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American Board of Certified Haircolorists Newsletter March 2010
By Andre Nizetich
Jay Marshlick Speaks Out Jay Marshlick is an ABCH evaluator and a fantastic haircolorist. He is being exposed to some unscruplious dealings since L'Oreal has taken over the distributorship he was affliated with. Here is a letter he send to haircolorists on email list. I am reprinting it with his permission.
Dear Fellow Hairdressers,
As
a salon owner and consumer I read an interview by Mary Rector from
behindthechair.com with Paul Sharnsky of L'Oreal with much interest and dismay
as he spoke of helping salons reach professional growth. My salon is a Keune salon
and I have been a happy customer of Columbia Beauty Supply for over 25 years.
With the recent acquisition by L'Oreal, all of my purchasing got moved from CBS
to another distributor. My sales rep remained the same but 25 years of personal
relationships within the distributor were now gone.
Upon
learning of the acquisition of CBS I received a very nice letter from CBS
stating that nothing would change and CBS would continue business as usual.
However, very few months passed when changes began to happen. First in March of
2008 there was a 5% price increase on all Keune products. Later that same
year is when my distribution center changed, old ties were broken and accrued
purchasing points with CBS dissolved.
In March of 2009 we encountered yet another price increase of 2.5%. I also later learned of a large amount
of lay offs at CBS.
The
real shame of the price increase is that Keune's advertised suggested salon
price has not changed in over three years. My salon purchased over $74,000 of
Keune products from SalonCentric in 2009 at an inflated price of 7.5% over
manufacturers suggested salon cost.
Keune recently
changed distributors in my area and I now purchase their products for the
manufacturers suggested salon price that I was paying prior to March of 2008.
I'm
proud to say that my salon has shown continued growth through the last few
years, but in todays market it is harder to squeeze any profit out of the
bottom line, and now with the larger distributors/manufacters getting their
hands in our profits, I fear many salons will find it even harder to keep their
doors open. Shame on L'Oreal.
Because of how the distribution of certain products are handled
in our industry, we as salon owners do not always have a choice of where we
want to purchase the products we may want. However, if a distributor wants your
business I think it is very important that we keep them honest. Acquire a
manufacturers salon price list, and compare it to what you are currently being
charged.
Sincerely,
Jay Marshlick
Paul Sharnksy VP L'Oreal
This is a response to Jays letter from Niel Ducoff. He articulated in a very noble way what we as salon owners can do when confronted with this situation
Hi Jay,
Your letter echoes those of many owners that I've received over the years. Salons are on the receiving end of distributor acquisitions - they have been for years. In the process, long-standing relationships often end and bad feelings surface.
It's all about market share, protecting exclusive lines/territories, and controlling distribution. The good news is that salons/spas in are in the driver's seat because it's "your" business distributors/manufacturers. It's your choice who you wish to give your business to. It's your opportunity to negotiate your best terms and conditions. And it's also your choice to continue to do business with a distribution company that you believe has compromised trust and integrity - or find another distributor or product line to support.
Perhaps the one constant here is that change happens and it's your choice how to respond in the best interest of your company.
