Grow My Salon Business Podcast

When I opened my first salon I was passionate about hairdressing but like most salon owners I knew very little about business, and negotiating with product suppliers was where my naivety was fully exposed. This week I take you behind the scenes of what's really happening when you deal with a manufacturer or distributor.You'll come away understanding how the commercial side works: list price, rebates, the size of the pie, and the difference between a real partnership and a shiny distraction. My aim is simple. I want you walking into that conversation informed, prepared, and able to build a deal where both businesses genuinely win.IN THIS EPISODE:Why the list price is never the real price, and what sits behind itThe size of the pie: how much value a supplier can actually offer youHow rebates really work, including the catch that traps a lot of ownersHow to prepare before you negotiate so you hold the stronger positionWhy the real goal is a partnership where both businesses winEPISODE TIMESTAMPS[00:00] Introduction[00:20] The dark arts of negotiating with your product suppliers and manufacturers[02:07] Why nobody actually pays the full list price on the page[03:07] Manufacturer versus distributor, and why that structure changes everything behind the scenes[05:08] The list price is just the start of a commercial conversation[08:23] The experience gap between you and the person across the negotiating table[09:50] The size of the pie: the concept that underpins every deal[11:04] How you get to choose where that value lands in your business[13:10] Rebates explained, and the two important realities that owners often overlook[15:54] Shiny object syndrome, and the seduction of events and luxury experiences[17:41] Why putting your business out to tender is simply smart, professional practice[19:13] How to prepare properly before you ever sit at the tableWant MORE to help you GROW?📚 Check out our Bestselling GROW Books https://growmysalonbusiness.com/books/🆘 Management overwhelm!? Download our free checklist! This checklist will help you get clarity on where you're at https://growmysalonbusiness.com/management-checklist/RATINGS + REVIEWS🙏 Thanks so much for joining me this week. If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review. Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated! They do matter in the rankings of the show and help other people find my podcast.👉 Here's what you do:- On your phone, Click here (Read steps below first)- Scroll down to 'Ratings & Reviews'- Tap on the empty purple stars and rate 5 stars- Click on ‘Write a Review’ I love to hear what’s been helpful and what you love about the podcast! Thank you for your support! 🙏Until next time!Antony 👉 FOLLOW US!Instagram | Facebook | Website

There are many responsibilities that come with being a salon owner, and if we're honest, most of us give very little thought to them before we open our doors. One of the biggest blind spots is the ongoing training and development of our teams. Too many salon owners assume their people will arrive fully formed and ready to perform. But it just doesn't work like that.In this episode, I'm asking the question: have we created an industry where owners and managers are afraid to be the leaders we're meant to be? Because when there's no real training culture in a salon, the cost is real: poor retention, fragmented culture, no career path. And that lack of leadership is one of the key drivers pushing good stylists towards self-employment.But this episode isn't just about the problem; it's about the solution. What does a salon with a real training culture actually look like? And what changes for your team and your business when you stop waiting for people to show up ready and start developing them yourself?IN THIS EPISODE:[00:00] Welcome [00:45] Why salon owners expect too much before they've given enough [02:06] The transition from stylist to salon owner, and what gets missed along the way [03:00] How teams are left to pick up bits and pieces from social media and product events [07:28] The real cost: poor retention, no culture, no career path [07:58] Why the self-employment exodus is a leadership problem, not a people problem [09:20] What a real training culture actually looks like [10:40] You don't have to do it yourself, but you do have to make it happen [12:25] The numbers that tell you whether your stylists really know their stuff [13:11] The leverage you have as a leader: productivity and pay [13:57] What real leadership looks like in practice [14:59] The takeaway: it's your responsibility to develop them [15:40] How structured training changes everything[16:00] Final thoughts and next steps Want MORE to help you GROW?📚 Check out our Bestselling GROW Books https://growmysalonbusiness.com/books/🆘 Management overwhelm!? Download our free checklist! This checklist will help you get clarity on where you're at https://growmysalonbusiness.com/management-checklist/RATINGS + REVIEWS🙏Thanks so much for joining me this week. If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review. Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated! They do matter in the rankings of the show and help other people find my podcast.👉 Here's what you do:- On your phone, Click here (Read steps below first)- Scroll down to 'Ratings & Reviews'- Tap on the empty purple stars and rate 5 stars- Click on ‘Write a Review’ I love to hear what’s been helpful and what you love about the podcast! Thank you for your support! 🙏Until next time!AntonyRESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:The Super Stylist Online program - Find out moreFree Masterclass - Creating a Productive and Profitable Salon Culture - Save your seat 👉 FOLLOW US!Instagram | Facebook | Website

