BARBEREVO UK AND IRELAND #31 – OUT NOW 

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FROM ECO BARBERS TO ENVIABLE CHAIRS

The latest issue of BarberEVO UK and Ireland is OUT NOW. This issue is packed full of advice, features and trends to keep you up to date with what’s current.

There’s no mistaking the quiet confidence the RUGER . team are radiating from the front cover. The barbers may be female in an industry that is still very male dominated, but they are making their own statement through their work, and we are delighted to be able to showcase their latest collection.

Also, BarberEVO in collaboration with Wahl UK are buzzing to announce the chance to win a money-can’t-buy competition that will give you a full day’s mentorship with one of the members of the Wahl Artistic Team. Check out entry details on pages 46-47. It’s not to be missed.

Joining us for the first time as a columnist is BaByliss ambassador Pete Cranfield, he has a wealth of information to share from his two decades in the business and he opens up with some advice on how to prolong your clippers and trimmers rather than replacing them, in the name of sustainability.

BARBERCHAIRS 

Every client wants to feel like they are sitting on the Rolls Royce of barber chairs, but every barber has their own view of what that chair is. We have spoken to those that go for the classic, the vintage, the refurbished… all still amazing chairs that add a particular aesthetic to the barbershop as well as giving your client the comfort they deserve.   

SUSTAINABILITY 

The question is now why be sustainable, it’s why not be sustainable? The excuses no longer hold weight with so many eco options available. Coterie Barbershop and Noose & Key are just two barbershops that are flying the eco flag in every way. They have found solutions to every challenge, and we tip our hat to the effort they have put in for a more sustainable industry.  

HAIR ART 

With unlimited inspiration online, and advances in trimmers and tools, the talent in hair art has never been bigger. For some barbers, a fade is a fade, but for others, it is a blank canvas for patterns, designs, and masterpieces. We spoke to some of the UK’s finest hair artists about their inspiration, the tools they need to create those sharp lines and the trends they are seeing rolling back around.  

We hope you enjoy this issue! You can order your print copy here.

Clear your diary for April 2nd and 3rd for Hairdustry Presents: Back To School featuring Presley Poe and Friends! 

Tickets are now on sale for this two-day event offering everything you need to elevate your hair career.  

Hairdustry has partnered with some of the most incredible artists that the industry has to offer, such as @presleypoe, @tailorfade, @leysahairandmakeup, @jacobhkhan, and @queenofthesouth512. 

April 2nd, 2022 will be an epic event featuring live artist demonstrations, social media hacks, and photography tips and tricks. Join in on April 3rd, 2022 for a full day of education, with hands-on and look and learn classes from your favorite artists in the industry. 

Meet Lesley’s friends: 

Pati Plymire: tips and tricks of braiding. 

Jacob Khan: Effortless real life haircutting, 

Trevor Moots: Bridging the gap between barbering and cosmetology. 

Presley Poe: Breaking into vivids: Understanding your color medium and applying them to everyday scenarios. 

Presley Poe: Hustle with heart. 

Leysa Carrillo: Forever curls. 

This incredible event is sponsored by Hairdustry: Your Day Off Podcast, which helps share the industry’s success stories that inspire and educate everyone in the business. And it is also sponsored by Schedulicity, the industry’s most dynamic booking system, a one stop shop for managing your business. 

All classes will take place on Sunday, April 3rd, at The Temple: A Paul Mitchell Partner School 

The Temple: A Paul Mitchell Partner School 
22 West Church Street 
Frederick, MD 21701 

Show tickets are $50.00 and classes are priced individually.  

See www.presleypoeandfriends.com for all prices and further details.  

The 2021 Fellowship for British Hairdressing Award Winners came together this month for a special celebratory lunch to start the new year.

The winners, who picked up their awards at the Fellowship Luncheon & Awards at The Londoner in December, enjoyed a three-course Indian lunch at the trendy Dishoom in Shoreditch, London.

The 2022 F.A.M.E team also came together to mark the start of their exciting year of opportunities, which includes mentoring by some of the biggest names in British hairdressing and a photo shoot with their leaders Gary Hooker and Michael Young.

The lunch was also an opportunity to discuss the challenges and opportunities in the industry, from sustainability to business challenges and the future of hairdressing.

Chancellor Ashleigh Hodges, who welcomed the winners, said: “This is the first time we have held a lunch for our winners, and it was important for us to celebrate their success, especially after the crazy 18 months we have had. It was lovely to see everyone and discuss some of the issues facing us all.”

