The silver bullet

There may not be one simple solution to securing the future growth and professionalism of our industry, but regulation will make a huge impact, writes Hellen Ward

For those of you not familiar with the term, “silver bullet” refers to a bullet made of silver supposedly being the only weapon that could kill a werewolf. These days, it’s more commonly used to refer to a simple and seemingly magical solution to a complex problem.

Of course, in real life, just like werewolves, silver bullets don’t exist, and not just metaphorically. Rarely is there one easy fix to anything, particularly in business. There is no silver bullet, for example, that will solve all our economic problems. Or those involving climate change, the ongoing cost-of-living crisis, inflation, or the energy crisis… and certainly nothing that could instantly sort out the hair and beauty sector in one fell swoop. Or is there?

A fair fight

Regular readers will know about me co-founding the Salon Employers Association [SEA] and how we are fighting on behalf of our members for reform. The pandemic has changed our industry beyond recognition and to level up with other sectors we need to switch it up so that we have an even playing field. To do that, we need to be taken seriously.

In our dealings with Government departments, MPs, the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy [BEIS], the Confederation of British Industry [CBI], trade associations and the media in our work with SEA, what we can conclude is that we may very well be taken more seriously if we self-regulate under one overarching umbrella. After all, you wouldn’t let a gas engineer carry out work on a dangerous, carbon-monoxide-spewing boiler if they weren’t on the Gas Safe Register. Yet, years ago, they were unregulated too.

Some people argue that what we do and the services we undertake could not prove fatal like, for example, carbon-monoxide inhalation – and therefore regulation is an unnecessary burden, but they are wrong, as anyone who has ever witnessed a serious reaction to dye will attest to. Anaphylaxis can happen in any hair or beauty salon, as the seasoned therapist will know all too well. The onus is on us, the practitioners, to conduct our due diligence and follow manufacturer guidelines to ensure we are compliant.

I personally think that regulating us is a good thing. Beauty has more governance than hair, with special treatment licences being required by some local authorities, but in general we remain largely unregulated.

The argument against regulation has always been centred around the resulting red tape and how heavy a burden this would be, but isn’t this scaremongering?

Wouldn’t those working professionally in the sector rather ensure that the cowboys were put out of business? Is it fair that a competitor business might be able to operate without even considering coughing up for the very expensive overheads that the compliant and conscientious business owner ensures they have, however costly, such as public and employer liability insurances, for example? Those who are passionate about our industry not only care about its standards but also its future. Some extra paperwork is a small price to pay, surely.

Burden of proof

At the time of writing, the budget is fast approaching. Who knows whether as SMEs [small and medium-sized enterprises] we will get any concessions in our rising costs and the increasing financial burden all of us who have high-street premises endure. Maybe if we were regulated we would have some power in unification and be able to go back to Government and fight for more tax breaks and greater levelling up.

As I’ve often said, our industry is splintered, and we aren’t to blame for that. There are so many bodies and organisations all representing their membership, but the broad brush that encompasses us as spas, nail bars, hair salons, beauty salons and barbers is just one element. Couple that with the retail side of the industry and we become even more diverse.

It’s probably time to split ourselves into two core elements: services and retail. People whose jobs involve retailing cosmetics in department stores, for instance, cannot be lumped in with therapists, nail technicians, hairdressers and barbers, who are conducting services on their clients and need proper qualifications. Those in retail need their voice too, but it can’t be the same as ours because we have different concerns, issues and causes that we need voiced and, no doubt, so do they.

Switch focus

We can no longer just be lumped together as “the beauty industry” – it doesn’t really serve anyone. It’s misleading to Government in terms of our contribution to the economy [and lack of growth] and it doesn’t address the real fears salon owners have when it comes to safeguarding the next generation – namely, the decline in the number of young people entering the industry.

So, shortly you will be asked for your views on regulation, via whichever organisation you affiliate with or by social media. We have all agreed to create one comprehensive, up-to-the-minute survey to ask about regulation, among other things, and take those results and findings as a cohesive force to the people who can effect real, longlasting change.

Please consider your response carefully. I know you may have concerns; I do too. But I also know that until we get some concrete data, we won’t create real, effective change. So please, participate. Ensure your voice is heard. We need it.

Hellen Ward is managing director of Richard Ward Hair & Metrospa in London and co-founder of Salon Employers Association (SEA).