In a world gripped by the Coronavirus pandemic, the impact on barbers and hairdressers is profound. As businesses remain closed, incomes continue to be affected and with the industry facing uncertain times, Andis Company was keen to help those falling on hard times. To support the industry and show solidarity with fellow professionals at this time, Andis is delighted to become the newest Sponsor of the Hair and Beauty Charity and boost their Covid-19 Relief Fund on JustGiving with a £1,000 donation.
As the industry’s recognised charity, the Hair and Beauty Charity is perfectly positioned to support professionals in particularly challenging circumstances. It has responded to the Coronavirus pandemic by setting up a Relief Fund on JustGiving and, as Andis Senior Manager – Corporate Communications Bruce Bock says, it’s just what Andis was looking for. “As a company we invest in charitable programmes and projects that make a difference to local communities, so we were especially looking to contribute to a Relief Fund in the UK to help barbers and stylists affected by Coronavirus. The Hair and Beauty Charity does incredible work in support of professionals who find themselves in challenging situations and their initiative to set up a specific fund for businesses affected by Coronavirus is a perfect fit for us.”
Andis joins many leading brands, media partners and industry professionals in their support of the charity and those who are striving to reach the Covid-19 Relief Fund’s £20,000 target.
“In addition to our support of the charity and the Covid-19 Relief Fund, we will be helping to raise its profile through our PR and social media to make barbers and stylists aware of the charity and what it does,” says Bruce. “We very much look forward to working in partnership with the charity and their team.”
We want to do our best to help you find your new normal once restrictions have been lifted, and safely prepare for the re-opening of your salon for future visits. That’s why we’ve introduced a new feature that will help you easily notify your clients when it’s perfect time to come back into your salon and everything has been prepared to safely start the appointment. Introducing, I’m Ready!
Picture this: the COVID-19 lockdown has been lifted and you’re ready to re-open your business. As the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way we think about health, safety and hygiene procedures, you’ll want to make every effort to make your clients feel safe during the visit. Many of your customers are looking forward to using your services again, but may still be afraid of being in contact with a large number of people in a small space. That’s why we’ve introduced I’m Ready, a new feature that will help to make your clients comfortable while visiting your salon, knowing that you’ll be ready to give them your undivided attention in a safe space.
Thanks to the new I’m Ready feature, you can easily notify your clients via the Booksy app that they can already come into your salon and start their appointment. Now you can minimize footfall in your salon and reserve some padding time between appointments to sanitize the tools and workspaces, while your client waits outside your salon until you’re ready to go. So if they want to avoid the busier spaces and don’t want to cross paths with other people inside your salon, they can wait until you ask them directly to come in.
I’m Ready! How does it work?
Choose an upcoming visit in your calendar and go to the appointment details.
Click the “I’m Ready” button at the bottom and send a confirmation to notify your client that you’re ready for the appointment.
3. Clients using the Booksy app receive an SMS or Push notification telling them that you are ready for their visit and they can now come into your salon.
And it’s as easy as that. With our new I’m Ready feature, you’ll be able to give your clients some much needed peace of mind when it comes to heading back out and enjoying their health, beauty and wellness treatments.
Check out what other safety steps you can take to re-open your salon once restrictions have been lifted. Discover our new features like online services and custom forms to help you prepare yourself to bounce right back into business.
The £1.7 Million Haircut tells a personal story about a global issue – men believing that they can’t or shouldn’t talk about their mental health and feeling that there is no way out other than to take their own lives. This is the story about one man’s mission to change this and to saves lives, one haircut at a time.
‘The £1.7 Million Haircut’ documentary recounts the story of a life lost to suicide and an ambition to create safe spaces for men to talk, open up and work towards a world free from suicide.
After the death of his friend Alex, Torquay based barber Tom Chapman founded the charity ‘The Lions Barber Collective’. Its mission is to create non-clinical, non-judgemental safe spaces where men feel comfortable to talk about their mental health and to signpost them to support and information.
Recognising that barbers and hair professionals are often a trusted confidant and friendly ear to their customers, the documentary shows Tom’s efforts to develop a clinically backed training programme (BarberTalk) for hair stylists to support their clients and communities.
With someone in the UK taking their own life every 120 minutes, 75% of them being men, the need for change is more crucial than ever. ‘The £1.7 Million Haircut’ follows Tom taking the challenge head on, to break down the stigma around men discussing their mental health. Tom meets with influential leaders in the South West to expose the stark reality the impact suicide has on communities, healthcare services and the economy.
