunity to take some time out, enjoy some refreshments and network with their peers in the exclusive salon owners lounge.

No other three-day event educates or inspires like Salon International making it the hottest event of the UK hairdressing calendar.

Short styles

Short mens hairstyles continued to be a popular choice for many.  Traditional “short back and side” cuts provide men with a clean, sharp look, which requires very little maintenance, although with a little effort the style can be altered to great effect.

There are also many popular alternative looks for men wanting a short but edgy style.  Adding texture will provide extra styling options, whilst creative clipper work and asymmetric cutting provides men with a number of alternative styles.

We predict a return to more traditional looking mens short hairstyles in 2009, military style, short back and sides with length left on top for versatility.

Mid length styles

Mid length styles have probably become the most popular request in mens hairdressing this year. For men looking for something that is less traditional, mid length hairstyles can provide an alternative, fashionable look.

The opportunity to create different looks from the same style has also ensured that this length of hairstyle has become an increasingly popular choice. It is incredibly versatile and easily manageable, both important factors for a modern man. For some, the opportunity to use colour to good effect providing contrast and depth also makes this style a favourite.

Mens long hairstyles

Long hairstyle trends for men continued to be popular choice for many.  The huge selection of quality grooming products and services available has allowed men to easily experiment with longer styles, which might require a little more maintenance.

Longer styles for 2008 went towards a rock-type influence.  Trends included straightened and textured cuts with long fringes and optional shorter layers through the crown.

Expect to see more traditional styles in 2009. Less casual, point cut, choppy styles, and sleeker, precision cuts with natural movement.

Many hair and beauty salons will need to adapt areas of their business, such as salon Marketing and in-salon procedures, to ensure they make the best of the difficult times.  But what effects can we expect to witness in the salon? How can we prepare? And could salons even prosper?

Potential effects in the salon

With many people looking to save money wherever possible the likelihood is that you may well see clients, including your most loyal, look to spend less per visit or even visit less often, as they attempt to make their haircut or treatment last an extra couple of weeks.  In extreme cases some may feel forced to seek cheaper services elsewhere.

A client reducing their visits from every 6 weeks to 10 weeks would see revenue reduced by up to 30% over a 12-month period.  Apply this effect to a larger percentage of your entire clientele and you begin to see the importance of monitoring business, acting swiftly, making improvements and reducing potential losses.

Initially, it would appear that a negative impact on the business is inevitable, and, if left to run its course it almost certainly would be. However, remember that many other salons are suffering from the same effects, and as a result there are new opportunities to gain an edge on your competitors and even find extra business.

Improving client retention

Client retention is crucial for any salon to operate successfully and never more so than when times are unusually hard. To maintain a growing clientele and ensure customer loyalty, a salon must have excellent customer relations.

One way that salons can help improve its relationship with its clients is to follow up on a clients visit. Make a courtesy call or send an email asking about the customers thoughts and feelings following their visit to the salon. It will give you a wealth of information on all areas of the business from service quality to pricing, highlighting your strengths and also importantly any weaknesses, and from a customer perspective.
In my opinion this is the best way of discovering the opinions of the customer. They can talk freely and comfortably in their own surroundings, unlike an in-salon questionnaire for example.

Schemes and offers to increase salon sales

There are many offers and schemes that can be set up within the salon to help improve sales.  All schemes need very careful consideration though as they can have a very different impact on business due to each salons unique clientele. It is rare that one offer will suit your whole client base as well as the business. Your offers need to be suitably based on the individuals spending pattern and often multiple schemes can be used to great effect moving a client from one onto another etc.

To address the potential problem of increasing time between visits, one technique is to offer clients an incentive to book their next appointment within a certain time period. For example, “book your next appointment within 8 weeks and receive… retail offers, discounts etc.” Be sure to find an offer that suits your salon.

Other techniques such as loyalty schemes can work well, particularly to attract new customers during their initial visits.  Schemes like these need careful planning though to avoid reducing revenue from an already loyal customer base. In these instances other option like referral schemes could be used, but again, with careful planning.

Overview

It is fair to say that the spending habits of your clients ultimately lie with each customer individually. However, it is possible for salons to use various techniques to help influence and improve these decisions. It is crucial that salon owners and managers closely monitor sales and spending patterns to ensure that they can act quickly to prevent the business suffering.

This year, Alternative Hair will pay homage to its international patron Vidal Sassoon and it is therefore fitting that the 2008 visionary award invites entrants to take reference from his work, creating an inspired contemporary image.  One of the ten finalists will be chosen to participate with their own show in 2009.

The show is a visual extravaganza of hairdressing brilliance and creative genius for an audience often in excess of 5000 and is an excellent round up to the Salon International weekend.  Some of the world’s most renowned hairdressing artistic teams will display their talent on the famous stage with catwalk presentations from Andrew Collinge, Charlie Miller and Trevor Sorbie amongst others.

Tickets for the Alternative Hair show are available online from the Royal Albert Hall.

It is sure to be a great evening.  Good luck to everyone involved.

As hairdressing is such an interpersonal profession your company image, ethics and ultimately its success are often completely in the hands of the salons employees. Therefore it’s crucial that a sound hairdressing team is established first, regardless of its size.  It goes without saying that the whole team should be well mannered, enthusiastic and reliable as well as being passionate about hairdressing.  Staff will encounter customers from all walks of life and the ability to engage with them all is of the utmost importance whether you’re a salon manager or a weekend assistant.

