An Insight Into..:2519

The Wolf Pack - Running A Hair Salon In A Pandemic Age

11/03/21

 

 Meet Kirsty, owner of hair salon The Wolf Pack located in the heart of The Lanes. Only opening in October 2019, Kirsty has been through the wringer during the pandemic, trying to keep afloat amidst lockdown, tiers and rules. With a bit of light appearing at the end of the tunnel, we hope that they'll be able to open very soon. Find out how she got through it all below - 

 

 

Well it certainly has been a tough time since you opened your salon. How have you found things?

Tough seems to be putting it lightly! I opened The Wolf Pack in October 2019 and it has now officially been closed longer than it’s been open! There’s been some personal hurdles to get through since opening, alongside the pandemic, so I’d say things have definitely been a struggle in some ways.

 

Clearly with such a new business as yours, the pandemic has made life even harder than it has been for others, as you may not been able to access some of the help others received. Has this been the case?

I've been hairdressing for 15+ years so my business is essentially the clients who come to see me, but the salon itself hasn’t been established long enough to receive much financial help throughout lockdowns, or even inbetween, so it’s been incredibly tough considering it was my only way of generating any income. My biggest concern has been maintaining the bricks and mortar, the salon itself, although I have received some help from the government, on behalf of the business, it’s not enough to by any stretch.

 

What was your expectation when the first lockdown was announced in March 2020?

I, like a lot of others, I was under the impression we would be back open after a month. When I was celebrating my 30th birthday home alone at the end of May, it really sunk in how lost we had become.

How did you find operating during the tier system?

We had already adapted to the extra PPE and time needed by the time we entered the tier system and we were able to stay open in tiers 1-3, although our guidelines have been changing since July so we were constantly having to ensure we were adhering to them correctly.

 

Kirsty and Libby having a lol at one of their fave neighbours Arboretum

 

It must have been hard to open under the restrictions without losing money, considering all the other aspects you had to put in place?

There were definitely financial losses that were unavoidable. We have always tried to maintain a fairly low and affordable price for our services, even with a small increase to help cover the cost of the extra PPE, I was definitely still spending more and more on disposables. It’s the time lost we cant be compensated enough for. As hairdressers, much like beauticians and tattooists, we have always portrayed a high level of consideration to PPE and being sanitary, we work with chemicals and open skin, so respectfully we have always been clean, not a lot has changed there.

 

In what ways has the pandemic affected your thinking on your business?

It’s evident my trade as a hairdresser has been missed greatly throughout the lockdowns, we have a lot of people's emotional wellbeing riding on our services, not just the need to look presentable. Libby, who works alongside me in the salon and myself have built a really unique space that we have everything to be proud of. I think it’s important our business comes back from this, not just for the hair, but for the healing.

 

How has it affected your personal values?

I value everything I have in front of me because I’ve given every part of myself to obtaining it. I’ve been through hell and back on more than one occasion with this salon and this last year has just been a testament to how much resilliance I have. I certainly haven’t done it alone, so more than anything I value the people who have helped build the salon and continue to fight for it’s survival.

 

What, if any, positives have you found coming out of the pandemic?

I’ve always felt a loving community spirit from being on The Lanes, especially St Benedicts, but I’ve seen rising support for and from local and independent business owners, as well as residents to ensure we have something to come back to.

 

https://www.instagram.com/willids16/?igshid=omwbcrqqkirr

What do you think you will change as a result of the pandemic experience?

I think a lot more people are going to be aware of personal space! However, I think a lot of us are going to really appreciate the freedom of seeing our friends and family more.

 

Looking forward what are your hopes and expectations?

I hope we can continue with caution, enough to escape more lockdowns, but I expect a lot of ways that businesses have adapted will continue, such as people continuing to work from home or click and collect/delivery options.

 

Norwich has a healthy number of independent shops, do you think this will help as we build back the local economy?

I hope to see all those independent shops that were thriving a year ago still standing after this. This last lockdown has hit breaking point for a lot of independent business because of the lack of financial help. Without help maintaining our premises it’s impossible to be expected to fund it ourselves when we’re not allowed to work and generate any income.

 

Anything else you would like to share with our readers?

Don’t ever be ashamed or afraid to ask for help, to say you’re not feeling okay or to ask for a loaf of bread. I’ve learnt that suffering in silence is a burden you bestow upon yourself. You’re not alone even when you might feel like you are, but if you don’t speak up then the people who care about you can’t hear you. You are doing amazing and you are loved!

 

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