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We love nothing more than celebrating success and that’s why we have introduced the ELEVEN Australia Awards.
There are 5 categories that you can enter from Trend Image to ELEVEN Australia salon of the year, these awards have something for everyone.
It’s open to all salons, freelancer, self employed or employed stylists in England and Wales that stock & use ELEVEN Australia. You can enter as many categories as you wish and for both Hair Trend & Colourist of the year, you can upload multiple entries.
Closing date for all entries is Friday 22nd September 2023, awards are hosted at a champagne reception at Salon International on Sunday 15th October with a meet and greet with Andrew O’Toole.
All ELEVEN Australia Collective members will receive a free VIP ticket & goodie bag.
Meet the Judges
ELEVEN Australia Social Media Award
Is your salon social media savvy?
How are you using social media to share the ELEVEN Australia brand?
How to enter
Put together a written case study (PDF or Power Point document) of how you and your salon uses social media to promote the brand. This can include screen shots, statistics and any collaborations that you have taken part in.
Entries are to emailed to education@wonderful-brands.com by Friday 22nd September
ELEVEN Australia Trend Image
Have you created an image that you feel represents the hair trend of 2023?
We want to see it!
How to enter
Upload as many images as you wish to Instagram using #elevenaustraliatrendimage.
Image must have been produced using ELEVEN Australia products and tagging #elevnaustraliatrendaward and @elevenaustraliapro_uk. Please include products used on the hair in the Instagram description.
ELEVEN Australia Colourist of the year
Do you live and breath colour?
We want to see how you have used ELEVEN Australia Colour creatively.
How to enter
Upload as many images as you wish to Instagram using #elevenaustraliacolouristoftheyear and tagging in @elevenaustraliapro_uk. Please include the colour formula in your description.
ELEVEN Australia Collective Member of the year
Are you the most engaged ELEVEN Australia Collective member?
Do you love to inspire your team?
Or are you flying solo and sharing your love of ELEVEN Australia to anyone that will listen?
How to enter
Put together a written case study (PDF or Power Point document) of how you have raised awareness of the ELEVEN Australia brand in your salon/space and what you do to motivate your team members or share the brand. This can include screen shots or images and a written testimonial of why you should be the ELEVEN Australia Collective member of the year.
Entries are to emailed to education@wonderful-brands.com by Friday 22nd September.
ELEVEN Australia UK Salon Of The Year
We would like to get to know your space, what your ethos is and how it fits with ELEVEN Australia. Share with us how you train and motivate your team and share the ELEVEN Australia brand to your clients. We want to know why you are the best ELEVEN Australia Salon in England and Wales.
How to enter
Open to ELEVEN Australia Collective Salons.
Put together a case study that shows us how and why you are the ELEVEN Australia salon of the year. Share your with us your retail area and share any retailing activities you do. You can include statistics, press coverage and more, since April 2022.
Entries are to emailed to education@wonderful-brands.com
11 tips for retail success.
We hear it all the time “I just don’t like selling!” or “I’m here to cut and style hair, I’m not in sales.” yet we know that not only does retail bring in more revenue & profit for the salon, many studies have shown that a salon client that purchases retail will remain a client longer than those that don’t.
Time for a simple mind set switch, you are not here to sell, you are here to share your expert knowledge and ensure your clients hair looks on point between appointments. Here Andy Campling shares his 11 simple strategies to improve your retail, follow one or two and your retail will improve, implement all 11 and we guarantee you will be a salon retail rock star!
TIP #1 – Don’t Sell!
Recommend & Educate your clients about what products you’re using in their hair and why you’re using them. This builds a positive rapport and trust with your clients, meaning they may not buy from you the first or second time you do their hair but they probably will on the 3rd or 4th! Consistency and persistence is the key to generating regular sales. To get real impact tell them about why you love the product or how it transformed another clients hair after they started using the product.
I love Miracle Hair Treatment, it’s the perfect base to protect your hair before styling.
TIP #2 – Show Them!
