27/08/2026
Yesterday, we got together with jessbrownfullermp our local MP, for a business roundtable here in Chichester, and it was one of the most refreshingly honest conversations we’ve had in a long time.
We covered a lot of ground: planning, licensing applications, grant applications, and just how tangled the process of doing anything as a small business has become… I think we are all feeling it!
As hairdressers/salon owners, we also had the chance to speak plainly about the pressures squeezing our industry specifically: VAT, Statutory Sick Pay, and the state of apprenticeships, which are meant to be the future of this trade and instead feel harder to navigate every year.
It’s rare to get real time with the people who can help move these issues forward, and rarer still to feel properly listened to. Jess didn’t dodge the hard questions, and that counts for a lot!
If you run a salon, make the time to connect with your local authorities and build relationships.
It was lovely to meet businesses across all sectors, and learn from each other!
Thank you, Jess Fuller-Brown, for making the time to listen.
