TEDCO caught up with the founder of Apex Male Grooming, John Seed, to find out more about how he’s expanding his business and diversifying into new areas as part of his growth strategy. Having recently completed the Digital Track programme – funded by the North of Tyne Combined Authority and delivered by TEDCO Business Support – we also asked John what appealed to him about the fully-funded programme and how he thinks it will help his business as it grows and diversifies.
Having trained at the prestigious SB Barbering Academy in Sunderland and then plied his early career in Newcastle and Morpeth, John Seed took the leap into running his own business in the summer of 2022. With one full-time member of staff already on board and a diary full of bookings each month, John is now looking to bring in more staff and complementary grooming services for his clientele in Morpeth and the wider Northumberland area.
He says,
“I’ve recently trained in scalp micropigmentation. Essentially, it’s hairline tattooing for people who are losing their hair but want the loop of a closely shaved full head of hair. It can be used effectively to add a sense of density to problem areas that are thinning.
“One of the things I’m passionate about is offering the service to those who are becoming self-conscious or anxious about their appearance. It’s not only for men suffering from male pattern baldness but also those with alopecia, scars on their heads or even cancer patients who’ve been through chemotherapy.
Although there are a number of practitioners providing scalp micropigmentation services elsewhere in the country, John says that there are few people trained in the service in the North East – which was part of the reason he wanted to bring it in to Apex Male Grooming.
He says,
“We’ve already taken on a number of clients who come in for consultations and I’m looking forward to seeing it take off over the coming months. It really does help people to boost confidence and I’ve had some fantastic feedback from our early clients – particularly an 18 year-old lad called Duncan who suffers from alopecia.
“He recently messaged me to say it was the best decision he’s made and that he no longer feels the need to wear his hat when out in public. It’s that kind of feedback that really makes the job worthwhile.”
Getting on Digital Track
John readily admits that he’s “not the best with social media” and so when he was introduced to the Digital Track marketing programme by TEDCO Business Advisor, Jeff Thompson, he jumped at the opportunity to improve his skills and understand how he could use technology to get the word out about Apex Male Grooming’s services. He says,
“When you’re fully booked in the barber shop, it’s easy to become complacent. But I have aspirations to grow and so it’s important to use these marketing tools to keep the momentum up as I try to take things to the next level.
“Digital Track has come at a perfect time for me because I’m looking to both scale up my existing business and also diversify into new areas. Improving my digital marketing is definitely going to be an important to hitting those goals.”
“Meeting with other business owners at the first event of the course was also really useful – particularly because I got to chat to a specialist in male eyebrows. Already, I’ve got him coming in 1-2 days per week to see his clients in the barber shop, so that was an unexpected bonus from the course.”
TEDCO Business Advisor, Jeff Thompson, adds,
“Digital Track is designed to help business owners like John upskill and gain the confidence to embrace digital tools that can help them achieve their ambitions and enjoy long-term success. And the added ability to network with other entrepreneurs has already proved itself to be productive for John.
“I’m delighted the short course has been of benefit to him and that he’ll be looking to utilise what he’s learnt as his business goes from strength to strength.”
The Digital Track programme is offered exclusively to businesses based in North Tyneside, Newcastle and Northumberland and is funded by the North of Tyne Combined Authority as part of their Digital Business Pipeline programme. Digital Track offers support in a number of different areas – including marketing, growth and leadership courses – delivered through a combination of in-person and online workshops.
To find out more about Digital Track, click here. To see more from Apex Male Grooming, follow on Instagram: @apexmalegrooming and @apexsmp.