HABA (Hair & Beauty Australia) is an industry association which has supported and assisted salon owners in operational , industrial and compliance information for over eighty years. Professional Beauty caught up with newly appointed CEO Christina Arciuli-Collins to find out more about the association and what her job involves.
What does your job involve at HABA?
My main role as CEO is to drive the association forward through clear and defined leadership and planning. The past ten years has seen great change in our industry and HABA is rising up to meet the challenges for today and the future. I call upon my industry and business background to open new opportunities for HABA and our members.
My job has many facets which include continually adding value to members by seeking out new ways to add tangible results to their business, liaising with industry and government stakeholders on current key frustrations within our framework and building platforms such as business seminars and road shows to get our message across to our national membership base. Every day has a new set of challenges and rewards. No day is ever the same and I love that about my new role.
Having previously been the association’s president, I approach my new role with the same passion but have dedicated days and time to spend on all the initiatives that HABA has planned. With the support of my elected board and fantastic office professionals we are making great inroads in strengthening and uniting our national association.
What is your career background?
I am a qualified hairdresser, beauty therapist and makeup artist. I have worked in small upmarket boutique salons, large high profile salons and huge multi chain salons. I have been an apprentice, a senior, a manager and area manager in the industry, as well as an educator.
I have also grown my own salons and business vision over 21 years, which I now operate under a franchise model and am the franchisor. I have also contracted to salons as a business coach and mentor.
My hands on approach to all things hair and beauty and my years of business building experiences are factors I’ll draw from in my new role. When you have worked in every facet of this industry you are well informed and in a good position to know what it takes to work as CEO for HABA.
What changes do you hope to make to HABA now you have become CEO?
My first real focus is to get the message out about what HABA can do in assisting salon owners with their business. As a not-for-profit organisation our advertising budget is tight and getting our message across can be challenging. We have built up our industry assistance, knowledge and contact over 85 years so we have a wealth of resources to offer our members and the industry in general.
Our rebranding sees a fresher look and feel to our association. The main reason salon owners would want to consider HABA membership is the in house unlimited phone support we offer to members. We are the first “go to” for salon owners who need to get advice and support on a huge range of issues from IR to HR to representation, business building tools and so much more. My first aim is to demystify what Hair and Beauty Australia does and is, and why you should join.
We are also looking to gain board members from all states in Australia to play an active role in HABA. We are the federally registered association for our industry and have members from every state and territory in Australia. My vision is to strengthen the link between all the states.
What’s next for HABA?
We currently have new initiatives in the pipeline. In the next twelve months we will be building our profile in the marketplace. We are hitting the road to bring seminars and forums to most parts of Australia including regional areas. We are talking to as many salon owners as we can to understand the real key frustrations facing them today. We know our industry is suffering in the recruitment and retention area and are building an alliance partner platform so like-minded companies will work with us to achieve mutual goals which will benefit the hair and beauty industry as a whole. We want to see our members businesses thrive and will do all we can to assist them. We will also be supporting employers with training and standard initiatives.
Why is it so important for beauty professionals to make use of the services HABA provide?
We know our members are amazing at what they do. They are technically proficient and have a passion for their craft. However being a business owner can be lonely. You can’t treat your employees as friends or sounding boards for your business or concerns. There is a line that should not be crossed as an employer. As a HABA member we want you to know that you are in business for yourself but not by yourself. We are our members’ advice line for employment issues, wage rates, apprenticeship concerns, classification of employment or any questions or concerns you are facing as a salon owner. We take over 400 calls a week from members all across Australia who are so grateful to have an empathetic ear that is going to listen and help them. The other key thing is that we are 100 per cent focused on the hair and beauty industry. This means our degree qualified IR and HR advisors are only working on the laws and awards that pertain to our industry. We are the people in the know. We have just helped hundreds of members go through the FWO Audit Process with zero fines being given to HABA members. For the minimal cost of $1 a day for a singular salon location we add real value, peace of mind and save employers dozens of hours trolling through websites that have out-dated advice.
Tell us about HABA’s new look?
To keep our association fresh and current we decided on a rebranding exercise which included a new logo, colours and our all-important fully integrated website. Members can now join online 24/7 and be issued login passwords to our member’s only section. We will be moving to webinars and using technology based business tools and platforms to make it easier to stay connected nationally. Facebook is proving to be a very popular way to stay connected too. We are also an industry that looks good so we needed a new cleaner modern line of branding to take us into the future. We look better and we are making positive changes to meet and exceed industry and member expectation. We are here to help and assist every salon owner.
Visit www.hairandbeautyaustralia.com.au to find out more.