Old Spice, owned by Procter & Gamble, plans to open its own barber shop in Ohio, bringing celebrity hair stylists to Columbus. The brick and mortar barbershop is scheduled to open on March 1, 2021.

Celebrity barbers like Florido, Benjamin Thigpen, Matt Johnston and Pat Regan are scheduled to visit the barbershop for its residency week to shoot videos, lead information sessions and style hair, the news release said.

The shop will also include a content studio to produce hair styling videos for Old Spice’s social media channels and will also carry Old Spice grooming products such as shampoo, hair stylers, deodorant and body wash will be available at the shop.

 The barbershop also plans to include a Brioso roastery and coffee bar also is part of the plan.

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@PatrickACooley

Wahl (UK) have launched Team Talk: Live with WAHL, to support the barbering and hairdressing industry, focusing on the teams and individuals behind the salons and shops.

Wahl’s initiative offers salons and shops a free 1 hour, dedicated and personalised session to engage with each other and an industry expert from the WAHL UK Education & Artistic Team. It provides an opportunity to ask questions about the industry, hair cutting techniques, learn about products or seek advice on building your business and your team. Most importantly, it’s a chance to motivate your team and re-connect with each other.

“The idea behind Team Talk is for me and the Wahl team to meet all the wonderful barbers and hairdressers in this difficult time of Lockdown. The goal is to share some knowledge, raise a smile and feel united together!” Says Simon Shaw, WAHL Global Artistic Director.

Wahl’s Team Talk hopes to help you re-energise, re-focus and re-connect with your team.  Each session will be tailored to your team and completely personal. The sessions also offer an opportunity to motivate your team, re-energise and feel good about the future. As well, Team Talks will provide free advice and education from industry experts on haircuts and techniques, tool maintenance, industry insights and business improvements.

Applications: To find out more and apply for a Team Talk Live with WAHL, head to WAHL.CO.UK. Media enquiries: Nicola.Barnes@wahl.co.uk | 01227 744327

The Bearded Goat, from Washington entrepreneurs Eric Renfro, Jon Dodson, and Scott Parker, is opening its third location, at the Village at Shirlington. It will be located 4150 Campbell Ave.

“The Village at Shirlington is the ideal location for Bearded Goat Barber to open its third location,” writes co-founder Scott Parker in a press release. “Having opened our first shop in Ballston in 2019, and our second location in Navy Yard in Washington, DC this year, we are focused on neighborhoods that are future-focused, while retaining a certain charm.”

The barber shop will, of course, adhere to strict CDC guidelines, according to the release.

This includes santaizing workspaces, tools, chairs, capes, and waiting areas in between all visits. Masks are also required to be worn at all times by both patrons and employees, through the entire grooming experience.

The first Bearded Goat Barber location opened in Ballston about two years ago. It temporarily shut down last March due to the pandemic and reopened in May with new safety and health guidelines in place. The second location recently opened in Navy Yard in Southeast D.C.

The upscale barber shop is a partnership between two barbers, Renfro and Dodson, who were previously working at Clarendon’s Hendrick Barbershop, and serial local entrepreneur Parker.

The findings of a recent report by The National Hair & Beauty Federation (NHBF) shows that salon and barbershop revenue fell by 45% in 2020, compared to 2019.

The report, titled, Hair, beauty and the pandemic: An industry at the sharp end. The impact of coronavirus on business vulnerability and the potential for mitigating measures, found that the hair and barbering industry are some of the most affected sectors since the pandemic restrictions hit.

Commissioned from independent analysts Pragmatix Advisory by the NHBF, the report details the current situation for the industry, the strength of the sector prior to the pandemic and the urgent measures required to ensure that the majority of the industry survives, which long term, will cost the Government very little.

The highlight findings of the report were that salon capacity is down to 70% of what it was pre-pandemic, losing an average of two hours of appointment time per stylist per day. With reduced customer demand.

Full time employment figures have dropped by 21% on 2019, with the average cash loss to business for 2020 being £17,000, with those over the tax threshold taking an even bigger hit.

With no support from Government, the prediction is that many businesses in the sector are acutely vulnerable to failure in the next 12 months, as 2021 is predicted to be as tough as last year.

