Should you name a beauty salon after yourself?

Having a salon named after the owner has its pros and cons. HJ magazine touched on this topic and spoke with two salon owners who have different opinions on this matter.

"Yes," says Jamie Stevens

“Don’t confuse the owner’s name sign on the salon door with a big ego.”

You can call the salon whatever you want, but the most memorable ones, in my opinion, are those that bear the name of its founder, for example, Trevor Sorbie, Charles Worthington, Nicky Clarke, Errol Douglas - the list is endless. Plus, there are several good reasons to name a salon after yourself.

Firstly, you ensure that your brand has a personality - its identity lends authority and develops potential clients' trust in the salon. This shows that you, as the owner, are very passionate about your business and are responsible for all the services that the salon provides.

This is also a way to inspire the team: everyone knows your name, and therefore it is your reputation that is at risk if teamwork is not up to par.

Having a salon of the same name means that the effort you put into building your own reputation translates into a loyal clientele who know that your professionalism is directly related to the high level of the beauty salon.

Whenever I appear in the press or on television, the salon receives many calls from new clients who found us very easily and immediately felt our brand. Every time you demonstrate your skills in a workshop, potential clients associate your name with your work and, by extension, the salon.

A strong salon name attracts not only clientele, but also employees who want to be a part of what you do. This means you can successfully run your own training course. My team has been nominated for and won numerous awards including the L'Oréal Color Trophy and most recently Alex Morton won Discovery of the Year at HJ's British Hairdressing Awards sponsored by Schwarzkopf Professional.

Naming a salon after your name is simply a good marketing strategy.

"No," says Sam Burnett

“I believe our brand name will help us grow organically.”

When I launched Hare & Bone salon, I thought a lot about the name and discussed everything with my friends and colleagues. In my opinion, there are many benefits to not having a salon named after you.

I wanted to create a collaborative space that fostered a strong team culture while allowing people to grow and develop in their profession. Creating a brand name rather than me using my own name gave us the opportunity to express the salon's personality. I believe this approach gives the team the opportunity to contribute and immerse themselves in the spirit of the brand and its values. We have always been keen to grow the brand organically in London and potentially globally.

However, we added the line "A Sam Burnett Salon" to the logo and branding, which was supposed to give the salon name a sophisticated sound and help advertise it with the help of the press. Once the brand becomes stronger, these words can be removed. Or, if we ever decide to open a partner salon with a team member, we will use the partner's name.

I also believe that the Hare & Bone name could be useful for products, styling tools and accessories if we want to expand the business into a cosmetics or tools brand.