Scheduling software Phorest has announced a global rebranding and the launch of a charitable growth fund.  

Phorest’s CEO, Ronan Perceval shares his business journey from back in 2004 up until the current rebranding.  

The Gift of Growth – Then, Now and Next

A letter from Phorest’s CEO, Ronan Perceval

“It’s 2004.  As I am hunched underneath the salon reception desk, troubleshooting a computer issue in the first infant version of Phorest’s Software, I wondered if I would ever truly delight the salon owner waiting behind me. I can barely remember what else happened that day, but I remember this very clearly. It was my goal to make sure that everything in her growing business was working smoothly and I knew if I got it right, together we could bring more revenue in through her door.  

“At this point, the fledgling Phorest team was less than 12 months old. We had more to learn than we could imagine, but what we did have was something in common with salon owners across the globe – the ambition to get it right for this one customer in front of me. I wanted her not just to believe in me, (although I’m grateful to say that she did) but to see the proof right there in her takings at the end of the day. If you had told me then that 19 years later we would have a team of 300 people with these same values, serving salons in 10 regions across the world, I probably wouldn’t have believed you; all I wanted to do was to prove I could give this person more time to treat her clients, while helping her salon business grow. 
 
“Lucky for me, we did. And then we did it again; and again… and again. 

“One by one, over time, Phorest has become a global company with over 8,500 businesses using our products and services. Each one helping us be better. Each one a real person we tried to make it right for.  

 “The events (or lack of!) of the last two years have caused most of us to pause for reflection. I have thought about those early days alot in this time, and the intervening years. I realised that the Phorest team’s combined passion for growing our clients business’ alongside the passion those business owners share has been the real success story behind our own growth.  

Together, We Grow. 

“Today, we revealed a brand new look, for a new era. One that tells that story, with the people behind the industry right at the heart of it. One that showcases our capabilities – a fresh, optimistic, forward-thinking salon software with real people and passion behind every screen.

“But it’s what comes with our new look that matters most to me. I’m proud to announce the establishment of The Phorest Growth Fund. It’s our commitment to give a minimum of £/€100,000 back to salon businesses across the globe in 2022, and every year from now on. 

 
“The global Phorest Growth Fund is a financial stepping stone for salons that have plans for growth but struggle to secure funding, loans or finance to level up.  

“Phorest was born on the salon floor – we know what it’s like to be at the heart of a business that is striving for excellence but we are also acutely aware of the challenges facing the industry when it comes to growing that business. The Phorest Growth Fund is there purely to give back to the community that has given us so much. From our own research, we know that for 42% of salons getting established, business planning and finances was the biggest challenge they faced, while 24% – a quarter of all salon businesses – struggle with getting appropriate loans or funding. 

“Launching in March 2022, we will have a Phorest Growth Fund application process and review panel in every one of our 10 regions. Funds will be awarded for various amounts to the salons selected through the application process. No tricks. No hidden hooks. Just a helping hand into this brave new world.  

“Please put a calendar note to check in on 1 March when we’ll be announcing our review panel, application criteria and giving a sneak peek on how to prepare for applications. 

“We have taken the next step in our growth journey with a brand new look; but it means nothing unless you are on that journey beside us. 

“Together, We Grow.” 

Ronan Perceval 

CEO, Phorest  

Connecticut barber Peter Tsakiris of Peter’s Unisex Hairstyling in Hartford, has been cutting the hair of local residents for half a century and has reported that a thief stole $10,000 of clipper and razor equipment from his barbershop after a break-in. 

Peter said: “I always felt that I didn’t need an alarm or insurance, but it happens.” News of the incident spread thanks to Johnny Cruz, a local client who posted about it on TikTok. 

The buzz on social media caught the attention of Jay Majors who runs the Connecticut Barber Expo, who said: “Every barber started messaging me. Barbering is nostalgic, it is about history. These are our predecessors, so it hurt my feelings for someone to target someone like that.” Donations started coming into Jay from as far away as Cleveland Ohio, and the result was that Jay collected up thousands of dollars of new equipment and delivered it to Peter to choose from.  

Tsakiris was able to pick out clippers, disinfectant, aftershave and everything else he needed from the money that was donated.  

Tsakiris, who is a third-generation barber said that some of what was stolen was sentimental. “My father was a barber, and I had some clippers and razors that he has passed down.” To him they were priceless. 

Two days shy of his 80^th birthday and the barber has received the best birthday wish of all. “I couldn’t be any happier, I had no tools when I walked in this morning and now look around, I got everything I need and more.”  

says NHBF State of the Industry Survey

As the National Hair & Beauty Federation publishes the latest State of the Industry Report, it has laid out a list of actions required from the government to ensure that hair & beauty salons and barbershops are given the best chance to recover following the devastation caused by the pandemic.  

