Author: Stephanie Howey

09:42:42 GMT • 14 January 2025

Hairdressing Regulations You Need to Know

3 October 2019

•

4 mins read

Contributors

Steffi joined the business in July 2017 as Business Support Executive. Steffi completed her degree in Sports and ...

When running a hair salon there are lots of factors to consider but most important is health and safety for both your clients and your employees. Here is a guide to the areas that you need to focus on for health and safety legislation in hairdressing.

What are the hairdressing regulations that you need to comply with?

There are key regulations that everyone who runs a hairdressing business should comply with. These are:

• Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 – UK legislation detailing the duties of employers regarding health and safety in the workplace. Employers have a duty to protect health, safety and welfare in the workplace.

• Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations (COSHH) 2002 – this is the UK law that requires all employers to ensure that they are sufficiently controlling harmful substances in the workplace.

• Cosmetic Products (Safety) Regulations 2004 – this covers any substance or mixture intended to be placed in contact with the external parts of the human body (including hair)

What do you need to put in place to comply with the regulations?

Risk Assessment

Carry out a risk assessment together with your employees, identifying the areas of risk within your business and then demonstrate that you have put in place measures to protect clients and staff. It is a good idea to have the risk assessment recorded as a document that all staff members can have access to, a typical format for this might look like this:

Hazard	Who might be harmed and how	What Precautions are currently in place?	Any further action required?	By Who	When	Date completed
Hair dye solution	Clients or staff could have a reaction to the ingredients within the solution	Allergy (patch) testing takes place 48 hours before a client’s treatment	Continue to regularly conduct patch testing	All Hairdressing staff	Every 3 months	Ongoing

Staff Training

All employees must receive regular Health & Safety at work training. This covers several key areas including:
· COSHH (Control of Substances Hazardous to Health)
· Fire Safety
· Manual Handling
· Electrical Safety

Health & Safety Policy

A Health & Safety Policy is a written statement that sets out how you, as an employer ensures that the workplace is a safe environment to work in. It is a legal requirement that you have this policy displayed in your hairdressing salon.

First Aider

HSE states that employers must have appropriate first aid provision for their workplace. It is good practice for a hairdressing salon to have a nominated person who, in the event of an accident, will be able to administer first aid. They would need to gain a qualification in first aid at work by attending a first aid training course to be renewed every 3 years.

Allergy Testing

You should have as a standard practice the regular patch testing of products on clients skin 48 hours before exposure to assess if they might react to a product.

As a salon owner, you have ultimate responsibility for ensuring the safety of your staff in the workplace.

To do this you should put in place the procedures for managing hazardous substances, take precautions to avoid trips and falls, keep your salon clean and well ventilated, have a clear fire safety procedure and ensure that all appliances are well maintained and regularly checked.

Taking these precautions should help to avoid any incidents and make your salon a safe place for you and your employees to work in.

Protectivity is a specialist provider of Hairdressing Insurance. We cover thousands of individuals and small to medium size businesses across the UK each year.

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09:42:56 GMT • 14 January 2025

The Importance of Patch Tests for Hairdressers

3 October 2019

•

4 mins read

Contributors

Steffi joined the business in July 2017 as Business Support Executive. Steffi completed her degree in Sports and ...

Hair dyes are made from a range of ingredients which might, in some cases, irritate your client’s skin or cause an allergic reaction. Many permanent and some semi-permanent hair dyes contain a chemical called paraphenylenediamine (PPD), which is a known irritant and allergen.

Many clients won’t react to this, but it is important to assess this before applying a solution that will come into contact with your client’s skin. Because of this, patch testing has become standard practice for hairdressers, but why is it so important?

Protectivity is a specialist provider of Hairdressers Insurance and Barber Insurance. We cover thousands of individuals and small to medium size businesses across the UK each year.

What is a Patch Test?

A patch test is a way of testing if your client might react to a colour treatment. It is essential to complete a patch test so that you can be sure that your client will not have a reaction to the products that you intend to use.

If your clients skin reacts badly to the test that you have applied, then you should not use the product on them.

What Are the Risks Of Not Doing a Patch Test?

