21 November 2023
Top 100 Influencers from the Hair and Beauty Industry Take the Spotlight
The NHBF Top 100 Influencer 2023 event took place this week at the stunning St. John's Church, nestled in the heart of Hyde Park, London. The event had over 100 professionals from the hair and beauty industry who gathered together to celebrate and acknowledge the efforts of individuals who have been instrumental in promoting and shaping the industry on social media.
The charismatic duo of Katie Walsh and The Royal Serenity hosted the event, which featured a mesmerising array of live performances, including fire eaters and fairies on stilts, providing the guests with an unforgettable entertainment.
This year, the event received over 250 nominations from across the hair and beauty industry, with Chlöe Swift securing the coveted number-one spot. We extend our warm congratulations to all the nominees and the Top 100 influencers, who have made an indelible impact on the industry.
We would like to take this opportunity to express our heartfelt gratitude to our sponsors, Vagaro, City & Guilds, Schwarzkopf, Lopay, and Avlon, for their unwavering support in making this event a great success.
Keep an eye out on our social media accounts @NHBFSocial for event photos and video highlights, and we look forward to welcoming you to the NHBF Top 100 Influencer event next year!
Last chance to win £100: Take the NHBF survey
As we navigate challenges in the industry's recovery, we aim to enhance our services for your business success. Please take 10-15 minutes to share your NHBF experience and insights. Your valuable feedback will shape our improvements for 2024. Plus, you could win £100 in shopping vouchers. The survey closes on November 27, 2023.
Click here to take the survey. (non-members only)
British Business Bank launches £70million investment fund for Northern Ireland
The British Business Bank launches a new £70million commitment to support smaller businesses from all sectors right across Northern Ireland.
The Investment Fund for Northern Ireland (IFNI) aims to drive sustainable economic growth by supporting innovation and creating local opportunities for new and scaling businesses that may have struggled to access finance elsewhere.
The fund will offer a range of commercial finance options with both loans and equity investments available for local entrepreneurs. By increasing the supply and diversity of early-stage finance for smaller businesses, the new fund aims to tackle an identified funding gap throughout Northern Ireland.
To find out more and apply for funding, visit: investmentfundnorthernireland.co.uk.
Employment support launched for over a million people
The Chancellor Jeremy Hunt and the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Mel Stride have unveiled their Back to Work Plan – a package of employment-focused support that will help people stay healthy, get off benefits and move into work – as part of the Autumn Statement.
Building on the ambitious £7 billion employment package from the Spring Budget the Chancellor is using his Autumn Statement to outline a new Back to Work Plan, which will expand the employment support and treatment available and reform the ways that people with disabilities or health conditions interact with the state.
Getting more people into work and ensuring work pays remains a key priority for the government. It is important for growing the UK economy, managing inflation, controlling spending, and improving living standards. Getting more people into good jobs is also good for those individuals and the best route out of poverty.
The new support will include:
- Additional support comes alongside tougher sanctions for people who don’t look for work, as part of the next generation of welfare reforms.
- Exploring reforms of the fit note system, expansion of available treatment and employment support, and formal launch of the WorkWell service to help people start, stay and succeed in work.
Campaigning for You – CBI conference
NHBF attended the CBI conference this week, through our membership of the Trade Association Forum (TAF). Speakers included Jonathan Reynolds, Shadow Secretary of State for business and trade and the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Jeremy Hunt.
The Shadow Secretary of State’s speech focused on themes including achieving the highest sustained growth in the UK, implementing an industrial strategy whilst reporting against progress and increasing investment in the UK economy. During the Q&A session after the speech, the media including Sky, Bloomberg, Telegraph and the Guardian asked questions, Rosina Robson from the NHBF asked him about skills - specifically, about the Growth and skills levy policy that Labour have planned, and how will this benefit small businesses in the hair and beauty sector which has historically given huge opportunities to young people but now where affordability of apprenticeships for employers is a challenge. His reply to the question indicated that the intention is that small businesses will benefit from the levy too and that they’ll make sure that skills needs are met across the UK through devolution.