“I’m a freelancer and these are our three key reasons for opening a co-working space.”
We are Jack and Ross Williams-Hirst. Inspired by the enormous recent shift in the industry (with 70% of us now working on a freelance basis), we opened a brand-new co-working salon in Soho that is specifically tailored for independent hairdressers.
For us, the transition from traditional salon work to establishing a co-working salon was a natural progression. We had reached a point where being employed no longer satisfied our professional needs. Having built successful clienteles in a West End salon (which we were so grateful for the opportunity for), we craved more freedom. Freedom to choose our holidays and working hours, and freedom to create a better work/life balance.
Earning good money as independents was a key motivation for us. We sought education about taxes, VAT, stock ordering and control. Understanding these basics allowed us to see what wages we could earn and manage profit and loss effectively. Post-Covid, working in a freelance space revealed a gap in the industry that we wanted to fill. That’s why we opened Williams & Hirst. Our vision was a co-work salon, not just a co-work ‘space’. We aimed to bring the salon environment – complete with retail and a team – while still maintaining independence. Access to ongoing training from major colour houses and product launches was crucial to us, but we’re still just two independent hairdressers at the heart of it.
Since Covid, we’ve seen the freelance hairdressing industry grow massively. As other industries gained more control and freedom over how they worked, it was only a matter of time before our industry had to change too. Social media has played a significant role in this transformation. The rise of hairdressers raising their profiles online has changed how clients find new hairdressers.
At Williams & Hirst, we designed our co-working salon to meet the unique needs of freelance hairdressers. On our front door, you’ll see the words ‘founded for independent hairdressing.’ This is central to our ethos. Being independent, freelance, self-employed – whatever you want to call it! – is something to be proud of. It doesn’t make us any less as hairdressers. We wanted our independent stylists to have access to retail, the ability to purchase colour at the same cost salons do and a place to store it. We also felt independent stylists often got overlooked for product launches or new electricals, which were typically reserved for big salons. We wanted to change that.
We believe that clients also benefit from their hairdressers working in a co-working salon like ours, mainly because independent stylists can focus more on their clients’ needs without the constraints of a traditional salon environment. Our co-working salon stands as a testament to the potential of this model, blending independence with the community and resources of a traditional salon. As the industry continues to evolve, we believe this innovative approach could well be the future of hairdressing.
