Cutting Edge Cover for East Midlands Franchise
Managing Director, Bryan Banbury, discusses the importance of proactive and innovative cover for specialist sectors and takes a look at one of its longest standing clients, East Midlands hairdressing franchise, KH Hair.
Mutual respect and trust are the foundations of the way we work. Our clients respect our ability to constantly challenge complacency, trust us to really get under the skin of their business and believe in our ability to find solutions to any new challenges.
Keith Hall made the move to transform his hairdressing business into a franchise in 1987. An innovative strategy at the time – the decision meant Keith had to source very specialist insurance to cover the businesses unique needs and so, the partnership with Russell Scanlan began.
40 years later, the business has established 22 successful salons, spanning across the East Midlands and up to the Chesterfield, which Russell Scanlan provides cover for. So, in a competitive market of off-the-shelf insurance providers – how have we maintained this strong relationship?
As one of our longest standing clients, a trusting partnership has been key. The now Joint Managing Directors, Darren Messias and Tim Fee, have worked hard to keep the business at the forefront of its sector and develop an effective franchise model – giving salon owners the right support to become successful entrepreneurs. Within such a creative industry, it was important for the partners to give franchisees freedom to expand each salon as their own, without some of the pressures that may come from having a business of their own. It has been integral for Russell Scanlan to keep on top of this forward-thinking approach by constantly re-evaluating the specialist needs of the sector to create refreshed and tailor-made policies year after year.
Take water for example. Something we take for granted, but it is the lifeblood of the hairdressing industry. Any one of KH Hair’s salons simply can’t afford to not be functional and a few days without water supply could be disastrous for a franchisee. These unique considerations form the basis of our bespoke packages.
Businesses face an ever-present and increasing risk of cyber-attacks and with an ever-growing need for customer-focused data collation, KH Hair is no exception. With a completely computerised system containing thousands of personal details, personalised text messaging system and large social media following, digital customer communication is key. It has never been more important for KH Hair to ensure all branches are kept up to date with the correct protection and are aware of the consequences of data breaches and or cyber-crime.
A popular business option for start-ups, franchising is at an all-time high in the UK, contributing a huge £15.1 billion to the economy last year with an increase of over 70% in the past ten years. The freedom it provides combined with guaranteed support and low failure rates is highly attractive to any budding entrepreneur.
The fact that KH Hair has been able to offer all those that buy into their franchise a tailored insurance package, adds to this business appeal – taking away the hassle and stress for new salon owners but also giving them the knowledge that their salon has the additional support of the company’s overarching commercial insurance that we provide.
Darren Messias, Managing Director at KH Hair
“The beauty of working with Russell Scanlan is the fact that they are independent – so they are nimble, giving them the ability to quickly resolve whatever situation may arise, in the most personable, accommodating and thorough way possible. KH Hair is not just a number to them – our needs are constantly evaluated and modern business challenges are always taken into account.
“Bryan and the team not only have a close relationship with myself and Tim – they know the majority of our franchisees. Although ultimately it is the choice of each salon owner which insurance provider they choose, it is extremely important to us that we introduce the services that Russell Scanlan can provide and feel safe in the knowledge that each branch receives the best possible cover.”