A worrying figure was revealed where 60% of businesses entered 2021 with no cash reserves, and one in 10 businesses did not return any income or dividend to their owners or managers in 2020. At this rate, without further support, most expect to survive two to three months (from January), if lockdown continues.

The report revealed that the crisis has had a disproportionate impact on women and those in deprived communities – hair and beauty business owners are 82% female with an 88% female workforce.

There is a higher proportion of Personal Care businesses than any other sector in the most deprived areas of the UK. The closure of these businesses poses greatest risk to those in the local community who are most likely to be employed in these salons and barbershops.

How the Government can help

By reducing VAT to 5% would add £16,000 to the average VAT registered business, closing the cash gap by one-third. This would reduce to 6% the proportion of businesses not returning anything to their owners or managers.

If 18% of the businesses which would have otherwise failed survive as a result of reducing VAT to 5%, then the policy pays for itself through the taxes they will pay.

Richard Lambert, NHBF chief executive says: “Whilst the future could be bleak for the personal care sector, intervention now and immediately following re-opening will have a life-changing positive effect. There’s nothing coming in, but the overheads still have to be paid. When we are closed, we are closed.  We can’t diversify into takeaways and online sales. 

“The Personal Care sector is calling for a specific grant to support businesses through the immediate cashflow crisis, in line with similar funds that have been afforded to many other sectors, including the arts, hospitality and leisure, and the aeronautical industry, among others.”

He continues: “We also need support after re-opening to keep cash in these businesses so they can recover. The bigger businesses have been hit the hardest and are now the most vulnerable to failure. A targeted VAT cut to 5% would allow them to re-build, invest in staff and apprentices, and once again be the heart of their high streets and communities.  We’ve shown this move will pay for itself, so it’s a cost-effective solution for the Government.

“Right now, it feels like we are last in line for support, flippantly disregarded within Parliament and overlooked by Government, despite the billions of pounds we contribute to the economy each year.”

The NHBF, working together with the British Beauty Council (BBC), British Association of Beauty Therapists and Cosmetologists (BABTAC) and UK Spa Association, has been lobbying the Department for Business (BEIS), the Treasury and the Cabinet Office for an urgent Personal Care crisis fund and a reduction in VAT.

What is the future of independent businesses? And more importantly, what do you want it to be?

The Retail Mutual has requested the opinions of the UK’s shop owners, retailers, and independent businesses on and off the High Street, just by taking part in their simple survey.

The survey invites independent business owners to say what you think is the future of independent businesses in your local area.

To take the survey: click here

After the rise of the beard during lockdown in 2020, with many growing their facial hair for the first time, lockdown 3.0 sees a new trend; the bushy beard.

Popular in the 70s, the laid-back bushy beard is a classical style that can look dramatic if cared for. Already a favourite with George Clooney, Zac Efron and Michael Sheen, the bushy beard is easy to grow and covers a multitude of sins. However, they need to be looked after and trimmed so they don’t get totally out of control.

Session stylist and owner of Joe and Co, London, Joe Mills, says the bushy beard is the perfect anecdote to lockdown 3.0. “During the first lockdown, many men grew a beard for the first time, investing in beard trimmers and oils. I think this reflected how we all behaved – we embraced new skills, new fashions and new ways of working. People were enjoying embracing their natural texture, growing out their hair lengths or trying to cut their own fringes. However, for this lockdown, the feeling is more of frustration, boredom or being unfocused and so the bushy beard sums up their feelings.

“George Clooney, Hugh Jackman and Michael Sheen have all stepped out with bushy beards lately. The thicker the beard, the bigger it looks. This time round, rather than trimmed to round the face, it’s trimmed to make sure it doesn’t get out of control. And beard oils and serums ensure it doesn’t dry out or become too frizzy.”

Joe Mills top tips for lockdown 3.0 beards

1 Growing a big beard takes time – so you need to be patient.

2 Have a beard oil on hand – it can prevent breakage, and makes it look and feel healthier.

3 Daily grooming is essential so invest in a quality beard comb or beard brush. You also need to look at cleansing as well. Invest in a decent beard wash and conditioner as it will make all the difference.

4 Keep the moustache trimmed and shaped; big and bushy think Magnum PI, or short and neat AKA Freddie Mercury.

5 Trim it regularly with hair scissors to prevent it getting out of control and invest in a trimmer and take your time when trimming.

