First Impressions Davenham: Meet salon owner Abbey

Abbey, who is now 22, bought First Impressions Hair Salon in Davenham almost two years after working there as an apprentice stylist and gaining her level two and three qualifications.

Here, in our latest Meet The Salon Owner, Abbey tells us why she wanted to have her own salon despite only being in the business for four years and what plans she has for the future.

If you'd like to appear in our Meet The Salon Owner feature, email heidi.summerfield@newsquest.co.uk

First Impressions Hair Salon is on London Road in Davenham

What’s the name of the salon/business?

First Impressions Hair Salon

What’s the address?

443a London Road, Davenham, CW9 8HP

Are you the owner/manager?

I’m the owner.

How many employees do you have?

I have two employees working with me.

When did you open the salon?

I opened the salon in May 2021.

One of Abbey's transformations

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

Yes, I grew up in Winsford.

Tell me a bit about your salon/business. What do you do? What services do you provide?

We are a WELLA salon and provide all aspects of haircare from colours, cuts and restyles as well as conditioning treatments and haircuts for men.

READ MORE: The busy Barnton salon welcoming customers for a hair cut and a chat

What’s your hair and beauty background?

My journey into owning a salon started when I left high school. I went straight into a hairdressing apprenticeship as I wanted to study in a real salon environment rather than a college one, which I felt it was more like school.

I managed to secure an apprenticeship with the team at First Impressions with the then owner Lindsay and her sister Sara and I never looked back.

I loved being on the shop floor and interacting with the clients, learning from Lindsay and Sara, who is a senior stylist here and has years of experience and knowledge to pass on to me.

I went on to do my level two and level three qualifications and became a stylist.

Why did you decide to open your own salon?

When the time came for my boss to retire, although I was very young at only 20, I took the plunge and bought the business!

Things have now gone full circle and we have our own apprentice, Emily, who has her level two qualification and is in her third year. She is doing really well and is learning from us all.

Inside the Davenham salon

How did the Covid-19 pandemic affect your business?

I took over midway through the pandemic and it really was ‘in at the deep end’. It was so difficult having to close the salon and there were so many last minute cancellations due to people isolating.

As I was trying to establish myself and the business I’d bought, it was a very worrying time. especially as I was only trying to establish myself, it was a very worrying time.

READ MORE: Young business owner has dreams of opening her own beauty salon

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

We offer competitive pricing without sacrificing any of the quality of products we use or the techniques we have learnt.

Why do loyal clients return to your business?

We appreciate and value every single one of our lovely clients and strive to provide them with a top class, enjoyable and relaxing experience every time they visit us in the salon.

A new colour and cut and glossy waves

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

I am hoping to expand our team and continue growing the business.