We’re pleased to announce Tom’s Barbers & Salon as the winner of our Barbershop of the Year award.
The salon brings barbering, hairdressing and specialist men’s hair systems together under one roof. Its work is centred on good service, client confidence and giving people a reason to return.
Taking care of a salon with more than 40 years of history
The salon has served its local community for more than 40 years, with Tom taking over in May 2017.
He wanted to respect the history he had inherited while gradually developing a new identity for the business.
That identity became clearer after Covid. Tom’s expanded its services, reconsidered how the business operated and began creating the salon it is today.
Tom sees his role as a steward as well as an owner. His job is to care for a long-established local business while making sure it continues to develop.
Giving the team room to develop
Learning is part of everyday life at Tom’s. Team members are encouraged to improve their skills, challenge themselves and avoid becoming too comfortable with doing things the same way.
The salon invests in training, explores new services and gives staff opportunities to find and develop their individual strengths.
This helps the team deliver a better service now while giving its members the confidence to see where their skills could take them in the future.
Building lasting relationships with clients
Tom’s has introduced memberships and other ways for clients to develop a longer relationship with the salon rather than treating every visit as a separate appointment.
Clients are never seen as names in a diary. The team wants each person to receive a service that feels personal and considered.
Whether someone visits for a haircut, a hairdressing service or advice about a specialist men’s hair system, the aim is for them to leave feeling more confident.
Rebuilding after Covid
Coming through the Covid pandemic is one of the salon’s proudest achievements.
The closures and uncertainty created a difficult period for the business, both financially and personally. Once the salon could reopen, Tom’s chose not to return automatically to the way it had worked before.
The team used the opportunity to reconsider its priorities, rebuild the business and create new opportunities for staff. Many of the changes made during that time helped form the salon’s current identity.
Learning from growing too quickly
The business also learned an important lesson after trying to expand too fast.
At one point, Tom’s was pursuing growth and following industry trends before it had the right foundations in place.
The team responded by stripping the business back, reassessing its priorities and concentrating on what worked for the salon and its clients.
Tom’s now takes a more measured approach and feels comfortable following its own direction instead of copying other businesses in the industry.
Why the team is Tom’s proudest achievement
When asked to choose his proudest moment, Tom’s answer was simple: right now.
That is because of the team and the culture developing within the salon. Staff support one another, share a strong sense of identity and encourage each other to improve.
Seeing that happen means more to Tom than any single event or milestone. The salon is becoming something the whole team is helping to create rather than a business driven by one person.
Taking responsibility when something goes wrong
Some of the customer experiences Tom’s values most began with a service that did not go exactly as planned.
As an educating salon, team members are encouraged to stretch their abilities and continue learning. Occasionally, the result may not be what the client or stylist had hoped for.
When that happens, Tom’s invites the client back, accepts responsibility and works to put the problem right. The team does not hide behind excuses or pretend that mistakes never happen.
This openness is an important part of the salon’s culture. Tom’s believes trust depends on how a business responds when something goes wrong as well as how it performs when everything goes to plan.
Personal connections to the local area
Tom has lived on the same estate for most of his life. He attended local schools, and his son now goes to one of them too.
Several members of the team have similarly close ties to the area. Many clients are people they also see outside the salon as part of everyday life.
These relationships make Tom’s part of the community rather than simply a business located there. They also make the support shown by local clients particularly meaningful.
Supporting local businesses and causes
Tom’s Barbers & Salon is a member of the Lincoln Social Responsibility Charter and regularly supports local causes.
The salon also gives nearby businesses free exposure on its in-salon media screen, introducing them to clients and supporting the wider independent business community.
For Tom’s, this is a practical way for local businesses to help one another.
A team achievement
The news that Tom’s had won Barbershop of the Year was initially met with some disbelief.
Tom’s only disappointment was that he was away from the team when the result arrived. The culture, service and progress recognised by the award have been created collectively, so he wanted everyone to share the moment.
The celebration may have been delayed, but the team intends to make up for that when everyone is together again.
Fresh motivation for the salon
The award has given Tom and the team fresh motivation to continue improving.
It has encouraged staff to develop their skills, consider entering future competitions and find out what else they can achieve.
Tom’s is proud of the win, but does not see it as a finish line. There are still plenty of opportunities to make the salon better for its clients and team.
Recognition made possible by clients
The award means even more to Tom’s because customers took the time to vote.
For a salon built around lasting relationships, knowing that clients actively chose to support the business matters as much as the award itself.
Every appointment, recommendation, review and vote has contributed to the progress Tom’s has made.
Becoming better without chasing size
Tom’s plans to take a deliberately measured approach to future growth.
The business has no intention of expanding aggressively or becoming larger simply for the sake of it. Instead, it will follow what Tom describes as a “slowly, slowly” approach.
The focus will be on improving the salon, allowing team members to explore different directions and creating opportunities at a sustainable pace.
For Tom’s, becoming better matters more than becoming bigger.
Thanking the people behind the win
Tom’s Barbers & Salon would first like to thank its customers for their continued support and for taking the time to vote.
The business also thanks its team for caring for clients, supporting one another and believing in the direction of the salon.
There is even a thank you for its future customers, whose support will help create further opportunities for the team.
We’re pleased to recognise Tom’s Barbers & Salon as our Barbershop of the Year and celebrate a long-standing local salon that continues to develop while staying close to its community.