Claremont, California, did not need another salon when I opened mine in 2018. In fact, there were so many salons that a moratorium was in place for the downtown Claremont Village, meaning a new salon could only replace an existing salon. So I opened Be Rosie Salon outside the Village, where only three salons already existed, because why not make it four?

The highly saturated salon market wasn’t a deterrent for me. Like many hairdressers, I saw opening a salon as the next logical step. But I also wanted my salon to be a little different, and needed to figure out ways to stand out in a sea of salons. 

As a new salon owner, the idea of community, of a larger way to give back, was planted in the back of my mind. I wanted to build a space where hairdressers could do more, be a part of more. I also wanted to create a community for our clients, and be a part of our Claremont community. 

Giving back has always been important to me. As a teen, I volunteered at the hospital, wheeling patients around and running samples to the lab. In my 20s, I was a Big Sister and also provided haircuts to the kids at the Child Crisis Center. I eventually moved on to animal shelters and my ultimate favorite: fostering puppies.

Within my salon, I played with ideas to incorporate community and business. Some good ideas wouldn’t work because of my limited capacity. Some felt so important that I created capacity for them. The piece I didn’t anticipate was the positive impact giving back and creating community has had on my salon.

I built giving back into my salon because it felt right, but we’ve benefited from attracting highly aligned clients and stylists as a result.

The Gives That Stuck

Annual Haircut Fundraiser: This has been our biggest give (and new-client generator) since opening in 2018. We partner with a nonprofit, Claremont Educational Foundation, that provides grants to our local schools. One Sunday a year we cut hair for five hours and donate all proceeds. We’ve raised more than $22,000 for our local schools, and 36% of fundraiser participants become our regular clients. 

Crossroads Giving Tuesday: This has become our team’s favorite annual event. Crossroads Inc. is a local organization that supports women as they transition from prison. On Giving Tuesday we invite the women in for hair makeovers. Giving them beautiful hair builds confidence as they apply for jobs and housing and begin their new lives. We’ve extended our Crossroads give to support them throughout the year. As women enter their program, they connect with us for individual hair services on an as-needed basis.

Product Donation Drive: Our easiest give. Each spring we collect gently used hair products to donate. We’ve given to local women’s shelters, Crossroads and community members who can pass them along to those in need. 

The Gives We Let Go (For Now)

Community Class: This was a free educational event for clients and the community. For an hour on a Sunday we’d teach workshops on blow-drying your own hair, simple updos, selfies, braiding for teens and creating waves with hot tools. This was helpful in building community and trust with our clients when we first opened. We still have clients who ask if we’re going to bring it back. 

Hair Happy Hour: Similar to Community Class but less intensive. We hosted a Friday afternoon happy hour during business hours with snacks and drinks, plus easy client freebies like bang trims, curls, raffle giveaways and simple hair tutorials. Just a fun afternoon for our clients.

These events both ended because of team capacity. I was doing all of the teaching myself for Community Class, and for Happy Hour I needed a dedicated team member to host the event. Our team is made up entirely of hairdressers, so this became difficult to sustain. 

My ideas might work for other salons, or they might simply inspire new ideas. The point is to help other salon industry professionals think outside the box. There are ways to separate yourself from the pack, to create community and do something more inside your salon business.

How to Start Giving Back in Your Salon 

1. Keep it local. Choose organizations that are local to your specific community and that your clients care about. 
2. Start with one. It’s exciting to think of all the ways you can help, but it also becomes overwhelming to plan and execute. Start by choosing one thing and one organization to focus on. 
3. Start small. If you have an idea, start with the simplest version of it. Afterward, you can refine it. It took us four years to build the systems that work well for our haircut fundraiser.
4. Set realistic team expectations. Rely on your team, but prepare for lower-than-expected participation. For events like the haircut fundraiser where full team support is needed, I recruit outside stylists to help fill the chairs. Try not to get upset when your full team doesn’t participate. It is volunteer work, after all.
5. Talk about it. Your community needs to know what you’re up to. There are people who will make buying decisions based on aligned values. I have a page on my website dedicated to sharing how we give back. 
6. Don’t give up. I’ve been refining our gives and events for eight years. I take notes after each one and make adjustments for the next year. Consistency is key. So is understanding that it’s not easy, but it is worth it. 

A salon doesn’t have to be just a salon. Hairdressers by nature are givers, and giving them opportunities to give back is special. If the give you’re offering is aligned with your actual values, and you have the patience to let it grow, your community will benefit and your salon will stand out.   

Learn more: Anny VanDriel