No more bad hair days thanks to Sheffield inventor
30 July 2008
Sheffield entrepreneur Michael Ord is set to revolutionise the hairdressing industry with an invention that will remember clients' hairstyles better than a busy stylist ever could.
Created as a project for his Masters in Marketing coursework at Sheffield Hallam University, Style Account, is an in-salon, online computer system that records the personal hair history of each of a salon’s clients.
Clients can use Style Account from a touch screen by their chair, online or on their mobile phone browser. Michael had the idea after his girlfriend broke down in tears after her favourite hairdresser left for a salon in another town and only he knew how to create her style.
Michael says,
"The system lets salon owners keep that valuable hair history instead of clients following their stylists to a new salon if they leave.
The stylists win too because they can use the photos to replicate the exact cut, style or colour - an impossible task with over 200 clients a week. They also get to keep a personal portfolio of their cuts and can write articles and upload pictures to their own online magazine.”
Not only does the system keep a detailed photographic record of the cut and colour but also features a slickly designed digital screen providing in-chair interactive entertainment, a personal home page, a lifestyle magazine and, crucially for the salon owner, loads of opportunities for advertising revenue and client interaction.
Style Account solves the conundrum that all salons have of keeping their clients loyal and because of that Michael and his team have secured contracts with high profile salons across the UK, Germany, Spain and the US.
His current client list includes top German creative Marcus Kohler, Tracy Devine, Scottish Hairdresser of the Year 2007 and Hollyoaks’ favourite salon Celeste Arnold,
Michael developed the prototype during his Masters in Marketing degree at Sheffield Hallam University and progressed it with the help of the University’s Enterprise Centre.
The award winning service enabled him to base the company in the University's Hatchery - an incubation unit for businesses run by Sheffield Hallam students and graduates.
Style Account also reached the finals of the University’s prestigious Enterprise Challenge competition (currently in its second round http://www.shu.ac.uk/business/studententerprise/competition.html).
Through both these initiatives he received help with everything the Enterprise Centre has to offer.
He or a demonstration of the system go to: Contact Us