The Australian Hairdressing Council

In our latest episode of the AHC Podcast, we dive deep into the art of motivating and managing diverse salon teams, especially apprentices. Discover tailored strategies to engage staff of all ages and personalities while fostering a thriving work environment.

'Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.'Today's guest on the AHC podcast is Selina Tomasich, the founder and CEO of Hair Aid. For those of you who don't know about Hair Aid, it is a not-for-profit organisation that teaches people living in poverty the skill of haircutting. Learning how to cut hair means these people can start up their own micro businesses, cutting hair in their own communities so they can earn money to support their families and and address those every day essentials that we privileged often take for granted - buying fresh food and water, educating their children, providing a roof over their heads.It's a life-changing experience for these participants and also for the hairdressers involved. From humble beginnings, Hair Aid now has seven international projects that happen each year in very impoverished communities around the world. Alongside these projects, it also has another initiative affecting lives of Australians called Hair Aid Community Cuts - HACS for short - working in 85 communities around Australia, providing free haircuts to people who cannot afford them. So as you can gather, there is a lot going on at the Hair Aid camp, and it's a wonderful story, so settle in and listen up to the very inspiring Selina Tomasich, we are sure you'll want to jump on the bandwagon and be part of changing someone's life. To learn more about Hair Aid, visit: https://hairaid.org.au/

Many salons are experiencing challenges in their businesses in 2024. So we've invited a couple of our esteemed AHC members - aka our 'brains trust' - to chat about all the pain points that business owners might be currently feeling, and offer advice on how to overcome them.

In our last episode, we introduced you to Tom Ferrier, founded of Greener, whose team is on a mission to make getting greener the better, easier choice and helping end climate change. And today we are welcoming back Tom, because he's really got a lot to say and share when it comes to how small business can do better business whilst saving money and benefitting the planet.Often when we talk about being more 'green' in the running of our small businesses, we assume that it's just big businesses that will have the most impact on a climate problem. However that's definitely not true. Small businesses make up 99% of businesses in Australia and are the backbone of our economy. They also are responsible for 40% of Australia's carbon emissions, which refers to everything that your business does and buys throughout the year. So what is Greener? Well, it's a super easy platform that helps businesses save money and emissions at the same time. In just two minutes, business owners can log on and get their own tailored, climate action plan that's underpinned with market leading offers across their entire business, including energy, transport, appliances, waste, and so much more. So you can save money, feel good, and help shift the needle on this important problem.Why the AHC is partnering with GreenerFor too long, getting greener has been seen as too complicated and too expensive. To shift the needle on climate action, we need to make being more sustainable the better, easier choice.Put simply, we believe if we can help businesses save money by going green, we can make a meaningful impact and help end climate change.How Greener for Business worksGreener takes the guesswork out of becoming more sustainable, with a simple step-by-step climate action plan designed by experts. Plus, tools and resources, and exclusive supplier offers that make it easy to save money while reducing your carbon footprint.If you'd like to learn how Greener can be really valuable for not just your business, but also our industry, tune in now.And if you're an AHC member, you can join up to Greener and start saving money and the planet for FREE (save $288). To learn more visit: https://greener.com.au/ahc-exclusive-greener-offer/?referrer=ahc

The AHC has always had a commitment to sustainability, and we love to team up with people that are passionate about making a different to our planet. Today we'd like to introduce you to Tom Ferrier, founder of Greener, whose team is on a mission to make getting greener the better, easier choice and helping end climate change. So what is Greener? Well, it's a super easy platform that helps businesses save money and emissions at the same time. In just two minutes, business owners can log on and get their own tailored, climate action plan that's underpinned with market leading offers across their entire business, including energy, transport, appliances, waste, and so much more. Why the AHC is partnering with GreenerFor too long, getting greener has been seen as too complicated and too expensive. To shift the needle on climate action, we need to make being more sustainable the better, easier choice.Put simply, we believe if we can help businesses save money by going green, we can make a meaningful impact and help end climate change.How Greener for Business worksGreener takes the guesswork out of becoming more sustainable, with a simple step-by-step climate action plan designed by experts. Plus, tools and resources, and exclusive supplier offers that make it easy to save money while reducing your carbon footprint.If you'd like to learn how Greener can be really valuable for not just your business, but also our industry, tune in now.And if you're an AHC member, you can join up to Greener and start saving money and the planet for FREE (save $288). To learn more visit: https://greener.com.au/ahc-exclusive-greener-offer/?referrer=ahc

As a business owner, you should be paying for the rights to play music in your salon, whether you simply have the radio on in the background, or play your favourite playlists via streaming services such as Spotify. Why you ask? Well, just like how every creative - including hairdressers - deserves to be rewarded when people use their services, music is no different. There are always so many questions when it comes to music licensing and copyrights... How do you work out the fees? Who gets paid? Does the money really go to the performers and song writers?To explain everything about music licensing fees and small business, today we welcome back to the AHC podcast Catherine Guiliano from One Music, which is a joint venture platform between two music rights organisations:APRA - which represents song writersPPCA - which represents sound recording / performing artistsPeople who use music in a business must seek permission from the song writer and recording artist to do so. One Music represents these artists by way of a licensing agreement, and ensures that the creatives are being paid for their work.The team at One Music have created a survey to gain feedback from the hairdressing and barber industries to learn more about what business owners know about music licensing and what they think is fair when it comes to fees and charges. We'd love for you to please complete the survey - it's super quick, under one minute - as your input will help shape the future of how music licensing and small business can work together. Access the survey here: https://form.jotform.com/241058213260041If you'd like to learn more about One Music, visit the website: https://onemusic.com.au/