Neil
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By Tamara Dahill Chicago, Next Examination
The Chicago examination is always very exciting. The new venue for the Americas Beauty Show is fantastic. Thanks to the Chicago Cosmetology Association for providing space to hold our examination. In these tough economic times it is always good to find sponsors to help move our cause forward. While at the show come by and say hello and view the exam being administered. It may inspire you to join us at the next one. Tamara is the Evaluator Captain
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You Can Practice For The ABCH Examination on Line
Go to the ABCH website www.haircolorist.com If you click on the exam link you will find a "sample examination". This examination has 40 questions and it is timed. You have 20 minutes to complete the 40 questions. When the time runs out or you finish the examination the exam will be corrected to give you your score. You can go back to view the questions you missed or review them all. it will give you a description of the answer. WHAT A REALLY GREAT WAY TO LEARN HAIRCOLOR. Most of the questions have pictures that you can enlarge to get a clearer view. If you like the format of the Exam you can sign up for the "practice examination" there are 8 practice examinations with 60 questions each and they are timed for 30 minutes. All of the questions that are in the ABCH written examination can be found in the practice examinations. There is a small fee for taking the examinations depending on how much time you need to take them all. The Exams are powered by EXAM PROFESSOR There are questions on formulating, chemistry as well as all of the disiplines of haircoloring. It took the board of directors a total of 500 man hours to complete all of the examination questions. If you intend on taking the ABCH examination this is a wonderful method of assuring your passing. If you haven't seen the new redesigned website this is a good excuse for visiting us, you'll love it
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by Mary Petello "Organic" Daydreams and "Natural" Nightmares
Let's face it-new and different is what keeps hairstylists
in business. Mother Nature created the profitable condition of built-in
obsolescence, since hair thankfully continues to grow. Stylists as well as
clients are always on the lookout for something stylishly new, be it clothes,
jewelry, haircuts or haircolor. Haircolor manufacturers are also always scoping
for new trends, ingredients, and marketing strategies. Large corporations
regularly create new shades, and discontinue old ones (sometimes even the more
popular ones) in favor of something new. Often this is almost the exact
duplication of what was nixed but under a different name, container, or barely
altered formula and often at a higher price.
Today the buzzword in haircolor is organic and natural.
Anyone who has ever been in the same room with processing haircolor knows that
the ammonia smell can be pervasive. Some brands will smell stronger than other
brands and, by chemical necessity, lighter shades will contain more ammonia than
darker shades of haircolor. The manufacturers are cashing in on the
eco-friendly frenzy and offering "new, organic products with natural
ingredients." Ammonia-free permanent
haircolor may actually be the same animal but with a dirty
secret-ammonia has been replaced by another chemical which performs the needed
reaction that ammonia served, but as in the case of the substitute, MEA,
actually has a more detrimental effect on the environment and often does not
create enough lift. If traditional permanent haircolor with ammonia is used in
the recommended proper conditions-a well-ventilated room-the ammonia smell will
quickly dissipate. Ammonia is a naturally occurring compound what evaporates
into its natural components, nitrogen, and hydrogen, both gases naturally
present in Earth's atmosphere.
Enzymes are another natural developer used in some
haircolors, and new Japanese products use enzymes derived from a fungus so they
qualify as organic. Due to their larger molecular size, these products require
heat, which increases alkalinity and, therefore, is more damaging.
Part of the problem is the ambiguity of "natural" and
"organic". Anything occurring in nature is natural (i.e. oil or dirt) and
organic refers to material that was once living (plant or animal.) Both of
these catchphrases have been overused in today's market, but they still bring in
the consumer's dollars. The haircolor product that is causing colorists
headaches, while steering their clients away from salons is the resurgence of
henna in all of its forms (white, black, etc.) Henna is both natural and
organic, coating the hair and creating wonderful shine, but beware of removal
techniques. Henna may contain naturally occurring metals, so peroxide products
should not be used for removal as they can cause severe damage and
discoloration. Remember that desire for change? Henna is not to be used
casually but many clients are unaware of the commitment involved.
To find out the backroom secrets of haircolor manufacturers,
enroll in Brenda Amaral and Lisa Kelley's class, "Lies About Haircolor". To ask
the tough chemical questions, enroll in John Halal's, "The Chemistry of Hair
and Haircolor" or Dr. Hayel Said's class,"The Science Behind a Perfect
Haircolor."
www.haircolorist.com
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Thanks for reading our newsletter, we will keep you updated on what is new in the industry as well as give opinions from some of the ABCH Board of Directors as well as some of the members.
Sincerely,
Andre Nizetich President
ABCH
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Save 20% Feb.1st thru Mar. 7st
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Energizing Summit at Bargain Prices
Over 100 attendees took advantage of the 20% off early bird special for attendance to the Energizing Summit last year. The reduced price was for the general admission as well as the hands on classes being offered. Of course you will not be able to even register until February 1, we just wanted you to be aware of this special offer. If airline tickets stay low this can make it a very economical educational trip. We extended the early bird special for an additional week. www.haircolorist.com
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Offer Expires: March 7, 2010 Registrations begin February 1, 2010
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