NHF

Training up apprentices for a position on the salon floor is one of the most popular ways for hairdressers and barbers to fill vacancies and bring on new talent. In last week's blog we looked at what an Apprenticeship is, the funding available and paying your Apprentices at the right rate to stay within the law.

1. Be clear about what's included within the apprenticeship training programme

Training up apprentices for a position on the salon floor is one of the most popular ways for hairdressers and barbers to fill vacancies and bring on new talent.

So, what is an apprenticeship?

A way for young people to earn while they learn in a real job and also gain a nationally recognised qualification

But taking on an apprentice is not a decision

Of the 400,000 businesses that started up two years ago, the government estimates that 20% will have failed within their first 18 months and half will have disappeared altogether by 2015.

Here are the NHF's top 5 tips for building a sustainable salon business which will keep customers coming back time after time.

1. Develop a "business head"

Starting

The National Hairdressers Federation runs workshops on how to make your salon more profitable, how to manage yourself and your team more effectively, and how to deliver a great client experience (www.nhf.info/events). Here are the key challenges and how to deal with