The previous survey in September showed growing evidence of sector resilience and businesses getting back on their feet, but the emergence of the omicron variant and renewed restrictions across the UK over the winter has had a chilling effect: 

• 42% are breaking even. However, nearly 40% are either making a small or substantial loss with and only 19% making a small or good profit (this was previously at 43%) 
• Around 32% of respondents raised their prices over the last three months (down from 40%).  A further 58% will do so over the next three months (up from 40% previously) 
• A significant 81% of businesses are either partially or completely reliant on Government support to continue trading (up from 66% – similar to the July 2021 figure of 80%). 
• More than half of businesses (54%) have debt; the level of debt has increased from 52% over the last 12 months and more than two thirds (68%) have used personal savings to keep themselves going. 

Staffing, recruitment and apprentices: 

• In the next three months, only 15% are definitely or likely to take on new staff (down from 27% in September) 
• Over the last three months, 18% have cut back on apprentices and only 7% will definitely or are likely to take on apprentices in the next three months. 

Looking to the future: 

• Business confidence in the sector has weakened, with only 40% confident of their survival (down from 63% in September) and a significant 52% not sure. This is close to the lowest confidence point we have recorded, in November 2020, and the most uncertain that businesses have been since the survey started. 
• However, growth intentions are similar to the green shoots shown in September. Over 40% say that they intend to grow their business, 41% remain the same size and 17% downsize or handover the business.  

The NHBF is therefore calling for the following: 

1.  The reintroduction of the Job Retention Bonus through to the summer of 2022 and restraint on further increases to the National Minimum Wage and apprenticeship rate until such time as the sector can continue its recovery.  
2. An increase in the 50% discount on business rates for 2022-23 and flexibility on repayments of CBILS (Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme) and bounce back loans to offer much needed support to those suffering financial hardship. 
3. More attractive apprenticeship incentives to employers, focusing on the development of affordable apprenticeship schemes specifically for small businesses in order to make it financially viable for them to recruit and retain apprentices.  
4. A commitment to make financial support via local authority Additional Restrictions Grant (ARG) and grants in the nations available to businesses as soon as possible with further support reviewed as any future restrictions are introduced. 
5. Continued consultation between the sector and UK and devolved governments to tailor current and future guidance in a clear and accessible way with more forward thinking to plan and implement any future changes giving businesses adequate time. 

Richard Lambert, NHBF chief executive said, “Ours is a sector that continues to show some optimism for the future despite all that the pandemic has cost businesses. We are confident that with continued support from each national Government, further UK Government support into the spring and incentives for apprenticeships that the personal care sector will recover to play an important role in the UK’s sustainable economic recovery, the future of high streets and people’s wellbeing. But without that support, jobs will be lost and many well-established, but now deeply indebted businesses that have exhausted their reserves, will close.” 

The survey received 2,851 responses between 10-19 January. It gathered views from a sizeable representation of businesses in the personal care sector across allareas including city centres, town centres and villages in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.  

Respondents included salon or barbershop owners, chair or room renters, home-based business owners, mobile or freelance practitioners, employers and the self-employed. Nearly 70% of respondents were salon or barbershop owners. 51% are involved in the wider space renting, mobile and freelance part of the sector; this is either the sole focus of their business or in addition to them being a salon or barbershop owner. 

In 2019 the NHBF reported that UK’s 45,000 salon business’ (hair, beauty and barbershops) delivered a combined turnover of £8 billion. 

OSMO has appointed its latest Brand Ambassador; Brodie Raeside. 

Brodie’s passion for barbering began only four years ago and he recently opened his own shop Heavy Hands, in Ilkeston, Derbyshire.  

Having initially worked in a guitar shop, Brodie was looking for a career that would both challenge and excite him. He booked himself onto a five-day barbering course with renowned barber, Sid Sottung, and never looked back. With the barbering bug firmly in place, Brodie undertook unpaid shadowing work at a local barber shop for five months to further develop his confidence and skills. 

