Collaboration is key

With collaborative workspaces offering hair and beauty professionals a new way of working, the benefits of this business model are wide-ranging, writes Lollie Hancock

The rent-a-chair and rent-a-room concept seen in hairdressers and beauty salons is becoming a thing of the past, thanks to the rise in collaborative co-working spaces being offered to industry professionals.

These spaces provide freelance hairdressers, beauty therapists, nail technicians, make-up artists, massage therapists and aesthetic practitioners with a place to practise their art and house their clients, without the commitment of opening their own salon, the pressure of working under someone else, or the need to go mobile.

While co-working is not a new concept, with the first official co-working space opening in San Francisco in 2005, the phenomenon is one that’s taken a little longer to cross over into the hair and beauty industry.

In Ireland, hairdresser Michelle Grimes made the leap from working in a busy Dublin city centre salon to opening Maven Studio in an old Georgian building in Temple Bar in 2014. In the beginning, she shared 30 square metres with just one other stylist, and now the 100 square metre space is home to 14 stylists, five make-up artists and a brow artist.

“I had always thought that there couldn’t be just one model for running a salon in the hairdressing industry,” she says.

“Then when I had my daughter in 2012, I knew I needed more flexibility going back to work, so when she was 10 months old I opened Maven.

“It was a slow start – just me and the other stylist working in the space. It was a new concept in Ireland, and I think people were afraid to make the jump. But over the last few years it has really taken off, with more and more industry professionals wanting the freedom and flexibility that a co-working space offers – be that for their families, travelling, education, editorial work or doing weddings.”

In the UK, one of the first to try out this new way of working was Lacey Hunter-Felton, who launched the Hunter Collective’s first location in Farringdon, London in 2017 and has since opened a second in Spitalfields. Both locations provide a space for freelancers to work with their own clients, on their own timetable, for a monthly membership fee.

Everything is “transparent, flexible and independent”, according to Hunter-Felton, meaning freelancers don’t have to worry about sudden commission fees, or having to answer to a manager.

“We’re not a salon,” she explains.

“We’re a co-working space and a community. What we’ve created is a network and an opportunity for individuals to really lift and progress their careers in a new way.”

The sense of community given to members is one of the key benefits of these collaborative workspaces, providing the freelancers with a networking opportunity as they connect and even collaborate with fellow members of the space. Others include flexible working, peer-to-peer advice and education, and no overheads and bills, or commission to pay.

But just how do these spaces work? We take a closer look at Dublin’s Maven Studio, and the new Phenix Salon Suites in Manchester, to find more.

CASE STUDY: Maven Studio, Dublin

Maven Studio describes itself as being like hot-desking for hair and beauty professionals. Whether they need salon space for an hour or a few days a week, the range of flexible plans means they can be their own boss, manage their own schedule, and have a dedicated space to welcome their own clients.

With a mission to create an inspiring community of exceptional talent, founder Michelle Grimes says that she and the team make the effort to build connections in the industry, and cultivate a supportive, nurturing environment where artists can truly flourish in a flexible setting.

“Some of our members work in the space full time, others work there a few days a week while doing weddings, education and editorial work on the other days, and there are a few that fly in once a month for a week and then jet out again,” she explains.

“Chairs can be rented on a daily drop-in basis, or set days every month if a professional wants to have more permanency. I've worked hard to create an environment where the professionals who work in Maven feel supported and encouraged. My job is to serve them and their business. I help them to get set up, and to grow their business in any way that I can.”

‘There is a gorgeous energy in the space, with all the members helping, encouraging and supporting each other, and many of them collaborating on shoots and weddings’

Grimes didn’t want her creation to look like a traditional salon. “It’s in a beautiful Georgian building with old floorboards, cast iron fireplaces, and huge sash windows with tons of natural light flooding in. There is a gorgeous energy in the space, with all the members helping, encouraging and supporting each other, and many of them collaborating on shoots and weddings. Because every member has complete autonomy over their own business, they give 110% to their clients, with each one having their stylist or therapist from the start to the end of their appointment, making it a very special and personalised experience.”

Maven is also brand-neutral, meaning each member uses a range of different ones. Grimes encourages sustainable practices, and all the products are ethical, the towels are biodegradable, and the studio is also part of the Green Salon Collective.

“The co-working model doesn’t suit everyone,” says Grimes. “Some stylists need their column filled for them, taxes sorted and a set wage every week. But for others, the freedom and flexibility outweighs that extra work. I believe that not only is there room for both models, there is a requirement to satisfy the different personalities, wants and needs in the hair and beauty sector. I think that in the future, the industry will be probably made of up an equal number of traditional salons and collaborative workspaces.”

CASE STUDY: Phenix Suite Salons, Manchester

A new style of workspace for beauty and hair professionals, Phenix Salon Suites has been brought to the UK after three years in the making. The model has already proved successful in the US, with over 300 locations now open across the country, and John Gillespie, the head of operations for the UK and Europe, knew the British market was ready for it.

Gillespie, who also works as a consultant, had gone to the US to work with Phenix Salon Suites founder Gina Rivera on her hair colour line Colours by Gina, when he visited one of the sites and was impressed by the business model.

‘Everyone has access to their suite at whatever time they need to take a booking, so can start and finish whenever they want, and charge what they want for their services as we take no commission or cuts’

“The first location I went to see had 50 suites, with individual businesses ranging from hair stylists to nail techs to brow specialists, and even a tattoo artist,” he says. “It was then I said we needed to bring the model to the UK.”

The suites he refers to are rooms available to be rented by professionals.

Offering an alternative to the ‘rent-achair’ model often seen in the industry, the suites allow professionals to have their own studio, complete with any equipment they may need, and all bills included, from £270 per week. Phenix also gives all its professionals creative control over the interiors of their suites, allowing them to design it as if it were their own salon space.

The freedom aspect for those renting a suite is one of the standout elements of Phenix, according to Gillespie. “You’re absolutely your own boss. You are truly self-employed. You can set your own hours, prices and treatments. What you offer is up to you. You can design your space, create your space and really begin to create your own brand.

“Professionals won’t find a better business model because we tick every box for them; we’ll provide a bed, pedicure station, hair styling chair and whatever other equipment they require up to a certain value.

“Those renting a suite truly are self-employed. Everyone has access to their suite at whatever time they need to take a booking, so can start and finish whenever they want, and charge what they want for their services as we take no commission or cuts.”

As well as providing a space for professionals to offer their services, Phenix encourages the suite owners to further their education. “We’re looking to start education evenings, whether that be on Gina’s colour range, or make-up and skincare demonstrations. All suite owners are invited to get involved, but there’s no obligation.”