Tips for taking on a new brand at Professional Beauty & Hair!

Professional Beauty & Hair 2024, in partnership with Irish Beauty and headline sponsor Treatwell, is returning to the RDS on 21-22 April.

The annual show is the best place to discover new brands, new products and devices, and new innovations, but knowing where to start can be hard. So we’ve done the legwork for you to ensure you go into the show knowing what you’re looking for.

Here are our top tips for taking on a new brand at Professional Beauty & Hair:

1 Stop asking other people which brand to bring into your salon. Asking others for their opinion on which brands work best for them seems like the obvious thing to do – but remember that each business is different and what works for one salon may not be the right fit for yours. Take time to revisit your ethos, think about the treatments you believe in and who your target market is before looking into a brand. Have a mental checklist of what you expect of a brand you offer in your salon, and what values matter to you.

2 View taking on a brand as a partnership. Ask brands what they can do to support you and how can they help you to grow your business. Whileyou’ll be making the brand money by bringing it into your business, make sure you’re picking brands you think will make money for you. The brands you have in your salon are reflective of your business – so view bringing a new brand in as a partnership.

3 Find out about the hidden costs. Use your time talking to brands at the show to get the full picture before you commit. Ask what training is available for you and your team, whether there is a minimum order, and if the brand has any expectations of you. Ask the right questions so brands are ultra-transparent. A lot of brands have amazing support systems in place for their clients (AKA you) and are very clear about their support, just make sure you leave with all the information you wanted.

4 Believe in the brand. Make sure you and your team are passionate and excited by the brand, as clients want to know that the pros love the brands they are using. The brands you use in your business should be one that resonates with you and what your business stands for. If you don’t believe the brand delivers the results it promises, it will show in how your treatments are being performed and your conversations with clients.

5 Create a marketing strategy. It’s easy to get caught up in the excitement of bringing on a new brand in the moment, only for it to be left on the side unless it’s spoken about. Find out about the brand's marketing plan for 2024 and see how it fits in with your business’s own agenda – this way you will grow your business with the brand as key events and launches happen.

You can now register to attend Professional Beauty & Hair 2024. Don't forget to stay tuned to our website and socials as we reveal more about the line-up in the coming weeks!