Last month we attended the opening ceremony of Essential Beauty and Aesthetics, a beauty salon run by former Weston College student Jessica Stagg in Weston-super-Mare.

Now, Jessica wants to pass on the things she’s learned to others in the hope that it will help them set up their very own salons.

Being a salon owner, I have learned that you need to give everyone a little piece of what you know to show the knowledge and passion of understanding the industry.

My first experience of the beauty industry was at Weston College, where I achieved my first beauty therapy qualifications and gained my first steps into the industry.

It’s hard work to get to where you want to be, but so rewarding and you learn so much along the way.

Here are my top tips for people who want to open their own salon...

Learning is key

Many salons and spas do things in different ways. Management styles are different, staff and clientele are different, but each successful salon has gone through a learning curve to enable it to sculpt itself into the format that works best for its particular needs.

The things you learn from other salons might not be right for your business, but there are always aspects you can take away and learn from.

Experience is everything

The more experience you can get the better. It took me five years working in salons before I had gained enough experience to ‘go it alone’.

Try working in both salon and spa environments to gain knowledge of a range of treatments and learn as much as possible about them. Visiting salons and spas to experience not only the treatment but the customer service and environment is also a crucial part of the process.

Experiment with products

Every salon has its own recommended brands and products, and they choose these through experimenting to find the products that best suit their needs.

When choosing your preferred products, think about value for money, the kind of results they achieve, but most importantly – the experience of your clients.

Organising is crucial

While it may be easy to get distracted by the aesthetics, the treatments and the products you use, don’t forget the business side of things.

A salon is just like any other shop, but the product you’re selling is a satisfied customer. You need to get the costs and organisation of the business right in order for your salon to be successful.

The customer comes first

Talk to the customers, learn what they like and don’t like, and tailor your treatments around this feedback – it’s the most important and valuable advice you can get.

Every customer needs an amazing experience throughout their contact with the salon, and not just during the treatment. Every interaction needs to be amazing, including marketing, the booking process, the treatment itself and ongoing care.

What is anxiety? It's a word so commonly used within the student population and yet most people can't pinpoint exactly what anxiety is.

We all feel anxious from time to time and, surprisingly, this can actually be a good thing, depending on how you respond to it. Anxiety is the mind's way of telling us the stuff that we aren't aware of knowing - your gut instinct if you like. It's the message that tells you not to laugh in a situation where it wouldn't be appropriate. The voice that says "Change that and do this instead!"

Anxiety can also heighten our focus, more than ever throughout exam season; it's your body's way of raising your arousal, by means of adrenaline, thus sending all of your fighting power to attaining your goals and focusing your sights on success.

Did you know that the physiological and biochemical responses to an event that is incredibly scary are the exact same responses to those you feel when you are loved up and happy? So, the next time you feel anxious about an exam, or a social situation, focus on the way you are responding to the anxiety. Try to use it to your advantage and tell yourself that it is only your body behaving in the right way because you are excited, or you want to achieve your very best in the upcoming test. Turn it on it's head and find the ways that anxiety could benefit you!

Try going for a short run or doing some exercise - you'll be surprised at the positive benefits it can provide.

We are going to spend the next few weeks focusing on Anxiety and the "Mind Matters" sessions that take place every Monday in the LibraryPlus and Bistro at Knightstone and Loxton Campus will be tailored specifically towards anxiety - come along and find out more.

Our Welfare Team is at each campus and can offer confidential and unjudgemental advice, support and guidance, or if you want to talk to someone outside of term time, you can visit www.bigwhitewall.com. The service is free to all students at the College using your @weston.ac.uk email address. Here you can explore a whole toolbox of ways to deal with anxiety and many other issues.

A student at Weston College’s Sixth Form has won a district award at a Young Enterprise event, and will progress to the regional finals.

Ilja Voroncovs, who studies A Levels in Psychology and Sociology and an Extended Certificate in Applied Science, recently took part in the Young Enterprise programme and was nominated by his tutor for a Journey Award. 

The Journey Award is for students who took part in the Young Enterprise Company Programme, and have progressed particularly well not necessarily just within the project itself. 

Elinor John, Lecturer in Photography and Employability Co-ordinator at the Sixth Form, said: “I nominated Ilja due to his increased confidence over the programme. Ilja was extremely shy at the beginning of the course, but flourished as a result of the opportunity with the Young Enterprise. 

“Ilja’s confidence went from strength to strength, and he was really deserving of that recognition. The most rewarding aspect was that not only did his team, business advisors and I see the growth in Ilja, but he recognised it in himself.”

The Young Enterprise programme challenges teams of students to start a business from scratch, selling a product of their own design and making a profit. It requires them to work as a team, alongside real business advisors who help to guide and mentor them.

Wayne Richards, Head of the Sixth Form, said: “The Young Enterprise programme gives students the opportunity to get a feel for real-life business, and start to explore the different aspects of creating and running their own business. 

“We’re so proud of students like Ilja who really challenge themselves, and end up progressing not just within the College but personally, too, as a result of the project. We encourage all our students to grow and develop in any way they can and we’re really proud of what Ilja has achieved.”