Simple sourcing

Salonology co-founder Hollie Power tells Lollie Hancock about her latest project, The Salon Source, helping salon owners discover the right brands for them

What is The Salon Source?

“It’s an online platform for salon owners where they can learn about what different brands offer, what their minimum start-up costs are, the marketing and training that’s involved, and anything else they need to know before choosing a brand to bring on.”

Why did you decide to launch the platform?

“We launched it to showcase different brands because over the past few years we’ve had brands come to us and ask how to get in front of our audience and connect with them.

“In lockdown, we started doing giveaways online, where a brand would give us all the information about who they are, and I would present it in a live video – we were giving away machines and thousands of pounds worth of products but what people loved the most was getting a chance to learn about the brands.

“We went out to our audience, and we said to them, ‘what do you want to know?’ and that’s how The Salon Source was born.”

What were your main goals when creating The Salon Source?

“I wanted it to be really simple for people to understand and use. Salon owners don’t have a lot of time. They’re busy, they’re overwhelmed, they’re stressed, they’re emotionally attached to their business, and it’s difficult for them to compile that level of information that they need when they’re ready to take a next step.

“Brand alignment is really important. It’s paramount that we get to see what those brands can offer us and how they can put it in front of us in a way that’s going to benefit us. It’s so much more now than just cost or location. It’s about brand ethos.”

What are the benefits for beauty professionals using the platform?

“It works nicely alongside going to events like Professional Beauty because it allows them to look at some of the companies in advance and get the basics about the company, so they already know that they would be able to afford to have a conversation with the brand or that they have the same sort of brand ethos, or the brand offers the treatments the professionals are looking for. It’s about helping them make the right business decisions.”

What do you think is the key to choosing the right brands for a salon business?

“We want our salon owners to grow and be successful, and a lot of that comes from finding the right brand. Some companies have incredible equipment, machines and products, but they don’t follow up with the customer service. Others have incredible customer service, but maybe they don’t have the products.

“We wanted to try and put everything down in one space so a salon owner can just jump onto it, get that first level of research that they need, then go from there. They’ve got a platform that they can visit and learn about what the different brands offer to see if it’s the right brand for them. The buyer’s guides are all about helping people to make the right decisions. So, it’s more than a directory – it’s more of a business guide.”