Tom Chapman said “The economic impact per suicide is something I had not really considered before, loss of earning, loss of employment, inquests into the death, it amounts to so much more than we could ever imagine. It now makes what we are doing as a charity even more important, to save lives and make a difference to families out there who have been subject to such tragedy. I am now making it my mission to create a world free from suicide, how could we ask for anything less?”.
Tom Chapman said “The economic impact per suicide is something I had not really considered before, loss of earning, loss of employment, inquests into the death, it amounts to so much more than we could ever imagine. It now makes what we are doing as a charity even more important, to save lives and make a difference to families out there who have been subject to such tragedy. I am now making it my mission to create a world free from suicide, how could we ask for anything less?”.
Made by ‘Films by Wonder’, the film is produced by Lisa Gardiner, directed by Josh Pratt and demonstrates the charity’s obvious impact on people’s lives. We meet the official ambassadors of the charity, Dan Davies, Darren Birch and Wez Jones who help deliver the BarberTalk training across the country and beyond. Each share their story of helping their clients as well as close personal accounts of the reality of coping with mental health issues – from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder to experiencing suicidal thoughts.
Due for release in May, the documentary builds on the charity’s momentum to become a global movement by training barbers all over the world to recognise when someone is struggling and support them to find further help. And, despite the positive aspects of meeting Prince William, The Duke of Cambridge as well as Tom receiving the Points of Light Award from former Prime Minister, Teresa May, it also shows the reality of the challenges of running a charity. The viewer sees upfront the ever-growing burden of trying to acquire funding and the tough decisions that Tom must make to secure its future.
“Tom’s work has saved so many lives. Suicide is the biggest killer of men under 45. Our fathers, our brothers, our sons. I’d urge everyone to watch this film – not only to hear about Tom’s important work but to also be inspired by the impact that one person can have.”
Dr. Sabrina Rachel Cohen-Hatton, Psychologist and Writer.
“Like Professor Green passed the baton to Tom Chapman, who has run exceptionally, beautifully to the finish line, inspiring thousands in the process.”
Eddie Temple Morris, Producer and Virgin Radio DJ.
“I defy anyone not to be moved by this film or fail to be inspired by Tom’s passion and the commitment of those he has motivated to follow his lead. We must not ignore him. Tom and his Lions Barbers Collective have never felt so important and I wish them heart felt success in going from strength to strength.”
Dr. Annie M Procter MB BCh MSC MD, Director of Mental Health Services, Cardiff & Vale University Health Board.
Following the publication of the Welsh Government’s roadmap out of lockdown, the NHBF has welcomed their clarity for hairdressers within their traffic light guidance system.
There are four possible phases to the Welsh system: Lockdown (Black), Red, Amber and Green. Although no dates have currently been allocated to when each phase will play out, the government has listed ‘hairdressing’ as a ‘personal service under appointment’ in the Amber Phase of their roadmap. This is alongside non-essential retail and accommodation businesses (without shared facilities).
The NHBF has already written to the government about its decision to include ‘personal care’ services in Phase 3 alongside hospitality in England. Hairdressing, barbering and beauty are usually included in with retail, for example for the purposes of business rates. Many salons benefit from the retail business rates relief. We have written to the Scottish government in similar terms.
Much like the UK Government’s Covid-19 recovery strategy that was released earlier this week, the Welsh roadmap is subject to continued progress in containing the spread of the virus, and each phase has its own social distancing measures. The Welsh Government has also said that things will not move ‘wholesale’ from one phase to the next, and that changes will be made slowly and with great care.
The NHBF represents 234 salons in Wales, and has already volunteered to support the Welsh Government by calling on their Members who want to take part in any pilot schemes.
Hilary Hall, chief executive of the NHBF says, “The safety of our industry has always been our top concern. We welcome the Welsh Government’s clarity that hair and beauty sits alongside retail and accommodation businesses. We will continue our conversations with the UK Government and the Scottish government about where hair and beauty should sit within the plans for lifting lockdown in England and Scotland. We have recently released robust guidelines to our Members and government contacts to show that salons and barbershops can operate safely whenever it’s time to re-open.”
Takara Belmont’s National Sales Manager Katie Wrighton explains how leasing can transform your barbershop, expand service opportunities and boost business income.