There are a number of possible outcomes if you don’t complete a hair dye patch test on your clients. If your client reacts badly to the product you use, then their skin might become dry, red and itchy. In more extreme cases a client’s skin might become red and swollen and they might experience a burning or stinging sensation.

In very severe cases a client might suffer from anaphylaxis or anaphylactic shock. This would happen within minutes of being exposed to the product. According to the NHS website, signs of anaphylaxis include:

· itchy skin or a raised, red skin rash
· swollen eyes, lips, hands and feet – the eyelids can swell so much that the eyes close
· feeling lightheaded or faint
· swelling of the mouth, throat or tongue, which can cause breathing and swallowing difficulties
· wheezing
· tummy pain, nausea and vomiting
· collapsing and becoming unconscious

If your client presents these symptoms then you should call 999 and ask for an ambulance. With less severe reactions you should wash the product from your client’s hair to reduce the effects.

What is the Best Way of Doing Patch Test?

You can expect to learn how to do patch test whilst at college. A small amount of the tint and peroxide is made up, just as you would do in the salon. This solution is then applied to your client’s skin. It is best to use an area such as the elbow or behind the ear.

Typically, this colour patch test is carried out 48 hours before the treatment itself to give time to assess if a reaction is likely to happen. Patch tests should then be completed regularly as repeated exposure to an ingredient can cause it to become an allergen.

Protecting Yourself

Even if you are thorough in completing patch tests, there is always the possibility of something going wrong so it’s best to make sure that you have adequate insurance in place.

Public Liability insurance will protect you in situations where a third party may make a claim for injury or damage caused by your treatment.

If a client reacts badly to a solution that you have used during their treatment without you having completed a patch test before-hand then you might make your insurance invalid so you won’t be covered.

Some clients might refuse for a patch test to be done, assuring you that they will not react to any of the ingredients. In circumstances such as these it is best to inform your client that the test only takes a few minutes and you would prefer to be sure that they won’t react and that you are simply taking precautions.

Reactions to hair dye are avoidable as long as you follow guidance and complete regular patch tests to continually assess if your client’s skin will react to the products that you are using during a treatment.

Without doing this you are putting your client and yourself at risk.

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09:41:54 GMT • 14 January 2025

10 Traditional Reiki Hand Positions

1 October 2019

•

3 mins read

Contributors

Steffi joined the business in July 2017 as Business Support Executive. Steffi completed her degree in Sports and ...

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Reiki is a Japanese technique for stress reduction and relaxation which also promotes healing. The belief behind this treatment is that a life energy is flowing through our bodies and if this energy is low then we are more vulnerable to illness and stress.

Reiki treatments increase this life energy by placing hands on, or just above the body, creating beneficial emotional and physical effects, healing pain, reducing stress and anxiety.

A typical Reiki session

During a Reiki Treatment, a client will lie on a massage table, or a chair if they prefer. There is no significant pressure applied during a Reiki session, instead a practitioner will gently place their hands on a client.

There are a series of key hand positions which, when done in the correct way, will generate the effects needed. Here is a guide to some of the most popular hand positions.

1. Place the palms of your hands gently on your client’s forehead and cover the eyes. Take care not to cover the nose and restrict your client’s breathing.

2. Place hands gently around the temples.

3. Cradle the head by rocking the head very gently from one open palm and then to the other eventually achieving a balanced hold. Your own hands can rest on the table underneath your clients head.

4. Hands are gently placed over your client’s throat. If they don’t feel comfortable with this then your hands can be placed under the throat instead.

5. Hands are placed over the heart and the heart chakra (located between the breasts). They are then placed gently over the upper abdomen.

6. Hands are placed gently over your mid abdomen (solar plexus).

7. At this point, you, as a Reiki Practitioner might continue treatment to include your client’s legs.

Both hands are placed gently on the leg. Repeat for the other leg.

8. Put one hand on the bottom of each foot.

9. The next step would be to ask your client to roll over to their front and for you to apply pressure to your client’s shoulder blades and middle back and then the lower back.

