BALHAM – VOTED TOP BEAUTY SPOT IN BRITAIN

Balham isn’t perhaps the most likely venue for an award-winning beauty salon.  Nor would you expect to find ‘an oasis of calm’ amidst the hectic bustle of Balham High Road.  But at no.87 – sandwiched incongruously between two fast food outlets – lies a beautiful surprise …. An independent salon based on the Aveda concept of natural hair and beauty.  Independent Mind, Body, Soul - the brainchild of Vicky Stothard -  has just scooped a prestigious Olive Award for the best small business in the beauty sector, much to the delight of Vicky and her 20 staff.

The Olive Awards scheme is the long-awaited industry initiative to measure employee satisfaction in the world of beauty, wellness and integrated health, and to recognize and reward the best employees.  Launched in 2007, awards are based on the scores of thousands of on-line employee surveys in beauty salons, combined hair and beauty venues, health and leisure centres and spas, and winners are announced in 3 categories: small, medium and large organizations.  Employees are asked to rate their employers across 7 different areas: their jobs, personal development and training, the company, health and safety, salary, the team, the Manager, and happiness and motivation.

“The whole concept of the awards should lie at the heart of any business that is serious about its employees’ welfare” says Vicky,” and the results not only offer invaluable criticism, but also insightful feedback as to where we can improve.”

Even before winning her Olive Award, Vicky’s track record shows her intense commitment to good business practice and employee welfare.  She was winner of Best New Business in 2006, a finalist in the South London Business Awards 2007 in the Best New Business Category, and her salon was among the TOP 50 in the Magazine Time Out.  On top of all that, Vicky was once again a finalist in the South London Business Awards this year, in the Best Small Company category.

So what is it about Vicky’s salon that makes it a winner against intense competition?  Stepping inside to meet her and her friendly General Manager, Louise Ward, you soon discover.  Simply closing the door on Balham High Road justifies the salon’s claim to be ‘an oasis of calm’; the interior is soundproofed against the world outside.  Slightly further, beyond the reception area, is the hair department, thoughtfully placed away from the salon’s frontage.  The decor is cool and relaxing with its seven workstations, and the range of treatments alone is, in short, award-winning: Aveda hair colouring with the company’s 95% naturally derived ingredients (so beloved by Claudia Schiffer!) that ‘drench each strand in organic sunflower, castor and jojoba oils to maintain condition’, and not only first class cutting and styling but a special ‘hair spa service’ – “like a facial for hair” says Louise.

The upstairs Relaxation Area is no less impressive, with every possible touch to soothe away stress.  “I firmly believe that stress is the most aggressive force in the body”, says Louise.  “Everything here is designed to reduce tension – down to the last candle – quiet colours, music, Aveda aromas.  There isn’t a space in most beauty salons where you can simply relax and regenerate from a hectic world, and have a glass of wine or a light bite before you face it again”.

The theme of utter relaxation flows through the Treatment Rooms, with touches like gently heated couches, a comforting rather than clinical feel, and of course, with truly advanced Aveda methods, a company at the forefront of ‘Green Science’.  The organization is now involved in extensive clinical trials to further establish its claims; for example to achieve a 37% reduction in the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.

How did the salon first hear about Olive Awards?  “One of our employees discovered the awards scheme on the internet, and was very keen for everyone to take part.  Vicky and I agreed at once.  It gives a complete security for out staff to express their feelings, and we believe, encourages their loyalty.  In fact, our staff hardly ever leave us … unless they have to.  The secret is recruiting good people to start with, giving them proper coaching, and then, importantly knowing how to keep them”.

Is the salon entering the Olive Awards again this year?  “Certainly!” smiles Vicky.  “I am looking forward to bettering our score next year!”  She looks at the stylish olive branch wall sculpture and winner’s plaque in her salon.  “Winning this award is incredibly inspiring as it is a direct and honest reflection on how my staff see their working environment.  But we certainly won’t be resting on our laurels, or should I say our olive branch!  There’s always a way we can get better.  It’s vital not to forget that”.

The Olive Awards scheme is open again now for companies to enter, and the closing date is 30th September 2008. The survey stage opens on September 1st and surveys must be completed by December 31st.  Then a Gala Awards evening will be held at Kew Gardens in February 2009.  The beauty of the scheme is that no entrants can lose, because each receives invaluable information about employee satisfaction for an entry fee as low as £100 – far less than the cost of traditional research, and there’s the assurance to employees that everything that they say is kept anonymous.  That way, they feel free to tell the truth.

The truth is certainly beautiful for Independent Mind, Body, Soul.  Next time you’re bustling through Balham, why not stop off and discover why?