The awards have been recognising creativity since they were launched in 1995, which saw Nicky Clarke take the first trophy for his wearable hair.

And the winners were:

Fellow with Honours
Jonathan Andrew
Andrew Barton
Junior Green

Gold Medal
Jo Martin

Member of the Year
Janene Bush

Individual Salon of the Year
Karoliina Saunders Hair Design

Salon Group of the Year
Blushes Collective

PROJECT: Colour Achiever of the Year – Darrel Starkey

PROJECT: Men Achiever of the Year–Tammy Reynolds

PROJECT: X Achiever of the Year–Emma Simmons

Snapshot Image of the Year
Efi Davies, TONI&GUY

Men’s Image of the Year
Charlie Cullen, Charlie Cullen Education at Joe and Co

Colour Image of the Year
Hooker & Young

Afro Image of the Year
Emma Simmons, Salon 54

International Image of the Year
Jacky Chan, Oscar Oscar Chadstone

For more, visit www.fellowshiphair.com  

On Tuesday, 8 February, Skills Minister Alex Burghart met with young people undertaking traineeships – as part of National Apprenticeship Week activity – at Falltricks Hairdressing Academy in Ipswich.   

Minister Burghart said: “It was inspiring to meet budding hairdressers undertaking traineeships at Falltricks Hairdressing Academy in Romford during National Apprenticeships Week.”  

National Apprenticeship Week 2022 is the 15th annual week-long celebration of apprenticeships – taking place between 7th-13th February 2022 across England. The week brings together businesses and apprentices across the country to shine a light on the positive impact that apprenticeships make to individuals, businesses and the wider economy.  

A traineeship is a course with work experience that gets you ready for work or an apprenticeship. It can last from six weeks up to one year, though most traineeships last for less than six months.  

Traineeships are a great way for young people to access the jobs market, enabling those aged 16 and 24 (or 25 for individuals with an education and health care plan) who don’t have the skills or experience to progress into an apprenticeship or a job.  

Minister Burghart explained: “Traineeships are a fantastic way for young people to get on the path to a good job, offering the necessary training and work experience to progress into work or an apprenticeship.”  

Apply now before the March 4^th deadline for the Close Contact Services Fund which will provide a one-off payment to support eligible close contact service businesses impacted by the Covid restrictions and guidance introduced from December 9^th to January 24^th 2022, to control the Omicron variant.  

Who is eligible? 

The Close Contact Services Fund will provide support to businesses in the close contact service sectors who own/rent premises with a non-domestic rates account (NDR), and self-employed close contact service individuals, impacted by the restrictions and guidance introduced and where they are registered as one of the following: 

• beauty service 
• hairdressing and hair removal service 
• spa and wellness service 

And provide any of the following services: 

• hair washing 
• trimming and cutting 
• shaving and beard trimming 
• manicure 
• dermatology & skin care treatments 
• and many more… 

Level of Grant Award 

The grant is a one-off payment at the rate of: 

• £1,000 for self-employed businesses 
• £1,500 for NDR registered premised business owner 

To apply go to www.findbusinesssupport.gov.scot and search for close contact services fund. 

The British Beauty Council (BBCo) and National Hair & Beauty Federation (NHBF) have joined forces to send an open letter to the Chancellor Rt Hon Rishi Sunak MP, following hundreds of reports that over 60 local authorities are excluding hair & beauty businesses from claiming the Additional Restrictions Grant (ARG). 

Despite reassurance from HM Treasury that businesses in the hair & beauty sector, including hair salons, beauty salons, barbershops, aestheticians, nail bars, eyebrow bars etc are all eligible for the ARG, the BBCo, NHBF and other sector bodies are continuing to receive reports that these local authorities are either rejecting or not prioritising claims from these businesses. A number of local authorities are also still working out their grant policies since the announcement in December and have yet to make grants available to businesses desperate for support.  

The joint letter was sent on behalf of the National Hair and Beauty Federation, British Beauty Council, UK Spa Association, British Association of Beauty Therapy & Cosmetology, Hair & Barber Council and the Federation of Holistic Therapists. 

In the past the government has stated that the hair and beauty sector is ‘essential’ to the UK’s health and wellbeing whilst contributing almost £30 billion to the UK economy every year and employing 590,500 workers, mostly women and young people, across the UK nations and regions. Pre-Covid, the sector was in the top three fastest growing parts of the retail sector.  

Hair & beauty has been one of the hardest hit sectors by the pandemic. The latest NHBF snap poll shows over 84% of hair & beauty salons and barbershops experienced reduced business compared with what would normally be expected between Christmas and New Year (28-31 December 2021). 

