Building Your Dream Team: Salon Staffing
by Elaine Truesdale

Salons owners often ask me who we have in our network that will be a good addition to their salon team and I am always glad to help, but there is a better way to recruit and maintain a strong salon team.  It takes three basic things to build your dream team.

Doc Wellbee is an affordable and easy-to-use Dental Care Savings Program. Program members receive access to a nationwide network of dentists that have agreed to offer their services at a discounted price. Doc Wellbee also provides deep discounts on vision care, lab work, MRI and CT scans and hearing from thousands of providers across the country. Sign up today

Platform Artistry
presented by Key Glover

On March 19, 2018, Key Glover led an ANHC Pro Midday Conversation about platform artistry.  Key Glover is an internationally recognized platform artist, educator and consultant. She has worked with many major brands including Mielle Organics, Basic Hair Care Systems, Curls Unleashed, and more.  Through her experience she has learned the differnce between being a hair stylist and being a platform stylist.  

The requirements of being a platform stylists include hair expertise, communication, and performance.  Outside of experience, knowledge, and getting along with others (the minimum) brands are drawn to stylists who have the following habits and attributes.

The Soul of Your Business
presented by Belinda K. Baker

On February 19, 2018, Belinda K. Baker led an ANHC Pro Midday Conversation about re-branding yourself for today's marketplace.  Belinda K. Baker is Owner and CEO of Salon BKB.  The heart of branding in today's atmosphere of transparency and openness is being true to who you are, the soul of your business.

Baker discussed 6 requirements for building a transparent and open brand that does not leave you too exposed.

Today's On-Demand Beauty Apps
by Elaine Truesdale

How are on-demand apps like BeautyLynk, Tressenoire, and Colour effecting the hair care industry? On-demand beauty apps are a fast growing part of the beauty industry. These apps allow customers to book appointments for professional services to be done when and where they choose at a set rate. Rates range from just below salon rates to well above. So how does that effect the professional hair stylist?

The Opportunity

5 Key Components to Launching & Maintaining a Successful Salon Business
presented by Dr. Tye Caldwell

On January 29, 2018, Dr, Tye Caldwell, led an ANHC Pro Midday Conversation about launching and running and successful salon.  Dr. Tye Caldwell is Co-Founder of ShearShare, the app that allows you to "Rent Salon Space. Whenever, Wherever" and Owner of Salon 74 by Tye located in Metropolitan Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas.

Dr. Caldwell discussed 5 key components to launching and maintaining a successful salon business.

3 Steps to Triple Your Sales in 2018
presented by Tieron Spear

On January 8, 2018, Business Expert Tieron Spear, led an ANHC Pro Midday Conversation about tripling your sales through research and advertising.

Tieron Spear covered three steps to increasing your sales numbers.

Becoming a Hair Loss Expert
presented by Dr. Nikki Hill

On November 27, 2017, Nikki Hill, MD, FAAD, led an ANHC Pro Midday Conversation about becoming a hair loss expert and building a professional hair loss network.  Nikki Hill, MD, FAAD is a board certified dermatologist and hair loss expert.

Cosmetologist and barbers are client's first line of defense against hair loss.  Understanding hair loss and being able to identify the early signs of hair loss makes you invaluable to your clients.  Dr Hill shared steps to better serve as a hair loss expert.  They include the following.

The Beauty Industry is Changing: Are you Ready?
presented by Dr. Tye Caldwell

On October 9, 2017, Dr. Tye Caldwell, Author of Mentored by Failure, A 5-Point Guide to Long Term Success in the Beauty & Style Industry, led an ANHC Pro Midday Conversation about keeping up with changes in the beauty industry.  Dr. Caldwell has been a Salon Owner for over two decades and is CEO and Co-Founder of Shear Share.

Today the Beauty Industry looks a lot different than it did twenty years ago.  Customers are demanding different products and services, including natural hair services.  Stylists are taking advantage a non-traditional means of making a living, with about 70% choosing to work independently.  Also, social media is making it easier to build a brand. 

Understanding Brand Strategy
presented by Beauty Business Coach, Erica Aker

On June 19, 2017, Beauty Business Coach and Author of How to Create & Build a Successful Beauty Business, Erica Aker led an ANHC Pro Midday Conversation about "Understanding Brand Strategy".  She explained that it is important focus on your business's brand.  Your brand is much more than a logo and color scheme.  It is your business's identity, what people say about your brand when they are not in your presence. 

