Hair care with a business plan

Rebecca and Sam Penny believe the hair and beauty business is undergoing constant change.

Contributed

THE region's fastest-growing company, Universal Hair Salons has acquired five new salons throughout the region from Gympie south to Caloundra, with more to come this year.

Universal is owned by Sam and Rebecca Penny, who have extensive experience in business management rather than beauty services.

Sam Penny said this distinction is making a big difference to Universal's success to date.

"We are business owners foremost, and we're growing by adding experienced stylists to the management team to develop their own team within the brand, so for us it is about creating a solid business model and offering standout customer care," he said.

"We came into this business focused on the customer perspective, because hair and beauty services absolutely rely on client satisfaction - an unhappy client just doesn't come back."

Universal opened its first salon doors in June last year to offer clients personalised service and in just four months it has become the largest salon brand on the coast, with plans to expand to at least 10 salons by June.

Rebecca Penny said Universal staff members were selected for their experience as stylists and colourists and their focus on staying ahead of the latest trends and techniques to ensure their clients were literally at the cutting edge.

"Hair and beauty is about constant change and we know that the passion and skill of our staff is the cornerstone of our business, so we search out the best people to ensure we offer the highest calibre services to our customers," she said.

It is the aggressive development plan of the brand that is most impressive at a time when many business owners are struggling to hold on.

Universal Hair has opened at Goldfields Plaza and at Centro in Gympie.