The fabulous founder of Stylebook Directory, Sarah Yorke has been recognised as one of the best in the business after being named a finalist in the Great British Entrepreneur Awards!

Sarah is one of the shortlisted business leaders from across the nation to have been selected out of over 5,300 entrants – the most the awards has ever had. A well deserved announcement we think!

The Great British Entrepreneur Awards, in partnership with Starling Bank, acknowledges and champions the hard work and uplifting stories of business owners across the UK, with an emphasis on their journey and resilience over financial achievements.

Twelve awards will be given out per region for categories including Disruptor of the Year, Entrepreneur for Good Award, and the Great British Entrepreneur of the Year. Notable winners from previous years include Social Chain founder Steven Bartlett, who went on to become the youngest ever investor on BBC’s Dragon’s Den.

Sarah is super ecstatic about being shortlisted for such a fantastic award and is over the moon to have been selected out of thousands of entrants! She looks forward to attending the awards in autumn to build her ever-growing network and cheer on other fellow finalists too.

This year’s awards will also feature a brand new award highlighting the organisations investing in the training and development of young people. The John Caudwell Blaze Your Own Trail Award looks to recognise outstanding examples of businesses offering apprenticeships, vocational training, and diversity and inclusion initiatives, all in the name of improving young people’s access to work.

The winners will be announced at a Grand Final, held at the Grosvenor Hotel in London on 21st November.

This year is the 10th anniversary of the Great British Entrepreneur Awards. The alumni has collectively generated over £30 billion in revenue and employed more than 450,000 people.

To mark the milestone year for the programme, entrants will have the chance to win over £30,000 worth of marketing support and a tree will be planted for every application submitted with the support of Ecologi.

Founder of the Great British Entrepreneur Awards, Francesca James, said the quality of this year’s entrants exemplified the strength of entrepreneurship across the UK: “The quality of applications is consistently excellent year on year, but we have been especially blown away by the innovation, drive and determination demonstrated this year. Shortlisting from so many inspiring contenders has been more challenging than ever, with many deserving cases put forward and an ever-growing business community thriving across the country.

“From the pandemic to the ongoing cost of living crisis, business owners haven’t had it easy over the past few years, but it’s a testament to the tenacity and perseverance of these entrepreneurs that they have continued on their path and refused to give in.

“This year’s finalists should be so proud of what they’ve already achieved both in business and in being shortlisted for an award – we’re looking forward to seeing everyone at the Finals and unveiling the winners!”

Anne Boden MBE, Founder of Starling Bank, headline partner of the Awards, said: “Congratulations to all those businesses who have made the shortlist. It’s great to see the passion, resilience and amazing ingenuity from entrepreneurs across so many categories.” For the full list of finalists, visit greatbritishentrepreneurawards.com

Following a phenomenally successful and impactful O.P Awards 2021 the team is back this year with an even bigger and better O.P Hairshow & Awards 2022. Held on Sunday 25th September in the centre of Birmingham.

“The energy you put into what you do is the energy it will be received with,” – is a quote often used by Josh and never more relevant than when planning this event.

He said: “The O.P Hairshow 2022 will be an event like no other in the UK. An event dedicated to you. Each and every one of you. No sales, no vendors, no marketing, no gimmicks. Just pure, organic energy, education, information and inspiration. The O.P Hairshow is your day. To surround yourself with like-minded, motivated individuals. To network. To learn. To leave a more confident, determined and better you.”

The O.P Hairshow will consist of a full day’s education. Fully representative of Barber.josh.o.p Education in covering every single aspect of our industry:

– Cutting demonstrations – Long, Medium & Short hair. Modern & Classic. Scissor work, Fading, Styling and Creativity.

– Cutting theory presentations – The D.F.S Formula, Line Theory and much more.

– Business seminars

– Social media growth and marketing seminars

– Photography and content creation seminars

– Mindset and motivation seminars

– Self Study seminars

– Networking

Light refreshments will be provided.

