Cutting across continents

If you thought the House of Colour was already breaking boundaries, then you ain't seen nothing yet. Sarah Manley catches up with Susan Byrne and David Campbell to discover the group is on the brink of international reign.

You don't get as successful as David Campbell and Susan Byrne by accident. Shake hands with the co-owners of the expanding House of Colour salon, and it's quite clear you're in the presence of people who thrive on their success.

Having launched the first House of Colour salon on Abbey Street in 1997, the pair now have a monopoly on the north side of Dublin city centre. David confesses he once had to run very fast when people in his neighbourhood learnt he was a hairdresser, now a force to be reckoned with David co-owns four salons, and a creative and training academy on that very terrain. While Susan, David’s business partner has equally proven herself, emerging as a very successful business women.

However as our meeting at the Morrison Hotel in Dublin unfolds, the House of Colour story heightens beyond belief. A unique partnership deal will see trusted and long term members off staff open their own House of Colour salon from mid 2008 onwards, with such locations as London and New York being earmarked by the promising candidates.

“What we didn’t want to do was go down the franchise route as it can be cold and clinical,” says David. “The partnership scheme will help us keep the House of Colour principals in check. The people, who will be opening a salon, will be people who have been with us from the beginning. Essentially it will let us grow as a group and give our staff a sense of achievement that they can go further in their career and continually grow with us.”

Need they say, the interest in the scheme has been met with immense enthusiasm and big plans are already underway. “The first partnership salon will be up and running by mid 2008. We have employees who are looking to set up a House of Colour in London and New York. In reality, if we do it right, which I have every faith that we will, we will have 12 salons over the next number of years. Ten in Dublin, one in London and one in New York.”

If what is being said materialises, the House of Colour will be the first Irish salon group to break into an international market. While no names as yet have been released by David and Susan there are a few names that spring to my mind, particularly those from the House of Colour creative team who continually prove their worth. “We would like to see a lot of House of Colour salons open with staff members who we like and trust,” says Susan. “What we don’t want is to become a national or multinational chain, we want to have a boutique feel. Importantly location will be everything, it is important to get this right.” When asked how they would like to perceive themselves, Susan says, “Ideally we would like to grow into a Sassoon’s esque salon and academy.”

One things for sure, whether they fine tune their salons to that of Sassoon’s the House of Colour is sitting pretty at the forefront of Irish Hairdressing. Their pioneering ways are constantly challenging the norm. Such portrayal of their individuality was seen this year when they travelled to Berlin to shoot their annual collection and photographic entries for the L’Oreal Colour Trophy.

“We do a photo shoot every year and this year we went back to the same agency we had used the previous year and were quoted almost 40 per cent more than we paid last year. Because there are so few photographers in Ireland, they have a monopoly on the situation,” says David. Not content with the overpriced service, the creative team decided to jet overseas. “We had a brainstorm and we felt that Berlin was an up and coming city, so we priced a photographic trip for eight members of our creative team to go to Berlin for four days. With flights, accommodation, hiring of four professional models, a photographer and using the Sony PlayStation warehouse in Berlin, it came in at least €1000 less than it would have been to do the shoot in Ireland for one day,” says David.

The Sony PlayStation warehouse alone, with the use of interchanging sets came in at the cost of a cut and colour. “It was fantastic inspiration for the team and the photo’s produced were proof alone of this,” says Susan.

Testaments to the success of the Berlin experience was affirmed, when two of the pictures made it to the grand final of the L’Oreal Colour Trophy Next Generation Award - one of which won. And another picture shot by creative team member Darren Lacken, won the Editors Choice Award at the Irish Hairdressers Federation Annual Awards in July.

However the House of Colour are no strangers to award wins. In the first year of business in 1998 they won the L’Oreal Colour Trophy and ten years on, they are still filling their trophy cabinet. This year alone, the House of Colour swept the boards at the Irish Hairdressing Championships in March, winning over ten awards. They then went on to secure two awards at the L’Oreal Colour Trophy 2007 - the Image Award and the Next Generation Award, sponsored by Creative HEAD Ireland. (Not to mention a third place in the L’Oreal Colour Trophy and second place in the Mens Image Award).

