Small Business (Salon) Management

This foundation degree has been developed by the Staffordshire University Business School, partner colleges, employers and interested organisations including professional bodies.  The course provides the essential management skills to help you start or develop a salon in the hairdressing, beauty therapy or complementary therapy sector.  It will also examine the tangible business benefits that may be derived from a better understanding of trends in this sector.

This degree will be ideal for people who are considering starting their own salon business or would like to develop their business skills to improve the running of an existing salon.  With the support of your employer, you will both be able to see immediate benefits from this staff development.

Foundation degrees are primarily designed for people who are currently employed.  However there is a full-time route which would require you to have a relevant industry placement which will facilitate the essential elements of work-based learning.  This is so that new ideas can be taken back to the workplace to make an immediate and direct impact on the work you do and your job prospects.

This course is designed to focus on development of business skills essential to the opening and development of a small salon business and addresses the skills gap identified by ‘Habia’, who set the sector’s standards. It will provide the joint benefit of personal development and enhanced working practices with a programme of study that places emphasis on work-based learning.

There is also a Fast-track two year study available.

You will begin the course by gaining a better understanding of your own learning style and have the opportunity to think about your current and future skills needs.  This stage of the award introduces you to the business planning process and prepares you for the management of human and financial resources.  You will gather valuable research, analytical and planning skills which will be applied to the business context.  The importance of communication within the business and to the external environment will also be explored.

In the first stage of the course you will study modules in: personal skills; business planning; managing financial resources; managing individuals and teams; marketing and communications; leadership at work and investigation into professional practice.

The next stage of the programme consolidates and develops the skills and knowledge acquired at the previous stage and is very much focussed on business growth strategies. You will explore areas specific to your chosen pathway and look at ways of exploiting the business potential by capitalising on the strengths of individuals within the business and through appropriate selling and customer relations techniques. The work based project will allow you to apply your knowledge and skill to an extended project specific to the needs of the business. There will also be a choice of specialist modules and these are:

Hairdressing
Hair & Product Science
Creative Vision

Beauty Therapy
Medical Aesthetics in the Orthodox Community
Trends in Beauty Therapy

Complementary Therapy
Complementary Therapy in the Orthodox Community
Trends in Complementary Therapy

The programme of study places emphasis on work-based learning and a good proportion of the learning will take place in your workplace as you relate new knowledge and skills to work practices. Assessments will also be work-based. Extensive use will be made of tutorials and workshops as well as formal lectures and you will have a mentor from within your company to assist you with the learning process. You will also have a personal tutor from the college where you enrol on the award.

You will normally be expected to attend college once a week, which will either be a morning and afternoon or an afternoon and evening per week, over 36 weeks per year.

Holders of the Foundation Degree in Small Business (Salon) Management will be entitled to add FdA after their names.  On successful completion of your foundation degree you will have the opportunity to progress to an Honours Degree in Business Management.

For more information about Small Business (Salon) Management please contact: