The NHBF is calling for a prolonged period of stability in order for hair & beauty businesses have a fighting chance of recovery, following the results of its latest State of the Industry survey.

The sector remains divided about the future with 46% of respondents unsure if their business will survive until the end of social distancing. Under the requirements in place prior to the most recent lockdown (Nov/Dec 2020):

• Almost 1 in 4 salons (23%) were not earning enough to cover outgoings such as rents, overheads, staff costs and stock etc.
• 38 per cent were just about breaking even.
• only 2 in 5 of businesses across the entire hair and beauty sector were making any kind of profit.

Throughout the pandemic, the NHBF, working with partners in the sector, was able to secure further reliefs and financial support for personal care businesses in each of the four nations. Despite this, fixed outgoings and a lack of ability to diversify and generate income during lockdown has left businesses with no cash reserves, growing debt, and at the brink of closure. In fact, Local Data Company statistics indicate that ten per cent of the industry had been lost to the crisis by December. 

Successive lockdown closures have also had a dramatic impact on employment:

• 1 in 6 business owners (16 per cent) have made redundancies as a result of the pandemic, with only 2 in 5 able to rule out further redundancies when furlough ends.
• 59 per cent have cut staff hours in order to save costs.
• More than half of businesses have had to cut apprenticeships during the pandemic (55 per cent). 
• Only 11 per cent are likely to take on new apprentices in next three months, despite recent government incentives.

Richard Lambert, NHBF chief executive, says: “Financial stability will be the key to returning to profit and stability.  Hopefully most hair & beauty businesses who have been able to return to work in the last few weeks will have enjoyed record income. However, they need the chance to get their head above water.  As things stand, they’ll have to start repaying rent arrears and the debts and loans accrued over the last year just when business rates relief and furlough come to an end.

“Tackling this tsunami of financial obligations under long term social distancing requirements will scotch any chance for the industry to be profitable. It will be even less likely that businesses will have the resources, capacity or financial ability to take on or keep apprentices, putting the future skills of the sector in real jeopardy.”

The NHBF recommends that the most beneficial policy measures over the next six months would be:

• Social distancing measures and operational restrictions within close-contact guidance should be phased out as soon as it is safe to do so if the sector is to return to profit.
• A temporary reduction in VAT
• Easier access to support grants should businesses struggle to recover
• An extension to the Self-Employed Income Support Scheme (SEISS) should the economy have failed to recover after September.

It’s great to have lockdown eased, especially because charities like Haircuts4Homeless are back up and running, helping those in need. 

Haircuts4Homeless starts again today, the 14^th April at Whitechapel Mission as well as 15 other projects reopening across the UK over the next two weeks.

Founder, Stewart Roberts says: 

“I can’t wait to get out there. Big love to everyone in the hairdressing industry and getting back to what we love is going to be so special.”

Homeless people have many challenges to face, one of them often being low self-esteem. A haircut can have a great effect on someone, giving them a real boost (especially after lockdown), however it is often way down on a homeless person’s priorities with what lack of money, so the service proves to be very popular.  One of people’s basic rights is to feel good about themselves, and this service can give this to people and bring a smile back to their lips.

Haircuts4Homeless is a registered charity set up by veteran hairdresser Stewart Roberts. Inspired by the actions of hairdressers in various parts of the world cutting hair for the homeless, Stewart set out not only to do this his self but to build a whole community of skilled hairdresser volunteers who give their time free of charge to give haircuts for homeless people.

Hairdressers have a known empathy and are great communicators. The industry is known for its generosity and willingness to help people therefore there are many that would willingly give some of their time and expertise. Haircuts4Homeless started the project in Havering and, with the right amount of support, plan to roll it out across the UK & beyond. There is something very personal about cutting someone’s hair that can be both enjoyable and therapeutic which is something that many homeless people rarely get.

It may be “just a haircut”, but it’s the kindness shown that makes a homeless person know that people really care.