During his training, Brodie started attending courses with the British Barber Bash team and put himself forward for demonstration opportunities at their live events. It was through this relationship that Brodie was introduced to the OSMO brand (OSMO have been key sponsors of GBBB since the beginning). “I knew I needed to go all in with barbering once I’d started to invest in my education.  It was a natural progression to stop working in the guitar shop and just go for this new career that really had me hooked. I was attending courses and exhibitions, OSMO was always there supporting barbers and giving out these great products. I started to buy them for my own kit bag and then when I opened my own shop in April 2021 – yep, just after lockdown! – it was a natural progression to take on the product range.  There’s so much choice for me as a barber and my customers like that there’s a wide selection of products, they can use at home too.  This is an exciting time; my shop is taking off and now this amazing role with OSMO.  2022 is going to be a great year!” explains Brodie. 

Brodie’s style of barbering sees him focusing on texture and scissor work but it’s his expertise in fade work and originality when it comes to styling that got him where he is today. 

“Brodie has a natural flair for barbering and his uniquely talented styling techniques really stood out to us, along with his ability for live education. It’s been a natural step to work even closer with Brodie and we know he’s going to bring lots of energy and creativity to the OSMO Family.  We’re keen to see where 2022 takes us all,” OSMO Senior Brand Manager, Sinéad McLaughlin concludes. 

Quick Fire Questions with Brodie:  

Favourite OSMO Products: Grooming Tonic, Matte Clay Extreme, Power Powder & Extreme Extra Firm Hairspray 

3 Words to Describe You: Ambitious, Passionate, Hardworking. 

Create an online store and start selling products with Fresha’s new store feature! 

Fresha, the world’s No.1 subscription-free appointment scheduling software, is transforming retail potential for barbering and men’s grooming businesses, and the online shopping experience for their clients with the launch of Fresha Store.   

Over 60,000 hair, beauty and wellness partners and 200,000 professionals that manage their appointments, promote their services and protect their incomes with Fresha, can now create an online store, promote and sell products, and collect payments all from one place to:   

• Impress clients with a professionally designed online store  
• Offer clients delivery or pick-up options  
• Collect online payments with Fresha Payment Processing  

Create your online store easily and quickly! 

It’s natural to want to impress clients, so barbers needn’t worry if they feel they don’t have the technical skills to create a professional looking online shop. Fresha has made it so simple and intuitive that any barber can set up and have a fully functioning e-commerce store in minutes.    

Nick Miller, Fresha co-founder: “We’ve created a simple, intuitive e-commerce experience within Fresha that’s designed for barbers and salon professionals, not IT experts. Within just a few clicks, you can personalise your store with a logo, store name and description. Adding products* couldn’t be easier and you can also add social links, so all your clients will know that you’re now trading online.”  

It’s time to tell your clients about your new store! 

When your store is set up a unique store link is generated, so it’s easy to promote it on social media, and by using the marketing tools available within the Fresha platform. With delivery and collection options available, barbers can offer clients the option to collect their purchase from the shop, reserve it for when they attend their next appointment or have it shipped directly their home, workplace or specified delivery address.     

“Barbers mailing products will need to ensure they have the right packaging and materials for their safe transit and arrival,” says Nick. “But providing a professional shopping experience and encouraging clients to leave reviews is a great way to maximise additional income from product sales.” 

Online payments that are easy, upfront and contactless 

To ensure smooth, seamless payments to your online store, Fresha Payment Processing is the perfect way to collect online payments. First, partners receive money upfront and it’s contactless too.  

When your store is activated, Fresha simply charges a transaction fee of 1.29% + £0.20p, so partners only pay as they sell. And if for any reason a refund needs to be processed for a purchase made on your online store, that’s easily done at the click of a button. 

William Zeqiri, Fresha CEO and founder: “The potential for online retail in the barbering and men’s grooming industry is huge, yet many businesses are yet to take advantage of this. Fresha Store is a big step in the right direction as we’ve made it easy to create a store within Fresha. As part of our feature mix, it means barbering businesses have everything in one place, which simplifies their business lives too. Their clients are comfortable shopping online with other retailers and e-commerce businesses, and it’s a big part of our lives as shopping trends continue to evolve. Barbers need to benefit from this retail transformation and now they can with Fresha Store.” 

Join Fresha FREE and set up your online store today at https://www.fresha.com/for-business  

* Fresha recommends taking high quality images to showcase products at their best and provides guidance on a dedicated blog to help salons take really beautiful product images Click here to read. 

Mental health and suicide prevention charity The Lions Barber Collective has become Denman International’s charity of choice for 2022. Global hair tools brand, Denman has pledged a raft of support measures to the charity founded by barber Tom Chapman in 2015. International Sales Director Martyn Wady says “Mental health concerns and suicide sadly touch the lives of so many, including Denman’s own staff and our wider network of partners. We were actively seeking an opportunity to offer sponsorship and support to the cause and Tom’s incredible charity enables us to make a positive impact. We are grateful for all the work done by The Lions Barber Collective and excited about the year ahead.” 

