We finally have an end in sight for salons to reopen after Lockdown 3.0 (Woop-Woop)!

We have only a few weeks to go, and looking ahead to April 12th, we have put together a guide about PPE needed for salon reopening!

Undoubtedly, one of the biggest industry concerns surrounding salon re-opening is the safety of clients, staff and ourselves! But, providing your salon has the appropriate and necessary Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) you can help to prevent the spread of Covid-19, we can all feel safe, relaxed and begin to adjust back to normal life!

What is PPE?

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is equipment that will protect you from health and safety risks. It can include items such as gloves, eye protection, aprons etc. We are all well aware of face-masks by now and the laws surrounding them.

What PPE do I need?

Hairdressers, barbers and beauty salons that are in close proximity with clients for extensive periods, (meaning it’s difficult to maintain social distancing measures) need to wear further protection in addition to the standard.

• Wear a visor AND mask. You are advised to wear both a clear visor or goggles and a Type II face mask to keep clients safe. Your salon/(you, if you are a salon owner) should provide training on how to wear face masks safely.

The new BEIS guidelines recommend that our industry wear Type II face coverings  (a medical face mask made up of a protective 3-ply construction that prevents large particles from reaching the client or working surfaces) as well as a well-fitted clear visor that covers the forehead, extends below the chin and wraps around the side of the face.

It is also recommended you wear the following PPE:

• Disposable gloves
• Face masks
• Goggles (visors as substitute)
• Aprons

Continuing on from previous lockdown advice, reception areas should be fitted with a screen. These should also be used in nail bars to form protection for nail technicians and clients when giving manicures.

For up-to-date info, the guidance for people who provide close contact services should be referred to regularly.

Where can I buy PPE for the hair and beauty industry?

HairCo and Beauty stock a range of PPE including: face masks, gloves, visors, and disposable gowns etc. The demand for such stock is going to be larger than ever, so make sure you stock up early!

Should clients wear PPE?

Government guidelines state that clients must wear a face mask in hair, nail, beauty salons and barbers unless exempt.

The Latest Budget for the Hair and Beauty Industry:

Furlough Scheme extended

Furlough has been extended until the end of September 2021. Employees are currently receiving 80% of their wages through the scheme, however employers will soon have t contribute 10% in July and 20% in August and September. Many of those in the industry that are currently on furlough have concerns about job losses over summer.

The Self-Employment Income Support Scheme has been extended

The fourth grant will cover February to April, and is worth 80% of average trading profits up to £7,500. A fifth grant will be available from July covering the period May to September 2021. The amount allocated in the fifth grant will depend on: whether your turnover has fallen by more than 30%, in this case you will continue to receive the full 80%. However, if it is less than 30% your grant will be reduced to 30%. The scheme will be expanded to allow those who became self-employed in the 2019-2020 financial year to claim provided they filed a tax return by midnight last night.

Restart Grants

From April 2021, the government is offering Restart Grants of up to £18,000 for individual businesses within the industry. The scheme will see £5bn across England and £794m in extra funding to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

For those not eligible for restart grants, local authorities in England will get £425m to support businesses.

Business Rate Holiday

The 100% Business Rate Holiday initiative will end in June 2021, a discount of up to two thirds will follow for the rest of 2021.

Incentive Payments

Businesses in England that take on apprentices will receive double the usual incentive payments (£3000).

Grow to help Scheme

A UK-wide ‘Help to Grow’ scheme aimed to help small and medium-sized businesses across the UK learn new skills, reach new customers and boost profits will be introduced. This includes a 12-week management programme and free technology advice plus discounted software. Register now at gov.uk/helptogrow. 

Reduced Tax Bill

For two years, businesses will be able to reduce their tax bill by 25p for every pound they invest in new equipment under a ‘super-deduction’ scheme’.

Statutory Sick Pay (SSP)

Small and medium-sized hair and beauty salons in the UK will continue to be able to reclaim up to two weeks of eligible Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) costs per employee from the government.