Motivation

When a salon has the basis of a strong team it can be easy for salon owners to sit back and watch the salon flourish over the coming months and believe that the job is done.  However, it is important to consider the long-term success of the salon and not to neglect the team helping to bring this success.  Motivation is probably the single most important factor required to keep a team and business operating effectively.  Whether it’s a simple “well done” at the end of a day or more complex reward schemes, the need to acknowledge staff on positive performance is equally as important as addressing a problem, and often overlooked.

Salons can quickly establish their individual position within the community offering techniques or styles that suit the local clientele.  However, as a result it can be easy for employees to become disheartened at carrying out the same work, day in day out.  Importantly this can be most true in valuable, ambitious, creative hairdressers who are constantly looking to improve and progress in hairdressing.

Keeping the team eager

Salon owners and managers must play an active role in keeping team morale up ensuring that all employees remain focussed and motivated.

Ways to help improve staff morale include:

Photo shoots and magazine work.
This type of opportunity creates a great buzz in the salon.  They involve the whole team and give stylists the ability to show off their hairdressing skills.  Sometimes also providing the company with national recognition.

Hairdressing shows.
A trip to a salon show is an excellent way to keep morale high.  Shows such as Salon International provide employees with an insight into all area of modern hairdressing including demonstrations of the latest techniques and trends from leading hairdressing personalities.

Team building events and meetings.
From simple appraisals in the salon to organised trips away, team meetings probably provide the easiest and least expensive way of motivating staff as well as keeping management in touch with the feelings of individuals within the salon.

Reward schemes.
Most salons provide staff with retail sales or performance related bonuses.  In most cases these successfully help generate extra revenue for the business as well as providing the hairdressing staff with added incentives. However, salon owners introducing schemes like this must ensure that the level of service in the salon doesn’t begin to suffer as staffs desperately pursue a rewarding bonus.  At times this can be overlooked due to the apparent improvements in sales but often it can have much longer lasting negative effects on business.

Bringing success

To enjoy the rewards that an effective hairdressing team can bring the need for active involvement of managers and salon owners should never be far away, even with the most reliable teams.  Rest assured though that good planning and quality time invested in your team can prevent many future issues and will assist you on your journey towards running a highly profitable hairdressing business.

1. Keep learning.

It’s crucial that you continue to learn new skills not only in preparation of future opportunities but to continue doing your current job to the best of your ability.  Styles and the industry change often and its important that you remain up to speed with the latest looks and techniques.  Asking colleagues can provide experience based knowledge on everything from effective techniques to customer service.

2. Invest in yourself.

Many stylists choose to attend privately run courses.  Courses on a range of hairdressing topics take place at locations across the country held by some of the countries finest hairdressing bodies including L’Oreal, Schwarzkopf and many more.  These offer an excellent opportunity to stay in tune with latest trends.

3. Increase your knowledge of the industry.

Having a good knowledge of the whole industry can be hugely beneficial.  There is a wealth of knowledge available to hairdressers through magazines and the Internet.  Another priceless opportunity is to visit a hairdressing show.  Several are run each year in the UK with the most famous being Salon International. Hairdressers and salon owners from around the world can watch demonstrations from leading hairdressers, attend business related seminars and view the latest products available from leading manufacturers.  Shows like this provide a massive insight into modern hairdressing from stylist jobs to salon management.

4. Lead the way.

It goes without saying that leading by example can open up many extra opportunities that you may not have expected. Relatively straightforward tasks such as the ability to guide younger stylists with any training or offering suitable suggestions to improve the salons business may lead to employers considering you for alternative roles or future openings.

5. Stand out.

Where possible, hairdressers should take opportunities to stand out and display their hairdressing talent.  These opportunities include charity events, hair competitions or hairdressing shows.  Not only do these events provide an excellent opportunity for recognition within hairdressing but it is also gives hairdressers the opportunity to meet peers and begin networking.

6. Alternative skills.

It’s worth thinking out of the box a little about different skills that may be a bonus to have under your belt.  Hairdressing like many other industries has moved into the 21st century and knowledge of computers skills for example, has become a daily part of a stylist’s job.

7. Take advantage of Salonjobseeker.com.

There are many ways to find exciting new opportunities. Salonjobseeker.com can help make the whole process much easier. Jobseekers can view and apply for the latest hairdressing jobs and can also be alerted when relevant vacancies become available in the future.  Users register details about the type of jobs they’re interested in and salon jobseeker brings the opportunities to them.  The option to upload a CV also means that hairdressers can be headhunted directly by leading employers. An invaluable free job seeking service available at any stage of your career.

8. A Quality CV.

Whether you are looking to begin you hairdressing career or progress further, one of the most important factors is to get your CV and interviewing technique well prepared. The best cover letters incorporate key words and skills mentioned in the job ad.  CV’s should be short and sharp. Be selective about the information you provide, only include the information most relevant for the job you are applying for.

9. Interview preparation.

Following a successful application an interview will be required and a little preparation can help make the process a little easier.  Learning a little extra information about the salon before arriving is sure to win points. Remember to dress to match the role, don’t foul mouth previous employers or bring up the salary before the employer – all seemingly obvious hurdles. It’s an excellent idea to bring portfolio of images showcasing your hairdressing experience.  They are a great way to demonstrate what you are capable of.  Most employers ask for some sort of practical test, do what you do and do it well and don’t do anything too clever or off the wall.

10. Stay motivated.

Regardless of whether you manage to land your dream hairdressing job its important to remain motivated.  With the hair and beauty industry growing so rapidly and with such quality there is no shortage of excellent opportunities throughout the UK and the opportunity to open your own salon could come sooner than you think.