Three salon owners have offered advice for businesses facing Blue Monday and the general gloom that can accompany the post-Christmas period. Natasha Grossman of HOB Salons, Sean Hanna of Sean Hanna Consultancy, and Benjamin Shipman of The Hair Movement, Sidcup, all recommend a deliberate strategy to counter external negativity.
Grossman stresses the importance of isolating controllable business factors like clients, staff, and financial performance. She advocates for reviewing 2025 successes to build on them and identifying areas that proved unproductive to redirect energy. This approach aims to counter the perception of a bleak economic outlook, reminding owners that they retain significant agency.
Sean Hanna directly addresses social media's role, warning against excessive scrolling as it presents an often-unrealistic picture. He urges owners to concentrate on their immediate sphere of influence: their team, clients, and services, rather than external pressures like government actions. Hanna suggests focusing on incremental improvements in client journeys and team motivation for overall business enhancement.
Shipman frames the challenge as one of focus, differentiating between genuine issues and 'white noise' from negative media or unsubstantiated opinions. He advises a structured decision-making process involving assessment and decisive action based on core business elements: guest satisfaction, team support, financial metrics, and operational standards. Shipman notes that businesses operating with calm and focus tend to outperform those under constant stress.
The collective advice centres on maintaining an internal locus of control. The owners suggest that salon professionals should actively filter information, prioritising actionable tasks and genuine business fundamentals over external anxieties. This strategy aims to build confidence and foster consistent growth by reducing distractions and clarifying priorities.
