THE OWNER of an independent salon has reopened after an extensive and self-funded refurbishment.

Susan Flintoff, the owner of Hair and Beauty Secrets in Northallerton, North Yorkshire said the refurbishment would accommodate more staff and its growing number of customers.

She said: "The town is expanding massively, especially down the bottom end.

"I just wanted to do the refurbishment before everyone else – it's one of the nicest salons down this end of the town."

The business on the high street, officially reopened on Tuesday after its brief closure for the refit.

She said: "It got to a point where the business grew into more and I decided to do the salon up."

On average, her business was serving around 140 customers each week.

Ms Flintoff had previously trained and worked in the beauty sector for six-and-a-half years, before she founded the business in 2010.

She said: "I decided to branch out on my own after working with someone else – and the salon has just grown from strength to strength."

Ms Flintoff started off with just two employees, but over the past eight years, she claims demand has grown to the extent that she has had to increase her workforce to reflect it.

Ms Flintoff said the refurbishment meant she was now able to employ eight hairdressers, whilst also having space to take on apprentices from school and college level.

Her previous apprentices have secured permanent roles within the business.

She added: "One junior became a stylist and another is now the salon manager."

Her workforce is now made up of six stylists, four apprentices, a beauty therapist and a salon manager.

To accommodate the increase in demand and workforce, the shop unit has not been extended, instead the refurbishment has made use of what Ms Flintoff said was ‘wasted’ space.

The salon now features sixteen sections, whereas it previously had nine.

The new sections, now include extra space for employees to carry out haircuts, facial treatments and massages to patrons.

She said: "Setting future goals, which we can then work to achieve is exciting and rewarding, I believe in being positive and polite at all times.

"My team are really important and mean so much to me – we really couldn’t do it without them too."

Ms Flintoff chose not to have a major grand opening, instead she decided to reopen the shop with close family members.

She even held a ceremony so that her grandfather Brian Flintoff, who asked to reopen the salon, could cut the ribbon and declare the refurbishment complete.