1 mins
Editors letter
Sometimes it pays to look outside of the industry for motivation and inspiration – and we did just that in the first quarter of the year, thanks to two industry events in February. HJ was lucky to be invited to Wella Business Network Live in the Midlands and the Phorest Salon Owners Summit in Dublin – see what we learnt from page 18.
In this month’s HJ Voicenotes column a salon owner in Birmingham shares the sacrifices she’s making to keep her business afloat – and equally what’s keeping her going. From 6-12 February HJ’s Apprentice Week ran online, if you’ve not seen the content visit www.hji.co.uk/apprentices to get up to date. Inspired by Apprentice Week, for our HJ Debate this issue we looked at whether there were more opportunities for apprentices in individual salons or salon chains.
Elsewhere in the issue we are on a mission to show how colour services can boost business - whether it’s by introducing new buzzwords and services to tempt clients (page 42) or translating trends like pink hair into profit (page 39). And on page 30 we talk all things brushes, how to look after them and what brand innovations are making tools last longer. After all, sustainability isn’t just about eco credentials, it’s about products being built to be by your side for your entire career.
Speaking of which, we all know that there’s a big problem at the heart of our industry – where the next generation of hairdressers is coming from. With low apprenticeship uptake, and only 62% of our social survey saying they have apprentices in the salon, how are we going to keep standards high and the industry evolving? HJ’s British Hairdresser of the Year, sponsored by Schwarzkopf Professional, Cos Sakkas has written an open letter to the industry on the topic of apprentices and inspiring the next generation on page 24. Let us know what you think on social media
or email me at charlotte.g@thepbgroup.com.
Hair: Hooker and Young
Photography: Michael Young