AIMS Accountants for Business
AIMS Accountants for Business
Flowline Hair Salon is a ladies’ hairdressers which has been passionate about hairdressing for many years. We could really feel throughout our conversations with Nicole that she genuinely loves the process of making their clients look and feel fabulous.
Nicole was 17 when she went to work at Flowline as a junior in April 1988, she had been a local girl for most of her life. Nicole, whilst still training at the London College of Fashion in Oxford Circus, was fortunate to get on the youth training scheme and had another year to complete, before becoming a junior stylist for Flowline Hair Salon.
The business originally started with Ratchford Ltd, established in August 1973 and opened as a hair salon called Junes in Ickenham village. The previous owners mid-1980 changed the name of the salon to Flowline, as it is still known today. Back then, a 17-year-old named Nicole Mowberry attended Vyners School in Ickenham and was a local girl who started working at Flowline as a junior in April 1988.
Flowline is a real family. Nicole continued to be an employee until she entered a business partnership at the salon, and then went onto becoming a company director and owner of the business in April 1998 at the age of 27. In 2002, Nikki joined the team and 19 years on, is still loyally working at Flowline. In 2011, Sue started working at Flowline and is still a key part of the team, 10 years on. As of today, the team share and bring between them over a hundred years’ wealth of knowledge and experience to the hairdressing industry.
One of the main challenges for Flowline, like so many in the hairdressing industry, has been the pandemic. The doors were closed for 9 months in total, and Nicole also had to change the salon to implement COVID-friendly measures. Another challenge is that in the area, Ickenham, there are high rates due to the salon size, the windows’ sizes are huge, which makes business rates high as one window faces one street and the other window faces another street. In the area this is a common issue for other businesses.
Nicole summarises some of the challenges, “We are not in a trading area, the salon relies on local people and local business as we do not have high street affluence, hence advertising is important. We work hard to get clients in, and we always stick together, the staff have been working at the salon for ages, we all get along fine which makes work easy!”
Nicole and Flowline have been clients of AIMS for many years, firstly with now retired Neil Hinchcliffe, and now with Sujatha Renganathan.
Nicole has been really happy with AIMS and with Sujatha, commenting “Sujatha is always a phone call away when I need her, there are very few days with no talking between us two. She is very advisory, even in the pandemic she was amazing, great professional setup, great rates and easy to talk to.”
When asked if she would recommend AIMS, Nicole commented, “I would recommend AIMS because I find them very professional in the way they work, quite consistent, very prompt with things. Also, time responses are quick, it is immediate, you do not wait around, and someone is there for you when you need them. They give good directions, that is what a good accountant does.”
Finally, Nicole has shared what’s next for her and Flowline. Having relied on word of mouth for so long the business has recently moved into promotion through social media. They now have a Facebook page, which they are really enjoyed using.
Let’s all show appreciation for our hairdressing industry and thanks to Nicole for talking to us and being a client of AIMS.
Where to find Flowline Hair Salon?
www.flowline-hair.co.uk, their Instagram, Facebook, and their address 61B Swakeleys Road, Ickenham, Middlesex, UB10 8DQ. To book an appointment call 01895 632162.