Trying to cut it as a hairdresser

Pampered women and man-scaped men must be wandering the streets, with over 36 registered hairdressers in the City of Geraldton-Greenough.

There is roughly one hairdresser to every locality and suburb in the city, bordering on extravagant for a city with a population of about 39,000.

There are more on the way too, with 30 students currently completing their hairdressing apprenticeship at Durack Institute of Technology and a further 15 students studying a pre-apprenticeship hair and beauty program.

Durack Institute of Technology marketing co-ordinator Jen Hanrahan said it was certainly one of t h e more popular courses, with enrolment numbers increasing each year.

Hot Locs hairdresser Sophie Vaiciunas said it was an industry in great demand and as long as the demand was there, so too would be a need for a high number of hairdressers.

“Everyone at some stage will need a haircut, regardless if they regularly visit a salon or just once a year,” Ms Vaiciunas said.

Cut Loose owner Teresa Italiano said she often questioned how each salon survived when another opened its doors, believing there was an excessive number of salons servicing the city.

Ms Italiano said many hairdressers believed it was more profitable to open their own salon, not realising the commitment required to run a business.

Dy Hairdressing director Nicki Nolan said while she didn’t believe Geraldton needed quite that many salons, each one certainly serviced a different demographic.

Ms Nolan said in her opinion she had watched many talented hairdressers dream of owning their own business, who were great at their job, but who didn’t educate themselves in all aspects of business and marketing to firmly stand apart from the competition.

“Making the switch from great technician to a successful business owner takes a lot of drive and commitment,” she said.

JESSICA MILLWARD