Winning Best New Salon and Independent Salon of the Year at the British Hairdressing Business Awards 2025 was an incredible achievement, we have only been open for a year. It was also validation of everything we focused on from day one. Those awards didn’t come from a single campaign or lucky break; they came from consistently delivering great client experiences, having robust systems in place, building a supportive team of Independent hairdressers, and lastly… running the numbers correctly.
Below are the practical, business-focused steps that helped us launch quickly, build a loyal base of clients/independents and scale profitably — plus using a salon software how it can make those steps simpler and more reliable.
- Launch with a clear plan and a strong brand concept.. stick with it.
- Define your customer and design the salon experience around them. By building something you truly believe in, it’s easier to follow it through. When you start changing direction and cutting corners, you lose the authenticity of the brand.
- Realistic finances: set start-up budgets, forecast cashflow for the first 6–12 months, and build pricing that covers overheads and margins. Don’t oversell yourself, you need to still take a realistic wage. Try have a small pot of money aside for any unforeseen issues that will happen.
- Create an memorable and consistent client experience
- First impressions are paramount to any experience having a clean, welcoming space and an efficient booking/check-in process. Brief your front of house on exactly on how you like your clients to be welcomed, how you like the phone to be answered etc its vital everyone is on the same page. We have strict scripts that we tell our front of house to use, it ensures that every client is treated the same way.
- Structured consultations: capture colour notes, history, sensitivities and client goals every visit, using a good salon software can make this so quick and easy to do on the go
- Aftercare & follow-up: automated reminders, tailored aftercare messages, and targeted rebooking prompts keep clients returning. How a salon software can help? They give you centralised client records, automated SMS/email reminders, online booking systems that card capture on all appointments made to reduce no-shows.
- Education and retail
- Ongoing development: regular technical and retail training keeps standards high and helps upsell ethically, there will always be stylists that dont believe in retailing or are scared of the client saying no. Focus your attention on whether what you retail gets the team excited and actually works, there isn’t any point holding onto stock that’s just gathering dust. A good salon software can show you what is selling and whats not.
- Whether or not your salon is employed, commission based or cowork, retail is and should be a great source of revenue. Clients can of course buy some product ranges cheaper online but they are much more likely to buy something that they have been recommend or buy the full range instead of what they think will work.
- Inventory control: track retail and backbar stock to avoid overordering or running out of stock.
- Client bookings and appointments
- Booking rules: clear cancellation, late policy and rebooking processes protect revenue and ensure everyone is on the same path. Everyone now know s if they cancel a dentist appointment last minute you get charged, lets make it the same for salons.
- Why it matters: Processes reduce mistakes, protect margins and make it easier to train new staff.
- Master the numbers
- Track your numbers as much as you can like a average bill, client retention, new client ratio, rebooking rate and retail uptake.
- Break-even and target: know your break-even per day and set realistic revenue targets per stylist or per chair if you rent them out
- Cost control: monitor rent, utilities, product cost and payroll as a % of revenue. Don’t be left with unexpected bills
Jack Williams-Hirst and Ross Williams-Hirst
