Exclusive: Phil Smith is an award-winning stylist and proprietor of his personal haircare vary that’s offered in Sainsbury’s. We share his unimaginable story as hundreds of scholars throughout the UK anxiously decide up their GCSE outcomesPhil Smith is a profitable movie star hairdresser and entrepreneurCelebrity hairdresser Phil Smith says he by no means had ambitions to begin his personal enterprise when he left faculty with just one GCSE beneath his belt. Fast ahead three many years, and his brand now has a retail turnover of £10million a yr after Phil labored his means as much as change into an award-winning stylist. His profession has seen him open 28 international salons worldwide and launch his personal haircare vary, Phil Smith Be Gorgeous, which is offered in Sainsbury’s. Phil, who lives in Salisbury, shares his unimaginable story as hundreds of scholars throughout the UK anxiously decide up their GCSE outcomes. He stated: “I’ve at all times been entrepreneurial and use to promote cigarettes on the faculty gate to my friends so possibly it has at all times been in me. “However, once I left faculty I initially needed to work within the police pressure so proudly owning my very own enterprise was not on the agenda. “It wasn’t till l began work in an area salon that I may see the potential hairdressing needed to construct my very own enterprise.”
Phil says turning into a hairdresser wasn’t his first dream
The now profitable entrepreneur left faculty aged 16 to work in McDonald’s and had just one O-Level in artwork beneath his belt after failing all his different topics. After a yr on the quick meals large, Phil secured a spot on a youth scheme and began coaching up as a hairdresser in a salon owned by movie star stylist Raymond Bessone. But he says hairdressing wasn’t at all times what he had dreamed of doing and cheekily admits that it was a fairly woman that first sparked his curiosity. “A lady in my native salon caught my eye and so I went in for a haircut,” he remembers. “I ended up getting a job (and a date) and fell in love with the business.” Have you began a profitable small enterprise? Let us know: [email protected]
Phil now has a flip over of £10million a yr
After being educated up, what adopted for Phil was stints at well-known manufacturers similar to Toni&Guy, main him to open his first salon beneath the Toni&Guy identify in Salisbury in 1991. Phil would then go on to open an additional 27 salons throughout the globe, together with in Australia and Canada. By 2006, he’d made a strong identify for himself within the hairdressing world and located himself nominated for British Hairdresser of the Year. It was this nod that led to him being contacted by Sainsbury’s about making a haircare vary. His Phil Smith Be Gorgeous portfolio now consists of 41 merchandise and continues to be offered in 800 Sainsbury’s retailers. Phil stated: “I used to be the one one of six British Hairdresser of the Year nominees to not have their very own product vary, so Sainsbury’s approached me off the again of my nomination. “We had quite a few conferences about how a branded haircare brand would promote in a grocery store and the remaining, they are saying is historical past. We’ve labored collectively in an unique relationship for over 15 years.”
Phil offered off all his salons in 2010 to totally put money into his haircare line, which now present him an annual turnover of £10million. Since then, he has gone on to open one not-for-profit salon known as Smith England in Salisbury and has just launched a brand new sustainable haircare vary, additionally beneath his Smith England label. He additionally has plans to launch his Phil Smith Be Gorgeous vary in South Africa, Australia and throughout Europe. He stated: “I noticed a big improve in product turnover throughout lockdown whereas salons have been closed. “It is inevitable this has tailed off barely as salons have reopened and client spending modifications once more however as a part of a latest rebrand, I included international translations on the packaging labels. “This offers us scope to take Phil Smith Be Gorgeous additional afield.” Speaking forward of GCSE outcomes day, Phil stated his recommendation to anybody worrying about their future profession to remain targeted and don’t surrender in your goals. He admitted: “Honestly, I might say in enterprise there are extra downs than ups. But the ups really feel so a lot better than the downs. “Launching and operating a enterprise is all consuming, there shall be large sacrifices you have to make alongside the best way. “There shall be troublesome selections and darkish days. However, like I stated, the nice instances make up for all of that.”
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