Takara Belmont is famed for timeless, iconic design, unrivalled performance and durability. But did you know that our range can be lease purchased, and that we offer a free Salon Design Service for barbershops looking to create an inspirational interior and deliver the ultimate service experience?
With a national distributor network, barbershops can get the best chairs and equipment whilst managing expenditure by leasing. Leasing ensures that you can maximise your service and income potential whilst managing cashflow, as well as benefiting from tax efficiencies. You need to invest in things other than equipment, so buying outright or taking out loans can divert money away from things like training and recruitment. Leasing not only frees up cash resources for other priorities, it enables you to benefit from premium furniture and equipment in a manageable, low interest and tax efficient way with fixed monthly payments.
Eighty 8 – Love to Create
Leasing also makes sense because buying inferior equipment can cost more in the longterm. The cost of repairs or replacement equipment not only means barbershops typically spend more over time, business can suffer from lost revenues due to service disruption, downtime and equipment failure.
In addition to equipment, Takara Belmont has also designed some of the world’s most inspirational interiors. Our free* concept-to-completion design service ensures your dream of the ultimate barbershop is realised!
* Salon Design Service is free subject to equipment purchases and T&Cs. See website for details. Leasing is available through our distributors and not directly with Takara Belmont.
Hair and Barber Council registrar Keith Conniford reassures the industry he will be looking for clarification from Government this week on whether hair and barber salons are classed as non-essential shops.
Keith reacted to the Prime Minister’s latest lockdown announcement, which saw Boris Johnson stress that the lockdown is still in place, stating this is not the time to make any changes, but to take small steps.
Steps announced were:
From May – If you can’t work from home you are encouraged to go to work
From June – Some primary schools may be allowed to reopen along with some non-essential shops
From July – Hospitality sector may be able to open together with other public places
All the above are conditional on the R numbers remaining low.
Keith Conniford says: “The announcement was very disappointing and ambiguous. I was expecting more than what was announced, such as restrictions on households and families being lifted. The Prime Minster says he will be going into more detail this week so will be interesting to see what he says.
“Concerning our industry, he stated that from 1 June non-essential shops will open – so does that include salons, barbershops and beauty salons? I will be speaking to Government and our APPG this week as to whether we are classed as non-essential businesses. For business, this was a disappointing announcement and we are left with no more information that we were last week. My biggest concern was his statement that if you can’t work from home then go to work – I believe that was aimed at manufacturing, construction and medical rather than our industry and we urge hairdressers, barbers and beauticians to wait for further clarification, which we will endeavour to get as soon as possible.”
“Dominic Raab this morning has said that hospitality and ‘personal care services’ such as hair and beauty salons and barbershops in England will not be able to reopen until 4th July at the earliest. It is our view that this is the right course of action, as the safety of the people in our industry is paramount.
Scotland and Wales have also spoken of their determination to take a cautious approach and their current restrictions remain in place.
We hope to be able to provide more clarity later following a meeting with representatives from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy this morning. There are still many concerns within our industry and we are working hard to get answers so that we can plan to return to work safely when the time is right.
“We know that these are hard times, and we’re glad we can partner with PBA to help further contribute to the COVID-19 Relief Fund,” says 1919 Product Manager, Allan Vodicka. “We know that others want to help, too, and this an easy way to do that. Every little bit – even the purchase of a tube of pomade or hair gel – can help a barber or stylist get through this difficult time.”
Wahl is no stranger to lending a helping hand to the industry during tough times. In addition to the 1919 donation opportunity, the company has also made a direct donation to the PBA COVID-19 Relief Fund. And in an effort to keep barbers and stylists learning and growing during this time, Wahl Professional has been providing free online education, taught by members of the Wahl Education and Artistic Team, each week on its social media sites. Information about when W.E.A.T. members are going live can be found on the Wahl’s Instagram (@wahlpro) and videos are housed on its Facebook page, allowing viewers the opportunity to re-watch the educational videos.
Follow Wahl Professional on Instagram (@wahlpro) and on its Facebook page to stay up to date on its partnership with PBA and to see how as a company they are helping give back to relief efforts. Click here to see how each 1919 men’s grooming product can be used to style any cut.
To purchase 1919 by Wahl Professional men’s grooming product click here and use the coupon code PBA to have 50% of your purchase donated to the PBA COVID-19 Relief Fund. To learn more about the relief fund, to see if you qualify to receive a grant, or if you wish to donate go to ProBeauty.org/PBA-Charities/COVID-19-Relief-Fund.