10. At the end of a treatment you may move your hands all over your client’s body to cleanse and remove any leftover debris, transforming any negative energies into positive ones.

At Protectivity, we provide a wide range of what we believe are cost-effective insurance solutions for therapy professionals including Reiki Insurance, Counselling Insurance, Massage Insurance and many more. To see if your speciality can be covered, just visit our Therapy Insurance page and input your technique into the quote box. If we can cover the activity, we will provide you with an instant price.

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09:41:26 GMT • 14 January 2025

Talking Wages: How Much Does a Barber Earn?

11 September 2019

•

4 mins read

Contributors

Steffi joined the business in July 2017 as Business Support Executive. Steffi completed her degree in Sports and ...

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There are several ways to work as a barber and therefore several ways that you can earn money. Here are some of the structures available and gives an indication on how much a barber can make.

About us: Protectivity is a specialist provider of Barber Insurance. We cover thousands of individuals and small to medium size businesses across the UK each year.

Employed at a barbers salon

You might be employed at a salon and paid an hourly rate. Your salary will then be paid to you on either a weekly or monthly basis.

A barber’s salary will depend on experience and can range from £8 to £12 per hour. This is something that you will agree with the Salon owner at the start of your employment.

Self employed (Freelance)

A lot of barbers salons will hire you as a self-employed barber. This simply means that you will work on a freelance basis and would need to manage your own financial records and pay your own taxes.

This is done by registering for self-assessment, on the Government website.

Rent a chair

A common way for barbers to work is to rent a chair in a Salon. You will pay a fixed (usually weekly) fee to rent a chair. After you have paid this rent, you then keep the rest of the money that you earn. This works well if the salon is a busy one.

The amount that you can charge for a haircut will depend on several factors eg. Salon location and reputation, competitor charges etc. but you could expect to earn £100 – £200 per day. You then need to deduct the cost of renting the chair from this amount.

This structure works best once you have built up a good client base, so you know that you are going to have paying clients to cover the cost of renting the chair.

Split & commission

This is a common structure amongst barbers and enables you to share the revenue from the salon that you work in. For each haircut you complete, you would keep a percentage and the remainder you would pass to the salon.

The potential to earn very much depends on how many haircuts you do in a day, but this method can work well for a barber who is prepared to work hard and contribute to the success of the salon, attracting and retaining clients.

Own your own salon

There is obviously a greater potential to earn if you own your own salon once you have developed your experience and client base. However, you also need to consider that you also have the overhead costs of running the salon, staff wages etc.

Are there any opportunities to boost how much a barber can make?

You can boost your salary as a barber either through earning commission on the sale of hair products which you can offer your clients at their appointment. You can demonstrate which products would suit their needs best and then if they purchase it to take home you can earn between £2 and £3 on each purchase. If you can sell these products across your client base then this can become a great additional income.

Tips are also a great way to boost your earnings. Tips are entirely at the discretion of your clients but if you provide a great service and a great haircut leaving your client happy, they might choose to leave you a tip. The amount is again at the discretion of the client but averages between 5 and 10%.

So, there are plenty of options available and it is worth exploring each one in more detail to find the best structure for you. The London School of Barbering also has a great interview about the earning potential for barbers.

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09:41:13 GMT • 14 January 2025

5 of the Best Apps for Mobile Hairdressers

4 September 2019

•

3 mins read

Contributors

Steffi joined the business in July 2017 as Business Support Executive. Steffi completed her degree in Sports and ...

As a mobile hairdresser, you’ll want to make your job as straightforward and organised as possible, all while keeping up with the latest trends. There is a whole world of apps for those in mobile hairdressing, to help you in every part of your job, from inspiration to organisation.

Whether you are new to hairdressing or are an established stylist, there are apps available to support you and your business. Here, we cover the best hairstylist apps for mobile hairdressing:

1. Best app for inspiration Pinterest

Pinterest is great for inspiration for anything and that includes hair styles, colours and beauty, which makes it perfect for mobile hairdressers. Over time, Pinterest’s algorithm learns about its users, including what subjects they’re interested in and what images they like to see, to provide content that is tailored to your interests. So, whether you are looking for ideas for how to decorate your salon, an up-do or a creative idea for using colour, don’t overlook this popular app.