To find out more, check out their Film with BEAUTY PAPERS or their podcast which they started during lockdown:  Hear Me, See Me

You can donate here: https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/donation-web/charity?charityId=1017844&utm_source=extbtn&utm_campaign=donatebtn

With both bars and barbershops back open today, April 12, one brand-new barbershop is taking the pressure off decision making, by offering fresh pints while clients get their post-lockdown cuts.

As of today, April 12, Head Quarters Barbers & Beverages are opening three brand-new shops in Bishop Auckland, Darlington and Middlesbrough.

Wanting to create a traditional barbershop with a modern twist, owner Mike Racz said: “Our mission is to bring one of the oldest professions into the 21st Century.

“We’re introducing new technology across the board from booking systems to the shop floor.”

Booking is available via their app, with live waiting times – so customers know when the next barber is free.

The stunning shop interior features traditional personalised barber chairs from REM as well as have a complete self-serve bar.

So far, some of the first customers of HQ today have been Ben Houchen, Mayor of Tees Valley, Glenn McCrory, former IBF World Cruiserweight Champion, and Leo Percovich Middlesbrough FC Coach.

Richard Bland, HQ managing director, a former director and shareholder of the well-known SAKS Franchise chain, said: “When I heard about this new business idea, I knew I had to be part of it. We’ve had a lot of fun – mixed with a lot of hard work – to perfect what we want to be an exciting change to the way barbers are run.

“Hairdressing has been hit really hard by Covid. We are thrilled to be able to offer 30 jobs across our first three salons. We will also be offering conversion courses for hairdressers wishing to work for HQ – working for us will be a career, not just a job.”

For more information, go to https://head-quarters.co.uk/

Barbers across the UK will support those willing to discuss their mental health, as millions of men prepare to get their first post-lockdown haircut.

Barbers across the UK have today joined forces to launch a new initiative that aims to inspire men to open up about mental health issues. As hairdressers in England finally reopen their doors to eager customers, barbers from Torquay to Tynemouth and beyond are launching the #OurDoorIsOpen campaign in a bid to ensure those whose mental health has been badly affected by lockdown get the support they need and deserve. The campaign is being led by The Lions Barber Collective which has trained over 2,500 barbers around the UK and beyond to further support their customers, through its clinically backed Barber Talk programme.

This is the latest initiative from the Lions Barber Collective which encourages barbers to create safe places for men to open up and offload, and provides training to empower the barbers themselves to listen, recognise the signs of poor mental health and signpost clients to appropriate support services.

What will you learn from BarberTalk Online training? BarberTalk is an in-depth session that builds on the four pillars of core training to equip you with the skills to help your clients to better mental wellbeing.

BarberTalk Online Training will:

• Give you the tools to recognise mental health issues in your clients.
• Equip you to be able to ask direct questions about the emotional wellbeing of your clients.
• Refine your listening skills to be present at a critical moment for your clients.
• Provide you with the resources to help your client find support.

After the death of his friend Alex, in 2015 Torquay-based barber Tom Chapman founded the charity ‘The Lions Barber Collective’ to create non-clinical, non-judgmental safe spaces where men feel comfortable to talk about their mental health and can be signposted to support and information.

Recognising that barbers and hair professionals are often a trusted confidant and friendly ear to their customers, Tom collaborated with experts to develop the clinically backed, BarberTalk training programme for hair professionals to support their clients and communities.

The BarberTalk and Hair&BeautyTalk training series aims to arm barbers and hair professionals with the skills to recognise signs of poor mental health in their clients, ask direct questions to facilitate conversation, listen with empathy and no judgement, and help to signpost their clients to the support they need.

Founder and CEO of the Lions Barber Collective, Tom Chapman said: “When we opened up again in July, I cut a friend’s hair, he seemed fine when we had the consultation but once I started cutting his hair he started to cry. I stopped and asked him if there was something he’d like to speak to me about. His reply shocked me. He lived alone and this was the first human contact he had had in months.”

“This made me determined to ensure that others in his position have someone they can talk to when barbers reopen in April, while also giving barbers themselves access to tips and training they need to be able to listen and support those who are still struggling.”

