insideSUSSEX Magazine Issue 07 - September 2015 | Page 102

BUSINESSPROFILE

CREATIVE FLAIR
insideSUSSEX talks to Sophie
Webster of Simon Webster Hair
Tell us a little bit about Simon Webster Hair,
and how long you've been in business.
We’re an independent hair salon in central
Brighton. We opened SWH in 2012 as a
husband-and-wife team because we wanted to
build a business of our own that combined our
individual skills. It was quite a whirlwind – we
met, got married and opened within a year!
We created a contemporary, creative salon
with a highly-skilled team and maintained the
homely atmosphere of high-street hairdressers
of the past. The first two years were really hard
work, building our brand from scratch, but we
believed in our salon ethos and were lucky to
have an incredible team who believed in it too.
What is your background?
We both came from creative backgrounds.
Simon’s been hairdressing for 30 years in
salons and also for the music and fashion
industry. He loves the variety of combining
the two outlets. I was a freelance painter
and writer, but had management and media
experience. The natural progression was a
salon with a creative edge.
Describe a typical day for you.
We walk the dog in to work after a lie-in (we
open at 10am) and copious cups of tea.
In-salon we have very different roles. Simon’s
usually at the chair with a client while I’m
around reception or in the office. He’s in charge
of the hairdressing, technical and practical,
while I lead the PR, website, staffing and admin.
The team work really closely together and the
sociable environment is a lovely perk of the job.
What makes you stand out from
your competition?
To maintain individuality, recognise your
point of difference and celebrate that. From

the beginning, our ethos was to share the
opportunities Simon had styling within other
creative industries with our team to help them
grow in confidence, skill and experience. SWH
Team now style for music festivals, for runway
and haute couture shows across Europe, hold
coveted places on international art teams and
have won awards. We’re incredibly proud of
them and you can really feel that around the
salon. Exploring all these avenues feeds back
into our salon work, our knowledge and the
strong relationships we build with our clients.
What do you think makes a good boss?
You have to balance leadership with listening
so we consult with our team on all kinds of
matters. Everyone’s ideas and opinions are
valid and this inclusive management style has
been very successful for us. At SWH we invest
in training and team events. Their motivation,
skills and pride in their profession and the salon
grows and a happy team translates to happy
clients.
We hear congratulations are in order after
some recent accolades?
We’ve reached the finals of several high profile
awards each year, but this June we won the
Mizani Afro Look Award. We’re also shortlisted
for the Brighton & Hove Creative Industry
Award. We have a stylist on the L’Oreal ID Art
Team and became members of the Fellowship
of British Hairdressers.
The best accolades come from happy clients
though, so all of our stylists spend the majority
of their time working in-salon because that’s
what they find most rewarding. You meet
fascinating people from all walks of life.

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What advice would you give to someone
who wants to start their own salon?
Keep client-centred; it’s their experience with
you that determines whether they’ll return. To
maintain and grow a loyal clientele, the best
way is through personal recommendation so
great client care is essential. Get their feedback
and act on it. And be sure to seek accreditation
from a national industry organisation to stay
informed of industry standards, training and
opportunities.

What plans do you have for
Simon Webster Hair in the coming year?
In-salon we’ve expanded the services we offer
to reflect the diversity of skills of the team.
We’re holding The Big Hair Do (an evening
event across 100 of the UK’s top salons) and
we’re at London, Milan and Paris Fashion
Weeks. We’re styling a charity fashion show,
educating in Italy and demonstrating on The
Fellowship Stage at Salons International. And
that’s just September and October. It’s busy
but fun and we love it.
Simon Webster Hair
16 Gardner Street
Brighton
BN1 1UP
01273 605577
www.simonwebsterhair.com