Meet the stylist making waves in the hair industry - Jordan Heyes

He works out of Hair Attitude in Neston having trained at some of the best salons in the UK.

Here, in our latest Meet The Salon/Business Owner feature, Jordan tells us what it’s like sharing a salon with three other stylists and how winning Freelance Hairdresser of the Year Award last year has affected his business.

If you would like to be featured in Meet The Salon Owner, email heidi.summefield@newsquest.co.uk

A short and colourful new look

What’s the name of the salon/business?

Jordan Heyes Hair based at Hair Attitude Neston. We are a co-working space where we run our own business out of one location.

What’s the address?

10 High Street, Neston, CH64 9TY

Are you the owner/manager?

I own my business, Jordan Heyes Hair, but not the salon where we all work.

How many employees do you have?

I’m a freelance stylist so I don’t have any employees, however I work with three other hairstylists - Cheryl Mutter, Vicki DeSouza and Dani McAusland - and we have a salon assistant.

Bouncy, shiny waves

When did you open your business?

I started my business back in April 2021, after opening again following the most recent lockdown. It was decided that the business needed to be remodelled to a self-employed format.

READ MORE:

Meet The Salon Owner: The Colour Bar in Bebington

Has it always been in the same location?

Yes, my business has been based out of the Neston salon for the past two years as a freelance stylist and then for three years before that as an employed stylist in the salon.

Are you local to the area? Did you grow up here?

Not specifically the Neston area. I was born and raised on the Woodchurch estate near Upton. I did used to travel to Neston growing up with my family for a walk along Parkgate and of course to buy an ice cream.

Tell me a bit about your business

I wanted to make my business a safe space where people could come and get top class hair and have a laugh, a cry or a moan about their week. Basically, I wanted to create an experience where people could come and take a deep breath and feel amazing about themselves after the appointment. One of the core values of my business is healthy hair. I always make sure my clients are well-informed about their home care. I believe that many of the issues people have with their hair comes from a lack of information or simply too much choice for products. That’s why, as standard for all my appointments, we talk about home care, what issues they have and what they feel they need. Then I recommend which products they should use and we plan a routine. The mission statement of Jordan Heyes Hair is “I love what I do! Making you feel the best version of yourself and having a laugh while doing it!”

Sleek and shiny locks

What do you do? What services do you provide?

I offer a wide range of services being a gender-neutral stylist from extensions to haircuts to blow-dries. I try to cater to the needs of as many people as possible although, as I’m not trained in barbering, I don’t offer those services. I do specialise in colours, specifically vivid colours, balayage and corrective work. I have always loved a challenge and this sort of work gives me just that.

Why did you decide to open your own business?

I decided to open my own business because I thought it would be difficult to find an employed job in another salon. So, I thought “what have I got to lose?” and made the leap into self-employment along with our other stylists and we already had an established clientele.

What’s your hair and beauty background?

I trained for two years to get my NVQ Level 2 and 3 at Wirral Met College and from there worked with Hair Attitude to refine my skills. I have also worked as an assistant at Not Another Salon on Brick Lane, London, to learn additional skills at one of the most well-known colour salons in the industry, which was part of a brief retraining programme they offer before coming back to Neston.

Why this type of business?

This type of business works well for me now because being freelance gives me the opportunity to explore all avenues and projects without having any limitations. However, it wasn’t always as smooth sailing in the beginning - there were a lot of headaches and stresses at the start.

How did the Covid-19 pandemic affect your business?

I think the pandemic made people realise how much they needed to get out of the house for a few hours and the self-care that comes with that. Also, people realised that doing hair is harder than you think!

Jordan with his Freelance Hair Stylist of the Year Award 2022

READ MORE:

Meet The Salon Owner: Aaron Jones Hairdressing

What makes your business different to others in the same area/field? What sets your business apart from your competitors?

I think what sets me apart from my competitors is my focus on education and transparency with my clients with every part of their hair treatment. It was instilled in me during my training that hairdressers should always be a student and that has stayed with me. I am always trying to learn new things and educate myself so that I can keep up with the newest trends and deliver top quality hair. The relationship I have with my clients is excellent. I am always 100 per cent honest with them and I feel this helps to build a trusting relationship.

Why do loyal clients return to your business?

I think clients return to me because they feel fully welcomed in the salon and it’s a place where they can relax and have a great time and then leave with gorgeous hair.

What’s next? What do the next few months hold for you and your salon?

I have a really busy year this year. In January, I started sessions with The Fellowship for British Hairdressings ClubStar Art Team, which is a team of eight up and coming stylists working together with some of the industry’s most renowned and influential stylists to build their skills and work on some amazing projects. I am also currently on the Joico Colour Excellence programme, which is a year-long colour mastery course that is one of the highest levels of education available in the industry. Taking home Freelance Hairdresser of the Year 2022 boosted my client base and I am considering relocating to a bigger space, hopefully this summer.

Jordan specialises in colour treatments