Recovery Loans

Recovery loans of between £25,000 and £10m will be available with a government guarantee to lenders of 80%.

What do you think of the budget for the Hair and Beauty Industry? Comment below or tell us on Facebook!

Whether you’re single or taken, treating yourself is always a must, and we cannot think of a better time to do so!

It’s usually easy to treat yourself on Valentine’s Day; you can pop to get your nails done, have a spa day, get a blow-dry, the options are endless. This year is a little different, but don’t threat, there are plenty of ways to feel amazing and treat yourself on Valentines’ Day whilst in lockdown too!

1. Pamper yourself 

Where to even begin with this one! Let’s start from the top, down!

HAIR! Get yourself a luxuriously rich hair mask and slather it on! Who doesn’t feel a million pounds when their hair is beautifully soft and healthy!

How about a V’Day colour upgrade? Is your hair looking a bit tired? Tone it! Or, how about adding a pop of semi-permanent pink? We are here for the results!! Tag us in any Valentine’s colour upgrades on social media!

Speaking of hair, how about the hair on your face… no we’re not talking about that tash!! BROWS! I don’t know about you but we are looking a little bushy and patchy! Why not treat yourself to a brow tidy up and a tint!

Where there’s brow tint there’s lash tint! Lengthen the look of those lashes as if by magic! We started tinting during lockdown 2.0 and we’re never going back!

We were going to talk wax, but let’s be honest, pampering and waxing isn’t a match! Save the pain for another day!

Next up! Face masks! Are you a mud person, a bubble babe, a sheet kinda gal? Whichever your favourite, treat your skin! We love to put a mask on whilst having a bubbly bath or while watching our favourite TV show! You do you! It’s your day!

If you’re lucky enough to live with a partner or friends, maybe if you ask nicely they will give you a foot massage and paint your toes! If not, you can do it yourself! Having a fresh, shiny coat of polish on our hands and feet can make you feel invincible! Shop everything you need to give yourself a Valentine’s Mani, Pedi HERE.

2. Do absolutely nothing! 

There’s so much talk of doing so much, but how about just stop and relax! We all need to rest! Take a nap! Take a long bubbly bath! Scroll Instagram. Or take a walk! Maybe you relax by playing a game or doing a puzzle? Whatever it is that makes you happy, chilled and stress free.. DO IT! This is the ultimate treat!

3. Have a date with your fave celeb

Ok, so not literally, we can’t go out for a date with anybody right now, let alone Chris Hemsworth, but we can binge watch the films of our fave celebs! Get under a cosy blanket, make some popcorn and get some greats on!

If you’re not in lockdown with your partner or you want to share a movie day with friends, why not schedule to watch a film together! There are plenty of services offering ‘watch together’ features! This way you can chat and enjoy the movie as if you were together! Lockdown + long distance ain’t gonna to slow us down this V’DAY!

4. Indulge a little (or a lot)

Treat Yourself on Valentine’s Day with your favourite food! Whether it’s a takeaway you love, or that box of chocolates you never buy for yourself. This weekend, say yes!

5. Go on a shopping spree

Is there anything you’ve been eyeing up online? Treat yourself! It can be a Valentine’s Day present, from you, to you! You deserve it!

5. Have a virtual date 

Maybe you’re missing a special somebody, or a whole bunch of people! Why not use Valentine’s Day as an excuse to get on a Zoom/FaceTime/Skype with them!

In the latest industry update; salons, spas and mobile therapists must remain closed until at least March 8th. Such news is panicking many in the industry due to financial worries. We’ve put together a list of all the financial support available to the hair and beauty industry at the current time. Hopefully it can help you and your business!

Latest Financial Support 

All businesses affected by lockdown, including salons, spas etc, are eligible for a one-off Government grant. The amount your are entitled to will vary depending on the size of your business:

-£4,000 for businesses with a rateable value of £15,000 or under.

-£6,000 for businesses with a rateable value between £15,000 and £51,000.

-£9,000 for businesses with a rateable value of over £51,000.

