Goodwood Revival Launch!

HAIRPORT TAKES OFF AT GOODWOOD

Chichester, September 2011 – a revolutionary new approach to mobile hairdressing is being launched at this years’ Goodwood Revival. In addition to the usual array of vintage cars and aeroplanes, visitors to the event will be able to meet the team from Hairport UK – a new concept that will make mobile hairdressing accessible to everyone at special events including, fashion shows, weddings, festivals, video shoots health clubs, gyms and theatres. The business will be launched at a special party hosted by Channel 5’s Anna Jardine-Jones.

Speaking about the concept, Hairport Founder, Ben Sperry said “ our business model is simple; we promise to bring fun and glamour to the hairdressing industry while fulfilling our primary mission to give people on-the-go ‘great hair days’ wherever they are. And there is another benefit,” continued Ben. While our main focus will always be our customers, I really believe that our exciting new approach to hairdressing will lead to much better training experiences for youngsters entering the industry – something which is much needed!”

Such is the excitement surrounding this new approach to hairdressing that Virgin Active are already considering trialing the Hairport Blow Dry Bars in their gyms and Sperry is already planning to introduce other services such as an App for Smart Phones, a ‘HairMiles’ TM loyalty points scheme and the ability for customers to purchase top-notch hair products online, by phone or in person.

For the Goodwood event, the team from Hairport has designed a series of retro-style hairstyles that will include the Show Pony, Vintage Vogue, Goodwood Sweet and the intriguing Eton Mess!

Sperry, who has been quick to embrace the power of social media to market his business, is under no illusions that competitors will soon try to copy the concept. “I am sure salons will follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Linkedin and there will be others trying to copy our idea. Frankly, this will be a good thing as the industry desperately needs to be rivitalised and I am confident Hairport UK will lead the industry for mobile hairdressing, training and safety.

For more information on Hairport UK, see www.hairport.uk.com or contact:

Green Door Public Relations

www.christrippick@greendoorpr.com Tel: 07885 486908

www.greendoorpr.com

Blog By Ben #2

Time for another blog...

I'm thinking that recording my trials & tribulations, as well as my successes, will inspire other entrepreneurs to be as persistent as I am. Let me know if that works for you.

The new blow dry menu is going down a storm. The ladies love the glamour! Thanks to everyone who gave their input to launch that service range. And special thanks to the Chi hotels for distributing my advertising in their rooms. It's going to be a long, hot summer :-)

So, my car is still on the waiting list for surgery :-( My mechanic is a very busy man. Good job I have @fyb3r_optic with a back-up 'hairmobile'....

I had a mentoring session with a 'big wig' business professional. I found him on "Linked-In". He liked my attitude. He liked the service feedback on my website from my customers. But my "brand" isn't where it needs to be yet, to achieve what I want to achieve. I was crushed by that feedback. Momentarily. But I'm on it.....he knows what he's talking about. No point asking for advice, if you're not ready to take it on board, right?

Been thinking a lot about the role of mobile service providers in the "Big Society" world. Being out & about all the time in the district and talking to the locals & the visitors, means that we collect loads of info about our communities. There are so many good causes to support, that I was, frankly, a bit daunted. I decided that it would work well for me if I found a cause that was relevant to me personally & to my business. So I got on line & did some research. We lost a family member to cancer. She was a hairdresser too. Very hard when she lost her hair through chemo. Finding out about the Litttle Princess Trust felt like serendipity. So me'n  @fyb3r_optic convinced each other to to do a Skydive & aim to raise £1000 in sponsorship. 16th March (Weather permitting) from Headcorn in Kent at 12,000ft! The money will go towards the making of real hair wigs for children.  http://www.justgiving.com/ben-sperry We'll post pictures (and maybe videos). If you fancy seeing us scared out of witts, feel free to donate :-) *As an extra incentive, for every pound you donate, you'll receive an e-raffle ticket for you chance to win 1 of 5 Hair By Ben Gift cards.

This month, we're developing a mobile version of the Hairbyben website. If anyone wants to offer tips, please message me. I'll let you know when the HBB web-app is available for appointments & hair products.

For those of you who haven't got into the internet world yet, get me started on the subject while I'm doing your hair....it's really doing great things for showcasing people with talent. @Tw1tterband is an awesome example. Go look them up on Twitter! We really love watching and listening to your tweets. More, more, more......

And finally, it's Valentines Day today. Unfortunately, neither @fyb3r_optic nor me have Valentines this year. On the bright side, this means we can add some blow-mance to your evening.....If you fancy a glam blowdry from our Prix-Fixe menu, you know how to get in touch :-)

@HairByBen

P.S If your on Skype and fancy a Visual Consultation, add me: hair.by.ben

My first EVER blog! #1

As the title suggests, I've never done this before. So I apologise in advance for my poor spelling and awful grammar.

I have made it my new years resolution to write a blog on a regular basis this year. This is for various reasons. Mostly because so many unbelievable things happened to me last year that I have no document or diary of. Honestly, a roller-coaster ride doesn't really justify how turbulent the year was; and the start of this year has been no exception. So this way I can blog about it and look back at it any time. Another major reason I'd like to start a blog is because of my business. I work as a mobile hairdresser in the Chichester area and my work can be very interesting to say the least. Day-to-day work consists of me going to peoples houses, but I am also regularly involved in photo-shoots, catwalks, music videos etc. I've even been featured in vogue! You will hopefully find it interesting and help me on my mission to develop the brand 'Hair By Ben' in West Sussex.

I could sit here and write about how I started my business and how long I've been doing it, but that's all a bit boring and in the past. And this is all about now.

So this year, in the ten days we've had so far, I have had both really bad news and brilliant news, both affecting my business.

Interestingly, the first day I left the house this year, I found a wallet on the bench of the train station. I immediately handed it in and remember thinking "Good karma is headed your way".

The next morning I started my car to visit my first client of the year. My dashboard lit up like our Christmas tree, with STOP in big scary red letters at the bottom. I assumed the engine needed water or something, so I opened the bonnet. The water tank looked full, but definatly not with water. I unscrewed the lid to see what can only be described as a volcano of oil erupting out of the tank. Turns out I've blown the head gasket, and its screwed the engine, completely. I now need a new engine, costing a minimum of £700. Possibly the worst way to start your first day back to work. So much for karma! Luckily I have an extremely helpful/kind cousin (@fyb3r_Optic) who has donated his car to the cause of rescuing people with bad hair.

Life has a weird way of balancing itself out, and without fail, balance has been restored again.

Today I received a message arranging a meeting to discuss a business plan I made last year. This is the second meeting I've had so far and could well lead to a contract. Unfortunately I can't blog too much about it yet as I don't have the contract yet. But I can confidently say that if a deal can be arranged, it will change the hairdressing industry in a big way. Watch this space! This news far outweighs the bad news about the car; I just need to keep everything crossed! As soon as I can, I will explain all.

Also this year, I have so far seen 4 of my followers from twitter. I've cut @roOkin and @wh1sks hair. @rOkin has lots of hair and @wh1sks has little, but they are both worth following. I finally put a face to the twitterer @plushjewellery today. She was lovely and took some of my menus to display in her shop. And finally, I have been working with @fyb3r_Optic!

Another positive so far this year is my new online booking system! You can check my availability and book your own appointment. This saves me lots of time and seems to be going down well. I've had seven bookings through this service already.

I hope you have liked my first blog,  Any questions or feedback you have is more than welcome.

Hopefully my next blog will be about how the meeting went! In the meantime, if you need a haircut, call me, tweet me or facebook me!

@hairbyben

Location:Chichester,United Kingdom