This will then be followed by the second annual O.P Awards. Josh said: “Last year was an unbelievably powerful evening where our online academy members from across the globe came together for an evening of joy, inspiration and emotion. The evening was described by many members as ‘a family reunion’. All our finalists got the opportunity to take the stage and share their story, their journey and their inspirations and in doing so each finalist lit up and inspired the entire room. This year will not be the same. No. This year will be even better!

“The O.P Hairshow & Awards 2022 will undoubtedly be the event of the year and we are delighted to say that you are invited.

“Our differences are the most beautiful thing we have in common and here at Barber.josh.o.p Education we look to ensure that no matter who you are, what ‘category’ you fit into within our industry, that you are celebrated. That you have a place to come to learn, to grow, to network, to share, to laugh and to most importantly be fulfilled. We make it our mission to help every individual find what makes them fulfilled and build a life where they can maximise their fulfillment and in doing so maximise their success.” Head to barberjoshop.com to purchase your tickets and we’ll see you there!

BaByliss PRO has become synonymous with some of our industry’s biggest and best talents. Continuing this legacy in 2022, they are delighted to announce their two newest grooming brand ambassadors, Pete Cranfield and Tariq Howes. This year is shaping up to be a very exciting year for the brand, with the long awaited arrival of CustomFX in the UK in July, and another two big launches coming later in the year. Tariq and Pete will be joining the BaByliss PRO team alongside regular brand ambassador and grooming legend, Jody Taylor. 

Pete says: “Being a BaByliss PRO Ambassador is such an incredible opportunity for me. After so long in the industry I feel I’ve achieved something massive being involved with a huge brand that share the same forward thinking values as me. The whole team are like a huge supportive family, so it’s a dream position for me to be in!”  

Tariq says: “Signing with BaByliss PRO is one of the highlights of my career, and a life changing opportunity for me. I feel blessed to be able to work with a brand like them, who literally give me the tools and the freedom to be creative and grow as a hairdresser. I’m excited to see what the future brings with this partnership.” 

UK men’s grooming brand Dapper Dan has announced it is spearheading a new charity initiative, called ‘Kuts 4 Kids’. Globally recognised brand Dapper Dan is coordinating barbershops up and down the UK to provide free haircuts to underprivileged children in their local area, in the last full week of August (from the 22nd - 28th in the back-to-school period).   

The aim of the campaign is to boost the self-esteem of underprivileged children, providing them with a confidence boost from a great haircut, as well as a memorable barbershop experience. It’s clear from the Kuts 4 Kids Instagram page that the campaign aims to kickstart a positive process for kids, helping them with the first stage of building up their self-esteem, which can translate to many aspects of their lives.  

Dapper Dan Director Simon May explained why the brand decided to start the campaign: “With the cost of living crisis happening in this country, we know that a haircut is one of the first things families are cutting back on. Yet, a good haircut can be the small thing that starts a positive chain reaction for so many kids, as well as being something to look forward to in the ‘back to school’ period, which for some children is a particularly anxiety-inducing time.”  

The Kuts 4 Kids campaign will be working with food banks across the UK to ensure vouchers for the scheme are provided to the most in need families. An example of this is in Dapper Dan’s home city of Sheffield, where they will be working with the S6 Foodbank to distribute vouchers to kids all around Sheffield. 

 Outside of facilitating the campaign, Dapper Dan themselves will be donating a free pot of their award-winning hair styling products to every child who receives a haircut from the initiative. Moreover, one of the participating barbershops will be Wolf & Co, owned by Simon himself, who will also be getting involved and providing the shop’s free haircuts.  

Barbers or Hair Stylists wanting to get involved with the charity campaign should contact the Kuts 4 Kids Instagram page (@kuts4_kids), where all the information they need to pledge will be provided.  

Easydry has proudly announced that it is now a Certified B Corp company, the first and only disposable towel company in the world to have achieved this prestigious certification. Thousands of companies around the world apply for B Corp certification each year, but only a select few make it through the assessment and verification process. After over a year of hard work and development, Easydry have achieved this elusive certification with a high score of 98.7. 