The AHC has always had a really great relationship with the Australian Taxation Office, and the reason for that is we strongly believe it's so important that our members and the wider hair industry understand their obligations when it comes to paying  taxes. Today's guest on the AHC podcast is Emma Tobias, an ATO assistant commissioner who specialises in small business taxation. Emma has some amazing tips, advice, information about incentives, and so much more during this interview. Now when it comes to small businesses, there is no 'one size fits all' approach, as there are many different shapes and sizes. Which is why it's essential that you understand what your tax obligations are for your particular business structure to ensure you are compliant.Emma also has kindly shared some great resources to support small business owners when it comes to taxation obligations:- Essentials to strengthen your small business online learning platform:Essentials to strengthen your small business - Skill and Training boosts:https://www.ato.gov.au/businesses-and-organisations/income-deductions-and-concessions/income-and-deductions-for-business/deductions/small-business-skills-and-training-boostYou can find a whole lot more on the ATO website here:https://www.ato.gov.au/businesses-and-organisations 

Australia is a very multicultural country, there's no doubt about it. And with the rainbow of nationalities that reside here comes a myriad of hair styles, colours and textures. Most hairdressers are accustomed to working with the most common hair type - straight and fair - however when it comes to textured locks, there's definitely a fear factor, most likely brought on by a lack of understanding and training in these specific types of hair.Today's guests on the AHC podcast are AHC member Alannah Read from Ella & Jade salon in Brisbane and Lani Masuku from Organic SUKU. We'll be chatting to these talented and knowledgable ladies about all things textured hair and the need to not only understand it, but also effectively train our staff to be able to provide a service for those clients who visit our salons with these particular hair types. As hairdressers, it's important that we are able to competently handle every hair type. This interview covers not only what textured hair looks like in all its forms, but also what our industry needs to do when it comes to learning something different and how to embrace these new discoveries... Because most of you would agree that textured hair education is sadly lacking when it comes to training in our industry.Learn more about Organic SUKU here: https://organicsuku.com/

Dialling the next generation of salons: The Concierge is on Line 1. We think you'd all agree owning a business would be SO much easier if we could just concentrate on doing hair and making our clients feel and look beautiful, and not have to worry about all the other hats we have to wear when we run a business. One of those hats is understanding the whole digital space - which not only can be pretty confusing and incredibly time consuming, but plagued with missed opportunities for your business if it's not being done well.If this rings a bell for you, you'll love today's guest on the AHC podcast.  Step into the service suite with Brayden Beavis and Your Salon Support (YSS), where they handle all things tech and digitalisation so you can focus on growth. Like the cordless phones of the '90s that freed us to move and multitask, YSS frees up your business from the complexities of digital marketing. Brayden has worked with leading salons in Australia that prioritise digital first, and have become luxury brands. This is achievable for you too.Brayden seamlessly bridges the gap between online buzz and in-salon success, offering tailored strategies to reach more revenue and pull in new clients. YSS can take all of those time consuming digital tasks off your hands so you can focus on your clients - emails, checking inventory, posting on social media, writing blogs, search engine optimisation, etc... They also build up your website, ensuring it's modern and high performing, converting new clients that are looking you up online and putting them into chairs in your salon.

Do you ever wonder why you find some staff a breeze to manage, while others drive you C-R-A-Z-Y?Are you frustrated that what works to motivate one staff member does absolutely nothing for another?And why are some people naturally great at things that others find super challenging?Is it even possible to get very different personalities working harmoniously together?The answer is in understanding personality styles - the unique character traits and gifts that make us individuals. No personality is right or wrong or better than any other, but each comes with wonderful gifts and strengths (and a few extra ‘quirks' we'll call the ‘gift with purchase').Understanding the core personality styles and learning to master your approaches with each can transform your relationships, unlock employee performance potential, and build cohesive cultures where everyone feels valued and appreciated.Settle in... You're about to get the instruction manual that shows you how to manage everyone on your team and exactly why they are the way they are.No doubt, you'll have a giggle, but you'll also walk away a better, more empathetic and effective leader.Here is the online personality quiz that Kym refers to in this session to learn what personality type you are as well as your team members: https://richardstep.com/dope-personality-type-quiz/dope-bird-4-personality-types-test-questions-online-version/There is also a printable version here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1XvwtJu_NLv840lNp7jRM-qhLOh7oFIp3/view?usp=sharing

Today's guest on the AHC podcast is Christo Hall, co-founder of Basic Bananas, a marketing mentoring agency for small businesses. Christo and his team have assisted thousands of different businesses, including salons, over the years, to master their marketing and increase sales, and today we'll be talking about how to effectively outsource your social media.We're all time poor, right? But as a business owner, you're probably struggling to manage all of your daily tasks more than most. You might look after your businesses's social media yourself, but perhaps it's becoming a bit of a time-consuming chore, so you'd like to hand the reins over to someone else to manage it. But ensuring that the next person responsible for your socials gets it right can be downright challenging.When most business owners outsource or get a team member to implement their social media, what often happens is the person, the marketing agency, or even the in-house team member, can get your brand's tone of voice wrong, or sometimes they don't understand the industry. Maybe they make grammatical errors or choose the wrong images, or their wording just sounds wrong. Whatever the case, it can be very detrimental to your brand. So when that happens, what happens to your socials? You end up bringing it back in house and doing it yourself all over again, which can be a struggle for a time poor business owner. So how can you move your social media off your to-do list and get it right at the same time?Here's some great tips from Christo about how to do just that. And if you'd like to learn some other great marketing ideas from the team at Basic Bananas, visit their website here: https://www.basicbananas.com/