‘A barber can see up to 200 people a week! Although majority of the industry will see about 12 people a day and in a post lockdown world opening hours will be extended to fit in their desperate clients. The hair & beauty industries reach is just phenomenal with an infrastructure that is accessible to most.’

To find out more about the Lions Barber Collective visit https://www.thelionsbarbercollective.com/ or to donate £5 to help train and support more UK barbers, text THELIONS to 70970.

The time has now come for one voice to represent the many industry professionals from all parts of the hair, barber, beauty and nail sector joining together, working together for the betterment of the sector.  The British Hair & Beauty Collective is finally here!

Hairdressers, Barbers & Beauty professionals across the UK have been calling for the fragmented personal care sector to be fully represented for many years. More recently, the Coronavirus pandemic exposed the weaknesses in the industry exposing fault lines that have been with us for so many years.

The Government have now recognised the need for the Personal Care Sector to be given their own department within the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy  (BEIS) team to help with the many issues surrounding Covid-19, compliance and more moving forward.

Therefore, The Hair & Barber Council along with Salon Owners United have formed a collaboration and are now delighted to launch ‘The British Hair & Beauty Collective’  – a much needed unification and collaboration with one voice representing all in the sector, able to talk to Government directly as one collective and giving us a clear strategy for the future.

Applications to join the ‘Collective’ will follow shortly.

Keith Conniford, Registrar and CEO of The Hairdressing Council, trading as The Hair and Barber Council: “The fragmentation of our sector has been an issue for many decades, one of the main reasons successive Governments have never taken our industry seriously. Very sad to say, this situation is becoming worse instead of better, and unless things change we will never be taken seriously or regarded as the professional industry we truly are. With the launch of this totally inclusive and equally represented Collective, we have a real chance to make a make a significant difference that will change the perception of our industry for generations to come.

Collette Osborne, founder of Salon Owners United said: “As a salon owner who employs many hair and beauty professionals and like many other salons, we feel there are far too many voices claiming to represent us, which can be very confusing. This has been exacerbated by the Coronavirus pandemic and the many challenges that now follow, so it’s now time for us to be represented by those working in the industry for the industry. I am personally delighted that this much awaited change has finally come which will help to calm the confusion and build a more inclusive and supported industry”

Contact details for Salon Owners United 

Collette Osborne

collette@hairven-salon.co.uk

Contact details for The Hair & Barber Council  

Keith Conniford

keithconniford@haircouncil.org.uk

After the pandemic left married couple, Becky Rawlinson and Chris Mooney, and their new-born baby without financial support, the couple decided to take the leap and create their dream business.

Becky’s job in the third sector got defunded and as a barber, Chris was left without income too.

With Chris taking over childcare for their now one-year-old daughter, Becky dedicated herself to her plant delivery business Little Wilderness.

Becky added “I had already developed my business before Covid into doing doorstep deliveries because I didn’t have a shop.

“So as soon as we went into lockdown, I was ready to bring people the things they wanted to their door.”

Now, they are set to open a store, Tenement, inspired by the idea of tenements serving as “multiple dwellings for lots of different people”.

“We thought the Tenement is a shop which is home to more than one project – it is home to a plant shop, a barber shop and we wanted for people in the community to be able to use it as well.

“We didn’t want too much of a barbershop name or too much of a plant shop name.”

Not wanting to prioritise one of their businesses over the other, they thought up a concept that works for both of them.

The store on Battlefield Avenue 11 will be home to Chris’ barbershop on weekdays and will completely transform to accommodate a plant shop on Sundays.

Custom-build shelving will allow them to create walls and easily pack away the barbershop when needed.

Becky added: “You can browse and shop if you are getting a haircut but the plant shop will not open for the general public to buy plants at the time.

“One of the things Chris really cares about is that his barbershop clients get a bit of privacy when they are getting a haircut. He wants the focus to be on them getting a haircut without people walking in and out.”

The space will also be available for hire in the evenings and will create a fresh community space for the area.

The duo are currently in the process of renovating the unit and ensuring it lives up to their unique vision. However, the recent announcement that hairdressers can reopen from April 5 has pushed them to speed up their work.

