Case study: Green Hairdresser in Zografou (testing date 16/03/2013)

Last week, searching for innovative and environmental friendly Greek companies, I had the chance to test the first and only (in my knowledge) “Green Hairdresser” (GHrd). Yes, in Athens in Zografou neighborhood, there is a 2 years old Hairdressing Saloon that proposes a “Green” service. I jumped on the occasion and made an appointment, so excited to discover this innovative idea (I must admit I did not expect to find such business here). Unfortunately, my experience was more like a “what not to do” experience than a discovering and refreshing natural moment. Therefore I decided that it would be a good idea to study the different mistakes noticed so that we can take our lesson from it. The case study will also help illustrating what can transform a strategic idea to a bad result.

Ecology is a behavior

Ecology is for everybody, it is nature and we should finally stop fooling everybody about eco-products prices, why should the client pay for the effort, which should have always been such, I mean entrepreneurs must integrate environmental criteria in their management since they are living, reacting and exchanging with it. The real eco-company makes clean, transparent and proper money allowing a sustainable activity and without putting in danger the nature. The GHD proposes services at least 0.5 higher prices than the market, why? What different does he brings, the cosmetics isn’t enough, the service is not about the products used, it includes the cut, etc. No excuses for these high prices. And after asking a few questions about the products and why he chooses to open a Green Hairdressing store, I understood right away that there were not really a passion for the “green spirit” and when I saw the result of the coiffure… I got even depressed. Why use organic product if you do not believe in it! Like everything in life, one has to believe in what he does, client feel it, see it and will soon or later walk away.

In addition, less people accept to pay higher price for an organic product, because they have a lower purchasing power and of course they still have chemical products working well. However, like in any business respecting your business, your clients and your collaborators should be one of the principles of eco-company. So in our case, the price was high I paid 25 euros for a simple haircut (not one the best cut I have seen). If one communicates on how much his organization cares about nature and environment the least is to care about its clients too. It is not a REASON to have high prices, the client pays the result too, the global service, since they came to a green hairdresser it is logical to have green products but the service is the haircut too. What if success is based on procedures transparent and respectful, can’t money be made with this way? Yes, of course it can, and it will be a sustainable long-term income, and many more advantages. The world has entered a new era where change must occur and where neither companies nor people can avoid.

Some people will say that I am just dreaming of the perfect world; I just believe that nothing worth more than a business model where everything has been studied and prepared, a business that reflects the entrepreneur capability to think, innovate and assess all level of its business. The GHD was a really a bad experience and it was a great opportunity to expose the various mistakes that are regularly met when studying entrepreneurs. A global view of the business, and an analysis of the different faces of it helps a lot in many various project and not only for green-transformation projects: it helps understanding the key factors of the business and of course gives the perfect tool to improve it (environmentally, financially and/or organizationally).

Whatever the size of your business, if you ever need to make a green evaluation of your business, do not hesitate to contact me cam.delcour@gmail. With your knowledge of your market and a precise analysis with pertinent tools, we can easily, cheaply find a way for you to get productivity, effectiveness and more profit by just making small changes that you never thought about. 

→ Read the second part here.

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