For further information see the GOV website.

Self-employment support

There have been a series of grants available for those who are self-employed and eligible through application on the GOV website. Details about the fourth grant will be announced on 3 March 2021.

The recently closed grant was worth 80% of your average monthly trading profits, paid out in a single instalment covering 3 months’ worth of profits, and capped at £7,500 in total; the forth is predicted to be of similar value.

These grants do not need to be repaid if you’re eligible, but will be subject to Income Tax and self-employed National Insurance and must be reported on your 2020 to 2021 Self Assessment tax return.

To be eligible for the grant you must be a self-employed individual or a member of a partnership. You can’t claim the grant if you trade through a limited company or a trust.

You must have traded in both tax years:

-2018 to 2019 and submitted your Self Assessment tax return on or before 23 April 2020 for that year

-2019 to 2020

How to apply: 

Details on applying for the forth grant will be announced on March 3rd 2021.

For further details on the grant, whether you are eligible, and how to claim, click here.

Further financial support for the self-employed include:

1. Universal Credit; a rate equivalent to Statutory Sick Pay (£95.85 per week)
2. Tax deferral – you’ll now pay your normal ‘on account’ July tax bill in January 2021.

Deferring VAT payments

If you have deferred VAT between March 20th 2020 and June 2020, and still have payments due, you can;

-Pay the deferred VAT in full on or before 31 March 2021

-Opt in to the VAT deferral new payment scheme when it launches in 2021

-Contact HMRC if you need more help to pay

Coronavirus Bounce Back Loan

The Bounce Back Loan Scheme (BBLS) enables smaller businesses to access finance more quickly during the coronavirus outbreak.

This scheme helps small and medium-sized businesses borrow between £2,000 and up to 25% of their turnover. The maximum loan available is £50,000.

The government guarantees 100% of the loan and there won’t be any fees or interest to pay for the first 12 months. After 12 months the interest rate will be 2.5% a year.

The scheme is open to applications until 31 March 2021.

Find a lender now. 

12-month business rates holiday

There has been be a 12-month business rates holiday. This means the retail, hospitality and leisure industries won’t need to pay business rates from the 2020 to 2021 tax year.

How to apply:

You shouldn’t need to take any action. Your local council will apply the discount automatically.

You can estimate the business rate relief using the business rates calculator.

Contact your local council if you’re not getting a relief you think you’re entitled to or have any issues/questions regarding this.

Mortgage Payment Holiday

Mortgage lenders have announced support if your income has been affected by the coronavirus outbreak, including a repayment holiday of up to a maximum of six months. The deadline for applying for a repayment holiday is 31 March 2021.

Find out more information here!

Sick Pay

You can get £95.85 per week Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) if you’re too ill to work. It’s paid by your employer for up to 28 weeks.

You cannot get less than the statutory amount. You can get more if your company has a sick pay scheme (or ‘occupational scheme’) – check your employment contract.

Hopefully you have found our guide on Financial support available to the hair and beauty industry USEFUL!

PLEASE GET IN TOUCH IF YOU NEED ADDITIONAL HELP! 

RELATED: 8 Sure Ways Hair Salons Can Generate Revenue During Lockdown

So, where to begin when choosing professional hair colour? There are so many options and many of you will already have a favourite brand you may be hesitant to stray from! But don’t worry, we’ll walk you through the best selling hair colour available here at HairCo and let you know what the professionals that buy from us think!

We have such a wide selection of both semi-permanent and permanent colours in our archives we know you’ll find your 2021 favourite!

Permanent Hair Colour 

One of our ultimate best selling professional hair colours; Wella’s Kolestone Perfect! Wella’s purest permanent colour ever with ME+ technology!

This fantastic colour gives pure, balanced results with natural depth and shine, whilst the ME+ reduces the risk of developing a new allergy to the hair colour. Please be advised this does not mean the it is impossible for clients to have an allergic reaction to this professional hair colour!

