Creative HEAD October 2019

#BusinessEdit
LIFE
LESSONS
KEN’S CLINIC
GOT A BUSINESS HEADACHE?
LET KEN WEST, DIRECTOR OF BUSINESS
EXPERTS 3•6•5, OFFER A PERSONAL PRESCRIPTION
PAUL
FITZGERALD
PR HAIR
What are the
pitfalls and
opportunity
of rebranding
my salon and
what should
I avoid?
ROBBIE
BRUCE,
ROKU
Keep learning. I’ve been
in the industry since I was
16. Being in the salon day in,
day out, you learn what not
to do as well as what to do.
Saying that, don’t live in a
salon bubble. Get out there
and keep your skills fresh.
Money is a by-product of
success. Try not to worry
about it. If you focus on
delivering quality service
and growing a loyal clientele,
money will come.
Find out what motivates
your team. If you know this
you can help an individual
develop and grow. Do they
want more skills training?
Or do they want to move
into management?
Say thank you! It can be
easy to criticise, but don’t
forget to praise when a job,
however small, is done well.
Always praise in public and
criticise in private.
Look and listen. I read
people well, and keep my
eyes and ears open. Aim to
know what your clients want
before they do, and shape
your services around this.
KEN’S DIAGNOSIS
My initial questions to anyone who is
considering a rebrand would be ‘Why are
you rebranding? Is the business profitable?
Is it attracting new clients? Does it have a
good reputation? Does it attract good staff?
If the answer to all of these questions is ‘yes’,
then why risk a brand and reputation that
has been built up over many years, just so
that you can look like the ‘shiny new toy’?
It may be wiser to consider a brand
makeover. Refresh your logo and all of
your marketing materials, give the salon a
makeover, reignite your team but keep the
brand that is behind the reputation. This is
something that we see regularly with leading
products and high street retailers.
What I believe you are doing, Robbie,
is taking over an existing salon that you
currently work in and presumably you are
paying for the goodwill of the ‘brand’. I
understand your desire to ‘make your mark’
but please consider the above.
A rebrand could, however, bring some
wonderful opportunities. You could attract a
different clientele and new team members,
and you could totally reposition yourself
in the market place. All of these are great
reasons for a rebrand but make sure that
you totally re-invent your ‘product’ and all of
your marketing.
I am also aware that the current owner
will continue to work in the salon and this
can often bring its own challenges, all of
which I am happy to discuss
if you would like to email
me directly – contact
details are at the bottom
of the page.
You may have heard
the expression: ‘all fur
coat and no knickers’. My
concern would be that
you could end up
being ‘new fur
coat but same
knickers’.
There is
no right
or wrong
– good
luck
either
way,
Robbie.
DO YOU HAVE A BUSINESS HEADACHE YOU’D LIKE KEN TO HELP WITH?
Email KenW@365Hair.com or tweet @creativeheadmag
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CREATIVE HEAD