Name:
Kyle Ross.
What is your business called?
Sovereign Grooming.
What does it produce?
We supply grooming services aimed at men of all ages who like to take time over their appearance and appreciate their own individuality.
We offer everything from a cut and finish to beard trims and sports massages, so that men can feel their best.
One of the most important aspects of Sovereign Grooming is giving every customer a completely unique experience tailored to their exact request while recommending styles that complement the individual. Increasingly men are also asking for tips and advice on styling their hair, as well as skin, style and general grooming tips.
Sovereign Grooming has salons in city centre locations in Aberdeen and Edinburgh, with a third salon opening in a prime location in Glasgow, growing the service offering even further with the launch of our first training academy.
To whom does it sell?
Sovereign Grooming has a wide range of customers with the demographic varying between Edinburgh and Aberdeen. For Aberdeen the core customer base ranges between 30-50 whereas Edinburgh has attracted a younger base ranging between 25-40.
Sovereign Grooming can tailor its services to anyone of any age, stemming from the fact it prides itself in offering bespoke individual treatments.
What is its turnover?
£500k
How many employees?
21
When was it formed?
2016
I opened my first salon in the West End of Aberdeen, on Union Street. Initially, the business was launched as ‘Huntsman’ but we made the decision to change it to Sovereign Grooming ahead of our expansion.
I made sure to go for a big, bold space in the heart of Aberdeen – I knew from the get go that my ambition was to have a large, prominent high street salon.
Bearing in mind, this was during the oil recession (in what some people would call the Oil Capital of Europe) so to say fellow Aberdonians thought I was mad would be an understatement. There are no regrets though – and it’s fair to say our Aberdeen salon has become extremely well established.
Ryan Crighton, who was one of the few Aberdonians saying I wasn’t mad, is now a shareholder and director at Sovereign Grooming and joined me in 2018. He’s since added a vast amount of business and marketing expertise to help get the firm thriving in the way it has.
Why did you take the plunge?
I’d noticed huge generational changes in men – they were increasingly spending more time on their appearance and becoming more image conscious. I knew fairly quickly that the men’s grooming industry was going to grow rapidly and was keen to be at the heart of it.
At the time there was hardly any high-end male grooming spots but the way the trend was going there were more and more popping up everywhere. As predicted, the industry has and continues to grow, branching into many new areas which previously may have been unthinkable for the barbering industry.
What were you doing before you took the plunge?
After leaving school I started studying law at Aberdeen University, when it became apparent it wasn’t the career for me. I found it extremely dull sitting in the library poring over case law and knew I had a bigger passion for being creative and working with my hands.
In 2016, it was slightly more difficult to make the move into hairdressing as there was still a bit of stigma towards men working in the industry. People saw it as a very feminine trade at the time and there were very few men in the industry – that is something that actually made me want to break the mould and go for it even more.
I gained an apprenticeship at one of Scotland’s largest hair salons. I then worked in a few hair salons on both men’s and women’s hair. That’s when it became apparent there was a sizeable gap in the market for a luxury, modern men’s salon.
How did you raise the start-up funding?
Once I had my heart set on going it alone, I had to carry out a whole lot of research and networking to identify ways to raise some capital. Initially, I bought a house as a renovation project so I could increase the value and borrow against the equity to get some capital. We had to put in everything we had and it was a huge risk, we certainly could never have predicted a global pandemic either.
More recently, to open our two new salons, my co-director Ryan Crighton and I raised a six-figure funding package from investors, led by MB Martin & Partners, which specialises in helping high-potential, early-stage companies grow.
That is what made it possible for us to open our 1200 sq ft Edinburgh salon in New Waverley. It is also enabling us to bring to life the third outlet in Glasgow. That includes our barber school, which we hope will inspire a new generation of barbers.
During the investment process we were also advised by both CBRE and law firm Aberdein Considine, all of which was crucial for getting the Glasgow deal over the line.
The investment has been a lifeline for us during such a rocky time for the economy. We’ve weathered the storm of the pandemic, but for months it was touch and go, especially when you consider that over two lockdowns, we were forced to close for seven months.
What was your biggest break?
Even though I didn’t particularly enjoy the process of putting myself out there, I think entering a string of barbering awards seriously put Sovereign Grooming on the map. I was fortunate to be nominated and win some big, well-recognised industry awards that helped kick everything off.
In 2017 I was named Scottish Men’s Stylist of the Year as well as winning Best Barber UK at the International Barber Awards in Germany. I was also named Best Barber at the Scottish Hair and Beauty Awards 2018 and was shortlisted for GQ’s Barber of the Year 2019.
Being involved in a string of awards and industry networking has been one of the most vital ways of sharing our brand with individuals outside of Aberdeen.
What are your ambitions for the firm?
We want to continue to make men look and feel their absolute best – something all barbers at Sovereign Grooming live by. My short-term ambition is to keep building on the success of our Edinburgh salon and ensure Glasgow enjoys its best possible first year.
Our long-term goal is to have salons across the UK becoming a household name for men’s grooming. Although its ambitious, Sovereign Grooming want to be the Toni and Guy of men’s styling, the name that everyone knows.
We’ve also got very high hopes for our barber school in Glasgow. The pandemic has led to a chronic shortage of new talent. In fact, the National Hair and Beauty Federation reckons the number of new stylists qualifying fell by 50% during the pandemic. We’ve just welcomed our first round of budding students to try to combat this.
What could the Westminster and/or Scottish Governments do that would help?
It’s clearly a tricky time for those in government due to the ongoing challenges of the pandemic, but one thing we’d love to see is more support for barbering as a career route.
One of the reasons we decided to launch our Glasgow barbering school was to give people a clear path into the industry which wasn’t there before.
If there was more government funding and support for training and apprenticeships for barbers in the past then more people may have gone down the route of what is a brilliant career option.
I’d like to potentially see more support or incentives for businesses to grow or expand, this would aid the economic recovery as we come out of the pandemic. Many businesses have had to take backwards steps through this pandemic, coming out of it saddled in debt. Providing support for businesses to take a couple of steps forward again would be very beneficial in creating employment and driving the economy forward.
What was the most valuable lesson that you learned?
That’s a tricky one. I’ve had to adapt a lot along the way as Sovereign Grooming has grown and taken shape. We’ve also had plenty go against us along the way. The biggest lesson I’ve learned is probably that for every problem there is a solution.
Scaling a business brings all sorts of unexpected challenges. One example of this when we were let down by a crucial workman just before the Edinburgh salon was due to open. I had to work overnight pouring concrete and following YouTube tutorials to make sure we could open on time – Some problems are harder to solve than others, but that proved there is always a fix out there.
How do you relax?
I’m a big football fan so before the pandemic I was playing a lot of eight-a-side, that all came to a halt but I’m keen to get back into it. I also used to enjoy playing guitar which has slowed down but I’m keen to pick that back up. With my workday expand as the business expands, it’s been hard to find time to relax. That being said, I’d much rather be on my feet and cutting someone’s hair than with my feet up on the sofa.
Check out the results here:
Expert barber cuts through with national thought leadership feature
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