Your clients will get healthy, glistening results and 100% grey coverage every time when you choose Koleston Perfect. Plus, you can offer exceptional lift potential as this range colour lifts up to 5 levels!

L’Oreal Majirel 

INSIGHT INCOLOR

Wow your clients with Vegan, organic professional hair colour that outperforms some of the very best brands out there! The INSIGHT formula consists of low ammonia, which respects hair fibres and ensures protection from damage whilst leaving hair silky smooth and soft.

The product not only proves impeccable colour results time and time again but thanks to Phytokeratin, Argan oil and Grade Seed Butter, it ensures your clients hair is restructured and perfectly conditioned whilst it works its magic.

If you’re conscious about an eco-sustainable colour that performs just as well as major brands then INcolor is for you!

Semi-Permanent Hair Colour 

WELLA COLOR TOUCH

Wella Color Touch is a low commitment, ammonia free, multi -dimensional Demi-permanent professional hair colour for your clients that like to change up their tone often!

You can promise your client high shine, high fashion results from the second they leave the salon. The beautiful, vibrant Color Touch shades last up to 24 washes, cover 70% grey, and root re-growth will be virtually invisible; what more can your clients want?

For best results use Wella Color Touch Plus Developer!

See our Instagram for professionals using Wella Color Touch!

Crazy Color

Once again our industry has come to a halt due to another national lockdown, and although this news came as a blow, it is vital we stay safe and healthy at this time. 

Like everybody in the UK, you may be feeling scared, stressed, fed up or even a little angry at the thought of having to stay home and isolate from your family and friends. 

We’ve outlined some helpful tips to stay safe and well over the next few weeks. 

Stay home

Stating the obvious. Of course we all know that the best thing we can all do is stay home to help stop the spread of infection and to protect ourselves from becoming ill. If you’d like to read deeper into when you should and should not be leaving your home, there is lots of information here. 

Stay Informed

It can be easy to shut ourselves off and avoid depressing news and updates of Covid-19. However, there are many important updates that we all must be aware of. Even if you choose not to tune into the daily updates, stay in touch with a friend or check social media (reliable sources only) for important headlines such as new symptoms to look out for! 

Sanitise

As you will have seen everywhere in the media, washing your hands is hugely important; wash regularly for 20 seconds in order to stay safe and healthy! 

Along with frequent hand washing, we must keep up with sanitising our hands! We aren’t always able to be by a sink, but we are always capable of carrying a little bottle of santisier with us wherever we go! 

On average, we touch our faces 20-30 times per hour! Between each touch, we are touching our phones, laptops, door handles and many more objects, all of which can be harbouring germs and bacterias. Sanitising frequently is a must to reduce the risk of transferring any virus causing nasties to yourself or to others! 

See the vast range available to help protect you and your loved ones.

Stay safe and healthy, sanitise!

Wear a mask

If and when you do need to leave your home, don’t forget your mask!

• Masks reduce viral transmission (if worn correctly) – over your nose AND mouth!
• They prevent asymptomatic spread (pre symptom)

Stay safe and healthy, wear a mask!

Look after your mental health

Some of the main reasons for deteriorating mental health include change, uncertainty and loneliness. No wonder why we’re all feeling a bit down!

There are several benefits associated with positive mental wellbeing, including:

•       Reduced stress and anxiety
•       Improved moods and clearer thinking
•       A greater sense of calm and increased self-esteem
•       Improved relationships

There are many ways you can support positive mental health, lots of which will be personal to you, however the following points will contribute greatly.

Know your own mental health needs

Mental health can be a difficult subject, many people may not understand their true feelings, nor be able to express them.  But, this exploration and understanding is important when dealing and managing mental health and stress. We’re here to help you understand with some questions:

• Are you more irritable lately? Perhaps in situations you wouldn’t have been before.
• Are you less tolerant of those around you?
• Are you still engaging in activities that you enjoy?
• How is your concentration?
• Are you feeling overwhelmed?
• Are you worrying about your future? Which part?
• Are you taking time for yourself?
• Has your sleep changed? more/less
• Are you following a routine?
• Are your eating habits the same as usual?

