Hair and beauty businesses have been hit hard during social restrictions and having a full and buzzing salon is still a long way off, so spare a thought for those who recently graduated in the industry and need to build up their clientele.

North Somerset Times: TaylorTaylor (Image: Archant)

Simone Williams, who co-owns Tonic Hair and Beauty House with her sister Nadine, talked about recent graduates Taylor and Sophie. She said: “Even though these girls have just graduated they have more than served their apprenticeship. They are both dedicated, are extremely talented and have been turning out amazing styles and colours in training at Tonic for many years. They graduated with flying colours just ahead of lockdown and we are very proud of the competent stylists they have become.”

Building your own column in the salon is a natural progression for graduates however with the salons closing just after they qualified Taylor and Sophie were unable to organically grow their clientele.

This month Tonic is running a competition - to be in with a chance to win a free cut and blow dry with Taylor or Sophie, answer the question below and send in your answers by email to enquiries@tonichairandbeautyhouse.com or post before 31st October. The correct answers will be put in a draw and the first drawn out will win.

Q. What is the relationship between Tonic owners Nadine and Simone?

Taylor

I moved to Portishead from Dublin and absolutely love living here. I enjoy delivering good customer service and so I tried travel and tourism after leaving school but decided that wasn’t for me. I didn’t feel that it was in my power to ensure every customer had a fantastic experience every time. I thought long and hard and decided I could ensure great results every time if I trained in hairdressing and I could also use the creative in me. I tried it, loved it and threw myself in to studies and practical work to ensure I was the very best I could be.

I have been at Tonic for five years now and have loved every minute. There is a brilliant team here and the clients are fabulous. I love doing everything but especially ballayage and highlights, so if you are after either of these, please book in, I would love to show you what I can do.

Sophie

I joined Tonic as a Saturday girl and loved the work; I even enjoyed sweeping the floor and keeping the salon looking nice! I was then offered an apprenticeship and knew straight away this was the career for me. I started going to college part-time while working in the salon and soon found my feet. As my knowledge grew, so did my confidence and soon I was creating styles that people loved. This gave me a real sense of pride.

While I am happy doing any part of my trade, I feel I have a particular talent for colouring. I like to take my time to ensure I get the results my clients are expecting and when I exceed their expectations it’s an amazing feeling.

I so want to build up my own clients now, so that I can get to know them and their likes and dislikes. If you’re looking for a new stylist, I could be the person you are looking for!