Already a success, Finn Jordan are ready to embrace their next chapter after a fabulous refurbishment
When Sarah Jordan and Claire Finn met by chance back in 2009, neither could have predicted that their meeting would lead to the wonderful success they have shared as co-owners of beauty and hair salon, Finn Jordan.
“I was working in the salon for the previous owner; Claire had recently moved back to Cambridge and she came in for a treatment,” explains Sarah. The two hit it off, and when they met up again for a drink, it was soon clear that their ambitions for the future were spookily similar. Claire had recently started a luxury mobile hair and beauty service, and not long after their meeting Sarah left her job at the salon and the two women teamed up to develop the business, providing a number of the top hotels in the city with an in-house spa service. They found that they worked really well together.
“We pride ourselves on really getting to know our brides”
“We both wanted to develop a business where our clients had the best possible experience and would leave feeling completely cared for, and also one that was professional and valued staff training and building a strong team”, says Sarah. “We really complement each other professionally – Claire’s strengths are my weaknesses and vice versa!”
Together they began to offer a bridal service, which is still a big part of the business today. “Our brides can choose just to have us on the day to do hair and make-up, or use our services in the lead-up to the wedding too,” says Claire. “We pride ourselves on really getting to know our brides, to ensure they are comfortable and confident and, ultimately, feel beautiful on their big day.”
After running the mobile service for a year, Sarah’s former boss got in touch to say that she wanted to sell the Sussex Street salon and retire. “We couldn’t believe our luck!” says Sarah. “We’d been looking for our own premises and knew that we would kick ourselves if we didn’t jump at this opportunity.” So in November 2010, Claire and Sarah bought the salon and started to redevelop the business as Finn Jordan.
“We absolutely love Sussex Street”, says Sarah (above). “It’s perfect for our business – right in the heart of the city, but tucked away on a quieter street, and next to lots of other brilliant shops including some great independent shops.”
Both Claire and Sarah are local girls, and have relished becoming a part of the thriving Cambridge independent community. “We all support each other as much as possible – our salon mirrors come from the Cambridge Framing Centre opposite, and we have ‘shared’ many brides with The Tailor’s Cat bridal shop next door over the years!”
2016 has been an incredibly busy year for Finn Jordan. A major refurbishment began at the start of the year and the salon is looking better than ever. Claire and Sarah have also launched their hugely successful laser hair removal treatment. “Being independent, we can respond to our guests’ wants, and there was demand for a more permanent hair-removal solution,” says Claire (right). “We can also make our own decisions about how we do things, and right from the start we’ve focused on training our brilliant staff. Our team is wonderful and we aim to invest in them all and encourage them to develop their careers.”
“We’re constantly looking at our offering and evolving it”
Claire and Sarah are both aware that the hair and beauty industry is fast moving. “We’re constantly looking at our offering to see how we can evolve, bringing in new things and developing our current treatments,” says Claire. “Recently, for example, we’ve seen growth in longer-lasting manicures, and our OPI GelColor, which lasts for up to two weeks, is hugely popular. In hair, we’re constantly seeing new colouring and cutting techniques, and we’re fortunate that our hair brand, Redken, is at the forefront of developing new trends, so we have direct access to those developments.”
This forward-thinking attitude is one of the keys to Finn Jordan’s success, but at the heart of the business is the close relationships that Claire and Sarah have with their customers. “We have the most wonderful guests, who are so supportive and loyal,” says Claire. “When you’re having a hard day it just takes one of our lovely guests to really lift your spirits. We get some wonderful feedback and reviews and it’s such an amazing feeling for us and the team to see the hard work paying off.”
Finn Jordan, 3-4 Sussex Street
Cambridge , CB1 1PA
01223 356600 [email protected]
