HJ VOICENOTES
Victoria Lynch on having tough conversations and being one step ahead of change
“IF A STYLIST FEELS UNHEARD, THEY WILL LEAVE, AND NO CONTRACT WILL STOP A LOYAL CLIENT FROM FOLLOWING THEM. WE ARE EXPERTS AT READING OUR CLIENTS’ MOODS, SO WHY DON’T WE USE THOSE SAME INSTINCTS WITH OUR STAFF, NOTICING CHANGES IN ENERGY OR BODY LANGUAGE BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE?”
VICTORIA LYNCH
I truly believe the onus is on the owners. Whether you’re a multi-chain salon owner, or an independent business owner, being booked and busy for three focused days is far better for motivation and profitability than stretching appointments across five or six slow ones. Through my role as Managing Director and Creator of Remi Cachet, the clients I meet and what I see on social media, I can sense when the industry mood shifts. Right now, the economy is fuelling insecurity, but I also see how negativity quickly takes over if we let it.
When diaries are quiet, we have to stop the blame game and start adapting. If you can condense five working days into four or even three, do it. Those days will feel busy, productive and energising. Keep one flexi day in reserve for loyal clients who can’t make your core hours. Too many of us are repeating the same patterns and then wondering why they no longer work for us.
Post-Covid, working patterns have changed across every industry. People are out more in the daytime, working from home and expecting flexibility. Running a salon for fewer but fuller days saves on overheads too. Electricity, rent and rates all rise regardless of footfall. Add to that no VAT relief for our sector, rising wages and National Insurance, and the pressure on employers is relentless.
That is why I believe there’s a future in hub style salons. Shared hair and beauty spaces where self-employed professionals manage their own diaries and clients, specialise in one or two services and work collectively under one roof. It gives clients access to a broader service mix and removes the heavy weight that being an employer can bring. A hairdresser’s job becomes creating a clean, inspiring and well-run environment rather than managing sickness, holidays and payroll.
I understand concerns about educating the next generation. But hubs can still support training. Rental structures can include contributions for refreshments, backwash support and shared assistants. Apprentices can help with tools, colour work and client care. I think we need to change how we think about education.
Self-employment can force us to take responsibility for our own development. When you control your diary, you make time for education and invest in new services. Complacency is our enemy, particularly for those of us who think it’s someone else’s responsibility to keep us up to date.
We also need to communicate better with our teams. Clients follow people, not buildings. If a stylist feels unheard, they’ll leave, and no contract will stop a loyal client from following. We are experts at reading our clients’ moods, so why don’t we use those same instincts with our staff, noticing changes in energy or body language before it’s too late. Once negativity starts, it can put people off working for people again. Much better to be a step ahead of change, surely? Change can be uncomfortable, but it’s unavoidable. Look for opportunities, talk to your team and adapt before you are forced to. The onus really is on us.