Career Path

Want to campaign for change but don’t know where to start? Sarah Wilkinson, owner of Equilibrium Silsden, explains how to fight for what you believe in and rally the industry together

1. Connect with likeminded people online

“I’m involved in a couple of online beauty business communities but the main ones I’m active in are Salonology, Salon Help, Salon Ignition and private group Skin Bitches. During coronavirus lockdown, these groups were a massive lifeline because we shared some really intense moments together - from the lows, including the enforced closure; to the massive highs, like when the face treatments ban was lifted. It’s good to have likeminded people in the industry to share these emotions with.”

2. Find your voice and use it for good

“During the face treatments ban in England, I spearheaded the #SaveOurSalons campaign - a social media video that asked clients to book a treatment, pre-buy gift vouchers, purchase products or write reviews to help beauty businesses survive the pandemic, during the restrictions and beyond. The video featured 16 salon owners who were in the Skin Bitches group and I was amazed at how quickly they all got on board with the idea and agreed to take part.

“The video was based on an open letter I had written to ask clients for their support, with each salon owner making a tweak to the script. We shared it on social media to raise awareness of how badly the sector was struggling. Half of the salon owners featured on the video I’ve never even met before, but during lockdown we have been a real support to each other.”

3. Get your contacts book out

“Luckily, so many of the salon owners involved had great contacts who could help the cause. I’d done work with local radio before so I called in a few favours, while another owner knew someone who could edit the video for free and another had lots of celebrity contacts who could share the video - in the end we had the likes of TV personality Katie Piper and brow expert Nilam Holmes share it on social media, which was amazing.

“It was a really emotional thing to be involved with and although it was challenging managing clips from 16 different people, it was worth it because so many salon owners have had clients being so understanding and caring because of it.”

4. Be relentless in your messaging

“If you’re launching a campaign, the main thing is not to be disheartened if you get a rejection or no reply at all - I emailed loads of people about #SaveOurSalons and got about a 20% return. Just keep pushing; reach out to those big industry names and bodies who your campaign could resonate with, and be proactive and driven, because one day’s worth of work won’t get the campaign to where you need it to be.

“On social media, tag those that you want to see your campaign and don’t just post once, do it several times using all the different formats - for example, tories, grid and reels on Instagram. If you’ve been using a product house for years then it’s worth asking them to get involved with what you’re doing too as, after all, you’ve supported them for years by being their customer.”

5. Keep campaigning for the industry

“I think the reason our industry experienced such a delay reopening is because beauty isn’t regulated, and that needs to change. We need to educate the Government and the public that we’re a sector filled with highly qualified entrepreneurs but, unfortunately, there’s still a lot of low-level salons that don’t work to these high standards. It’s up to us to come together and make change happen. So, if you’re passionate about our industry, get out there campaigning.”

PB