Place the Testers in front of your client in a subtle manner as you use them in their hair. Encourage them to pick it up and have a read/look. Fragrances are big drivers of purchase with all beauty products, how often do clients say “oh, that smells amazing!” – smell brings good memories like holidays and make us more likely to buy. Touch Marketing – If you can get your customer to put that product in their hand for 20 seconds or more it’s 90% sold!
TIP #3 – Start a Retail Chat
During your Consultation ask your client what products they are using at home and whether they are happy with them? If they are happy with them you should still present the appropriate products for their hair that you stock in your salon and say “Unfortunately we don’t stock those products here but these are the products I will be using in your today.
Ask your client questions about their hair. If you can get your client to open up to you about their hair issues then you have an open pathway to solve the clients issues with the appropriate retail products.
Salons that retail have a much higher client retention rate than those that don’t. The client feels that the stylist genuinely cares about the condition of their hair and therefore they have less reason to want to explore other salon options.
TIP #4 – Tick Sheet
Use Consumer Brochures that list all the products you use, like the ones ELEVEN Australia provide. Present a brochure to every one of your clients, either at the cutting chair or at the checkout, and circle or star the products you have used. It not only gives your client more incentive to purchase during the consultation but it can give them something to look at when they get home and will increase your chances of a sale when you next cut, colour or style their hair.
TIP #5 – Always Offer
Always give your Client the Opportunity to purchase during checkout. This links all of the above together. If you don’t give them the opportunity the next person (or the dreaded internet!) will and you have missed your chance and lost a sale that should have been yours.
TIP #6 – Put a Price on it!
Put the Retail Price on your Salon Use Products, clients often have no idea what the price of professional hair products will be so are too afraid to ask. Equally as a stylists its hard to remember all the prices and sometimes it just slips are mind to talk price. When clients know the price of a product upfront they are more inclined to purchase.
Ask your Wonderful Brands Account Manager for price stickers, they are free to all our salons.
TIP #7 – Use them on Your Own Hair
Know and use your Retail Products on your own Hair. This is the best way to learn what they do and get comfortable with them. When you discover which Eleven Australia products work well for you, you will be boasting
about how amazing they are to your clients and in turn create a sale.
TIP #8 – Show off!
Point of Sale is Key, the brand needs maximum presence to shine. ELEVEN Australia is marketed amazingly well with loads of merchandising material. It only takes one poster or image to trigger a client’s memory about a product or a brand they want to buy because they saw it on a social media page or in their favourite magazine. Keep your retail shelves, hot spots & styling stations presented perfectly at all time.
TIP #9 – Never Assume…
Really Never Assume a customer wont buy product from you because of the way they look or talk. It’s often the most unassuming clients who may become your best retail customer. Every client deserves to know what you are using and why you are using it.
TIP #10 – Lookin’ Good, Good Looking!
Take Pride in Your Appearance. Take the time before work each day to make sure you look your best, & the salon looks great too. We are in an industry where image is important. You wouldn’t trust a bare faced or badly made up MUA so why should your clients trust a stylist who doesn’t make the effort to look their best each day.
TIP #11 – Get Sorted
Be Organised and Keep Your Stock Levels up. We all curse Amazon, Beauty Websites and supermarkets for selling well known hair products but there is a reason they do so well. They always run high stock levels and present the product well. They also know there clients well and make recommendations based on their behaviour, checking how clients are getting on with the product you recommended on their last visit will help you continue to offer unbeatable support. Using your knowledge and staying on top of stock means you will never lose a sale.
We offer retail training for salons, ask your Wonderful Brands Account Manager if you would like to book an in-salon session.
At Wonderful Brands we know that keeping fresh, current and up-to date with your clients is as important as ever in present day. Whether that’s knowing how to properly communicate with your clients online, knowing the right ways of finding your new dream clients, or even simply using and finding current trends. Because of this, we spoke to Social Media Coach Vivienne Johns, and asked her to share her top tips for growing your Instagram page are. Continue reading to get the full story…
There may be many reasons why you need to start an Instagram from Ground Zero. Maybe you got hacked and had to start all over again or moved to a new salon and felt like a new page knew you were on the cards or maybe you have never had an Instagram page before (insert shocked gasp here).