It takes systems to properly build your brand.  When you are building your brand you begin with ideas including what niche you are going to tackle.  From your ideas you can create a plan.  Your plan should include operations and marketing.  While planning, Erica Aker suggests that you do the following. 

Living the Big Picture; Your Salon Dream Teams
presented by Belinda Baker of Salon BKB

On June 12, 2017, CEO of Salon BKB, Belinda Baker led an ANHC Pro Midday Conversation about the "Living the Big Picture; Your Salon Dream Teams".  During her presentation, she laid out the essentials for building a strong salon team.

The numbers vary depending on which study you read but unfortunately, the survival rate for a salon in the first year is less than 50% and in 5 years less than 95%. So, what’s the problem?  Often we blame the lack of effort from our team members or our inability to find the right team members.  Belinda Baker provided insight on what salon owners can do to increase their odds for success.  Actions for success that salon owners often overlook include the following.

What does your future hold?
Moving from behind the chair means different things to different people.

On August 1, 2017, This Ugly Beauty Business posted "Quit Pressuring Professionals to be Salon Owners" by Tina.  

The article explores the idea that Salon Ownership is not the ultimate pinnacle of success for hair stylists.  "How about the professionals who ascend to notorious positions in the industry as platform artists or educators?"  This is a belief that we here at ANHC Pro have held for a long time.  We do believe that a hair stylist should seek ways to move from behind the chair because of the physical demands associated with working on clients 3+ days a week.  However, there are many options including the ones listed below.

Fundamentals of Salon Success
presented by Carla Jones of Salon Solutions Group

On June 5, 2017, CEO of Salon Solutions Group, Carla Jones led an ANHC Pro Midday Conversation about the "Fundamentals of Salon Success".  During her presentation, she laid out the essentials for preparing for salon ownership.

As we have heard many times over it all starts with a plan.  Your Business Plan should lay out your vision and project return on investment.  Included in your business plan are three key elements that will lay the foundation for your salon's success.

Platelet-Rich Plasma
A natural alternative for hair growth
by Dr. Nikki Hill, MD | Skin of Culture and Hair Center (SOCAH Center)

Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is a natural procedure that utilizes your own natural stem cells to regenerate your cells. The best way to explain PRP is to think back to the last time you had a paper cut or an open wound.  Over time, that tissue regenerated itself. The connective tissue below the skin and the top layers of the skin regrew and the skin was once again intact. That process required special cells called autologous stem cells to be recruited from the blood and turned into specialized cells that make collagen, skin, blood vessels, and whatever else is needed.  PRP is composed of your own concentrated stem cells that are reintroduced where there is a deficit of fat, hair dermal papilla cells, or collagen.

How is PRP made?
At the SOCAH Center, we have a licensed phlebotomist collect your blood through a simple blood draw (similar to lab blood draws). Afterward, we spin down your blood to separate out your stem cells and growth factors. The concentrated PRP should be an amber yellow color consistent of plasma, growth factors, interleukins, chemokines, and autologous stem cells/platelets.

How does PRP work for hair loss?
PRP can stimulate regeneration of depleted cells. In the beard, scalp, and eyebrow/facial hair areas, PRP works by replenishing the dermal papilla cells and the matrix cells which are located in the engineering center of the hair follicle.  Think of this center as the root of a tree.  The smaller the root the thinner the trunk of the tree.  Similar to a hair follicle.  The smaller the root (matrix/dermal papilla cells) the finer the hair.  This occurs in female pattern and male pattern hair thinning, nutrition, thyroid, hormonal changes, anemia, and other medical conditions.  The PRP is restoring and replenishing the dermal papilla/matrix stores to allow a thicker, wider root to produce a thicker hair.

Where else can PRP be placed?
PRP can restore lost volume and regenerate collagen. It is also a great natural alternative to using facial fillers to restore volume in areas such as under-eye dark circles, sunken in appearance under the eyes, loss volume of the cheeks (leading to deep folds in the skin around the nose and mouth- commonly called parenthesis), prominent veins and wrinkled skin on back of hands, acne scars. In essence, it doubles as an anti-aging treatment.