Today's guest on the AHC podcast is Justin Pace, owner of Co & Pace Salon, incredible educator and colourist, and also current AHIA Creative Australian Hairdresser of the Year. When Justin won this award back in September last year, he said he felt very passionate about giving back to the industry, especially in the area of apprenticeships. And the result of that drive is the Curate Awards. Justin has created this unique competition platform to discover and celebrate Australia's freshest urban and regional Apprentice talent through the delivery of exciting hair vision and creativity.The goal of CURATE Awards is to reinvigorate a sustainable industry by attracting, inspiring, and retaining a new generation of driven Apprentices whilst elevating the perception of hairdressing as an exciting career pathway.For Salon Owners and Directors CURATE Awards is a unique tool to motivate and guide Apprentices to enter the competitive arena for the first time and to shine a light on their salon. For Apprentices CURATE presents an unprecedented opportunity to develop their profile within the industry, along with winning epic prizes. HOW DOES CURATE AWARDS WORK?This digital competition is easily accessible for all Australian Apprentice hairdressers, simply requiring entrants to create a 2-minute video edit showcasing their cut and colour skills, or colour and style skills, then upload it to the CURATE Awards competition platform along with a few photos and forms.There are 4 CURATE Award Winners based on each of the award categories –Urban Cut and ColourUrban Colour and StyleRegional Cut and ColourRegional Colour and StyleCURATE PRIZES INCLUDE:A full-day photo shoot workshop for all four winners with Justin PaceTickets to the AHIA Creative Awards galaSingle-day passes to Hair FestivalCoverage in HAIRBIZ magazine and across Mocha Hair digital platformsA professional biography created in conjunction with Lily Blue CommunicationsAnd plenty more! KEY DATES:Entries open on 8th January.Entries due by 25th March.Finalists announced on  29th April.Winners announced on  27th MayCURATE is super easy to take part, and entries are OPEN NOW!Watch for more news and updates at www.curateawards.com, CurateAwardsForApprentices on Facebook and / or @curateawards on Instagram.

How do you see apprentices? A cost? Or an investment in your business?The stats are pretty dismal when it comes to apprentices not only entering hairdressing, but finishing their apprenticeships. Hairdressing has an incredibly low apprenticeship completion rate, with 63% leaving in the first year. The big question is... WHY?Today we chat to AHC member and salon owner Belinda Cooper, owner of Belinda's Hair Creations, just outside of Wollongong on the NSW south coast. She's been in the industry for 35 years and is incredibly passionate about upcoming stylists and how they are treated as apprentices. We are also meeting Hannah Gerritsen, Belinda's former apprentice and staff member of four years, who won the Gold title at the 2023 World Skills competition for hairdressing and will now represent Australia on the World Skills global stage. To achieve such success obviously means that Hannah's training has been top level - and that's exactly what we like to hear! Tune in to learn about Belinda's philosophy when it comes to employing apprentices - "My motto i if you invest in your staff, you'll reap the rewards" - and Hannah's apprenticeship journey including her coup at World Skills. 

Meet Bonnie Pilgrim and Samantha Redmond, AHC members and Co-Directors of Hair Management Co. These ladies are using their longstanding love and experience in the hair and beauty industry and life coaching skills to help young people find their dream careers and consider hairdressing as their career of choice. Bonnie and Samantha have created the Hairdressing Apprenticeship Careers Pathway Program, a full-day course for year 9, 10, 11, and 12 high school students. It is designed to provide a comprehensive overview of the industry, including the different career paths available, the hands-on skills and knowledge required, and the current industry trends. Bonnie and Sam have been delivering the program by visiting high school students, Careers Advisors and Principals, with great success and feedback. A key part of the program is to match eager students with AHC-accredited salons in their area, helping to drive quality apprentices into our Industry. Listen to today's podcast to hear more or contact Bonnie or Sam at hello@hairmanagmentco.com.au 

Late last year we once again caught up with Natasha Bowett from the Australian Taxation Office for a second instalment on e-invoicing for small business, not long after Cybersecurity Month and NSW Small Business Month in October. Unfortunately, whilst awareness about cybersecurity has risen, so too have the number of scams targeting unsuspecting small business owners. The horror stories are seemingly endless! In case you missed our first podcast in June about e-invoicing, here is a short recap. Today most small businesses use email pdfs to send or receive invoices. This means that when you receive an invoice, it takes you or your business bookkeeper time to manually key or re-scan that invoice data into your business accounting software. Sounds familiar, right?Did you know that those email pdfs are also vulnerable to hackers, who can intercept and change the banking details so that they can get away with your hard earned dollars? When this happens, your customer can unknowingly pay your invoice straight into the bank account of scammers, which means you've lost that amount of money for good. Ouch!e-Invoicing is the new, standardised way to send and receive invoices via a secure network. Using this system, there is no more manually re-keying the data, and less chance of invoicing scams. Instead, as a buyer, your suppliers' invoices come straight into your accounting software, ready for you to check, approve,  and pay - just as you do today - but minus the risk.In this follow up podcast, Natasha once again chats with us to explain everything you need to know about e-Invoicing for your business.To learn more, visit: https://www.ato.gov.au/business/eInvoicing/

The hair industry is experiencing some pretty big changes at the moment. And what's really exciting is seeing the new generation of young salon owners and their approach to all things business.Our guest today is Sheridan Rose Shaw, owner of Mama West in Melbourne. This is one young salon owner who's been making a lot of noise lately. She's a member of the FAME team and winner of multiple awards, including local VIC business awards for innovation, plus Mama West is the current AHFA Artistic Team of the Year and AHIA VIC Salon of the Year.Some might think that Sheridan is an 'overnight success'. However after 17 years in the industry, that's far from the truth. She has an incredibly successful business formula and inspiring salon culture, and says Mama West is her opportunity to give what was not necessarily given to her as an apprentice and employee. We thoroughly enjoyed chatting to Sheridan about her journey in hairdressing and business and learning about how she does things her way - with great success! You can learn more about Sheridan at https://www.mamawest.com.au/ or on Instagram at @sheridanroseshaw_mamawest.