My name is Vivienne Johns and I am a social media coach for the hair and beauty industry. I have been helping hair and beauty professionals to grow their page, to get seen and get booked since 2019.
Salon Gold came to me and asked me to contribute towards their blog. When asked what they would like me to talk about, they replied “how to grow your page from scratch”.
So here goes….
These are my top tips to grow your Instagram page from Zero to Hero…
Start by optimising your bio
When starting a new page, I know the urge to just rush forward and start posting is strong.
Most people completely overlook their BIO, their name and their USERNAME, but these are vital parts of optimising your Instagram page to make you more easily found by your dream clients.
Instagram uses keywords. Just like SEO on your website to help its users find content that is relevant and interesting to them.
Use words that your clients would use when they are searching for you.
For example, we as hairdressers, may say “lived in blonde” but your clients say “Balayage”. I mean they have only just learned how to say it, so let’s use the words that they use.
The name field underneath your profile picture is also searchable. If your name is already in your Instagram handle, you do not need to use it again in the NAME FIELD. Instead, describe what you do and where you are based.
For example, “Balayage Expert Cornwall”.
Understand who your dream client is
Before you post your first piece of content to your brand-new page, work out who your dream client is.
Understanding who your dream client is will help you to know what they want to see, learn, read, and hear on your Instagram page.
When you know exactly who your dream client is you will know their most asked questions, you will understand their pain-points and you will understand what it is they are looking for from their stylist.
Every time you post a piece of content, imagine that you were sitting with your dream client, you are showing them the picture or video that you are about to post.
Imagine what questions your dream client asks you about that picture or video. Answer these questions in the captions.
This will make your dream client feel seen and heard when they view your content in their news feed.
Use your page to educate your clients
The Instagram of 2022 is a very different place to how it used to be before the pandemic. Now people are looking for connections, they are looking for community.
Users of the platform are not satisfied with just looking at pretty pictures of hair anymore, your new audience wants to be educated, entertained, and included.
Think about how you can create content for your clients, think about what your clients are getting from it. Use your page to educate your clients about your products, your services and what makes you different from the salon down the road.
Ask questions that provoke conversation
Ask questions and include your followers in the conversation. Ask questions that provoke conversation.
This will help you to establish relationships with your followers and potential new clients.
Use Stories
Use Stories to show your life behind the scenes. Stories can help you humanise your page.
They only last for 24 hours, so don’t need to be as edited or curated as the rest of your content.
Use Reels
Reels will help you increase your audience more quickly.
Using trending audio will help you to gain more reach, but don’t forget to use local hashtags to index your content and tell the algorithm exactly who to show your Reels to.
Show up and talk on video
If the thought of talking to the camera fills you with dread, just know you are not alone.
No one likes the way the sound of their own voice. However, your clients don’t think the same.
Establish yourself as the expert
Talk about something you are super passionate about.
We all have that one thing that everybody else in the salon will come to us to ask about. For me, that was anything to do with curly hair.
Think about it, what is this thing that everybody asks you about? This is your area of expertise. Otherwise, known as your niche.
Niche down
Niching down into one area of expertise quickly establishes you as the expert in your field. It also makes posting to Instagram a lot easier.
Always talking about the same subject will create a strong and consistent message. Does it mean that you will never do any other type of hair? No, but you will see a lot more bookings for balayage come through for you.
With that said, you may be the best in the salon at clipper fades, but if you hate doing them, don’t make this your niche…. you will attract what you post.
Stay out of the news feed
Spending time scrolling through the news feed will not grow your page. Instead, head over to the hashtag page for your area.
You will find this in the magnifying glass at the bottom of the screen on your EXPLORE page as for your town, then scroll along the tabs at the top to TAGS. This is where you will find all the content that has used the hashtag from your town.
Spend time engaging with the content and creators you find on this page. This is where you will find your new dream clients.