For many who experienced either event, one things for sure the team spirit between the four salons and the academy is unbelievable. Like it or loath it an award win from any one member within the group will bring 125 members to their feet, cheering, screeching and chanting. Susan informs me that prior to the L’Oreal Colour Trophy they contemplated having House of Colour flags made for the event!

This sense of team spirit is echoed throughout every inch of the House of Colour and subsequently word has gotten out that this is a great place to work. The salon receive 40 plus job applications a week from newcomers to established stylists and having sifted through each application they now have a waiting list of 52 potential employees on standby. No doubt these candidates will play a role in the expansion of the group over the next year. “We have a hotbed of talent who are just dying to get out there,” says David.

To more than double the size of your existing business in a number of years is quite a bold statement. While Susan and David talk loosely about the expansion, which they foresee will total 12 salons, they make it all sound like this process will take little under a few years. “Luckily our new partners won’t encounter the same pitfalls as we encountered along the way in our ten years of business. We have ironed out any obstacles and the scheme will give members of our team the opportunity to grow so we can be in partnership with them and steer their future.”

Already in place, to deal with such growth, is one admirable business structure which includes an education, creative, introduction, HR, management and a foundation team. The group also have a quality culture in place, which is maintained throughout all salons. “The House of Colour goes on a five star level of service that you can’t drop below. We have service standards in place from everything from how to take an appointment and how to introduce yourself. Clients receive complimentary drinks, loyalty cards, during consultations the stylist must give a client two options for their haircut or colour, we make courtesy calls to a random selection of clients after their visit to ensure everything was OK and we have a computerised Salon Genius system, so we can keep track of every client,” says David.

And then there are the facilities in place such as a colour menu, a food and drinks menu, and plasma TV at each station, “We are living in a digital age so it is very important to give the client the option of hearing and visual inspiration,” says Susan.

With so much to keep up with the pair still manage to work the salon floor in each of the four salons. While Susan is based at Abbey Street, David splits his time between Middle Abbey Street, Liffey Street, Wellington Key and Capel Street. “If I am working in each of the salons for a lengthy period annually I get to know the staff better, I am able to see what interiors or facilities might need upgrading and I experience problems on a daily basis and can solve them much quicker.”

A greater work life balance is now key to David and Susan’s success. “For the first five years I never had a day off or a holiday, apart from Christmas day, I was working seven day weeks putting in over 70 hours,” says David.

Now he splits his time by spending three days in the office and two on the salon floor. “Weekends are totally devoted to family time with my wife Catherine, son Christian who is four and daughter Kodi who is two,” says David. David’s wife Catherine is also heavily involved in the business, together they co-own Velvet, a sister beauty salon in Dublin.

After ten years, Susan also has the luxury to divide her time and this year has slowed down by working just four days. Wednesday and Thursday are spent in the office and Friday and Saturday on the salon floor. “There’s no way I could give up hairdressing. The hand on experience on the salon floor is what keeps you in tune,” says Susan.

On top of the company’s expansion, 2007 to 2008 will see a roll out of new look House of Colour salons. Each of the four salons will undergo a revamp, which will see interior changes and commercial restructures. First up is the House of Colour Liffey Street, which will see a whole new retail area developed to the front of the salon. “Retail is big business for the House of Colour, with staff incentives to promote products and services. By creating a larger retail area, it will enhance the shopping culture. Retail offerings are now also a major part of any salons service,” says David.

The group are also launching a hair extensions service which will begin at Capel Street. “The hair extension business is going to explode and we are really looking forward to introducing this service. We want to be in the position where clients can come in and ask for anything and be able to receive it,” says Susan.

Having opened the first salon in December 1997 at Middle Abbey Street, the second salon and academy at Liffey Street in April 1999, the third salon at Capel Street in August 2002 and the fourth salon and creative academy at Wellington Quay in May 2005, Susan and David have turned this one salon wonder into an admirable group. However with the greatest anticipation the best is still to come, as we watch closely to see how New Yorkers take to the beloved Irish brand.