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Hairdressing Industry And Its Governing Bodies

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The hairdressing industry as various governing bodies intended to protect the client and the hair salon

NHF
National Hairdressers’ Federation (NHF) provides salon members with help and information for the hair industry currently has over 6,000 members, which includes small and medium salons that include hair and beauty salons, and Independent Chair Renters.

The NHF works on behalf of its members to raise the professionalism and commitment to the hair and beauty industry. Members have access to a range of benefits, including services, products, advice and information that help them to develop their business, including access to a free legal helpline, salon insurance, discounted rates on PPL Licences. It helps its member through representation legal and employement advice.

If a salon displays it’s a member of the NHF this does mean it better than another salon down the road. Although it should be noted that the hair salon itself takes its business and contractual arrangements seriously.

AHT
Association of Hairdressers and Therapists, founded in 1963 by a group of hairdressing teachers as a like minded national network of specialists who exchange good practice and support. This organisations members are more made up from the educational sector of hairdressing. Ranging from lecturers, teachers and assessors who hold relevent teaching qualifications or are working toward achieving those qualifications. The AHT holds National Training initatives, events and specialist demonstrations across its network.

HABIA
In 1986, the Hairdressing Training Board (HTB) was formed with the objective of working with employers, educators and government to design and implement training and education programmes for the hairdressing industry.

Habia is the government appointed standards setting body for hair, beauty, nails, spa therapy, barbering and African type hair, and creates the standards that form the basis of all qualifications including NVQs, SVQs, Apprenticeships, Diplomas and Foundation degrees, as well as industry codes of practice.

In 1997, HTB, HTB Scotland, and the Beauty Industry Authority (BIA) formed the Hairdressing and Beauty Industry Authority (HABIA) to include the beauty therapy industry within its remit. Habia was formally launched by Dr Kim Howells, then Minister for Lifelong Learning, at that year’s Salon International exhibition.

By 2001, the organisation was being referred to by its initials, HABIA, and by the end of 2004 the decision was made to officially make the company name Habia. By this time, nail services and spa therapy had been added to Habia’s remit.

Habia was officially recognised by the government as a National Training Organisation (NTO) until these were abolished in 2001. Currently, Habia is recognised by the government as the Standards Setting Body for the hair, beauty, nails and spa sectors (including barbering and African Caribbean hair). The core responsibilities for Standards Setting Bodies include sector research and information, national occupational standards, qualifications strategy and learning frameworks. A central point of contact for information, Habia provides guidance on careers, business development, legislation, salon safety and equal opportunities, and is responsible to government on industry issues such as education and skills.

Habia raises the profile of its industries through the press and media, and is the first port of call for news organisations and broadcasters on news items and background information.

Habia also delivers solutions direct to:
salons to help them understand complex legislation such as health & safety and employment law, improve client retention and raise business performance;
employees to gain the skills that employers need to stay up to date with client demand and the latest techniques, equipment and products, as well as where to go to access learning and suitable qualifications;
trainers – to deliver qualifications with training support manuals, and to create successful teaching programmes including induction and initial assessment;
learners – by offering books and teaching guides directly related to their studies, and by providing advice on career paths and qualifications.

HABIA is very similar to the NHF in its support for salons and individuals.

The Future For Hair Associations
State registration is looking like a possible requirement for hair salons moving forward to promote best practice and tidy up the industry

Augmented Reality And The Tourism Industry

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Augmented Reality (AR) allows recorded and animated images to blend and be viewed in real time. Most of the past augmented reality apps mainly focused on entertainment, such as the Lego Kiosks, futuristic baseball cards and even a virtual tour of the starship Enterprise. More recent apps however, have shifted their focus: providing travelers with useful information and answers to their possible questions.

What does augmented reality mean for tourism?
Augmented reality apps comprise different layers, such as museums, historic sites, dining and real estate to name but a few. The tourism layer, however, is the one most commonly used. This makes sense since tourists need information which will make their travelling experience easier, more informed and more secure, allowing travelers to experience the destination before they arrive.

A few examples of how augmented reality was used in tourism
TripAdvisor launched their Augmented Reality Tours app for iPad this month, using images from Google Street View to create a virtual walk through various destinations. This app might not be as advanced as apps by Layar, Lonely Planet or mTrip, but is still more useful and fun to use than 2D maps.

The Beijing Institute of Technology created a virtual reconstruction of Yuanmingyuan, a local historic site destroyed in 1860 during the Opium War, by using various paintings and sketches. They built a coin-operated viewing platform which tourists can use to see what Yuanmingyuan used to look like.