So, there you have my top 10 tips on what to do if you are starting a page from scratch. But even if your page has been established for quite some time, these tips will help you too. For more social media tips and tricks from Viv head over to her website here – The Hairdressers Social Club
We have teamed up with Hayley Jepson – The Resilient Hairdresser to find out how you can stop yourself from Burning out in the hairdressing industry.
Hayley said “For hairdressers I feel burnout is always lurking, waiting for you to stop paying attention, so I think learning what self care you need and getting good with boundaries is something worth working on alongside your hair skills.”
Burnout is sadly common in our industry.
Here are 5 signs you are heading to burnout and 5 things you can do about it.
- Feeling resentful is a big one. Feeling resentful of your clients or maybe your friends who seem to have an easier time of it than you.
- Feeling joyless, nothing is fun anymore. Feeling very serious about everything, this is a big sign of overwhelm.
- Exhausted, there’s never enough sleep.
- Isolating yourself. This can be because you are exhausted but also so people don’t ask you for anything as you have nothing left to give.
- Not looking after yourself how you once did. So for example not going to the gym any more or making as much effort with your appearance as you usually do.
What can you do?
- Accept you are overwhelmed and on the way to burnout.
- Understand you can’t do more to get out of this, you must do less.
- Ask for help where you can to reduce responsibilities for a while.
- Identify what you feel resentful about and see if there are boundaries you can put in to change this situation.
- Make time for fun as it will fill your cup and help give you perspective on your work life.
It is possible to get out of burnout by making changes and prioritising your mental and physical health.
Sometimes you need to say no to someone to say yes to yourself.
If you would like to learn more or book some time with Hayley head over to our Wonderful Brands Education Book or to Home – The Resilient Hairdresser
The SMART-X™ High Efficiency Dryer dries hair 75% faster*, using more air pressure and less heat for an overall healthier dry.
Its breakthrough SMART-X™ Technology automatically balances air and temperature 100x per second to ensure consistency for maximum efficiency. Plus, advanced smart features including 3 speed and 3 heat settings with auto-memorization allow you to personalize your styling experience. A self-cleaning function makes styling quick and easy, while prolonging the life of your dryer.
BIO IONIC Moisturizing Heat™ Technology hydrates hair from the inside out by emitting natural negative ions that allow water molecules to penetrate deep into strands. Hair is left softer, shinier and smoother.
*Compared to leading competitor
BIO IONIC SMART-X High Efficiently Dryer…
Dries hair 75% faster*
- 4 heat and 3 speed settings, 12 custom settings, with auto-memory for personalised styling
- Self-cleaning function, with auto-alert, to deter passage of dirt particles to motor and hair
- Weighs 0.34kg — lightweight and compact without any compromise to professional-quality performance.
- Exit air pressure more than 20% higher allows you to dry hair quickly and with less heat needed
- Compact barrel design allows for precision styling
- Cool shot button
- Proprietary mineral complex infused delivers moisturising heat to protect against damage
& breakage - Brushless EC Digital Micro Motor is more durable, with 10,000-hour motor life
- Breakthrough Smart-X technology auto measures heat and air flow 100x per second to prevent damaging heat spikes and make more energy efficient
*Compared to leading competitor
Check BIO ONIC out on our Instagram
We asked our friend Maddi Cook from Boss Your Salon to talk about why understanding your salon numbers is so important.
If you want to learn more after you have read this check out the course Maddi is running for us here.
Here’s what she had to say….
Turnover, Profit & Cashflow…
These are key to understand , like the saying goes,
“Turnover is vanity, profit is sanity, cash flow is king”.
A lot of salon owners (and business owners in general), will talk in terms of turnover. Turnover is what I would call a ‘vanity metric’, meaning it’s something that sounds good but doesn’t really say a lot about a business! Cashflow is all about what’s left in the business after your outgoings, making it the most important metric of all.
Let’s take a look at a couple of examples…
The difference in turnover is a whopping £167,000 – yet the difference in the net profit is only £2,722.20.