2. Best app for appointments: Salon Iris

This is a great salon app with an easy-to-use appointment booking system which is great whether you are a salon owner or a freelancer. They have different packages available to suit businesses of different sizes and can take the stress out of managing the diary – leaving you to focus on enjoying your work and doing the best job for your clients.

3. Best app for managing payments: Square

Restricting payment methods to cash only can be frustrating for some clients but now you don’t need to put this restriction in place. Square is a mobile payment processing system which uses your tablet or smartphone. Using Square means that you can accept card payments, including contactless payments, without needing to invest in expensive software or card machines.

4. Best app for colour: Hair Colour Booth

Hair Colour Booth is a fun app which you could get your clients involved in when choosing their colour and seeing what it might look like. It can be a great conversation starter and help you to get creative with your hairstyling. While not designed specifically for the hair and beauty industry, this app is a great one to help show the transformation of a new hair colour.

5. Best app for hairstyles: Hairstyle Mirror

This free hairstyler app allows your client to take a selfie and then see what they would look like with different styles. Great for talking through hair-style ideas with clients, this one is also a lot of fun to try!

Are you a mobile hairdresser? Make sure you’re covered

There really is an app to support you in all elements of running your hairdressing business – from managing appointments, to attracting new clients. To protect yourself against the unexpected, it’s important you have specialist hairdressing insurance. Our Hairdressing Insurance offers financial protection to self-employed, freelance and mobile hairdressers should an incident happen that results in a claim against you. We also offer public liability insurance for barbers if that’s your trade.

With the right cover in place, you can enjoy your job with the reassurance that if something goes wrong, you have the support. Why not get a quote today?

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09:40:52 GMT • 14 January 2025

How to Become a Barber: Training and Courses

4 September 2019

•

3 mins read

Contributors

Steffi joined the business in July 2017 as Business Support Executive. Steffi completed her degree in Sports and ...

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If you have made the decision to become a barber, then there are a number of ways to achieve your goal! There are different routes depending on your age, working status and financial situation.

The majority of barbering courses will offer a mix of classroom-based learning where you will learn about styles and techniques, and practical learning where you can put what you have learnt into practice and will cut hair on live models.

About us: Protectivity is a specialist provider of Barber Insurance. We cover thousands of individuals and small to medium size businesses across the UK each year.

College course

There are lots of college courses available nationwide providing both classroom-based learning as well as some experience cutting hair on live models.

Duration: 1 – 3 years
Content: A combination of theory and practical learning but offers the least amount of practical cutting experience.
Cost: Approximately £2000 (There is funding available for some students. Your local college should be able to provide more information.)
Outcome: Most will result in an NVQ qualification at the end of the course.
Benefits: Courses are easily accessible at colleges throughout the UK and training can be quite flexible to fit your needs.

Apprenticeship

Typically a route for school leavers, an apprenticeship involves in salon training where you can get lots of experience.

Duration: Approximately 3 years
Content: Usually an apprentice would start work doing the very basic tasks eg. Shampooing hair and sweeping up hair whilst watching and learning from the barbers in the salon.
Cost: £0
Outcome: At the end of an apprenticeship you would be awarded an NVQ.
Benefits: An experience-based way of training to become a barber and there is no cost.

Private courses

Some organisations (eg. London School of Barbering) can provide a private course which can be a more intensive course of barber training but often costs more to complete.

Duration: Usually between 6 and 12 weeks
Content: A combination of theory and practical learning, sometimes offering additional training in specific techniques.
Cost: Approximately £4000
Outcome: An NVQ and strong experience
Benefits: Smaller classes meaning more focused tuition

So, no matter what age you are or what stage of your career you are at, there is an ideal route for you and your circumstances so that you can gain the qualification and the experience that you need to become a barber.

Once qualified, remember you will need to take out suitable hairdressing insurance before you start to cut clients’ hair.

