I recently had the privilege of serving as a judge for the third Global Salon Business Awards. The GSBA, founded by Paula Kent Meehan, honors salons around the world for excellence in entrepreneurship. Partnering with UCLA’s Anderson School of Management, the GSBA rates salons based on numerous categories including leadership, management, education, community service, branding and more.

Needless to say, applications for the GSBA are detailed and completing the process can take dozens of hours. The result is a comprehensive look at each salon. Owners who take the time to complete the application find they learn a lot about the strengths and weaknesses in their businesses. Win or lose, every owner walks away with a useful tool to evaluate and improve his or her salon.

Basic Training

One of the most interesting categories to evaluate from the GSBA applicants was the education section. Whether it’s an American salon owner or one from Iceland, these innovative leaders are making education in the salon a priority with classes, training sessions, trips and management seminars.

This month, we take a look at the education of young talent in the salon. In “Talent Show” on page 38, owners weigh in on their apprentice programs—what works, how to implement and how to motivate young stylists. Every salon has its own unique program to train its new stylists, but each program fits the culture of the salon and achieves the ultimate goal—creating quality stylists with good technical and customer service skills.

Don’t miss the Global Salon Business Awards June 7-9 in Hollywood, California. This two-day conference includes business forums, social events and much more for salon owners worldwide.

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