So many things can play a factor in all of these figures, the key is to increase your bottom line (profit), by either increasing turnover, reducing your outgoings or a combination of the two.
VAT will also play a big part when it comes to your figures, and the general consensus it so absolutely SMASH through the threshold rather than just hovering above it. You can always try your hardest to stay below the VAT threshold (and that’s absolutely fine if that’s what you want for your business!) but when it comes to growth, the fact is that it is pretty easy to hit VAT (especially one you employ team members) so you need to make sure you are far and above the threshold so you don’t feel the hit when the VAT man comes a-knockin’.
There are loads of outgoings to take into account when running a salon, to name a few:
- Rent
- Rates
- Utilities
- Wages/NI/Tax
- Pensions
- Phone
- Internet
- Booking system
- Stock
- Sundries
- Laundry
- Insurance
- Music licences
- Insurance
- Water
- Advertising
- Website
- Retail
- Salon repairs/maintenance
- VAT
- Personal tax
All of this is BEFORE you take a wage!
So make sure that when you look at your break-even costs, they are exactly just that. Your doors will remain open but you won’t be taking a penny from the business so it’s imperative to include this when looking at your numbers.
Then see if you can work on some of the above outgoings to bring them down… and I’m not talking about the tax! But are you shopping around for the best deals on rent, utilities, phone, internet, stock, insurances etc? The pennies will soon make pounds and they will be in your pocket! Or reinvested into the business in the form of training, refurbishments and expansions.
It’s good to look at these at least annually (or more often if you can!) to really grow your profits.
If you want to get your prices perfect (and profitable!) check out my pricing calculator.
And don’t get disheartened when you hear of another salon turning over mega bucks – it really doesn’t say anything about the success of the business!
Maddi x
Like much of the UK right now, we are also being affected by the current energy crisis. We know that these unprecedented times are a worry for everyone, including our salons. So to try and combat this together we spoke to our Wonderful Brands Educator Zoë Rees and got her top energy saving tips to share with you all. Continue reading to see what she had to say.
Saving energy and helping the environment goes hand in hand. It doesn’t have to be complicated or overwhelming, in fact there are so many simple things we can do to make our salons more environmentally friendly. If we all made little changes, the results will be huge!
Here are my top energy saving tips:
- Switching energy provider to one that solely supplies renewable energy. (The Renewable Energy Guarantees of Origin scheme lets consumers know exactly how much electricity from a supplier comes from renewable sources)
- Choose energy efficient equipment with a good energy star rating.
- Switch to Ecoheads for your backwash to reduce water consumption up to 65%.
- Do not let hot water taps run when not being used. Did you know that using hot water is the most energy intensive thing we do?
- Turn off equipment at night. Have you heard about ‘phantom energy’? This is energy that is still being used by equipment that is plugged in but not in use. Phantom energy is a huge and completely avoidable waste.
- Turn off lights when not needed.
- Swap halogen and incandescent bulbs to low-energy LED bulbs.
- Install motion detectors for lighting frequently unoccupied areas.
- Look into solar panels to minimise your energy footprint. Ones with batteries mean you can store energy for later consumption or sell back excess energy to the national grid.
- Wait until you have a full load of salon towels to wash. Lower costs even further by washing on a lower heat and use a high spin to help with drying.
- Avoid using the tumble dryer which uses immense amounts of energy. Let towels air dry overnight on an airer.
- Try using a mix of biodegradable, compostable towels as well as reusable towels to reduce energy consumption and carbon footprint.
- Use one towel per client to reduce energy usage and be more environmentally friendly.
Follow Zoë Rees from Bliss Hair Therapy on instagram here → @BlissSalonB48
Pastes, pomades and everything in between. The ELEVEN Australia tubs will see you right, no matter your hairstyle of choice.
We asked our Wonderful Brands Account Manager’s what their favourite ELEVEN Australia Styling Tubs are and why…
Beki Garrod says “ELEVEN Australia Slick Hold Styling Pomade is great for the slick ponytail or the love island slick and long hair style. I also love the Matte Texture Styling Paste, it’s amazing for any hair length with layers, as it helps to create masses of texture!”