Nearly four years ago, I recorded an episode about why hairdressers should be recommending professional retail. And yet, here we are, still having the same conversation. The fundamentals haven’t changed, but the world we’re operating in absolutely has. Inflation, online shopping, influencers, and changing client behaviour… all of it has added new layers to old objections.In this episode, I break down why so many stylists still avoid recommending retail and, more importantly, what’s really sitting underneath those objections. I walk through the most common excuses I hear, grouped into skill issues, mindset issues, fear issues, and systems issues and explain why teaching product knowledge or scripts alone will never fix the problem.This isn’t about being pushy or “selling.” It’s about professionalism, service, responsibility, and ultimately the sustainability of your business. If you’re a salon owner or a stylist who wants stronger client relationships, better results, and a more profitable salon, this is a conversation you can’t keep avoiding.IN THIS EPISODE:[00:00] Intro: Retail version 2.0: what’s changed[01:58] Same salon, same clients, very different retail results[02:43] Why scripts and commissions don’t solve retail[03:22] The three real reasons hairdressers should recommend retail[06:49] The 4 categories behind all retail objections[07:39] Skill issues: “I don’t know how” and product knowledge[09:40] Mindset issues: “It’s not my job”[12:09] Fear issues: The fear of being pushy or transactional[20:06] Systems issues and retail culture in salons[26:30] Final thoughts Want MORE to help you GROW?📚 Check out our Bestselling GROW Books https://growmysalonbusiness.com/books/🆘 Management overwhelm!? Download our free checklist! This checklist will help you get clarity on where you're at https://growmysalonbusiness.com/management-checklist/RATINGS + REVIEWS🙏Thanks so much for joining me this week. If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review. Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated! They do matter in the rankings of the show and help other people find my podcast.👉 Here's what you do:- On your phone, Click here (Read steps below first)- Scroll down to 'Ratings & Reviews'- Tap on the empty purple stars and rate 5 stars- Click on ‘Write a Review’ I love to hear what’s been helpful and what you love about the podcast! Thank you for your support! 🙏Until next time!Antony 👉 FOLLOW US!Instagram | Facebook | Website

In this episode, I’m diving deep into the Money Pillar of salon success, because after more than 20+ years of coaching salon owners all over the world, I know this to be true: you can have a full appointment book, a talented team, and great marketing, and still be broke. Being busy does not automatically mean you’re profitable, and for a lot of salon owners, that realisation is both confusing and exhausting.I talk through the three biggest money problems that keep salon owners stuck: not knowing if they’re actually profitable, underpricing services based on fear instead of maths, and tracking the wrong numbers, or no numbers at all. If you’ve ever looked at a busy month and wondered where all the money went, this episode will explain exactly why that keeps happening.Most importantly, I show you what to focus on instead. The key numbers that actually matter, how to stop guessing, and how financial literacy changes everything once you learn it. Because when you understand your numbers, you stop hoping and start running your salon with confidence, clarity, and profit.IN THIS EPISODE:[00:00] Introduction and the five pillars recap[02:30] Busy does not equal profitable[04:16] Problem #1: Not knowing if you’re actually profitable[05:22] Why your bank balance lies[05:46] Understanding your profit and loss statement[07:05] Problem #2: Pricing based on fear instead of maths[08:42] The real cost of underpricing services[09:35] Problem #3: Tracking the wrong numbers[10:18] Profit margins and industry benchmarks[11:00] Average ticket and why it matters[11:35] Client retention and the biggest leak in your business[12:03] Cost per service explained[12:27] Revenue per hour and stylist productivity[15:07] Free training and Business School Intensive overview[17:13] Final thoughts and what’s coming next weekWant MORE to help you GROW?📚 Check out our Bestselling GROW Books https://growmysalonbusiness.com/books/🆘 Management overwhelm!? Download our free checklist! This checklist will help you get clarity on where you're at https://growmysalonbusiness.com/management-checklist/RATINGS + REVIEWS🙏Thanks so much for joining me this week. If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review. Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated! They do matter in the rankings of the show and help other people find my podcast.👉 Here's what you do:- On your phone, Click here (Read steps below first)- Scroll down to 'Ratings & Reviews'- Tap on the empty purple stars and rate 5 stars- Click on ‘Write a Review’ I love to hear what’s been helpful and what you love about the podcast! Thank you for your support! 🙏Until next time!AntonyRESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:Free Business Bootcamp: The Five Things Holding Your Salon Back from Growing (and how to fix them.) Register below and get instant access to the first video, then receive one new training each day for three days. Register Here👉 FOLLOW US!Instagram | Facebook | Website

A new year always brings with it a sense of possibility. It’s that “that was then, this is now” moment where you get to draw a line in the sand and decide what happens next. But let’s be honest, for many salon owners right now, business feels tougher than ever. Clients are cautious, bookings feel unpredictable, and the world around us feels uncertain.In this episode, I talk about the reality of running a salon in times like these and why focusing on everything outside your control is a guaranteed way to feel overwhelmed. Global uncertainty, economic pressure, and changing consumer behaviour are real, but they’re not where your power lies.Instead, I break down exactly what is within your control, both as a salon owner and as a stylist. Because when you focus on the controllables, the systems, the standards, the leadership, and the client experience, you put yourself back in the driver’s seat. And when you do that, growth isn’t just possible. It’s predictable.IN THIS EPISODE:[01:43] The reality that many salon owners are facing right now[02:23] Not everyone is struggling, why that matters[03:06] Why being in business has always been hard[03:32] Global uncertainty and its impact on client spending[04:17] What you can control vs what you can’t[04:50] Control the controllable, leadership starts here[05:09] What stylists are in control of every single day[07:42] What salon owners are in control of[09:32] Why focusing on the controllables guarantees growthWant MORE to help you GROW?📚 Check out our Bestselling GROW Books https://growmysalonbusiness.com/books/🆘 Management overwhelm!? Download our free checklist! This checklist will help you get clarity on where you're at https://growmysalonbusiness.com/management-checklist/RATINGS + REVIEWS🙏Thanks so much for joining me this week. If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review. Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated! They do matter in the rankings of the show and help other people find my podcast.👉 Here's what you do:- On your phone, Click here (Read steps below first)- Scroll down to 'Ratings & Reviews'- Tap on the empty purple stars and rate 5 stars- Click on ‘Write a Review’ I love to hear what’s been helpful and what you love about the podcast! Thank you for your support! 🙏Until next time!AntonyRESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:Free Online Training: ‘The five things holding your salon back from growing and how to fix them’. Join the waitlist to be sent the first training on 12th January.👉 FOLLOW US!Instagram | Facebook | Website