Our new feature - Meet the Salon/Barbershop Owner - gives business owners and managers the chance to shine a spotlight on their salon and showcase some of their best work.

If you would like to appear in our Meet the Owner feature, you can fill in our Q&A here or email claire.pierce@newsquest.co.uk

Here, 38-year-old salon owner Karen Eyres, from Hawarden, explains her progression of bigger and better over two decades...

Name and address of the business

BANK

2 The Hwy, Hawarden, Deeside CH5 3DE

How many staff do you have, and in what roles?

13, plus myself. They include: one brow and PMU artist; three hair stylists; three nail pros; one skin and brow specialist; one lash artist; three aesthetics nurses; one receptionist/front of house; one make up artist.

We are currently recruiting to add another five team members this year.

BANK owner Karen Ayres, and some of the team.

When did you open?

My first salon opened 20 years ago, I have since relocated and expanded six times. We rebranded and relocated to BANK four years ago.

Why did you decide to open your own business?

I can't remember, it was so long ago. I have always loved building up a business from scratch then expanding and growing (hence the six relocations). Watching my team and myself grow makes the hard work worth it.

Now I have two daughters I feel it's important to show them what's possible and let them see if you work hard you can achieve your goals.

When I relocated to BANK four years ago, it was a much bigger project than before. I had a clear vision to create a workplace where like minded professionals could work together to create a dream salon.

Inside BANK based at Hawarden.

Have you always been at this location?

I have always been local but we have moved premises over the years. My first salon was in Shotton in Deeside, and whilst there I expanded three times over nine years before selling the business.

A few years later I reopened in Hawarden and have expanded three times over nine years also.

This is definitely our last premises! It was a much bigger project than the previous salons but I needed somewhere we wouldn't outgrow. It is perfect.

Are you local to the area, did you grow up here?

Yes I grew up in Ewloe and went to Hawarden High School. I studied beauty therapy at Deeside College.

Inside BANK based at Hawarden.

Tell us a bit about your salon

The salon is located in the beautiful Hawarden village, and we are a team of beauty, hair and aesthetics professionals. The team are mostly self employed and specialise in a certain field.

It is a listed building and was originally built as a bank (hence our name). It has amazing original features like our bank vault, which we have refurbished into a client waiting area. We have such a beautiful space here, meaning clients can spend time between different appointments/staff and relax inside the vault between, we get great feedback from clients.

We have an extremely loyal clientele and team, it's like a big salon family.

Last year we won Best Beauty Salon 2022 at The Welsh Hair and Beauty Awards, this was a huge achievement for us. We have been nominated again for 2023.

Inside the vault waiting and relaxation area at BANK.

What services do you provide?

We provide all aspects of beauty, hair and aesthetics. Most of the staff are self employed and specialise in one area of services.

What is your hair/beauty background?

I attended Deeside College and studied beauty therapy full time. I then worked in a salon in Buckley before going self employed working mobile. Soon after I opened up my first salon.

Over the years I constantly go on training courses and master classes to keep myself on top on the fast moving industry.

Did the pandemic affect your business?

Yes, we had to close for each lockdown. It was a scary time, however each time we reopened our loyal clients booked straight back in, so we were extremely grateful and relived!

I'd never taken time off before so it felt strange. I concentrated on our social media and started making a retail business of beauty products.

Inside BANK based at Hawarden.

What could set you apart from your competitors?

From our client feedback, they feel extremely comfortable at BANK. They feel relaxed and confident in our hands. They love coming up our red carpet, feeling special, relaxing in our vault and are confident they will receive an amazing service.

Our team have worked together for a long time, so we have a lot of loyalty, experience and trust within the business.

Our surroundings, stunning salon and talented team make the perfect business.

Why do loyal customers return?

We have the best clients! We are incredibly grateful for their support and loyalty, we feel our regular clients are actually part of the team.

We like every person who visits BANK to feel comfortable and at home, leaving feeling happier than when they walked in.

We also have front of house Lauren who greets everyone and makes them feel special. She really goes the extra mile to make sure the salon day runs smoothly and everyone is looked after.

BANK hair and beauty salon in Hawarden.

What's next for you and the salon?

We are currently expanding our salon space and recruiting for more team members.

We have been nominated for salon of the year again at the Welsh Hair and Beauty Awards, so we hoping to do well fingers crossed.

We are also working towards opening an academy here at BANK, offering training courses and masterclasses from our pro team.

What are your opening hours?

Tuesday 10am-8pm, Wednesday 10am-6pm, Thursday 10am-8pm, Friday 10am-8pm, Saturday 9am-4pm