Beki also advises that the Medium Hold Styling Cream is the perfect product to use for some gentle hold when blow-drying. With Dry Shampoo Volume Paste acting as the best product for that next day styling, giving loads of volume at the root.
Wales’s finest, Jo Hughes, is also a big lover of the Dry Shampoo Volume Paste. She says “it’s 3 products in one tub – body powder, paste and dry shampoo! It’s her go to product to remove oils and give that next day feel to your hair.”
All the ELEVEN Australia styling tubs can be used across a wide variety of hair type. With her natural big curls Hayley Richards is a big champion for the ELEVEN Australia Medium Hold Styling Cream. This is her go to to cocktail with the ELEVEN Australia Keep My Curl Cream, “it adds more control, hold and helps to enhance my natural curls.”
John-Paul Shirley-Price says that with the ELEVEN Australia styling tubs you can use the same hair for different looks. John-Paul recommends hair stylists to “train your clients, to use different tubs to create different looks. Clients can mix and match their hair with their outfit!”
We’d love you to meet all our WONDERFUL TEAM HERE
Let us introduce you to the new kid on the block… FRAMAR. First, let us tell you a bit about the FRAMAR story…
FRAMAR dates back to 1978, where co-founders Frank and Maria first met in Frank’s small eight-chair salon where he did Maria’s hair . Not only did Maria get a fresh cut and funky 70’s style, but she also met her future partner in crime. That chance meeting has blossomed into a solid foundation that is at the forefront of Framar, and has propelled a little start-up from Niagara Falls, Canada, to the global business that it is today.
Meet Maria. She embodies the soul of Framar, providing the strong foundation that the brand is built on today. Starting Framar from an idea which her husband Frank brought back to Canada from the UK, she researched, analysed and learned everything there was to know about foil. For the first 20 years, she was a one woman show, running everything from production and sales, to order fulfillment. Some 35 years after taking a leap of faith and creating this company, Maria is still at the helm, serving as company President and remaining intricately involved in all things Framar.
Known for being innovators, trendsetters, dreamers and collaborators, Framar have developed a range of foils, brushes and salon must haves that you will love using.
See what all the fuss is about. No slip grip, no cutting, no problem. Embossed popup foils, they do the work so you are free to do the creating. “At my salon we use all Framar products and colour toold simply because we believe that they give us the best results and the easiest path to that end result. Any problem we run into, Framar seems to have the answer for us” – Jacob Khan (@jacobhkhan)
Check out all the Framar products you have to offer → here
ELEVEN Australia collaborates with artist & illustrator Viscera Wagner for holiday 2022.
This Holiday season ELEVEN Australia partnered with Viscaya Wagner – an artist & designer based in Brooklyn, New York. Viscaya has worked with brands such as adidas, Facebook, The North Face, WIRED Japan, WeWORK, & Puma.
Inspired by human connection with the natural world and championing a deep connection with the outdoors, Viscaya’s illustrations primarily feature strong, empowered people represented through diverse healthy minds and bodies.
Through this collaboration with ELEVEN Australia, Viscaya wanted to illustrate true freedom of expression through our hair, bodies, environment and beyond.
Each piece reflects unity with our surroundings, ease of self, and prompts us to consider our own inhabitation of the world. She hopes her work brings joy, comfort, inspiration and motivation to participate in this world in a meaningful way.
“I’m excited for my 2022 Holiday Collabration with ELEVEN Australia. Their use of colour and story works beautfully with my designs. The perfect fit ” – Viscaya Wagner
Packaged in 100% recycled and recyclable packaging, ELEVEN Australia’s limited Edition Holiday trios are available in HYDRATE, REPAIR, SMOOTH, VOLUME & BLONDE
Also back by popular demand, our HOLIDAY BON BONS are the perfect Christmas treat available in BLONDE, REPAIR & HYDRATE. Explore all of our 2022 Holiday Collection below.
Explore our amazing merchandising tips and tricks for this holiday season here.