When it comes to Australian hairdressing education, our guest today is no stranger. A hairdresser, salon owner, published author, entrepreneur, and so the list goes on, Kylie Dwyer is a highly successful private educator and founder of Elite Hair Education, the Snipt App, and Elite Scissors. If we refer to her as an expert when it comes to all things hairdressing training, we're sure you'll agree!Kylie's pathway from hairdresser to salon owner to educator is a progressive journey that came to fruition from a place of need. Having owned two salons with 25 staff for more than 20 years, Kylie has always been passionate about training, and proudly put more than 60 apprentices through their time during her salon days. What she learnt being a business owner was that her apprentices enjoyed their time at TAFE and learnt a lot, however when they finished college, it was difficult to get them on the floor. So she created Elite Hair Education to fill those competency gaps that many salon owners find their staff lack when it comes to the transition from apprentice to productive qualified stylist. Kylie's insight and perspective on hairdressing education is really interesting and she chats to Sandy Chong today about her journey and the constant evolution of her business offerings in the Australian training space. You can learn more about Kylie's education platform here: https://www.elitehaireducation.com/

Where is hairdressing training at today? Are the skills our apprentices learning relevant to client demand? Are we losing proficiency in fundamental techniques? Why are many of the new generation of hairdressers afraid of cutting? What has happened to hairdressing training and education over the years and how has it evolved? Today our guest is Anne Lederman, wife of the late Frank Burgermeestre, a renowned Melbourne hairdresser and former Australian Hairdresser of the Year, who was revered for his beautiful work and passion for education. Anne was a client of Frank's at high school and decided on a hairdressing career, completing a four year apprenticeship under his mentorship and sharing his passion for education. In the early 1980s Frank and Anne opened their first salon. They started weekly training of their staff as a way to establish a consistent service standard. The next 36 years working with and learning from Frank gave Anne the skills and expertise to train hundreds of hairdressers, both within their salons and the employees of other salons. Anne furthered her education, training at Vidal Sassoon in London and Mod's Hair in Paris. Today she continues to work as a business owner, salon hairdresser and trainer whilst formalising Frank Burgemeestre's cutting techniques to be sold as a training resource. Many of her clients have been with her since she was 17. Join the conversation as we chat to Anne about hairdressing training - then and now - and how we can proactively move forward to accelerate and improve our industry skills with education.

Hair and music are a match made in heaven - right? Every salon plays music each day - to work with, for the enjoyment, and to create a vibe in their business.The AHC gets loads of questions from hairdressers asking why they have to pay fees to play music in their salons. If your salon already has a music licence - you're covered. However, if your salon is playing music without a music licence or some other form of permission, then you could be infringing copyright. A music subscription is not the same as a licence. Did you know you also need legal permission to play music in a commercial setting? Luckily, AHC Associate Member OneMusic issues licences to salons, so you can stream the majority of the world's popular music all in one place. By taking out a licence you are preventing infringement and ensuring your business is compliant with Australian law.Today's guest is OneMusic director Catherine Guiliano, who is passionate about ensuring businesses have a licence for the music they use. In this chat, Catherine dispels the myths around playing music in your business, and provides great information and education about music licensing, so you can be sure you are doing the right thing.To learn about what type of licence your salon might need, visit:https://salontips.onemusic.com.au/what-type-of-licence-would-your-salon-need

There's no doubt that social media can play a big role in attracting new clients to a salon business. Hairdressers are creative, visual people, so it makes sense that a platform like Instagram can act as a real 'shop front' when potential clients go looking online for a new stylist.Now, some of us are really good at social media, showcasing platforms that look beautiful and professional, with engaging content. But let's face it, some of us could use a bit of help to up the ante when it comes to the world of online. So we've invited back AHC member and social media expert Hayley Mears, founder of Six Underground Media, to chat about how to create and deliver really great social media for your salon business. Hayley is always so generous with her incredible tips and knowledge - today's podcast will help you take your socials from ordinary to extraordinary... And hopefully nab you some lovely new clients along the way!If you'd like to learn more about Hayley's services, please vist: https://sixunderground.net.au/

The AHC gets a lot of questions from salon owners enquiring about the process of selling a business. And one of the most commonly asked questions on this topic is: 'What happens to my lease?'So what does happen to your lease if you are preparing to sell your business? What if you only have six months left on the lease? Are you in a better negotiating position if you have a longer lease to accompany the sale?We've invited back our incredible lease expert, AHC member Kelly Cunningham from Your Leasing Co, to chat exactly on this topic. Kelly has saved AHC members more than $1.5 million when negotiating their leases, both new and existing, and she always takes great care of our members and gives the best advice.If you have a lease, you really should consider registering it with Your Leasing Co. It's a free service, and they will let you know when your lease is coming up for renewal as well as what your options are moving forward to save you money and a lot of grief.To find out more about what Kelly and her team at Your Leasing Co can help you with, visit: https://yourleasingco.com.au/

If you're a solo operator hairdresser or barber, we get it - you're busy, right? Well if you can spare a few minutes to listen to this podcast, it just might make your professional life a lot easier and buy you back some valuable time in your schedule. Because today we're talking about a special app that was created just for independent solo operators - freelancers, mobile hairdressers, rent-a-chairs - basically any stylists who don't have staff.Unwritten is the only free app in the world built specifically for independent hairdressers (Indies), so you can say goodbye to complex and expensive software for good. It's packed with all the necessary features to run and grow a successful Indie hairdresser business. Today we are chatting to co-founder Rob Aubin and independent stylist/educator and Unwritten fan Katy Reeve, who give us the lowdown on all things Unwritten, and how it can make life easier for solo operators.Just some of Unwritten's benefits include:Time-saving: With Unwritten, you can manage your appointments and communicate with clients easily, saving you time and allowing you to focus on providing great service.Increased visibility: The app allows you to customise your profile and services, so clients can see what you offer and make informed decisions about their appointment. This feature helps you to stand out from other hairdressers and attract more clients.Secure payment: The app's payment system is secure and easy to use, allowing you to receive payment directly from clients.Simplified scheduling: The app's online booking system allows clients to book appointments with you directly, based on your availability. This means that you don't have to worry about answering the phone or responding to messages while you're with a client or during your time off.Improved customer service: With the app's communication features, you can send reminders and notifications to clients, helping to improve customer service and reduce no-shows.Order stock without having to hold it: Choose from Unwritten products or a host of other brands. Products are delivered straight to your clients.Earn commissions from every Unwritten product you sell in its unique loyalty program.If you'd like to learn more about Unwritten, visit this link: https://pro.unwritten.hair/

