For our next Client Feature, we spoke to Guy Kremer, who is an award-winning hairdresser, with an exceptional reputation in the professional hairdressing world, all about the day-to-day running of his friendly salon and it’s team of highly skilled stylists, based in the heart of Winchester.
Tell us a little bit about your business – when it started etc:
Guy Kremer, Winchester, was originally founded as French Connection back in 1976. We had a very small business back then, it was only three people, myself included. We did absolutely everything ourselves, from the cleaning to the advertising to the accounting.
We soon grew to be a team of six, and once we began to outgrow our space I bought our current location in 1987. At first we only had a couple of units, but over time as we became more and more successful we expanded and bought the entire building.
We had many years of fabulous business with a team of over 15 people, but the pandemic impacted us significantly; as the economy continues to struggle, we’ve downsized to a team of around ten very dedicated, very talented staff members. We like to build people from the ground up here, so many of our stylists began as apprentices with us many years ago and have long careers here.
What does a normal day consist of/look like for you?
My team and I like to get to the salon before all of the clients so that we can all say good morning, have a coffee and get ready for the day ahead. Our clients start coming at 9am so we always have to be prepared for whatever the day may bring.
Most days I’m doing back to back clients from 9am till lunchtime, when I’ll either stay at the salon or meet friends somewhere like The Ivy. Often I’ll also fit meetings into my lunch – I love being busy so having a whole hour not working can get boring quickly!
What do you love about where you are based?
I love Winchester for numerous reasons. It’s been my home now for over 40 years ever since I moved to England from France. I felt there was a need for a high-calibre salon here, so that’s exactly what I sought to create.
Winchester is quite unique; it’s a city, but it has the feel of a town with a strong community spirit. Being so close to nature is fabulous, and because of our relative nearness to London, many of our clients live in the capital, yet still choose to come down and see us rather than going somewhere in the city. We’re very appreciative of their dedication.
Do you have any future goals for the business or things you are looking forward to?
I recently celebrated my 70th birthday in France with some friends, which is a landmark in anyone’s life.
Upon reaching this age I have realised that with my many years of hard work and commitment to the salon, I’m warranted to take some time for myself, something that I and many small business owners will know is much easier said than done. With this in mind I want to continue to grow the salon whilst also imagining what it will be once I’m less involved in its day to day running.
Having a phenomenal team in place at Guy Kremer, Winchester is essential to feeling that I can leave my business in safe hands when I do take the occasional time off, or decide to spend more time at my home in France.
Other than this, we are also looking to the future in the sense of sustainability, making strides to ensure that the services we offer are as eco-friendly and good for the planet as they possibly can be.
How has Blue Spire helped you with your business?
Having Blue Spire on hand to help with all our accounting needs has been nothing short of a lifesaver. I have built this business from the ground up, managing most aspects of it myself since its inception.
Being able to now rely on Blue Spire to take care of the accounts and the payroll has been a huge help in relieving some of the pressure involved with running a business, and all of the stresses that can come with it.
| For any help or business advice, please do not hesitate to get in touch with Blue Spire today. |