If ever there was a health and safety warning to take heed of, it’s this! A Boston area barber is lucky to be alive after he fell onto the scissors he was holding at work.

The freak accident happened on February 12. Surveillance footage provided by Boston Barber Co. shows Steve Silva slip and fall onto the scissors he was holding and accidentally stab himself in the chest. The image shown here is Steve, seconds before his fall.

According to Boston Barber Co. owner Rob Dello Russo, Silva required open heart surgery and is currently in the ICU, but he is expected to make a full recovery.

“The entire Boston Barber Co. is grateful for the fast actions of emergency responders,” Russo wrote in an email to Boston 25 News. “Steve’s doctors have told him he was extremely lucky he was able to get to hospital as fast as he did, or it could have had a different outcome.”

Russo added that Silva had just returned to work after being laid-off for portions of the last year due to the pandemic.

A GoFundMe fundraiser has been set up for Silva to cover medical expenses and his time off of work. So far, more than $17,000 has been raised.

A Wisconsin native came up with a unique idea for a business and decided to start it up in his hometown. 

Mitchell Thomas is a barber, which means he’s in the business of making people look and feel good. For him it’s a passion that soon turned into a golden opportunity.

“When barbers were not essential for seven weeks you have a lot of time to think and I feel like in hard times you have to innovate,” Blacktop Barbershop owner Mitchell Thomas said.

Innovate is what he did. The inside of his barber shop looks a bit different, that’s because it’s inside a bus. Mitchell decided to convert a bus into a mobile barber shop that commutes around south eastern Wisconsin. He thought it was a one-of-a-kind idea and he could come to the customer, which is extremely valuable during a pandemic.

He may only be a month in, but is excited to see where his business goes.

“Every step along the way has been challenging but that’s kind of the thing with starting something new,” Thomas said. “You have to blaze a trail. It looks cool but it’s a lot of work getting it started and I’m definitely happy I decided to do it.”

For one of his customers who has been there from the start of his career, his grandpa, he says watching him start his own business is truly a proud moment.

“I think it’s very rewarding for me because I’ve watched him from the very beginning, build his career,” his grandfather, Thomas Marco, said.

Now he gets to watch him in a new chapter, while still cashing in on those free cuts.

After opening up to social media about her hair disaster, Teresa Brown’s story went viral, leading to over $21,000 raised to help.

After running out of her usual styling spray, Brown used the strong spray adhesive, Gorilla Glue, on her hair. In her video, Brown showed the world how her hair stuck permanently to her scalp, “I have washed it fifteen times and it don’t move!”

After a month of trying to extricate the glue using coconut oil and tea tree oil, Brown still was having no luck washing the product out.

After putting up the video, Brown set up a GoFundMe page with the target of $1,500, to help pay for the inevitable hospital bills. However, due to her unlikely internet fame, viewers sympathy of Brown led to surpass her target by $20,000.

Additionally, LA doctor Michael Obeng carried out treatment to fix her ordeal, which would have cost $12,500, for free.

To sort out the damage done by the glue, Dr. Obeng placed Brown under light-anaesthesia for the four-hour procedure. After figuring out the compound in the glue, Obeng used a combination of medical grade adhesive remover, aloe vera, olive oil and acetone to break down the compound. He also experimented with real human hair on a model, before working on Brown’s hair.

Gorilla Glue have issued a statement saying: “We strongly discourage misuse of our products. Please consult all packaging labels for proper use.”

Let’s hope Brown’s ordeal is a lesson for future, for anyone who has run out of their usual styling products.

The NHBF, have released the following statement updating members on the latest ruling by the Supreme Court on insurance claims.

“On 15 January 2021, The Supreme Court ruled that policy holders with certain types of insurance policy can make a business interruption claim due to the pandemic. It has told insurers to pay out in these cases as soon as possible.

However, we were very disappointed to hear that Salonsure policy holders were told this decision did not apply to them, and they would not receive any payments under the ruling.  

We asked our lawyers to check this, but unfortunately, they have confirmed that this is correct. The wording of the policies means they do not cover business interruption or compulsory closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The NHBF is reflecting on what we can do next and will get back to you shortly with a further update.”

Find out more details about the Supreme Court ruling on the Financial Conduct Authority’s website.

Financial Ombudsman If you are unsatisfied with how an insurer responds to a complaint, you can contact the Financial Ombudsman.