The plant store will officially open later in the month in line with the Scottish Government’s coronavirus guidance.

As of today, 15^th of March, hair and barbering services can resume practicing throughout Wales. Hairdressers and barbershops have been allowed to reopen strictly on an appointment basis, and only for ‘services that relate to cutting or treating hair on the head.’ Other barbering services such as shaving, waxing, threading etc, are still restricted as they fall under the ‘high risk zone.’ Other beauty services are projected to not reopen until the 12^th of April.

Mobile services can also resume from Monday 15 March, but only if there is not a ‘reasonable practical alternative to a home appointment,’ such as if the client is unable to physically leave their home, or if leaving their home might have significant detrimental effect on the wellbeing of the client.

Hairdressers/barbers also must wear a Type II mask and face visor for the entire time they are in a client’s home, and salons and barbershops must comply with Coronavirus Regulations set, such as maintaining physical distancing when possible, and using PPE properly and consistently.

For more information see the Welsh Government Guidelines for Hairdressing  and Barbering

The First Minister for Wales, Mark Drakeford, has today announced that hair and barbering businesses, including mobile, will reopen from Monday 15 March. The decision means that beauty businesses (that is close contact services, which includes nail salons and eyebrow bars) must remain closed until 12^th April, in line with England’s re-opening of non-essential businesses. The current measures are reviewed in three weeks’ time.

While pleased that those in hair and barbering can begin trading again from Monday, the NHBF is deeply disappointed with the Welsh Government’s decision to stagger the reopening of the sector without providing any scientific evidence to support the move.

The NHBF has stressed the damage that such a move will do to public confidence in the beauty sector and is continuing to make the case for the whole personal care sector to be reopened as soon as possible.

• What Welsh hair and barber businesses need to know:
• Services that relate to cutting or treating hair on the head can be provided. 
• Trimming or shaving facial hair (for example beards, moustaches or eyebrows) is not permitted. 
• ALL other close contact services will remain closed in Wales until further notice. 
• Staff should wear a Type II mask and a clear visor that covers the forehead, extends below the chin and wraps around the face.  
• The mask and visor are in addition to the PPE you normally wear when carrying out treatments, for example gloves or aprons.  The government guidelines also state that the most effective methods of preventing transmission of the virus are still social distancing and regular handwashing.  
• All hair and barbering businesses in Wales, whether premises based or mobile, must operate on a strict appointment-only basis. The guidance for Wales states that you should ask clients for each client’s contact details on the day of their appointment to help with the government’s ‘Test, Trace, Protect’ service. 

Financial Support

• The business rates holiday has been extended for the rest of the financial year.
• Personal care businesses that pay business rates and have to remain closed will be able to claim for a third grant of between £4-5,000.
• Those who have previously received a grant from the Business Restrictions Fund will receive the payment in March.
• Any business which has not previously claimed can register with their local authority from Monday 15 March until 5.00pm on 31 March.

The NHBF is pushing for further financial support for businesses which remain closed, those who either will face a significant shortfall or for whom it is not financially viable to reopen if they cannot offer full services.

Richard Lambert, NHBF Chief Executive said “The fact that hair salons and barbershops, as well as mobile stylists, can get back to work is good news, but we are baffled by the decision to phase the reopening of our whole sector.  There seems to be no clear explanation or evidence for delaying the beauty sector re-opening.  It’s like allowing bookshops to re-open but keeping the non-fiction section closed.”

“These businesses are literally on the brink.  We know that financial support from the Welsh Government, whilst welcome, is just not meeting the fixed costs businesses have going out each month. We have lost ten per cent of the industry already, with more to follow unless we can get doors open and money coming in. If the Welsh Government is adamant that this is not yet possible, then they must ensure that financial support gets through to these businesses in dire need before more go under.”

The NHBF is pushing for further financial support for businesses which either will face a significant shortfall or for whom it is not financially viable to reopen if they cannot offer full services.

Hair and barbering businesses must follow the Welsh Government’s updated guidance which is available at https://gov.wales/covid-19-alert-levels and as previously, are legally required to carry out a COVID-19 risk assessment.

