My pathway into hairdressing was similar to many; I began at 15 years old as a Saturday assistant and completed my training with
a Youth Training Scheme (YTS). My strong social connections with people and my ability to have a keen interest in others are probably the main reasons for my success as a hairdresser. However, for reasons that I’m not sure about now, I took a real interest in the business side from early on. I was always interested in the numbers and sales side
of things, and I was really switched on to the component parts of growth.
SET FOR SUCCESS
I went back to college in my early twenties, deciding that I wanted to
understand more about business. I completed part-time courses to gain access to university, before graduating at the age of 30 with a business degree. I was still a hairdresser full time throughout that time. Later the same year, I opened my first salon in partnership with two other hairdressers. Within the first five years, we’d grown organically to a team of around 30 and moved from the original location into a much bigger salon.
BACK TO SCRATCH
I gave up being a stylist and implemented business systems to ensure profitability. In 2008, we expanded with another sizeable operation. By then, our total team in both locations was 70-80 staff. It was also at this time that I taught an Aveda Business Programme to other salon owners, focusing on profitability, leadership and team engagement.
By 2016 we had expanded again, but after 20 years together and three locations, we decided to go our separate ways. I left the Aberdeen businesses with my partners and relaunched the Glasgow location on my own as ‘Bloom’.
TIME TO BLOOM
Within a month or two of relaunching Bloom, Covid hit, and well, most people can relate to the rest! It was at this time that I also decided to expand and reopen my own salon in Aberdeen. Bloom Aberdeen opened with two weeks trading before the second lockdown hit. This was, of course, a very challenging period – I had two salons now going through the economic challenges of Covid (what was I thinking!).
However, this was a period of deep reflection for me; I used the time to think about what would change in my new world, both in terms of visual representation and also the guest experience during an appointment. On reopening, both salons started the rebuild process and the recovery began.
SET FOR THE CITY
In early 2022, I was approached to be the salon within the Keune Flagship salon and academy in London. The House of Keune by Bloom opened in October 2022, and this London salon has brought a lot to the Bloom brand. It has also elevated my thinking around the type of business I wanted to own and run.
Most recently, a move in Glasgow was spurred on by a need to refresh the business and structural issues with the building we were in – so we opened a new Glasgow salon in April 2024. Right now, I’m back to three businesses, but this time it’s in three different cities stretching the UK.
As I progress through my career, I love my work and my ‘job’ more and more each year. That said, I understand that my business can only be sustainable beyond me by engaging my team and stakeholders. I’ve always been more about the business naturally, so I offset that by having ‘hair passion’ elsewhere in the leadership team.
Knowing what you are and what you are not is super important for growing a business. I’m looking forward to sharing how my highs and lows can help you thrive and grow!
Over the next few issues, Sheona will be tackling business topics such as demographics and drive, behaviours affecting the hair industry, businesses within business and why marketing to your team is the layer of engagement YOU might be missing.
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