One of the concerns the AHC has for hairdressing is the sustainability of our industry when it comes to apprenticeships.The hair industry loses 63% of apprentices in the first year and we have a very low completion rate compared to other trades, which means that our apprenticeships are actually under threat. This podcast is all about how do we save our apprenticeships and turn these quite dismal stats around.Our guest today is the lovely Brodie-Lee Tsiknaris, owner of Rokstar salon in Brisbane, which she opened at just 18 years of age. At quite a young age, Brodie has achieved phenomenal success during her career, with more than 100 titles and accolades to date, including AHIA QLD salon of the Year and a finalist for AHIA Hairdresser of the Year. Brodie is renowned not only for having a strong business, but also great apprentices, who stay and grow with her, meaning she rarely looks for staff. She has a very different approach to apprenticeships and the way she engages with her apprentices and builds them up for personal and professional success is very inspiring. Today, Brodie shares with us some of her ideas and strategies for a fresh approach to hairdressing apprenticeships. 

Feedback is one of the most undervalued and under utilised tools that a business leader has at their disposal. It's something that most of us dread - either receiving or providing feedback - and usually makes us tense up as we worry about what's coming. Today we'll be talking about how to flip those negative connotations associated with feedback and instead create an effective 'feedback culture' in your business.Our guest is AHC member Dwight Hodge, who is a hairdresser, salon owner, experienced business coach and now author. Dwight has co-authored a book with fellow business coach Shelley Flett entitled: "Feedback - Seek it, Give it, Connect with it", which was two years in the making and contains a host of great information not only for salon owners, but business leaders in general.Dwight believes that effective feedback conversations can have so many benefits for a workplace, as done right it is a vital component in the growth and development of the individual and also the business. So if you'd like to learn about the three components to having effective feedback conversations, listen up!To learn more about Dwight's new book on Feedback, visit: https://www.dwighthodge.com/

The Australian Hairdressing Council and Cherrypicka Legal Docs have collaborated to provide salon owners with a suite of easy to use legal docs to help overcome some of those tricky every day situations; to minimise your chance of disputes or bad reviews and to improve your customer experience.  Cherrypicka believes that everyone deserves access to quality legal docs irrespective of your budget.  Cherrypicka's legal docs are delivered straight to your inbox. Available individually or as a custom pack, Cherrypicka is excited to announce the introduction of the following documents to our site tailored just for hairdressers:  Hair Salon Booking Terms – sets out all the key information about booking, deposits, payment, refunds, liability and moreWebsite Privacy Policy – tell your customers how you will use and hold their personal detailsHairdresser Risk Acknowledgement: - document your discussions before performing a tricky treatment or colourClient Break Up Letter -tell you clients nicely they need to seek services elsewhereSocial Media Influencer Agreement – don't get burned by bad collabsClient Photo Ownership Policy: explain to employees and contractors how they can use photographs they take of your clients both during and after their employment endsRent a Room Agreement: rent additional space in your salon to freelancers who offer complementary services such as massage, nails or beauty? Get clear on the terms!Special offer: AHC and Cherrypicka are offering $50 off the Salon Premium Pack (bringing the price down to $349).  Please use code ahc-cherry at checkout.  Offer is available for 30 days only. You can access the pack here:https://cherrypicka.com.au/product/hairdresser-premium-pack/Follow Cherrypicka for special content tailored for the hairdressing industry:Instagram: @cherrypickadocsFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/cherrypickadocs

With the current cost of living being a challenge for many small businesses, some salon owners are finding it a struggle to maintain a consistent cashflow and have enough money left over for bills, especially big ticket items such as tax.On today's podcast we catch up once again with AHC member and business coach Neil Osborne, who has a passion for all things to do with finance, budgeting and business. He provides some advice for business owners on managing cash flow to make sure you have enough money at the end of the month for bills and the end of the quarter for your tax commitments. If you'd like to learn more about Neil's work with salons and other small businesses, here's a link to his website: https://www.thesalescatalyst.com.au/

Gary Strachan is a remarkable and inspirational human who is using his experience as a hairdresser and lawyer to bring opportunity and education to remote communities in outback Australia. He is the face behind 'Deadly Hair Dude', a unique program that was born out of a clear need for hairdressers in remote parts of the Northern Territory. Over 35,000 Indigenous people live across 150+ remote communities and homelands. Services others take for granted such as having a regular cut or colour are nowhere to be seen. In fact, many people in these regions have never had a haircut in their lives.After changing careers from a hairdresser to a lawyer, Gary quickly realised that he should be working to try prevent people entering the criminal system in the first place rather than being part of the aftermath punishment system. "That is when I decided to join my hairdressing and law skills together to create employment opportunities for young people to give them a purpose in life to build their self esteem and pride in their appearance. "There are approximately 76 remote Indigenous communities and 40 homelands without a hairdresser. It was clear that training multiple hairdressers in their own community was the answer to such a huge task/goal of having a hairdressing salon in each community.  Employment opportunities in remote communities are very limited.  Boredom, lack of pride and self-esteem leads to a range of anti-social behaviours including alcohol and drug use, domestic violence, youth suicide and mental health issues, all the results of limited opportunities."Deadly Hair Dude has conducted hairdressing training in 30 remote Indigenous community bail houses, youth detention centre, youth suicide programs, mental health programs, drug alcohol programs, school holiday programs, homelessness and many other community events. It's a program that changes lives.If you'd like to know more or be involved, you can get in touch at:  https://www.deadlyhairdude.com.au/