Staff shortages due to COVID or self-isolation are also having an impact on businesses with 54% reporting staff absences during this period.* 

Richard Lambert, NHBF chief executive says, “Whilst we appreciate that each local authority is entitled to create their own criteria about which businesses receive ARG assistance and that funding will not meet the needs of all businesses affected it does appear that a significant number are actively excluding hair & beauty salons and barbershops in their area. This raises the question as to why – is it because despite all the evidence, they don’t accept these businesses were badly hit by the Omicron surge or perhaps because they just don’t think they’re that important.” 

The British Beauty Council’s CEO Millie Kendall OBE says, “Having made a strong case to all local authorities as to how personal care has been impacted more heavily than many other business sectors, we would have hoped to see some movement with regards to the release of the ARG funds to salons etc. The Chancellor himself stated that our industry was not just economically valuable but also essential to Britain’s wellbeing. Whilst our previous work ensured personal care businesses were highlighted within guidance as businesses that should be considered for support, local authorities have chosen to disregard this. They clearly do not regard our industry as essential, or the local businesses that operate within them as worthy of support and we would like to know why?”  

The NHBF and BBCo are urging all hair & beauty salons and barbershops in to send a message to their local authority to ask why they are excluding fellow businesses in the personal care sector from this much needed financial help. 

* The NHBF snap poll, undertaken via Instagram Stories over a 24-hour period from Wednesday 5^th to Thursday 6^th January, received more than 2000 responses. 

 @nhbfsocial      
NHBF 

Glasgow barber academy welcomes its first eight students

A pioneering barbering academy has welcomed its first intake of students onto a 15-week course that will launch their careers in the burgeoning male grooming sector. 

The first eight students have enrolled into the new Sovereign Barber School in Glasgow. It is the first training venture for Sovereign Grooming and the team hope to train around 32 barbers every year, seeing each of them finish the course with sought after formal qualifications. 

One of the delighted new students is Glasgow local, Aimee Laws. The 29-year-old applied for the course after discovering a passion for barbering while salons were shut during the pandemic and she found herself cutting her own hair to practice her skills. 

She said: “The barber school is a great option for people just starting out in the industry as you can learn both the theory and skills while getting the opportunity to put these into practice.  

“I’m making a career change from music to barbering, so it is a pretty big jump – but I’m looking forward to it. Previously I taught and played music in social and youth care settings but like many, lockdown gave me a chance to really find out what I wanted my career to look like. 

“It’s nerve-wracking to think what the next three and a bit months will have in store but I’m excited to see the skills I’ll have developed by the end.” 

The company, which is headed up by award-winning barber Kyle Ross and marketing expert Ryan Crighton, has invested over £500,000 on the purpose-built training facility which sits across three floors (2,570 sq ft) in 38 Renfield Street.  

The ground floor will be used as a functioning salon with 12 staff members over the next 12 months. This will also give students the opportunity to be amongst the day-to-day working environment of the salon.  

Aimee added: “It’s inspiring to be learning the ropes directly from the Sovereign Grooming founder who is one of the industry’s best barbers. Kyle is known for delivering the highest standards of barbering, so I’ll be looking to pick up as many tips and tricks as I can.  

 
“I’ve done some evening barbering courses in the past but nothing can prepare you like working in a salon. I’m especially looking forward to learning some of the modern barbering that Sovereign Grooming offers.” 

The barber school is part of an overall plan to help the grooming industry deal with staff shortages following the impact of the pandemic. 

Kyle Ross founded Sovereign Grooming in 2016 in Aberdeen and has since opened a popular salon at the New Waverly development in Edinburgh’s city centre. Kyle will personally oversee the training and want to develop “the best young talent in male grooming”. 

Kyle will be joined by fellow barber Barry Doolan, who has been brought in due to his wealth of experience in educating and delivering similar qualifications. 

Kyle said: “The Glasgow training academy has been in the pipeline for a while. As a company we’re extremely passionate about learning and development so it was the only natural progression to open our own barbering school.  

“Over the 15-weeks, aspiring barbers will become fully qualified, learning typical industry skills whilst gaining important insight into fashion, photoshoot and stage styling – something that other barbering schools don’t offer.” 

The school will have up to eight students going through training and qualification every quarter. The three-story Glasgow branch which will also offer luxury hair and beard services and male-focused beauty treatments as well as serving as a brand HQ. 