Denman will sponsor education, pop-up events and key activities across the year and supply branded tools PLUS donate a percentage of sales from every tool sold from the new professional barber range, Jack Dean by Denman. Tom Chapman says “Like all charities our needs are always funding and awareness, this partnership with Denman offers much needed support on both counts and we can’t wait to see what we can achieve together.”

The Lions Barber Collective offers education and support to help barbers create shop environments that are a safe space for their clients and raise awareness for mental well being and suicide prevention. BarberTalk training gives hair professionals the tools to help their customer community and connect them to the resources available that will truly make a difference to their wellbeing.

Image: Tom Chapman, Founder The Lions Barber Collective 

The colour blue itself is associated with freedom, imagination and inspiration to name just a few things, making it a fabulous choice when it comes to hair colour. There are so many shades of blue, making them a great colour to incorporate into your hair, with a shade to suit everyone, no matter what your current hair colour is or your hair type or skin tone. 

Jim Shaw, owner of Toni&Guy Billiericay, said: “As we quickly transition from winter into spring, pastel blue hues will be particularly on trend. I love creating a pastel blue tone on my male clients and find that a lot of men don’t feel too apprehensive about choosing this colour, as it’s not so vivid in comparison to other bold and bright hair colours. A lot of men are now being more experimental with hair colour and previous trends have included icy blondes, silver and grey tones. For men who have tried these cooler tones already, this blue is a great choice for their next look. 

“When creating this shade on male clients within the salon, it’s firstly important to pre-lighten the hair with bleach to achieve a clean blonde that the blue will take to. 

“Once the hair has been lightened, the blue colour can then be applied. My favourite product to use to create a beautiful pastel blue is Crazy Color Bubblegum Blue. This colour is lovely on its own but it can also be mixed with lighter/darker shades of Crazy Color to alter the shade slightly too, allowing it to work for all clients and achieve their desired hue. 

“When any client comes into the salon for a colour service like this, I always recommend a hair treatment to repair the hair as much as possible after the colouring process and to give the hair added moisture and shine. 

“After you’ve finished styling the look, always discuss with your client about blue hair colour aftercare and how they can keep their blue hue looking its best until their next appointment.  

“Encourage them to invest in some good quality hair care, such as shampoos, conditioners and treatment that will keep the colour locked in, as well as styling products that can be used to not only style the hair, but also give it further nourishment too. 

“The American Crew Precision Blend Shampoo is a great shampoo choice, which protects against colour fading and that rejuvenates the hair to keep the colour vibrant and healthy in appearance. American Crew Fiber is another favourite product of mine that can be used to style the finished look and give the blue a fantastic shine.” 

Business consultant Phil Jackson from Build Your Salon, offers these tips for getting your goals – and sticking to them – in 2022. 

This time of year is always full of promise. But for many, the momentum of New Year’s resolutions and goals-getting goes by the wayside in a few weeks, or worse still doesn’t even get started because the tasks feel overwhelming. 

The key to keeping momentum and motivation high is to connect your business goals with your personal goals.  Growing turnover might feel very exciting, but growing turnover so that you can generate an extra £10k in profit in order to book the family holiday of your dreams is a LOT more exciting.  our business should be there to serve you, not the other way around.  Revisit your life goals around where you want to live, the lifestyle you want to lead, even plans for when and how you want to retire and discuss over a glass of wine with your partner.  Make sure you’re on the same page and clearly define what a successful life looks like for you. 

With your life goals defined, decide which of those goals you need to work on in the next five years. Speak to your accountant about the level of profit you need to generate and how that might translate into turnover and business goals. If your accountant isn’t helpful with this kind of goal-setting, it might be a good goal to find a new accountant! 

Some of those five-year goals will need to be worked on this year – some won’t be relevant until later down the line.  Make a list of all those that need working on this year and map your progress across the next four quarters.  Some goals will be set as ‘straight line’ progress – for example if you had a goal to read 52 books this year, you can map out the reading of one book per week in a straight line.  Some goals are ‘back-end’ goals which means progress initially is slow, but builds momentum – for example turnover goals might be limited until you have new team members on board and earning.  So, goals are ‘front-end’ goals which have a lot of progress early on, but then the rate of progress slows; anyone who has drastically changed their diet will know that the first few weeks see the biggest weight-loss before the rate slows. 

Since we are an industry that is very used to setting appointments, take the first quarter of your map and schedule time with yourself to work on these projects.  Guard this time – these are the things you have defined that will move your business forward in a meaningful way in order for you to achieve your life goals.  Project time has to be non-negotiable! 