The Cluny Abbey Museum in France has a giant augmented reality screen, a window to the past if you will, allowing users to travel back in time and view a pre-destruction example of the Abbey. GraffitiGeo launched the first ever augmented reality restaurant recommendations app. Just point your phone towards a restaurant and see immediate reviews.

There are a lot of augmented reality apps, too many to mention in only one blog. Did I miss your favourite? Please share it with us in the comments.

Your Career in the Beauty Industry

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With the appropriate skills and a keen interest in fashion and what looks good, you could well be on the first step to a fabulous career in the beauty industry.

What is the beauty business about?

The beauty industry offers products, treatments and guidance for many who would like to improve their general appearance.

What are the most common jobs in Beauty?

A great deal of people inside the beauty business specialise in one field such as hairdressing, beauty therapy, tanning and nails. Beauty therapists and beauticians undertake a variety of skills and treatments such as ipl (electrical treatments for body hair), dermatology, massage therapy and aromatherapy.

Beauty jobs are carried out in establishments such as salons, spas and hotels. They are often associated with good health and well being.

Nowadays beauty also overlaps into the medical profession with many aesthetic surgery outlets. This creates job openings for aesthetic doctors, nurses and assistants. Beauty consultants are also used to work alongside these professionals.

What do I need to work in this sector?

To work within this industry you must have the skills that are necessary and relevant to your chosen area, for example – Hairdressing, Beauty Therapy, Nails and Make Up. Also required is an in depth knowledge, understanding and passion for the profession.

You must keep up to date with the latest trends, fashions and styles and be able to incorporate this into the solution for your client. It is vital to have good communication skills to converse well with the customer, to interpret their requests and advise on the best outcome that is right for them. Each beauty treatment or haircut must be tailor made to suit each individual taste and preference.

Within this industry there are also many opportunities to be self employed and work as your own boss. It is quite common to find hairdressers or beauty therapists that rent a room or space within an establishment such as a spa or salon. This requires extra skills in accounting and managerial aspects to keep on top of the business for smooth organisation, continued growth and profit.

There are a range of different qualifications inside hairdressing and beauty studies. They are at various levels such as apprenticeships, diplomas, NVQs and degrees.

Most courses are governed by organisations that keep the standard of education and skills at a professional level. This ensures all of the latest practises and techniques are incorporated and undertaken. This includes the current fashions and trends.

Natural Mineral Water Indian Industry Analysis

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Natural mineral water
According to American and European Regional Codex Standard, natural mineral water:
is obtained directly from natural or drilled sources from underground water – bearing strata.
is collected under conditions which guarantee the original natural bacteriological purity.
is bottled at the point of emergence of the source with

particular hygienic precautions is not subjected to any chemical treatment.

Indian bottled Water Industry

The bottled water industry in India is estimated at about Rs 1,000 crore and is growing at 40 per cent. “By 2010, it will reach Rs 4,000 – 5,000 crore with 33 per cent market for natural mineral water.

The formal bottled water business in India can be divided broadly into three segments in terms of cost: premium natural mineral water, natural mineral water and packaged drinking water.

It is estimated that the global consumption of bottled water is nearing 200 billion litres – sufficient to satisfy the daily drinking water need of one-fourth of the Indian population or about 4.5 per cent of the global population at the fourth World Water Forum held in Mexico City in March 2006.

In India, the per capita bottled water consumption is still quite low – less than five litres a year as compared to the global average of 24 litres. However, the total annual bottled water consumption has risen rapidly in recent times – it has tripled between 1999 and 2004 – from about 1.5 billion litres to five billion litres. These are boom times for the Indian bottled water industry – more so because the economics are sound, the bottom line is fat and the Indian government hardly cares for what happens to the nation’s water resources. Since 1991-

1992 it has not looked back, and the demand in 2004-05 was a staggering 82 million cases.

Mineral Water Market in India

For example, the per capita consumption of mineral water in India is a mere 0.5-liter compared to 111 liter in Europe and 45-liter in USA.

But over the last ten years, it has witnessed tremendous growth. The change is very much evident. Once a product found mainly at railways stations, mineral water today occupies a place on the shelf in most superstores, grocers and even paanwalas. From a mere 60 towns in the year 1997, it is predicted that mineral water is today available in more than 1000 towns and cities across India. With a compounded annual growth rate of close to 30% over the last decade, the mineral water market has witnessed a large growth in terms of volumes.