The payments landscape has changed a lot over the last few years. There has been a dramatic increase in card and digital transactions, as we move towards a predicted cashless society. In fact, nearly all payments these days are done by card or the digital wallet on our phones.What does this mean for small business? A big increase in transaction fees. Today on the AHC podcast we chat with AHC member Robert Caruana from Smartpay about how to save on your EFTPOS fees and free up cashflow. Because cashflow is everything, as all small business owners know. Smartpay has saved many of our AHC members thousands of dollars in fees for their businesses. If you'd like to learn more, visit the Smartpay website here: https://www.smartpay.com.au/

When it comes to social media, as creative, visual people, hairdressers are natural content creators. But sometimes managing your socials can be a little overwhelming, prompting you to wonder whether all this effort is actually bringing clients through the door.Today we chat with social media expert and AHC member Ashleigh Bailey, who is a social media coach for hairdressers, and will be sharing with us her Top 5 tips on how to elevate your socials to attract new and better clients to your business. With 11 years of social media experience, Ashleigh has spent a good portion of her career in the hair industry, managing the social strategy for iconic global brands such as Haircare Australia, Olaplex and Cloud 9. She has travelled the world educating salon owners on how to grow their social channels, and has a passion for teaching business owners and their teams social media strategies and skills to grow their online presence and attract dream hair clients.You can work with Ashleigh via private in-salon workshops, online training and events. Classes can be customised to suit your unique needs. You can find Ashleigh on Instagram under the handle @socialcoachash and can see some examples of her work, helpful tips, as well as testimonials from happy clients, or visit her website ashleighbailey.consulting

Today most small businesses use email pdfs to send or receive invoices. This means that when you receive an invoice, it takes you or your business bookkeeper time to manually key or re-scan that invoice data into your business accounting software. Sounds familiar, right?Did you know that those email pdfs are also vulnerable to hackers, who can intercept and change the banking details so that they can get away with your hard earned dollars? This exactly happened to one of our AHC members recently, who received an invoice from a supplier and paid the funds into the nominated bank account on the pdf invoice. Little did he know that the invoice had been hacked. It looked exactly as it should have, however the bank account details were changed, and he unfortunately lost $20,000, never to be recovered. Ouch!e-Invoicing is the new, standardised way to send and receive invoices via a secure network. Using this system, there is no more manually re-keying the data, and less chance of invoicing scams. Instead, as a buyer, your suppliers' invoices come straight into your accounting software, ready for you to check, approve,  and pay - just as you do today - but minus the risk.Our guest is Natascha Bowett, Relationship Manager for e-Invoicing (Small Business) for the Australian Taxation Department, and she chats with us today to explain everything you need to know about e-Invoicing for your business.To learn more, visit: https://www.ato.gov.au/business/eInvoicing/

The end of financial year is fast approaching... So what does that mean for you as a business owner? There have been a lot of changes of late, especially when it comes to HR, so you can't afford not to be on top of things so your business is doing the right thing.Today's special guest is Annie Cross, who is the manager of the AHC HR Connect team, a group of 8 specialised HR experts who are available exclusively for AHC members (from 7.30am-8.30pm AEST) to answer any queries they have on HR and staffing matters, all as part of their AHC membership. If we could give this team 11 stars out of 10 we would, as the positive feedback we receive from our members is outstanding! It's definitely one of the best benefits from our AHC membership.Today Annie talks to us about what business owners should be doing right now when it comes to the EOFY lead up. We're talking about the recent minimum wage increases, which are due to be announced once the Fair Work Ombudsman has published the final determinations amending the award rates. Then there are all the payroll obligations and reporting to the ATO. And have you remembered the superannuation increase that kicks in from July 1st? There's so much to be aware of as a business owner to ensure you are compliant - which is why so many salon owners join the AHC. We take away all the confusion and support you with great resources such as Annie and her HR Connect team - all included as part of your membership. Find out more here: https://www.theahc.org.au/memberships

Have you got your tickets for Hair Festival?  We can't wait!From education, inspiration, shopping, networking, and of course, partying - there's so much to do at this year's event. And to give us the complete rundown on what you must-do at Hair Festival this year,  we caught up with Instyle Editor-in-Chief Cameron Pine for a quick chat. This June long weekend, make sure Hair Festival is on your to-do list. You can grab your tickets and explore the complete program here: https://hairfestival.com.au/

On today's podcast we are talking about managing expectant employees - that's mums and dads who are expecting a child - and the importance of supporting their mental health and wellbeing, from the pregnancy announcement through to the return to work.Our special guest is Vanessa Miles, Psychologist and head of Perinatal Workplace Wellbeing, from Transitioning Well, who chats to us all about new and expectant parents in the concept of the workplace."We are all psychologically vulnerable during transitions, and the transition to parenthood is one of the biggest changes people go through in their lives," Vanessa tells. "The workplace can play a really critical role in that risk to mental health."To learn more about this subject, visit: https://theparentwell.com.au/This website has some great advice and resources for managers, employees and small business owners.

The June long weekend has always been a 'hairy' weekend for many of those in the industry... And this June coming is no different!