More information on the latest announcement can be found via the NHBF Coronavirus Hub at www.nhbf.co.uk/coronavirus.

The Hair and Barber Council have just announced the following regarding their collaboration with Salon Owners United:

The Hair & Barber Council (HBC) together with Salon Owners United (SOU) are forming a collaboration to further strengthen and amplify the voice of Hair Professionals and Barber Professionals throughout the United Kingdom.

As the ONLY Statutory Authority for the sector, campaigning amongst other things for mandatory registration of the industry, the Hair & Barber Council continues it’s work with industry and the Government representing it’s 10,500 registered members, Associate and Corporate members, and together with Salon Owners United 5,500 members, will work closely together to ensure the voice of our sector is heard.

Keith Conniford, Registrar and CEO of the Hair & Barber Council said: “We are delighted to be working closely with Collette Osborne and the members of Salon Owners United who share the same passion and mission to ensure our sector attains the professional status it both needs and deserves. We greatly admire Collette’s huge commitment and energy she has for our industry, together with the knowledge and experience she brings, together with her members, to this collaboration.

“Based upon mutual aims and trust, with no agenda other than the betterment of our great industry, our joint aim is this collaboration will grow and become more formal in the months to come. Our industry has been hugely impacted by Coronavirus, and never before has the industry needed a more united voice for Hair Professionals and Barber Professionals!”

Collette Osborne of Salon Owners United said: “If the pandemic has done anything it has exposed the fault lines and weaknesses in our industry, so I believe if we are to recover stronger, we need to have one collective voice, which we can use to invoke the change much needed to provide us with a sustainable future.

“The Hair & Barber Council and Keith Conniford have been a tower of strength to Salon Owners United throughout this crisis being my one trusted source of support and guidance for our members when they needed it most for which I will be forever grateful.

“I am delighted to be working alongside Keith Conniford for whom I have the utmost respect both personally and professionally and through our collaboration I can honestly say we will work tirelessly for the hair and barbering industry just as Keith has done for many years.”

The Hair and Barber Councils strapline is ‘Shaping the Future Together’

Together we are stronger – One mission – One voice!

Following the budget announcement, the recognised official charity of the professional hair and beauty industry, Hair & Beauty Charity, has released its current support figures, “Since the third lockdown this January, we have seen a worrying 227% increase in requests for financial support during January and February, based year on year.  Even after today’s announcement and the 12^th April opening date in the roadmap, we know that our support will be required for months to come,” explains Hair & Beauty President Samantha Grocutt.

Hair & Beauty Charity was first established in 1836 as the Hairdresser’s Orphan Fund and has continued to support hair and beauty professionals who have been affected by illness, disability, bereavement, homelessness, domestic violence, or financial hardship.  During 2020, the charity saw an extraordinary 148% increase in requests for help and increased the financial contributions to those in the hair and beauty industry by 70%. 

“Today’s budget announcement has some positive news for our beneficiaries – especially those who were self-employed in 2019 and have been part of the three million who have fallen through the net of government financial support to date.  Approximately 62.5%* of the professional industry is working in a self-employed capacity. Our charity has been vital to support for them, so we’re pleased that there is now financial support available for those who need it and who meet the requirements for qualifying.  However, we also know that many of the beneficiaries we are helping with financial support still may not qualify for the new self-employed support as many were self-employed in July 2020 either by losing their jobs or having their employment status altered.  We have ring-fenced funds to continue supporting them.

“Further, the news that the sector’s lobbying for a VAT reduction to 5% has not been accepted will also affect salon owners who have been significantly impacted with almostnine months of salon closure.  This cut was previously awarded to the hospitality sector and has now been extended, despite the hair and beauty industry being 1/3 of the size and VAT paying salons employing half of all those people working in the sector.  The charity is still very much a life-line for our industry and will continue to help those in financial need as we have for more than 180 years,” concludes Samantha.

*From Office of National Statistics July 2019-June 2020.  Hair & Barbering is 60% and Beauty 65%

To donate visit: https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/relieffund