If you are just starting your training, then there are some useful websites to support you:

The British Barbering Association (BBA) is the leading association for the barbering industry in the UK.
The Barber Council is the statutory body established by The Hairdressing Act (1964) and tasked by Government to maintain a register of hairdressers and barbers in the UK.

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09:40:29 GMT • 14 January 2025

Rowing Workouts for Beginners

By Mandy Czyz

3 September 2019

•

4 mins read

Contributors

Mandy Czyz

Mandy has been with Starpeak Insurance Solutions since 2018, starting in sales in the consumer department and mov...

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A rowing machine is a great piece of equipment if you are training, trying to improve your overall fitness or a personal trainer looking to build a plan for a client, as it can give you a full body workout with the right programme. The right exercises can help to build muscles, tone muscles, lose weight, provide an aerobic workout or increase stamina.

So, if you are new to rowing and are looking for a workout for beginners, there are some tips below to help you to find the exercise programme that works for you.

Getting started

As with all exercise programs it is important to receive the proper training to make sure that you are using equipment correctly. This is to ensure that you are using it safely so that you don’t do any damage to your body but also that you are using it effectively and getting the most from your workout. If you are using a rowing machine in a gym, then the staff there should be happy to help you. There are also lots of great videos on You Tube, demonstrating the correct posture and technique when using a rowing machine.

The other important tip when starting a new exercise is to build up gradually. Start with short, light rowing workouts and focus on getting the right positioning. Once you are used to the machine then you can gradually increase the intensity.

Exercises

Muscle Toning Rowing is a great exercise which burns calories and tones the body. Because rowing uses so many muscles, you can tone your back, shoulders, abs and arms in a single workout. If you are looking to achieve significant growth for specific muscles though, you will need to combine some exercises with weights as rowing will give a more general and even muscle tone. Endurance Endurance exercises are quite straight forward as the objective is to build up to being able to row as fast and consistently as you can. A great way to start is to begin with a five-minute warm-up at a pace that you feel comfortable with. Next you row for 20 minutes at the highest effort level you can consistently maintain. Make a note of your average stroke rate and average speed and then next time you can build on this target. Weight loss and burning calories The higher the intensity and longer that you row for will increase the number of calories burned during a session. The great thing about using a rowing machine is that many of them will be able to track your speed, distance covered, and calories burned during your workout so you can keep track of your progress as you build up your workout. Cardio A great way to get a cardio workout is through a high-intensity interval style session. Start with a gentle warm up for five minutes. Next row as hard as you are able to for 30 seconds and follow this with a period of rest for a further 30 seconds. Repeat this six times, then rest for 3 minutes. You then need to repeat this process 3 times and maintain the same intensity.

Rowing is a great piece of equipment for improving overall fitness and there are many different ways that using a rowing machine can fit into your exercise programme. If you need further support, then staff in your local gym can put a programme together for you.

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09:40:10 GMT • 14 January 2025

Do You Need a Licence to be a Hairdresser?

21 August 2019

•

3 mins read

Contributors

Steffi joined the business in July 2017 as Business Support Executive. Steffi completed her degree in Sports and ...

If you are solely a mobile hairdresser that visits clients in their home to cut hair, it’s unlikely that you will require a licence.

However, if you are operating within a commercial premises, or have clients come to you, it may be necessary to register your hairdressing business with your local council. The specific requirements may vary depending on your local area.

It is therefore worthwhile getting in touch with your local council to find out what needs to be done. You can also find out what is required in your local area on the Gov.UK website.

What requirements are there to become a hairdresser?

It is likely at the very least that the council will need to be aware of the business that you are running and check that it complies with health and safety requirements:

1. Cleanliness – Your premises are required to be clean, safe, well-lit and well ventilated.

2. Risk of Infection – You will also need to show that you take all necessary precautions to reduce the risk of infection or contamination.

3. Training – Your staff should be adequately trained, work hygienically and use equipment efficiently.

4. Insurance – As with most businesses, it is necessary to have a suitable hairdressing insurance or barber insurance policy in place.

Having Public Liability cover will protect you if a third party should make a claim for compensation and legal costs for injury or damage while on your business premises or while you are working on their premises. So, for example if a client has an accident as a result of a spillage of hair products, they can claim against you.

