A HAIRDRESSERS in south Warwickshire has the secret to getting ahead.
Keri Chimes owns Headmasters which has been at the heart of its community in Clemens Street, Leamington, since her dad set it up in 1984. Now under Keri’s control, the hairdressers is going from strength to strength – chiefly thanks to her team’s skills and hard work, of course, but also, in part, to business support.
Several of Keri’s 11-strong workforce attended specialist courses to hone their skills thanks to the Skills Escalator Fund, delivered by Warwickshire Skills Hub and funded by UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) in partnership with the county’s district and borough councils – in the case of Headmasters, Warwick District Council.
Keri said: “The Escalator funding enabled me to send some of our staff on quite hefty courses. Training courses can run into thousands of pounds. For example, one of our stylists went for hair system training, which means we can now deal with a lot of clients with hair loss – males and females. The course was nearly £2,000 which would have been a big outlay for me so for the funding to give me a substantial amount towards that was brilliant.
“Another team member has always wanted to specialise in Afro-Caribbean and different types of curly hair. They went on a specialist course to London for three days and with the accommodation as well we couldn’t have done it without some support. The knowledge they collected during the course has empowered the team to better advise customers and bring them joy. People do get a lot of pleasure from their hair – we have some lovely feedback.”
Such support can be a massive help, and Keri urges all small businesses to look into what Warwickshire County Council and their partners across the county and region can offer.
She added: “There is so much business support out there in Warwickshire and it’s not something you get in every county, We are really lucky, and I would encourage every small business to see how they could benefit. I know it would be fantastic for some businesses, but they just don’t know about it.”
Visit www.cwgrowthhub.co.uk to find out more.