When Easydry was founded almost 20 years ago, our founder, Anne Butterly, knew that sustainability had to be at the heart of everything Easydry did. Easydry has always had a commitment to being a business that puts purpose over profit. Rather than solely operating to generate profit, B corps prioritise creating value for the local community, for employees, and for the environment, and Easydry is delighted to now have B Corporation certification proving that the business is a means for good.  

Certified B Corporations, or B Corps, are companies that have been verified as meeting the highest standards of social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability. Getting certified to B Corp is a rigorous process that took more than a year to complete. The process required companies to show lots of evidence which ensures there is no greenwash or false claims! B Corp requires re-certification every three years to ensure high standards are maintained and to encourage companies to do even better each time. 

Easydry is delighted to now join the B Corp community of more than 4,000 businesses around the world. The B Corp community in the UK, consists of more than 500 companies and in Ireland, less than 10! B Corporations include Athleta, Ben & Jerry’s and Patagonia. 

Easydry CEO and founder Anne Butterly, says:

“I am so proud that Easydry has become a certified B Corp! I founded Easydry almost 20 years ago with sustainability at its heart. Achieving B Corp certification is a fantastic validation of what we do and what we believe in. It fits perfectly with the Easydry mission and vision.  I, and my team, are delighted to share this good news with you.  

“Achieving certification is a tough process and has involved a huge proportion of our time and effort. However, this has given us a great opportunity to examine what we do for people, planet and profit. The time spent on this process has been well worth it.  

“Becoming a B Corporation is just the start for us. We have achieved a score of 98.7. The minimum required to achieve B Corporation Certification is 80 but the average score companies receive is 50.9. We are proud to be one of the highest scoring B Corporations in Ireland. We want to continue along this path and achieve even higher results in our next certification. 

“This process and framework has given us an opportunity to identify actions that we want to implement over the coming years. We thank our customers and partners for their support and we hope that they will continue on this journey with us.” 

To view the Easydry B Corporation page please visit: 
https://www.bcorporation.net/en-us/find-a-b-corp/company/easydry

There’s still time for hairdressers to apply to join the 2023 F.A.M.E. Team – and experience a year like no other!  

The F.A.M.E. Team – Fellowship Academy of Merit and Excellence – was launched in 1993 as a platform for young people in the industry, offering opportunities not seen anywhere else with the aim to build their skills, knowledge, confidence and profile. Since then, some 118 stylists have passed through the programme, many who are now household names.  

The 2022 team consisting of Alex Cook, Darrel Starkey, Jessica Hau and Lydia Wolfe have already spent days with their leaders Gary Hooker and Michael Young, four-times British Hairdresser of the Year Akin Konizi, British Colour Technician of the Year Siobhan Haug three-times British Hairdresser of the Year Sally Brooks, as well as presented their Evolution show at President’s Night.  

To enter the 2023 programme, entrants must be under 25 years of age as of 1 January 2023. You need to submit a maximum of six images of your work and a two-minute video.   

2022 team member Alex Cook says: “It’s a pinch me moment learning from and spending time with by some of the most amazing people in our industry. I’ve learnt some great skills over the year and I would advise anyone thinking of entering to believe in yourself, believe in your ideas and your concepts and go for it!”  

Darrel Starkey adds: “For me being part of the F.A.M.E. Team means I have continued my journey of growth and I have been able to push this even further during this amazing year. The application process may be exciting and stressful but it’s so rewarding.  

Lydia Wolfe comments: “I’ve loved meeting my favourite industry icons and having the opportunity to talk to them and take inspiration from them. We’ve also taken part in several photo shoots which has been an amazing experience. If you’re thinking of applying, I would say think about the whole story behind any look you want to achieve; you want to show your skill sets and strengths, but people also enjoy hearing the story behind your ideas.” 

Jessica Hau says: “I have met so many incredible people and every time we meet up I learn something new, something different and creative happens and it’s so much fun.”  