To learn more about how Wahl is making face shields for hospital and healthcare workers, click here.
Not sure what tool you need for a cut? Check out TOOL SELECT by Andis.
With so many clippers, trimmers and tools on the market, this simple, free to use online tool selector, created by Andis Company, helps barbers and stylists find the right Andis tools for every style, every cut.
Visit TOOL SELECT at https://toolselect.andis.com and the resource guides barbers and stylists through every technical need to arrive at a selection of tools perfect for the job in hand. For example: Choose HAIR and you’ll be invited to select from FULL HAIRCUT or DETAILING, OUTLINING OR TRIMMING…Go the FULL HAIRCUT route and you are presented with a range of different cuts and then hair types to tailor tool choices to your specific requirement. In just a few steps, a wide range of Andis tools is narrowed down to a small selection compatible with the cuts and styles that you’re looking to create.
‘This innovate online resource helps barbers and stylists to find the perfect tools for every cut and style’, says Angie Perino, Andis Global Education Manager – Barber and Beauty. ’This simplifies the task of finding the right tools and ensures barbers and stylists get what they need quickly and effectively.’
Discover TOOL SELECT at https://toolselect.andis.com to find out what tools you need to create the ultimate cuts and styles.
Sterling, IL (April 27, 2020) – Wahl Professional plans to kick off its second leg later this year of Disruptour, (Disruptour.com) a nationwide barber education gathering designed to teach the latest barbering and business skills. Disruptour successfully kicked off in March in San Diego and Las Vegas before taking a hiatus due to COVID-19. For more information on upcoming show dates and to receive a 25% discount when you purchase your tickets visit Disruptour.com/Tickets. With a VIP ticket purchase, attendees will receive a limited edition Disruptour-branded Cordless Magic Clip.
Disruptour attendees will learn cutting-edge clipper skills to push their cuts and styles to the next level. However, unlike regular shows, the Disruptour will also teach barbers and stylists how to build their brand image through social media, photography, and key business skills. The tour will feature Wahl Education and Artistic Team (W.E.A.T.) members, Nieves Almaraz (@howtofadehair) and Kevin Nguyen (@yakuzabarber), Wahl Professional’s new creative consultant, Byrd Mena (@byrdmena), and other professionals in the industry who all share the same goal of bringing high-quality education to the industry.
The idea of the tour stemmed from a conversation between Lisa Finucane, Wahl Professional’s US Director of Education, and W.E.A.T. member, Nieves Almaraz, who wanted to create an intimate event where people have a chance to learn close up, get their questions answered and meet the educators. This quickly turned to something more when Finucane met Byrd Mena, founder of SharpFade, and an international hair show promoter. Byrd officially joined the Wahl Professional team as a creative consultant with the first goal of helping to bring Disruptor into fruition. His partnership has brought additional industry leaders to the show stops across the country.
Attendees to the first two Disruptour shows were able to interact one on one with the educators without any pressure. “Everybody was so impressed with the barbers and stylists on stage,” said Mena. “Our goal was to bring great education in an intimate setting that was really user-friendly and non-intimidating to barbers and stylists. We were so happy with the feedback. People kept telling us how much they loved what they learned.”
“Wahl strives to be a company that brings the community together wherever they are. The energy from the first two shows was just amazing,” said Lisa Finucane. “We can’t wait to do more of it.”
With COVID-19 currently putting everyone’s life on hold, the Disruptour team pushed back a few of its show dates and took a positive spin on everyone staying at home by offering complimentary online education and a discount on upcoming show tickets:
Complimentary Education
Wahl Professional is holding Facebook Lives every week with W.E.A.T. members teaching various cuts, allowing watchers to have a Q&A session, and the ability to re-watch each video.
The clipper manufacturer is also holding Instagram Lives on their account with exclusive interviews with W.E.A.T. members and how are they are handling their business through COVID-19. Throughout the next few weeks, each educator on the Disruptour will be holding Instagram Lives on each of their social media accounts to stay connected with members of the community and provide free and quality education to everyone who wants to learn.
To view videos and stay up to date when educators will be going live follow Wahl on Facebook and Instagram (@wahlpro).
25% discount on all Disruptour tickets
To purchase a ticket visit Disruptour.com/Tickets. With a VIP ticket purchase, attendees will receive a limited edition Disruptour-branded Cordless Magic Clip.