Kyle added: “We want to inspire future generations of barbers to help people look and feel the best they possibly can in and out of the chair.” 

After the first salon in Aberdeen proved an immediate hit, Kyle attracted investment to open salons in both Edinburgh and Glasgow, adding business credentials to a CV which had already seen him garlanded with multiple barbering awards. 

He was named Best Barber UK at the International Barber Awards in 2017, a year which also saw him named Scottish Men’s Stylist of the Year. In 2018, he was named Best Barber at the Scottish Hair and Beauty Awards and in 2019 was shortlisted for GQ Magazine’s Barber of the Year title, one of only a handful of stylists outside London to have been shortlisted. 

To find out more about Sovereign Grooming, visit the website – https://sovereign-grooming.com 

 Fresha salon software the world’s top beauty and wellness booking platform, announced today their acquisition of Bookwell, an Australian online booking marketplace for salons and spas. The deal follows a recent $150 million Series C investment in Fresha salon software led by leading private equity firm General Atlantic. 

The acquisition of Bookwell marks a new phase in London based Fresha’s continued growth story, adding to the platform’s extensive base of over 60,000 partner salons and spas primarily spanning the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Europe. Bookwell was founded in 2017 by EatNow founders Matt Dyer and Nathan Airey and have signed up over 5K salons in Australia . Following their first start-up success, Bookwell was set up as a matchmaking engine for Australian beauty and wellness service providers to fill empty appointment slots with customers in their area. 

“From my first meeting with William, Fresha’s founder and CEO, I believed in his vision, energy and passion. By helping beauty and wellness businesses grow sales with tools to facilitate online payments, self-service bookings and automated marketing, Fresha provides the perfect opportunity to enhance Bookwell’s offering,” says Matt Dyer, Founder and CEO of Bookwell. “We are thrilled to be joining forces with Fresha, the global leader in the beauty and wellness industry.” 

Fresha’s free appointment scheduling software platform is used across 120 countries globally, with tens of millions of appointments booked each month, and nearly $15 billion in value of appointments bookings processed to date. Fresha’s focus on building easy-to-use, subscription-free salon software underpinned by a strong word-of-mouth effect has helped the company build a loyal customer base. Fresha’s partner businesses rely on the platform for its ease of use, time-saving benefits, and embedded features to grow their sales, with end users enjoying a premium booking and payment experience. 

“Bookwell’s progress in Australia is commendable, the team have built a strong business model helping salons and therapists save thousands each year on marketing to fill empty appointments” says Founder and CEO William Zeqiri. “There is a natural synergy with Fresha’s own online marketplace and Bookwell’s partner base, who now have the opportunity to benefit from our market leading software including dedicated payments system and marketing tools, all accessed under one roof. Together we are helping our partners make more money, save time and get paid more easily.” 

Captain Fawcett flies the flag for the UK. As a Department of International Trade, East of England Export Champion based in King’s Lynn, Captain Fawcett is honoured to feature in the portfolio of British businesses being showcased by the Secretary of State for International Trade, The Rt Hon Anne-Marie Trevelyan MP in the current negotiations to establish an important free trade agreement with India. 

 ‘As a company that with the assistance of both the DIT & UKIBC is registering a number of our simply ‘First Class Gentlemen’s Grooming Requisites’ with a view to importing into the world’s fastest growing market. We welcome this hugely exciting initiative.” 

Made in the UK sold to the World! 

Captain Fawcett shortlisted in the Insider Awards 

Captain Fawcett has announced that it is simply delighted to be included in the Export Award shortlist for the prestigious Insider Made in Central & East Awards 2022.   
  
An independent judging panel selected shortlists of manufacturing and engineering businesses with Captain Fawcett proud to be in the company of some of the finest regional contenders. The businesses in question will be showcased at the gala awards dinner, which is taking place at the Jurys Inn, Milton Keynes on the evening of 31st March 2022, an event now in its seventh year. The winners of all the categories will be announced during the awards dinner.  
  
The awards celebrate and reward the excellence of the manufacturing sector and its skilled workforce, recognising companies that have excelled in innovation, product development and growth in either domestic or overseas markets over the course of the last 12 months. 

The 2022 ambassador’s program for Anti Broke Barbers has been announced. It is looking for 100 barbers that can help move the brand forward (and look good doing it, of course). 

You could be part of the team educating barbers on how to take their career, service and brand to that elite level. Giving insight on the business of barbering which will help anyone grow as a barber, stylist, business owner or student in one of the most profitable industries to be a part of. 

To apply, just fill in the online form here.