No matter how experienced a business owner you might be, it can be tricky navigating all of the elements required if you decide you want to sell your business.To help you through every step of the way, today we chat to AHC Associate Member Ian Jones from Merchant Business Brokers. Ian leads an experienced team of business broking specialists with over 50 years combined experience in all aspects of business sales, management, franchise sales, mergers and acquisitions.If you'd like to learn more about how Ian may be able to support you in your business sales journey, you can get in touch or learn more here: https://www.merchantbrokers.com.au/

Hair Aid Inc. is an Australian non-profit organisation that works globally to make a difference and create change by teaching people living in poverty the skill of hair cutting.On today's podcast, we welcome founder of Hair Aid, Selina Tomasich, to explain what Hair Aid does and the international projects that hairdressers can join to help teach impoverished communities around the world basic haircutting skills so that they can earn an income and support their families and communities.Being a not-for-profit organisation, Hair Aid relies predominantly on fundraising to support these vital global projects. Its biggest event is the upcoming Hair Aid Global Cut-a-Thon on Tuesday 18 April, where hundreds of hairdressers from around the world collectively help to change the world, one haircut at a time. This event will raise awareness and essential funds to enable Hair Aid to continue its vital work. How does it work? Basically individual stylists and/or salon teams, can donate the funds received from one haircut - or as many as you like - on Tuesday 18 April - to Hair Aid. Not only will you be part of an amazing global campaign, raising funds for the vital work Hair Aid does, but you will also go into the draw to win a place on the Hair Aid Indonesia (Bali) 18-22 September 2023 project! Each hair cut gives you one entry to the competition. This prize includes project costs and flights and is valued at more than AUD$3,500.Imagine travelling to Indonesia and training people in need; people that live in critical poverty, women in jail, or people that have been rescued from the sex trade or drug lords, how to cut hair.  Imagine how life-changing that is for them and for you.Now is your chance to join this project by participating in the 2023 Hair Aid's Global Cut-a-Thon.Simply follow the link below to find out more or register. The Hair Aid team will be providing you with support, tips, action plans and step-by-step instructions on how to run the Cut-A-Thon and also how to share this with your local community and supporters, all of whom will want to celebrate your involvement. https://hairaid.org.au/pages/global-cut-a-thon

Do you consider yourself a counsellor as well as a hairdresser?There is no doubt that there is a hidden skill gap when it comes to doing a client's hair, then being prepared to handle and deal with what they tell us or offload onto us. Cancer, depression, grief and loss, anger, suicide, abuse, mental health issues… and so the list goes on.As hairdressers, we love our clients - well many of them anyway - and it's in our nature to try and help where we can. But often we don't know how to help, what to say, or how to respond appropriately. Not to mention, there is a certain ‘burden' to your own wellbeing when someone confides in you. Multiply that several times a week, and the load can be unbearable. In today's episode we chat to a couple of experts in this field who are hairdressers as well as counsellors / mentors / coaches in this space. Say hi to Jenny de Oliveira and Sophia Clewley from SJ Heart Collective, as they share with us advice on how to bridge that hidden skill gap between being a hairdresser and a counsellor. The ladies will also give you some helpful tips on how to look after you and your client when it comes to communicating on subjects of such a delicate and personal nature. If you'd like to know more about the work that Jenny and Sophia do and their programs, including an introductory skills for hairdressers program, please email enquire@sjheartcollective.com.au or visit: http://sjheartcollective.com.au/

We are now four years post the start of the pandemic, and whilst it's not 'back to usual', things are certainly more routine and easier to manage.But there are still things that Covid has left us with that we need to be mindful of when negotiating a business lease.For example, some businesses didn't make it through Covid, so you might have noticed more vacant shop fronts than usual. It seems as though landlords are continually putting up rents, but with so many vacancies, it's super important to understand the value of your lease TODAY. In today's Business Snips, we've invited back our AHC member and leasing expert Kelly Cunningham from Your Leasing Co, who recently celebrated saving our AHC more than $1 million in leasing fees. Kelly chats about the leasing landscape post pandemic and what you can do to save those important $$$ when it's time to re-evaluate your business lease.If you'd like to learn more about Your Leasing Co, visit their website here: https://yourleasingco.com.au/

These days cybersecurity is a concern for everyone, particularly small businesses. We've all heard about the elaborate scams where people have lost a lot of money, or had their personal or business data compromised - and it shows no sign of slowing down. In fact, small businesses are being aggressively targeted now more than ever. So how can you keep your business safe? Today we chat to Rosemary Sinclair from auDA all about cybersecurity,  and the measures you can take to keep your records, IP, data and money, out of the hands of hackers.If you'd like to know more about auDA, visit this link: https://www.auda.org.au/

Today on the AHC Podcast we are launching our next episode of The Schmooze with two very special guests and also long time AHC members, Emily and Ily Cardiello, co-founders of Foil Me 

Are you familiar with the term ‘managing people, not things'? This is something that is super important in our industry, because if your salon business doesn't have a happy productive team, then you basically have no business.On today's AHC podcast, iconic business coach Faye Murray is back to share her thoughts on this very topic. “I work with many managers who are very good at their jobs, but some are more successful than others,” she says. “The most successful managers are those that work well with their teams and have high staff retention rates - they are good at managing people.”So what are the traits you need to be good at managing people rather than things? Listen to Faye and find out!If you'd like to know more about Faye and her business coaching business, visit: https://yourcoach.net.au/

oday on the AHC Podcast we are launching our next episode of The Schmooze, where we get up close and personal with some of the hair industry's most famous and colourful personalities, discussing their stories, journeys and ideas to inspire, educate and entertain, and most importantly, to help grow your business. Our guests today need no introduction and are definitely two of the industry's most infamous and beloved duos, leading a legendary Australian company that has supported many hairdressers and salon owners through the decades. Chris and Anthony De Lorenzo head up the eponymous brand that was started by their fathers and recently celebrated 35 years in the business, although the De Lorenzo story spans many years prior. From experimental chemists in the basement of the family home, the De Lorenzo family has grown an iconic Australian brand that was a pioneer in environmentally friendly practices long before it was trendy to be green. Tune in as Chris and Anthony share the inspiring De Lorenzo story with us on The Schmooze.