Be brave this year with your goals and find yourself a group that can hold you accountable to your progress.  Some peer support makes all the difference when your motivation starts to wane. 

For more information: 
www.buildyoursalon.com 

The ¹T Level technical qualification awarded to NCFE – developed in partnership with VTCT for the hair and beauty industry – has had a makeover of its own in the form of a title change. The new flagship Level 3 qualification for 16-19- year- olds, has now been retitled T Level Technical Qualification in Hairdressing, Barbering and Beauty Therapy to better reflect its three occupational specialisms.  

Originally titled T Level Technical Qualification in Hair, Beauty and Aesthetics, the name change resulted from amendments being made to the Outline Content which resulted in a transition away from aesthetics, and the inclusion of barbering. Feedback received from employers, providers and professional body members was used to ensure the new pathway title is reflective of the updated content.  

A recommendation was also made to the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (the Institute) by both the T Level Panel and Route Panel members to change the name of the qualification. The new name has been well received throughout the Hairdressing, Barbering and Beauty Therapy industries and by the qualification developers, NCFE and VTCT. 

Zac Aldridge, Director of Qualifications and Assessments at NCFE said:  

“We’re fully on-board with the qualification’s title change and believe the new name is a great representation of the course’s specialisms. 

“Our T Level technical qualification in hairdressing, barbering and beauty therapy is being carefully developed to give our learners the best possible chances of launching their careers within their chosen industry. 

“We work closely with industry experts across all our qualifications, and this is a great example of working collaboratively to ensure our qualifications fully reflect the requirements of the sector and the needs of learners” 

Alan Woods OBE, CEO of VTCT said:  

“We are thrilled that the title has been amended to more accurately reflect the current occupational specialisms of the T Level Technical Qualification. After several panel discussions with individuals from industry, training providers and professional bodies, it became apparent that everyone wanted this change. 

“We are grateful for the close working relationship between VTCT, NCFE and the Institute and that we were able to embrace the feedback so early on in the development process.  

“This change will make it easier to promote communication with schools, learners, parents and employers being fully transparent of the career pathways available to students upon completion of the qualification.”  

It was announced in September 2021 that this specific T Level was being developed for first delivery in September 2023, offering a high-quality work focused training route into the hair, barbering and beauty industries. 

Employers throughout the country are encouraged to get involved with T Levels and many have already shown their support. Lorraine Nordmann, Beauty President of the Association of Hairdressers and Therapists (AHT) shared:  

“T Levels, developed in collaboration with industry, support aspiration and focus on preparing students for work while developing the technical skills and knowledge that are sought by industry.” 

1The T Level Technical Qualification is a qualification approved and managed by the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education. 

Talent Beyond The Chair is back in full force at the Crown Ridge Banquet Hall, 6909 Camp Bullis Rd. San Antonio, Tx, this weekend, February 6^th, 2022. With crowds expected to exceed previous years, TBtC Phase 3 will bring barber, and stylist competitions and the annual My Bloody Valentine Makeup competition.  

Organiser Amber Marie Aguilar said: “Having a business can be hard to achieve and even more difficult to maintain. At TBtC Phase 3, we provide entrepreneurial courses, business management courses, as well as social media training to provide all the tools needed to succeed. This is far from the average expo. Talent Beyond the Chair provides vendors, live entertainment, network opportunities, and so much more.”

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She added: “The expo started out as a small idea in 2017, when I had my first show it was a flop but that didn’t stop me. I came back after networking, competing myself, learning how the barber world works, to make my next show amazing. After the pandemic, I realized how important it was to teach our industry how to survive during difficult times so I started my idea for the next expo. My goal for this show is to help the industry grow, learn from national educators such as Tyrik Jackson and John Mosley – two of the biggest names in the industry – as well and myself, because we have been through the struggle, the trial, the error, and we know what to teach to help you succeed. That’s what my show is about, elevating and building your brand, building your business, learn how to survive, not struggle. I want to inspire and have them watch a great barber competition along with our fantasy hair and makeup (My Bloody Valentines Theme) it’s a great mixture of fun, education, and friendly competition.” 

Talent Beyond the Chair Phase 3 is the third annual premiere Barber/Stylist event in South Texas, providing educational guidance partnered with the glamour of a competitor’s focus on showcasing the wonderful reality that is this industry. Talent Beyond the Chair Phase 3 provides outlets for the new entrepreneur to meet celebrity guest barbers, network with fellow business owners, and learn more about what it truly takes to run their business to maximum success. 

For tickets, click here.