Editor’s Comment

If there’s one challenge that’s uniting the salon and spa industry at the moment it’s recruitment and retention of good therapists.

The responses to our SOS: Support Our Salons campaign – which has been asking salon owners to share their biggest setbacks and how they overcame them – have demonstrated that salon owners the length and breadth of the UK are having a far lower response rate to job ads than they used to and finding that those who do apply are just not up to scratch.

One reason is the changing perceptions of beauty therapy as a career choice. Where once a large proportion of college leavers were serious about skincare and had dreams of opening their own salons, now employers are reporting that many seem to see beauty as an easy option and aren’t prepared to put in the (often unsociable) hours required to progress. Meanwhile, more people are choosing the option of short courses and freelance working rather than the traditional salon route.

So, what can we as an industry do about it? Our feature from page 79 explores the issue to uncover the factors behind the great therapist shortage and the actions we can take to solve it.

We also take a closer look at the evolution of the essential skills needed in the modern salon. Our video feature on page 118 explains how to get started in this increasingly popular method of marketing, helping you to create professional-looking videos without breaking the bank.

And for the ultimate update of your management skills, check out our “5 essential business insights” feature on page 141, which explains why you can’t afford to miss the Salon & Spa Owners’ Convention at Professional beauty North on October 22-23 – from finance to social media, branding to managing staff, the conference will deliver hundreds of ideas and real-life examples that you can take and implement in your own business. See you there!