The next big thing?

What’s the difference between a trend and a fad? Hellen Ward explores how to determine whether to invest in the latest treatment everyone’s posting about on social media

Business has never been so tough, nor so competitive. The market is extremely challenging for salon owners in our sector. Illegitimate traders and cash-only operators that are often a front for organised crime – and in extreme cases people trafficking – are not only creating a race to the bottom, but if the lack of enforcement continues and lack of regulation persists, they certainly aren’t doing any favours for people who legitimately need to make their pricing work financially, especially in light of the increase in National Insurance and National Minimum Wage.

Changing times

So how do we compete? I’ve written before about how consumer behaviour has changed, but it’s accelerating.

Our clients have never been so informed. They know about trends and fads before we do sometimes, and the latest thing they’ve seen on TikTok can not only affect our choice of service offering, but that of our suppliers and manufacturers.

While this is all very well, I can only issue a couple of words of advice to those who are considering jumping onto the latest bandwagon and putting all their eggs in a fresh, new, shiny basket. Take heed. Think of the shelf life before you go all in. And if you doubt me, the two words to remember? Fish pedicure. Yes, the good old fish pedicure bars that sprung up like Japanese knotweed all over the world. Until… they disappeared.

It’s a bit like the blow dry bars. So many venture capitalists wanted to jump on the speedy blow dry bandwagon, only to discover that it wasn’t quite so easy to cookie-cutter as a business model. The problem? Staffing! Where people are involved it’s always complex.

Flash in the pan

The newly qualified stylist who may choose to work in a blow dry bar initially soon realised that the one thing that was missing was the progression plan.

Doing transient clients for the same services isn’t necessarily the way to hone your talents or continue your personal development, so the business model was difficult to staff. I remember flagging this up to one particular company that asked my advice when opening in the UK. They quickly dismissed my warning – but they aren’t operating any more. Since Covid and with fewer apprentices than ever before, it’s no wonder.

So, what’s the difference between a trend and a fad? In my view, a trend is behavioural, a cultural change that has staying power, whereas a fad has a limited shelf-life and can disappear just as quickly as it arrived.

I’m not advising you to stop exploring a range of new advances and innovations. Some will certainly stick. But a lot will fail, too. So, if you’re nervous to change your offering, try it out, but don’t go full pelt until you’re sure it’s here to stay, because when it seriously becomes a consumer must-have (like nail services and barbering have) then we should all think about embracing it.

“In this challenging market, we will only hold OUR PRICE POINT if we up our game, and that means UPPING OUR EXPERIENCE”

There’s no quick fix to the next solution. There’s rarely a silver bullet. Just because something is trending on TikTok, don’t feel pressured into adding it to your offering straight away.

Manufacturers should take note too, because if they don’t stay true to their core business and fail to listen to their loyal customers (us!) then the results for them could be catastrophic.

Added value

One thing is for sure, whatever your service offering to your clients, they will be wanting value for money – especially with the rising cost of living that impacts every one of us.

One of our SEA (Salon Employers Association) members posted something very profound on our WhatsApp group. Marguerite said, “Money is only a problem if the value is missing.” How true.

It’s all relative

We need to remind ourselves that we don’t get to be the judge of what the perception of value is.

A very expensive dinner, a beautiful weekend away at an expensive hotel, a fabulous pair of shoes – all of these could cost a fortune but still be great value for money. But the value will often be experience based – even with the great pair of shoes it will be how they make you feel and not how beautiful they are that will make them worth the price tag.

Creating value in our salons has never been more important. In this challenging market, we will only hold our price point if we up our game, and that means upping our experience. We remain a people business. Our teams are what give us our greatest value, not a trend or fad. We need to market that, cultivate it, nurture it and shout about it.

Hellen Ward is managing director of Richard Ward Hair & Metrospa in London, vice president of The Hair & Beauty Charity and co-founder of Salon Employers Association (SEA).