From One Chair to Ten Businesses

I’ve written before about my career in hairdressing, but today I wanted to share something different: the business journey behind Tom Syed Hair Spa.

My first attempt at business came when I was fourteen years old. Armed with WordArt, a laminator, and plenty of enthusiasm, I launched a hand car wash from my parents’ driveway. Unfortunately, advertising on my parents’ fence didn’t quite generate the customer demand I’d hoped for. Despite the lack of commercial success, I discovered something important: I loved the idea of building something, I’ve always been fascinated by business. Partly because I enjoy a challenge, partly because I like creating things I’m proud of, and partly because there’s something exciting about seeing an idea slowly come to life. When I started hairdressing, I always imagined owning a salon one day. What I wasn’t sure about was whether I wanted the responsibility that came with it. I would love to tell you that I had a detailed business plan and a perfectly mapped-out strategy. The reality was much messier than that.

Most of my career has been about recognising opportunities, making decisions with the information I had at the time, and figuring things out as I went along. Sometimes things went to plan. Sometimes they didn’t. Either way, every stage taught me something valuable.

Taking the Leap

My real business journey began in 2019.

After ten years at Umberto Giannini in Stourbridge, including three years as Assistant Manager, I felt I had achieved many of the goals I’d set myself. I’d become a L’Oréal ID Artist, qualified as a Colour Specialist, and gained management experience. The question was whether I could make it on my own. Opening a salon immediately wasn’t realistic. Financially, it wasn’t the right time and, if I’m honest, I wasn’t ready. Renting a chair felt like the perfect stepping stone. It offered lower risk, lower costs, and an opportunity to learn about running a business while building my own clientele. Finding the right salon proved more difficult than expected. At the time there weren’t many true freelance salons locally, and I struggled to find somewhere that felt right for both me and my clients. Eventually I found a small beauty salon above The Bridge House on the ring road. There was one hairdressing chair and a lovely salon owner willing to give me a chance. It wasn’t a busy high street salon, but it gave me something much more valuable: freedom. I bought a new styling chair, a new mirror, invested in good coffee, quality products and magazines, and focused on creating the best possible experience for every client. What I learned there was one of the most important lessons of my career. Clients follow hairdressers. Of course beautiful surroundings help, but the things clients remember most are being listened to, feeling understood, and receiving great hair. That’s a lesson I’ve carried with me ever since.

The Power of Social Media

Social media played a huge role in growing my business. Facebook groups, Instagram posts, local business communities and consistent content helped me connect with new clients and establish my own identity outside of a larger salon brand. By the beginning of 2020, I felt settled. Business was growing, clients were returning, and everything felt positive.

Then COVID arrived.

The Unexpected Opportunity

Like many people, I suddenly found myself with time to think. During lockdown I spent countless hours walking, planning and dreaming about what my future salon might look like.

I thought about branding.

I thought about client experience.

I thought about décor.

I thought about numbers.

I thought about lighting.

In fact, I once spent almost forty-eight hours researching salon lighting because I wanted to understand exactly how to create a space that was flattering to skin tones while still showing hair colour accurately. Some people probably thought I’d lost the plot. But those details mattered to me. As lockdown restrictions eased, I realised I had something incredibly valuable: a loyal client base waiting to return. The challenge was capacity. I couldn’t physically accommodate everyone on my own, so I expanded within the beauty salon and employed my first assistant, Phoebe. That decision changed everything. Suddenly I wasn’t just responsible for myself anymore. I had payroll to run, pensions to understand, holiday pay to calculate, and an employee depending on me.

I loved every minute of it.

Finding 176 Lower High Street

Towards the end of 2021, I started looking for my own premises. I viewed several properties, and a few opportunities came close before falling through. Then I found 176 Lower High Street. On paper it wasn’t ideal. It was an office rather than a salon and required a huge amount of imagination. But I could see it. I could picture the lighting, the layout, the atmosphere and the experience I wanted clients to have. The timing couldn’t have been worse. It was the busiest period of the year, and suddenly I was choosing flooring, plumbing, lighting and furniture while still working full-time behind the chair. Thankfully, my parents were incredible. That Christmas became a family building project, transforming an office into the salon that exists today.

Growth Through Opportunity

One of the biggest turning points came unexpectedly.

Emma and Stacey had both been made redundant and contacted me about joining the team. I already had myself and Phoebe.The salon had three chairs. There were only two options: say no or find a way to make it work. Fortunately, we found a way. By carefully planning our working patterns, we managed to fit everyone in. Looking back, it was one of the best decisions I ever made. The business grew rapidly, expanding from three chairs to six, then adding a beauty room and eventually creating the snug area.

Each stage brought new challenges:

VAT.

Stock management.

Recruitment.

Leadership.

Systems.

But I genuinely enjoyed learning.

The Salon I Originally Imagined

Interestingly, the salon didn’t end up becoming what I first expected. My original vision had always been a freelance co-working space. Life had other ideas. We operated as an employed salon until one stylist decided to go freelance. Gradually, others followed. By 2025, every member of the team was running their own independent business. Ironically, the salon had finally become what I’d imagined from the very beginning. Why? Because I believe people thrive when they’re trusted. Stylists should have the freedom to choose their own hours, products, pricing and services. Clients should have access to talented professionals who genuinely enjoy what they do. And salon owners should be able to focus on creating exceptional environments rather than controlling every aspect of somebody else’s business.

Where We Are Today

Today, Tom Syed Hair Spa is home to ten independent businesses operating under one roof One of the criticisms often levelled at freelance salons is that they can feel competitive or disconnected. I’ve always worked hard to avoid that. Although everyone runs their own business, we’re still a team. We support each other, train together, share ideas and celebrate each other’s successes. My role today is part landlord, part brand creator and part customer experience officer. My job is to ensure the salon remains beautiful, professional and somewhere both clients and professionals genuinely enjoy spending time.

What’s Next?

That’s the question everyone asks.

The honest answer is that I don’t know exactly. I want to continue strengthening the brand, improving the client experience and cementing our reputation as one of Stourbridge’s leading luxury salons. Will there be a second location one day?

Perhaps.

But for now, I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve built and grateful to every client and team member who has been part of the journey.

The fourteen-year-old with the laminated car wash sign probably wouldn’t believe it.