Closing date is 27 June, apply at https://fellowshiphair.com/projects/fame-team/how-to-join 

The Hair & Beauty Charity is launching its annual raffle on 1st July 2022 and entering couldn’t be easier, as tickets will be available for purchase online via the charity’s website. 

The raffle is renowned for its extensive list of fantastic prizes and this year will not disappoint, with all winners being announced in December 2022. Purchase a ticket for only £1 each and you could be in the running to win one of many excellent prizes, including £1000 cash, gift vouchers up to £500, a Spa Day and many, many more. You’d be oh so silly not to enter! 

All proceeds raised will go towards supporting the charity’s hair, beauty and barbering beneficiaries. With your help, the Hair and Beauty Charity is able to provide much-needed financial support to individuals and their families facing difficult times due to unforeseen circumstances such as illness, bereavement and financial hardship. 

Jayne Lewis-Orr, President of the Hair & Beauty Charity said, “ 

The funds raised from our raffle helps industry colleagues suffering extreme financial hardship in the aftermath of the pandemic and the looming energy and cost-of-living crisis. 

We’ve provided assistance to record numbers of applicants over the past 2 years and remain committed to supporting hairdressers, barbers and beauty professionals, many of whom have nowhere else to turn. 

This simple act of kindness can not only win you a fabulous prize, but shows struggling industry colleagues that we’re all here for them.” 

To purchase raffle tickets, please visit https://www.hairandbeautycharity.org/raffle 

The Hair & Beauty Charity raffle will be drawn in December 2022 

Follow @HBCharityUK on Instagram, Facebook & Twitter 

13^th – 19^th June is men’s mental health awareness month here in the UK. This is the perfect time to think about what we can be doing as an industry to help protect men’s mental health and ensure we move forward in a healthier, happier space. We caught up with some leading names in the hairdressing industry who are focusing on mental health and got their take on the men’s mental health week and what we can be doing. 

Simon Hill, Owner of SESH Hairdressing  

Men’s mental health awareness week is a great opportunity for us as an industry to look at what more we could be doing and to learn from each other, too. At SESH Hairdressing, we are always placing focus on mental wellbeing and work with our team to ensure they are cared for and mentally healthy. One of the biggest points to note when looking at men’s mental health is definitely communication and encouraging men to open up and talk about their feelings and emotions. Typically, men are more known for remaining quiet and avoiding discussing their mental health in comparison to females. In 2022, we need to remove this stereotype and there is definitely a shift in this, amongst our industry and wider culture in general.  

At SESH Hairdressing, we operate with complete open lines of communication. We believe this helps our team members come forward with any issues instead of allowing it to fester and potentially become more dangerous in terms of their mental health. Ensure that your team know they have your full support and they can access you on a one to one basis to discuss anything at anytime. Little things such as introducing things such as a quiet space for men to take a short break could help to ensure mental wellbeing.  

Brian Leo McCallum, Owner of ROAR Hair and Beauty  

Men’s mental health awareness week is definitely something to be highlighted and appreciated. However, at ROAR we believe gender is neutral. We are all human and we should all place awareness on our mental health at all times to ensure we are healthy inside too. One of our tips for everyone when it comes to mental health is to always ask your team, friends and family twice if they are okay. In Britain, we are known for asking ‘how are you’ and replying with a surface level answer to gloss over what may really be going on. By asking a second time, you give your loved ones the chance to open up and actually share what’s going on. Try to reduce the taboo around mental health with your team, let them know that as their employer you take mental health as seriously as physical health.  

Education is also key when it comes to mental health. I am currently working on an HNC Level 3 on mental health first aid. Knowledge is power so the more you know, the better!  

Jim Shaw, Owner of TONI&GUY Billericay and Award Winning Men’s Hairdresser 

Mental health is a topic we are starting to talk a lot more about and this is extremely important to help remove the stigma and to be able to help and support people and encourage them to get treatment for their mental health should they need it. 

Men in particular can find it harder to talk about their mental health and at TONI&GUY Billericay, where I have a men’s area in the salon, as well as a main salon area for our client’s, I felt it was instrumental to learn more about mental health to ensure myself and the team could chat openly to our clients in a safe place about any mental health struggles they may have and be equipped to support them and point them in the right direction of resources and further support should they need it. 

In the salon, we talk to a large number of clients daily and it’s crucial that we are prepared for difficult conversations should they arise and that we can make our clients feel comfortable and space in the salon environment.  

Not only is it important to be able to talk to your clients openly about mental health but also your team and this should be a top priority for salon owners. Always have an open-door policy where your team can come to you should they have any concerns or need any support and try to hold one-to-one regular team meetings with each of your team where you can have informal chats and monitor their mental wellbeing. 

Mental health training has become more widely available for salon owners and teams, particularly since the pandemic with us having a number of lockdowns where our mental health was impacted greatly. I decided to partake in the MHFA England Mental Health First Aider training to become a Mental Health First Aider in the salon and to help provide me with the skills and knowledge to help support my team and clients with their wellbeing, as well as my own too. The course taught in depth skills for providing first aid to people who may be experiencing mental health issues such as depression, anxiety and psychosis and was incredibly insightful. As hairdressers, we want our clients to leave the salon looking and feeling amazing but knowing we have the skills and knowledge to take this one step further and be able to help and support clients who may have struggles and promote good wellbeing is so rewarding. 

Anil Salhan, Owner of BLACC + BLOND 

Mental health is something that is incredibly important to us at BLACC + BLOND and we take pride in creating change and awareness and we are constantly looking at ways we can do this. For example, during the first lockdown, we innovated and adapted our service to offer clients “Virtual Haircuts” to keep people looking and feeling good when they were not able to visit the salon. All proceedings from this service were donated to Birmingham Mind and CALM, two Mental Health Charities. 

We communicate with our clients that if they are suffering from poor mental health, to know that they are safe to discuss such matters when in our store. 

Making clients comfortable in expressing themselves is key for me. Especially now in a post pandemic world where humans don’t necessarily socialise or communicate with people as much. I believe it is a modern-day duty for stylists to incorporate higher levels of communication into their service, especially for men, as we’ve been programmed to bottle up our feelings.  

When creating our salon, I thought long and hard about how it could promote mindfulness and improve client’s mental health and wellbeing, and this is something salon owners can also be aware of, especially if they are starting up or looking to make changes to their space and the experience they provide to clients.  It can be daunting for clients to walk into a pretentious salon, or an intimidating barbershop and that experience is even worse if the client feels like they have been rushed.  Therefore, we created a space that doesn’t fit into a stereotyped image and where clients can simply be themselves.  

Traditionally male focussed shops or salons would be darker, moodier and quite intimidating. They would have a stags head on a wall and give off an image that if you didn’t have a big beard, drink whiskey and smoke cigars then you aren’t “a real man”. Similarly female salons would be draped in glitter, gold and diamonds and be quite pretentious. Instead, we decided to design our salon to coin the concept of “neutralism” and have abstract and natural aesthetic. We also incorporated the Japanese concept Wabi Sabi, which is about embracing natural tones, textures and ageing processes – to see the beauty in imperfections. 

To ensure clients don’t feel rushed we created a Slow Hair Space, whereby all clients are offered a minimum of an hour of our dedicated time. That hour not only gives us the time to get to know the client’s hair and make them look great, but to also get to know the client and build a long-lasting relationship. It allows us to take our time on our clients and focus on the quality of the service we are providing to them. 

We also offer an optimum cleansing experience within our space for our clients to fully indulge and relax. Nobody enjoys having their hair cleansed in full public view and our highly considered wash area provides the modern solution to “traditional” salon design flaws. It’s private, intimate and cosy.  

Aside from our calming and relaxing space, we have additional touches to further promote mindfulness and good wellbeing within the salon, this includes an aroma diffuser with essential oils, which helps clients to unwind and boosts their mood and a music sound system whereby we play a mix of everything including Somalian Jazz to French House and Hip Hop, as well as our very own BLACC + BLOND – House Party playlist, a feel-good summer playlist. 

