Day in the Life: What It Takes to Run Your Own Hair and Beauty Franchise

Looking and feeling good is very important to the British public, and we’re happy to part with a significant amount of cash in order to achieve it. If you’ve always been passionate about hair and beauty but never really understood what owning your own business would entail - this article is for you!

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The hair and beauty industry is wide-ranging and includes everything from getting a hair cut to having a wax. As a nation, we are getting more conscious of our appearance and often turn to professionals to make sure we look our best. But what can you expect if you become a hair and beauty franchise owner? By the end of this article you should understand what an average day for a hair and beauty franchisee looks like and whether it’s the right career move for you.

Snapshot of the hair and beauty industry in the UK

In 2017 the hair and beauty industry generated more than £7.5 billion in turnover for the UK economy. There are over 43,000 businesses operating in this industry in the UK, which is an 1,000 increase from the previous year. Therefore, it’s clear to see that our need for hair and beauty services poses a lucrative investment opportunity.

And, with hair and beauty businesses having higher survival rates than many other business sectors and the number of businesses growing by 45 percent in the past five years, what’s not to love?

The number of hair and beauty businesses has grown by 45% in the last five years.

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>> Read more:

• Rush Hair franchise - Everything you should know
• Start Your Own Beauty Shop with a Franchise
• Hair salon for sale in the UK: What to look for
• Rules and Regulations to Consider When Opening a Hair Salon
• Which Hairdresser Brands Franchise?

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A day in the life of a hair and beauty franchise owner

• Supervising employees. You’ll need to observe how your staff are interacting with customers and assess if they are using their time in the most efficient way. Being a hairdresser is often a juggling act and you often have a number of clients on the go at one time. You can take note of anything that can be improved on, and then work out a productive way to convey this to staff. Workshops often work well for this.
• Greet clients and book appointments. You’ll often start the day doing this. You might introduce clients to the member of staff who will be carrying out the treatment. Then you could check in during the appointment to make sure everything is running smoothly and the client is happy.
• Make sure the salon is clean and tidy. There’s nothing worse than going to a salon that is dirty and untidy. Treatments are often supposed to be relaxing and customers are parting with their hard-earned cash to pay for them. If a salon isn’t clean chances are it’s going to result in dissatisfied customers.
• Admin and bookkeeping. In order for your hair and beauty business to be a success, you need to keep records and stick to your budget. Keep an eye on any supplies and products that need topping up.
• Attend conferences. Part of your workday might involve attending professional events where you can learn about new trends in the industry.
• Market the business. Come up with innovative ways to market the business, whether it’s printed adverts or social media.

Of course, there will be variation in what you do each day. When you’ve been up and running for a while, you might choose to take more of an overseeing role and delegate certain roles to other people. Or, if you’ve been a passionate hairdresser for many years and don’t want to give it up, you can choose to have more of an active role on the salon floor.

Advantages of running your own hair and beauty franchise

• It’s rewarding seeing customers leave feeling happy
• People are always going to want to invest in their appearance
• You can decide when you work

Challenges of running your own hair and beauty franchise

• Chance of risks e.g. employee accidents, risk of fire, liability issues. To make sure there aren’t any disasters with chemicals and clients slipping because of hair on the floor, train your staff on safety policies and procedures properly.
• Customers might not be satisfied with treatment. Again, to make sure this doesn’t happen or only very rarely, only hire the most skilled employees.

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>> Read more:

• Top 5 Hair and Beauty Franchises in the UK
• Guide to starting a beauty store business
• How to start a beauty franchise
• Start Your Own Beauty Shop with a Franchise
• The Best Hair and Beauty Franchises in the UK

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Become a franchisee in the hair and beauty industry

If you’re ready to make your mark in the exciting and constantly evolving hair and beauty industry, we have two great opportunities on our books for you to consider.

Rush Hair

This well-established brand has been expanding its network nationally since 1994, reaching a current total of 80 salons around the country. The salon franchise prides itself on winning numerous awards for hairdressing. It’s also in partnership with a plethora of trusted haircare brands, including L’Oréal, ghd, REDKEN and Kerastase Paris to name a few, which are used across its salons.

• How to become a Rush Hair franchisee: Your Rush salon will usually be ready for opening six months after the initial application but rest assured that you will receive the appropriate comprehensive training you need to operate your salon and a business plan suggesting the most suitable franchise locations. You will even be able to meet the Chairman, Andy Phouli.
• How much you need to invest: Becoming a Rush franchisee means you’ll be required to provide a minimum investment of £15,000. The total cost of a salon under Rush means you’ll need to raise between £150,000 and £165,000 to fund it. Bear in mind you’ll also need to cover other costs in order to set up your business, like potential moving fees and legal advice on franchise law. However, please try not to be discouraged by the fees, as Rush Hair has strong connections with finance lenders which could provide you with the funds you need and get you the best rates available.
• What you get in return: An average of 16,000 people visit Rush Hair salons for their hair care maintenance every week, so it is the perfect opportunity to generate an attractive turnover. Your profit, of course, depends on the location and the number of salons you invest in. Nonetheless, given that you will already be equipped with a 20-year strong reputation of a household-name salon, you will not struggle to gain traction in your area.

Guinot

The French beauty salon Guinot was founded back in 1972. With over 30 years of experience under its belt, it’s become one of the leading beauty franchises. The brand started up its franchise programme in 2010 and now has 210 outlets worldwide and is still growing. The Parisian brand offers a range of treatments, from facial and body beauty, to men’s cosmetic care - along with providing quality customer care and service. The franchise has a lot to offer for its potential franchisees.

• How much you need to invest: The investment required from potential franchisees ranges from £85,000 to £125,000 to fund the starting up of your salon. The initial personal investment will be between 30-50 percent of the total amount.
• What you get in return: After applying for a Guinot franchise outlet, your abilities will be put to the test through the extensive training programme it offers to help you master all aspects of running a business. A week-long course training you in the operations of the business, the history of the brand, how to create effective marketing, and using digital software is provided. You’ll then be able to spend 2 days shadowing at one of the Guinot salons to get hands-on experience before opening your own. Ongoing support and refresher seminars are available to franchisees to help them run their beauty franchise. Guinot is not necessarily looking for franchisees with experience in the field but simply a drive to learn and succeed.

Start your own hair and beauty business

There are also many other hair and beauty franchise opportunities in the UK. Before you start, remember to having a quick read of our go-to guide for franchise start-