When Busselton Price Attack franchisee Denise Horwood opened her hair salon in 2007 she was buying a future for herself. Now the business owner and hairdresser is ready to sell the business – but there’s a twist – she wants the new owner to give her a job!

“My father died when I was 12,” Denise says. “So, mum and my siblings have always been close. One thing Covid has taught us is to be there for our families and with most of mine in Perth, I want to be more flexible if I need to travel to Perth. When you own the business you often can’t just drop everything, so it is time to pass the baton.”

While retail experience would be advantageous for a potential buyer, it is not critical to have hairdressing skills: not only is Denise keen to come back and work in the business, but all the existing staff are set to stay.

“I love my customers, I love this salon, and this town, so I am not going anywhere.”

Denise has strong ties to the community, supporting local charities and sports clubs throughout her 14 years as a business owner. 

“It’s a very personal business,” she says.  “If someone in town is sick, we would do a raffle and rally to support them and every year we support charities including Cystic Fibrosis 65 Roses Day and Shave for Cure for the Leukemia Foundation.

“We have worked hard to make our salon very accommodating and friendly. Our staff are amazing, and people always comment on the atmosphere: clients talk to each other as well as the staff, everyone is brought into the conversation, so it has a great feeling.

“That was one of the main things we have all learnt from the pandemic: to make the most of our interactions with people now, because you don’t know when things will lockdown again. So, this has been a real haven for so many in these unusual times.”

Denise points out that as a franchisee she has had the backing of a franchisor and the Price Attack support office, allowing her to focus on the day to day running of the business.

“It’s very easy to run because if you want to have new brochures, or some advertising or a marketing campaign, you don’t have to think about it yourself: you just phone support office and then bang you’ve got them helping you out doing all that for you – it’s a no brainer.

“I love the contact we have and how easy it is to get support. I never owned a business in my life before this and knowing I had that support has always made it very comfortable. I never felt alone or out of my depth because of the support which was even more important when Covid hit.”

With both service and retail, when the salon had to close for four weeks at the start of the pandemic, Denise and her team pivoted to deliver products to clients at home, along with meeting the markets of nearby Mandurah, Bunbury and Margaret River with courier and postal deliveries.

“Figures have bounced back, and we are up 25 per cent this financial year, so the business model is very resilient,” Denise says. “We are the only Price Attack in the region. So, we really are the go-to for professional advice and the best products on the market for both in salon and for home hairdressing.”

• Read more about Price Attack here.