The Fellowship’s Hair & Vision is coming to Glasgow, with an evening of inspiration guaranteed for hairdressers and barbers from across Scotland!

Hosted by Executive Board member, Colin McAndrew, and sponsored by Wella Professionals, the evening will feature a special up close and personal interview with British Hairdresser of the Year and Fellowship President, Robert Eaton, who will give a personal insight into his career and creative processes.  

Held in the cool surroundings of Drygate in the heart of the city, the evening will see a stellar line-up of hairdressers presenting their work around the theme of Blondes. Whether it’s commercial or creative, avant garde or something a little bit different, there will be plenty of tips and techniques for you to take back to the salon and boost your blonde business.  

Teams to present on the night are: 

Paul Paterson and Craig Parvin, Medusa 
Erin Marley, Rein & Co 
Sophie Laidlaw, Wonderland 
Brian McCallum, Roar 
Amy Christie, The Gym 
Simon Hill, Sesh Hairdressing 
Linton & Mac  

Colin McAndrew says: “It’s very special that the Fellowship has decided to relaunch its Hair & Vision event in Glasgow. It’s traditionally been one of the most exciting events in the hairdressing calendar and the Blondes night will see some of the best hairdressers from British hairdressing presenting on stage in this hairdressing spectacular. It’s definitely one not to miss!” 

Free to Fellowship members, tickets for non-members are £19.95 and are available from the website https://fellowshiphair.com/events/hair-vision-glasgow. 

The Fellowship for British Hairdress Project: Men team leader Simon Shaw took the team to his home of barbering, Wahl HQ for a day of education as well as a tour of the history of the brand from its inception to the current day.  

The team were joined by Fellowship Spotlight Award winner Yasmine Hassan from Joe and Co, who joined the team working on mannequin heads learning new techniques with clippers on all lengths of hair.  

Member George Smith said: “For the first time ever I did a full haircut with a set of clippers and I loved it! It really opened my eyes that there is so much you can do. To jump back into the traditional barbering techniques was really interesting and I just loved it! Best day of our mentoring year so far!” 

Janene Hawkins added: “The day kicked off with an amazing tour of the Wahl heritage, then onto the academy where a lesson on the maintenance of clippers was given. During the afternoon we completed two haircuts the Rocker and a low mushroom fade.  Mic Damiano was on hand to give us lots of help where required.” 

Roisin Murphy said: “I absolutely loved the day at Wahl headquarters. It was really great to see the history behind the brand. We started with some demos then we recreated the look straight after. Overall, the day was really insightful to learn about the brand and the barbering industry. I felt I’ve come away with new knowledge to using different clippers.” 

Yasemin Hassan who joined the team, commented: “Highlight for me was actually seeing the history of Wahl and the innovation. There were three parts to the training, I loved how hands on it was and creating looks with equipment I haven’t used before. One thing for me which I thought was incredible, especially because I love working with long hair, was using a Wahl Clippers to create a long hair look. I loved learning about the different equipment. Simon was great with the demonstration, and I loved creating the long hair look using clippers which is something I definitely want to experiment with a model at Joe and Co!!! It was fun learning new techniques to fading and brushing up on barbering essentials like clipper over comb and clipper over comb.  

PROJECT: MEN TEAM LEADER: Simon Shaw 

PROJECT: MEN TEAM MEMBERS: 
Alex Burt – Teddy Edwards Cutting Rooms   
Emma Simmons – Salon 54 
Sophie Fedoriw – Safy B’s 
George Smith – Toni&Guy 
Tammy Reynolds – Tammy Reynolds for Hair 
Leanne Jones – Leanne Jones Hair Studio 
Janene Hawkins Bush – Sir & Co Barbers 
Blayre Turnbull – Urban Hair & Beauty 
Scott Musgrove – Scott Musgrove Hair 
Ian Young – Pompadour 
Roisin Murphy – Hairven Salon Group 
Lucy Melvin – Diamond Appearance