THOMAS HILLS, DIRECTOR, TH1 HAIR, OXTED, LOOKS AT WHY A NEW YEAR CAN OFFER A FRESH FOCUS TO ALLOW YOUR SALON BUSINESS TO THRIVE

Each and every one of us will have seen our businesses, careers and family lives disrupted in ways we could never have imagined in recent times, making it hard to continually keep calm and carry on. But carry on collectively we have. And while some businesses will of course have fared better than others, the industry’s fighting spirit has helped push us through to the other side, while we’ve pivoted our offerings, re-evaluated our business models and redesigned our visions of the future as we go.

But just what is the future for business owners now?
We’ve always been risk-takers and dream-makers, offering myriad opportunities to our teams, cheerleading them as they go, but the business landscape has irrevocably changed, and conventional strategic thinking hasn’t been enough to help us plan for a new normal. Instead it’s highlighted the need for more of a hybrid approach to business, taking elements from before, while fusing them with a more innovative approach in both practice and mindset.

Ripple Effect
The most critical question for us all now is how will the landscape have changed for our industry long-term, and not only that, but how will our clients’ behaviour have changed in a post-pandemic world? Because while the pandemic is of course temporary, the ripple effect it has caused most definitely won’t be.

Head-On
Many of us, myself included will have had moments where we have felt it’s impossible to plan for the future when it’s proven to be so uncertain, but taking time to tackle issues head-on is key: there’s no longer time for brushing problems under the carpet, they need to be assessed and addressed as and when they arise.

Managing risk has always been at the heart of any business, but now risk has presented itself in so many others ways that keeping faith in the future and trusting the recovery is key.

With a New Year fully underway, now is the perfect time to reflect, adapt and react as necessary, so we can ensure 2022 is the year our industry truly thrives.

Here’s some lessons I’ve learnt to help along the way…

1) Keep your perspective. The first lockdown was one of the hardest moments in my career. It became a time of survival, which pushed me to my limit both emotionally and financially. Since then, however, I’ve learnt to hold my nerve, to address issues as they arise and to try not to worry about a future I can’t control, however hard this may be.

2) I’ve learned that surrounding yourself with exceptional people is the best ring fence to your business, making growth more sustainable, and developing a true team spirit that means you can work collectively through the tougher times.

3) The customer has changed, post pandemic, and if your mindset stays the same your business won’t be sustainable. With this in mind it’s important to encourage a growth mind-set among your team to allow speed of response to your clients’ ever evolving needs.

4) Over the last 18 months, I’ve learnt that authenticity, transparency and staying true to your passion and vision is paramount to your business moving forward. It’s about a laser vision and staying focused on the end goal without distraction. None of this is easy, but I’m still trying to enjoy the journey – even if it did reroute itself along the way.

5) It’s not always what happens to you but how you react to it that matters. I can’t lie, the last 18 months have been the toughest for me both personally and professionally, there have been times when I’ve considered changing my whole life, but at the core of everything is the fact that I still love what I do, and that brighter days will come.

6) Caring will become the most powerful business advantage and one we should use to ours. Customers may forget what you said, but they’ll never forget how you made them feel.

7) Focus on a positive mind-set, on team morale, and on engagement with both staff and clients. What worked yesterday is unlikely to form the business blueprint of the future, so adapt and react to a new normal, and reframe your understanding of your business as you go.

For more info on the brand, visit TH1 HAIR here.