Straight talk forsalon owners.
No fluff. No sales pitches. Just practical advice from people who've been there.
The Client Data You Hold and What You Owe on It
Names, formulas, patch tests and health notes: your software holds more personal data than most shops. What you owe on it, and what happens when a stylist leaves.
Sick Pay From Day One: The April 2026 Rules
From April 2026 sick pay starts on day one and every employee qualifies, including the Saturday junior. What the new rules cost a salon rota and the records you now need.
Cutting Curly Hair Dry
Cut curly hair wet and shrinkage takes twice what the client asked for. How to cut dry, read the curl, and price a service clients travel for.
How Clients Find Your Salon Now
New clients now find salons through Google maps and AI assistants, and both read the same public information. What to fix on your profile, your reviews, and your booking link.
Balayage or Foils: How to Choose
Balayage and foils do different jobs, and picking the wrong one disappoints the client and eats your column. How to match the technique to the result, the hair, and the upkeep.
What a First Apprentice Costs You, and When They Start Earning It Back
An apprentice costs more than the wage on the payslip in the first year. The real cost of training time and lost chair hours, and when a junior starts paying for themselves.
Root Melts and Smudges: Blending Regrowth Between Colour Appointments
A root melt and a root smudge solve different demarcation problems. How to tell which line you're looking at and blend it in twenty minutes instead of booking a full colour.
Making Tax Digital: What Changed for Salon Owners in April
MTD for Income Tax started in April and the first quarterly update is due by 7 August. The £50,000 threshold is measured on turnover, not profit, and it catches far more salon owners than most expect.
The Skin Test Record Your Insurer Will Ask to See
A patch test that was done but never recorded counts, as far as an insurer is concerned, as a test that never happened. What a record needs before it holds up.
Retail Sales: The Money You're Leaving on the Shelf
Most salons sell retail to fewer than one client in ten. What a higher attachment rate is worth in pounds, and why clients usually aren't asked.
Switching Salon Software Without Losing a Single Client Record
The migration fears that keep salons stuck with software they hate, and the checks that tell you whether switching is safe.
Fixing Brassy Blondes: Toning That Holds
Brass is the most common blonde complaint and the easiest to get wrong. How to read the underlying pigment, pick the right toner, and make the result last past the third wash.
Bond Builders: What Works and What's Marketing
Bond builders, plexes and repair treatments are on every shelf and in every claim. What the chemistry does, where it earns its money, and where you are paying for marketing.
Going Lighter: When to Use Bleach
Bleach is often the wrong first choice for going lighter. When a high-lift tint, a colour remover, or a gloss gets you there with less damage and fewer comebacks.
Why the Same Colour Formula Lands Differently on Two Heads
The same tube and developer can land differently on two heads, and porosity is usually why. How to read the hair before you mix, so the colour does what you expect.
Chair Rental or Employed Staff: Which Pays Better
What an employed stylist earns you, what a rented chair pays, where the two models cross, and the self-employment rules that catch salon owners out.
Stuck at £90k: The VAT Trap That Keeps Salons Small
The £90,000 VAT threshold traps salons in a dead zone where growing means earning less. How the trap works, the workarounds, and how to break through.
Surviving Summer in a Hot Salon
How to run a salon through a UK heatwave without air conditioning: cooling kit, client comfort, staff welfare, and how to schedule around the heat.
Online Deposits: A Practical Guide for Salon Owners
How to use online deposits to cut no-shows, protect colour bookings, and handle tricky services where pricing depends on the consultation.
How to Handle a Colour Gone Wrong
Colour corrections happen in every salon. A practical guide to handling the conversation, fixing the hair, and keeping the client.
Moving Your Salon to New Premises
A practical guide to relocating your salon: choosing the location, budgeting the move, reading the lease, and keeping your clients through the change.
The 2026 Budget Survival Guide for Salons
The April 2026 minimum wage rises land on top of last year's NI increase. What the new rates cost per stylist, and how to protect your margin.
How to Choose Salon Software Without Getting Burned
The questions to ask, the red flags to spot, and what per-user pricing costs once every stylist needs a login.
How to Raise Prices Without Losing Clients
How to raise your salon prices with confidence: how much to add, when to do it, what to say to clients, and why most of them will stay.
Building a Team That Stays
Losing a stylist costs you their clients, their skills, and months of training. What makes people stay, and the warning signs before they go.
The Numbers That Matter for Salon Profitability
Six numbers worth checking every week to keep your salon profitable, and the vanity metrics you can ignore.
Getting Clients to Rebook Before They Leave
Clients who leave without booking their next appointment quietly drift to other salons. How to make rebooking at the till the default.
7 Salon Software Gotchas That Will Cost You
Hidden fees, data traps, and contract clauses that salon software vendors hope you won't notice before you sign.
What a Good Consultation Covers
Good consultations lead to bigger bills, happier clients, and fewer complaints. What a proper consultation covers and how to make it routine.
Managing Your Busiest Days
Fully booked Saturdays are where the money is made and where things fall apart fastest. How to prepare the night before and keep the day moving.
Ready to see it for yourself?
30 days free. No credit card required. Every feature included.