Trigg Hair Studio is an award-winning Edinburgh salon that opened in 2013. Through focusing on retaining the staff they have trained and invested in, they have completely transformed the business in the last five years. Here’s how they did it…
The salon’s owner and Scottish Board Director for the NHBF, Fiona Johnston, explains, ‘Having seen self-employment rise to 60%, we decided to change the wage structure to provide more stability and make our team feel more valued.’ The change means that the team are salaried, protecting them from the fluctuations presented by commission pay in quieter weeks. The salary grows with the pricing tiers, and each team. member has a planned ‘journey’ – this is a progression route with clear targets and goals to achieve to get to the next pay level.
There are also bonuses in place to enhance wages and reward exemplary performance. Being employed means more than just receiving a pay packet. Important information regarding the benefits of being employed – such as paid holidays, pension provision, ongoing security and minimum responsibility for tax and admin – are regular topics for conversation.
As a result, Fiona has been able to develop a team that share the same values and positive mindset, as well as being supportive of each other’s success. Regular one-to-one reviews to set targets have helped keep stylists on track – this has included reviews of working practices, skills and training needs, with offers of development opportunities too.
The salon’s clients are also advised on how to use the pricing structure to suit their budget. For example, using a lower-tiered staff member for colour and a more-experienced stylist for a cut can keep the client in the salon as a stylist progresses. When asked whether they lost clients in the business transformation,
Fiona states, ‘Yes, we lost some clients, but these were the clients who didn’t want to pay higher prices. These clients didn’t see our value, and our new clients do.’ As part of the transformation, Trigg also made changes to satisfy the need for flexibility and work-life balance. This included introducing one Saturday off a month, the option to do a condensed week, doing longer but fewer days and starting the working day later (which is particularly popular with younger team members!).
As you can see, Fiona is passionate about providing a positive working environment. In 2020, she used her final support payment to hire a mindful business coach for the whole team to receive wellness training. As a result, the team now describe themselves as a mindful salon with a positive mindset and shared team values. Comradery is, unsurprisingly, very high at Trigg Hair Studio…
In order to support this new wage structure, the company had to increase its prices. Mindful of the effect created as the business model changed, Trigg Hair Studio focused on three strategies:
1. Developing value-added packages promoted on the website, social media and through direct marketing. Focusing on added value, as opposed to discounts, has led to higher client satisfaction and the hourly income increasing to 78%.
2. Creating a speciality service for curly hair through the Trigg Texture Training programme. Upskilling the team in this niche market led to a growth of 5% to 75% of curly clients.
3. Building client numbers through 5-star reviews and recommendations. The usual 6-7 new clients a month gradually became 20-23, then 28-32 and then 32-38. Within 8 months, they had 40 new clients a month and after 18 months, 60 new clients a month.
