Ward’s world

Sharing IS CARING

From sharing advice with competitors to campaigning for greater industry recognition, Hellen Ward explores why salon owners are stronger when they work together – and why the sector deserves to be taken seriously

I was recently at an industry networking event – amazing venue, great food, drinks flowing and lovely company. Our hosts had a roving mic and were asking the audience to share their feedback.

The topic was loose – state of the industry, observations on the sector, thoughts on the challenges and their own company performance. One of the Scottish attendees made a comment that struck me. They thought we should all be sharing more with each other; helping each other more, sharing knowledge, supporting one another and brainstorming ideas.

But that’s exactly what we had been doing and always do. Across from me were the lovely Lucan Salem and his sister Tassie, directors of Hari’s. Hari’s is our competition – honestly – with four salons within a mile of us, they truly are our biggest rival. A great brand (where Richard did part of his training), I’ve met Lucan and Tassie at several events now and we’d spent the whole lunch, as we usually do, talking about business, exchanging ideas, comparing notes on our suppliers, pricing, software providers – yet we are in direct competition. How healthy is that? How refreshing is that?

During Covid, what started as a WhatsApp group to exchange notes on re-opening and PPE morphed into Salon Employers Association, which in turn led to Toby Dicker and I working with The Fellowship for British Hairdressing, The Freelance Hair Association, MFhed and the Hair & Barber Council to co-create British Hair Consortium, not forgetting our champion Collette from Salon Owners United.

Our SEA WhatsApp group debates everything, with the objective of supporting other salon owners. I’ve talked about it before in this column, but we honestly do cover everything from coffee machines and employment issues to choosing suppliers and finding tradesman in the local area.

Opening up

But my Scottish friend was right – this is a relatively new phenomenon. Traditionally, sectors were incredibly secretive about their businesses. I cannot imagine when we first opened the salon in 1992 and were desperate for any advice or support we could get that a direct competitor would be happy to help. Perhaps that’s because back in the day we were so terrified of poaching that it would have seemed absurd to make friends with the “enemy”. Yet now, I’d think nothing of checking in with any salon owner – competitor or not – especially when checking references on potential employees.

So, I think, overall, the dial has shifted, and we are becoming much better at networking with the competition. Gone are the days when people spun the BS and told us everything was a bed of roses when it clearly is far from that. Perhaps that’s the key – we are more likely to communicate when times are economically challenging than when things are buoyant. Regardless, I urge you to join a group or talk to other salon owners – whether through attending supplier networking events or joining an association. Even if you’re not much of an active participant, it’s comforting to know that others are in the same boat and share solutions you may have found that could help your peers. As I always say, it’s lonely being the boss, but it doesn’t have to be.

Our industry suffers so much from its reputation, it would be refreshing to change the perception and prove that we are serious and can unite. Our recent One Voice campaign is a case in point; bringing all of the industry together to campaign for tax reform. About time! We know that hospitability got the VAT breaks they needed after Covid, which helped them get back on their feet (remember Eat Out to Help Out? VAT reduced to 5% at its peak) because they all aligned and spoke as one voice. Perhaps if we’d been able to plead our case as a united front then things would have been different.

Serious business

The fact we are a bit of a joke still winds me up like nothing else. Remember Covid, when Boris laughed and joked in parliament about his hair and referred to salons as “beauty parlours?” Why is what we do not taken seriously? It will never stop winding me up.

Gavin, our salon manager, like me, used to be a hairdresser. He said nothing irritated him more than being out at a dinner party and somebody asking for a quick blow dry or trim. “You wouldn’t ask an accountant to come up with a quick spreadsheet,” he argued. “When they’ve finished work, they’ve finished work, yet with us, it’s fluffy and not thought of in the same light.”

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).

“Our industry suffers so much from its reputation, it would be refreshing to change the perception and prove that we are serious and can unite”

Speaking up

When I was asked to chair the Trailblazers for our sector, I always remember going into a meeting with several Whitehall bods at the Department of Education. There was a huge boardroom with over 40 attendees from various bodies, and the Minister started the meeting by telling us how he paid less than £10 for his haircut. I’m sure he meant well in trying to break the ice, but it did not go down well with me. “That’s the trouble with our industry,” I said, “If this was engineering and James Dyson was sitting where I am, you wouldn’t be joking about buying a cheap hoover, would you?”

Regular readers will know that I’ve ranted about this before. I’ll never stop ranting about it because what we do for a living matters. And yes, we are businesspeople. In fact, I’ve been nominated as Businesswoman of the Year in the Women of the Year Awards in 2026, and honestly, I don’t mind if I win or not. The fact that I am the first woman from our sector to be nominated is more than enough. Perhaps people will start taking a bit more notice of what our vibrant, essential sector brings to not only the economy but also to the high street, and to the mental wellness of our customers.