How is PRP introduced into the area?
During the process of creating and concentrating your PRP, we will anesthetize your scalp by first applying a topical numbing cream followed by injecting a numbing solution (lidocaine) to make the procedure comfortable. The PRP is drawn into a syringe and introduced by a small needle into the scalp, face, or treated site.

How long does it take PRP to work?
PRP requires your own body to recreate depleted cells. With the right environment of health and activity of your stem cells, it may take a few sessions and 3-6 months to see changes while your body regenerates itself.  However, in contrary to using artificial treatments, your body’s own cells will break down over time with hair requiring boosters in 1-1.5 years and facial and restoration requiring boosters in 2-5 years.  

Are there any risks for PRP?

How does Red Light/ Low-Level Laser Therapy work with PRP?
Research has shown LLLT can stimulate hair follicles to grow compared to placebo (no treatment). LLLT or red light therapy is a great adjunctive treatment to PRP. These light sources come in hood systems, panel systems, and caps and are easily incorporated as additional revenue streams in your salon. I explain the combination such that PRP is aerating the site and planting the seeds and the LLLT is the sun.  Together you have stimulation and a regenerating source working to have a better outcome than either treatment alone.

Expanding Into Selling Your Own Products
by ANHC Pro Founder, Elaine Truesdale

There are several viable ways hair stylists seek to expand their offerings beyond styling hair behind the chair.  One of those is launching their own hair product line.  This is a good direction for hair stylists because stylists already have a customer base which trust their opinion on hair care.  However, there are several barriers to cross before a person can successfully enter the market place with a new product.  Those barriers include marketing, production, distribution, and sales.  Today we are going to talk about marketing, the last thing most people think about but the first thing you need to consider.

Before you can begin mass selling your product, whether your develop it yourself or select a pre-formulated private label product, you will need to do research and build a customer base.  Having loyal customers and advocates in place will make it easier for your to obtain investors, find manufacturers, and get you product into popular retail outlets.  Lets look at building your customer base from the bottom up.  

Who are the easiest customers for you to obtain?  Hopefully, friends and family.  In addition to providing you with honest feedback, your friends and family should become your first loyal PAYING customers.  When we say PAYING we are not saying that you can not offer a "friends and family" discount, but if your friends and family are not willing to pay something for your product they cannot be true advocates for your product.  Of course as you are developing your product or testing private label options you should charge little to to nothing for your products.  

Connect with Your Clients: Email, Social, and Blogging Made Easy
presented by Kia Dolby of kiadolby.com

Does coming up with content for your blog or website seem like an unmanageable task? Do you have ideas for blog posts, but they never get written? Do you struggle with coming up with things to post online? Kia Dolby's webinar will help you create a content strategy for your website and online marketing efforts.

Kia Dolby is an Atlanta based branding and marketing strategist. Kia studied Graphic Design at Florida A&M University and Temple University. She holds over 10 years of experience in marketing, branding, and web design, and her passion is entrepreneurship. When she is not working, she enjoys blogging about business; exploring Atlanta with her husband and three boys; traveling and vegetarian cooking. You can learn more about her and her offerings at KiaDolby.com.

Below is a breakdown of Georgia Cosmetology and Barbers Licensing requirements. Please note that if you are a braider or loctician who does NOT provide additional services including shampooing, coloring, or cutting then you are not currently required to have and Cosmetology or Barber license in the state of Georgia.

Congratulations to Renee Hall who was voted 2014 ANHC Professional Hair Stylist of the Year. Renee Hall has over 20 years of experience in hair care. She began her career as a teenager working with master hair braider, Tulani Kinard. Her first salon, Mo’ Better Braids, had a clientele based on word of mouth only and was open for 10 years. In 2004, Renee opened Essentials Beauty and Barber Day Spa in Maryland. 2010 Renee traveled to South Africa doing mission work where she provided hair services to young girls in orphanages. In 2012 Renee established her current company in Georgia, Natural Trendzetter, LLC. We sent Renee Hall our “Stylist of the Week” questions and this is what she had to say.

What are your specialties as a hair stylist?  I am a natural hair stylist with 25 years experience. I am known for my speed and creativity.