Welcome back to the AHC podcast. Today we are chatting with our resident employment guru Keira Maloney from HeadHunter Recruitment about employment trends for 2023.The biggest trend - and no surprise here - is not just unique to the hair and beauty industries. It's a sought after benefit by job seekers across all industries around the world. We're talking about work/life balance and job flexibility. So many companies are offering hybrid or work from home arrangements for their employees, a result of the pandemic that most people really loved. However how does our industry compete with this when our workers are skill based and their jobs require them to be on site at all times? Keira has some great insights and suggestions on how hair and beauty employers can provide more flexibility for their teams in order to be competitive in their recruitment drives when searching for new employees. And if you'd like to learn more about how HeadHunter can help you find your dream team member or as a job seeker, your next career move, get in touch at keira@headhunter.org.au or visit https://headhunter.org.au/

Today on the AHC Podcast we welcome AHC member and industry business coach Fiona Beamish, who has created 5 simple steps to successfully planning for 2023.Can you believe it's that time of year already? Your salon is flat out, your body aches, the team are getting tired and sometimes clients can be a bit prickly. They say Christmas brings out the best and worst in people right? We hope for you all it's the best! We are all time poor more than ever in the slippery slide down to the festive season… So who has the time to even think about planning for next year, right?Well hopefully this podcast will assist you in simplifying your strategies for a successful 2023. It's broken down into 5 bite-sized pieces to make things easier and not overwhelm you.If you'd like to know more about her business coaching or ask Fiona any questions, you can reach out at https://www.fionabeamish.com/ This podcast is available for you to listen over three platforms:Listen on Spotify here: https://spoti.fi/3UiV0aaListen on Apple Podcasts here: https://apple.co/3xyGL7kListen on Amazon Music here: https://amzn.to/3DqkJqJ

Today on the AHC Podcast we are launching our next episode of The Schmooze with a very special guest, Tina Winchester. Tina is from the Career Development Centre and is also a mental health director for Mentally Well Workplaces. Today we'll be talking about a subject that's very relevant to a large part of our audience in the hairdressing world - menopause. Menopause is often a taboo topic which is grossly misunderstood in terms of what it actually means and the affect on a woman's psychological health.  In this podcast episode we talk about what menopause is and also the transition stage known as 'peri-menopause' and how it affects our mental health.  Tina will share share information about what's going on in the mind, how psychological symptoms present way before there are physical symptoms, which are often missed or misinterpreted. We also discuss how to seek medical support and things we can do ourselves. Considering a majority of our industry are female, we're sure you'll find this discussion incredibly interesting. Thanks for your insight Tina! If you'd like to know more about Tina and the important work she does, learn more at:https://www.mentallywellworkplaces.com.auhttp://www.careerdevelopmentcentre.com.au/

It's almost that time of the year...Christmas! Are you ready?

Welcome back to the AHC podcast. Today we're talking about a fantastic program for small businesses that was created as a response to the pandemic - Partners in Wellbeing. Unfortunately - or fortunately for those down south - this program is just for Victorians, and to give us a rundown on all the different areas that Partners in Wellbeing can support business owners is mental health consultant Kate Ryan.We all know that businesses were hit hard during COVID, particularly those in Melbourne, and it took a toll on the mental health of individuals and businesses that were under financial strain during lockdowns.Partners in Wellbeing provides free and confidential support for sole traders, small business owners, their employees and families in Victoria.It is funded by the Victorian Government and offers a combination of health and wellbeing and business experts for those 16 years and older experiencing increased business challenges, stress and anxiety and/or low mood and poor wellbeing. Included in the program is Financial Counselling, Wellbeing Support, and a Business Advisory ServiceTo learn more about Partners in Wellbeing, visit: partnersinwellbeing.org.au

Spendsuasion… Do you know what it means?  If you guessed it's a combination of two words - Spending and Persuasion - then you guessed right! Basically, Spendsuasion is a new way to help your clients spend money. So if you or any of your team members struggle with recommending retail or upselling services, and securing a sale, this is the perfect session for you. This podcast is the second and final instalment of the Spendsuasion series. In the first one - listen HERE - business coach Neil Osborne explained the concept of spendsuasion and how it can work effectively in your business. Basically, it bridges the gap between the client walking in and knowing what they want, and you as the professional knowing what they need. You can make more money from the clients you already have, doubling your treatments, add-on sales and retail, all using persuasion.  In this second follow up podcast, Neil continues to explain this new way of 'selling' without all the pressure and push. Spendsuasion gives you a new model to follow, suggesting the words and phrases to use with clients and when to say them. The conversation is elevated to a new level, quickly building respect, trust and comfort.  Thanks for your time and sharing your knowledge once again Neil! If you'd like to know more about the art of Spendsuasion, visit www.spendsuasion.com.au, and access the $75 discount off this great online program

Today on the AHC Podcast we are launching our next episode of The Schmooze, where we get up close and personal with some of the hair industry's most famous and colourful personalities, discussing their stories, journeys and ideas to inspire, educate and entertain, and most importantly, to help grow your business.

Welcome back to the AHC podcast series, we hope you are enjoying these insightful interviews and that they are helping you grow your business. Did you know that when it comes to retail sales, the hairdressing industry sits at an average of 12%, which, when you compare to industry turnover, is very low. At the moment, every salon would like to make more money. And to do so, all they would need would be to make more retail sales in products but also services. Today we are chatting to Caroline Stensved from Afterpay to learn more about how this buy now pay later payment system can help your business increase its revenue. Click HERE if you would like to learn more about how Afterpay can support your salon business.

If Covid taught us anything, it was not that cash was king, but CASHFLOW was king. When you have things like a global pandemic, extended lockdowns, client cancellations, all out of your control, it really does prove that you need to have your cashflow in order and also back up for a rainy day.So today we are talking with AHC member and salon owner Anthony Giorgio from the Acqua Lounge in Adelaide, who shares with us his Top 5 tips on how to get your cashflow in order. Please note that Anthony is not an accountant, so any tips in this session are from his own experience as a salon owner and what works for his business specifically. Obviously you need to discuss with your own network, such as an accountant, business coach, supplier, landlord, bank etc what works for your unique circumstances. Over to you Anthony!