Founder of Luxury Hair Boutique – Crave Hairdressing, Simon Daniel gives refreshing insight into the running of his eco-friendly salon and how that’s helping the next generation of hair stylists.
Starting my own business
Crave Hairdressing first opened in August last year. I wanted to stop working for other people and start working for myself. So, I decided to get out of my comfort zone and set up my own boutique hair salon in Whitchurch, Cardiff.
I had a clear vision for the salon and wanted to create a living room feel, where clients felt comfortable to chat to each other and stay for as long as they wanted. And the feedback has been exactly that.
The customers feel at home as soon as they walk in and feel they can leave any stress and worry at the door. Client and staff care is at the heart of everything we do.
Our eco-friendly ethos
Recycling and looking after the environment has always been really important to me. It was something I valued at home and in the workplace and is a key focus for us as a business, to ensure our waste is renewed and not left to cause environmental damage.
We recycle everything we have and use the same company to deliver our products and collect our waste. Leftover hair gets used for compost and any excess is then burnt to generate energy. The plastic is washed and recycled, and hair foils are washed and sent off to be reused.
Nothing is wasted. I’ve always been very aware, and hope that other salons begin to do the same.
Helping next generation hairstylists
My two apprentices are really on board with our values and recycling being an important part of the business. It has taught them how and what to recycle and why it’s necessary. It is vital to their training and development as hairdressers and as individuals. If the next generation can learn from the mistakes we’ve made, then hopefully we will have more of a handle on the impact we have on the environment.
My apprentices have come on leaps and bounds since they started. Their confidence has increased loads and the pair of them get on brilliantly. Constantly laughing which rubs off on the clients. It’s a great atmosphere.
Having a small team has been beneficial as I have been able to give them more of my time. I have experience in training and assessing which has been valuable as I can relate to the learners. The apprentices can watch each other and watch me loads. It’s a great way for them to learn.
Working with ISA Training
I have worked with ISA over 18 years and it’s always been a positive experience.
In the beginning, I wasn’t looking to take anyone on so soon however, Charlotte and Joel were employed within 5 months of the business opening. After we decided to take them on, I approached ISA and it’s been smooth sailing from there.
I definitely think the apprentices feel the benefit of having 1:1 training. We’ve got lots of stuff in the pipeline to continue their development both together and separately. It’s making sure they know they are supported and giving them the opportunity, they deserve.
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