If you are noticing changes to your normal behaviour, this is a sign you may be struggling. We are living in strange times, our routines have been thrown out the window, it is perfectly normal to respond to these changes with stress and anxiety.  But, when we understand and process how we feel about this change we are 1 step closer to improved mental wellbeing.

Let’s take back control! When we feel in control of our lives we feel better about our mental state! So, dig into your mind, how are you feeling right now? What is causing your stress/anxiety? Writing these thoughts down can help you feel like you are controlling your emotions, seeing them objectively and then therefore being able to respond with clarity and control. You may find it helpful to share these thoughts with a trusted friend or family member for another view. Often, our worries are made bigger in our own minds.

There are many other useful resources for dealing with mental health during COVID-19 on the GOV website , on MIND, and the NHS.

Practice mindfulness

No matter what is happening around us, the stress we’re experiencing, where we are in the world, mindfulness can help to ground us and make us fully present in the moment.

Practising mindfulness helps to reduce stress and anxiety, improve memory, and helps with concentration. When incorporating the method long term there is significant benefit to how improvement in emotional health, relationships and communication.

To start your mindful journey click HERE.

Stay connected

It is important to be in touch with family and friends in such difficult times! With the vast technology we have accessible, we have no excuse, and it’s never been easier!

Not seeing our loved ones face to face can impact our mental health! But, keeping in touch and communicating with them regularly can help! Of course it is not the same as giving our best friend a huge hug, but a little communication can be a huge mental boost.

We all have our own way of cheering up our loved ones online! Try our some new platforms! Maybe even get dancing on TikTok and connect with people around the world!

Eat a healthy diet

We all learned from Lockdown 1.0! Comfort eating and midweek wine did nothing for our mental or physical wellbeing! If you’ve not learned just yet, its a great time to start! It’s the new year after all!

The benefits of a healthy diet are endless! If you need some help find info HERE.

Keep moving! 

Physical health is just as important as mental health at a time like this. In fact, working on your physical health can boost your mental health!

Gyms may be closed  but that is no excuse! There are plenty of ways to keep you body moving!

• Go for a bike ride
• Join a virtual fitness class (TV, Instagram, YouTube etc)
• Go for a walk (close by)
• Order some home weights
• Get cleaning (heavy cleaning is a great workout)
• Get some resistance bands (strengthens muscles & mobility)
• Follow an online Yoga class
• Start ‘couch to 5K’ if you want to start running

Challenge yourself

This point is very broad! It can be about fitness, self care/development, your job or anything you like! By having a goal and setting a challenge you set yourself a purpose! This is great for mental wellbeing!

Choose a realistic goal and begin your journey!

Get your beauty sleep

If you aren’t sleeping well, your whole body is suffering!

The lockdown disruption is causing us to slip into bad sleep habits!

We need to practice good sleep hygiene:

• Stick to a sleep schedule – wake up at the same time EVERYDAY
• Try not to nap in the day
• Include wind down time in your day (30 minutes before bed)
• Practice healthy living in the day (be active, get daily light exposure, reduce alcohol consumption, don’t smoke, don’t eat too late)
• Avoid caffeine or alcohol late at night
• Optimise bedtime (buy a quality comfortable mattress, buy cotton breathable sheets, set a cool temperature, use calming scents, ensure silence, block out light)

For more information see HERE.

INTRODUCING THE WAHL RANGE OF PROFESSIONAL STYLING TOOLS!

Providing the best care for your client’s hair – Trusted by professionals for over 100 years

When you pick up a Wahl tool, you can be confident of the best results.

L E S S   H E A T  .  S A M E   R E S U L T S

Available online now!

Our weekend sale is coming to an end tonight at MIDNIGHT!

When you spend £100 or more you get 10% off!

Or spend £200 or more and get a whopping 20% off!

Hurry whilst stock lasts!

You don’t want to miss out!  🙂