It’s also worth checking that having professional treatment risk cover and products liability in place too. This will protect you if a third party makes a claim against you due to your negligence. So, for example if your client’s hair is permanently damaged due to a mistake you made with the hair products that you used for them, you could face a huge legal bill. With cover in place, the costs are covered.

Certification

A representative from your local council will come and inspect your premises and check that you have all the necessary procedures in place. They will then issue a certificate and is a requirement that this is displayed so that it can be clearly seen by your customers.

How much does it cost to register my business?

There is no charge for registering a hairdressing business.

What hairdressers would not need to register?

If your business provides hairdressing services to people in their own homes or residential accommodation (for example, a care home), then you are not required to register your business in this way as you do not operate from business premises.

So, for example if you are a mobile hairdresser cutting your clients hair in their own homes you would not need to register in this way or hold a hairdresser licence.

In summary, before you set up as a hairdresser, contact your local council and they can advise on the requirements in your area. Then, make sure that you have all the necessary training, certifications and insurance in place to run your business with peace of mind.

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09:39:40 GMT • 14 January 2025

12 Event Planning Tools You Need to Try

By Mandy Czyz

21 August 2019

•

4 mins read

Contributors

Mandy Czyz

Mandy has been with Starpeak Insurance Solutions since 2018, starting in sales in the consumer department and mov...

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There are plenty of event planning tools available to support you when planning your event from project management tools to managing lists of attendees. But what is the right tool to make you more efficient when organising an event?

About Us

We provide Event Insurance to thousands of UK event organisers and stallholders each year. Our policy provides a range of cover options, such as public liability for events. Get an instant quote for your event insurance policy via the link below.

1) Asana

Asana is a great tool for managing team projects and tasks. So, if you need to keep track of your team and the tasks that they are completing, this could be ideal for you. Its easy to navigate dashboard means that it is easy to see what has been completed and what tasks still need focus.

2) Basecamp

Basecamp enables you to create to do lists, assign tasks and set due dates. It is less visual than others and is based on a series of lists. Although you can try it for free, there is a charge for this tool, but the charge is based on unlimited users and usage.

3) Caterease

Caterease is a great tool for managing the catering for your event. The wizard-driven booking and drag and drop functionality makes building menus for your event really easy! Attendees can enter their own food selections enabling you to see quickly and easily what food and beverage requirements there are.

4) Cvent

The Cvent event planning tool allows you to automate many event management tasks from small events to larger conferences. It offers a complete event management solution including venue finding, building a website, managing registration, room blocking management and much more!

5) Eventbrite

Eventbrite is a great event planning and management tool to enable you to manage list of attendees, the registration process as well as getting the word out about your event. So, no more endless excel spreadsheets and inputting lots of data, this tool means that inputting and managing the data is a lot less time consuming!

6) Eventopedia

This is a great website which enables you to find, compare and review suppliers and venues. They have developed a network of trusted event suppliers to create an easy to use directory taking some of the pain out of searching for the perfect team for your event.

7) Hootsuite

This is a great tool for scheduling your social media posts. So,you can plan key posts in advance and then schedule them to be posted at a specific time and date, meaning key opportunities don’t get missed!

8) Mailchimp

Mailchimp is a fairly well known email marketing tool, but as it is a free tool (up to 2000 subscribers and 12,000 emails per month) then it makes it a very cost effective way of managing email distribution, invitations and newsletters.

9) Pinterest

Great for collating ideas and inspiration, Pinterest enables you to manage your ideas by pinning them to different boards. So, you could have a board for each event or even a board for different sections of your event. It’s free to sign up and is a handy way of managing those creative ideas!

10) Top Table Planner

11) Eventbrite

12) Bizzabo

Through this app you can create an event website, manage registration and lists of attendees, distribute tickets and even measure the success of your event.

You might only need a tool to search for venues, manage registration and invitations or you might be looking for a tool that will support you in managing the entire event from start to finish.

It is worth spending the time finding the event planning tools that is right for you, but it is worth knowing that some are free to use!

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