The Australian Hairdressing Council The AHC

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/