3 mins
Should you Have Your Name Above the Salon Door?
Yes
I owned my first salon in Ireland for a number of years and when I won the Irish L’Oréal Colour Trophy I felt a real pull to the hairdressing capital of the world. I moved to London and joined Sanrizz, before opening my own standalone salon in Balham in 2014 and Wimbledon in 2018. I decided to call my business Robert Kirby London because I had worked hard on my personal profile.
There are lots of pros to having your name above the door; the biggest for me is that your business has a face.
There are pros to having your name above the door; the biggest for me is that your business has a face. During and after the lockdowns people were eager to support local, small businesses. On the flipside, clients often want to book in with the name above the door, especially for special occasions and Christmas.
Whether it’s your name above the door, or you’re the artistic director of a brand, it’s always tough to step down, but sometimes you have to let go and trust. We have an amazing crew in our salons who are all capable of running the show in my absence. Another advantage of having my name above the door is that companies know who they are dealing with – Ibelieve that’s part of why I am an educator and the UK ambassador for idHair.
I don’t think being a brand would put people off coming through the door; it’s the service and experience that matters. If I was starting out again, I don’t think I would do anything differently. I am really happy with how my business has grown, I have an amazing team and clients who support me. Making them happy is my number one priority.
ROBERT KIRBY, ROBERT KIRBY LONDON
No
I can see the appeal of having your name above the door of your salon. Opening your own business is a huge achievement and it’s natural to want to shout about the fact that you are the person behind the brand. However, I took the decision not to make my salon eponymous and it’s a decision I stand by to this day, after 27 years of successful trading.
Room 97 Creative is a group of three salons based in Leeds and Wakefield. I opened the original Room 97 Creative salon in 1995 when I was 25 years old.
From day one, I wanted Room 97 Creative to be about the team. If a person’s name is above the salon door, I believe team members will always feel someone else is getting the recognition for their hard work.
I also believe not giving the business my name made it easier to expand. After 15 years of trading, I decided to grow Room 97 Creative into a salon group. I took the franchise route, with Karen Perry becoming the first Room 97 Creative franchisee in 2010. I believe that had the salon been named after me, it would have been harder
If a person’s name is above the salon door, I believe team members will always feel someone else is getting the recognition for their hard work. to roll out.
Also, there is always going to be a certain amount of confusion among clients if they come to a salon and the person whose name is on the door isn’t there. An individual can only be in one salon at a time, and now we have three salons there is no way I could be everywhere at once. There is no pressure with a name like Room 97 Creative. The brand is what clients become loyal to, not the person.
MARCELLO MOCCIA, ROOM 97 CREATIVE