The market is highly competitive with the entry of MNCs like Pepsico and Coke. There are a lot of brands available in the market, each with its own proclaimed differentiation.

2.2 Player in the market

In natural mineral water there are very few company like Himalayan, Aava, Evian is playing in the market. 50% of the market is captured by Himalayan.
While a thousand bottled water producers, the Indian bottled water industry is big by even international standards. There are more than 200 brands, nearly 80 per cent of which are local.
Most of the small-scale producers sell non-branded products and serve small markets.
Despite the large number of small producers, this industry is dominated by the big players – Parle Bisleri, Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, Parle Agro, Mohan Meakins, SKN Breweries and so on.

Consumption of bottled water in India is linked to the level of prosperity in the different regions. The western region accounts for 40 per cent of the market and the eastern region just 10. However, the bottling plants are concentrated in the southern region – of the approximately 1,200 bottling water plants in India, 600 are in Tamil Nadu. This is a major problem because southern India, especially Tamil Nadu, is wate starved.

Mineral water business is restricted only to big hotels & Restaurants. This field has lot of scope because of unawareness in the market and people are becoming health conscious.

Returning to Work in the Retail Sector

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Being involved in the retail industry is often a job by default. You start off in a casual or part time position when you turn 16, excited by your first job earning money of your own. Then it’s time for University. But how many people don’t make it that far? Sometimes the opportunity isn’t there for gaining a degree. Whatever the reasons, retail has many success’s in people starting as youngsters and working their way up through the ranks to become CEO, a worthy title to claim. The reasons people start off and stay in retail vary from convenience of knowing the role to being able to work part time suiting children once they’ve had families, It also come with opportunities through trainee program, gaining experience and education all the while being paid for it. When the crunch of losing a job you’ve spent years training for comes, it’s often retail, what some consider a lower level of employment, you return to. Yet retail has an unfair reputation as it sustains millions of people world wide and is one of the most reliable forms of income. Hours in retail may come and go like every other industry but if you look at statistics from Wal-Mart, you’ll understand, based on one company alone, how retail has it’s place in society as stable employment.

Maybe you’ve lost your job, lost your nerve as a return to work applicant, or think you haven’t got the skills it takes to apply for an advertised position. I spoke to a friend who is a Regional Manager in a large company and asked him what advice he would give to those trying to return to work……. Suzanne Beck

The first step for anyone returning back into the work force is to realize that they can add great value to the potential employer even that may not have had recent physical working experience but they have through there own experiences organised, managed other areas of there life and generally they come more balanced, opened minded, non re active and adaptive to the current work place because of these experiences.

In preparation the interviewee needs to think of the following.

-Coming prepared and confident and never assume that they are not good enough for the job as you can never judge or know what they may be looking for

-What they can bring to the job they are interviewing for

-What they are looking for from the employment

Do research on the company by internet but more important were possible in person. (Nothing better than showing you have gone to the workplace)

-Think of the job or role they are going for and bring examples from there experience that can translate. For example a role of the job may be giving instructions to a staff member and translate that to something you have done in your personal life with either kids, community groups or even an event you may have held at home.

At the interview

-Personal presentation is very important but your body signals, attitude and energy levels tell an interviewer more.

-Keep on track and try an answer clearly and concise. If you feel you have not answered the question confirm with the interviewer.

– Be honest when unsure of a question

-Always have questions to ask the interviewer relevant to role

-Try and give confidence to the interviewer that you have long term plans within the role and or company

In my experience of interviewing for staff at all levels of the business the main thing I am looking for is how is this person going to fit into my team and what is the real person like I am talking to. It is not always experience. That is were some people make the mistake when they assume to know what I’m looking for and answer how they think I want to hear the answers. Thinking that to get the job you must have had done the job before and must be experienced in the field. Keep in mind building a team takes all personalities, ages and you may have exactly what is needed for the team you are about to join. If I can not see who you are outside the interview it makes the decision on hiring a lot harder.

I know this is easy for me to say, but just let a bit of your personality show and ensure you talk about yourself not just answering the standard questions. Add words like from my experience, I would, I like and this can open up to a more relaxing discussion and can break down some interview barriers.

I find applicants returning back into the workforce from long periods generally have strong work ethics and if given a chance are long term employees and very productive within the team. They are open minded and always receptive to new ideas and direction. They don’t come with a attitude of I know everything. All you need to do is show that in the interview and more likely the job could be yours.

Dea Noc Advice for returning to work Advice for returning to work